Kilkenny Observer 1st March 2024

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Friday 1 March 2024

Time To Vote What a Yes or No will mean in referendums  Pages 6 and 12

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Now, That's Rich!

How money and things don't buy happiness  Page 18

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Our food poverty shame Four in 10 parents cut back on essentials so their children are fed

Skipping a meal or reducing the size of their portion so their children had enough to eat occurs in four in every 10 Irish homes, according to a new survey.

The annual Food Insecurity Research from Barnardo’s and Aldi Ireland found the number of parents skipping meals or eating smaller portions rose by 12% from 2022.

Figures indicate food poverty is worsening for families, with a growing number of children in homes where parents are eating less to ensure children are fed, cutting back on other essentials to make sure there is food on the table or accessing services like food banks.

“The results in this survey reflect what Barnardo’s are

seeing on the ground every day. Parents are being faced with difficult decisions to make for their families more frequently than ever,” Barnardo’s CEO Suzanne Connolly said. “A lack of nutritious meals has an impact on the emotional and mental well-being of both child and parents for a long to time to come. Because

childhood lasts a lifetime.”

More than half (54%) of parents said they cut back on their own leisure and hobbies to afford food for the family.

The survey also found 21% of families have cut back on children’s activities, while a quarter of parents have been forced to reduce medical costs to afford food.

A total of 45% of parents are “always” or “sometimes” worried about having enough food – that figure has more than doubled since January 2022 (19%).

The number of people who have never had to cut down on other costs to afford food fell by 9pc compared to 2022, while 24% of parents said they had borrowed

money to feed their child.

Barnardo’s has called on the Government to roll out a number of measures to tackle food insecurity, including extending free school meals to secondary schools and piloting out-ofterm and weekend meals for children who rely on these meals during the school term.

Referendums likely to be carried by Yes

Kilkenny film for Belgrade festival The Kilkenny-made film Dear Mother directed by Kevin Hughes will be shown at the Belgrade Irish Festival from March 8 to 18. The festival is a major celebration of Irish Culture and is centred on St Patrick’s Weekend every year.

Kevin Hughes will attend the festival to discuss the film and represent the

The Best Comment & Opinion in Kilkenny

filmmaking community in Kilkenny.

The film is set during the Irish Civil War in 1922 and tells the true story of a young man executed for stealing money to buy guns for the IRA. The story centres on the last letters he wrote to his mother the night before he died.

Dear Mother is one of

many Irish films to be shown at the festival.

A retrospective of Jim Sheridan’s work including My Left Foot and In The Name of the Father and many others will be shown at the festival. Jim Sheridan will also be attending the festival.

Dear Mother was shot in Kilkenny with local talent

and crew. Some of the film was actually shot in the very location where the two men wereimprisoned and the exact yard where the executions took place. This adds a great deal of authenticity to the film, making the film there had a profound effect on the cast and crew.

The film is supported by the Kilkenny Decade of

Centenaries Grant Scheme 2022.

Kevin Hughes is an awardwinning filmmaker living and working from Kilkenny.

He has more 40 professional film credits to his name and has worked on projects ranging from major documentaries, feature films and short drama films.

See alos Page 4

So, will these two referendums on Friday, March 8 be carried?

At first glance it seems that they should succeed. An Ipsos/B&A survey for the Irish Times showed six out of 10 people favoured the change on women at home, while over half backed change to definition of family.

But the history of referendums shows us that this is not a reliable predictor a month from polling. Referendum turnouts are often abysmal with two out of three voters abstaining.

Voter apathy makes the issues at risk to determined No campaigners sowing doubt – and only 8% of people said they were well-informed on the issues. Watch for terms like: “If you don’t know – vote No” and “If in doubt – leave it out.”

Comment & Analysis Page 6

So, what will it all mean for women?

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar promised a while ago to make Ireland a leader in gender equality in all its forms. As a woman I wonder how the referendums that we are being asked to vote on will affect women and whether ‘gender neutrality’ is in our interests.

Article 41 was never intended to stop women going out work.

Marianne Heron Page 12

PAUL HOPKINS

MARIANNE HERON

JOHN ELLIS

GERRY MORAN

Telling it like it is.

And with no holds barred

A straight shooter.

Considerate and wise words

Great advice.

Your money in mind

Quirky take on bright side of life

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 1 March 2024

News

Wandesforde scoops awards at top film festival The winners of this year’s FÍS Film Awards have received accolades in recognition of their work, with a school from Kilkenny receiving awards.

The FÍS Film Awards is a renowned annual competition for Irish primary school children and their teachers and educates them on the entire movie-making process.

Wandesforde National School scooped prizes in the Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking and in Costume Design.

The FÍS Film Awards is a renowned annual competition for Irish primary school children and their teachers and educates them on the entire movie-making process.

Hosted by RTE’s Sinead Kennedy, the event is run by the Institute of Art, Design and Technology and Oide Technology in Education.

First established as a grassroots initiative to nurture Ireland’s future moviemaking talent, more 1,500 pupils get involved each year. The awards ceremony, which was broadcast online earlier was co-produced by students of IADT’s National Film School and live-streamed through the official FÍS website.

The overall winner was St. Fiaccs National School in Laois for their movie ‘Podorozh’ (meaning ‘Journey’ in Ukrainian). Students received the Outstanding Achievement

In the frame: pupils and their teachers from Wandesforde National School receiving their awards

Award for Autobiography as well as The Aileen Mackeogh Film of The Year Award. Fully directed and produced by 6th class students, the short film tells the story of a young Ukrainian refugee fleeing the

war in Ukraine to seek sanctuary in Laois, Ireland.

The FÍS Film Awards see classes across the country challenged to write, direct, and produce their own short films for a chance to win a

myriad of accolades and attend the prestigious awards ceremony.

Whether it be script writing, acting, filming or costume design, students are encouraged to get creative both in

and out of the classroom.

Cappawhite National School, Tipperary (Bloody Sunday 1920) won Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking – Cinematography The FÍS project was de-

signed to introduce and lead primary school pupils through the creative process of filmmaking. Offering a unique opportunity to develop their creative skills outside of a traditional classroom setting, budding moviemakers are encouraged to test their communication, planning, and collaborative abilities. Students are allowed to create their own stories, characters, and visual effects, encouraging creative expression and lateral thinking, essential components for personal growth and learning.

In addition, pupils are given hands-on experience with a variety of filmmaking tools and equipment, reinforcing digital literacy and bolstering their confidence with new technologies. The FÍS project aligns with the Government’s digital strategy for schools, an action plan for integrating digital technologies into teaching and learning assessments in the classroom.

Anthony Kilcoyne, Divisional Director Oide Technology in Education, said: “Once again, the judging panel was impressed by the remarkable investigative, analytic, and critical thinking skills displayed by this year’s entrants, coupled with their adept use of technology to narrate their unique stories.”

See also Page 10

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REFERENDUMS

BY PAUL HOPKINS

I am old enough to remember when a woman married, she had to give up her job in a State or semi-State company.

The Constitution which describes a woman’s life “within the home” is arguably sexist.

Article 41.2 does not give any rights to women, provide any protections for them or been the source of any benefit, resulting in advancement of women’s rights. The Constitutional amendment will be changed to be made gender neutral to recognise that care is both a woman’s and a man’s responsibility.

The long-delayed referendum on care is supposed to take what was considered offensive and dated and turn it into something that will aid carers in a proper way.

But, under the new amendment, the Government would only have to “endeavour” to support carers within the home — wording that effectively means nobody could ever win a legal argument for the State to give stay-at-home carers real and practical support.

Women will be most affected by the amendments.

According to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, women spend double the time of men on caring and more than twice as much time on housework.

A substantial gender gap persists even among men and women doing the same amount of paid work. And the Central Statistic Office Life At Home report finds that the burden of childcare and domestic responsibilities is felt strongest by women.

The Government is proposing the deletion in its entirety of Article 41.2, despite the fact that Supreme Court Judge (and former Chief Justice) Susan Denham has said 41.2 does not assign women to a domestic role. In a 2001

Amendments could have been better worded ruling, Justice Denham said: “Article 41.2 recognises the significant role played by wives and mothers in the home. This recognition and acknowledgment does not exclude women and mothers from other roles and activities.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar wants “to amend our Constitution to enshrine gender equality and to remove the outmoded reference to women in the home”. Every stay-at-home mother has just now learned, appallingly, that their life choices are outmoded. Dismissing the tough task of raising the next generation as outmoded is akin to saying parenting is a thing

of the past. The Taoiseach seems to have forgotten that two out of three Irish mothers would prefer to stay at home and raise their children if – if – they had the choice, according to a survey by Amárach Research. Let’s not get into childcare costs and low pay or three out of four children waiting for scoliosis treatment, according to Kathleen Funchion TD According to the Yes advocates, Article 41.2 has had a significantly bad effect on women’s lives. Orla O’Connor, director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI), said last month that the article “gives the State the oppressive role of keeping

women from careers or employment of our own”.

Cue, Justice Susan Denham.

Many quote the first part of Article 41.2.1 about how “woman through her life in the home” gives to the State “a support without which the common good cannot be achieved”. But often omit to mention that Article 41.2.2 – as first noted by The Citizens’ Assembly and an Oireachtas committee – says the State “shall endeavour (sic) to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home”.

Would the amendment to Article 41.2 update that

language, retaining the recognition of the value to society of women’s work in the home and that promise by the State to “endeavour to protect, in case of economic necessity, a mother’s right” to choose to stay at home to raise her children? I don’t think so, citing lack of a State role in childcare. The amendment will remove Article 41.2 altogether, replacing it with wording that offers little to the gender-neutral ‘carers’ who will replace women and mothers, and weaken the protection offered regarding “economic necessity”.

My biggest fear about the amendments is to insert “durable relationships” into

the Constitution: it’s such vacuous wording and, if nothing else, ignores a single parent rearing children.

We don’t know how the Supreme Court would define a “durable relationship”. If nothing else, “durable relationships” copper-fastens the presumption that families involve more than one adult.

I am voting No for these referendums as currently confusingly worded. The wordings leave the amendments too open to being challenged in the courts – in terms of welfare, taxation, succession, and family law.

See Marianne Heron Comment Page 12

Your quick guide to what’s being asked Why these two referendums? Éamon de Valera’s officials wrote the 1937 Constitution, with considerable input from the Catholic bishops, and it was narrowly endorsed in our first referendum in June of that year. Over its 87 years the document has evolved through Supreme Court test-case rulings and 38 referendums.

The role of women Article 41.2 effectively says that women working in the home are central to the good functioning of the State and society. It also pledges to “en-

deavour” to support women working at home so that they are not obliged to go out to work and neglect family duties.

If voters say Yes then that article would be struck out and a new Article 42B would be inserted. The new addition would recognise the important role of carers in Irish society.

In the new provision, carers are said to be either family members or linked in other ways. The proposed addition pledges the State “to strive” to support such care.

Dispute about that change Equality Minister Roderic O’Gorman argues that this provision demeans women and is meaningless in modern Irish life where women have long pursued their own careers, combining work outside the home with family duties. Yes supporters say the provision supported a view in society that typecast women and played into things like the “marriage ban”, which forced women out of publicsector work the minute they married.

That ban only ended when

Ireland joined the EEC, the forerunner of the European Union, in 1973.

But advocates of a No say this change would militate against women who work only in the home. They also argue that in practical terms it really would not change anything.

Family and relationships As it stands, Article 41.3.1 accords very special status to the family as the basic unit of the society with strong legal rights. It fixes a family as based on marriage.

The proposed change would

outline the family as “founded on marriage or other durable relationships”.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that up to one million Irish people live in family situations where there is no marriage involved. Yes advocates point to the 2015 endorsement of the constitutional referendum on same-sex marriage.

The Yes side also cite a recent Supreme Court ruling which granted a widowers’ pension to a father who was not married to his now deceased partner.

Advocates of No, including former Attorney General and Justice Minister Michael McDowell, argue that this change is a recipe for legal chaos with implications for things including succession and immigration law.

Some critics dismiss the term “durable relationships” as something which could be decided by things as facile as getting jointly-addressed postcards or Christmas cards.

Again, the argument that nothing was broken or required fixing, is cited.

YOU decide on March 8 ...

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Opinion

The Fact Of The Matter Paul Hopkins

When there’s a bit of a spring in our step It’s perhaps an age thing but the last few years I have found the dark and dank of winter sapping what I have left of the will to carry on. That’s probably an exaggeration. That said, I am not alone in finding the short days and long nights somewhat debilitating. I don’t go outdoors as much, almost to the point of hibernation.

The good news is the days are slowly getting longer, the temperature is creeping up, the flowers are beginning to bloom, and we are beginning to find that spring in our step.

And in spring a young man’s fancy turns to... blue sky dating.

Blue sky dating is a term coined by UK research by Badoo which finds that spring with its lighter evenings and warmer weather has a positive impact on 74% of young people who are dating. More than half of those surveyed said dating in late autumn and winter was “more chal-

lenging”, with more than a third feeling “they couldn’t be bothered”.

So, singletons’ mating habits aside, what about the rest of us?

Spring has two official start dates, depending on your priorities. For meteorologists, spring will arrive on the first day in March, according to their neat, evenly spaced seasons formalised in the 1900s. But if you plot the seasons in line with our planetary activity, as humans have done for thousands of years, the ‘astronomical seasons’ show spring starting at what is termed the vernal equinox, which this year falls on March 20. So, despite belief among many, February is not spring which may go some way to explaining the rain and wind of last month.

The equinoxes (spring and autumn) lie halfway between the shortest and longest days of the year. At these points,

fleetingly, day and night are of roughly even lengths all over the planet – closer to conditions in Africa, where our species began life, and where seasonal swings in daylight hours are less dramatic, especially closer to the Equator, on which I stood in Kenya back in 2008 while covering the short civil war there for Irish papers.

These conditions – where day and night are of roughly even length – may well suit the human circadian rhythm, that daily cycle that tells the body when to sleep, wake, eat and carry out various other biological processes, according to research at Queen’s University.

Good light is why the onset of spring feels so good, important even – the temperature playing second fiddle.

We are more likely to get snow in March than in December, according to the Met Office. It’s just a lot brighter.

There is a sudden jump in the hours of sunshine we get, which is dictated by both daylight hours and weather.

Ergo, December is the dullest month, with an average 41 hours of sunlight. In January, it’s 47 hours, February jumps to 70 hours and then there’s

A young man’s fancy turns to blue sky dating...

quite a leap into March where we get – or should get, climate change notwithstanding – 102 hours of sunshine.

At this time of year, too, when the sun climbs higher in the sky during the daytime it’s going through a shorter slice of the atmosphere than it did on winter days, so the sky ends up being bluer. And blue skies and lovely light make us feel good. Unlike the hedgehog, we are not hibernators by nature, despite my aforementioned enforcement of such.

During the pandemic lockdown I would take my daily constitutional – a phrase used by my father, an avid walker – over the hill and down by the water mills and the lack of pollutants in the air made for bluer skies and the soaring sounds of birds, in that time of grounded air travel, was indeed sweet music.

As well as the cheering colour of the sky, bright

spring light can make us happier. In fact, light can be as effective in treating depression as, say, Prozac.

A 2016 trial by researchers from several institutions in Canada, including the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, treated people with major depressive disorder without a seasonal (winter) pattern – Seasonal Adjustment Disorder (SAD) – to compare Prozac versus light therapy. They found that light therapy was just as effective as Prozac in treating depression.

I remember as a young boy my mother often telling me to “go out and get some daylight”. And my pals and I would gallop across the sprawling suburban landscape, the light dazzling in our eyes and the warmth enveloping our young hearts and lithe limbs.

Seems like light years ago now ...

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Productivity 24-South East LEAN Conference Labour’s Seán Ó hArgáin empowers small business owners with demands government action in LEAN thinking techniques & insights wake of soaring Kilkenny rents Labour Party local election candidate in Kilkenny City, Seán Ó hArgáin, is calling on the government to urgently address the housing crisis in light of the alarming findings of the recent Daft Report. The report revealed a staggering 6.8% increase in advertised rents in 2023 across the country, but with a staggering increase of 13.8% in Kilkenny, further exacerbating the challenges faced by hundreds of Kilkenny families.

Mr. Ó hArgáin said: "The Daft Report findings underscore the urgent need for meaningful action to address the housing crisis in Kilkenny. With over 13,351 individuals nationally, including over 4,000 children, currently accessing emergency accommodation, it is clear that the situation has reached a breaking point.

"As I have witnessed firsthand while knocking on doors in our local area, the housing crisis is a constant concern for our community. Over 810 families were on the Kilkenny City

housing lists until recently and this is having a huge impact on the quality of people’s lives, particularly young people and families, who are in many cases forced to continue living in their parent’s homes.

“Families are struggling to afford homes of their own, renters are burdened by exorbitant rents, and individuals are languishing on Council housing lists for years on end.

This cannot continue.

"The reliance on private development as a solution is fundamentally flawed and only serves to worsen the housing crisis. The policies of Fine

Gael and Fianna Fáil have eroded the social contract, leaving renters vulnerable and without recourse. It is time for the government to prioritise the rights and security of renters across Ireland.

"Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s persistent failure to act not only perpetuates suffering but erodes the very fabric of our communities. Urgent intervention is essential to prevent further deterioration of the situation and to restore hope for those who have been left behind by failed policies.

"Labour’s vision for a fair and affordable rental sector challenges this status quo.

Our Renter’s Rights Bill, introduced in 2021, would have offered a constructive solution to the ongoing crisis.

By tackling 'no-fault' evictions and providing greater security of tenure, our bill aims to provide a lifeline to renters facing uncertainty and instability in their housing situations.

“We need a renewed sense of urgency and commitment to ensure every individual, especially our vulnerable children, has a place to call home.”

L-R Richie Dawson, Stuart Nelson- Jigsaw, John Mulcahy - Kilkenny LEO, Aileen McGrath- Kilkenny LEO, John O Shanahan – LEAN BPI, Aine Kerr, Robert Hernan - EI, Pat Lynch – SETU

Small business owners from the across the South East attended the Productivity24South East LEAN Conference on Tuesday 20th February in Newpark Hotel Kilkenny for a transformative half-day conference dedicated to the world of productivity and LEAN Thinking. The exclusive event was tailored for ownermanagers of small companies and promises to equip attendees with invaluable insights and practical strategies to harness the full potential of LEAN Principles to increase efficiency in the business.

Productivity-24 was hosted by the Local Enterprise Of-

fices in Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford.

The event was moderated

by Aine Kerr and featured speakers including John O’Shanahan from LEAN BPI, Stuart Nelson from Jigsaw, Robert Hernan from Enterprise Ireland, LEAN Experts Richie Dawson from LI4 and Pat Lynch from SETU. Speaking about the event, Aine Kerr said “I was delighted to be part of this event which created a conversation around efficiency and productivity in SME’s of all types and sizes in the South East”.

The event was open to SME’s across the South

East of Ireland and Aileen McGrath on behalf of the Local Enterprise Offices, said “Productivity24 was a fantastic opportunity to revolutionize the way SMEs think about their business in the modern era. Local businesses benefited from the wisdom and expertise of industryleading speakers who have successfully navigated LEAN thinking. SMEs gained actionable insights from their experiences, best practices, and case studies”.

If you are interested in availing of LEAN supports, please contact your Local Enterprise Office.

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Farmers' wetlands law concern New EU legislation just announced will have significant consequences for land use and agriculture in Ireland. It mandates extensive restoration of wetlands and protected habitats, with specific targets for the restoration of drained peatlands—30% by 2030, 40% by 2040, and 50% by 2050.

However, participation by farmers and private landowners remains voluntary.

The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has expressed concerns that the law could impact Irish food production and has emphasised the need to fully understand the impact of the proposed targets but wtf else are they gonna do?

The law sets legally binding restoration targets for a broad suite of terrestrial and marine habitats and species. This includes a commitment to

reverse biodiversity loss and restore all of the EU’s ecosystems by 2050, aligning with global commitments such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

For Ireland, this means addressing the poor condition of its extensive wetlands and many protected habitats, which have deteriorated due to factors like, pollution,

drainage and peat extraction!

The new law is expected to require considerable investment, effort, and resources at national, regional, and local levels to implement and achieve compliance.

The Government and the EU will likely provide support through various mechanisms, including the EU nature fund, to help meet the targets set by the law. The law also includes

an “emergency brake” for agricultural ecosystems targets, which can be suspended under exceptional circumstances if they create severe EU-wide consequences on the availability of land required for food consumption, you see the clear cop-outs right?

In summary, the Nature Restoration Law will necessitate changes in agricultural practices, aim to protect and

restore biodiversity, and will be supported by funding and support mechanisms.

The law’s implementation, however, will require collaboration between the Government, farmers, and other stakeholders to balance the goals of environmental restoration with agricultural productivity and food security.

library services and Men’s Shed that this will also create new opportunities for people, getting to know about these local opportunities to get more involved with their community also.

John Clarke, Assistant Director of Nursing in the Department of Psychiatry said: “We hope that these books can make a real difference for people staying in the hospital and we are delighted to be working with great community services and groups like the local library and Men’s Shed.”

Mike Watts from the Mental Health Forum notes the importance of the books. “We went through

the list of recommendations and from there we chose a variety that would meet peoples differing needs and interests, to put knowledge and narratives of what can help with mental health recovery into people’s hands, quite literally,” he said.

Belinda Coyle, Family Peer Support Worker in the Department of Psychiatry said: “I’m so happy to see the library in place here in the hospital, and already I know that people are discussing what they are reading, sharing view points and pieces of information, and reading to each other, which is just so great to see.”

See also Page 14

Funding available now for Kilkenny heritage projects The Heritage Council is now accepting applications from community groups and not for profit non-governmental organisations in Kilkenny for its Community Heritage Grant Scheme 2024. All relevant information is available from the Heritage Council’s website.

A broad range of project types are eligible for funding under the scheme including: • Conservation works to collections, objects or places, including natural heritage projects e.g. control of invasive species or habitat restoration works; conservation works to buildings, including churches; stabilisation works to ruined structures; • Surveys, reports, plans, and audits to inform the future management of buildings and monuments, habitats, collections, or objects.

• Accessibility projects that make heritage activities more accessible for people with disabilities e.g. building ramps, automatic doors, handrails, tactile interpretation • Projects that help people engage more with their heritage e.g. interactive maps, videos, virtual exhibitions, podcasts, websites • Purchase of specialised equipment e.g archival boxing for vulnerable documents, monitoring equipment for humidity or light, interpretation/ multimedia equipment, specialised software • Projects that address the heritage of minority groups e.g an oral history project documenting Traveller heritage

• Training in traditional skills and crafts e.g. workshops on skills such as roofing, thatch, dry stone walling etc.

• Citizen science projects on environmental conservation Last year, two Kilkenny-based projects were funded through the scheme – the Acorn Project in Kilkenny which received funding to train local communities to become guardians of nature and heritage through workshops teaching traditional land management skills and how to map and record the biodiversity of raths, and St Canice’s Cathedral who used the funding to improve the interpretation plan for the Cathedral with the addition of audio guides.

For an overview of all projects funded under the scheme in previous years, see list of 2023 recipients and 2022 recipients on the website.

The minimum grant that can be requested through the scheme is €500. The maximum is €25,000.

The closing date for applications is Monday, March 25 at 5pm. Applications must be made via the Heritage Council’s online grants management system. Funded projects must be completed by November 15.

The Heritage Council will host a Zoom information webinar on the scheme at 12 noon on Monday March 4 with general application advice followed by a question and answers session.

The event will be recorded and available on our website for viewing afterwards.

Man (20s) in cocaine arrest outside school A man was arrested on the morning of Tuesday February 27 outside a local school on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. His car was intercepted in Kilkenny City shortly after 9am by the Kilkenny Roads Policing Unit.

The driver, a man in his 20s,

was arrested for driving under the influence, after a swab test which proved positive for cocaine.

In addition, the driver’s vehicle was impounded as it had no tax nor NCT and was also suspected to have no insurance.

Sharing supports and hopeful stories The Recovery Library in the Department of Psychiatry at St Lukes Hospital is well up and running.

The Recovery Library is based on a simple idea, providing books for people to learn more about recovery and read hopeful stories of other people who have improved their mental health. This can be a helpful part of regaining control in life and supporting recovery from a mental health challenge.

The idea came from a development group in the hospital made up of people with lived experience, family members, staff working in the Department

of Psychiatry and the Development Officer with Mental Health Ireland.

Gina Delaney, Development Officer, Mental Health Ireland said: “We know from listening to people who have stayed in the Department of Psychiatry that it is so important to have a variety of activities to do.

Reading is a great way to learn more about ourselves and the world around us, and also we can get a break from the challenges of life by getting lost in a good book.”

The books are supplied by the local library in Kilkenny.

It is hoped that creating the links between the local

Newpark's Alice IHF Employee of the Year Alice Macauley, HR Assistant at Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny, Employee of the Year Winner from the South East Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), was commended at the annual IHF conference which took place on February Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 at the Slieve Russell Hotel, Co. Cavan.

Pictured are IHF President Denyse Campbell and Alice Macauley. More than 400 hotel and guesthouse owners and managers from across Ireland gathered for the conference, discussing the opportunities and challenges facing Ireland’s tourism and hospitality industry in 2024 and beyond.

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Opinion

As I See It Marianne Heron

Woman-wise, what will the referendums mean?

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar promised a while ago to make Ireland a leader in gender equality in all its forms. As a woman I wonder how the referendums that we are being asked to vote on will affect women and whether ‘gender neutrality’ is in our interests.

International Women’s Day March 8 will involve two amendments to the Constitution, one dealing with care and the other with the definition of family. Article 41 recognises the “contribution of woman in the home which gives the state a support without which the common good cannot be achieved” and goes on to say that the State “shall endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged to by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect

of their duties within the home”.

This was never intended to stop women going out work. True, some of the words, like duties, seem patronising and old fashioned. And that promise “to endeavour” has hardly been honoured, women have had to battle for the rights they have today.

Now we are being asked to delete those articles altogether so that the word woman, mother and home will no longer appear and Tánaiste Micháel Martin wonders why some find the amendment sexist?

Women are the only sex that give birth to children, they do most of the work in the home and 90% of care is done by women.

Many women would prefer to stay at home to care for their small children rather than work outside

it so that their families can survive financially. Why don’t we have an allowance to support a mother or it might be the father caring for children at home and add the words man and father to the existing article and modernise its language?

Instead, we are being asked to vote in the socalled care amendment, which recognises the provision of care by members of the family to one another… and where the State shall “endeavour” to support such provision.

Looking at issues like the lack of respite care for women who are caring 24-7 for relatives, the long waits for psychological or medical care for children I wonder how serious the State’s “strive to support” might be. Who is being cared for is open to inter-

pretation – care outside the home is excluded, placing the responsibility for care within families. And why has the Supreme Court case involving the mother of a severely handicapped child whose care allowance has been cut been put back to April? Could it be the referendums effect?

The words “durable relationship” in the family amendment which gives other types of family based on committed and continuing relationships the same status as married with the same Constitutional rights and protection are controversial to say the least.

What do they actually mean? Those pushing a Yes vote have trouble defining that word durable and it will be left to the courts to decide where there will be plenty legal challenges around all kinds of issues

involved including social welfare maintenance, succession law and pensions.

People may choose not marry for all kinds of reasons, and fine if that is what they want. But cohabitation is not the same as the commitment of marriage which has traditionally been regarded as the cornerstone of society.

Cohabiting and other types of family already have some protection and there is nothing to stop the State introduce further measures. I am not sure that having an ‘anything goes’ situation where marriage becomes an also-ran with other types of relationship is the way to go.

Why is the Government so keen to push through these amendments? Is it meant to give us a pre-election feel-good factor, virtue signal to other nations, or

High cholesterol?

Top tips to lower cholesterol, naturally!

CLAIR WHITTY

High cholesterol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. Shockingly, 4 out of 5 people over 45 years of age have high cholesterol and 2 out of 3 of them are not treated. Usually, there are no symptoms of high cholesterol, so it is good to have your cholesterol checked annually. There are several factors that can cause high levels of cholesterol in the body, including a diet that is high in saturated fats, lack of physical activity, stress, hormonal changes, being overweight, smoking, and excessive alco-

hol consumption.

Zerochol® Cardio+ is a new natural and powerful supplement that includes a blend of plant sterols, red yeast rice extract, coq10, and vitamin B1. I thought you might like to hear about it. It has been clinically proven to lower LDL cholesterol and maintain healthy heart function.

The supplement's effectiveness is due to the combined action of plant sterols and monacolin K, both of which have EFSA-approved health claims for reducing LDL cholesterol.

To improve heart health, in addition to taking plant sterols, you should also increase your intake of omega-3.

Omega-3 has been shown to reduce triglycerides.

Consuming oily fish such as

has it to do with the gender neutrality movement?

While I am all in favour of doing away with gender stereotypes, (why shouldn’t women be engineers and men work in childcare?) I am alarmed when I hear the phrase ‘“gender neutrality” because it can result in attempts to erase women, as in the maternity legislation where the word woman was to be replaced with persons with a cervix.

Guys don’t have wombs, there are only two sexes no matter what gender people claim to be.

What should we read into the State’s concern for women when the allowance for bras for vulnerable women who have had mastectomies was to be halved, we learned on Liveline, at a time when the Government announced an €800m. cross-border spend?

salmon or sardines twice a week can provide a healthy dose of omega-3 EPA/DHA. Or a daily fish oil supplement such as Eskimo-3, which is naturally rich in omega-3, can support your heart, brain, joints, and skin and is a simple way to safeguard your health.

Aim to reduce refined sugars, processed foods, and saturated fats. Eat healthy fats found in nuts, seeds, and oily fish. Include wholegrains, chia seeds, and psyllium husks, fruit and vegetables to ensure plenty of fiber. Drink up to 2 liters of water per day.

Beetroot juice, hawthorn tea, or cider vinegar added to water, are nice extras you can do.

Last year my cholesterol was high and I successfully reduced it by using natural supplements, dietary, and lifestyle changes. I am going to give Zerochol® Cardio+ a try myself, as I know well that my cholesterol will be back up again after Christmas, I think it will be nice to try something different. I like the company and the mixture of ingredients; I think it is worth a try. I will let you know how it goes.

Shop online at www.naturalhealthstore.ie where you’ll be able to take a look at these brands.

Natural Health Store, Market Cross Shopping Centre Phone: 056 7764538 Email: info@naturalhealthstore.ie

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News

Clune welcomes EU law to end ‘greenwashing’ The Internal Market and Environment committees in the European Parliament recently adopted their position on the EU Green Claims Directive, which seeks to put an end to greenwashing by requiring com-

panies to make sure environmental claims are verified and backed by scientific evidence.

MEPs agreed that companies should

Minister dismisses ‘pollution herd cuts’ A warning from An Taisce that there would need to be a drastic cut to dairy cow numbers to meet water quality targets in more polluted river catchments – including the River Slaney – has been dismissed by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.

Speaking to the Farming Independent, he said he “does not agree” with the NGO’s Head of Advocacy Dr Elaine McGoff, who called for the new measures in light of Teagasc’s own modelling.

“The bottom line is our lands and farming has the capacity to utilise nutrients much more so than other countries,” Minister McConalogue said.

“There’s a good reason for us to have the derogation, but of course it’s contingent on us having good water quality and seeking to improve water quality where there are challenges. We are taking many steps to do that. Farmers are doing great work and things have changed significantly, and there is a very rapid adoption as well and ongoing management and change at farm level to manage nutrients sensibly.”

He also pointed out there could be a delay in seeing improvements that farmers were making in certain catchments.

“There is no doubt that it’s challenging because there can be a time lag, but what we need to do is show them [European Commission] that we’re taking all the steps possible to take and that is showing progress.”

Asked if it was truly realistic to consider that Ireland could maintain a nitrates derogation of 220kg of organic nitrogen/ ha, he insisted it was, but acknowledged that farmers had to manage nutrients in a way

TO FILL

that “doesn’t lead to run-off”.

Speaking at a recent meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Dr McGoff called for new measures at catchment scale based on the current pollution load.

“There will be some catchments where more drastic measures will be needed compared with others,” she said.

She said that the majority of existing measures in place will not be effective for adequately reducing nitrogen and will not reverse the water quality trends seen in the south and south east.

“Farmers, more than anyone, need honesty — it’s their livelihoods on the line… farmers should be told that from the outset, not sold false promises,” she said. “Ultimately, the water quality doesn’t lie and the European Commission have already indicated they will take little else into account.”

ICMSA President Denis Drennan said nitrates pollution of water must be tackled at a catchment and sub-catchment level, where no contributor got a free pass.

An Task, he said, was preempting the results of a catchment-based approach.

“For example, 6% of the land in the River Slaney catchment is dairying, so how can that be held responsible for the Slaney being in such a poor condition? Why are they not focusing on the other pressures in the catchment?

“We all have to put our shoulder to the wheel and we need to have a proper assessment of the catchment. Nobody can get a free pass. If dairying, tillage or municipal waste in a certain catchment is causing the problem, we need to look at that.”

submit any future environmental marketing claims for approval before using them.

Companies who break the rules may be excluded from procurements, lose their revenues and face a fine of at least at 4% of their annual turnover.

“This is a win for consum-

ers, for transparency and for the environment,” said Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune, a European lawmaker and member of both the Internal Market and Environment Committees.

“Studies from the European Commission have shown that up to 50% of companies’

environmental claims are misleading. That’s why I am supporting this directive in order to require that all environmental claims must not only be truthful but also substantiated by accredited verifiers within 30 days”, Clune added.

The legislation will also

ensure that businesses have the right tools to embrace genuine sustainability practices.

The report was adopted with 85 votes to two and 14 abstentions and will now be put to a vote at an upcoming plenary session in Strasbourg.

don’s West End stands as the longest-ever run of a flamenco show.

In 1997, Paco Peña was proud to be named Official de la Cruz de la Orden del Merito Civil and in May 2012, he was delighted to be awarded the Gold medal in the Arts by the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington. These honours were both bestowed by King Juan Carlos of Spain.

In 2023 he received the National Dance Awards Outstanding Creative Contribution for his show Solera, Born in Cordoba, Paco grew up in a family of 9 chil-

dren in a house full of music and began learning guitar aged six.

Paco Peña has a long history of performing in Ireland where he has always found warm appreciation for his solo concerts and for shows he has presented with his Flamenco Company over many years. The present concert consisting of guitar pieces by Paco Peña joined

by Rafael Montilla for duets and other musical repertoire. In the second part they are joined by talented artists to present flamenco in its complete ensemble of guitar, song and dance in a display of improvisation and virtuoso technique.

Renowned Paco Peña for Watergate Renowned flamenco guitarist Paco Peña is to perform live in concert in Kilkenny when the legendary artist and his dance company return to Ireland this April.

He will play at the Watergate Theatre on Saturday, April 6.

Paco Peña is without doubt the world’s greatest and most critically acclaimed Flamenco guitarist.

From Brazil to Spain and across the planet the words Flamenco and Paco go hand in hand.

He is the world’s first Professor of Flamenco Guitar, a role established in 1985 at Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands.

At the age of 24 he moved to London to pursue his dream as a solo flamenco guitarist. A year later he was performing at the Royal Festival Hall with Jimi Hendrix.

• He has performed in a succession of groundbreaking shows in London’s Royal Albert Hall, New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Royal Festival Hall, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Barbican Theatre, and festival appearances in Edinburgh, Adelaide, Amsterdam, Athens, Israel, Istanbul, Singapore, Hong Kong and all around the globe.

A seven-week season at The Peacock Theatre in Lon-

Local druid throws new light on Newgrange There is now an investigation by archaeologists of the possibility of a second chamber in Newgrange.

The great cairn of Newgrange is more advanced than all the other cairns of Europe – though it was built about 3000 BC, five thousand years ago.

This great temple has a layout and structure that allows the path of the rising sun’s rays to beam through the ‘skylight’ above the entrance door and penetrate into the centre of the cruciform deep within the circular cairn.

This shaft of sunlight, po-

larised by the crystal glass panes that were originally in the window box, comes from the rising sun only at the midwinter solstice around 21st December every year.

The Wisdom Of The Druids

by Kilkenny’s Michael McGrath is an original study of our Ancient Wisdom Tradition, It unlocks the secrets of what was going on in Ireland as it examines the metaphysics of our ancient druidry.

But this book is not all in the past, not all history, philosophy or metaphysics. It goes straight in and describes

a magical evocation in an ancient Irish cathedral that stands today on a mound where the druids lived in a medieval city – the Mound of the Guardian Druid – which was the the last refuge of the leading Irish druids on the run.

It outlines the practice of Druidcraft today after tracing The Fiery Conversion of Ireland. It describes the Psychic Fires of Ireland – how our druids manipulated the telluric force of earth energies across the land.

Archdruid McGrath shows

that the subtle energies that bind all nature and all living things were widely understood and utilised by our ancient druids. For they had an instinctive understanding of the currents that run through the Earth and affect all nature.

There is also devastating evidence presented here of an earlier holocaust of druids, based upon the ancient Irish manuscript, Felipe Oengusso, by a monk chronicler in 800 AD as he describes the great sites of the pagans ‘ ever in burning’.

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Opinion

Your Money & You John Ellis

Credit unions big step closer to being banks In a groundbreaking move for the Credit Union sector, Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has kickstarted the much-anticipated Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Credit Union Amendment Act 2023, signalling a historic transformation for credit unions in Ireland. Celebrated at a special event in the Department of Finance recently, this move promises a future of “expanded membership, increased services, and collaborative opportunities”.

Minister McGrath said: “The credit union sector is a vital cornerstone of Irish society with approximately 200 credit unions and more than 400 credit union branches across the State. This is a great opportunity for credit unions to expand, grow and develop.

Both Phases 1 and 2 [of the Act], which I have signed today, will have far-reaching positive implications for the credit union sector in the years to come.

‘This development is poised

to reshape our local credit unions, bringing with it exciting possibilities for both members and the community, ultimately to position credit unions to compete more effectively in the mortgage and SME lending markets through “diverse collaboration options, resource-sharing mechanisms, and the ability to generate economies of scale.”

One of the key developments introduced by the Act is the freedom for credit unions to tailor their options to the specific needs of their members. This includes the referral of members to other credit unions with broader product offerings, thus providing a wider range of financial solutions. Loan participation and syndication between credit unions can now be entered into and the Act permits the formation of corporate credit unions, presenting “a transformative opportunity for the sector”.

Credit Unions loaned approximately €200m in new

mortgages in 2023. As a result of the changes it’s estimated this figure will double each year for the next number of years and lending could reach €1bn annually within three to four years which could put credit unions within the top five mortgage lenders.

And with the ability to refer

applications to other credit unions, the strategy has the potential to generate an additional €2.2 billion in lending each year. Moreover, digital, and automated services will become more accessible, leading to substantial cost savings and increased efficiency for credit unions.

Flexibility around the “common bond” is another significant aspect of the amendments. The common bond is a shared characteristic that connects the members of a particular credit union.

You joined a credit union based on the area where you live or work, the occupation you work in, the employer you work for, or a society or association you belong to, allowing members to save together and lend to each other at a fair and reasonable rate of interest.

With new avenues open for credit unions ,they can expand both their membership and services. It really is a game-changer, allowing credit unions to adapt and grow in response to the changing needs of their communities.

Digitalisation enhancements under the Credit Union Act are expected to simplify processes and create savings, with an estimated €75 million annually saved in postage and printing costs for annual

reports. Furthermore, its anticipated that “streaming the onboarding of new business members” will potentially boost business lending by €100 million annually.

Minister McGrath stressed that these changes were just the beginning, with more enhancements to come.

Future changes include the establishment of corporate credit unions and the ability for credit unions to invest in shared services, promising increased efficiency, and a broader range of lower-cost products for members.

Now is the time for the community to actively engage with their credit unions, exploring the expanded services and collaborative opportunities that lie ahead. This calls for everyone to be a part of shaping the future of our local financial institutions. Visit your nearest credit union today to find out more. john@ellisfinancial.ie 086 8362622

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News Science & Wellbeing The people of of Finland and Denmark regularly make headlines as the happiest in the world. Ireland currentlyrates at No 14.

One of the most robust findings in happiness research is the link between income, wealth, and life satisfaction.

The more money someone has, the more satisfied they tend to be. The richer a country, the happier its citizens. Or so it would seem.

In a recent study, researchers surveyed 3,000 people living in poor, small-scale societies about their life satisfaction.

The results found that these people’s life satisfaction is on par with people who live in the wealthiest countries.

One potential reason why simple joys such as social interaction and experiencing nature play an outsized role in driving life satisfaction in small-scale communities is that many of these societies aren’t heavily monetised.

The Melanesian people living in the Roviana and Gizo regions of the Solomon Islands are some of the poorest in the world. They live a subsistence lifestyle, fulfilling their needs by fishing and farming.

Occasionally, they sell their goods at the local marketplace to buy processed foods or pay their children’s school tuition fees.

The luxuries of modern life — smartphones, the internet, TV, memory-foam mattresses — are hard to find. But, despite this materially simple existence, the Melanesians express higher life satisfaction than residents.

As scientists are now learning, some buck this broad trend. People — often indigenous — who live in small, isolated communities tend to be as satisfied with their lives as people living in the wealthiest countries.

It was this aim that inspired new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Scientists from Universitat Autòno-

Stanford University scientists have discovered what appears to be a brand-new class of virus-like organisms in the human gut microbiome. If confirmed, the next step will be figuring out whether the strange creatures are helpful or harmful to human health.

“It’s insane,” Mark Peifer, a cell and developmental biologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who wasn’t involved in the research, told Science journal.

“The more we look, the more crazy things we see.”

You have trillions of microbes living in your digestive tract, and usually, that’s a good thing — some of these tiny hitchhikers help you stay healthy by producing vitamins, aiding in food digestion, and keeping bad bacteria in check.

If the balance of those microbes, known collectively as your “gut microbiome,” is thrown off, though, it could

How money and ‘things’ don’t buy happiness

ma de Barcelona in Spain and McGill University in Canada traveled across the world to survey close to 3,000 members of 19 poor, small-scale societ-

ies located in 18 countries.

They visited Kumbungu in Ghana, Laprak in Nepal, Vavatenina in Madagascar, and Lonquimay in Chile among

many other remote places. The scientific trek was primarily for a grander project concerning climate change, but the researchers also assessed the

subjects’ life satisfaction.

“The average reported life satisfaction among our 19 surveyed small- scale societies is 6.8 out of 10, even though

new class of gut-dwelling organisms.

They call these creatures “obelisks” and they found them inside bacteria taken from human guts and mouths. They appear to be

fairly common, too, turning up in 7% of the gut bacteria samples and 50% of the oral bacteria samples the researchers analysed.

“It’s not really something sporadic or isolated in the population — it’s really affecting a considerable amount of the sample,” Joan MarquezMolins, a molecular biologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, who was not involved in the work, told the journal Nature.

According to the researchers, obelisks are similar to “viroids”. These tiny loops of RNA can infect other organisms, like viruses can, but because they lack coding for proteins, they don’t have viruses’ characteristic protein shell.

Viroids were discovered in plants, but newer research suggested they might be able to infect bacteria and other organisms, too, so the Stanford team developed a tool

Your gut, and a new scientific discovery make you sick — scientists have found correlations between an imbalanced microbiome and a higher risk of diabetes, cancer, mood disorders, and more.

The more we can learn

about the gut microbiome, the better our ability to change it to improve our health.

A Stanford-led team has just made a potentially major discovery, uncovering a brand

most of the sites have estimated annual monetary incomes of less than €1,000 a person,” the researchers reported. Life satisfaction values this high are typically only seen in countries where GDP per capita exceeds €40,000 a year.

So what explains this leap to a higher level of happiness?

Western anthropologists who’ve visited small-scale communities have generally found that these people derive a great deal of satisfaction from simple activities such as listening to music, going for a walk, or just relaxing. Relationships with friends and family as well as socialising also bring lots of joy. Community members also tend to greatly value spending time in nature.

Copious studies show that being outside in pristine, natural habitats boosts mood, health, and overall well-being.

An obvious potential reason why simple joys such as social interaction and experiencing nature play an outsized role in driving life satisfaction in small-scale communities is that many of these societies aren’t heavily monetised.

In prior research, members of the same Barcelona and McGill team visited other small societies and compared their collective well-being.

They found that in communities where money played a larger role, reported drivers of happiness shifted: People went from enjoying experiential activities in contact with nature to instead prioritising social and economic factors.

Money brought happiness rather than life’s simple pleasures.

The central takeaway, according to the researchers of the present study, is life satisfaction “does not require the elevated rates of material consumption generally associated with high monetary income.”

Once peoples’ basic needs — like housing, food, and safety — are met, joy can be found in the people and places around us.

that could search through databases of RNA sequences for ones likely to form loops, hoping to find more viroids.

This led to the discovery of nearly 30,000 sequences with too few bases to be RNA viruses. Like viroids, they lacked the coding to create a protein shell, but unlike viroids, the sequences included coding for other proteins. The team named them “obelisks.”

“I am really impressed by the approach,” Simon Roux, a computational biologist at the Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute, who wasn’t involved in the study, told Science. “The authors were really creative.”

The research still needs to be confirmed through peerreview, but if the Stanford team has discovered something new and yet so common in the human gut, the next step will be figuring out what, if any, impact it has on human health.

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Travel & Leisure Is Disney World in Florida the world’s worst place to visit in terms of value? It’a favourite destination for many Irish families with children. A two or three-day pass to see Mickey Mouse and ride the roller-coasters and so much more, and then spend the rest of the holiday on sun-soaked beaches.

Disney visitors tend not to shy away from voicing their frustrations with the parks’ exorbitant prices—especially those at Orlando’s Walt Disney World, where tickets, annual passes, and parking prices all went up in 2023. Given that the price hike coincided with record national inflation, the park saw a significant decrease in attendance last year, which seemed like a bit of a saving grace to some Disney-goers since fewer crowds typically mean overall shorter wait times.

However, new data reveals that most visitors claim the investment isn’t worth it, and some went as far as to dub Disney World the biggest tourist attraction rip-off in the US. In a new study conducted

by Casino.org, experts sifted through Google Trends and Tripadvisor reviews about US tourist attractions to determine the biggest ‘ripoffs’ tourists were complaining about.

These findings were then categorised on a national, state, and local level. Once the lists of common ‘rip-offs’ were gathered, the company polled over 5,000 American adults, ranging from ages 18 to 65, on whether they found these attractions worth the price of admission.

Sixty percent of participants voted Disney World as the biggest rip-off as a tourist attraction.

Others cited included national parks, Seattle’s Space Needle, the National Mall in Washington DC., as well as other famous amusement

parks like Disneyland.

“The happiest place on Earth turns out to be the ‘most scammy’ place on Earth too as this top attraction ranks No.1 for rip-offs,” Casino. org announced in its release.

“Starting at $109 per person for the most basic ticket, we start to see why Disney makes the top rip-off ranks.”

The company noted that Disney World’s recent uptick in prices is evidence as to why “some are feeling scored by visiting these most popular places.”

In October 2023, Disney World raised the prices of all four of its annual passes.

The Disney Incredi-Pass — which is not only the most expensive option but the only one available to all guests to purchase — saw a price increase of $50. It now runs $1,449 pass, local NBCaffiliate WFLA reported at the time.

For American themselves, if you’re a Florida resident or Disney Vacation Club member, you could qualify for the Disney Sorcerer Pass, which increased to $999 from $969. Other Florida residentonly passes such as the Disney Pirate Pass and Disney Pixie Pass went up $50 and $40 to $799 and $439, respectively.

According to Disney, price hikes should be expected as the parks continue to innovate and uphold their magic.

“We are constantly adding new, innovative attractions and entertainment to our parks and, with our broad array of pricing options, the value of a theme park visit is reflected in the unique experiences that only Disney can offer,” a Disney spokesperson told Fox Business at the time.

While Disney World was crowned the biggest rip-off attraction in the US and the State of Florida, participants said Disneyland also was the biggest attraction rip-off in California.

Is Disney just one big rip-off?

Keep these photos on your phone when travelling 1. Driver’s Licence Yes, your license should be in your wallet, but a photo is beneficial if you lose your wallet and are pulled over for any reason. The photo shows proof that you have a valid driver’s license, and they can get your license number from the photo and see that it is you in the picture when they run their searches for information.

2. Health Insurance Cards This is important if you have an accident or get sick and need to go to the hospital.

Your health insurance information — whether it’s obtained from your actual cards or a photo of them — will ensure you get the treatment you need as quickly as possible.

3. Medications

5. Bank And Credit Cards A photo of your bank cards is essential in case you lose your wallet or purse and need to cancel your cards.

A picture of your cards will also come in handy if you need to make an online or emergency purchase and don’t have any cash.

6. Car License Plate It is imperative if you have a rental car because you won’t remember what it is.

This is important if you lose your medications or run out while away from home and is also very helpful if you forget the prescription bottle when you go to the pharmacy. A photo of your prescriptions will make it easier to get

replacements if necessary.

You can show them the photo, and they can look up the records to save you an extra trip.

4. Emergency Contacts If you have an accident or

become ill and cannot contact your family or friends, having a photo of your contacts will be very helpful. Having a list of emergency contacts on your phone will also ensure that someone can get in touch with them if needed.

7. Passport A photo of your passport is essential if you lose your wallet or purse and need to prove who you are. If you lose your passport, it will be much easier to replace it if you have a photo of it.

As with a driver’s license, a picture of your passport could also come in handy

if you need to check into a hotel.

8. Room Number And Key Photos of your hotel room number and key (if it has any unique identifiers) are helpful in case you forget which room you’re staying in or lose your key. This is especially helpful if you are on a road trip or tour and will stay at multiple hotels.

9. Person You Are With When traveling, taking a photo each morning of the person you are traveling with is helpful. We are often not very observant of what those we are with have on, and a photo is helpful. Should something happen and you are separated, it is much easier to find someone if you know they are wearing pink, green, blue, et cetera.

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Opinion

Furthermore Gerry Moran

Recalling Button A, Button B and the angst of phoning!

I got rather nostalgic last week watching the news and seeing a huge chapter of my life being wheeled away by heavy machinery! The items in question were the P&T’s public phone booths now consigned, not to the scrap heap, but to the recycling heap.

And, with them. went a part of my life, a part when I was dating, courting, call it what you will, but a part that was very much dependent on the public phone booth. Not having a phone in our home the phone booth was my only connect to the one I loved, or thought I loved, or wanted to love.

In this age of instant connectivity I am in awe as to how we, boys and girls, managed to keep in touch.

But we did. And those of you of a certain age (ie. my age) will understand too well the vagaries of the public phone booth, its unreliability and the godawful uncertainty with Button A and Button B.

Following is a short piece I wrote re. same which appeared in the Evening Press thanks to the Features Editor Seán McCann (father of renowned author Colum McCann and hailed by Con Houlihan as “a brilliant features editor”) who published many of my short pieces in the Press back in the ‘80s and for which I am forever grateful. The piece is a spoof but not without an element of truth which will resonate with folks my age.

How to make a phone call It may seem rather presumptuous of me to dare instruct adults, such as yourselves, as to how to make a phone call. Forgive my arrogance. But you must remember that when one is dealing with such a temperamental entity as a public telephone booth nothing, and I mean nothing, can be taken for granted. Several phone booths of my acquaintance

are prone to severe bouts of schizophrenia.

One evening they are perfectly normal kiosks which work the next evening they are non-functioning nervous wrecks (emphasis on wrecks) which refuse entry and turn their smashed backs on mankind. Hence the necessity for the following steps which I thoroughly recommend when attempting a telephone call from a public coin-box.

Step 1. Lift receiver and listen for dialling tone, assorted static, crackling and the possibility of overhearing a Taiwan Toy Manufacturer conversing with a retailer in your local main street.

Step 2. Should you perchance hear a dialling tone prepare to insert coins into allocated slot. Prepare also to resort to violence to make coins fit in said slot. The use of a sledgehammer would be rather extreme whereas an average sized hammer is highly rec-

ommended.

Step 3. Proceed now to dial required number. A simple enough task in broad daylight but at night with the booth’s bulb in smithereens about your feet – a hell of a feat.

Smokers fare better in this scenario thanks to possessing a cigarette lighter or a box of scratchers (ie. matches).

Step 4. Your number rings Halleluia. Halleluia. Halleluia.

A voice answers. Glory be to God and the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. Press Button A. Press again. Try a thump, kick and karate chop.

Press again. Keep pressing.

Ignore panicky hellos at the other end who may misinterpret your assaults on Button

A as a prologue to an obscene phone call. Keep trying. You may cease foaming at the mouth when the party at the other end (more than likely the girl you met at the disco who gave you her phone number) hangs up.

Step 5. Press Button B for your money back. Press again. Try a kick, thump and whatever you like. Feel free to indulge in foul, very foul, language.

But it won’t unfortunately get your money back.

Epilogue. Before you have a meltdown, or breakdown, leave the phone booth immediately. Now. The door, however, is jammed. Won’t budge. You extricate yourself through the shattered glass panel. You cut yourself.

Nothing serious. A minor artery maybe. You feel dizzy.

Faint. You collapse. A crowd gathers round. “Ring a doctor,” a voice commands.

You try to warn them but it’s too late, you black out, and the booth door won’t open!

Climate Change

– are we all playing our part?

WEEK 58

''Any day you can greet the sun can't be a bad one'

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 1 March 2024

Global Report In what is another giant step for mankind and in a historic lunar accomplishment, the first private spacecraft to land successfully on the Moon touched down on February 22. The spacecraft, named Odysseus and built by Intuitive Machines in Houston, Texas, also became the first US lunar lander since 1972, when the last crew of Apollo astronauts visited the Moon.

Odysseus offered up some nail-biting moments in the hours before landing, such as the malfunction of the laser rangefinders that were supposed to help guide its autonomous journey down to the lunar surface. Mission engineers had to upload a software patch to jury-rig it to use a secondary laser provided by NASA instead.

The exact state of the spacecraft remained unclear immediately after its landing, which occurred at 5:23 pm. Houston time. But it had been sending a faint signal back to mission control in Houston, indicating that at least some portion of it had survived the touchdown. Since then we have learned it landed on its side and not upright.“Odysseus has found its new home,” said mission director Tim Crain as the control room burst into cheers.

Regardless of how operational the spacecraft might be going forward, the landing is a major shot in the arm for US and commercial efforts to return to the Moon.

NASA paid for much of the private mission and is counting on companies such as Intuitive Machines to help ferry equipment and scientific instruments to the Moon in preparation for returning astronauts there.

“The US has returned to the Moon,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson. “Today is a day that shows the power and promise of NASA’s commercial partnerships.”

The first images from the lunar surface are expected within a few hours of the landing, depending on how communications with the spacecraft go. If Odysseus’s scientific payloads check out successfully, they could collect data for up to seven days, until night falls at the landing site and there is no more solar power left for operations.

Five of the last nine Moon landing attempts have failed.

Why putting a family on the Moon may be next big step Among the failures is a mission launched last month by Astrobotic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which ran out of fuel within hours of launch due to a valve malfunction. But also last month, the Japanese space agency succeeded in putting its SLIM lander near Shioli crater near the Moon’s equator, although the spacecraft landed upside down.

Odysseus launched on 15 February from Cape Canaveral in Florida, and headed directly for the Moon. Along the way, it fired its engine several times to set itself on the correct trajectory and transmit-

ted images of the Earth and the Moon. It entered lunar orbit on 21 February, initially circling 92 kilometres above the surface before making its landing attempt.

The spacecraft fired its engines to descend to a lower altitude, then moved into an autonomous series of maneouvres in which it re-oriented itself and began assessing the craters and boulders beneath.

It navigated towards its intended landing site and fired its engines again to slow its descent, ultimately touching down on the surface.

The six-legged, phonebooth-sized spacecraft land-

ed near the Malapert A crater, around 300 kilometres from the lunar south pole. NASA is interested in the Moon’s south pole because the region’s dirt and shadowy craters might contain ice that could provide fuel and other resources for future lunar explorers. Most lunar landers have visited the Moon’s equatorial regions; the only mission that has landed near the south pole is India’s Chandrayaan-3, which touched down last August.

Odysseus is the second launch, after Astrobotic’s attempt, in NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) programme, which

aims to incentivise small aerospace companies to fly payloads for NASA and others to the Moon at low cost. NASA paid Intuitive Machines $118 million to develop Odysseus, which is a fraction of the cost of a typical interplanetary mission.

NASA has six payloads on board Odysseus, including a set of cameras to study how rocket exhaust interacts with the lunar surface. The space agency wants to use CLPS flights to test technologies for its own return to the Moon, including plans to send astronauts to the lunar south pole as soon as 2026. A second In-

tuitive Machines Moon mission is slated to carry an ice drill to the south polar region, perhaps by the end of this year.

Odysseus is the first craft to burn a methane-based rocket fuel in space. Methane-based propellants are more efficient and environmentally friendlier than conventional rocket propellants such as those including kerosene. But they can also be more difficult to work with because they need to remain at ultra-cold temperatures. Several other aerospace companies are planning to use methane fuels in the future.

NATO: Ukraine ‘has right’ to strike inside Russia The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg [pictured], has said that Ukraine has a right to use its Western-supplied weapons to defend itself against Russia, even if that includes striking targets within Russia’s borders.

“This is Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine, which is a blatant violation of international law,” Stoltenberg told reporters during an interview.

“And according to international law, Ukraine has the right to self-defence. And it also includes strikes against legitimate military targets, Russian military targets outside of Ukraine. That’s international law, and of course, Ukraine has the right to do that to defend itself.”

Mr Stoltenberg was speaking during a press conference at the 60th Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany.

A NATO official confirmed

with the Financial Times on that Mr Stoltenberg meant that Kyiv’s right to self-defence included striking Russian military targets outside of Ukraine.

Aa the Russian invasion of Ukraine has just entered its third year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned against Ukraine using its Western-supplied equipment to launch attacks on Russian territory, saying that doing so could risk escalating the conflict. The warnings

had originally made allies like the United States hold off on supplying Kyiv with long-range weapons capable of reaching Russia, but some NATO allies have since given Ukraine such arms. It was up to each NATO ally to decide “for itself whether it has any reservations about what it supplies” to Ukraine in light of Putin’s warnings, and said that “different allies have slightly different policies on this.”

The NATO Secretary Gen-

eral also spoke about the effort to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, saying that it was “impossible to say exactly” when the aircraft would be ready for battle.

“We all want the F-16s to be there as soon as possible,” Mr Stoltenberg said. “At the same time, of course, the effect of the F-16 will be stronger and better with more trained pilots. And not only pilots, but also maintenance, personnel and all the support systems that must be in place.”

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Gowran Pantomime Society

Future looks brig Society produce 2 3 Since they first donned pantomime attire in 2000, The Gowran Pantomime society has gone from strength to strength.

Their first production was Cinderella and since then they have produced some magical performances such as Alladin, Alice in Wonderland, Pussin Boots and Dick Whittington.

This year their offering was Snow White and the Several Dwarves.

This marks the society’s 23rd production. Not bad going .

The show was a mixture of the old and the new and it is fair to say the entire cast blended well.

Eamon Heaver, chair of the society thanked all involved for producing such a great show adding that nothing would have been possible were it not for the commitment shown by cast, crew, and the community at large.

One thing is certain and that is that the future of Gowran Pantomime is in good hands.

Kilkenny photographer Pat Shortall captured some of the magic moments for the Kilkenny Observer.

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Gowran Pantomime Society

ht as Gowran Pantomime 3rd show

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 1 March 2024

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Opinion

Old time fun and games

BY JOHN FITZGERALD

In Peter Roughan’s recollection, 1926 was the best year ever for the West Street Sports event. Anxious to accommodate even bigger numbers of competitors and spectators, Martin Holden approached Pat Pollard to see if the local tycoon would allow his prized paddock on Callan’s western fringe to serve as a sports arena.

Sure enough, Pat responded cheerfully.

“Martin”, he exhorted “You can have it with a heart and a half”.

There were no worries about insurance claims in those days, and the “compo culture” was unheard of.

The Committee, which met in high session a week before the event, had decided after intensive and often heated discussions, to add a few new sports. The meeting this time was held in the Grand Central Hotel and lasted for more than seven hours -an indication of how seriously the Committee men took the whole novelty sports caper.

The hotel Manager kindly consented to it being used as a meeting venue. “Tis the town that will benefit”, he told them, “so consider yourselves my guests”.

A small crowd had gathered outside the hotel during the meeting. When the Committee emerged, the locals pleaded to know of the outcome. Cries of delight greeted Martin Holden’s announcement that Pollard’s Paddock was to be the sports arena.

Dancing would be on the “creamery cement” as usual, with the County Council notice board again doubling up as a platform. A deafening cheer went up. In households around the town, plates rattled on the dressers at the news of a bigger and better sports day.

But there was better news to come: Tilting the Bucket, Sack Racing, Cask Racing, and Tossing the Scarecrow had been added to the list of fixtures. Contestants would have to throw scarecrows laced with horseshoes as far as they could, a more challenging game than simply throwing turnips at a scarecrow as in 1925.

For cask racing, a dozen barrels had to be rolled from one end of the paddock to the other.

Back by popular demand was the obstacle race, which consisted, as already mentioned, of runners struggling to get out from under a canvass covering that, this

Part seven St. Brigid’s Camogie Team 1974 - 75. Pictured are: Back Row: M. Carroll. K. Murphy, M. Walsh, Angela Downey, A Molloy, B. Larkin, B. Cahill, C. White.

Front Row: T. Mullen, E. Barden, M. Cahill, Ann Downey, B. Coonan, M. Barry, M. Lawlor.

(St. Brigid’S Camogie Team 1960-61... winners of Leinster Colleges Final. Pictured are: Back Row: M. Conerford, A. Gardiner, K. O’ Shea, O’ Neill, B. Barry, T. O’ Sullivan, P. Dunne, M. Mackey, Mick Kenny (trainer).

Front Row: B. Vernnard, P. Molloy, B. Cantwell, Ann Caroll (Captain), B. Roche, M. Gardiner, P. Hoyne

County Champions 1975 Roinn B. Pictured are: Back Row: O. Wall, J. Corcoran, S. Hogan, R. Condon, M. Byrne, J. Lynch, S. Egan, T. Comerford, W. Fennelly, J. Power, B. Bryan.

Front Row: J. Quigley, J. Fitzpatrick, M. Comerford, V. Scriven, K.B. Coffey, A. Swyer, W. Bergin, J. Maher, A. Dunne

time around, extended the full length of the paddock, tying their open shoe or boot laces, and then managing to fully consume a roasting hot potato.

The winner of this race was the man, woman, boy or girl (there were categories for all ages) who reached the finishing line with laces securely tied and spud eaten.

Peter Roughan, in his capacity as a Committee man, was well placed to view the action. “We had a circular track marked out for the conventional races, winning post in front of the grand stand, which consisted of chairs and stools from the houses of Callan. Sacks were in plentiful supply for the sack race.

“Pollard’s Paddock never

saw such a day, and it will take some beating it ever does again. Scarecrows were tossed further than anyone in Callan had ever tossed them in living memory.

“The casks rolled to such cheering and acclaim that you’d think locals had just re-invented the wheel. Every race from the 60 yards to the Marathon- five or six rounds

of the track- was breakneck pace.

“The children, in particular, never seemed to get tired.

Mick Doolan of Whitesland had his work cut out with his high jump, and we can remember seeing young Bill Keeffe doing a grand winning jump of 4ft 10 inches.

“And what a grand effort that was of Mary Griffin’s…

4ft. 7 inches. A great jump for a schoolgirl.”

To be continued...

(More stories of those bygone times can be read in my book Callan in Words and Pictures, which is available from Amazon)

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Theatre

“DA”: a beneath-the-surface perspective

BY WILLIE EGAN

A lack of a healthy relationship with one’s father is now recognised as holding the key to self-actualising for a lot of young men. “Fatherapproval is recognised as being the private dream of practically every young boy that cannot be derived elsewhere”.

This concept is perhaps the central theme of the play “Da”

by Hugh Leonard.

A popular song from the mid-60’s with genius lyrics “The Living Years” by Mike and the Mechanics looks creatively at this theme, helping us to have a better understanding of Leonard’s Play: “I know that I’m a prisoner to all my father has held dear; I know that I’m a hostage to all his hopes and fears: just wish I could have told him in the living Years” (Rutherford and Robertson, 1986).

A powerful one-man recitation by Leitrim’s Seamus O’ Rourke (“What kind of an Eejit are ya?”) equally effectively brainstorms this theme.

“Da” is also a clear example in action of the theory that, while physically we’re ever only one age, emotionally and psychologically, we carry the hurts, the disappointments and the anger of every previous age in our “shadowside”, waiting to “pop out” (sometimes literally as in this Play) in times of suddenness, sadness, drunkenness or stress.

The theory of how humans are “moulded” is also very evident through the lens of this Play: Genes (biological heritage), Influences (family where we grow up, school, friends, heroes, enemies etc), experiences, choices (not necessarily our own but those which affect us) and circumstances. Whilst all of these components are present throughout the Play, the one that’s referred to frequently is to young Charlie having being adopted and the consequent suppositions around his potential genetic predispositions. Even though Charlie has apparently been relatively lucky in his adoptive family circumstances, the play references are mostly negative on the subject of adoption, wondering why any good parent would take such a high-risk decision, just to give a child a better chance in a more “functioning” family unit. Of course, the word “functioning” was as much a moveable feast in the late ‘60’s in Dublin as it is today or at any other time anywhere else. But Charlie apparently did well, according to his childhood friend, Oliver.

All of the “human formation theory” elements are present throughout this play, and when we look at Influences, we see that, apart from his adoptive mother, who cares for Charlie but keeps reminding him of his eternal debt to her for adopting him, Charlie has contrasting male role models: Da (uneducated to the point of being crass and rude, unambitious but warmhearted and a bit of the “street angel, house-devil about him) about whom young Charlie

Some members of the cast of ‘Da’ by Hugh Leonard: Claire Henriques (Mother), Joe Murray (Da), Declan Taylor (Oliver), Dee Gibney ( Mrs Prynne) Michael Hayes ( Charlie)

tells Drumm: “He taught me not by his enthusiasm-he had none-but by his dislikes”, and Drumm (educated to the

A popular song from the mid-60’s with genius lyrics “The Living Years” by Mike and the Mechanics looks creatively at the theme, helping us to have a better understanding of Leonard’s Play: “I know that I’m a prisoner to all my father has held dear; I know that I’m a hostage to all his hopes and fears: just wish I could have told him in the living Years”

point of an equally damaging kind of rudeness, and coldhearted). And it’s fair to say that, at different times, both his mother and his two male role models give Charlie lots of mixed messages about who he is, about right and wrong and about his capabilities.

A line from another brilliant Play (“Death of a Salesman”

by Arthur Miller) comes to mind: “A man can’t go out the way he came in; he has got to add up to something” (Miller, 1957). Leonard’s play seems to indicate that Da went out pretty much the way he came in, as was the case with Drumm. 18-year-old Charlie doesn’t like what he sees of the 42-year-old version of himself: “Apart from knowing that I will live to be at least 42, you’re a disappointment to me”, so he has the option of choosing how he will go out.... or does he?

Will Da leave him in peace now? Hugh Leonard probably knew the answer to that but doesn’t tell us. So, we can only draw on Australia’s

Steve Biddulph (in his book “Fully Human”) for guidance: “Whether it’s the case where the father may have effectively rejected the son or the case of the son rejecting the father as a role model, it’s often true that the boy cannot get on with his life successfully until he understands his father, forgives him and in some way comes to respect him” (Biddulph, 2000. p15) I conclude with a line from “Da”, spoken by Drumm, perhaps as good a line of this or any Play: “In a public house lavatory, incoming traffic has the right of way”!

This line sticks with me, especially at half time during a Munster Hurling Final!!

‘Da’, by Hugh Leonard will be presented by Lake Productions at the Thomastown concert hall, ( March 14 to 16 and March 21 to 23) Willie Egan (Accredited Adolescent Counsellor in Kilkenny for the past 20 years)

Author Hugh Leonard photographed by Anthony Woods

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Tradfest

Bumper weekend in store for the national Saint’s celebrations in Kilkenny

Paddy Cleere of Reel to Reel

March 15th to 18th 2024 Marian Flannery, St. Patrick's Festival Director; Cllr. John Coonan; Mayor of Kilkenny, Cllr.

Joe Malone; Richie Power, 2024 Grand Marshal; Cathaoirleach Cllr. Michael Doyle; Cllr. Pat Fitzpatrick; Cllr Martin Brett; Tim Butler, Director of Services Kilkenny County Council and Conor Sweeney, Kilkenny County Council

Photos: Dylan Vaughan Kilkenny will once again come to life with an explosion of colour and community spirit on the streets of the Medieval City this St. Patrick’s Day, as part of the city’s 11th Kilkenny Tradfest, a celebration of traditional music and culture, which has now become an established national festival.

The major city parade begins at 1.30 pm at the top of John Street in the city and will make its way through the narrow streets of the city, passing the twelfth century, Kilkenny Castle, the historic City Hall and travelling along the city’s Medieval Mile, before finishing in the city’s Market Yard. As well as the dozens of community, cultural, sporting and artistic groups, the parade will be led by Grand Marshall, Kilkenny hurling legend and bestselling author, Richie Power. There will also be a special guest appearance by Stephen Mulrooney, fresh from his newfound stardom as singer on the Late Late Toy Show and singing at Ireland’s recent rugby internationals against Italy and Wales.

The Parade will also feature hugely colourful displays by street artists from all over Ireland and activities specially designed for young people, from face painting, drumming workshops, magicians and circus performers, performing all over the festival weekend with some in the city’s new Festival Tent venue in the

Market Yard.

The traditional Festival Market on the Parade will be accompanied by the magnificent Big Wheel, offering eyewatering views of the whole city and a traditional Victorian Carousel, all with Kilkenny Castle as its magnificent backdrop.

Visit Ireland Ancient East’s Festival City Speaking at the launch of both festivals in Paris Texas Bar & Restaurant on Thursday 22nd February, Chairperson of the St. Patrick’s Festival, Cllr. Joe Malone said that the local council were delighted with the variety of entertainment for the weekend: Conor and Alexa King of trad band Colcannon

‘We will again welcome five American Bands to our city in the days before the Parade and our celebration of our national Saint’s day on the 17th will be another step forward in the fantastic revival of St. Patrick’s Day in Kilkenny. We particularly look forward to seeing all the voluntary groups from all over our County and City. There is no better experience for a local Kilkenny child or adult than walking in our parade and waving to their family members and neighbours. We are delighted to have Richie and Stevie leading the event.’

St. Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny is supported by Fáilte Ireland (the National Tourism

Development Authority of Ireland), and is produced by Kilkenny County Council, to celebrate the unique arts, Irish music, culture and creativity that thrives throughout Kilkenny City and County.

Tim Butler, Director of Services, Kilkenny County Council said: ‘Kilkenny County Council is delighted with the growth and expansion of St. Patrick’s Festival which is a very important municipal event supported by Failte Ireland’s Festivals Programme. We know that St. Patrick’s Festival and Kilkenny Tradfest will present a superb attraction for both domestic and international visitors to enjoy

this year encapsulating the city’s medieval origins aswell its myths and legends and the notorious Kilkenny Cats!”

Experience a Fleadh Cheoil Atmosphere Meanwhile, the 11th Kilkenny Tradfest will mean a four day extravaganza of folk and traditional music will fill the streets and ancient and modern hostelries with jigs, reels, hornpipes and wonderful songs from some of the country’s finest performers. Headline acts include Hothouse Flowers, Clare Sands, the legendary Shaskeen, John Spillane, Breaking Trad and the recently emerging Aran Islands star, Pádraig Jack.

The Múscraí Gaeltacht of West Cork will be well represented by awardwinning singers, Nell Ní Chróinín and international star Iarla Ó Lionáird while dancers will have their toes tapping or their feet jumping to the neighbouring and world-renowned Tulla and Kilfenora Céilí Bands.

Former Kilkenny resident Leonard Barry will bring his Sligo-based trio, while the upcoming generation will be represented by Buíoch and local stars, Burnchurch. The headliners will be completed

by Clancy’s Kitchen.

Workshops in singing and instrument playing from traditional guitar to uilleann

pipes are booking well and will feature a unique collaboration with Na Píobairí Uilleann and Music Generation to allow people to ‘Try the Pipes’.

Throughout the weekend, the emphasis will also be on the fantastic free Music Trail, sponsored by Bulmers Irish Cider. This will see over ninety free sessions, both plugged and unplugged throughout the city’s famous pubs and taverns.

Chairperson of Kilkenny Tradfest, Brendan Treacy, said that the festival is once again at the forefront of music festivals in the country: ‘With the continuing and fantastic sponsorship from Bulmers, who have been loyal supporters of Kilkenny Tradfest since we began, we can promise visitors, both local and international, the real spirit of Irish culture, through our music on our national festival weekend.

The brilliant coming together of so many musicians who meet up as friends and jump in on each other’s sessions, mean that this is as close as you can get to a Fleadh Cheoil atmosphere. All of this happens in our pubs who offer superb food and atmosphere as side dishes to the wonderful music for the weekend. Visitors can be assured that Kilkenny will be the heart of the action this St. Patrick’s weekend.’

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Kilkenny Great War Memorial

Grass bank area transformed into a carpet of purple, white and yellow Photos by Pat Shortall Take the time for a ramble down to the magnificent World War One memorial, Kilkenny's County memorial to the over 800 Men and Women who died in the Great War 1914-18.

As well as seeing the massive loss of recorded on the memorial panels, look up to the grass bank area behind the memorial.

There you will see to your delight an array of colours, purples, whites, yellows flowering, pollinator-friendly Crocus bulbs for you to enjoy.

These vibrant Crocus bulbs will blow away any winter cobwebs still lurking around.

You will have noticed a notable stretch in the evenings and some say that February 1 is the first day of Spring.

Despite any heavy showers of rain or strong winds still around, you will feel that the long nights of Winter are being overtaken by the beauty of Spring.

Late last year as the evenings were getting shorter, a dedicated team of like minded individuals set about planting 20,000 pollinator friendly Crocus bulbs under the trees in the grass bank along the memorial and some surrounding areas.

Members of the Kilkenny Great War Memorial committee, Kilkenny County Council, Michael Street Residents, Keep Kilkenny Beautiful committee and its volunteers brought their buckets, spades and set about to do something very magical and beautiful in our fair city.

The fun, banter and comradery was very enjoyable and some individual citizens joined in the mammoth task to sow the 20,000 bulbs.

These flowering crocus bulbs are pollinator-friendly and will be a huge addition to the available food source for the early Bees and pollinator insects along the banks of the river Nore flowing through this beautiful city of ours.

The Crocus bulbs are among the most hardy and consistent of Spring bulbs.

So the visitors and local people as well as the biodiversity are offered this annual colourful assault from this year and they will continue flowering each year into the future around the Kilkenny Great War Memorial and without doubt the bulbs will become a visitor attraction in their own right when the word gets around!.

Crocus bulbs originated from Central, Southern Europe and Asia and they have been heralding the Spring throughout Ireland since the days of the Roman Empire, they provide a great show of colour and have earned a special place in the hearts of Irish gardeners.

As they have been planted en masse, the area has been transformed from an ordinary

Group pictured at the Kilkenny Great War memorial on Johns Quay where over 20,000 bulbs were planted includes members from The Great war committee, Kilkenny County Council, Michael Street residents association and Keep Kilkenny Beautiful.

grass bank into a carpet of sumptuous purple, white and yellow, woven into a tapestry of jewel-like flowers that bring 1.

2.

3.

much needed colour back into this wintery green spaces in the environs of the city, dappled by the shade of the canopy of trees.

The bulbs will multiply over the years and will form a carpet.

The grass bank was mown in mid December last and this helped to lower the grass cover.

After flowering we will have to live with some shaggy turf in early Spring.

Grass cutting will resume in end of May each year. This will allow the Crocus leaves time to photosynthesis and build up enough energy for next year’s display.

Hopefully, many other green spaces around the city will be planted with other Spring bulbs in the future so as to further enhance the aesthetic value of Kilkenny city.

Financial support given to enable this planting to be done around the Kilkenny Great War Memorial came from Keep Kilkenny Beautiful, an Amenity Grant from Kilkenny County Council and from donations from the Michael Street residents.

The enclosed poem- ‘The First crocus’ by Lisa Varchol Perron seems apt.

1. Representing Kilkenny organisations who helped with the purchase of bulbs at The Peace park: Councillor Maria Dollard (Keep Kilkenny Beautiful,) P.J Norton, (Michael Street residents,) Bernadette Moloney, (Biodiversity officer Kilkenny County Council,) Donal Croghan, (Kilkenny Great War Memorial Committee.)

2. Donal Croghan, (Great war memorial committee,) and Bernadette Maloney (KCC) with Michael Street Residents PJ Norton, Tom Connolly, and Connie Jordan 3. Representing the Kilkenny Great War Memorial committee: Ann Marie Gleeson, Jim Corcoran, Donal Croghan, Bernadette Maloney ( Kilkenny County Council) P.J N orton and Paddy Horohan

The First Crocus

By Lisa Varchol Perron I like to think it matter That moment when the crocus blooms As brittle winter shatters purple petals spread like plumes That moment when the crocus blooms beneath a slab of slate gray sky purple petals spread like plumes I lift my hopes from where they lie Beneath a slab of slat gray sky The ground ‘s still stiff with cold, and yet I lift my hopes from where they lie The crocus whispers “Don’t forget” “The ground’s still stiff with cold , and yet It’s time, at last, to welcome Spring.”

The crocus whispers, Don’t forget.

An instant changes everything.

It’s time at last to welcome Aspring As brittle winter shatters.

An instant changes everyting, I like to think-it matters

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 1 March 2024

The most beautiful time of the year There’s a spring in all our steps these days as the darkness of winter makes way for the brightness of spring.

Over the past few months as we sat by the window at the kitchen table staring out into darkness, all we saw was the reflection of the kitchen in that dark cold mirror of the window.

Our trusted friend sat by my side through these dark winter nights and now he starts to also rise from his winter slumber as he knows walkies are just

around the corner.

How encouraging it is to see the stretch in the evenings. Now the kitchen light can be left off, saving a few shillings, and watch the sunset in the wonderful blast of amber across the Twilight sky each evening.

There is still a chill in the air but as I have always said, a good warm coat and off we go - once it’s not raining! So last weekend, with the coat, warm socks, and good walking shoes, the lead out of the drawer,

the dynamic duo went around the castle park. The crisp air fills your lungs and gets the juices flowing after the long winter of hibernating at home. Rex is like a newborn pup as he runs from tree to tree sniffing and leaving his mark everywhere, or maybe his bladder is as weak as mine!

What stuck out at the weekend was the large number of walkers and dog walkers that were out and about in the park. We are very lucky, and to be

honest, sometimes we take for granted the wonderful amenity we have on our doorstep, our Kilkenny Castle and its majestic gardens and estate. A place for young and old to spend their time walking and talking and enjoying the company of others. To see the trees come back to life as the green shoots start to open, and soon, we will have trees full of beautiful leaves and flowers.

As I sat on one of the many benches set around the park where one can

take a rest and gather their thoughts I watched a blackbird gather a few twigs from the ground as it began to build its nest for the springtime laying and hatching of a new brood of chicks for the years to come. That’s the next step we will all witness as nature awakens.

If you, like me, are an early riser, what better way is there to greet a new day than the morning chorus?

To hear the beautiful birds' song as they mark the rising of the sun. Once that

Twilight of the morning hits, as the light starts to come up above the horizon, the small and the larger birds awaken and sing till their hearts are content. I will always listen till mine is also content.

What a beautiful way to kick start your day, that is before Rex hears you’re awake and wants to exit the building to empty the weak bladder we spoke about earlier.

Let us call it as it is.

Spring is the most beautiful time of the year.

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A place to call home

Prague House is a unique caring environment that encourages people to maintain links with the community.

This 22 bed facility is ‘a place to call home’ for older people with low to medium care needs.

This can be on a long term basis, convalescence or respite care.

This, like six other homes in the south east costs a fraction of the price of a private nursing home care.

Our residents will and preference is at the core of the care delivered by our exceptional and experienced staff. We encourage residents to live their lives as they see fit and offer a helping hand along the way.

Residents come and go on a daily basis- be it the bus into town

or taking part in a community programme in the local café.

We truly encourage people to maintain their own lifestyles, with a safe place to retire to at the end of the day.

We have recently revised our activities programme, which now runs 7 days a week with a diverse range of events, fun programmes and outings. Feel free to check it out on our Facebook page.

This coming spring we have a gardening programme being rolled out with the assistance of the local community.

We also facilitate residents in accessing services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, foot care, hairdressing and medical appointments.

A special thanks must be

afforded to Sister Patricia and the Franciscan nuns, whose legacy created a catering service of wholesome meals and a laundry service continues to this day in Prague House. The local communities’ contributions have helped to sustain our caring environment with fundraisers over the years and we look forward to collaborating for years to come.

This home is made up of a Voluntary Board of Directors, a full time manager and clinical oversight from a staff nurse on a weekly basis. If you would like more information about Prague House Community Care, please contact Laura on 056 883 2281 or praguehousefreshford@gmail. com

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 1 March 2024

Exercising for health

By Theresa McGinn, Kilkenny Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic Exercise In Adulthood All research recently is proving that physical activity, high impact activities, weight bearing and weight lifting all help our respiratory, cardio-vascular and Musculo-skeletal systems.

Exercise has a massive influence on chronic pain conditions and a huge part to play in cancer prevention. There are so many good reasons why you should get exercise, no matter what age you are, so read on.

Exercise and bone & muscle health There is no end to the research that supports exercise for bone and muscle health. Osteoporosis and sarcopenia are conditions which develop in the elderly as a result of loss of bone density and muscle mass through aging and inactivity.

Exercise and chronic pain Many people have curtailed their physical activity due to pain, injury or some diagnosis and have been told to REST, and 6 months later they are still resting.

If you have a longstanding injury and pain for greater than 3 months – anywhere in your body, you need to see a chartered physiotherapist. Your inactivity is possibly feeding your

pain.

Exercise will help you heal and will release hormones into your bloodstream which will help reduce the severity of your pain.

Exercise with a neurological condition People who have a diagnosis of any neurological or arthritic condition are as susceptible to osteoporosis and sarcopenia as any other member of the population. This population of citizens will age in exactly the same manner as everyone else, and so they need to exercise.

Exercise through menopause Research plainly shows that increasing activity levels and altering the diet to mimimise bone and muscle mass loss can have a huge positive effect for ladies going through and post menopause.

Exercise for cancer prevention Much research is coming to the fore which implicates exercise as a major preventative factor in the development of cancer. Exercise is always advocated as an adjunct to cancer treatments and much research supports its use when people have a diagnosis of cancer.

If you are a regular exerciser, and have a good physical constitution with strong bones and strong muscles, and indeed that you have found an activity

that you already like, it will be much easier for you to benefit from exercise while undergoing cancer treatments.

Exercise for cardio-vascular and respiratory system There are huge cardiorespiratory benefits for the elderly community if they begin engaging in exercise, but start working with a CORU registered chartered physiotherapist who will help them to exercise safely.

Exercises for the elderly No matter what stage you are at in life, the benefits of exercising are huge. Exercise for the elderly should include some elements of: • Aerobic exercise to stimulate the cardiac and respiratory systems • Mobility exercises to keep range of movement in joints • Weighted exercises to maintain and improve muscle mass and strength • Balance exercises to help prevent falls • Weight bearing exercises to help maintain bone density Elderly exercise classes are ideal for this as all of these elements can be included in a circuit type class. In Kilkenny Physiotherapy Clinic we have a range of classes to suit all ages and abilities. Call us on 056 775 2258 to see what classes or advice we can give you.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 1 March 2024

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The importance of hearing care Consider all the sounds that you hear you every day - a child laughing, a bird singing, a friend chatting, or a great song on the radio - it is this symphony of sounds that makes life richer.

Of all the five senses, our hearing is perhaps the most precious. If we lose it, we lose contact with the people we love and the world around us.

You look after your teeth and eyes with regular check-ups – do the same for your ears!

Hearing is an easy thing to take for granted. Occasionally we might miss a few words, but in general we move around effortlessly in everyday life, talking to one another, chatting over the phone or listening to the TV, without paying it a second thought.

Things are not nearly as easy with a hearing loss. When hearing loss occurs, a simple thing like following a conversation in a restaurant, or hearing the doorbell or telephone can become a real issue.

You may start to experience all sorts of emotions – from worry to sadness and loneliness. You may also feel tired and irritable from having to concentrate just to hear what people are saying. Left unattended, hearing loss can ultimately lead to feelings of isolation and depression.

Hearing loss can creep up so slowly that the person affected is often the last one to know. In

fact, family members, friends or colleagues are likely to spot the problem before you do.

Watch out for the common signs: • At work: Do you find yourself straining to keep up with conversations in a busy office?

• Socially: Do you feel that people are mumbling and sometimes need to ask them to say things twice?

• At home: Do you turn up the volume on the TV, or radio, louder than others in the room prefer?

• On the phone: Is it hard to hear the person on the other line and do you need to ask them to speak up?

• Outside: Do you have difficulty hearing sounds of nature, such as birds singing?

So, what can you do to take care of your hearing? Audiol-

ogy Medical Services – one of Ireland’s leading independent audiology specialists, recommend that after the age of 45, you should have a hearing test every three years.

Audiology Medical Services offer free adult hearing screening tests at all their clinics nationwide, including their clinic in Ayrfield Medical Centre, Granges Road, Kilkenny with expert audiology team Sarah Whelan, Paddy Hartnett and Trevor Cronin. Here they provide both Adult and Paediatric Audiology Services, Microsuction Ear Wax Removal and all the latest hearing solutions and accessories to help give you back the gift of hearing.

Freephone 1800 501 501 to book an appointment today or visit www.audiologymedicalservices.ie

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Food & Drink

Dine Me Come

With

Beef and bacon meatloaf with tomato sauce Prep: 5 mins Cook: 40 mins - 45 mins Serves: 4-6

Mix up your midweek dinner options and shape beef mince and smoked bacon lardons into a hearty loaf, topped with tangy onion marmalade.

Ingredients • 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing • 1 onion, chopped • 200g smoked bacon lardons • 1 tsp smoked paprika • 50g fresh breadcrumbs • 500g beef mince • 1 egg • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 500g pack passata

• 2 tbsp onion marmalade • small pack basil, leaves only STEP 1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and lardons until the onion is soft and the lardons are cooked through and golden

Coconut and squash dhansak Prep: 5 mins Cook: 15 mins Serves: 4 This quick and easy vegetarian curry is perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner – with butternut squash, coconut milk, lentils and spinach.

Ingredients • 1 tbsp vegetable oil • 500g butternut squash (about 1 small squash), peeled and chopped into bite-sized chunks (or buy a pack of ready-prepared to save time), see tip, below left • 100g frozen chopped onions • 4 heaped tbsp mild curry paste (we used korma) • 400g can chopped tomatoes • 400g can light coconut milk • mini naan bread, to serve • 400g can lentils, drained • 200g bag baby spinach • 150ml coconut yogurt (we used

Rachel’s Organic), plus extra to serve Method STEP 1 Heat the oil in a large pan. Put the squash in a bowl with a splash of water.

Cover with cling film and microwave on High for 10 mins or until tender.

Meanwhile, add the onions to the hot oil and cook for a few mins until soft.

Add the curry paste, tomatoes and coconut milk, and simmer for 10 mins until thickened to a rich sauce.

STEP 2 Warm the naan breads in a low oven or in the toaster. Drain any liquid from the squash, then add to the sauce with the lentils, spinach and some seasoning. Simmer for a further 2-3 mins to wilt the spinach, then stir in the coconut yogurt. Serve with the warm naan and a dollop of extra yogurt.

at the edges. Remove from the heat and add the smoked paprika, breadcrumbs, mince, egg and half of the crushed garlic. Season and stir really well. Grease a 450g loaf tin with a little oil, then fill with the meat mixture. Spread 1 tbsp of the onion marmalade evenly over the top and place on a tray in the oven

for 35-40 mins.

STEP 2 Meanwhile, pour the passata into a saucepan over a low heat, add the remaining garlic, the rest of the onion marmalade and half of the basil. Season, stir and heat gently until ready to serve.

STEP 3 Once the meatloaf is cooked through, take it out of the oven and let it sit for a few mins before turning out onto a plate to slice.

Serve with the tomato sauce and the rest of the basil leaves scattered over.

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Advertisement Advertisement TV & Streaming

greats to watch this weekend 1. Back To The Future

A beloved time travel comedy from 1985 about a boy-nextdoor taking a voyage into the world of his parents’ adolescence, this made Michael J Fox a superstar, turned the DMC DeLorean into the coolest car known to man and was even quoted in Ronald Reagan’s 1986 state of the union address (“where we’re going, we don’t need roads”). Christopher Lloyd steals the film with a deliriously enjoyable performance as Doc Brown. This is one of the most perfect films ever made. On Sky/ Now

2. Under The Skin

It’s The Little Things that really matters Written and directed by John Lee Hancock, the psychological crime thriller The Little Pieces on Netflix opens with a girl being followed by a car on the highway – you’ll have to give it a watch yourself to see why it’s left some viewers allegedly scared.

The story then goes on to focus on Deputy Sheriff Joe ‘Deke’ Deacon and lead detective James ‘Jimmy’ Baxter’s investigations into two murders. The pair are trying to track down a serial killer who’s continuing to strike in Los Angeles, alongside other women being followed by vehicles, interjected with moments from Deke’s own past all

leading to a spine-tingling unravelling of events and discovery of the truth.

The film stars Man On Fire’s Denzel Washington as Deacon and Bohemian Rhapsody’s Rami Malek as Baxter [pictured], alongside Jared Leto as Albert Sparma and Dead To Me’s Natalie Morales as Detective Jamie Estrada.

Despite a pretty meagre audience score of 67 percent and sombre score of 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has seen an influx in reviews since coming onto Netflix. Prepare to bite your nails in anticipation: The Editor of this paper says he throughly enjoyed

this somewhat film noir.

That said, viewers have taken to X to weigh in with their reviews of the film, many admitting they actually had to turn the movie off because they were so terrified.

A user wrote: “Two minutes 52 seconds into Netflix The Little Things and it’s made me so anxious I’ve had to turn it off.”

Another said: “Watching The Little Things on Netflix and the first two minutes are so scary, I’m not sure I can continue.”

However, others have praised the film despite the intense emotions it stirs.

One user said: “I’m watching The Little Things

on Netflix and Denzel Washington and Rami Malek are so good together. Special nod to how creepy Jared Leto is in his role!”

Another wrote: “Was watching ‘The Little Things’ on Netflix, it’s the kind of movie that makes you scream at the end WTF ! it left me with alot of emotions mainly anger!”

A third person commented: “The little things on Netflix. Yeah now that is a movie. Not no Saltburn.”

And a final resolved: “Watching ‘The Little Things’ on Netflix. Pretty good so far. Love anything Denzel does!”

Enjoy! We did

Turning Point: the Bomb and the Cold War Though the the Cold War ended in 1991, even a casual glance of today’s news headlines shows that relations between the United States and Russia — the one-time centre of the Soviet Union — remain tense, to put it mildly. The global repercussions of the Cold War continue to ripple through the geopolitical landscape to this day, but it can be difficult to understand just how a mid-20th century struggle for ideological domi-

nance continues to ensnare countless nations in ongoing unrest.

Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War, a nine-part documentary series from director Brian Knappenberger, provides a comprehensive appraisal of the events that led to the Cold War and traces the conflict around the world and through the decades.

“Lessons that we thought were learned were not learned,” author Lesley

Blume says in the documentary, describing the state of the world today as “an ongoing tide” of the history that came before it.

In order to tell this story, the series draws on more than 100 interviews with subjects ranging from past and present world leaders (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas) to historians as well as everyday people whose lives were drastically

altered by the events of the Cold War. As the history unfolds, each episode considers the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine as an example of how the history being examined is directly tied to the events of today.

“Nearly every part of the war in Ukraine is an echo of the Cold War,” he says.

Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War comes to Netflix on March 12.

The British director Jonathan Glazer’s output is sparse but every film — including the recent Bafta-winner The Zone of Interest — has made its mark. Based on the novel by Michel Faber, this eerie twist on the hitchhiker movie stars Scarlett Johansson as a woman who fell to Earth and prowls Scottish towns, luring men into her white van. It’s disturbing, beautiful and impossible to forget. Streaming on Channel 4

3. Starship Troopers

Few directors can rival Paul Verhoeven when it comes to mischief. Set in the 23rd century, his darkly funny 1997 satire centres on humans enrolled in a battle with giant bugs from outer space. This film does what only science fiction can do — it defamiliarises reality. It narrowly beats Galaxy Quest into second place as the best satire of Star Trek ever made. On Disney+

4. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers

An unsettling idea so good it survived a remake, Philip Kaufman’s 1978 reboot of the 1956 pulp classic updates Jack Finney’s novel from an anticommunist story to post-Watergate San Francisco. A charismatic Donald Sutherland stars as a health inspector who discovers that citizens are transforming into eerie replicas of themselves.

It’s brilliantly exciting and horrifying and doesn’t shy away from the consequences of its premise.

On Amazon Prime Video.

5. Planet Of The Apes

This is great masterpiece of science fiction hokum. It’s now a franchise with endless spinoffs and sequels, but Franklin J Schaffner’s 1968 opening chapter introduces a world in which apes have taken over and humans are treated as animals.

Unsettling and gripping, the film stars Charlton Heston as a timetravelling astronaut. “The final scene is one of the most visually memorable in all cinema. On Disney+.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 1 March 2024

Advertisement Sport

Kilkenny Sport Focus Michael O’Leary

Stook 10 Mile Run 2024

The Stook 10 Mile Run that takes place this coming Sunday (March 3rd) has been a terrific success since it was first held in 2012.

Located in Dungarvan between Gowran and Thomastown, The Stook run is open to everyone and has a variety of distances suitable to a persons

individual ability.

Since the Stook was first held 12 years ago, it has raised much needed funds for both Young Irelands GAA and Gowran Athletic Club, and it has always received great support not just locally but nationwide.

The event has always been held in mid-November, but

due to a clash with The National Cross Country Championships, it was put back a few months to this Sunday.

The race has earned a reputation as a tough but enjoyable road race that offers a friendly and welcoming community atmosphere, and it attracts runners with a wide range

of abilities. It has become a recognized event on The Irish Athletics Calendar, and over the years some of the top Irish Athletes have competed.

The Stook 10 Mile route is set over an challenging but enjoyable 10-mile route, with the route taking Athletes cross gentle valleys and up country roads before emerging at the top of Stook Hill.

On a clear day, there is amazing scenery with stunning views from the top of Stook Hill as you go downhill where you will experience Ireland’s fastest timed downhill mile – The Stook Flying Mile. With timing mats at either end everyone receives a personal split for that single mile, and it always attract great interest and is great fun.

Also on Sunday, the shorter Stook 5KM dash takes place.

The 5K is more family orientated and is suitable for walkers and those with buggys, but the shorter route is still challenging for those competing.

At about the halfway mark, there is an uphill climb that joins with the route along the side of Stook hill before

3 tips to revive your resolution

A chartered physiotherapist’s perspective

BY PAUL BOLGER

Nano Physiotherapy

If you are like most people, your new year's resolution (or new habit) is a distant memory. Research shows that most people drop new habits within just a few

weeks. Life gets in the way; motivation wanes and best intentions fizzle out.

But there is hope. The fact that you tried to make a change is a huge step in

the process. If you have an openness and desire to change you are already walking down the path to a healthier life.

There are things we can

meeting back up with the Stook 10 mile course with approximately 1 mile to go.

Gary O'Hanlon from The Clonliffe Athletic Club is the most successful winner of the Mens race having won the race three times in 2012, 2014 and 2018, while in 2018 he set the course record of 51 minutes 16 seconds.

The most successful winner of the Ladies race was Angela McCann from the Clonmel Athletic Club who won the race four times in 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2022, while her fellow Clonmel compatriot Courtney McGuire broke the course record when winning the race in 2021 with a time of 59 minutes 45 seconds.

A noteworthy winner of The Ladies race was Lizzie Lee from Leevale Athletic Club from Cork in 2018. Lizzie was a Marathon Olympian runner at the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janiero, while she was part of The Ireland Team that won

Gold at The European Cross Country Championships in 2012 as fellow Irish Athlete Fionnuala Britton defended her European Individual title that she won the previous year in 2011.

A very good turnout is expected on Sunday with The 10 Mile race starting at 11.30am.

For further details for anyone who wishes to run in either the 10 Mile race or 5KM, check out The Stook 10 website https:// stook10.ie/ Meanwhile, a group of Athletes from Kilkenny City Harriers were on sunnier and warmer climates in Lisbon, Portugal last weekend as reward for winning Team Gold Medals at The National Cross Country Championships in Gowran in November.

Eoin Everard, Brian Maher, James Ledingham and Jamie Gahan were on The Mens Senior Team, while Clodagh O'Callaghan, Pia Langton and Isabella Burke are on The Ladies U-20 Team.

do – strategies and tools that will boost our likelihood of sticking with new habits.

Let’s explore 3 powerful options.

It’s clear which goal is SMART here - which one is easier to measure and to hold ourselves accountable to.

Take a pen and paper and give yourself 5 minutes to come up with a SMART goal. Think of this goal as a realistic ideal that you can work towards. If you get there – great! If you don’t you likely made progress and learned valuable lessons.

You can change these targets as you move along your journey.

1. Know your motivation What is the driving force behind your desire to change?

Approach this from your own personal perspective.

Think about yourself 6-months from now – you have taken on this new habit and brought it into your life.

What does your day look like? How might you feel?

What is different?

Give yourself a pen and paper and 10 minutes to explore your personal motivations – scribble down anything that comes to mind. Take the key points from this and put them somewhere you will see (stick to your wall/ fridge/ diary/ etc). Revisit this from time to time.

2. Set Flexible Goals Some people hate the idea of setting goals, others love it. Goals can be very useful if approached in the right way.

Our goals should not be rigid – there needs to be leeway.

You may have heard of SMART goals – they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timed. Two examples of goals might be: • I want to get fit • I want to walk for at least 20 mins on at least 5 days per week for the next 4 weeks

3. Action Plan A goal is useless without a plan to make it happen.

Again, take a pen and paper and write down the steps you will need to take.

• Think of what you might do before this new habit can begin - e.g. buy runners/ membership; join a group; arrange diary; etc.

• Think of how you might overcome potential barriers – e.g. join a friend; share child-minding; transport; etc.

• Plan for when things go wrong – e.g. motivation wanes; work/ family issues; etc.

Know that things will inevitably go wrong. The key is in getting back on the horse. We will explore other strategies to make habits stick next time around.

Until then, well done on the steps you have already taken and good luck in taking the next.

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Community & GAA Notes

Kilkenny GAA clubs and Community news CLARA CAMOGIE It was a very good weekend for some of Clara’s young camogie stars. On Saturday Emma Corr captained the Loreto to their record breaking ninth All Ireland Colleges title, when they beat Ursuline College Thurles by 2-14 to 2-6 in Rathdowney. Lucy Boyd was also part of the squad.

Then later Saturday afternoon Keara Ryan made her first competitive start for the Kilkenny senior camogie team when she lined out at corner forward against Clare in Nowlan Park. The “Kittens” won out 1-19 to 1-9 and Keara set the tone from the off with an insatiable work rate. She chipped in with a point but it was her overall desire that drew most attention. She was constantly lauded for her efforts on the KCLR radio commentary and was one of four players mentioned as being in contention for the Player of the Match award.

Well done Keara and keep it up.

MINOR FOOTBALL Clara minor footballers beat the Rower Inistioge 5-6 to 4-5 on Sunday in Clara in the quarter final of the Roinn B championship.

Conor Hoyne got the first point for Clara but three goals from Joe Power, Eoin Corr and Luke Lawlor were cancelled out by similar Rower Inistioge scores. Joe Power also pointed from a free but the game was tied 3-2 apiece at the short whistle.

Further goals by Luke Lawlor and John Bergin in the second half were supplemented by 3 more Joe Power points and one from Conor Hoyne and gave Clara their winning total, even though Rower Inistioge battled hard to the finish. Clara really dug out the result and now progress to a home semifinal next Sunday.

Clara team and subs - Lukas Healy, Hugh Kelly, Daniel Ryan, John Bergin 1-0, Orí Phelan ,Tommy Delaney (C), Conor Hoyne 0-2, Dillon Cummins, Philip Carrigan, Luke Lawlor 2-0, Bill Kealy, Joe Power 1-4, 0-3f, Tom Murphy, Eoin Corr 1-0, Conor Galvin, Padraic Meany, Sam Lawlor, Ruairi, Bowden Mullen, Jim Carrigan, Aidan O’Connell.

CLUB LOTTO Lotto results 20th February, Numbers drawn - 11, 14, 22. No Jackpot winner. €30 each to Mary Nolan, Finbar Dunne, Francis O Carroll, Simon Walton, Stephen Quinlan.

Thanks for your support.

CLUB MEMBERSHIP Membership for Clara GAA, Camogie & LGFA is now available through your Foireann account - www.foireann.ie - This must be completed by all players before training resumes. Thanks to all who have done so to date. New members are always welcome. Anyone requiring assistance can contact - registrar.clara@gmail.com SOCIAL CAMOGIE Social Camogie,.Are you interested? If so let us know, t might be for a once off blitz or maybe forming a social team for fun and fitness.

Let us know (TandC will apply). For information please contact David Shortall, Camogie Club Secretary 089 256 4724.

LAST MAN STANDING Thanks to all who entered this year’s competition. After 4 rounds only 27 players are left. 3 more rounds to go. Best of luck to all.

O’ LOUGHLIN GAELS LOTTO There was no winner of club lotto dated February 20th. Numbers Drawn - 1, 4, 12, 18, bonus 9. Play now at www.oloughlingaels.com/ lotto Promotors Draw. 1. Mick and Mags c/o G Buckley. 2. Vicky Trehy c/o JJ Cullen. 3. Mary Brennan c/o D O’Connell. 4. Martina Tyrrell c/o N Tyrrell. 5. Pat Gannon c/o JJ Cullen. 6. Martin Gaffney c/o K Cleere. 7.

Tasha and Robbie c/o P Greene. 8. Helen Carroll c/o Online 9. Aine Costello c/o Online. 10. David Crudge c/o Online.

Thanks to all for your continued support.

MEDAL PRESENTATION AND DINNER DANCE A night of celebration will take place in the club on Saturday, March 16th. Medals will be presented to our Senior Hurling team, for their County Final and Leinster title victories.

The U19 Hurling panel and Intermediate Camogie panel will also receive their League medals. It promises to be a fantastic night.

Tickets for this event will be on sale in the club. Tickets are €40 including catering by Langtons followed by music.

FRESHFORD MARY CELEBRATES HER 90TH Congratulations and best wishes go out to popular local lady Mrs. Mary Brennan of Ard Lachtain, Freshford who celebrated her 90th birthday last week. Mary who is mother to four sons and six daughters celebrated her birthday at a gathering with her children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren along with other family members, neighbours and friends in Kavanagh’s on Sunday evening last.

50 YEARS WED Best wishes and congrats go out to a local couple George and Ann Hughes, Woodview, Freshford who celebrated their Golden wedding anniversary last weekend. The couple are well known in the village and are wished many more happy years together.

NEW SIGNAGE Cllr Michael McCarthy welcomed the new signage that has been erected in the Freshford area and the additional signs that will be erected in the coming weeks. This will be of great benefit to the local community and great credit is due to the area engineer and his staff.

FUNDING SUCCESS. Cllr. Michael McCarthy is further pleased to see the inclusion of the L1000-23 Clintstown Road Bridge, Freshford in the 2024 Bridge Rehabilitation Works on Regional and Local Roads.

CAMOGIE Local girl Ciara Hickey was on the Kilkenny U16 camogie team who took on Wexford in Enniscorthy on Sunday last. Ciara played at

wing back.

SYMPATHY Sympathy is extended to Donal Heaphy, Cooleshall and all the Heaphy family on the death last week of their aunt Mrs. Mary Keogh late of The Commons, Co.Tipperary. Funeral mass took place on Saturday morning last in the Church of the Assumption, Ballingarry followed by burial in the Old Churchyard, Ballingarry.

SOCCER Freshford Town had a Number of teams in action at the weekend.

The JuniorS were in action on Sunday morning last when they were beaten by a strong Castlewaren team in the McCalmont cup completion on a 3-0 scoreline In the schoolboys/girls section Freshford U13 girls had a good 3-0 win over Bridge United with goals from Charlotte Hussey, Aoibh Carroll and Olivia Marnell. The U13 boys had a 2-0 win over Freebooters with goals coming from Max O’Neill and Tom Dalton The U15 boys had a great win over Evergreen on a final score of 3-2.

The scores for Freshford Town came from the boots of Hugo Carroll, Jack Marnell and Charlie Kavanagh.

GAA St Lachtains U14 footballers had a two point win over Galmoy/ Windgap on Sunday morning last in a high scoring Roinn B League game finishing on a scoreline of 7-4 to 7-2.

Local star Darren Brennan was in goal for Kilkenny Senior Hurling side on Sunday last when they defeated Offaly at Nowlan park.

Walking group The walking group will meet up every Tuesday at 7PM. This group is open to all the community both young and old.

Membership: Membership is now open for 2024. There are various options available for the year including family and walkway options. There is a small charge for walkway membership to go towards construction and maintenance costs. The walkway was 2/3 grant aided with the club covering the rest of the cost. Our walkway is open to all the community. Contact any committee member or see our ClubZap page for details, download the ClubZap app and search for St Lachtains.

COMMUNITY ALERT You are reminded again that the Freshford Community alert annual fee is now due and you are asked to please pay same asap as they will be removing unpaid members from this week. Envelopes are available from Community members and new members are very welcome to join up.

IONAD LACHTAINS St. Lachtains Church Museum and Arts is open every Saturday and Sunday from 11.30am to 4.30pm.

LOOP CAFE The Cafe is now open every day from Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 4pm. The Loop Café is a wonderful addition to the village full of character and history and your continued support would be greatly appreciated. Why not go along and meet a friend or try some of their lovely food and support a local community café. They are also looking for volunteers to help out so if you can give little bit of your time please do so.

ATHLETIC CLUB Nena Athletics club was launched fit4life in the Freshford area some time ago with all abilities welcome from walkers wanting company to runners training for marathons and everyone in between. Very experienced leaders are leading a program established by Athletics Ireland that caters for all experience and abilities. They meet each Tuesday morning and Thursday evenings in Freshford GAA club. If you are interested please contact us on nuennaac@gmail.com or call Caoimh on 0874175550 PARISH NEWS Mass is held in the Parish Church each Wednesday morning at 9.30am and each Sunday morning at 11am.with Mass in Tulla church on Saturday evenings at 7.30pm.

Notices The parish newsletter is available on the website.

You are free to pay your dues and make donations or any other contributions and you can find out more about it on the website or feel free to contact the Parish Office. Please note community notices for the parish newsletter should be left in or emailed to the Parish Office by 11am on Thursdays. Parish office hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9am to 1pm.

Mass Cards Special printed parish cards are available at the Parish Office or from Annette at Tulla Church signed by Monsignor Kennedy. You can contact the Parish office on 056 8832843 or by email – freshfordd@ossory.ie. Contact Mongr Kieron Kennedy on that number or on 087 25235 21 HELP FOR ALL. Are you struggling with anxiety or depression or finding life difficult or feeling isolated at this time GROW is there to help you. Their Mental Health support Groups are free and confidential and open to all no referral or booking is needed. For more information on same you can contact Mary on 087 284342 If you can’t cope and need support text HELLO to 50808.

SAMARITAN - Whatever you’re going through a Samaritan will face it with you – available 24 hours a day 365 days a year – Freephone 1161Alone is available for older people who need support and you can call them on 0818 222024 (8am to 8pm) AMBER KILKENNY WOMENS REFUGE – is available for confidential support relating to domestic violence - call them on 1850 424244 (24/7) or on 056 7771404 or email into@amberwomensrefuge.ie.

JAMES STEPHENS GAA AND CAMOGIE CLUB DRUGS AWARENESS There was a big turnout on Monday night, 19th, for the Health and Wellness Event in the meeting room at Pairc Sheamuis Stiophain.

The 70 odd young James Stephens hurlers and camogie players listened attentively as the guest speakers gave a powerful presentation on the dangers surrounding the drug epidemic affecting every

city, town, school and sports club in the country. Club selector Det. Sgt Brian Sheeran and his colleague Insp. Paul Donohoe highlighted their experiences in dealing with the drugs problem, the horrendous effects on individuals and their families in the Carlow / Kilkenny Garda Division. Their firm advice to the young audience was be Aware, be Brave and always say No even when tempted by a friend. Recovering addict Conor Harris, a Gaelic football enthusiast, spoke about how addiction destroyed his ambition to become an inter-county footballer with his native Kildare, opting out of College, losing employment opportunities, his struggles to get clean again and the harrowing effect on his family who were unaware of his secret. Following the presentations the young players / students engaged enthusiastically in a question and answer session with the presenters. Closing the meeting vice chairman Dr. Brendan Lee thanked the speakers for their highly informative presentations and young club players /students for their attendance in such numbers while expressing the hope that they will take on board the words of wisdom presented at the meeting.

CAMOGIE AGM The Camogie club’s AGM took place on Wednesday night before a good sized attendance. In his chairman’s address, Brian Leahy noted the progress made in the implementation of the “One Club” model over the year as recommended by Croke Park. Brian also highlighted the historic breakthrough for the camogie club in fielding a team to compete for the Kilkenny senior camogie championship title for the first time. Another sign of progress for the club is having a competitive Junior team giving a platform for younger girls to aim for senior status in the future. Secretary Amy Granville noted with satisfaction the growing numbers joining the under-age structures and their achievements on the field of play in friendly fixtures and tournaments during the year. Concluding the meeting the chairman wished the players and mentors at all grades the best for the season ahead and extended an invitation to anyone interested in promoting camogie in the club / parish and who feel that they could make a contribution, as an administrator and/or team mentor, to contact him at 086 8445563. Brian Leahy was returned unopposed as chairperson, Philly Larkin as vice-chairperson, Amy Granville as secretary while Orla Breen was elected as Treasurer.

Michael Leahy was returned as Registrar and Adrian Burke was appointed Development Officer.

MINOR FOOTBALL Q-FINAL On Sunday morning in bitter cold and damp conditions the minor football quarter final between The Village and neighbours Danesfort produced an unexpected goal fest. At the final whistle the home club were relieved to have held off the challenge of a determined Danesfort side at 5-08 to 4-08 in a keenly contested championship fixture. Aided by a strong wind the Village lads built up a big lead at 4-03 to 0-05 at the halfway stage thanks to some clinical goal finishing by Zac Scanlon (8min), Conor Millea (10min), Allen Larkin (24min) and Brian Burke (28min). On the turnover Danesfort attacked with serious intent and hit the Village with three goals inside 10 minutes but a quality, on-the-run, point from Allen Larkin (5min) and a deadly goal from the boot of Jacob Breslin steadied the Village men once again. Meanwhile the James Stephens back line tightened their grip on the Danesfort attack reducing their scoring rate while Tuan Hyland added a valuable point to give the home team a 5-05 to 3-06 lead at the 15th minute. As the game see-sawed James Stephens held out until the 27th minute when Danesfort once again broke through for a three pointer but by then in form Allen Larkin had secured victory with points in the 23rd and 25th minutes of a pulsating contest.

SENIOR FOOTBALL Our senior footballers headed to Mooncoin on Saturday evening under lights to take on a very competitive Mooncoin team in our last game of the league looking for the perfect four from four. The Village got off to an early start when David Hennessy slotted over the opening from 14 meters. This was followed by white flag scores from our very attacking back line when Sam McEvoy tapped over another point. Mooncoin had many opportunities to put a score of their own on the board but were very wasteful in front of goal. With 16 minutes gone James Stephens were leading on a scoreline of 0-3 to 0-0, with Niall Delaney our first forward to score, again from play.

The Village were making most of their possession and when Fionn Cody tapped over a neat point the Mooncoin boys finally got on the scoresheet with two quick points on the 22nd and 24th minutes.

A quick Village attack ended up with corner back Jim Ryan getting onto the end of a slick hand pass to boot the ball into the back of the Mooncoin net to leave the Larchfield outfit with a lead of 1-4 to 0-2 at the break. Mooncoin started the second half in lively form and were winning their own kick outs and challenging all of the Village kick outs and were able to get more possession to attack, adding two points in the first 10 minutes to leave just a goal between the teams. The Village lads dug deep to keep themselves in the game with staunch defending from James Tyrrell, David Hennessy and Luke Murphy breaking up many a promising Mooncoin attack.

Jamie O Keeffe and Eoin Larkin were working hard to stem the southerners from gaining clean possession around the middle of the field. When the Village were awarded a free from 40 metres, a point would have been a good return for free taker, Jim Ryan, but the ball ended up in the back of the Mooncoin net. Mooncoin continued to push forward and with all James Stephens substitutes now on the field of play, with six minutes to go, it was not surprising that the locals finally got a lucky break when confusion in the Village defence let Mooncoin in for a fortunate goal with sub goalie James Rafter left helpless. Mooncoin added another point from play to leave just 2 pts heading into 3 minutes of injury time. However, Eoin Larkin who had played as an extra defender in the second found himself on the 21 metre line to stroke the ball over the bar for the last point of the game to give the James Stephen a winning score of 2-5 to 1-5 and a clean sweep in the league section. The Village players, many who are experiencing Senior football for the first time, will take great encouragement from this victory. Players like Eoin Deely, Allen Larkin, Josh O’ Rourke, Sean Adams, Jacob Breslin all deserve a mention. This victory qualifies us for the League

semi-final.

ALL IRELAND COLLEGES CAMOGIE Congratulations to the club’s rising camogie stars, Jenna Larkin and Emily Smith members of the Loreto Convent’s All-Ireland colleges senior camogie team that came through a stiff test to retain their All-Ireland crown against a resilient Ursuline Convent, Thurles on a 2-14 to 2-06 scoreline in Croke Park last week. Keeping the family’s hurling/camogie tradition alive the girls are daughters of former club senior hurlers Philly Larkin and Jim Smith. Well done girls.

U-14 FOOTBALL On Sunday morning the U-14 footballers put on a battling performance before going down 5-05 to 3-04 to a stronger Mooncoin team in their 2nd round league fixture in difficult conditions in Pairc Sheamuis Stiophain. Trailing by 2-01 to 0-03 the young Village lads fought valiantly to haul in the Mooncoin lead but despite hitting their opponents net on three occasions could not get the better of the better balanced southern club.

LOTTO Last week’s numbers were 3, 20, 21, 32. There was no winning ticket.

This week’s jackpot will be €12,600. The €40 consolation winners were Ed Moran, Cian Ryle, Sarah Kelly Dunne, Helen Brennan and Eileen Ireland.

GOWRAN GOWRAN PARK Racing and Rugby day takes place on Saturday, 9th March. The first race is at 2.15pm and the Ireland vs England rugby match will be on all screens from 4.45pm. Tickets for this Holdens Plant Rental Day are available from gowranpark.ie GOWRAN AC Leinster B’s and XC Relays Another great day out in Stradbally at the weekend with juveniles competing in both relays and distance running in the last race of the cross country season. Congratulations to both Heidi and Charlie Ryan medaling in the individual positions. Heidi and Mia Kennedy were both on the U13 Girls county team winning a bronze medal, whilst Jay Pollock medaled on the county team also with a bronze for U11 Boys. Congratulations to everyone on another great day of cross country running.

U11 Mixed Relay. Laoise Mosely, Jay Pollock, Robyn Goodwin. Oscar Langton. Noah Grimley U13 Mixed Relay. Mia Kennedy. Peter Grimley. Roisin Mosely.

Matthew Byrne U11 Boys. Jay Pollock 35th. Oscar Langton 42nd. Noah Grimley 52nd U13 Girls. Heidi Ryan 6th. Mia Kennedy 24th. Roisin Mosely 40th U13 Boys. Peter Grimley 37th. Matthew Byrne 39th U15 Girls. Lucy Cunningham 14th U17 Boys. Charlie Ryan 6th GOWRAN PARISH Gowran Community Housing for the Elderly are happy to announce the opening of Pre Loved Beautiful Clothes in Dalton House Day Care Centre at the end of March.

If you have any high quality clothes that you would like to turn into cash contact 086 0276332.

GOWRAN GIRLS PLAY PART IN LORETO WIN Huge congratulations to both Marie O’Keeffe and Julie Lennon who were part of The Loreto Kilkenny Squad that won The All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Roinn A Final against Ursuline Thurles in Rathdowney on Saturday. Marie started right-corner-back, while Julie was introduced as a substitute early in the second-half.

Loreto won 2-14 to 2-6 as they now top The All-Ireland roll of honour with 9 Senior titles having won their first in 2010. It was a victory that was extra special, and one that she will most definitely cherish following the disappointment of not been able to feature.

The Loreto Kilkenny squad were presented to the crowd at half-time of Kilkenny’s National Hurling League clash against Offaly on Sunday following their triumph on Saturday.

ST. KIERANS GO IN SEARCH OF QUALIFYING FOR ALL-IRELAND FINAL Very best wishes to The Young Irelands contingent involved in St. Kierans Colleges All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Roinn A SemiFinal clash against Ardscoil Ris of Limerick next Saturday at a venue to be confirmed. (2pm throw-in).

Michael Walsh is once again part of the St. Kierans management Team, while there are five Young Irelands Players part of the panel: Jim Conlon, Diarmuid Langton, Ben and Cian Phelan and Jake Byrne The two schools have become well acquainted with one another over the years with the Limerick school defeating St. Kierans in The All-Ireland Final two years ago.

Unfortunately, there was disappointment for Bobbie Brennan and his Kilkenny CBS Teammates who lost 3-19 to 2-11 against Nenagh CBS in The Quarter-Final match played the previous weekend.

CAREY PLAYS PART AS CATS WIN AGAIN Mikey Carey played almost the full match as Kilkenny overturned an 8 point deficit after about 20 minutes (0-11 to 0-3) to win 1-26 to 1-19 against Offaly in Round 3 of The National Hurling League at a windswept UPMC Nowlan Park on Sunday.

Kilkenny now have 5 points from their 3 matches played with two tough away games to play St. Patricks week, against Clare on Sunday 10th March before concluding their Group stages of the League away to Waterford on St. Patricks Eve, Saturday March 16th.

FITZGERALD SISTERS FEATURE IN KILKENNY WIN The Fitzgerald Sisters Steffi and Tiffanie featured in Kilkenny’s 1-19 to 1-9 win against Clare in Round 2 of The National Camogie League in UPMC Nowlan Park on Saturday.

It was Kilkenny’s first win of the campaign following a one point loss to Cork in a thrilling contest in the opening round of fixtures.

MINOR FOOTBALLERS REACH SEMI-FINAL The Young Irelands Minor Footballers qualified for The Roinn A Championship Semi-Final following a 1-11 to 1-6 win against Thomastown.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 1 March 2024

Community & GAA Notes The match was played in very difficult conditions as it was preceded by persistent morning and overnight rain, but the Gowran boys prevailed and they now have a County Semi-Final to look forward to that is scheduled for next Sunday March 3rd.

GRAIGUENAMANAGH GRAIG NOTES If you wish to submit news items, club events, announcements etc you can do so by emailing them to graignotes@outlook.com.

Deadline is Saturday 6pm.

LOTTO GAA AND SOCCER Numbers drawn on 19/02 2024were 14, 15, 25, 30. there was no winner. The following won €30 each, Joe Kennedy, John Doyle, Elaine Brennan, Derek Butler, Laura Mullet. Tickets are available from any club member.

GRAIG TIDY TOWN DRAW Winners of the draw on February 22nd 2024, were First Prize €460, Tracy Murphy. 2nd Prize €50. Leon Byrne. 3rd Prize, €25 Mary Jordan Byrne. Draw takes place in the Abbey Center at 4pm on Thursdays.

WEELY CLINIC Cllr Peter Chap Cleere will continue to have his Clinic on Monday evenings’ at 7pm, at his Office in Main St Graiguenamanagh.

RAMBLING HOUSE The Monthly Rambling House Session is on the second Friday of the month in Newtown Hall, where you can enjoy music and song from local artists and also many from the surrounding district’s also join in at 7pm The next Session is on Friday March 8th.

GORESBRIDGE PAULSTOWN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

BY UISCE EIREANN Uisce Éireann / Irish Waterworking in partnership with Kilkenny County Council and local representation has announced the signing of a new construction contract to upgrade the drinking water supply in Gowran, Goresbridge and Paulstown. The aim of the project is to improve the quality and security of water supply for the area and provide additional capacity for new connections to the scheme. Construction is due to begin in the coming months and is set to be completed in 2025.

TAR ISTEACH The shop is openly daily Monday to Saturday in the mornings.

Funds go towards local development. Good quality clothes and bric-a-brac are accepted.

DEFIBRILLATOR AEDs are a crucial aid in enabling individuals to survive an Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest. A unit is located outside Maher’s Shop in Goresbridge as well as inside the Ionad Dara community hall in Goresbridge.

BARROW RANGERS GAA AND CAMOGIE CLUB

Tom Healy

Well done to Jessica Smith and her Loreto teammates on winning the senior A All Ireland Camogie School Final on Sunday 25th February.

There is a national GAA draw with a chance to win a car for €10 a ticket. All money raised by Barrow Rangers Camogie stays with the club.

The next jackpot takes place on Monday 4th March. For the weekly Lotto online tickets are available at www.lottoraiser.ie/BarrowRangers The Camogie Association’s Introduction to Coaching Gaelic Games Coaching Course schedule for 2024 is now available to view. See learning.gaa.ie/ICGG BRIDGE UNITED Bridge United Boys, under-13s had a great 1-0 win in extra time over Corks Douglas Hall in the SFAI Cup Trophy seeing them into the quarter final of the last 8 in the competition. The winning goal was scored by Michael Fitzgerald.

Bridge United wish to thank all members players, local businesses and supporters who donated to their Club 50 fundraiser. The Easter Soccer Camp will run from Tuesday, 26th March to Thursday, 28th from 10am-13.00. €40 to enter. Text or call Conor English at 085 1321589. The next club jackpot is on Monday 26th February and is worth €6,325.

PAULSTOWN BOXING Ellie Fenlon, Zach O’Hara and Claire Keating from Paulstown have won the Leinster titles recently in Carlow. They will now progress to the Irish championships.

ZUMBA WITH SINEAD Zumba dance fitness at Ionad Dara Goresbridge at 19.30 every Wednesday. €7 pay as you go. Get yourself fit dancing to Latin beats and guaranteed loads of fun.

YOGA CLASSES Every Monday at 7pm in the Community Hall in Paulstown. €50 for the course. Contact: Emma Flavin 083 0464823. Funds are in aid of Danny’s Fund for the treatment of MS. ROAD RUN FOR DANNY Car, tractor run, vintage, bike motorbike and truck run in aid of Danny’s Fund on Sunday 14th April from 10.30-12.30 with registration in the GAA Barrow Rangers Club, Paulstown. Some refreshments and raffle after the run back in the community hall.

DANCE FIT Is running every Tuesday at 8.30pm in Paulstown Community Hall. Contact Stephanie Lennon on ‘Dance Fit’ on Facebook or instragram where you can sign up via Google forms link. Cost is €8 per class.

MUSIC NIGHT In Blakes pub, Paulstown on Saturday 2nd March in aid of MS treatment for local man, Danny Byrne. For the same cause, a fashion show will be held on Wednesday 6th March in the Lord Bagenal Hotel.

CHURCH SERVICES Saturday 2nd / Sunday 3rd March: Masses in Goresbridge at 19.30, 10.00 and in Paulstown at 11.30am. Weekday masses at 10am in Paulstown on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and in Goresbridge on Wednesday.

Sacred Heart Prayer Group meets on Fridays after 10am mass in Paulstown. Legion of Mary Thursdays at 3pm in Paulstown.

New members welcome. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in

Paulstown every Tuesday after morning mass until 6pm.

Church of Ireland services Sunday 3rd March: St Lazerian’s Cathedral, Old Leighlin, Morning Prayer at 10am; Shankill Church, Paulstown, Eucharist at 10am; and Borris COI Church, Morning Prayer at 11.30am.

Monthly Time Out Prayer Are you feeling stressed, tired or worried at times? Would like to offer a time of listening and silent prayer for the intention of a friend or family member? Why not take time out for 45 minutes on Thursday, 29th February at 8pm in Goresbridge Holy Trinity Church for a relaxing time of peace, renewal, quiet prayer, silence, a short Bible reading and music? All welcome. A cup of tea afterwards!

More information from the parish office or Tom Healy 087 9181436 PILGRIMAGE TO MEDJUGORIE Will take place from 6th April to 13th and will be led spiritually by Rev Fr Eugene O’Sullivan and Jim Brown MIR House. For details contact Aisling on 083 3767608.

CHOIR Have you a talent for singing for playing a musical instrument? New adult and children members welcome to the Paulstown church choir. Contact the parochial office (059 9775180) BRIDGE Paulstown Bridge Club is holding lessons in playing bridge in a relaxed informal setting. Further information available from Mary Quinn 086 1704459 or Mary Purcell 086 1659779. Goresbridge Bridge club meets every Monday at 19.30 in Ionad Dara community hall while Borris bridge club meets on Tuesdays at the same venue.

COMPUTER AND PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES Computer classes take place every Wednesday from 10am in Ionad Dara in Goresbridge. Photography skills are included as a related part of the course and may be taken separately. The courses, which are free of charge, are sponsored by Kilkenny Carlow Education and Training Board for all Digital Literacy and basic literacy needs. More information from Carmel or Thomas at 056 7763149.

FOROIGE Would you like to volunteer with Foróige to support young people in Paulstown For more information contact Aidan Gleeson (aidan. gleeson@foroige.ie) CUPLA FOCAL Would you like to brush up or practice your Irish over a cup of coffee? All welcome! Weekly Friday chatting in Irish over a cuppa in the Goodly Barrow this Friday 1st March at 11am. Whether it is a few words or many, it doesn’t matter. Contact Ann on 085 7529485 for further information. Fáilte roimh chách.

SHANKILL CASTLE The Grounded In Nature Forest School is continues to offer sessions for children on Wednesdays, Thursday and Fridays from 15.30-18.00.

Included in the programme is bushscraft, cooking, den building games and more. Information from Eithne email: groundedinnaturefs@gmail.com BENNETTSBRIDGE CONFIRMATION On Sunday last, Bishop Niall Coll confirmed 52 children in St Bennett’s Church. It was Bishop Niall’s first confirmation ceremony in the parish and he was assisted by Canon Patrick Dalton and Canon Patrick Duggan.

Parents and children were involved in the liturgy including readings, Prayers of the Faithful and Offertory Procession, making it a memorable day for all. Pupils from 3rd and 4th class sang during the ceremony. Refreshments served afterwards in the school by the Parents Association The church was beautifully and colorfully decorated for the occasion with each child’s name inscribed on special cards around the church. Thanks went to all who were involved in the preparation leading up to the ceremony, including teachers, parents and families.

LENTEN STATIONS The Lenten Stations are now being taken up in Tullaherin and Bennettsbridge.

TROCAIRE BOXES Trocaire boxes are available in the church porch. Donations help the work of Trocaire in the Third World. The boxes can be handed in during the Holy Week Ceremonies.

ADVANCE NOTICE The Annual Irish Dancing Display will be held in the Community Hall on St Patrick’s Day, Sunday, 17th March after 10.30am mass. This traditional event is a collaboration between Stella Carroll School of Dancing and Bennettsbridge Ladies Club. The young dancers will compete for the Kathleen Conway Memorial Trophy. MC Tom Shanahan will introduce the various acts. The usual raffle will take place. Proceeds will go to the Carlow/Kilkenny Home Care team.

Prior to the dancing, it is hoped to honour our Patron Saint by having the parish choir sing some of the traditional hymns associ-

ated with St Patrick,at the 10.30am mass.

SYMPATHY Sympathy is extended to, Fiona Bolger, Ballyreddin, on the death of her father, Billy O’Shaughnessy, 5 Stephen Street, Kilkenny and formerly of Larchfield.

Billy passed away on 19th February 2024 at St. Luke’s Hospital. Billy will be sadly missed by his children Pauline, Edel, Fiona and Liam, wife Ann, brother Christy, sisters Kathleen, Mary and Aileen, sonsin-law Pat, Padraic and John, daughter-in-law Jodie, grandchildren Liam, Louise, Sarah, Moya, Kyle, Bríd, Peadar, Caoimhe and Rían, great grandchildren especially MJ, nephews and nieces, extended family, neighbours and friends.

SCOUT NEWS The waiting list for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in Bennettsbridge is open for next year.

Expressions of interest for new members can be emailed to the following address: 14thkkbennettsbridge@gmail.com Leaders are required and as spaces are tight, understandably, priority will go to those whose parents would like to become leaders or help out on the committee.

GATHERING There was an enjoyable morning spent at the meeting of the Gathering Group on Wednesday last. Having had the usual tea and chat, it was chair exercises for ten minutes and then members had the option of playing, skittle, rings, cards or bingo. So there is something for everybody each Wednesday. There is also the trip to Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in the diary for 20th March.

MENS SHED The men of the parish are being well catered for, in the now popular Mens Shed club. A representative from Kilkenny County Council paid a visit last week and gave a talk on various grants and supports available for groups.

There was much interest in the addition of a pool table, donated by a member. The table has been set up in the small meeting room in the hall and when not in use, a special board has been designed to cover it and its width will allow room for chairs to go underneath for meetings, lotto and other events.

ART GROUP On Monday, the Art Group discussed future plans as they came to an end of their spring funding from KCETB. This continued support and interest in the group over the years, is of major importance.

The existence of the art group plays an important part in the lives of each artist and combined with the expertise of their excellent tutor, Julie Moorhouse the artists continue to produce excellent art.

Already they are focussed on their exhibition for Kilkenny Arts Week 2024 ( 9th - 18th August ).

CARDS Results of card games for the past few weeks.

23rd January. 1st Prize Maria Reade/Johno Reade and John Shortall/Charlie Hill (12 games). Table Prize Michael Kenneally/Jack Bolger.

30th January. 1st Prize Michael Kenneally/Neddy Walsh (11games) 2nd Prize John Drennan/Declan Twomey (10 Games) Table Prize Jack Kavanagh/Nicky Fitzpatrick 6th February. 1st Prize Maria/Johno Reade and Vinnie Horgan/ Andrew Barcoe (11 games) Table Prize Toddy Skehan/Marty Hanlon 13th February. Neddie Walsh/Nicky Fitzpatrick (11games) 2nd Prize - three-way divide, Pauline Keating/Martin Clark, Jack Bolger/Pat O’Neill, Johno Reade/Maria Reade ( 10 games ) Table Prize Declan Twomey/John Drennan.

20th February. 1st Prize Frank O’Neill/Michael Phelan (11 games) 2nd Prize Toddy Skehan/Marty Hanlon (10 games) Table Prize Brigid Murphy/ Nicky Fitzpatrick LOTTO 19th February. No winner of Jackpot. Numbers, 4, 7, 15, 21. Jackpot now €6,250.00.

Consolation Prizes, Edel Dowling Hillview, Patrick O’Neill, Jnr, Ballyreddin, David O’Neill, Ballinamona, Margaret Nolan, Hillview, Pat Hayes, Marian Place.

GAA National Hurling League David, Kevin and Liam Blanchfield all played some part in Kilkenny’s win over Offaly on Sunday last in UPMC Nowlan Park. The result leaves the cats on five points from three games and on course to qualify. They will meet Clare on the weekend after next.

Football League Final Bennettsbridge will play Graiguenamanagh in the Junior football league final on Sunday next at 1.30 in Thomastown. Best of luck to all involved and all support is very welcome.

Club Spot The club has adopted a new app for all GAA business going forward, replacing clubforce. We ask as many people as possible to download this new club spot app . Details are on the club’s Facebook page. This is a great way to communicate club business.

Confirmation 2024, 5th and 6th Class pupils pictured with Olivia Selmon, 5th Class teacher John McDonald, 6th class teacher, Sheila Aylward Principal with Bishop Coll, Fr Duggan and Fr Dalton(hidden)

Ellie Fenlon, Zach O’Hara, and Claire Keating from Paulstown Boxing have won Leinster titles recently in Carlow

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Community & GAA Notes Winning numbers 6,11,16,20. Five match threes Tricia O’Gorman, Paul Dempsey, Paul Quinlan, Tom Tobin and Anne Power.

GORTNAHOE GLENGOOLE

All Ireland Champions. The 11 Boro Girls who were involved in the win. Well done to all involved.

Membership, split the pot etc and all club business can be done on this so it is vital for as many as possible to download the app promptly Membership 2024 This year’s membership can now be paid to registrar Samantha McGarry or to any club committee member. Membership fees are the same as last year. Forty euro for non playing members, eighty euro for student players and 120 euro for adult players . Early payment would be most appreciated. Membership can also be paid on the new club spot app. Please see the clubs Facebook and twitter pages for details .

Camogie Club Dinner Dance The victorious junior camogie team is holding their dinner dance in Langton’s on March 15th in conjunction with John Locke’s camogie club. Tickets cost 45 euros and can be purchased in the clubhouse this Friday from 6 to 7 pm.

Split the Pot The next draw takes place on Friday 1st March in the clubhouse at 6pm. Thanks to all for the continued support.

Club Shop New items of club gear have been added to the on-line O;Neill’s shop. Simply put Bennettsbridge in the search box on their website to see all the gear.

DICKSBORO LOTTO Results 22nd February 2024. Nos: 10 16 20 21. Jackpot: €15,350 Not Won Draw Prizes. €50:Davy Dalton c/o Davy Dalton. €25 each Aine Conor c/o Gerry O’Neill €25 each Philip Gargan c/o Dohertys Bar. €25 each Jimmy Murphy c/o Online Hurlers Co Op Draw Michael Furlong c/o Paddy Maher. Promotors prize Deirdre O’Reilly We encourage all Dicksboro Families to sign up and play weekly for €2 per draw and we thank everyone who is currently doing so.

EASTER CAMP Three Day Hurling and Camogie Camp March 25-27 2024. Skills and Drills and lots of fun. For ages 5-12 only. €30 for 1 child discounts available for multiple children from same family. See ClubZap for more details or follow link https://Dicksboro GAA.COM/PRODUCTS ALL IRELAND CHAMPIONS Massive Congratulations to Loreto Secondary School who claimed their 9th All Ireland Title last Saturday beating a very good Ursuline Thurles. This puts Loreto top of the Roll of Honours. We also are very proud to have had eleven Boro Girls involved in the team with some great individual stand outs by these girls. Well done to all involved.

JOHNSTOWN CHURCH NEWS LENTHEN STATIONS Lenten Station offerings are now due. Envelopes for the sacristan’s collection and Trocaire packs for Lent are at the back of the Church.

PRAYER AND REFLECTION Two afternoons of Prayer, music and reflection will take place in St. Kieran’s Church in preparation for Easter on Sunday March 3rd and Sunday March 24th between 3 and 4pm.

FIRST PENAMCE Children from Johnstown Parish will celebrate their First Penance on Thursday Feb. 29th at 7.30pm.

SYMPATHY Sympathy is extended to Maura and Sheamus Ryan who have been bereaved by the death of their sister Margaret Reilly in England.

Predeceased by her husband, she will be sadly missed by her son Michael, daughter in law, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, sister

Maura and brother Sheamus, relations and friends. Margaret will be buried in England at a later date.

Sympathy also to Marie and David Hickey on the death of Marie’s brother in law Vincent Slevin, Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary.

MRS PEGGY O’ROURKE (nee McDERMOTT) RIP Johnstown’s oldest resident Peggy died peacefully at the Sacred Heart Nursing Home, Crosspatrick, just a few days after her 98th birthday. Formally from Eyrecourt, Co. Galway, Peggy worked in D’Arcy’s in Urlingford and met her future husband Pat at a dance in St. Kieran’s Hall, Johnstown. They both later went to London where they were married in The Brompton Oratory and Peggy worked in Barclays Bank. They returned to Johnstown in 1953 to Pat’s family home. Peggy was very involved in the life of the village, she was the first Eucharistic Minister in the parish appointed by the late Canon Greene,P.P., secretary to the Active Retired, founded by Sister Ursula, the ICA , the Tuesday Club in Urlingford. She loved going on outings and mini breaks and was a whiz at table quizzes. Peggy was for many years the local correspondent for the Johnstown Notes. She had a fantastic memory and up until her death she could tell you who’s who and what’s what. She had a great interest in History especially local Johnstown History. In fact her home was once a resting place for the grooms to the horses for Bianconi coaches’ which passed through Johnstown on their way to Cork and Dublin. Predeceased by her husband Pat and her daughter Alma, she will be sadly missed by her daughter Geraldine (O’Grady), sons in law Tom and Joe, grandchildren Ciara, Niamh, Orla and Conor, great grandchildren Patrick, T.J., Allie, Aoife, Isaac and Nina, sister Sheila (Scarriff), sisters in law Bea and Mary, brother in law Johnny, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and many friends. Requiem Mass was celebrated in St. Kieran’s Church followed by burial in Johnstown Cemetery.

THE BOYS OF GALMOY To commemorate the assassination and executions in Galmoy in 1824 Pat Vaughan (Padraig O Meachain) will deliver a public lecture in Galmoy Community Hall on Saturday. March 16th at 8pm. All are welcome.

THE WAY TO GO Cllr Ml. McCarthy welcomes a number of road signs being erected in Crosspatrick, Bayswell and Rathpatrick and Johnstown will follow in the coming weeks. This is a welcome addition, which will benefit the local community and visitors. Great credit is due to the Area Engineer and his staff.

SPA UNITED AFC Weekend results... U16 boys league division 1A Highview 3 Spa 0, U14 girls league division 1 Spa 0 Deen Celtic 0, U13 boys league division 2 Spa 0 Thomastown 5, U11 girls cup East End 0 Spa 4, U11 boys cup Spa 1 Freebooters 5, U11 boys shield Southend 3 Spa 1, U10 boys cup Spa 2 Callan 1. Also at the weekend the U9 boys travelled to Stoneyford and played some great football with brilliant goals scored.

Spa United would like to say a huge thank you to Brian Purcell for his continued support and sponsorship of teams in the club. Brian and his company P.E.L. have sponsored the U15 boys with a new set of jerseys. Brian’s and P.E.L. support over the years has been invaluable to the club.

SPA DEVELOPMENT / FENIANS LOTTO

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Glengoole Wednesday 10am to 2pm, Gortnahoe Thursday 10am to 1pm WORLD DAY OF PRAYER A service will take place to celebrate World Day of Prayer this Friday 1st March at 8pm in Kilcooley Parish Hall. All are welcome.

TROCAIRE BOXES Boxes are available in both church porches. Please take one and support the Lenten campaign.

TUESDAY BRIDGE Bridge is being played each Tuesday night in Gortnahoe Hall at 7.30pm. If you would like to join or find out more information please contact this number 089 4349106 GORTNAHOE BINGO Bingo continues this Saturday evening at the earlier time of 4.00pm with doors opening from 3.00pm and will continue each Saturday evening at the same time. Over €2,660 in prize money on offer including a special €500 game.

SPLIT THE POT Congratulations to the last weekend’s winner of Split the Pot draw, Maura Dunne, Graigue who won €170. Envelopes are available at the usual outlets, you can also Revolut to 0876777220. Many thanks to the Split the Pot committee for giving the month of February in support of the Prayer Garden beside Gortnahoe Church. For the month of March Split the Pot will be in support of the Ballysloe Sensory Garden. The draw takes place each Sunday at 12pm in Gortnahoe Hall. Your support would be appreciated VACANCY Gortnahoe Community Employment scheme has vacancies for a Maintenance Operative in Gortnahoe village and a Caretaker in MFRC, Glengoole. Details and application are on Jobs Ireland reference 2322500 and 2322400 JOHN MAHER RIP The death has occurred of John (Jackie) Maher, Mill Road, Ballynonty, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, 24th February. Predeceased by his parents Richard and Mary Maher. Jackie will be missed by his brothers, sisters, brothers in law, sisters in law, nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbours and friends, in particular his good friend Martin Lawlor. John reposed at O’Connell’s Funeral Home, Killenaule, last Monday evening. Requiem Mass took place in St. Patrick and Oliver Church, Glengoole, followed by burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. May he rest in peace.

BALLYRAGGET BALLYOUSKILL GAA St. Patrick’ intermediate football team were in action against Graigue Ballycallan on Saturday. The team was JJ O’Sullivan, D. Brophy R. McEvoy M. Love P. Ryan C. Foley C. Doheny Barry Staunton M. Staunton R. Doheny S. Brennan D. Lawless Conor Delaney, J. Butler B. Curran. Subs C. Connick C. Delaney, and M. Bergin. Final score 2-4 to 1-8 to GBC. Goals by Conor Delaney and Sean Brennan but Graigue Ballycallan mounted a late comeback to win. Up next is Carrickshock at home tonight.

The Minor football team who had a 2-13 to 1-4 win over Dicksboro with goals from Mark Bergin and Oisin Troy. Team as follows - Tadhg Phelan, Patrick Morrissey, Conor Rocliffe, Harry Culleton, Kieran Bergin, Chris Delaney, Charlie Culleton, Michael Glennon, Christian Connick, Mark Doheny, Mark Bergin, Aaron Nealis, Andrew Lawless, Oisin Troy, Mark Hogan. Subs James Cash, Evan Nealis, Will Ryan and Eoin Coyle Twomey. They will next play James Stephens FUND RAISER A Cake, Craft and Coffee Morning in aid of Cois Nore will be held on March 17th at 11.15 in the Cannon Malone Hall.

SIGNAGE Cllr Michael McCarthy welcomes the new signage that has been erected in the Ballyragget area and the additional signs that will be erected in the coming weeks. Safety is always important and great credit is due to the Area Engineer and his staff.

PARISH DRAW The annual Parish Draw will take place shortly, three books of tickets for the draw will be distributed to each household. The draw will take place on Easter Monday April 1st at 8pm in the Cannon Malone Hall. Your support for this venture will be much appreciated.

MASS TIMES Mass in Ballyragget Wednesday to Friday 10am. Parish office is open Wednesday to Friday 10.30am to 1pm.

TABLE QUIZ Ballyouskill Vintage Club are hosting a table quiz in The Wheel Inn at 9pm Friday March 1st Table of 4 - €40 the quiz is in aid of Alzheimer’s.

CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to all who made their confirmation last Friday with Bishop Niall Coll and Fr Eamon O Gorman.

LOURDES INVALID FUND The Ballyragget/ Ballyouskill Lourdes Invalid Fund committee wish to invite worthy candidates to put their names forward in writing

by Friday March 1st to any of the committee members if they wish to go to Lourdes with the Ossory Pilgrimage this coming May. Committee members are John and Mary Kennedy, Noel Cummins, Catherine Quirke and Aileen McInerney.

CONAHY GAA The intermediate footballers lost out, away to Glenmore in their final league game of the JJ Kavanagh and Sons Intermediate League on Saturday last. The final score was 0-16 to 1-8 in favour of the home side. Conahy will now face into the championship first round in the near future.

TEAM: Karl Downey, Padraig Gunner, Philip Cass, Kieran Brennan, Donal Cass, Darragh Hennesy, Edmond Delaney, Bill Murphy, Oisin O’Connor, Stephen McNamee, James Bergin, Tom Rice, Billy Mulhall, Brian Rossiter, Jake Dooley, Rob Ring, Conor Hennessy, Andrew O’Connor.

CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to Darragh Dooley who was part of the Garda College team that won the Ryan Cup in third level colleges hurling.

Emma Mulhall and Sofia Kerr were also part of the SETU Carlow team that lost out to NUIG in the final of the Purcell Cup third level camogie and Roisín Phelan was also part of the Kilkenny senior camogie team who played against Cork and Clare recently in the National Camogie League.

CLUB LOTTO The numbers drawn in the most recent GAA Club Lotto were 8, 11 and 20. There was no winner of the €1,800 jackpot, so the consolation prize winners were Edel Healy, Irene Fitzpatrick, Ann Conroy, Camryn Kenehan and John Gleeson. The promoter prize winners were Toddy Lacey, Teresa Dollard and Peter Mulhall.

BRIDGE PROGRESS Under 2024 Bridge Rehabilitation Works on Regional and Local Roads, Cllr. Michael McCarthy is pleased to see a couple of projects funded in Conahy, namely L-10003 Purcellsgarden Bridge South, Conahy (€35,000), and L-1818 Lismaine Bridge, Conahy (€20,000).

HUGGINSTOWN NEWMARKET STONEYFORD MASS TIMES Hugginstown: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 9.30a.m. Vigil - Saturday 2nd. at 8.00p.m. Sunday 3rd. at 10.00a.m.

Stoneyford, Wednesday and Friday at 7.00p.m. Vigil – Saturday 2nd. at 6.30p.m.

Friday 1st. Feast of St. David. First Friday. Visitation with Holy Communion will take place as usual on Friday. Please let us know if you would like to receive Holy Communion in your home for the First Fridays or at any other time.

GUIDELINES TO HELP US DURING LENT Kindness to others; Helping people in need, the sick, the old or the lonely.

Making a special effort at involvement in Family Prayer; Praying the Stations of the Cross; Visit to the Blessed Sacrament; Abstaining from meat or some other food on Fridays; Abstaining from alcoholic drink or smoking etc.

PRAY FOR Josh Dineen, Keatingstown ROTA Third Sunday of Lent Readers, Stoneyford, Saturday 6.30p.m. Rita O’Farrell. Hugginstown: Saturday 8.00p.m. Tommy Murphy. Sunday 10.00a.m. Marie Ryan Eucharistic Ministers. Stoneyford, Saturday 6.30p.m. Bernie Grace.

Hugginstown: Saturday 8.00p.m. Mary Murphy. Sunday 10.00a.m.

Ann Power CONFIRMATION 2024 Congratulations to all the Pupils of Monroe, Newmarket and Stoneyford Schools who received their Confirmation on Thursday 22nd. February. Thanks to all Parents, Sponsors and Teachers for their full participation.

FIRST PENANCE 2024 For Monroe/Newmarket Schools on Monday 4th. March in Hugginstown Church at 7.00p.m. For Stoneyford School on Wednesday 13th. March in Stoneyford Church at 7.00p.m.

MONROE SCHOOL S.N.MóinRuadh are now accepting enrolments for September 2024.

Enrolment Forms can be downloaded from the website: snmoinruadh.wordpress.com or by emailing the office on snmoinruadh@ gmail.com or calling the office on 056 776 8931.

LENTEN STATION COLLECTION Envelopes for the Lenten Station Contribution are available in the Church. Your contribution is for the support of the priests of the Parish and the Diocese. (To donate directly.) Use IBAN: IE19 AIBK 9330 9000 0561 20 (BIC: AIBKIE2D). All Parish Property and Accounts are registered under the (Diocese of Ossory, Reg. Charity No. 20015831) TROCAIRE Every year during Lent, Trócaire asks for your help to fund lifesaving programmes around the world. Please collect a Trócaire Box which is available in Church Porch. You can contribute Online at www. trocaire.org or By Phone: 1850 408 408. The contents of each and every Trócaire Box, no matter how small, come together to make a significant difference.

LOTTO Aghaviller Parish and Carrickshock G. A. A. Draw: Monday 19th.

February 2024 Numbers: 06; 11; 24; 30. No Winner First 3 Numbers Drawn: One Jackpot Winner: €7,900.00 Winner: Brenda and Teresa Fitzgerald, Hugginstown. €200.00 Seller of Winning Ticket: Teresa Fitzgerald. 3 x €15.00 (Sellers). Tommy Murphy, Kathleen Fennelly, Pat Power; VOCATIONS WEBINAR On Tuesday, 5th. March from 8.00p.m. to 9.00p.m. The webinar is hosted by ‘The Hook of Faith’ platform (www.thehookoffaith.com) and is organised in collaboration with the National Vocations Office.

The webinar is entitled ‘The Last Priest in Ireland? It Depends on You’. It is a follow up of a RTE documentary broadcast in January entitled ‘The Last Priest in Ireland’. The keynote speaker will be Breda O’Brien. There will be a panel of responders.

The webinar is a Church response to the programme and an opportunity for dialogue about the future of vocations to the priesthood in Ireland. The provocative title hopefully promotes a desire to create a culture of vocations for which we are all responsible. The initiative is part of the year of prayer and promotion to the diocesan priesthood ‘Take the Risk for Christ’.

THE POOR CLARES The Poor Clares in Galway are holding a Monastic Experience Day for young women who might be interested in their way of life.

The event will take place from 10.00a.m. to 5.00p.m. on Saturday the 2nd. March. The day is designed to help those who may be exploring the possibility of a religious vocation to find out more about the Poor Clare way of life. Anyone wishing to book a place should email vocations@poorclares.ie

We welcome all GAA Club and Community notes for publication in The Kilkenny Observer email to sales@kilkennyobserver.ie

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 1 March 2024

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Hurlng matters - Review

Sport

BY KILKENNY OBSERVER REPORTER Allianz National Hurling League UPMC Nowlan Park Kilkenny 1-26 Offaly 1-19 Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary) Kilkenny had to wait for a wind assisted second half to pull away from a determined Offaly team who owned the first half as Kilkenny looked out of sorts. Offaly took full advantage of the wind and did not look out of place against a Kilkenny team who seemed to struggle with the elements as much as against a spirited Offaly.

Offaly’s commitment was evident and they played the better hurling of the first half, and they were full value for their interval lead of 0-14 to 0-8. Kilkenny made hard work of their task and did not help themselves with the tactic of playing the long ball which seemed to suit Offaly. Kilkenny went some 28 minutes between scores and the half time score of 0-14 to 0-8 flattered them somewhat.

Offaly had an excellent first half and took full advantage of the elements with a strong wind on their backs. They out played Kilkenny in all parts of the field and had they been a little more confident when on the ball may well have extended their well deserved lead.

Despite Offaly’s huge efforts which included eight points from free taker Eoghan Cahill, it was felt that their lead would not be enough to

Kilkenny breeze past Offaly

Ben Conneely and Liam Blanchfield in a battle for possession

hold off an inevitable Kilkenny come back.

Supporting Cahill, Charlie Mitchell and Jack Clancy were a constant threat, and Cillian Kiely and Ben Conneely were solid in their efforts to curb any possible Kilkenny intensions up front, and the continuous pressure inflicted by these players

played a part in Kilkenny shooting eight wides and enduring a spell of twenty eight minutes without scoring.

It was hard to pick a Kilkenny player, who impressed in the first half, but a revival from Kilkenny in the second half was expected and we were not disappointed. The second half saw a different Kilkenny effort. Within two minutes Kilkenny posted points by John Donnelly, Shane Murphy and Billy Drennan which seemed to set Offaly back

and any confidence earned in the first half seemed to wane.

A point by goalkeeper Darren Brennan from some one hundred meters added to Kilkenny’s intent and when Eoin Cody’s solo effort rattled the net it looked too much for Offaly. Kilkenny were now on a roll and had it not been for two excellent saves by Offaly goalkeeper Mark Troy they would have ended this contest early.

Offaly can take heart that throughout the match the made

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 1 March 2024

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kilkennyobserver.ie

Hurling matters - Review John Donnelly desperately tries to hook Charlie Mitchell

Darragh Corcoran drives out past Eoghan Cahill

Kilkenny work hard and were unlucky not to score a goal in the forty seventh minute which might have made an interesting fourth quarter.

Meanwhile Kilkenny have sterner tests on the horizon with Clare presenting as their next opposition in Ennis in two weeks’ time. A strong, determined, flawless display will be needed if the spoils are to be taken back to Kilkenny and top of the league table achieved.

Cathal King in possession but heavily challenged

by Adrian Mullen

Walter Walsh finding it difficult to get past Cathal King

KILKENNY: D Brennan (0-01, free), M Butler, C Delaney, T Walsh; D Blanchfield (001), D Corcoran, S Murphy (0-01), P McDonald, M Carey; A Mullen (0-06) C Kenny, J Donnelly (0-02), B Drennan (0-11, 7 frees, 2 65s), L Blanchfield, E Cody (1-01).

Subs for Kilkenny: W Walsh (0-01) for McDonald 26th min; M Keoghan for W Walsh (inj) 57th min; T Clifford (0-01) for L Blanchfield 59th min; K Blanchfield (0-01) for C Kenny 62nd min; P Moylan for M Carey 66th min.

OFFALY: M Troy, D Ravenhill (0-02), B Conneely, S Bourke, J Sampson (0-01), C Kiely (0-01), K Sampson, C King, D Nally, A Screeney (0-01), E Kelly (0-01), J Clancy (0-01), E Cahill (0-10, nine frees), B Duignan, C Mitchell (1-2).

Subs for Offaly: D Bourke for C Kiely (inj) 27th min, P Delaney for J Clancy 43rd min, O Kelly for D Nally 54th min, D Maher for D Ravenhill 65th min.

Referee: Michael Kennedy ((Tipperary).

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Planning notices

Planning notices KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL

Fiona Fennelly and Shena Walsh, Executors for the estate of the late Danny McDonald wish to apply to the above authority for retention planning permission of constructed extension to side of dwelling and all associated works at Rockview, Thomastown Road, Inistioge, Co. Kilkenny R95 TN83.

The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Department, Kilkenny County Council, County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny, during its public opening hours 9 a.m.- 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the planning application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the Planning Authority in making a decision on the application. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 1 March 2024

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 1 March 2024

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Memoriams / Miracle Prayers

MARGARET MURRAY MONTHS MIND

MICHAEL (MICK) BROPHY 15TH ANNIVERSARY

GERALDINE RYAN 10TH ANNIVERSARY

PADDY DELANEY 39TH ANNIVERSARY

In loving memory of Margaret Murray, late of St Kierans Crescent, Kilkenny (formally of Leggettsrath and St. Josephs Road) who passed away on Sunday, January 28th, 2024

With loving thoughts of Mick, late of Derdimus, Callan Road, Kilkenny, who left our home on 6th March 2009.

We never knew that morning The sorrow that day would bring When a loving heart stopped beating And we couldn’t do a thing

Sometimes we laugh Some days we cry Remembering you And the things we used to do

In loving memory of Geraldine, late of Greenfields, Freshford Road, Kilkenny who died March 3rd 2014

R.I.P Your life was one of kindly deeds A helping hand for others needs Sincere and true in heart and mind Beautiful memories left behind

In memory of Paddy Delaney, late of Walkin Street, Kilkenny who died on 1st March 1985.

Gone from us that smiling face The cheerful pleasant ways In bygone happy days A life made beautiful by kindly deeds A helping hand for others needs To a beautiful life comes a happy end He died as he lived, everyone’s friend.

The moment that you died My heart was torn in two One side filled with heartache And the other died with you.

No words we write could ever say How much we miss you everyday Life goes on, we know that’s true But we can’t get over losing you

You are forever in our hearts We will always love you Siobhán & Jack XX

Always loved and much missed Anne, Fran, Phil, Richard and Martin children, Eoghain, Niamh and Niall daughter-in-law Jen and grandchildren Eilbhe and Rían.

Always remembered by his daughters Kathleen, Theresa and family.

The parting was so sudden We often wonder why The saddest part of all Is not getting to say goodbye Gone now are the days We used to share But in our hearts You are always there.

With tender love and deep regret We who love you will never forget With Love Always, from Martina, Sharon, Sinéad and Padraig, grandchildren, great grandchildren, brothers, sisters, sons and daughter-in-law, goddaughter, Tammy, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

Please offer a private prayer for mam (Margaret) to mark one month of her passing.

PATRICK RYAN 1ST ANNIVERSARY In loving memory of Patrick, late of Kilkenny and Tramore, Co. Waterford whose 1st Anniversary occurs at this time Sadly missed Your cousin Anne Will those who think of Patrick today A little prayer to Jesus say

The Miracle Prayer

Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.

This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).

Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.

Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted.

Never been known to fail.

Must promise publication of prayer. M.M.

St. Anthony Prayer

O Holy St. Anthony gentlest of Saints, your love for God and charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers.

Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me (request).

O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms. The gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. Amen M.R.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 1 March 2024

Classifieds Motors

Classified section To advertise your business in our classified section call in or telephone: 056 777 1463, or email: accounts @kilkennyobserver.ie

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