Kilkenny Observer 2nd September 2022

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Friday 02 September 2022

Rome Reform Irish Catholic needs sent to the Pope  Marianne Heron, Page 12

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Night, Night !

Benefits, or not, of good night’s sleep  Page 18

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The chill of inflation

The price of home-heating oil continues to surge putting huge pressure on household budgets.

Prices are up by around €135 for a 1,000-litre fill in the past fortnight alone.

And oil buyers are now paying almost €700 more for 1,000 litres than they did this time last year.

It comes as more electricity and gas price rises are expected.

The bad news keeps coming

for consumers with oil back over $100 (€100) a barrel, in what is expected to push petrol and diesel prices back over €2 a litre.

Some garages are already charging €2, according to Pumps.ie.

Gas futures are down slightly this week from record highs, but are still 33% higher in the seven days.

Wholesale gas prices determine electricity prices.

Meanhile, surging energy

costs could force some businesses to make a choice between cutting production, reducing staff numbers or ceasing to trade.

“We’re already talking to companies who are threatened, in terms of their viability,” said Gerard Brady, chief economist with business group Ibec.

“One thing is closure, as in permanent closure. The other thing we’re hearing is companies who will close down part

of the business. They’ll stop producing one product if it has low margins. Or they might have to lay people off for periods.

“We had one retailer talking about small shops going from €50,000 to €150,000 in costs on energy. We’ve talked to larger sites in manufacturing, where we’ve seen costs go from kind of €20m to north of €100m.

Very few companies have the margins to support that.”

European Commission

President Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech in Slovenia that “skyrocketing electricity prices are now exposing, for different reasons, the limitations of our current electricity market design” and announced the bloc was “working on an emergency intervention and a structural reform of the electricity market”.

EU leaders will meet on September 9 to discuss the crisis.

See related stories, Page 6

School buses leave our kids on roadside

The Kilkenny

Observer UNIT 7, FRIARY STREET, KILKENNY, R95 VHY7

Young workers earning an annual salary of €35,000 face paying an extra €2,500 a year in taxes so that older people can retire at 66, the State’s budget watchdog has warned.

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council said people now in their 20s, 30s and 40s will foot the bill for Ireland’s growing number of retirees, which is estimated to rise by 50% by 2040.

Growing crisis in childcare The childcare crisis continues, with 789 providers now having closed since 2017, according to the children’s agency Tusla.

There are currently some 4,700 providers but industry leaders say many more will close unless the Government, despite promises in the last five years, “significantly rethinks” its input to subsidise the sector.

Many parents have been forced to contact local TDs as they still have not received tickets for school buses after Education Minister Norma Foley announced free transport for pupils.

As schools reopen, many pupils were left behind, stranded on the roadside, according to angry and anxious parents.

The bus crisis comes as more than 8,000 children applied for a seat after the fee waiver was announced last month.

A total of 3,441 eligible students will be guaranteed a seat and 4,650 pupils will be on a “concession”, or a lottery, system.

Education Minister Norma Foley has now been urged by the Labour Party to intervene and provide an additional fleet and seats to cater for pupils who are on concession or late applicants, or were simply left behind because there was no room on the buses.

“The system will have to be changed.

Somehow, concessionary ticket recipients are always left waiting,” one parent told reporters.

“I had even half the term paid for before the Government’s announcement of free bus (services) and would even be willing to pay the other half to have a seat.”

In good news, Transport For Ireland has launched a new badge and card for people with hidden disabilities to use when on public transport.

The ‘Please Offer Me a Seat badge and card are designed for people who have hidden disabilities which may not be visible to other public transport users.

EVERY FRIDAY

Young ‘taxed more’ to pay for retirees

Paul Hopkins, Page 8

Another plague The plague of the night of September 2, 1902 left the people of Comer shocked, stunned and in a state of disbelief! It wasn’t a plague of flies, frogs, lice or locusts – it was a plague of maggots! That’s right, maggots!

Gerry Moran, Page 20

INSIDE

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GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE TEAM

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News

Ballyragget comes clean on Tidy Town forum Ballyragget was in the spot light recently as it hosted the Tidy Towns Forum which is a collective of Tidy Towns volunteers (pictured) from across the county. The forum, administered by Kilkenny County Council, enables tidy town volunteers to exchange ideas and stay informed about funding and other opportunities on the horizon.

The Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr Patrick Fitzpatrick, opened the meeting by saying: “The Tidy Towns movement is close to my heart as it’s a terrific competition to put focus on local communities. Kilkenny has a marvellous track record with the competition and it often brings many new opportunities to towns and villages.”

Cllr John Brennan was also as were representatives of eight tidy town groups from across the county.

Before participants were brought on a walking tour of Ballyraggett, Bernadette Moloney, Environmental Awareness Officer, gave a presentation on the council’s most recent anti-litter initiative titled, entitled ‘Team Up to Clean Up, Together for Kilkenny’.

The attendees were told of the pilot environmental action day being rolled out this October in Kilkenny City prior to a county-wide event which is planned for next Febru-

ary. These events are focused on encouraging community groups to litter pick their local area.

The walking tour afterwards presented an opportunity for Ballyragget Tidy Towns to showcase some of their projects including murals and new planting schemes, and of

how it is a community effort to maintain all the public areas throughout the village.

The informal forum created an opportunity for volunteers to share ideas and creates a support network to groups at different stages of the Tidy Towns Competition. While some groups are long estab-

Mullinavat House Fire Support Fund A young county Kilkenny family were tragically left homeless when fire engulfed their home burning it to a shell. The local community came together to offer support and a gofundme account was set up by the local Mullinvat GAA and Camogie Club. Funds have been donated to this worthy cause from near and far and the family are most gracious for the generosity shown.

The Kenneally family, which includes three children, has been left with nothing and are now trying to rebuild not only their home but their lives as well.

They now face the struggle of trying to continue with their everyday lives but also face the struggle of rebuilding their home.

To restart their lives and to offer some normality to their children they need a lot of help and it is hoped that the kindness of the local community in Mullinavat and other communities around Kilkenny and further afield will come together and show huge support.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ mullinavat-house-fire-support-fund They have bravely taken the first steps to turning this tragedy in to a good news story and you can take this journey with them, if not in person then by being there to offer them the financial help they need. If you have already donated it is truly appreciated as every cent will be needed. They have a tough long road ahead. Perhaps you could help further by spreading their story to others who may be in a position to assist them with the help they need, perhaps a collection at work or your local club or neighbourhood.

As they progress they

value your support and it is in knowing that there are family, friends and indeed strangers rooting for them with displays of financial help and unwavering kindness that this young family will see that there is a future and they have a road ahead worth traveling in the embrace of communities close and far.

If there is anything you can do to offer assistance of any kind then please contact Mullinvat GAA and Camogie club.

Donate:- https://www. gofundme.com/f/mullinavat-house-fire-supportfund

lished within their community, they have only started entering the national Tidy Towns Competition while other groups have been competing for more than 30 years. However, no matter where groups are on their tidy town journey, the Tidy Towns Forum is a friendly and supportive network open

to all community groups from Kilkenny.

Should any group like to become involved in the Tidy Towns Forum or dip their toes into the Tidy Towns Competition next year, they should contact the administrator of the Tidy Towns Forum, Bernadette Moloney based in

the Environment Section of Kilkenny County Council. Ms Moloney is also keen to get ideas of the needs of groups so the forum format stays relevant to the needs of the Tidy Town volunteers across the county. She can be contacted on bernadette.moloney@ kilkennycoco.ie.

Bagenalstown and Callan to benefit €2.6 million fund to enhance streetscapes and shopfronts – John Paul Phelan Bagenalstown in Carlow and Callan in Kilkenny are each to receive €100,000 as part of the Streetscape initiative, Fine Gael TD, John Paul Phelan, has confirmed.

The two areas are among 26 nation-wide to share in a €2.6 million fund to upgrade building facades, artwork, murals, lighting, street furniture and canopies.

“This investment will help make our rural towns more colourful, vibrant and attractive places. Local authorities are to begin advertising immediately and local businesses and retailers are encouraged to apply,” Deputy Phelan said.

The initiative was announced

by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD. Under the Streetscape Enhancement Initiative, retailers and property owners will be provided with grants that they can use to improve the facades of their buildings, carry out artwork or install features such as street furniture or canopies.

The overall purpose of the Scheme is to give our towns

and villages a facelift and make them more attractive places to live, work or visit.

Minister Humphreys today announced the 26 towns that have been selected for funding with each local authority to receive €100,000 as part of the initiative.

The Minister today urged businesses, property owners and retailers in the 26 towns to apply to their local authority to avail of funding.

Making the announcement today, Minister Humphreys said: “When I announced this initiative last year, there was a reachugely positive reac tion from businesses and retailers. I’m therefore delighted to announce 26 additional towns that will benefit from €2.6 million in funding from my Department.

“We all take pride in our rural towns and villages and want

them to be as attractive and welcoming as possible.

“That’s exactly what Streetscapes is all about. I want as many businesses and property owners to get involved over the next few weeks and to avail of this funding.

“You may wish to give the front of your shop a new lease of life and repaint it in bright, vibrant colours.

“Perhaps you want to cover your window sills with flowers and plants or purchase street furniture, canopies for your customers to enjoy.

“Or maybe you have an even bolder idea. This time round, I’m encouraging neighbouring businesses to submit a joint application to their local authority if they have a more ambitious proposal.

“For example, under the first tranche of funding, some businesses transtrans formed their facades with attractive murals – that’s one way to make your town stand out.”

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Fertiliser sparks food shortage There is growing concern over food shortages this coming winder, according to a new report on the supply of fertiliser for next year bing presented to Government outlining “the seriousness of the situation”.

Recent figures show fertiliser application was back 21pc up to the third buying quarter this year, with con-

cerns over food security being raised by the fertiliser industry across Europe.

A number of European fertiliser manufacturers shut down production in recent days as gas prices continue to rise a move that was described by one industry source as “extraordinarily serious”.

With the cost of natural gas

eight to 10 times higher in Europe compared to the US, and even more compared to other fertiliser industry hubs, European producers say they are not able to compete on the domestic and global market.

“The European fertiliser industry is in full-fledged crisis because the European gas market is bust,”

said Jacob Hansen, Director General at Fertilisers Europe.

“The record high prices of natural gas, which represent 90% of industry’s variable production costs, makes it impossible for European producers to compete. As a result, over 70% of European production capacity has been curtailed. If the situ-

ation prevails, we fear that remaining producers could also be affected.”

Several European chemical companies have curtained ammonia production due to soaring energy costs.

A representative body for European fertiliser producers has said that the industry on the continent was “in full-fledged crisis”.

Confidence is slow to return, says bank report The Bank of Ireland Economic Pulse stood at 72.4 in August 2022. The index, which combines the results of the Consumer and Business Pulses, was up 2.1 on last month’s reading but 16.4 lower than a year ago.

With households basking in the late summer heatwave and looking ahead to Budget 2023, the Consumer Pulse recovered some losses this month, though it remains subdued at just under its Covid-19 low-point. The Business Pulse was also a touch firmer in August, albeit at the sectoral level, it was a case of two up (Services and Retail) and two down (Industry and Construction).

Dr Loretta O’Sullivan, Group Chief Economist for Bank of Ireland, said: “Recent shocks to the Irish economy – Brexit, the Covid-19 virus and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – have been idiosyncratic in nature and their after-effects are still playing out, making for uncertain times.

“The removal of pandemicrelated restrictions earlier this year is a tailwind and employment has rebounded strongly, but the deterioration in UK-EU relations of late is a headwind and elevated global energy prices as a result of the war are adding to inflation. she said.

The squeeze on households’ purchasing power and unsettled environment for businesses had tempered confidence, though the August Pulse findings point to some respite in this respect.

“With households expecting the Budget to provide some support for their pockets and firms seeing some easing in non-labour input costs, the mood was a little better this month and the Economic Pulse rose for the first time since May,” Dr O’Sullivan said.

The sectoral picture was mixed, however, with the Services and Retail Pulses making up some of the ground ceded last month, whereas the Industry and Construction Pulses slipped again.

We thank you for your service!

Members of Kilkenny’s Nation Services line up for a photo during celebrations in Kilkenny Castle on Saturday to mark National Services Day. Since 2013 National Services Day has been putting on events that are geared at recognising the impor-

tant work that our Frontline, Emergency, Essential and Security Services personnel do in keeping us all safe and well. Most importantly, it is an opportunity for our services to thank the public for all their support.

In 2018 the then Taoise-

ach Leo Varadkar set out the Government’s commitment by officially designating the first Saturday in September as National Services Day. This year sees the city marking its first National Services Day Blue Light Parade and Static Display.

Plan to reduce use of gas will see our winter of discontent A plan to reduce gas use this winter, is being prepared by the Government, according to Green Party leader Eamon Ryan.

The EU recently asked Ireland to cut its gas use by 15pc and to put in place a gas-demand reduction plan.

While the State does not have to meet the 15% target, officials are working on a plan to reduce gas consumption.

The Climate Minister appears before the Dáil’s Climate Committee to discuss energy security.

“The European Council recently agreed a regulation on reducing gas demand

by 15% this winter,” said Mr Ryan.

“This regulation requires all member states to put in place a demand-reduction plan. As Ireland is not directly inter-connected to another member state, it is not required to meet the mandatory reduction target in this regulation.”

Meanwhile, increasing the excise duty on diesel for consumer and commercial vehicles drivers, scrapping the green diesel concession for farmers and a large hike in property tax, are among controversial recommendations an expert group has made to the Government.

The Commission on Taxation and Welfare has also recommended a rise in PRSI payments by the self-employed.

And it has told Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe there should be a levy on holiday homes, a congestion charge and higher excise duty on home-heating oil.

The recommendations to the Government come after a year-long review of tax policy are set to be hugely controversial at a time of soaring fuel prices.

The commission, made up of a broad range of people, wants to see an end to all subsidies on fuel.

Entering the city on the Castlecomer Road, it was a spectacle not to be missed as dozens of emergency and essential vehicle pass the Newpark Hotel, McDonagh Junction, John Street, Rosin Street and then onto the Castle Parade where they will

then enter the grounds of Kilkenny Castle for a static display until 6pm.

An excellent opportunity for the young and old to meet the men and woman of our national services and experience all the exciting equipment and vehicles they have to offer.

One pupil in eight in oversized classrooms One pupil in eight in primary schools in Ireland was in oversized classes last year, despite average class sizes falling to their lowest level in two decades.

Figures published by the Department of Education on enrolments at more than 3,100 primary schools around the country show one in three, that is a total of 1,055, had at least one overcrowded class.

The figures come as primary schools around the country

prepare to welcome pupils back into classrooms following the summer break.

An analysis of the figures by the Irish Independent reveals only 17% of the primary pupils were in classes below the EU average of 20.

One in 20 (5%) of all classrooms had more than 30 pupils, but they accounted for 12% of all primary schoolchildren, Department of Education figures for the 2021/22 year reveal.

New sport medical lab UPMC, a globally recognised leader in sports medicine and orthopaedics and a trusted healthcare provider in the South East and

Midlands, has announceD the opening of a new UPMC Sports Medicine Clinic in the Sportslab at TUS Thurles in Tipperary.

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Opinion

The Fact Of OfThe Matter PAUL HOPKINS

Oh baby, look at us now, with this childcare crisis The childcare crisis continues, with 789 providers now having closed since 2017, according to the children’s agency Tulsa.

There are currently some 4,700 providers but industry leaders say many more will close unless the Government, despite promises in the last five years, “significantly rethinks” its input to subsidise the sector.

At the moment, €69 is given for each child for each week.

However, those running creches say at least a total €100 is needed to offset the cost of living.

Elaine Dunne, who heads up the Federation of Early Childhood Providers, which represents some 1,500 services for 90,000 children, says many of her members say they are going to close because business is no longer viable. “I think hundreds will close,” she says.

Her organisation is calling

for a minimum €76.

Aontu leader and Meath West TD Peadar Toibin says: “No matter who is the minister in charge, childcare in this country seems to be perpetually in crisis. For working people the cost is equivalent to a second mortgage, while providers are underfunded to the point of ruin.”

Says Claire, 37, a working mother of two: “The childcare crisis seems to be like a hidden crisis — unless you’re in it, I don’t think the extent of it is really felt. We’re lucky that we’ve grandparents covering my three-day week role.

There were no crèche places or minders available to suit the three days. And I know many who can’t get a place until 2024.”

And Rebecca, 35: “Minders need to be regulated as an industry. I’m paying €1,500 for two children on a four-day week — my mother-in-law does the fifth day because,

quite simply, we couldn’t afford to pay the minder a fifth day. It’s not that [our minder] doesn’t deserve it — but it’s at a point where the Government needs to regulate it and subsidise it.

“The crèche places were even dearer and we couldn’t get a spot for our second child so this was a better solution. I’ve €500 a month left in my wages after paying the minder and petrol for work but that €500 goes a long way towards our food bill. At this point I do wonder if I’d be better off quitting work.”

Childcare for two can now cost as much as an average Irish worker earns in a year.

A recent survey of more than 150 crèches nationwide found costs can be as high as €25,200, with the national average more than €19,600 for two children under the age of three. Some contend costs are 20% up on that.

In 2020, some 964,000

people earned less than €28,500 before tax.

Where you live can have a direct bearing on the standard of your local crèche. Preschool centres in the West are reportedly reaching higher standards than in Leinster, allegedly due to better rates of inspection by Tusla. An analysis of such inspections shows big variations in standards, with crèches in some counties enjoying a much cleaner bill of health.

Meanwhile, Laura Erskine, owner of consultancy firm The Parenting Experts, says the subsidies offered to the parents are “just paltry”. Successive Governments have failed to address the issue.

“It doesn’t change,” she says.

“It’s constantly that second mortgage.

“We’ve had numerous governments in power in the last 10 years, all of them have promised to reduce the cost of childcare for parents and

also to reform the system. It seems they have put all of the money into an IT programme to administer subsidies to creches rather than to parents.

“The actual subsidies are meaningless. I have a threeyear-old in creche full-time.

‘Minders need to be regulated as an industry...

The subsidy is just paltry when it comes to the actual cost which for me is more than €1,300 a month.”

Ms Erskine says it is particularly difficult for parents to source part-time childcare.

“Lots more still needs to be done by the Government.

The costs are just rising and, unfortunately, they are rising at the same time as our cost of living.”

With crèche costs prohibitive for many, we consistently have a small army of grandparents up and down the country minding children, while parents work. Many are happy to do this, many more feel obliged. Some are rewarded, others not so.

For many parents it is “just not worth it” to return to work until children start school.

If we purport to cherish and value our young, childcare costs must be adequately addressed. And addressed now.

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Small firms face a 'real risk' with higher costs Up to 62% of Irish SMEs have undertaken new strategies to deal with supply chain challenges, with 94% of that number claiming it had led to higher costs, and such companies face a "real risk to security of supply” According to a new report from professional services

firm BDO and business group Ibec's SME sentiment index, more than six in 10 Irish businesses have changed supply from British to EU suppliers in the last 12 months. It also found nearly a third of companies had diversified sales into Europe.

Commenting on the results, Carol Lynch, a partner in the

Ibec calls for Budget 23 'robust aid' for business Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, has said that it is imperative that Budget 2023 provides a robust response to both the immediate inflationary competitiveness challenges and in meeting the longterm strategic issues we face as a society.

As the group launched its Budget 2023 submission to the Government, detailing suggested spending and tax measures of just under €2bn, it said that the undoubted current inflationary pressures must be matched by a focus on the crucial long-term investments necessary to enhance living standards, overall quality of life and economic resilience.

Ibec believes that there is a need for direct supports for those households and industries most exposed to spiralling energy costs.

Fiscal policy must also be flexible over the winter.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Ibec Head of National Policy and Chief Economist Gerard Brady said: “Budget 2023 arrives at a crucial inflection point for the global economy.

Catalysed by huge cost pressures and tightening of financial markets, we are facing significant global economic headwinds, with the era of record low interest rates, low inflation, and spare capacity ending.

“As a small open economy, shifts in the flow of capital through the global economy will have an outsized impact on the Irish growth model.

Our members are already experiencing this through tighter capital markets and rapidly rising costs. The outlook for Irish business is marked by growing concern at rapid shifts in our competitive position. This

underlines the importance of controlling what we can here at home in Budget 2023," he said.

“In the short term, the focus of the business community will be on dealing with the impact of a rapid escalations in costs, particularly energy and labour costs.”

Among the key asks detailed in Ibec’s Budget 2023 submission are: • With inflation high and uncertainty rising, fiscal policy will need to continue to be flexible.

• Government policy in the labour market is loading significant cost pressure onto businesses, particularly SMEs. The most exposed businesses will need concrete support through this period of transition. This should take the shape of a time limited labour market transition rebate, funded from the National Training Fund (NTF).

• Ibex supports the Government’s commitment to a continued increase in the level of the carbon tax.

However, this must also be balanced by offsetting incentives for energy efficiency, the adoption of low carbon technologies and alternative energy sources. .

• Irish companies of all sizes have the potential to compete in an economy driven by mobile skills and intangible assets, but for this to happen crucial investments are needed in education, skills, childcare, research and innovation and digital of over €400 million in 2023.

• Ireland must continue to invest in the competitiveness and productivity of the sectors worst impacted by Covid.

BDO Customs and International Trade Services division, said the supply chain crisis had shown businesses that several geo-political factors, including Brexit and Russia's war in Ukraine, could effect profitability.

Ms Lynch said the changes in supply chains had seen com-

panies move from just-in-time models and substantial outsourcing to a more costly justin-case model and on-shoring.

She referred Janet Yellen, the US Treasury Secretary, calling on "trusted” US allies to strengthen their trade relationships with the country.

"This is an opportunity for

Ireland in light of our strong relationship with the US,” said Ms Lynch. "In particular, the difficulty here, as we see it, is your friend today might not be your friend tomorrow depending on their economic needs.

"All this means Irish companies are facing a turbulent time, an increase in costs and a real

risk to security of supply.”

To respond to supply chain challenges, Ms Lynch said companies should re-assess how they are currently doing things. She said evidence of this was already prevalent, with 70% of SMEs increasing customs expertise and 69% changing trade routes.

Free online help for pandemic students The next crop of Kilkenny Leaving Certificate students has been offered a week of free online learning support.

One of the country’s leading online learning support providers for secondary students is offering a week of free tuition from Monday, September 5, for the Leaving Certificate class of 2023.

The Tuition Centre has pioneered online learning support for secondary school students. Over 1,000 Leaving Certs availed of its online support in 2022.

To allow secondary school students sample the benefits of its tuition, free online learning support in all of their subjects will be avail-

able for the week beginning September 5.

And The Tuition Centre will host a free goal-setting webinar workshop for Leaving Certificate students on Saturday, September 10 at 10.00am.

The webinar will explore innovative goal setting principles to prepare students for the year ahead and examine mapping out an ideal week in terms of behaviours and activities to enable success, while maintaining a studylife balance.

The workshop will be facilitated by accomplished author, athlete, motivational keynote speaker and goal setting coach, Gerry Duffy,

famed for running 32 marathons in 32 days.

Since its inception in 2020, The Tuition Centre has emerged as a leader in the Irish education sector, thanks to its innovative, time saving and cost-effective supplementary exam support for secondary school students.

Its support classes are available both live, and as recordings, and provide access to supplementary exercises and study notes.

Students have access to recordings of classes right up to the June exams.

“Supplementary classes providing student support are now an accepted part of

the Irish secondary education narrative, complementing the work of schools,” said Eoghan O’Leary (pictured), Head of Maths at The Tuition Centre.

“The pandemic has quickly advanced the concept of online learning. Many Leaving Certificate students take a subject not taught to them in school, and often, online support is the logical choice.”

The Tuition Centre is partnered with Examcraft, which, for over 25 years, has provided mock examination papers to Irish schools. *Further information is available at thetuitioncentre. ie.

Plea to 'be patient' on roads as schools return

In safe hands: Darragh Connolly enjoying the Piltown show with Garda Ted from Kilkenny Station

With any students across Kilkenny back school, heavier traffic is expected on all routes and. Caution is being urged by Road Safety OfficerJohn McDarby.

“All the time they’re weighing up the need to help the students cross with the need to keep the traffic moving and they’re trying to find the right gap and they select it and they put out their sign and request people to stop and, you know, in almost 100% of the

cases people do."

"What we’re doing is we’re sharing; we’re sharing a limited road space and a limited time and whether we’re going to walk or cycle or whether we’re going to scoot or whether we’re going to travel as a passenger in cars," he said.

"We just need to share with all the other people and to be aware who else is around us and to share that space as kindly and as courteously as we can.”

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Opinion

As I See It Marianne Heron

Oh, fig it... And don’t mention the S word There is an old fig tree growing against the wall outside my window and it reminds me of the story of Adam and Eve. The pair donned the big, five lobed leaves o cover their nakedness after they had eaten forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.

These handsome leaves have become synonymous with the idea of a cover-up for difficult subjects: to my mind a bit like the Catholic Church’s attitude on sex and sexuality, on issues like the ordination of women, married clergy and gay and LGBTQ+ rights. These and many other matters preoccupying congregations came up in the recent report made

by Irish Catholics following meetings and discussions and sent to Rome as a response to a process of consultation known as ‘synodality’ initiated by Pope Francis.

The report deals with advice for change in the church.

Watching from the sidelines

as it were – I am not involved in formal religion – it seems sensible. A bit like bottom-up communication to the boss, when it is felt that employees and customers may leave the firm, given the way it is being run.

It remains to be seen if hopes for fresh developments are answered. The ordination of women would be a wonderful recognition of their wisdom and worthiness to serve. On the other hand, some might see the move as expedient: a means to shore up an ailing institution suffering from a severe drop both in the number of priests and numbers attending mass.

In the very early days of the church there were women priests but the Catholic Church is currently unequivocal on the subject of women and the priesthood. Only males can be ordained as priests, deacons or bishops as an unalterable requirement of God, nor does the church

ordain those who have undergone sex reassignment surgery.

A 1976 declaration by the Congregation on the Doctrine of Faith held that only men could be ordained since masculinity was integral to Jesus and his apostles.

That situation was two millennia ago and the absence of female apostles was a reflection of the limited role of women at the time. Things have changed, if the Vatican’s decision makers chose to observe other social norms of AD 25 or so, would they ride asses or camels rather than drive cars or use tablets and styli rather than computers?

Leaving theological arguments aside though, wouldn’t some women make wonderful priests? Empathy is surely a quality that is needed in spades in the ministry, a quality, together with the ability to care and support others, that women so often possess. It is heartening to

Thousands of children left without bus passes across Carlow and Kilkenny BY: DEPUTY KATHLEEN FUNCHION SINN FEIN TD FOR KILKENNY CARLOW Sinn Fein TD for Carlow Kilkenny has condemned the Governments disastrous implementation of the free bus pass scheme which has left hundreds of families without school transport as their children return to school this week.

Teachta Funchion said: “So keen were Government and TDs particularly in Carlow and Kilkenny to promote free bus passes as a win win for families struggling with backto-school and cost of living costs.

It seems now that no thought was given

to the thousands of families who have always paid for concessionary passes and

really rely on these services; a service they have paid handsomely to utilize over many years.

“These families are now at the bottom of the pile as new unprecapplications sore to unprec edented levels. It certainly demonstrates very clearly that parents are willing to use public transport if it is affordable. fami“Bus passes can cost fami lies in the region of €500 €700, these fees have been borne by many families who now through no fault of their own have been left in limbo appliwith the upsurge in appli cations.

“The pattern of rushed Govdecisions by this Gov ernment is without precedence, there is zero planning, zero foresight, whether it’s in our schools, health sersystem, childcare ser vices, the list seems to be endless.

There is obviously not enough buses nor drivers, and once again children and families are left high and dry at the start of another school year.”

see the way that women clergy minister successfully in other churches. A third of the 500 clergy in the Church of Ireland, where women were first ordained 30 years, ago are now women. Also a growing number of people in Ireland are now opting for a humanist celebrant to conduct occasions like weddings or naming ceremonies in preference to a priest and there are many women among the 50 strong membership of the Irish Humanist Society, launched 20 years ago.

The theology around married priests is less clearcut. Some of Jesus’ disciples were married and in earlier times priests were generally married. The requirement that priests should not marry and remain celibate only became firmly established after the Reformation with different influences playing a part, from the need to curb priestly misconduct to the

belief that the priesthood should reflect the life of Christ who was married to the church.

However, he church does make exceptions to the celibacy requirement. The Vatican admitted in 2019 that the policy had not always been enforced. Rules had

‘Report deals with advice for change in the church..

been established by the Vatican in secret to protect non-celibate clergy who violated their vows and some clergy were allowed to retain their clerical state after fathering children or secretly marrying women: fig leaves come to mind.

The submissions in the synodailty report reflect a desire for new thinking but it maybe that the faithful are hoping in vain on the issues raised here, considering that the Vatican still rules out artificial contraception. While reliable contraception does not involve elderly, celibate males personally, surely in an over populated world, where one in every three suffer food insecurity, it should concern them, never mind the need to consider informed thinking on relationships and sexuality.

Would the ban on artificial contraception last if women were ordained and priests had wives? I think not.

Glutamine for gut health CLAIR WHITTY

Glutamine, what’s it all about?

It’s an amino acid one of the building blocks of protein, the most common one in the human body. L-Glutamine is used in the body in the intestinal wall, immune cells and muscle cells.

The times I most often get asked for glutamine on the shop floor are for the gut and for recovery after intense training. L-Glutamine is used in the intestinal wall. Leaky gut is a common condition that causes gut permeability, resulting in little holes in the gut wall. When this happens the gut becomes permeable, this literally allows the food proteins to leak out of the gut into the blood stream through these holes or gaps. This can then cause inflammation and increase the risk of developing intolerance to foods that you never had a problem with before. Part of the process in supporting the gut can include dietary changes and the addition of a glutamine supplement alongside microbiotics to replenish gut bacteria.

If you are doing a lot of intense exercise and workouts glutamine can be a useful

supplement to consider. This is because glutamine may help to clear waste products and toxic build-up of acidic chemicals that exercise can produce. These toxins that can contribute to pain in your muscles if allowed to build up.

Another time you might need to top up on glutamine can be during times of intense stress or illness. Because during times of stress or illness your body’s need for glutamine outstrips the body’s ability to manufacture it from diet. Glutamine plays an important role in muscle recovery and immune support. It could be useful to top up on during times of convalescence.

Glutamine is dominantly found in meat, fish, dairy, and eggs. If your vegan or you

don’t eat much of these foods it might be an interesting supplement to take a look at.

Bone broth is a natural source of glutamine but an easier option could be to take it in supplement form.

One Nutrition is one of our most popular brands and they have a Vegan L-Glutamine supplement. This comes in a powder from and is a highly purified source. You simply take 1 teaspoon (5gm) a day, take it away from meals.

I think you’ll agree this is an interesting supplement.

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

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

News The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has said, that while the volume of detained illegal medicines in the first half of 2022 has fallen significantly compared to the same period in 2021, a substantial amount of product is still being sourced online which poses risks to people’s health.

The HPRA enforcement section detained nearly half a million (486,088) dosage units of falsified and other illegal medicines between January and June 2022 (895,591 for the first half of 2021). Announcing its mid-year update of detention figures, the HPRA reminded the public of the health risks associated with prescription medicines purchased online from unauthorised sources.

In the first six months of 2022, the main categories of illegal products detained included sedatives (28%), anabolic steroids (12%), erectile dysfunction medicines (9%) and analgesics (7%). The breakdown is: • Sedative medicines – 137,587 units detained (434,157 units detained Jan – June 2021).

• Anabolic steroids – 59,764 units detained (59,750 units detained Jan – June 2021).

• Erectile dysfunction - 41,635 units were detained (56,878 units detained Jan – June 2021).

• Analgesic medicines – 33,542 units detained (105,769 units detained Jan – June 2021).

• 43,707 units of Covid-19 medicines detained (23,172 units detained Jan – June 2021).

• 287 websites, e-commerce listings and/or social media pages amended or shutdown (167 Jan – June 2021).

According to Grainne Power, Director of Compliance with the HPRA, the reduction of detentions in the first half of 2022 cannot be linked to

SPECIAL REPORT

Drug problem: Grainne Power, Director of Compliance at the HPRA, with some of the nearly half a million dosage units of falsified and other illegal medicines detained between January and June 2022

500 k. illegal meds seized Health authority launches campaign to increase awareness of dangers of buying medicines online any one factor alone.

“Although the volume of detentions has decreased, we are still observing significant levels of potent, prescription medicines that are being illegally supplied into Ireland.

These levels remain very concerning with so many people prepared to take a chance in ordering prescription medicines online. When

you acquire medicines from unregulated sources, you simply have no idea what you are getting.

“This isn’t merely about people wasting money on falsified or counterfeit products, it is also about the very real dangers of significant side effects, of using a product without supervision where there is no guarantee

of what it contains and of experiencing interactions with other medicines being taken.

“All of these risks have the potential to make your condition worse or cause serious harm to health,” Ms Power says.

To highlight the health risks of sourcing prescription medicines online, the HPRA has announced the launch

of a new multi-platform digital information campaign to warn the public of the issue.

Incorporating both social media and display advertising, the campaign will target members of the general public and highlight to them the very real dangers presented when buying prescription medicines online.

“Given the fact that so

many transactions take place online, it is particularly important and appropriate to highlight those risks through online channels and, where possible, to influence the decision of the buyer prior to purchase. We hope our campaign will make people stop and think before they seek to purchase prescription medicines online and ultimately persuade them not to use this route,” said Ms Power.

As part of its regulatory activities in this area, the HPRA routinely monitors websites, social media sites and e-commerce listings selling prescription medicines into Ireland and will take action to remove or amend content when necessary.

The HPRA works in close co-operation with colleagues from An Garda Síochána and Revenue’s Customs Service with whom there is significant inter-agency collaboration to combat the illegal supply of health products into and within Ireland. It also co-operates and shares intelligence with other regulatory and law enforcement agencies worldwide to prevent the illegal manufacture, importation and distribution of medicines, medical devices, and cosmetics.

The HPRA is responsible for prosecuting cases where it considers that there is a significant risk to public health or where there are persistent non-compliances. The HPRA also supports prosecutions brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to the illegal supply of medicines.

A ‘heavy heart’ as homeless figures spike The director of Focus Ireland, Mike Allen, has warned that immediate action needs to be taken to address the dramatic increase in homeless figures which now stand at a new record of 10,568.

Mr Allen told RTÉ Radio’s News at One it was “with heavy heart” he was reporting that numbers were still rising.

There had been a 30% increase in homeless figures since May 2021 when the figures were at their lowest in five years, he explained.

Local authorities had encouraged people to stay with families and friends, so the real figures were probably much higher, he said.

“The circumstances are much worse than the numbers we are seeing.”

The solution did not lie with the private sector in the long run as there is a need

for more public housing, Mr Allen said, adding that landlords were not the “baddies”.

The alarming number of notices of termination of tenancy so far this year were an early warning system, he stressed, adding that the alarm system was flashing red.

He said it was time for the Government to put together measures to address this

crisis, including incentives to keep landlords in the market.

Mr Allen said there had not been enough imagination in tackling the issue seriously.

“Now is absolutely the time to do something,” he said.

Measures should be included in the forthcoming budget to address the scale of the problem coming down the track, he said, warning

that any action needs to be stronger and more targeted to get landlords to stay in the market until such time as there was reform of the sector.

The focus needed to be immediate, he said. “We’re not in a position to wait for houses to be built.”

Reacting to the latest figures, which are the highest recorded since October 2019, the Simon Communities of Ireland said the situation is “even more disturbing when we consider the depth of the current housing crisis”.

Included in the July figures were 1,423 families, 3,137 children or dependents, and 1,239 young people aged 1824.

Depaul Ireland responded to the figures, stating it is “extremely concerned” over the current situation.

“We are supportive of

Housing for All but targets in housing supply must be increased and additional funding must be found to support these increased targets.

“As part of this, a renewed focus on social and affordable housing for single people with complex needs is critical as we are seeing high numbers of single people entering the homeless system,” a statement from Depaul said.

“There is an opportunity to reduce the numbers entering homelessness but significant state supports and investment are needed to get us to this place,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Simon Communities of Ireland’s head of policy and communication Wayne Stanley highlighted that at the last peak in October 2019 there were 3,500 properties available to rent according to

Daft.ie, compared to just 716 properties now.

“We are seeing landlords leaving the private rental market and the cost of living crisis continues to bite,” Mr Stanley said.

“In this context, the State needs to take emergency action now to increase housing supply.

“It is deeply disheartening and concerning to see a record high number of 10,568 people stuck in emergency homeless accommodation while over 166,000 homes are vacant throughout the country.

“Our pre-budget submission calls on the Government to bring 5,000 vacant homes into use in 2023 through a renewed Repair and Lease Scheme to house people in homelessness and those waiting on social housing,” he said.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

Opinion

Your Money & You John Ellis

Looking after finances of a company keyperson When running a business it is vital to plan for events that could adversely affect its success. All companies insure against loss of profits from damage to its plant and machinery; against fire, theft public and employers liability.

But so often neglect or lack the understanding as to the implications to a business of the sudden death or serious illness of a vital employee known as the ‘key person’.

To minimise the financial impact of losing key employees a business needs a Keyperson Insurance Plan to protect against the financial consequences of the death and/or serious illness of one of their key employees. The company pays the premiums and in the event of the death or serious illness of the keyperson, a cash sum is provided which will help maintain the business and protect its future security.

Areas that are impacted are

loans on which the keyperson has given a personal guarantee – they may be called in. The keyperson’s estate may require the immediate repayment of personal loans made to the company. Credit facilities could be reduced or withdrawn due to the future profitability of the business.

The loss of the individual’s expertise and business contacts with the consequent need to commit resources to find a suitable replacement which can be a prolonged process if the individual had unique experience and expertise.

Should a company decide to effect a keyperson plan there are a number of steps that need to be implemented.

The decision to effect a plan should be made and minuted at a board meeting of the company. This resolution should clearly show that the intention of the company in effecting the policy is to protect against financial

losses in the event of the death or serious illness of the keyperson.

The company then needs to ascertain the amount required to protect against anticipated financial loss including the impact on profits with the loss of the Keyperson’s expertise. A Keyperson financial questionnaire will generally be required before the policy is effected.

There are various approaches to calculating this loss, for example, a multiple of net profits or a multiple of the Keyperson’s current annual salary. Also as outlined above, the cost of hiring a replacement should also be considered. The sum insured, required to cover any loans that the keyperson has made to the company, which will have to be repaid to his/her personal representative(s) and any company loans that the Keyperson has personally guaranteed, may have to be

repaid, and should be considered.

The purpose of Keyperson Insurance is not to improve the financial situation of the company and increase its value. It is meant to indemnify against loss of profits on the death of a key individual.

‘Minimise the financial impact of losing key employees

Two important areas to note – an insurance provider will not accept a policy as a Keyperson case if the term runs past the normal retirement age of the employee or the terms of loans. The keyperson has no substantial proprietary interest in the business and will have no entitlement to the proceeds, and so a ‘director cannot get the company to insure his life under a keyperson plan and use the proceeds for his personal needs. Therefore it’s imperative to seek independent professional advice in assessing these areas.

Assuming all the steps have been followed, a director of the company signs the application form ‘for and on behalf of the company’ – ideally, this should be a different person to the individual covered, but this does not have to be the case. The company’s seal should be affixed to the application form. The company

pays the premiums and the Keyperson is on cover.

Regarding tax relief, according to the Revenue, the benefit paid under the policy is “treated as a trading receipt for the accounting period in which it is paid’. While the allowability of a premium or the chargeability of a benefit are strictly separate issues, it may be accepted that, if the premiums are allowable, the benefit is chargeable and, if the premiums are not allowable, the benefit is not chargeable To claim tax relief the following conditions must be met. The relationship between policy owner and the life insured is that of employer and employee. The insurance policy covers loss of profits only. The policy is short-term, ie. the policy cannot extend beyond the employee’s likely period of service with the employer. john@ellisfinancial.ie 086 8362633.

People aged 50 and over in the South East invited to get their next COVID-19 booster vaccine The HSE in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford is reminding everyone that boosters give protection against serious illness and increases immunity.

From today (Thursday, 25th August), the HSE is inviting people aged 50 years and older to make an appointment for their next COVID-19 booster dose.

Appointments are available from today for vaccination centres including: • Clonmel Vaccination Centre, Gortnafleur, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, E91 WR29 • Enniscorthy Vaccination Centre, Immunisation Centre, Disability Building, St. John’s Hospital, Munster Hill, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford Y21 N902 • Kilkenny Vaccination Centre, Kilcreene Orthopaedic Hospital, Kilcreene, Kilkenny, R95 DK07 • Waterford Vaccination Centre, WIT Sports Campus, Carriagnore, Waterford, X91 XD96 To book your next booster, you can: Book a booster

appointment online at HSE vaccination clinics – this is an easy and convenient way to get your booster by selecting a time and date that suits you.

You can also check with participating GPs and pharmacies.

People who are more than 16 weeks pregnant are also invited to book their next booster at a HSE vaccination centre or from participating GPs and Pharmacies.

The HSE and Children’s Health Ireland will shortly be inviting, through their parents, children aged 5-11 years who are immunocompromised and now due to have their first booster, following completion of their primary COVID-19 vaccine course.

People aged 12- 49 with long term health conditions will be offered their second booster vaccine from next week and Healthcare Workers aged 50 or over can have the vaccine now.

Speaking today, Kate Cassidy (General Manager, HSE/South East Community Healthcare COVID-19 Response Team)

says: “Everyone aged 50 and over can now register to get their next booster dose, we have plenty of availability at our centres.”

“If you haven’t had your first vaccination, it’s not too late, you can still access the information through the HSE website and book an appointment.”

“As reiterated by our colleague the HSE’s Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Colm Henry, keeping up to date with your vaccines will give you the best protection from serious illness and increase immunity against infection from COVID-19. The HSE will continue to be active over the next few weeks in our services, in the media and online, encouraging people to come forward for these and all other relevant COVID-19 vaccines. The HSE also strongly urges people who have not yet received a primary COVID-19 vaccine dose to consider doing so for dose one or dose two of the vaccine, or to register for an appointment.”

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

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Opinion

Death of a Bachelor

BY NED EGAN

Part 2 The tormenting of Jack took many forms. But the main one was the undermining of any idea he had of ‘bringing in’ a wife. And he was a handsome, pleasant lad. About 29. Had a ‘girl-friend’ – in a local village.

Went on his bike to see her every Sunday evening, rain or sun. I often saw him cycle off. But the mother wanted no extra opposition in her deadly female battleground – the kitchen. And the daughter only wanted unhappiness for all. While the prospect of another ‘victim’ to terrorize must have been appealing to Kathy – what would happen if ‘yer wan’ was able for her?

Disaster! And nowhere to hide or go! And imagined conjugal noises in the next bedroom – ‘oohs’ and ‘aaahs’ that were now forever denied to herself?

How could a frustrated spinster be expected to put up with that kind of repulsive and sinful craic? Mustn’t happen

– ever!! {Reader – everything – including being born – was sinful then. Look it up.} One day, getting on for winter, Jack and I had been down the wood, cutting firewood for the long cold months ahead. We got soaking wet before dinner. After the grub, Jack decided we’d ‘sort’ the spuds in the barn. Sorting meant checking each spud to make sure it had a few ‘eyes’ {shoots} so it would grow more little chiseller spuds when planted. The eyeless ones were thrown aside for the kitchen, or the pigs.

We worked away, but were freezing in our wet clothes.

Jack pulled out a ball from his pocket, and we started a game of handball against the insideback wall. We were only at it a minute when Kathy came in, saw us, and went back to the mother.

A few minutes later, that one showed up, and said: “Aygan {Egan}, if you’re only going to play games, you might as well go home for the day.” It was Saturday, so I said ‘OK – sure give me my pay, and I’ll be off.

We were only playing a minute or two to warm ourselves up, anyway.’ ‘I don’t pay you to play,’ she said, ‘here’s your money.’ She had it ready. I

looked at it, counted it. ‘Only eighteen and fourpence here, Mrs’ I go, ‘where’s the other one and eightpence?’

‘Oh, I’m not paying you to play handball, Aygan, like I said.’

‘Ok, mam, you won’t be bothered paying me anymore, from now on.’

So, I up on my bike, and off.

Jack followed me, caught up with me at The Bridge, and tried to talk me into going back on Monday – to take the ‘short’ money from him. But I was wicked by now, and although I really liked the sound honest bloke, it was a no-go.

The next night, in the village, he offered to lift my pay to thirty shillings! ‘No, leave it.’

I was after rabbits up Loughbrack way on the next Tuesday, and John O’***** offered me a job - double what they were giving me – and only expected half the work and hours. And put up mighty grub.

And his wife was a sweetie.

Gone now, God rest the two of them.

Many years later, I was down in Australia, when I got news of Jack.

He’d been still ‘courting’ his girl after thirty-odd years. This ‘romance’ mainly involved sitting on their bikes, talking.

That was what he was doing, when he fell, dead, on the road. Heart attack.

He’d never been able to ‘bring her in the door.’

They probably never even had a kiss.

Sad indeed for the woman.

Shocking. She stayed manless until death. I knew her cousin.

Kathy still ‘garched’ about for many more years.

A pillar of the Church, and Women’s Affairs.

We met, in the Nineties, at a village ‘reunion’. She pretended not to recognise me. Which was fine by this lad.

Though I’d have loved a chat…

Kathy ended up getting dementia. I truly wouldn’t wish that on anyone. But from being hugely and piercingly sour-mouthed all of her grim and sad little life, she beame as voiceless as a sausage at the end. I felt no glee when I heard.

God, as they say, moves in mysterious ways... Whoever said that knew a bit. {{The word ‘garch’ was used by my Mammy to signify a ‘swaggering’ female. I remember her one day in the late 1940’s, when she saw, for the first time - a woman wearing trousers: “Ah, look at the ‘garch’ of that wan

with britches on her.”}} A Mullinahone word, maybe. Ma came from there.

Although the {below} poem

is not at all related to Jack L or his life and sad demise, I’d still like to dedicate it to him. He liked a bit of poetry, did Jack…

Those were the things I saw.

Walking the fields in the Springtime, Turning the greening sod, Cloudy the blankets of Heaven, On the breast of a dreaming God, Stars in the ruts of the cartwheels, Shiny the oaten straw, What are the things that a lad feels?

Those were the things I saw.

Ice in the trough in the morning, Open the stable door, Smell of the tacklin’ - the horses ..

Stamp on the cobbled floor, Tighten the haimes on the collar, Bit in the stubborn jaw, Frost was a maid in the morning Those were the things I saw.

Slievenamon in the evening, Cold as she stands alone, White where a ribbon of snowdrifts, Covers her heart of stone, Blackthorn bushes all bare now, Twisted by winters claw, I never knew what I looked at Those were the things I saw.

Ned E Disclaimer The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of The Kilkenny Observer.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

News & Wellbeing Science The argument goes that the more sleep you get, the better, that such provides big health benefits like increased energy, emotional control, and an improved sense of well-being. But a new study co-authored by economists at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) complicates this picture, suggesting that more sleep, by itself, isn’t necessarily sufficient to bring about those kinds of appealing improvements.

The study is based on a distinctive field experiment of low-income workers in Chennai, India, where the researchers studied residents at home during their normal everyday routines — and managed to increase participants’ sleep by about half an hour a night, a very substantial gain.

And. yet, sleeping more at night did not improve people’s work productivity, earnings, financial choices, sense of well-being, or even their blood pressure. The only thing it did, apparently, was to lower the number of hours they worked.

“To our surprise, these night-sleep interventions had no positive effects whatsoever on any of the outcomes we measured,” says Frank Schilbach, an MIT economist and co-author of a new paper detailing the study’s findings.

There is more to the matter: For one thing, the researchers found, short daytime naps do help productivity and well-being. For another thing, participants tended to sleep at night in difficult circumstances, with many interruptions. The findings leave open the possibility that helping people sleep more soundly, rather than just adding to their total amount of lowgrade sleep, could be useful.

“People’s sleep quality is so low in these circumstances in Chennai that adding sleep of poor quality may not have the benefits that another half hour of sleep would have if it’s of higher quality,” Schilbach suggests.

The paper, The Economic A breakthrough drug treatment for rheumatoid arthritis may be close, following a report in the New England Journal of Medicine on positive Phase 3 trial results for a new monoclonal antibody treatment targeting the ailment. The novel therapy is hoped to offer a new option for patients struggling with current treatment options and should be available in Europe and the US within the next 12 months.

One of the most common current treatments for severe rheumatoid arthritis is adalimumab. This treatment inhibits an immune signalling molecule called tumour necrosis factor (TNF), which has been found to reduce inflammation associated with the condition.

But TNF inhibitors don’t work for all patients. Around 25% of rheumatoid arthritis patients don’t respond to any

The participants in the study were also given dataentry jobs with flexible hours while the experiment was taking place, so the researchers could monitor the effects of sleep on worker output and earnings in a granular way.

Overall, the Chennai study’s participants had been averaging about 5.5 hours of sleep per night before the intervention, and added 27 minutes of sleep per night on average.

However, in order to gain those 27 minutes, the participants were in bed an extra 38 minutes per night.

That speaks to the challenging sleep circumstances of the participants, who on average woke up 31 times per night.

“A key thing that stands out is that people’s sleep ef-

ficiency is low, that is, their sleep is heavily fragmented,” Schilbach says. “They have extremely few periods experiencing what’s thought to be the restorative benefits of deep sleep. ... People’s sleep quantity went up due to the interventions, because they spent more time in bed, but their sleep quality was unchanged.”

That could be why, across a wide range of metrics, people in the study experienced no positive changes after sleeping more. Indeed, as Schilbach notes, “We find one negative effect, which is on hours worked. If you spend more time in bed, then you have less time for other things in your life.”

On the other hand, study participants who were allowed to nap while on the da-

ta-entry job did fare better in several measured categories.

“In contrast to the night sleep intervention, we find clear evidence of naps improving a range of outcomes, including their productivity, their cognitive function, and their psychological well- being, as well as some evidence on savings,” Schilbach says.

“These two interventions have different effects.”

That said, naps only increased total income when compared to workers who took a break instead. Naps did not increase the total income of workers — nappers were more productive per minute worked but spent less time actually working.

“It’s not the case that naps just pay for themselves,” Schilbach says. “People don’t actually stay longer in the office when they nap, presumably because they have other things to do, such as taking care of their families. If people nap for about half an hour, their hours worked falls by almost half an hour, almost a one-to- one ratio, and as a result, people’s earnings in that group are lower.”

Schilbach says he hopes that other researchers will dig into some of the further questions the study raises. Further work, for instance, could attempt to change the sleeping circumstances of low-income workers to see if better sleep quality, not just increased sleep quantity, makes a difference.

“Sleep might be important as an avenue for improved productivity or other types of choices people make,” Schilbach says.

“But I think a good night’s sleep is also important in and of itself. We should value being able to afford to sleep well and not be worried at night.

Poverty indices are about income and material consumption.

But now that we can measure sleep better, a good night’s sleep should be part of a more comprehensive measure of people’s well-being. I hope that’s where we’re going eventually.”

There is a monoclonal antibody treatment currently on the market called tocilizumab, which targets IL-6.

However, tocilizumab works by binding to IL-6 receptors, and blocking the immune signal that way, whereas olokizumab directly engages

with IL-6 molecules.

This newly published study reports the results of a Phase 3 human trial testing olokizumab. The trial recruited 1,648 volunteers with rheumatoid arthritis who were unresponsive to methotrexate, an immunosuppressive drug often used as a first-line treatment for the disease.

The cohort was split into four groups: olokizumab every two weeks, olokizumab every four weeks, adalimumab every two weeks, or placebo.

Across all measures, after 24 weeks, both dose levels of olokizumab were significantly effective compared to placebo. Although olokizumab was found to be marginally more effective than adalimumab, the researchers suggest the increase was not statistically significant enough to consider it superior.

But, the fact it was at least as equally effective as adali-

mumab means it should be a promising new option for patients not responding to that currently available treatment.

“The new drug helps many patients with rheumatoid arthritis who failed methotrexate to achieve so-called low disease activity, which is the primary therapeutic goal in this population,” said lead on the trial, Josef Smolen from University Hospital Vienna.

“Complete disappearance of symptoms of active disease, so called remission, occurs in one out of eight patients.

This new therapy will significantly expand the range of treatment options, since this agent has a different mode of action than all other drugs.”

The researchers expect the company developing olokizumab will use this new data to file for market approval with drug regulatory bodies in Europe and the US in the next six to 12 months.

A wake-up call to the health benefits of sleep Consequences of Increasing Sleep Among the Urban Poor, is published in The Quarterly Journal of Economics.

Schilbach, a development economist, says the genesis of the study came from other research he and his colleagues have done in settings such as Chennai — during which they have observed that low-income people tend to have difficulty sleeping circumstances in addition to their other daily challenges.

An experiment with working poor in India finds when it comes to sleep, quality may matter more than quantity.

“In Chennai, you can see people sleeping on their rickshaws,” says Schilbach.

“Often, there are four or five people sleeping in the same room where it’s loud and noisy, you see people sleep in

between road segments next to a highway. It’s incredibly hot even at night, and there are lots of mosquitos. Essentially, in Chennai, you can find any potential irritant or adverse sleep factor.”

To conduct the study, the researchers equipped Chennai residents with ‘actigraphs’, which are wristwatch-like devices that infer sleep states from body movements, that allowed the team to study people in their homes. Many other sleep studies observe people in lab environments.

The study examined 452 people over a month. Some were given encouragement and tips for better sleep; others received financial incentives to sleep more. Some of both those groups also took daytime naps, to see what effect that had.

New hope for arthritis sufferers currently available treatment.

So there is a need for more options.

The new drug, olokizumab, is a new kind of monoclonal antibody. Instead of targeting inflammatory TNF molecules, this antibody aims to inhibit a different immune

molecule, called interleukin-6 (IL-6).

IL-6, like TNF, plays a significant role in immune signalling, and inhibiting this molecule can reduce the inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

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Travel & Leisure Saint-Tropez is a charming village full of pastel-painted homes, winding cobblestone alleys, and leafy plazas that evoke a bygone era. That might well describe the Riviera resort. But it is much more than that.

The Mediterranean countryside, with its pine trees, olive groves, cypresses, and the captivating deep blue sea waves, only contribute to the attraction. For those wanting to experience the glitz and glamour of the French Riviera, this is one of the best spots in France.

The village, located on the Golfe de Saint-Tropez bay, was first discovered by the Impressionist painter Paul Signac at the end of the 19th century. St Tropez is now commonly associated with A-listers sunning themselves, high-end stores, and yachts.

What was once a sleepy fishing hamlet has since been transformed into a chic and upmarket beach vacation spot, and here’s why it is worth a visit.

The Vieux Port, the old harbour-front of Saint Tropez and one of the town’s most prominent attractions, is surrounded by fishing boats, yachts, colourful residences, and several cafés with outdoor terraces facing the Mediterranean Sea. The port’s 734 moorings, two swimming pools, and nine hectares of activities make it ideal for a couple’s getaway or a family vacation.

The original construction and usage of Vieux port for fishing, moving goods and passengers, and longdistance travel commodities, passengers, and longdistance navigation, it wasn’t until the 18th century that this modest fishing port developed into the marina we know today.

Place aux Herbes, and Halle aux Poissons are just two of the many marketplaces within walking distance of the Vieux port. All of them provide some of the finest regional specialties available. Furthermore, Saint Tropez’s upscale status has encouraged the growth of Let’s forget the beaches and warm waters of Florida, for the moment, despite it being a favourite holiday destination for many Irish people the last decades. If you’re hoping for a holiday full of gorgeous pink and purple sunsets over sugary white sand beaches and brilliant blue water, you could do a lot worse than Gulf Shores, Alabama. And it’s just a short car journey from Florida‘s west coast, and less expensive.

The sheer variety of activities here makes it a wonderful destination for families interested in amusement parks and other activities for the kids; outdoor enthusiasts looking to explore bird sanctuaries or turtle hatching; or couples seeking a romantic getaway for two.

What sets St Tropez, the coveted Riviera resort, apart

several high-end eateries and specialty delis in the port area. Take a break and savour some delicious Mediterranean fare in one of the most stunning cities along the French Riviera.

The Café Sénéquier, located on the waterfront, is easily recognisable by its vivid red awnings and exterior. Those interested in people-watching will find the cafe to be an ideal spot. This port-side eatery has been a part of the community since 1887; it’s open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, supper, and late-night revelry.

The most famous St Tropez beach isn’t actually in St Tropez but nearby Ramatuelle. Still, don’t let a postcode stop you from hitting this 5km (3mi) postcard-perfect stretch of white sand squeezed between the sparkling Mediterranean

and scrub-studded dunes.

The five-kilometer-long sandy shoreline features upscale private beach clubs that attract a glamorous jetsetting clientele. It became famous in the 19th century and, between the 40s and 50s, experienced a second wave of popularity thanks to the symbol of French cinema – Brigitte Bardot and other famous persons.

Pampelonne Beach’s clubs rent out lounge chairs and parasols and provide beachside service for a pampering experience.

Some of the clubs have fancy restaurants with beachfront terraces.

A few of the most legendary Saint-Tropez spots include the famous Nikki Beach club.

Since its debut in 2002, Nikki Beach has become one of the hottest touchstones for international celebrities and

party vibes. The cool crowd of Saint-Tropez comes here to sunbathe by the pool on plush sun beds and loungers, where servers deliver beachside refreshments; dine at the gourmet restaurant, or enjoy the entertainment.

Saint Tropez’s Old Town, also known as La Ponche, is located immediately below the Citadel and is the heart of the quaint fishing village that gave rise to the modern city.

The Old Town is a great place to learn about the history of Saint Tropez because it is rich in cultural artifacts. The 18thcentury Église Notre-Damede-l’Assomption, with its characteristic Italian baroque bell tower, towers over the surrounding neighbourhood’s terracotta roofs and maze of winding lanes.

Back in the day, the location was well-known, especially among the Spanish, Italian,

Forget Florida, and head for Gulf Shores

Basic facilities such as restaurants, groceries and gift shops are all within walking distance of most

accommodations, so know that you won’t really need the hired car once you arrive in Gulf Shores. In the

city itself, you can also rely on ride-hailing services like Uber.

There’s a distinct vibe to

and Greek fishermen who frequently fished alongside the locals. It is the most renowned pedestrian area in Saint Tropez. It features charmingly laid tiny passageways and lanes lined with modest stores, upscale boutiques, exclusive and trendy cafes, and high-end, classic restaurants.

St Tropez is more than just a beach, nightlife, and shopping. Curious guests can also appreciate a trip to the quiet Musée de l’Annonciade, France’s first modern art museum, opened in 1922.

Located in the historic Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Annonciade (Chapel of the Annunciation), the Art Museum of Saint-Tropez is a must-visit cultural mecca.

Standing on the corner of Rue de l’Annonciade and Place Georges Grammont, the museum is a tribute to the Gulf Shores area. The city is no doubt beachcentred, yet it also manages to be a little country in tone at the same time.

Available activities range from more traditional beach town offerings like sunset cruises and water sports.

The main draw, though, is the region’s beautiful beaches. There are about 15 different entrances here between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. There’s even Gulf State Park, which features both a beach as well as undeveloped marshland areas guests can hike through and camp in.

Families looking for a thrill won’t want to miss the Waterville USA water and amusement park, which offers a variety of thrilling rides.

Although prices and

the village’s artistic past with its impressive Impressionist, Neo-Impressionist, and avant-garde works.

Many of the works on show were created by painters who settled in Saint-Tropez in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; these include anything from Paul Signac’s Pointillist paintings to Henri Matisse’s brilliant Fauvist canvases and Bonnard’s evocative Nabis-style works.

Georges Braque, Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, Raoul Dufy, Paul Klee, Georges Seurat, Paul Gauguin, and Maurice de Vlaminck are among the other painters included in the collection. The museum is open all year round (except holidays) on Tuesdays through Sundays. Visitors can enjoy the museum leisurely during July, August, and September. temperatures are pretty high during the busy summer months, it’s still the best time to visit Gulf Shores. You’ll enjoy ideal conditions for swimming, sunbathing and more at the region’s beaches.

The summer months (plus May, September and October) are terrific for viewing wildlife, too.

This is when three different species of endangered sea turtles come to shore to lay their eggs. Visitors can watch the turtles from a safe distance but are not permitted to disturb them or the nests they leave behind.

Note that this time of year coincides with the Atlantic hurricane season, so you’ll need to be prepared, especially from June to derails your plans.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

Opinion

Furthermore Gerry Moran

All creatures great and small – and squiggly...

A funny thing happened in Kilkenny on the night of September 2,, 120 years ago!

Actually it wasn’t funny. It was weird. It was like something out of a science fiction, or an Alfred Hitchcock, movie.

And it went on from 8pm till approximately eight in the morning.

And this phenomenon happened, not in the county’s illustrious capital, but in Castlecomer.

The phenomenon in question was, wait for it, a plague! I swear. No, not a plague of flies, frogs, lice or locusts – though not far off.

And by the way, if I may digress for a moment or two, could you, by any chance, name the 10 Plagues (I’ve just mentioned four of them) that Moses wreaked on the people of Egypt because their leader, the pharaoh, wouldn’t release the Israelite slaves)? Fair dues if you can – I certainly couldn’t.

Indeed, I have trouble

remembering the 10 Commandments, while just the other night in the pub of all places where we don’t just talk politics and sport (though we mostly do) we had trouble naming the Five Mysteries of the Rosary! Sad. The times that are in it, I guess, not to mention the fact that our memories aren’t what they used to be. And, yet, I do remember a time when I, along with my classmates in primary school, could rattle off the 10 Plagues, the Ten Commandments and the Five Mysteries of the Rosary especially when the Diocesan Examiner (Fr Collier, later Bishop Collier, in our case) was doing the rounds and teachers, and pupils alike, were primed to impress. And we did.

Now, where was I? Ah yes, the plague of the night of September 2, 1902 that left the people of Comer shocked, stunned and in a state of disbelief! As mentioned above it wasn’t a plague of flies,

frogs, lice or locusts – it was a plague of maggots! That’s right, maggots! From eight at night till eight in the morning it ‘rained’ for want of a better word – maggots. In fact it was described as a ‘downpour.’ And this “multitude of creeping, jumping, twisting, horrible repulsive creatures” were seen in

“The venerable age of 99 years and three months..

the yard used as a playground by the children going to the Convent school. And ,unfortunately that’s all I have to offer regarding this fascinating phenomenon.

I have no idea who cleaned up, or swept up, the “horrible, repulsive creatures” nor do I know from whence they came, why or how. All a bit of a mystery, I’m afraid. If anyone out there knows more please feel free to contact me at this newspaper, I shall be only too glad to shed more light on the incident.

And staying with creatures great and small, and in between, here are some interesting facts to mull over: * It takes an average of 345 squirts to yield a gallon of milk from a cow’s udder (who was counting, I’d like to know) *Lobsters taste with their legs, pee through their faces, never stop growing and can live for 100 years! *Elephants perform greeting

ceremonies when a member of the group returns after being a long time away. The welcoming animals spin around, flap their ears and trumpet. * Rats are extra vulnerable to poison because they are unable to vomit. *Giraffes are particularly susceptible to throat infections as they can’t cough. *Polar bears have more problems with overheating than with cold. Even in very cold weather, they quickly overheat when they try to run. *Dolphins jump out of the water to conserve energy. It is easier to move through the air than through the water.*An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain. *Apart from having eight arms, an octopus has three hearts and can also be considered to have nine brains! In addition to the central brain, each of the eight arms is a mini-brain.

*The top five animals with the heaviest brains are: 1. Sperm Whale (17 lb. approx) 2. Elephant (13lbs approx) 3. Bottlenosed Dolphin (4lbs approx.) 4.

Human (3lbs approx.) 5. Walrus (2.5 lbs approx) *Dinosaurs lived on earth for about 165 million years before they became extinct. We humans (i.e. Homo Sapiens) have been on this earth a mere 300,000 years (approx).

And unless we do something about climate change, a nobrainer really, we won’t make it to a million, let alone 165 million, years!

Finally, in life things are not always what they seem, as the hedgehog discovered after climbing on to the scrubbing brush!

P.S. Oh, and the 10 plagues?

1. The Nile turning to blood 2.

Frogs 3. Lice 4. Flies/gnats 5.

Livestock pestilence 6. Unbearable boils 7. Hail & fire 8.

Locusts 9. Darkness 10. Killing of the first born.

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Global Report Before the FBI’s search of Donald Frump’s Florida residence Mar-a-Lago on August 8, the National Archives and the Justice Department tried at length to retrieve sensitive documents that Trump had kept after leaving the White House.

In January, the archives collected 15 boxes from Mar-aLago. The FBI later reviewed their contents and found a total of 184 documents with classification markings, including 25 labeled ‘top secret’, according to the redacted affidavit recently released.Since August 8, the agency has been hit with a wave of threats and vitriol. The National Archives and Records Administration has become the target of a rash of threats, according to people familiar with the situation. Civil servants tasked by law with preserving and securing the US Government’s records were also rattled.

The National Archives chief has now sent an email to the staff. Though academic and suffuse with legal references, the message from acting archivist Debra Steidel Wall was simple: Stay above the fray and stick to the mission.

“NARA has received messages from the public accusing us of corruption and conspiring against the former President, or congratulating NARA for ‘bringing him down’,” Steidel Wall wrote in the agencywide message, which was obtained

by The Washington Post. “Neither is accurate or welcome.”

The email capped a year-long saga that has embroiled the Archives — widely known for being featured in the 2004 Nicolas Cage movie, National Treasure — in a protracted fight with Trump over classified documents and other records that were taken when he left office.

On August 26, a redacted version of the affidavit supporting the request to search former president Trump’s Florida residence was released.

Archives officials have emailed, called and cajoled the former president and his representatives to follow the law and return the documents. When the Archives recovered 15 boxes from Mar-a-Lago in January, agency officials found a mess

Trump’s bid to hide those files

of disorganised papers lacking any inventory. Highly classified material was mixed in with newspaper clippings and dinner menus. And Archives officials believed more items were still missing.

What happened next was an extraordinary step for America’s record keepers: they referred the matter to the Justice Department, opening a dramatic new chapter in what had been a quietly simmering dispute.

Following the August 8 FBI search, Trump and his allies unleashed a torrent of attacks on one of the most apolitical arms of the federal bureaucracy. “They could have had it anytime they wanted — and that includes LONG ago,” Trump wrote on his Truth So-

cial website. “ALL THEY HAD TO DO IS ASK. The bigger problem is, what are they going to do with the 33 million pages of documents, many of which are classified, that President Obama took to Chicago?”

Trump was referring inaccurately to unclassified records stored at an Archives facility in suburban Chicago for potential use in Barack Obama’s future presidential library.

The political firestorm has revealed the machinations of a central but overlooked part of American democracy — pulling back the curtain on recordkeeping practices enshrined into law in 1978 following the Watergate scandal.

“Without the preservation of the records of government, and without access to them, you

can’t have an informed population, and without an informed population, you lack one of the basic tools to preserving democracy,” said former acting archivist Trudy Peterson, who expressed concern that Trump’s rhetoric is damaging the public perception of the Archives. “The system won’t work if the neutrality of the National Archives is not protected.”

This portrait of an agency under siege by a former president and his supporters is based on interviews with 14 current and former Archives employees, Trump advisers, historians and others familiar with the escalating dispute, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal internal discussions.

Trump’s recent actions have

whipped his followers into a fervour against the Archives, and he has empowered some of his most politically combative allies to represent him in negotiations with the agency.

Former presidents’ representatives have typically been lawyers, historians or family members without clear political agendas. The representatives usually deal with issues such as negotiating privilege claims, setting up presidential libraries or researching presidential memoirs.

But this was yet another norm that Trump broke. In June, around the time the Justice Department stepped up its hunt for documents at Mar- aLago, Trump assigned two new Archives representatives who focused on publicising docu-

ments they claimed would vindicate Trump and damage the FBI: Kash Patel and John Solomon.

Patel, a former White House and Pentagon aide, has sought for years to discredit the investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russian interference in the 2016 election. He recently has been promoting a children’s book about the scandal that features himself as a wizard who unravels a plot against ‘King Donald’.

After the FBI searched Mara-Lago, Patel claimed in social media posts and right-wing media interviews that the search was part of an ongoing effort to cover up those materials.

“It’s always been all about Russia Gate,” Patel said on Trump’s Truth Social platform.

Solomon, who runs the JustTheNews conservative website, published Steidel Wall’s letter to Trump’s legal representatives notifying them of her decision to allow the FBI access to the boxes retrieved in January.

He claimed the letter was proof of the White House’s “effort to facilitate a criminal probe of the man Joe Biden beat in the 2020 election.”

Inside the Archives, the decision to provide the FBI access to the 15 boxes — uncharted territory for the 2,800-person agency — was not made lightly, officials said. Steidel Wall deliberated and consulted with the agency’s tightknit senior leadership team consisting of career civil servants.

There are no political appointees currently in leadership.

Steidel Wall started at the agency in 1991 as an archivist trainee, working on issues from establishing data standards to digitising records on floppy disks.

The daughter of a police officer and a nursery schoolteacher on Long Island, she came to Washington to study history and government at Georgetown University, where she developed an interest in silent film, according to an interview with her hometown Suffolk Times. She eventually rose to become the agency’s chief of staff and deputy archivist.

Electric cars and the risk to environment So, we are seemingly on a countdown to ridding our roads of diesel and petrol cars and replacing them with electric models. Lithium is a soft, white metal and, because of its physical and chemical properties, lithium is very good at storing energy. It is also the integral ingredient in batteries for the future’s electric cars.

Demand for the stuff, sometimes called “white petroleum’, is expected to grow more sharply than demand for any of the other key metals needed for car batteries. The International Energy Agency, for instance, has projected that demand will grow by more than 40 times by 2040 if the countries of the world stick to their Paris Agree-

ment targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Today, most lithium comes from one of two sources: rocks

and brine. The extraction methods are quite different.

The first method generally involves digging for an ore called

spodumene that contains high levels of lithium. Australia, the world’s largest single produce of lithium, relies mainly on this technique.

Spodumene is mined much like gold or iron ore, in open pits. And it has many of the same problems. There are big risks to the environment, both from digging up the land and from the processes used to extract the ore.

Mines in Tasmania, for example, have been leaking contaminated water for the past five years, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Some countries are moving in the right direction. Chile is working on new rules and

institutions to tighten lithium mining standards. And the US is studying ways to reform its 1872 mining law. An overhaul could create protocols to consult communities before any mining starts.

Cleaner technologies are now being tested by universities and start-ups. Many involve what’s known as direct extraction, which means pulling lithium straight from brine rather than evaporating water and using chemicals to remove impurities. For now, that process is not commercially viable.

The way we get lithium, and the other inputs for electric vehicles, will play a big role in determining whether the planet ends up with a new, different

set of environmental problems in the not-too-distant future.

Quite often you will hear the argument that the urgency of the climate crisis means the world doesn’t have time to extract these metals in a meticulous way.

Maybe we would not live in the climate-stressed world we live in right now if we had looked at the impacts of sourcing oil and gas. Alas, we don’t have time to make more messes as we try to solve this problem.”

Meanwhile, car manufacturers are hurrying to close deals with mining companies and other suppliers that can meet the escalating demand for battery materials.

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EDUCATION - Create your future

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EDUCATION - Create your future

Get Creative Age 4 - 18 Art Classes Art It is a wonderful airy art studio at MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre run by artist DiDi Dobree-Wilson.

Art It also emphasises visual art as entertainment and as such offers families, adults and children, services where you can have fun creating, decorating, gemming, featuring, buttoning and anything else that turns your creations into unique works of art. Art It integrates part of that fun into the classes therefore turning your art piece into your own personalised masterpiece.

Amongst the many services Art it offers the public, they also offer art classes to children

from age 4 through their teens, adults and senior citizens wanting to get in touch with their inner child and find their creativity. We strive to encourage limitless freedom of expression.

On a Saturday, Art It runs three children’s classes. The first at 10.30 am to 11.30 am for children aged 4 - 5 and this class is aimed at giving young children their first experience at drawing, painting, clay, cut & stick and much more.

Later on from 11.30 am to 1 pm, for children age 9 - 13, Art It gives an acrylic painting class where we teach children to express themselves using different techniques and mediums while pursuing an image, whether it be a portrait, flowers or an inspirational piece, with the intent on finishing a painting every 2/3 weeks.

To end the Saturday, from 3 pm to 5 pm, Art It runs a Fun Art class where the children make something different ever 1/2 weeks from modelling, drawing, painting to decoupage and much more.

For the students from age 9 - 13, who would like to explore art to a different depth, we offer drawing classes on a Thursday after school from 4pm to 5 pm, where they can learn to draw all manner of things from face features to whacky inventive animals, using different types of pencils and crayons.

On a Friday after school from 4 pm to 5.30 pm, for children aged 9 - 15, try your hand at painting on canvas with oil paints, become creative in colour inventing, discover different textures, and before transferring your own drawing to a canvas, learn perspective drawing.

We are in the process of working out art classes at feasible times. For more information, please contact DiDi at 086 308 5270.

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Kilkenny and France, the relationship continues...

Kilkenny and France are long connected. The city was founded as a Norman (French speaking) stronghold and walled for defence to protect themselves from the “savage Irish”. They even wrote the ‘Statutes of Kilkenny’ in French to prevent the mixing of the Norman and the Irish, but as we know, that had no success. We in Ireland continue to have strong relationships with France,with French being the most taught foreign language in second level education in Ireland. But like so much of what we learn at school, we start forgetting it once we leave!

But fear not of forgetting your French, for in Kilkenny you have the Alliance Française. It was set up to promote learning the French language and appreciating French culture. The Alliance Française of Kilkenny organise French classes for adults at all levels. These include Beginners (whose French ends at Bonjour!), Improvers (you need to use it or lose it), and for those who speak it well we offer a current affairs class (les Actualitiés), and a French Book Club Class for the literary minded.

Following the pandemic, we have moved the teaching of these advanced classes online (Beginners classes are in the Club House Hotel) and now

­

use Zoom for our classes.

The skills of our teachers (all native speakers) come to the fore here and the classes include news features, videos, and quizzes to add variety and interest to the class mix. A language is much more than spoken or written communication. It opens an understanding of another world and culture.

To support this, we have monthly cultural evenings with talks, films or presentations.

You will need an opportunity to practice what you are learning (and see what you need to learn). A weekly ‘Coin Francais’ on Thursday mornings in the outside terrace of the Club House Hotel from 11am to 1pm (no charge) is where you can use your French in an informal, and sociable setting.

But why should you learn

French? There are careerbased reasons, where French speakers are in huge demand in the software support and sales area, to personal ones like family connections, holidays and culture. But there are health ones also, where recent scientific research has shown that keeping the brain active by language processing (particularly multilingual) can help in staving off the effects of mental deterioration, and even Alzheimer’s. Bilingual adults and children show a superior ability to concentrate, solve problems and focus, have better mental flexibility and multitasking skills.

Enrolment in person on Monday 5th September from 7 to 8:15pm or online at the same time. For further information see www.afkilkenny. org, email info@afkilkenny. org, or call Therese at 0872539734.

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Supporting immunity for a healthy back to school The start of the school year is a time of new beginnings and opportunities.

Keeping children healthy as they go back to school can seem challenging at times but fortunately, there are lots of ways that parents can help in supporting their child’s immunity against the usual bugs and viruses. Dr. Paula Gaynor and Mark Clifford, co-founders of Irish health supplement brand SOMEGA, share their healthy tips for supporting back to school immunity.

Well-Balanced Diet According to Dr. Gaynor, “Providing a healthy and wellbalanced diet is essential in helping kids to stay healthy. A well-balanced diet will contain fruits and vegetables, full of vitamins and antioxidants, lean protein, healthy fats, including omega-3s from oily fish, and wholegrains. Probiotic rich foods, including yogurt (ideally low sugar varieties) are also important as probiotics can help give the immune system a boost and inhibit the growth of harmful gut bacteria.”

Parents should try to give kids as much variety as possible. Starting the day with a healthy breakfast is important, as is providing a healthy lunchbox and nourishing dinners.

Having healthy snacks available is essential.

Trying to limit consumption of sugar-loaded foods and drinks is important as a high sugar intake negatively affects the immune system.

Regular Exercise, Good Sleep Habits and Stress Management Encouraging kids to be active is important – Healthy Ireland recommends that kids should play and be active at a moderate to vigorous level for at least 60 minutes daily. Regular exercise not only helps build strong muscles and healthy bones, it can also result in better sleep, improved moods, lower stress levels, and increased circulation of immune cells in the body - all

factors that contribute to a healthy immune system.

Good sleep habits are vitally important for kids. Sleep allows the body to rest, regenerate and heal and the lack of sleep can affect the immune system.

Research shows that people who don’t get quality sleep or enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, such as a common cold virus.

For many kids, transitioning back to school is stressful and managing and reducing any stress that kids may have is also important as ongoing stress weakens the immune system.

Health Supplements “Multiple micronutrients play an essential part in supporting the immune response, in particular

vitamins C and D and zinc, copper, selenium and iron. Deficiencies of several of these micronutrients can impair many aspects of the immune system and can increase susceptibility to infection” says Mr. Clifford.

While not a replacement for a healthy diet, supplements are especially useful in providing extra support for a healthy immune system, as well as providing other health benefits.

One of the most popular go-to supplements for supporting immunity is undoubtedly Vitamin C. It’s important to bear in mind that not all Vitamin C supplements are created equal. Liposomal Vitamin C is the best absorbed form available. SOMEGA offer a great-tasting, alcohol-free and sugar-free Liposomal Vitamin C liquid that is suitable for the entire family.

A Vitamin D supplement is important all year round in Ireland, but particularly as children head back into the classrooms and have less access to the outdoors and sunshine.

Pure and natural SOMEGA Vitamin D3 Liquid Drops are placed under the tongue for fast and effective

absorption and are ideal for both children and adults.

As many families do not consume enough oily fish, taking an Omega-3 supplement daily is important for adults and kids.

Omega-3s positively impact the immune system due to their anti-inflammatory properties and also support brain, heart and eye health. To be consistent in supplementing and ensure maximum health benefits, it’s vitally important that the taste of the Omega-3 supplement is appealing. SOMEGA Easy Omega-3 + Vitamin D3 has a creamy, smoothie-like texture and a delicious, natural peach-mango flavour and is highly popular with both kids and adults.

The Bottom Line For supporting back to school immunity, the best approach is a holistic one, incorporating good nutrition, sleep, exercise and stress management.

Carefully chosen, high quality health supplements can provide invaluable extra support for the immune system.

SOMEGA products are available in health food stores and pharmacies nationwide. For more information, visit gosomega.com.

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The National Reptile Zoo Our mission here at the National Reptile Zoo has always been to inspire passion and increase understanding of some of the planet’s lesser known animals, and what better way to do that than by inviting you all in to meet them?

Book one of our ‘Educational Zoo to You’ sessions and meet our amazing animals and learn all about our reptile friends! We visit schools all across the country, bringing along a range of our reptilian friends that one of our Zoo Keeping team will tell kids of all ages about. Our educational sessions are tailored to suit all classes, from primary right up to Leaving Certificate – we cover reptile basics, habitat building, ecology, and a range of fun and educational topics!

We’re taking bookings now for the coming school year so give us a call or drop us an email and we can send you some brochures and more information, and also check availability for your school! If you fancy giving the kids a day out, you can always come see us and all the reptiles here at the Zoo – just ask about our Discovery Walk Tours or even our virtual Zoo Zoom sessions! We can even host a specific workshop for your class right here in the Zoo! Conservation through Education has always been our motto, and we look forward to sharing that passion with everyone.

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News

Farmers warned on deadlines

Remember: the TAMS II tranche closing date is September 23 Ifac, Ireland’s farming, food and agribusiness specialist professional services firm, is reminding Kilkenny farmers about the upcoming deadlines for the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme.

The closing date for the

next tranche of TAMS II is September 23.

Philip O’Connor, Head of Farm Support at ifac, said: “It is also very important to note that the final TAMS II tranche will be closing December 16.

This means that farmers who won’t have an application

ready for September 23 only have until December 16 before the last tranche closes.”

The grants available under TAMS II are 40% of €80,000, increasing to 60% if an applicant is a young trained farmer.

Registered farm partnerships also allow for a ‘double’ ceil-

ing of a grant claimable on a total spend of up to €160,000.

The Low Emissions Slurry Equipment grant is another grant option that is often forgotten. The grants available here on specific slurryspreading equipment are 40% of €40,000, which increases to

60% if an applicant is a young trained farmer (must apply through YFCIS). Registered farm partnerships are allowed an additional ceiling with a total spend of up to €60,000.

The next tranche will open on September 24 and close

oldest Agricultural Show, on August 27 last in Piltown Co. Kilkenny.

ABP Food Group is one of Aldis leading suppliers of Bord Bia Quality Assured 100% Irish meats in Ireland.

The relationship between the

supplier and retailer has gone from strength to strength in recent years and contributed to Aldi’s success at this year’s Great Taste Awards during which ABP took home nine accolades for Aldi.

Pictured above, from

left: Michael Flanagan (Judge), Sam Comber (Judge), Mark Byrne (Handler), Brian Frazer (ABP), Hugo Keenan (Irish rugby player & guest at the Iverk Show), Paul Matthews (ABP), Sean Kilkenny (Irish Angus),

on December 16. The Department of Agriculture has yet to confirm if any TAMS II tranches will open in 2023.

“Time is of the essence, especially if, in all likely hood, the final tranche is closing on 16th December 2022,” Philip O’Connor said.

Vicky in good form after tour locally in camper van Vicky Phelan recently enjoyed a six-day camper van holiday with her husband and son, ticking a major tourist attraction off her bucket list.

Ms Phelan shared on social media that she recently visited Sligo, Donegal, Portrush, and Carlingford with Jim and Darragh before “the main reason” for their trip: a visit to the Giant’s Causeway in Co Antrim.

“It was everything that I thought it would be... and more,” the Kilkenny native and cervical smear campaigner wrote.

“I am so glad that I was well enough to make this trip and to make it to the Giant’s Causeway, which has been on my bucket list for a long time.”

Vicky Phelan at the Giant’s Causeway She says they rented a “very comfortable campervan and would happily book a similar holiday again.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the van life experience and will definitely do it again.”

Their road trip was filled with scenic pitstops, including the Mullaghmore Head scenic drive and Assaranca Waterfall, as well as tasty pitstops for brunch, dinner, and, in Portstewart, “the best fish tacos I have ever eaten”.

She said the three were “blessed” with good weather (“for the most part”).

Ms Phelan said daughter Amelia stayed in Doonbeg with her parents, joking: “She is soooo not into travelling by camper van.”

It comes two months after Ms Phelan enjoyed a week away with her family in Spain, after receiving the go-ahead from her medical team for the overseas trip.

The mother-of-two has terminal cancer and returned to Ireland for palliative treatment last year following clinical trials in the US.

Irish rugby ace Hugo Keenan joined Robert Dowley, Chairman of The Iverk Agricultural Show, Rob Farrell, Buying Director at Aldi Ireland and members of the ABP Food Group team, at The Iverk Agricultural Show, Ireland’s

Dermot Kilcran (Irish Angus), Rob Farrell (Buying Director, Aldi Ireland) and Robert Dowley (Chairman of the Iverk Show).

Photo: William Maher, WMCM Photography

Hauliers demand State compensation In a pre-budget submission, the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) are demanding State compensation for the rising cost of fuel, climate upgrades and Brexit. They say new workers’ rights should be deferred to save them money. has also called for biofuel grants for farmers who agree to cull dairy and beef herds.

Fuel costs had doubled for some hauliers since the pandemic, the IRHA said.

Meanwhile, Brexit costs were rising, with direct shipping routes to Europe costing €310 more a trip than using the UK land bridge because of

the additional distance travelled, extra fuel, labour costs and other charges.

Hauliers want advance payments from the €1bn Brexit adjustment reserve allocated to Ireland by the EU.

The news comes as haulage firms predict knock-on effects here from a dockworkers’ strike in Felixstowe in England and also possible industrial action in Liverpool, which acts as a feeder port for Ireland’s US imports.

UK workers are striking over pay, after inflation surged above 10pc in July.

The IRHA wants Government to defer new workers’ benefits including the living wage, pension auto-enrolment and statutory sick pay to save them money.

It claims it is paying more in excise and fuel taxes than

any other sector as a result of its reliance on diesel, while it cannot afford to update its fleet to meet EU climate standards.

“We’re becoming as green as we possibly can over a few years but we need the back-up of the State in our rebate for diesel and in helping us to get to newer vehicles,” said president Eugene Drennan.

“We will take on the challenge that is set out to us, but we cannot be the big collectors of tax all the time.

“We are collecting too much tax because we are the biggest users of fuel. And we are es-

sential [workers],” he said.

The IRHA is asking for a permanent excise reduction, extended diesel rebates and the repayment of a fuel levy backdated to when the pandemic started. It also wants EU loans and road-toll exemptions for newer, greener trucks, and says farmers should be paid to grow vegetable oils such as rapeseed to make biofuel.

“Farmers who are willing to cull cattle numbers, then as part of their compensation for doing so should be incentivised with a grant to grow rapeseed,” the IRHA budget submission says.

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Feature

A hurling match to remember Recently, The Kilkenny Observer welcomed Kilkenny student Keela Ayres as she presented a short story for our readers. As a newspaper, we attempt to cover as much news as possible on various topics. The inclusion of a young writer, such as Keela, with aspirations in that field, is something we are happy to promote. Today, we present part two of ‘There is something about Debbie’ with ‘A match to remember’.

The Kilkenny Observer –supporting new writing in Kilkenny

BY: KEELA AYRES

After the bike shed incident, the week crawled by as the group’s concern grew.

Debbie now kept a firm eye on her sleeves, not daring to even raise her hand in class and P.E wasn’t even an option. Every smoke session was clouded in discomfort that even Marky’s jokes couldn’t save. The smile Debbie wore was now an imitation and it was as if the light in her eyes had been snuffed. On Wednesday, Frances (out of all people) attempted to reach out before the slam of a locker door could let her finish. It killed the group not knowing what to do. Their attempts weren’t working and her lips weren’t moving. It wasn’t until James’ hurling match

on Friday that would finally reveal the dark truth behind Debbie’s behaviour.

The sun made a surprise appearance that afternoon.

Harriet’s ebony ponytail swished from side to side as she made her way over to Marky, who was sitting near the edge of the pitch.

He broke into the smile usually saved for her. She broke into her own rosy-cheeked version as she sat. The air became thick with cheer when James landed the first goal.

Despite it being the first match of term, their team was already flying it. Frances captured the scene with the school camera before shooting a manic wave over to Harriet and Marky. Snorting in unison, they returned it back. As the crowd swore passionately, Marky scanned the pitch desperately in search of Debbie. Every second weighed heavier as the pair waited. They didn’t care how long she’d be once they

knew she was ok. Harriet found herself tuning into the whispers circulating behind her, slowly piecing together who they were about.

“He may hit her but at least she gets the attention she wants. He’s the only one who notices her because no else will.”

“Her eye bags are miles long and it wouldn’t kill her to put a brush through her hair! I can’t understand what her friends see in her.”

“If Debbie Brennan ends up an alcoholic or something, don’t be surprised.

She’s heading for trouble that one.”

They pronounced her name with enough scorching sarcasm that Harriet shot up off the bench in fury.

The unwelcomed remarks belonged to Aoife, Nollaig and Shannon in their year, infamous for making students and teachers alike miserable. “I’d suggest shutting your mouths before I do

it for you!” Harriet spat out.

Marky grabbed her hand, pulling her back whispering “Har, please stop!” as the trio looked on in disbelief. The match continued obliviously as Marky tried to stop a furious Harriet exploding.

On the sidelines, Frances aimed her camera ready to find her next shot. Peering through the lens ready to aim, she was terrified with what she found. She followed Debbie in the carpark who was fleeing a speeding

car and clutching her now scarlet arm. With shaking limbs, Frances took an expert shot before erupting into a scream. Harriet and Marky looked over in shock, following Frances’ floundering towards the car park.

They then realised why and began to hightail it after her.

Marky caught James who was sitting on the side and merely blurted out “Debbie”. His stomach dropped, knowing she was in trouble.

Ignoring his coach’s hollering, James ran with the group to find Debbie lying crumbled in the dust and her arm forming into a scarlet river. She had been stabbed.

But with what?

Harriet embraced Debbie with a teary face while Marky and Frances took her hands, both wide-eyed and white.

Questions were flung at her but she could only respond in shaken sobs. James tore down the pathway into school, making a beeline for the office.He began breaking down the window. “WE NEED AN AMBULANCE FOR DEBBIE BRENNAN NOW! SHE’S BLEEDING OUTSIDE! GET ONE NOW!” He collapsed into the arms of Angela, the secretary who rushed out with the phone in her hands. She held his sobbing head while frantically dialling. Outside, Marky had wrapped his jumper around Debbie’s wounds who could only choke out “I’m sorry.”

The ambulance arrived in five minutes. It would take Debbie hours to finally tell her friends everything.

Seventeen year old Keela Ayres is from Kilkenny City and currently attends Presentation Secondary School.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

Feature

F

ollowing the announcement of the death of Bishop Séamus Freeman on Saturday August 20th, the people of Kilkenny, Ossory and further afield were stunned, not only at the loss of a bishop, but at the passing of a kind and caring person. If ever the phrase ‘one of nature’s gentlemen’ was apt, then surely this was the case.

Preparations for Seamus’s funeral got underway and his body was received at St Mary’s Cathedral in Kilkenny on Wednesday night.

The Rite of Reception was led by Bishop Denis Nulty (Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Ossory), who welcomed Bishop Freeman’s family: sisters Esther and Mary, brothers Tommy, John and Pat and their extended families.

Bishop Nulty welcomed Archbishop Eamon Martin (Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland) who joined priests and religious from Ossory, members of the Pallottine Society and parishioners from various parishes of the diocese. He spoke of the three families of Bishop Freeman: The Freeman Family, The Pallottine Family and The Ossory family. Sacred music was provided by the Cathedral Choir under the direction of Mr John O’Neill.

Housekeepers at Bishop Freeman’s house Mary Ryan and Bernadette Hunt and Painter and Decorator of the Cathedral Vincent O’Brien placed the bishop’s mitre, the bible and cross upon the coffin. Fr Donal McCarthy, SAC, a long time friend and co-worker with Bishop Freeman gave the reflection. The Prayer of Intercession was led by Rita Neary, Parish Secretary in St Mary’s Parish. At the end of the ceremony Fr Richard Scriven, Administrator of St Mary’s Cathedral, invited all to a cup of tea in the Chapter Room and to Night Prayer in the Cathedral at 9.30pm.

PRAYERFUL VIGIL On Thursday parishioners from the four city parishes kept prayerful vigil in the cathedral where Bishop Freeman’s remains lay before the altar. During the day there was a steady stream of mourners who came to pray for their late bishop.

The prayers of Thursday concluded with Compline – Night Prayer of the Church - which was led by Fr Derry Murphy and Fr Eamon Monson, both members of the Pallottine Society. Fr Derry in welcoming all gave a special céad mile failte to the Superior General of the Pallottine Society, Fr Jacob Nampudakam , who had travelled from Rome.

FUNERAL MASS On Friday at midday Bishop Nulty was the chief celebrant of the Requiem mass. He was joined by

Archbishop Dermot Farrell (Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland), Archbishop Diarmuid Martin (Archbishop Emeritus of Dublin), Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly (Archbishop of Cashel and Emily), Bishop Eamonn Walsh (Archdiocese of Dublin), Bishop Alphonsus Cullinane (Bishop of Waterford and Lismore), Bishop Paul Dempsey (Bishop of Achonry), |Bishop William Crean (Bishop of Cloyne), Bishop Denis Brennan (Bishop Emeritus of Ferns) and priests and religious of the diocese of Ossory. The Superior General of the Pallottine Society, Fr Jacob Napudakam, was joined by members of the Pallottine society from Ireland. A large congregation joined Bishop Freeman’s family for the requiem mass, many from various parishes and committees of the diocese and members of the various religious orders in the diocese. Sacred music was again given by the Cathedral Choir under the direction of Mr John O’Neill.

The requiem mass began with a procession of symbols representing the seven sacraments carried by Michael Freeman, Frances Lennon, Sheila Walshe, Eddie Tallent, James and Roseanne Freeman, Fr Brian Griffin and Jimmy Cooke. Bishop Freeman’s brother Tommy read the readings and the psalm was sung by Ms Martina Burke.

The Prayer of Intercession were read by friends and family members and the offertory gifts were brought to the altar by Ms Gemma Mulligan (Pastoral Coordinator for the Diocese of Ossory), Evana Freeman and Suzanne Freeman.

PALLOTTINES EXTEND THANKS After communion and before the final prayers and commendation Fr Jacob Nampudakam spoke on behalf of the Pallottine Society speaking of how the Pallotine family remain eternally grateful to Mons. Freeman, one of the best known Pallottines in their history acknowledging that the Union of Catholic Apostolate owes

Farewell Bishop Séamus

Bishop Nulty incenses the altar at the beginning of the funeral mass of Seamus Freeman

so much to Mons. Séamus Freeman, for all his works in getting approval and as the first president. Bishop Freeman’s brother Pat, his sister Mary and niece Sinead spoke on behalf the family.

Pat recalled their family life in Coolaghmore. Sinead spoke of the affection of the next generation for their uncle who always remem-

bered them with cards and gifts. Bishop Freeman’s sister, Sr Mary Freeman RSM, read a special poem which gave an overview of Bishop Freemans’s life and ministry.

Bishop Freeman was laid to rest in the shadow of the Cathedral beside his predecessors Bishop Laurence Forristal (1981-2007),

Bishop Peter Birch (19641981), Bishop Patrick Collier (1928-1964). Also buried in the cathedral grounds is Archbishop Thomas White a native of Durrow, a priest of the diocese of Ossory and former Papal Nuncio.

Bishop Séamus Freeman, SAC, the eldest of the eight children of James and Bridget Freeman, was

born on 23 February 1944 in Clonlahy, parish of Mullinahone, Co. Tipperary, in the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. At the age of eight months his family moved to Coolaghmore, parish of Callan, Co. Kilkenny, in the Diocese of Ossory. He attended Coolagh National School and Callan CBS. He completed Secondary

The coffin of Bishop Seamus Freeman at St Mary’s Cathedral. Placed on the coffin were the bishops Mitre, Cross and Book of Gospels

Archbishop Dermot Farrell (Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland), prays the Eucharistic Prayer at the funeral mass of Bishop Freeman

Archbishop Dermot Farrell (Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland), Archbishop Diarmuid Martin (Archbishop Emeritus of Dublin)

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

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Feature Attending St Mary’s Cathedral for the funeral of Bishop Seamus Freeman: Archbishop Eamon Martin (Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland), Sr Maria Comerford RSM , Sr Ena Kennedy RSM and Bishop Denis Nulty (Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Ossory)

Bishop Séamus.

RIP

Bishop Freeman’s brother Tommy read the readings at the funeral mass

School at Thurles CBS, as a postulant of the Pallottine Minor Seminary.

He entered the Society of Catholic Apostolate (Pallottines) in Thurles, Co. Tipperary and made his first Pallottine Consecration in 1965. He studied philosophy at the National University of Ireland, University Collage Dublin and Theology at St.

man. Two years later he returned to the USA and completed his studies at the Catholic University of America, Washington DC. In 1975, he was The psalm was sung by appointed RecRec Martina Burke tor of the Church of San Silvestro in Rome, “a Church with a long tradition of welcoming the stranger to Rome”, a Church designated by Pope Leo XIII (1885) to the pastoral care of English-speaking visitors and residents in Rome. During this time, in May 1978, Patrick’s College, Thurles. he was elected a member He was ordained a priest on of the Provincial Council 12th June 1971. of the Irish Province of the Subsequent to his ordiSociety. In 1981 he returned nation, he was sent to the to Ireland to take up the post Jesuit University of Detroit of Rector and Director of to pursue studies in psyFormation at the Pallottine chology but was called to College in Thurles.

Rome not long afterwards While participating as to act as personal secretary delegate in the General to the Rector General of his Assembly of his community Society, Fr. Nicholas Gor-

in 1983, Bishop Freeman was elected to the General Council of the Pallottines for a term of six years in Rome, a community dedicated to the pastoral and missionary role of all the baptized in the life and mission of the Church.

In 1989 he was elected Vicar General of the Society.

Barely three years later, in 1992, Fr. Martin Juritsch, the then Rector General of the Society, fell gravely ill and submitted his resignation.

At the subsequent Extraordinary General Assembly, Bishop Freeman was elected to succeed him. He was reelected for a second six-year term in 1998.

In 1994 he took part as an “auditor” in the 1994 Synod of Bishops, dedicated to the theme of “Consecrated Life and its Mission in the Church and in the World”.

During his term as Rector General, on the 28th October 2003, the Pallottine Family, known as the “Union

of Catholic Apostolate”, was declared a “Public Association of the Faithful, of Pontifical Right” by the Pontifical Council for the Laity. At an International Assembly of the UCA, held in Rome in December 2005, Bishop Freeman was unanimously re-elected President of the General Coordination Council for a term of three years.

At the conclusion of his second term as Rector General of the Society of Catholic Apostolate, he spent a year with the Irish Pallottine Community of San Silvestro in Rome after which, on 7th October 2004, he was appointed Parish Priest of the parish of St. Vincent Pallotti in Rome (13.000 people approx). That’s where he served the Church, striving, with the collaboration of two Pallottine priests from Brazil, to involve all the baptised in the life and mission of the Church of Jesus Christ.

He was appointed Bishop

of Ossory by the Holy Father on 14th September 2007 and ordained Bishop on 2nd December 2007 in St Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny. During his time in Ossory Bishop Séamus continued this work for the increased realisation of the mission of the lay faithful by implementing the Ossory Diocesan Pastoral Plan; a plan which still guides the Diocese today and through his work chairing the Episcopal Commission for Pastoral Renewal and Faith Development in Ireland. Bishop Séamus also worked tirelessly for the restoration of the beautiful St Mary’s Cathedral, Chapter House, Blessed Sacrament Chapel and surrounding campus. This work, which continues today, has served to enhance the faith life of the Diocese and remains as a fitting piece of the legacy that he leaves behind.

REST IN PEACE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT

Bishops and priests accompany the coffin of Bishop Seamus to his resting place

Superior General of the Pallottine Society, Fr Jacob Nampudakam , who travelled from Rome for the funeral of his friend Bishop Seamus

Bishop Freeman was laid to rest in the shadow of the Cathedral beside his predecessor Bishop Laurence Forristal (1981-2007), Bishop Peter Birch (1964-1981), Bishop Patrick Collier (1928-1964)

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A new experience in reading books If the past is a foreign country, then Charlie McGettigan is the best of tour guides.

His book takes us back to Ballyshannon in the 1950s, avoiding the clichéd golden summers where sweetness and light prevailed.

Instead he takes us around the back of the set to show us a ‘warts and all’ view of Irish life in what are laughingly called ‘the good old days,’ where poverty and deprivation were made worse by a dominant clerical presence and an often brutal schooling system that together succeeded in driving many young people away from both religion and education.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

News

HSE/South East Community Healthcare marks retirement of Head of Service for Mental Health

A career in the management of mental health services in the South East has concluded this week with the retirement of Kilkenny man David Heffernan.

As Head of Service/Mental Health of South East Community Healthcare since June 2019, David Heffernan has been centrally involved in the HSE response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In that time, David worked with colleagues across the mental health services to safely maintain inpatient, residential and community mental health services in a challenging environment.

Since taking a senior management role eight years ago, David Heffernan has been responsible for overseeing continued development of mental health services locally and regionally, whilst also addressing many of the challenges presented to the services.

In particular, David Heffernan has always been committed to the development of a recovery focused mental health service and has been instrumental in ensuring that service user involvement is central to the

provision of mental health services in the South East.

David Heffernan joined the South Eastern Health Board (SEHB) in 1990, taking a post as Workshop Manager at St. Dymphna’s Hospital, Carlow. Previously, David had served in positions in the manufacturing industry and managed the Rehab Group Centre in Waterford.

In 1998, David Heffernan was appointed the Regional Manager of the SEHB’s Task training and recovery support service based in Kilkenny.

David’s experience of working closely with patients, their families and various complements of mental health staff was drawn on when he took up the role in 2014 as the HSE’s Service Manager for mental health services in the Carlow, Kilkenny and South Tipperary area.

Shortly after the establishment of the South East Community Healthcare organisation, David became a General Manager in its mental health services in 2016 and three years later was appointed as Head of Service for mental health

services across counties Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford.

As he retires this week, David Heffernan says it has been “a privilege from day one” to help those in need of mental health support across community, residential support and inpatient settings.

David also paid tribute to the diligent cohorts of mental health staff colleagues, for whom patient care remains a priority throughout all the components of service delivery.

Acknowledging that the period of time since the declaration of the international pandemic in March 2020 has been an enormously challenging time for everyone in the health services, David Heffernan says he is very proud of how staff, patients, their families in both cases and so many others in the community have co-operated to ensure people received treatment and support.

Dr. Stephen Browne, the Executive Clinical Director for Mental Health with HSE/South East Community Healthcare, noted the con-

tribution and leadership role taken by David Heffernan during challenging times in recent years for mental health services in the South East region.

Dr. Browne said that along with other colleagues, David was integral to implementing a strategy which mitigated the impact of the pandemic on service users and residents in Mental Health Commission approved centres across the

South East region.

Furthermore, said Dr. Browne, David Heffernan played a significant role in establishing structures within mental health services which have resulted in significantly improved regulatory compliance.

On behalf of HSE/South East Community Healthcare, its Chief Officer Kate Killeen White thanked David Heffernan for his continued commitment and leadership.

The Chief Officer said David was a colleague dedicated to the SECH’s commitment to the ongoing provision of a quality and safe mental health service to the population it serves.

On behalf of all his HSE colleagues in the South East, Kate Killeen White said she wished David and his family well as he retires from decades of distinguished service to the public in the South East.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

Food & Drink

Come

With

Seared beef salad with capers & mint Prep: 15 mins Cook: 50 mins Cuts into: 8-10 slices Prep: 10 mins Cook: 12 mins Serves: 2

This quick and easy salad is drizzled with a tangy, herby dressing and topped with sliced fillet steak. Low in calories, it’s a good source of iron and fibre.

Method STEP 1 Cook the potatoes in a pan of simmering water for 5 mins. Add the beans and cook 5

Plenty of fresh ingredients lift this simple mezcal cocktail to create a sweet, light and wonderfully balanced drink.

Method mins more, then tip in the peas and cook for 2 mins until all the vegetables are just tender.

Drain.

STEP 2 Meanwhile, measure all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl and season with black pepper. Stir and crush the herbs and capers with the back of a spoon to intensify their flavours.

STEP 3 Brush a little oil over the steak and grind over

some black pepper. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and cook the steak for 4 mins on one side and 2-3 mins on the other, depending on the thickness and how rare you like it. Transfer to a plate to rest while you carry on with the rest of the salad.

STEP 4 Mix the warm vegetables into the dressing until well coated, then add the lettuce and toss again. Pile onto plates. Slice the steak and turn in any dressing left in the bowl, add to the salad and serve while still warm.

Zesty haddock with crushed potatoes and peas Prep: 15 mins Cook: 20 mins Serves: 4 Being pushed for time doesn’t mean you have to eat unhealthily, as this quick and low-fat fish supper proves.

Ingredients • 600g floury potato, unpeeled, cut into chunks • 140g frozen peas • 2 ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • juice and zest ½ lemon • 1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped • 2 tbsp snipped chives • 4 haddock or other chunky white fish fillets, about 120g each (or use 2 small per person) • 2 tbsp plain flour • broccoli, to serve

Cook: 5 mins Serves: 1

Ingredients • 2 strawberries • 2 cherry tomatoes, plus 1 extra, to garnish • 10ml agave syrup • 20ml fresh lime juice • 30ml espadin mezcal • 20ml blanco tequila • 20ml pineapple juice • ice • fresh mint sprig, to garnish

Ingredients • 150g new potatoes , thickly sliced • 160g fine green beans , trimmed and halved • 160g frozen peas • rapeseed oil , for brushing • 200g lean fillet steak , trimmed of any fat • 160g romaine lettuce , roughly torn into pieces For the dressing • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 2 tsp cider vinegar • ½ tsp English mustard powder • 2 tbsp chopped mint • 3 tbsp chopped basil • 1 garlic clove , finely grated • 1 tbsp capers

Jessica rabbit cocktail

STEP 1 Put the strawberries, tomatoes, agave and lime juice in the bottom of a cocktail shaker and muddle together. Add the mezcal, tequila and pineapple juice and fill with ice.

STEP 2 Shake hard to create a nice foam head on the drink and fine strain into a martini glass or coupette. Garnish with a mint sprig inserted into a cherry tomato.

White lady Prep: 5 mins Serves: 1 Make a classic cocktail with gin, triple sec, lemon and egg white. It’s light and refreshing, but has the strength of a martini – enjoy responsibly!

Ingredients • 50ml gin • 25ml triple sec • 25ml lemon juice, plus lemon zest twists to serve • 2 tsp sugar syrup • ½ egg white (optional) • handful of ice

Method

until tender, adding peas for the final min of cooking. Drain and roughly crush together, adding plenty of seasoning and 1 tbsp oil. Keep warm.

STEP 1 Cover the potatoes in cold water, bring to the boil, then turn to a simmer. Cook for 10 mins

STEP 2 Meanwhile, for the dressing, mix 1 tbsp oil, the lemon juice and zest, capers and chives with

some seasoning.

STEP 3 Dust the fish in the flour, tapping off any excess and season. Heat remaining oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the fish for 2-3 mins on each side until cooked, then add the dressing and warm through. Serve with the crush and broccoli.

Method STEP 1 Tip the gin, triple sec, lemon juice, sugar syrup, egg white (if using) and ice into a cocktail shaker. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels very cold, then strain the mixture. Discard the ice, then return the drink to the shaker and shake again until the egg white is frothy.

STEP 2 Pour into a coupe glass and garnish with a twist of lemon zest to serve.

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Stallone’s Samaritan about superheroes without a cape

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to stream right now on Netflix

If you’re in the market for an impeccable new happy place to move into, look no further.

Heartstopper (2022—) is a bright spark of a coming-of-age series, telling an LGBTQ+ love story with compassion and grace (and no one dies). Charlie falls in love with Nick, but Nick is still figuring out his sexuality. With real teenagers playing teenagers, fleshed out characters and little animations that evoke Alice Oseman’s graphic novel of the same name, Heartstopper is a safe, joyous, queer romance. Essential viewing.

This Judd Apatow creation (20162018) draws the best out of the talented Gillian Jacobs (Britta in Community) and Paul Rust. They play Mickey and Gus respectively, an opposites-attract couple, who go to messy, frustrating and endearingly down-to-earth places that make this an honest look at a relationship being built over time.

Iris Apatow is a standout as the unhappy child actress Gus tutors who gets away with just about anything.

Samaritan, now streaming on Amazon Prime, stars action superstar Sylvester Stallone in the lead role.

The superhero film also stars Javon Walton and Dascha Polanco in pivotal roles.

When Sylvester Stallone headlines a film you know what to expect. Even after decades of being around and throwing those punches, the actor’s sheer presence evokes interest in a project because he’s part of the storyline. Unfortunately, in Samaritan, the feeling is quite the opposite.

Stuck in the 90’s and treated like one of those dated ac-

tion films, this Julius Avery directorial effort feels like an out of place relic in today’s age.

The plot of Samaritan is quite interesting though.

We are introduced to a world of superheroes Samaritan vs Nemesis, through an animated fight sequences. The Samaritan who stands up for everything good and right has apparently fallen. But a kid in the next door neighbourhood believes that he’s still alive.

Dressed in a hoodie and working a regular day job, the kid is convinced that Sa-

maritan is his, the guy who collects trash. The entire film now revolves around the discovery of Samaritan and how he emerges from the shadows to fight the evil that grips the city.

On the positive side, Stallone, despite his age, still has that screen presence and charisma. In a world obsessed with big ticket VFX action scenes, the raw hand-to-hand combat shots of Samaritan feel refreshingly new. The fight scenes are shot in the city and the entire track of discovering Samaritan from his shadows is quite entertaining.

However, this isn’t a lot to save the film from falling into the traps of becoming a cliche-ridden action film. The production values and overall aesthetics are dull and it looks like the movie was strictly made for streaming. There is also a failed attempt to cash in on Stallone’s Rocky Balboa franchise, which doesn’t do much to salvage the film from its lazy writing.

Samaritan is strictly for Stallone fans who will watch anything from this action superstar, irrespective of the premise and setting.

The Villains of Valley View renewed There will be more of The Villains of Valley View on the Disney + Channel, as the series has been officially renewed for a second season. Earlier this summer, the show premiered its first season, culminating with the finale on July 29. Disney executives are happy with the viewership and response to the series resulting in the show now earning its renewal for more episodes.

“It isn’t hard to see why audiences have fallen in love with the villainous Madden family,” Disney Branded Television President Ayo Davis said in a statement. “Despite a penchant for utilising their superpowers in everyday life, Amy and family ultimately care about and support one another. Even though life can be messy, ridiculous, and sometimes frightening, the Maddens demonstrate

the (super)power of family and togetherness.”

Season 2 will start shooting this autumn in LA. The Villains of Valley View, originally titled Meet The Mayhems, primarily follows the Madden family, a family that seems like they would be completely ordinary except for the fact that they are not at all.

Mom can control electricity; Dad is a mad scientist; Jake has super strength;

and Colby is a shapeshifter.

“Chris and Bryan, along with this terrific cast, are fast at work to deliver a fun and entertaining ‘fresshout-of-water’ tale about an extraordinary family living an ordinary life,” Davis also said when the series was first announced. “While they entertain, the stories also incorporate themes of self-confidence, personal responsibility, teamwork, justice, and empathy.”

Easy, enjoyable viewing (20142018)with a premise ripe for embarrassment humour. Helplessin-love Dylan discovers he has chlamydia and must track down past flings and inform them they might have it too. A flashback narrative keeps us on our toes, especially when the focus turns to Dylan and best friend Evie’s feelings for each other. It never goes into soapy territory, with an eccentric but loveable supporting cast playing English flatmates in a Glasgow setting.

Devi is your average high schooler who wants nothing more than to be cool and get a boyfriend.

But it’s hard to stay chipper after your dad dies. Mindy Kaling’s coming-of-age story (2020—) covers familiar territory and yet it stands out from the pack in multiple ways. Get this: Its narrator is John McEnroe. The sporting connection is just one layer of this surprising, charm- your-socks-of show, depicting an Indian family living in California. You’ve seen these stories before, but not with these unique characters.

Stick with Julie and the Phantoms’ silly premise before making any judgements. Julie is a teenager who accidentally summons a boy band from the ‘90s — The Phantoms. While Julie helps the band achieve their potential, they help her enjoy music and life again after the death of her mother. As music tends to do, the catchy tunes will send you soaring through the joyous, ridiculously entertaining and, of course, romance-filled first season.Ghost jokes are included.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

News

Task ahead as information sought on Auxiliary hospital Do you remember Kilkenny in the good old days of black and white.? If so, you may be able to help the good people at T.A.S.K. , The Training and Support group in Kilkenny.

Based at the Old Auxiliary hospital on Wolfe Tone Street in Kilkenny, the T.A.S.K. workforce provide training and workshops in gardening, horticulture , furniture upcycling, camera club, sports and recreation as well as health and wellbeing.

Another string to their bow is the provision of spaces to a number of artists, many of whom were part of the Fringe Arts Festival held in August.

A spokesperson for T.A.S.K. told ‘The Kilkenny Observer’ that they are currently working on a creative project that reflects the journey of The Auxiliary . As part of the project, they are seeking help from the general public.

They are inviting residents of the area as well as the wider community to share any memories they might

have of the onetime hospital.

These memories can be stories or photos that have been gathered throughout the years.

They would be particularly appealing to people or relatives of people who may have worked at the Auxiliary.

When the information is gathered, it is hoped that an open day, to include an exhibition will be held at the Auxiliary which will give people an opportunity to see the creative response.

If interested, you can contact Una Lennon on 087 9602205 or by email to : una. lennon@hse.ie.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

Opinion

Kilkenny’s Holy Wells

BY JOHN FITZGERALD

St John’s well A Protestant Cleric’s daughter, Dorothea Herbert, kept a diary from 1770 to 1806. One entry offers a graphic account of true religious devotion at the well: “Old Mary Neal fancied herself obligated to go on a pilgrimage for the good of her soul to Saint John’s well. She returned to her home after a long absence with a Bottle of Sanctified Water, two pairs of New Padreens (Beads) a holy cross, a dispensation and the priest’s Blessing.”

But side by side with the prayers and penance went the merry-making and carousing that provoked the wrath of one bishop after another.

Johnswell had an even more infamous reputation for what the Church regarded as misconduct and unchristian revelry than almost any other Holy Well in Ireland.

Even during Penal Times, when there was a price on the head of every catholic cleric, the bishops went out of their

way to denounce unholy behaviour at the wells.

Thomas de Burgo, bishop from 1759 to 1776, issued a stern warning to revellers that they would pay a terrible price in the next world for their acts of desecration. He slammed what he called “That swarm of vagrants with their cursing, swearing, robbing, rioting, thieving, and drinking at this sacred well of St. John”.

He appealed to genuine pilgrims not to give alms to beggars at the well, threatening that such apparent charity was a grave sin. Instead, he suggested; they should drop coins in the charity box (with lock and key) that a cleric had attached to the well and the proceeds would then go to aid the poor.

Bishop de Burgo, a Dominican who admired the Spanish Inquisition, spelled out the penalties to be imposed on anyone behaving immorally at Johnswell: When such peo-

ple died, there would be no Requiem Mass, their graves would be denied a church blessing, and no clergy would attend their funerals.

And that, he added, was nothing compared to what the “lad below” had in store for them.

The Bishop and his priests had to keep an eye out for Redcoats when delivering their fiery sermons at Mass Rocks near Johnswell. And worshippers who gathered to hear them also risked im-

prisonment or death…for the privilege of being threatened and browbeaten by their clerics!

But the merrymaking continued unabated at Johnswell.

A key factor in denting the influence of the Bishop in the district was the decision of a benevolent Protestant Landlord, Miss Cheevers, to allow parts of her land to be used for Patterns.

Though a generous woman who treated her tenants fairly and humanely, unlike

so many other landlords of that era, Miss Cheevers was partly motivated by a desire to aggravate a church whose teachings she found alien and unpalatable.

Ale and whiskey were sold openly from tents erected with her permission. A house on the green beside the well acquired the reputation of being the best shebeen in Ireland. The Hegarty family, and later Murphy’s, occupied it.

Cakes, apples, cheese and gingerbread were available

too for the visitors, and the best fortune-tellers of the county assembled at Johnswell on Patterns days.

Bishop Troy of Ossory, who held his post from 1777 to 1786, was concerned about gatherings at Johnswell, but his pronouncements were directed more at political and protest groupings than at perceived unchristian behaviour.

After excommunicating the Whiteboys of the county he sought to banish them from meeting in the vicinity of the Holy well.

In the aftermath of the 1798 uprising, the authorities were suspicious of all large gatherings. In 1804, a report filed by a James Laffan to a Government office in Dublin stated: “There was never known such a concourse of strangers as attended from the 24th June to 3rd July at St. John’s Well in County Kilkenny. Never was there a greater number of broken heads known at any former period, as all the barony bullies attended their respective factions and every evening closed with drunken quarrels.” (Picures show: Another view of St John’s well and an artist’s impression of a mass in penal times.

To be continued...

Community Group

It’s never too late to start getting fit and active As we clock up life’s mileage in our legs the temptation is to sit down, take it easy, and fall in to the age only trap of ‘Start that next week’ or ‘Tomorrow’. Well from the time we got that first good slap on the backside from the midwife our countdown clock starts heading towards its conclusion. That is why it is so important to stay active in our senior years. Being active and having a health diet will add to our life span and health and wellness.

Our Kilkenny Recreational Sport Partnership is an incredible organisation that regularly organise events for the senior members of society

Go for life games The aim of the Go for Life Games is to involve older people in recreational sport.

The emphasis of the Games is on participation and fun – played in a non-competitive way. For further information, call Seamus on 087 3567884 or email seamus@krsp.ie.

1. National KeepWell Initiative As part of the National KeepWell Initiative, KRSP run online chair-based activities for older adults in nursing homes and in the community. These sessions are aimed to enable the older adult population of Kilkenny to stay active If you are interested in this programme area, please

call Lauren on 085 8048137 or e-mail lauren@krsp.ie.

munity Kilkenny Volunteer Centre’s opportunities are ideal ways to stay fit and active. Volunteering for from a few hours to a day or two.

The following are few simply ways to stay active, stay healthy 1. Get moving Many seniors simply stop moving as much, as they age.

Park further away from the store, take the stairs if possible, and even stand to do everyday tasks to engage your core and improve circulation, both important parts to avoiding falls in your older years.

2. Join a fitness class.

Senior centres across the country are offering yoga, Pilates, Zumba, and other low-impact fitness classes.

These methods are designed to improve posture and strengthen the body without damage to the joints Strength training not only prevents bone loss, but also may even stimulate new bone growth.

It also helps with balance and coordination, key elements in avoiding falls.

3. Find a younger friend.

A recent study found that post-menopausal women who spend one day a week

caring for their grandchildren have a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. While the reasons for the correlation are still under investigation, spending time with young people makes you feel young and vibrant.

4. Stay hydrated Waiting to drink until you are thirsty means your body is already dehydrated. Proper hydration keeps your body from overheating, helps with fatigue and light-headedness, and ensures your vital organs

keep functioning through physical activity.

5. Keep doing things you enjoy doing Sometimes we think just because we are older, we can’t continue to do the things we once loved. If you enjoy cycling, keep cycling. If you enjoy running, keep running.

Your activities may need modification in order to keep doing them.

6. Look for ways to help & volunteer in your com-

7. Eat better Many seniors experience a loss of appetite as they age, so it becomes even more important to ensure you are getting the maximum possible nutrients in every bite. Eating more colourful fruits and vegetables, cutting back on sugars, sodium, and saturated fats can have a profound impact on your overall health. That’s not to say you shouldn’t enjoy what you eat, just be sure you are getting high quality fuel first.

Simply teaching the mind to be aware of the present allows many seniors to feel connected to the world around them.

Thereby creating a sense of community with the world at large.

Whether you have always been active or are just getting started, it is important to discuss any exercise regimen with your doctor before beginning. But remember, it is never too late to start getting fit and active

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

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Community & GAA Notes

Clara Lotto returns CLARA LOTTO The Clara Lotto is back in action again, at last. This is a very important fundraiser for both Clara Parish and Clara GAA Club and we would appreciate as much support as possible from everyone in the locality as we try to get back going again.

We have an online option now available through the Klubfunder App. This allows people to put their numbers into the App, play for a number of weeks at a time and it automatically renews your credits when they run out. We are still running with 3 numbers out of 30 and it’s now €2 per line with minimum jackpot of €1000.We will still do some manual ticket sales each week but we would appreciate it if as many people as possible could download the Klubfunder App (link to follow) and register for Clara Lotto with their mobile number and email address.

Some people have credits from before Covid and these can be easily linked to your account after registration on the app.

We will announce some workshops at Clara Hall and Clara GAA pitch over the next few weeks to assist anyone with the new technology. We also hope to do some door to door visits to help promote the Lotto and explain the new system.

Our first draw will take place on Tuesday 13th September at 8pm. First Jackpot €5,000.

Please try to register on the App as soon as possible to help everything to run smoothly. Thanks again for your continued support in this very important fundraiser for both the Parish and the GAA club. The best of luck to all our supporters in the first draw. Please see Link below to download the Klubfunder App. Its available to download from the Apple and Google Play store.

Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/klubfunder.com/ id1506174556. Google - https://play.google.com/store/apps/ details?id=com.klubfunder.

BRIDGE CLUB Clara Bridge Club has been in existence for the last 20 years.

They play on Monday nights in Connolly’s of Dunbell from September to May. It starts at 7.30pm and finishes at 10.30pm.

The club would welcome all new and old members for a sociable game of Bridge. They will recommence on Monday Sept. 12th with their AGM which was postponed from May. ATHLETICS Billy Coogan travelled to England at the weekend to compete in the “ England Athletics U15 and U17 Championships”, which were held in Bedford. Remarkably Billy won the U17 1500m Steeplechase race, beating the cream of English runners in the process. Fantastic stuff Billy!

SENIORS BEATEN The Clara seniors lost their first Credit Union Senior League game of the season on Friday evening in Thomastown when they were outgunned by a hungrier Mullinavat outfit. Clara started well into the breeze and Paul Cody and Chris Bolger posted early points. In fact Chris’ point should have been a goal but it flew hard and high over the bar. Mullinavat opened their account through Adam Mansfield and quickly found their groove thereafter with a very dangerous looking full forward line where Ger Malone and John Walsh thrived all day. They reached the half time break 1-11 to 0-9 ahead and their lead was richly deserved. The goal had come from the evergreen Willie O Dwyer, who got on the end of a good move involving Ger Malone.

When Liam Ryan opened the second half scoring for Clara it felt like they might kick on but Mullinavat still looked dangerous up front every time the ball went in. The half time introduction of Lester Ryan helped somewhat in this regard but too many backs were struggling with their opponents. Lester scored a great long range point but had to retire immediately afterwards with yet another injury and with him went Clara’s last hope.

Although they scored four points in a row to close the gap to a point, it was the Southerners who finished the game stronger with three unanswered points of their own. David Langton, Martin O Connell, Conor O Shea and Paul Cody were best of the losers on an evening to forget. Last game is against Lisdowney.

Team - Kevin Nolan, Paddy Ryan, Matt Kenny, Sean O Shea.

Shane Staunton, David Langton 0-2, 0-1f, Martin O Connell.

Conor O Shea 0-1, Liam Ryan 0-2. Paul Cody 0-3, Jack Langton 0-2, Jason Byrne 0-4, 0-3f. Dara Glynn, James Nolan, Chris Bolger 0-3. Subs Lester Ryan 0-1, Bill Carrigan, Conor Cody.

JUNIOR JOY They say that goals win matches and this was really illustrated in Clara on Sunday evening of last week when Clara overcame the challenge of hot favourites Dicksboro in a hugely entertaining game. All three Clara goals came at the most opportune times on a perfect evening for hurling and gave them the platform to win this game 3-17 to 2-16.

The Boro looked the slicker team earlier on but Clara’s work rate and the unerring accuracy of Joe Connolly from frees kept them in the game. Only Joe and newly crowned All Ireland Poc Fada champion Killian Phelan had scored for Clara until just before half time when Ciarán Prendergast played a diagonal ball across the field to his cousin Dara Glynn, who gathered the pass sweetly and made ground before finishing low to the net.

This gave the Clara men a slightly flattering two point half time lead - 1-9 to 1-7.

After Joe Connolly had opened the second half scoring with a free the Boro quickly levelled matters with a goal of their own.

Five Clara points from Tom Ryan, Joe Connolly (0-2f), Dara Glynn and Killian Phelan were countered by seven Boro points and they looked the more likely winners at this stage. Clara looked to have run out of steam but then Killian Phelan plucked a puckout from the clouds, took off on a run and finished one handed to the net with half of Dicksboro swinging out of him.

The Boro equalised from a free but Clara were rejuvenated and a minute later Dara Glynn grabbed a ball, swivelled and the net shook again. Rory O Keeffe and Killian Phelan added points to seal the victory and the Boro could only manage one more score as the Clara defence, where Tom Ryan and Evan Whearty shone, and goalkeeper Jason Barcoe held firm.

Team - Jason Barcoe, Evan Whearty, Mick McDonald, Brandon Ryan. James Dowling, Tom Ryan 0-1, Alan Coleman. Stephen Quinlan, Rory O Keeffe 0-1. Joe Connolly 0-10, 0-8f, Killian Phelan 1-4, Ruairí Breen. Ben Nolan, Ciarán Prendergast, Dara Glynn 2-1. Subs used Conor Booth, Noelie O Brien.

JUNIOR DS ADVANCE The Clara Junior D team enjoyed a terrific win over near neighbours Barrow Rangers of Paulstown/Goresbridge last Wednesday evening in Clara. This was a keenly contested affair from beginning to end and Clara had Rory O Keeffe to thank for emerging the victors. Rory contributed 2-12 of the winners’ total and was in inspired form all evening. With a dominant half back line of Brandon Ryan, Dermot Nolan and James Dowling backing up rampant midfielder Alan Coleman, it was left to Rory and full forward Paul Murphy to provide the bulk of the Clara scores.

Paul Murphy was the go to guy at the start of the game and had an early 1-1 on the scoreboard but the Rangers were giving as good as they got at this stage and soon moved four points clear before two late Rory O Keeffe frees left Clara with a 1-8 to 1-6 half time deficit. Alan Coleman had also made the first half scoresheet for the home side.

The second half continued point for point with Rory O Keeffe notching all the Clara scores until Paul Murphy added a beauty from the wing. A Barrow Rangers goal by their full forward had eased them ahead but then a long delivery from David Mulrooney bounced kindly for Rory O Keeffe and he grabbed it and finished coolly to the net. Then when Barrow Rangers replied with a point Rory cropped up with another great goal which was created by a sublime Alan Coleman pass. Now on fire, the same player added two more points from play and suddenly Clara were five points clear. When the Rangers tacked on two pointed frees to cut the deficit to a goal, two O Keeffe frees sandwiched around a real peach of a point from a difficult angle by Bill Cody, eased the tension again. Barrow Rangers, to their credit, never gave up and another goal gave them hope, but Rory O Keeffe again and substitute Conor Kealy closed out the scoring for Clara. 3-17 to 3-13 was how it finished on a balmy night for hurling. Next up is a Saturday semi final against Mooncoin in Tullogher.

Team - Jack Murphy, Jack Carrigan, Mick McDonald, Nick O Keeffe. Brandon Ryan, Dermot Nolan, James Dowling. Alan Coleman 0-1, Conor (Curly) Phelan. Ruairí Breen, Rory O Keeffe 2-12, 0-8f, Adam Harding. David Mulrooney, Paul Murphy 1-2, Bill Cody 0-1. Subs John Brennan, Conor Kealy 0-1, Padraic Brennan.

MOONCOIN MISERY Saturdays semi final in Tullogher ended badly for the Clara Junior D men who looked flat after their great efforts just four days previously. All Ireland Junior champions Mooncoin have a large number of adult players at the present time and were far too sharp for their opponents in Tullogher.

They took the bit between their teeth from the off and never let go. By the time the half time whistle blew they led 2-11 to 0-6 and were out the gap. Rory O Keeffe kept up his good form in

this game and was responsible for all of Clara’s first half scores, two from play.

Mooncoin never let up in the second half and piled on the misery for Clara. Their full forward line were razor sharp and they showed no mercy as they racked up four more goals and the points flowed freely too. Jack Murphy in the Clara net could not be faulted for any of those goals and in fact made one super save to deny Mooncoin. Alan Coleman and Rory O Keeffe were possibly the only two players to get the better of their immediate opponents. Rory accounted for all but one of Clara’s scores, mostly from impeccable free taking, with substitute Conor Kealy adding the other point shortly before the end. Overall it was a night that this Clara team will want to quickly forget.

Team - Jack Murphy, Noelie O Brien, Mick McDonald, Jack Carrigan. Brandon Ryan, Dermot Nolan, James Dowling. Alan Coleman, Conor (Curly) Phelan. Adam Harding, Rory O Keeffe 0-10, 0-8f, Ruairí Breen. Bill Cody, David Mulrooney, Nick O Keeffe. Subs used Paul Murphy, Conor Booth, Conor Kealy 0-1, Padraic Brennan, Thomas Armitage.

CAMOGIE Clara senior ladies began their League/ Championship campaign with an impressive 3-15 to 1-14 win over perennial contenders Thomastown on Sunday morning. Both teams have been hit by emigration this year and were short a few of their main players but Thomastown would have been expected to cope better with these losses. However Clara came with real attitude and showed from the beginning that they weren’t prepared to accept second best on the day. Two early Siobhán Curtis points settled them and soon county star Mary O Connell started scoring both from play and placed balls.

A penalty conversion by Mary following a foul on her sister Margaret was instrumental in giving Clara a 1-9 to 0-8 lead at the half time break.

Thomastown started the second half with real intent and scored an early goal and two points to counter a lovely angled point by Grace Barcoe. This levelled the game and suddenly this tie was really up for grabs. It was the Clara girls who seized the initiative however and they really drove at the Thomastown defence. This led to frees conceded and Mary O Connell converted three of those. Keara Ryan chipped in with a nice left handed point after some sustained Clara pressure and then Aisling Curtis, who was playing a stormer, shot from distance for a point but the ball dipped beneath the crossbar for a Clara goal that gave them a six point lead.

Thomastown fired back with three points but then Grace Barcoe got on the end of a flowing Clara move and crashed the sliotar superbly to the net. A Mary O Connell free closed out the scoring and gave the girls in maroon a seven point win.

This was a real team performance and all of the girls battled as if their lives depended on it. Aoife Glynn couldn’t be faulted for the one shot that beat her. The young full back line of Gráinne Glynn, Rachel Whelan and Katie Ryan were rock solid all the way through. Tamsin English, Laoise Nolan and Margaret Kehoe cleared a mountain of ball from the half back line while Rebecca Nolan and Aisling Curtis lorded it at midfield. Grace Barcoe, the hard running Siobhán Curtis and Mary O Connell were responsible for most of the Clara scoring and inside them Keara Ryan, Margaret O Connell and Niamh Ward were the first line of defence and worked tirelessly to keep the ball in there once it arrived. Young substitute Emma Corr really looked at

O’Loughlin Gaels Caption Under six annual blitz

home when introduced. This was a victory for application and hard work, and if replicated could take Clara a long way this year. The management team of Peter “Chap” Cleere, Shane Prendergast and Jennifer Dillon must have been delighted with the attitude shown on the day. Great win girls!

Team - Aoife Glynn, Gráinne Glynn, Rachel Whelan, Katie Ryan.

Margaret Kehoe, Laoise Nolan, Tamsin English. Rebecca Nolan, Aisling Curtis 1-0. Grace Barcoe 1-1, Siobhán Curtis 0-2, Mary O Connell 1-10, 1-0 penalty, 0-6f, 0-1 x 45 Keara Ryan 0-1, Margaret O Connell, Niamh Ward 0-1. Sub used Emma Corr.

CLUB LOTTO There was no winner of this week’s club lotto (Aug 23rd) Numbers drawn were 8, 10, 13, 25 Bonus 3. Next week’s Jackpot will be €11,600 (August 30th). Play now Promotors Draw. 1. Mary Kearns c/o Damien O’Connell. 2.

Liam & Aoife c/o Damien O’Connell. 3. Mary Kearns c/o Damien O’Connell. 4. Joan Knox c/o Noel Tyrrell 5. Mary Tierney c/ Mick Nolan. 6. Eileen Hogan c/o John Joe Cullen. 7. Des Byrne c/o Mary Deegan. 8. John Rowe c/o Online.

9. Jean McGrath c/o Online. 10. Paul O’Brien c/o Online Thank you for your continued support. www.oloughlingaels. com/lotto RACE NIGHT Congratulations to all our winners at this year’s Race Night. It was a massive success and we wish to thank all our supporters for sponsoring and attending this important club fundraiser.

Raffle Result. 1st Prize Billy Cosgrove Philip Ryan. 2nd - Ray Brophy Marty Hanlon and Peter Dowling. 3rd - Maud Nolan Conor and Robbie Geoghegan. 4th - Byrne Family Mikey Butler. 5th - John Mulloney Sophie O’ Brien SUPPORT OUR TEAMS The championships are well underway. Unfortunately our Junior E’s and Junior A’s have exited the race but it’s all to play for with the remainder of our teams. We wish our hurling and camogie teams the best of luck and encourage you all to come and support them at every opportunity. There’s been great work put in by players and mentors alike and this is the end of the year all that this endeavour aims towards, help them get over the line and roar on the Loughs.

U6s ANNUAL BLITZ It was one hell of a turn out on Sunday morning when over 300 u6’s from clubs right across south east Leinster converged upon St. John’s Park for the annual u6 blitz. Sun shine and hurling stars were the order of the day. Well done to all the participants and organisers for the event. A big thanks too to our sponsors McCarthy’s Eurospar at Newark Shopping Centre. Lovely hurling

WINNERS Huge Congratulations go out to David Condon and his son Gyll of Bohergloss Freshford who had a great weekend at two different shows. They were winners at the Iverk show on Saturday last with 2nd and 3rd place in the Ram class and 2nd in the senior ewe class. They had a great day again on Sunday at the Dualla Show getting 1st place in the ram lamb class and 3rd in the ewe lamb section. Uppertown went on to be tapped reserve overall show champion. Well done to all.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

Community & GAA Notes

Parade at the O’Loughlin Gaels GAA u6 blitz.

Ready for action.

O’Loughlin Gaels Camogie’s Ena, Iveta and Siofra who helped Kilkenny Camogie in a successful Leinster u15s Development Day at Portlaoise DEATH Dr. Eva McCarthy who died last week in County Cork was daughter of the Late Dr. Moore of The Square Freshford who served in the village for many years. She was the last surviving member of the Moore family. Her funeral mass took place in St.Lachtains Church on Saturday last and burial took place in St Lachtains Cemetery afterwards.

FEILE LACHTAIN 2022 Kilkenny archaeologist Mr. Cóilín Ó Drisceoil delivered a lecture at Ionad Lachtain on “Excavations at St. Lachtain’s Church “recently .

Meanwhile local man Mike Cormack’s book of 21st century photographs was launched recently at Ionad lachtain and is now on sale.

MARTHA O’DONNELL RIP The people of the area were saddened last week to her of the death of Martha O’Donnell late of Botherless Freshford. Martha who was in her 80s had been unwell recently but nevertheless her passing caused widespread regret. She was a friendly, neighbourly and good living lady and loved a chat. Her funeral mass took place in St. Lachtain’s Church on Saturday afternoon followed by burial in St.Lachtains Cemetery. She is mourned by her brother Michael, sister in law Maura, nephews and extended family to whom sympathy is extended.

GAA St.Lachtains intermediate hurlers had their first win of the campaign on Saturday evening last when they defeated The Fenians in a game played at Lisdowney. The Johnstown side took an early lead but the local lads got more into the game and were ahead at the break. They lifted their game somewhat in the second half and came out deserving winners with 6 pts to

Game on spare at the final whistle on a final score of 2-16 to 1-13. Next up is Danesfort in the final round of the league at date and venue to be released soon.

SYMPATHY Sincere sympathy is extended to Pat Anderson Woodview Freshford and all his family on the death last weekend of his brother Thomas in County Kildare and late of Tullaroan Co. Kilkenny. Funeral mass took place on Monday morning last in St Brigid’s Church Kildare town followed by burial in St.Conleth’s Cemetery...

SOCCER Soccer has now returned and the schoolboys section is also set to resume. Freshford Town Junior sides first game was in the Pat Maher Shield where they came out the wrong side of a 3-0 scoreline against River Rangers.

The annual Colin McGree Tournament took place last Sunday at the local sports field. This tournament is run each year in memory of Colin who was a talented young soccer player. (full report next week) SPLIT THE POT The weekly lucky winner of last week’s split the pot draw was Carmel Burke, who won the sum of €91. The draw takes place each Wednesday. Tickets are just €2 and the winner gets half of the takings. The draw is held each Wednesday and boxes and envelopes can be found in Kavanaghs Bar, Mace, O’Shea’s corner shop, Girls& Guys Hairdressers, Oasis Creche, Freshford Creamery, Freshford Butchers and Prague House. Big thanks for all your support.

PARISH NEWS Mass is held in the Parish Church each Wednesday morning at 9.30am and on Sunday morning at 11am.wiith Mass in Tulla church on Saturday evenings at 7.30pm.

Notices The parish newsletter is available on their website every

David Condon winner at show at weekend

week and also 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 Jennifer in 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.

LOOP CAFE The Committee of the Loop Café project ran a very successful cabaret in Kavanaghs on Friday night last with Elvis Tribute performing. Big work is continuing on the Community Cafe a Buncrussia Street and is due to open in September and great credit is due to the volunteers who have worked so hard to get all the work done. The Committee thank all those who supported the fund raiser and all who have donated over the past months.

BIG THANK YOU The organisers of the recent fundraiser in aid of upgrade to Paintwork in St. Nicholas Church Tulla wish to say a big thank you for your kind donations with a total of 860 euro collected.

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.

KILMOGANNY BRIDGE CLUB Kilmoganny Bridge Club Results for 17/08/2022: 1 Gerry FitzGerald and Emer Wallace. 2 Margaret Duggan and Therese Walsh.

The bridge results for 24/08/2022: 1 Gerry FitzGerald and Emer Wallace. 2 Helen Lanigan and; Kitty Meagher. Bridge is every Wednesday night at 7.30pm in St. Eoghan’s Centre, Kilmoganny. All welcome.

DUNNAMAGGIN GAA GAA lotto Syndicate winners:- June: €100 Billy Heffernan, €100 Seamus Knox, €50 Denis Lahart, €50 Patrick Butler, €50 Andrew O Dwyer, €50 Matt Doran. July:€100 Joe Murray, €100 Jamie Mcloughlin, €50 Jack Brett, €50 Paul Hughes, €50 Michael Lyons, €50 Eoghan Kearney. August: €100 James Rossiter, €100 Brian Farrell, €50 Mary Cody, €50 Ciaran Moore, €50 Gerry Brett, €50 Margaret O Shea.

GOLF CLASSIC CANCELLED Hi all, it is with regret that we must cancel our annual golf classic this year. Our rescheduled date clashes with important minor and intermediate games and unfortunately there are no other dates free in the golf calendar. We will be back again 2023.

PILTOWN TICKETS That time of year again. Piltown tickets (€50 for 5 draws) are now available from usual sellers/GAA club officials and adult players.This is an important fundraiser for Dunnamaggin GAA club as 50% Min goes back to club so please support if you can LOCAL LOTTO Local Lottos Results for 22nd August - Winning Numbers : 19 , 25 , 31 . No Winner.

Winners of Draw for 5 x € 30.Kevin Barry ( Mags Cahill ), Izzy ( Pat Comerford ), Young Bucks ( Olive Buckley ),Inez Sheridan ( Joe Sheridan ), Wilsons ( Olive Buckley) Jackpot next Week August 29th € 1,900 Venue : Delaney’s Kells at 9pm. All Welcome DUNNAMAGGIN DEVELOPMENT GROUP A great day was had at the Annual Vintage Fair in the village last Sunday. A great effort was made by many residents of Dunnamaggin and the surrounding areas to dress up in vintage costume. There was a great buzz around the afternoon tea tent and at the Best Dressed Competition, a real social event for all generations. Winners of the Best Dressed were Lady Mary Moylan and her butler Mr Jimmy Carson Hawe. Lady Mary was presented with a bouquet of flowers, the winners were treated to Afternoon Tea and took home a bottle of wine and a voucher for Smile Photography by Cyndi Cliffe. The best dressed child was won by Morgan Cliffe who was presented with a handmade bag. Judging was by Paula from Style by Maypetals. Of course, we can’t forget our raffle winners Mary Murphy from Kilmacow, stallholder extraordinaire Cáit and Sean Moylan. Besides being great fun, our markets serve a great social purpose, connecting us all as a community, young and old from all parts of the parish and beyond. Our next market is the last Sunday in September and will have a harvest theme with a Scarecrow Competition.

OTHER NEWS The Remembrance Walk to commemorate those who died, particularly those during the pandemic,has started. DDG hope to complete it in stages, the first of which is the Remembrance Tree. PJ Dawson is creating the wrought iron tree that will be situated at the start of the walk. Light from beneath it will

be visible both night and day. This project is part funded by Kilkenny County Councils Amenity Grant Scheme.

The fourth Community Spirit Award will be awarded in November. This year, as last, we have a nomination process in place for people to nominate someone they feel should be acknowledged for their voluntary work and contribution to the parish of Dunnamaggin which encompasses the three villages of Kells, Dunnamaggin and Kilmoganny. Nominations can be sent via private message to our facebook page saying why your nominee should receive the award. Nomination forms will also be available at the September market and in local shops soon.

Baurscobe Cross - DDG has received grant aid from the National Tidy Towns to develop the green area at Baurscobe Cross. Aime Moore from Botanical Graphics has designed the planting for us and work will commence soon.

Making Dunnamaggin Development Group a Company Limited by Guarantee, in order to be able to access large grant aid such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to develop the village as envisioned in the five year plan, the group needs to become a CLG. The group met with Declan Rice and Fergus Horgan of Kilkenny LEADER Partnership along with some locals who are interested in becoming directors of the company.

Anyone who is interested in coming to the next meeting to discuss further please private message the facebook page Dunnamaggin Community News or call Trish 087 7565376 for information.

DUNNAMAGGIN LADIES FOOTBALL CLUB Great championship round 1 win for our U14 girls last Saturday away to Muckalee.

Their next round, which is also doubling as the C LEAGUE FINAL, is next Sunday September 4th in Dunnamaggin at 6pm against Clara. Come along and support this talented group of girls.

KELLS KINGS CHARITY CYCLE Come join us on SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3RD at 9:45am (registration from 8.30-9.30) in Kells for the return of this fantastic event (cycle distances will be 116km and 85km). The registration fee is €35 but if you register online, you can avail of our online discount and register for just €30 (until Friday 2nd Sept at 1pm). You can register online via coisnore.ie/kellskings Light up the Bridge will take place on the night of the Kells Kings Cycle. Write your message of hope or remembrance around a candle and it will be placed on the bridge.

Bags (€5 each) are available from Cois Nore, Walkin St, Bob’s Shop Kells, Mairead’s Hair Salon or contact John Power 087 6488986 or Mary Theresa Power 085 7517734 Both events are in aid of Cois Nore - cancer support service Kilkenny DROICHEAD FAMILY RESOURCES CENTRE Droichead Family Resource Centre are now enrolling for the Moving on Programme commencing in September 2022.

Get Driver Theory, Driving Lessons and Test preparation while training in Employment Skills including Safepass, HACCP and First Aid. Training allowance paid subject to DSP entitlements.

For more information contact Droichead Family Resource Centre on (056) 7755660. Kilkenny Parents Hub will be held in Droichead Family Resource Centre on Mon- Fri. For more information call, email or text our Support Workers. Jess (085) 8564950 developmentworker@droicheadfrc.ie Carmel (083) 2098069 familysupport@droicheadfrc.ie Droichead Family Resource Centre has a Fully Funded Part Time Course starting in September 2022 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9.30am-12.30pm. If you are interested in Healthcare and would like a QQI Level 5 Healthcare Support Qualification, contact Back to Education Initiative on (056) 7701020 or email btei@kkadulted.ie for more information.

Look out for upcoming courses & workshops throughout the Autumn in Droichead including First Aid Responder, Fitness and Gentle Movement Classes, Pottery & Art Classes , Dance and Photography. For more information contact Droichead Family Resource Centre on (056) 7755660.

Did you know that there is a low cost typing and photocopying service available in Droichead Family Resource Centre? For more information and to keep up to date with all of the services , supports and community groups available at Droichead follow us on Instagram and Facebook or call the centre on (056) 7755660.

Free Recovery and Resilence Training series The latest round of the Recovery and Resilience Training is now available free of charge for any group who would like to upskill in the area of digital skills, governance, strategic planning, management and more. This training is delivered by Carmichael, on behalf of the Community Foundation of Ireland.

Upcoming Training includes: Tue 6th Sep 2022 18:00pm Charities Governance Code Tue 13th Sep 2022 10:00am Volunteer Wellbeing. Tue 27th Sep 2022 10:00am Running an Effective Meeting. Tue 4th Oct 2022 10:00am Microsoft 365. Tips for using MS Office Apps. Tue 11th Oct 2022 10:00am Using Social Media to Promote Your Work Tue 18th Oct 2022 18:00pm Committee Skills. Tue 1st Nov 2022 10:00am Risk Management Tue 8th Nov 2022 18:00pm Strategic Planning Further information https://www.eventbrite.ie/cc/recoveryand-resilience-training-programme-57749 INVITATIONS Kilkenny Age friendly Older Peoples Council are inviting older people for a gathering in the Orchard House on 7th September 2022 or in the Hoban Hotel on 9th September 2022 from 9.15am to 12.30pm to hear about your needs and interests.

Call Betty or Mary for further information on 086 3715757 or 086 1942174

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

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kilkennyobserver.ie

Community & GAA Notes GRANT WRITING TIPS AND TRICKS This free webinar of the Wheel presents a model for how to streamline grant writing processes within your organisation, analyse opportunities, and increase the impact of projects through careful design and implementation. The webinar takes place on 16 September 2022 from 10am to 12.30pm. See https://www.wheel.ie/ training/2022/09/grant-writing-tips-and-tricks-webinar for further information.

TIME TO CHANGE Time to change - a future for everyone’; Regional PPN Environmental event, 17th September Kilkenny PPN together with Waterford, Carlow, Wexford and Tipperary. PPNs will be hosting a South East Region Environmental event in the Parade Tower, Kilkenny Castle on Saturday 17th September from 9.30am to 2pm for member groups promoting all things sustainable and climate action.Speakers will include Michael Ewing (Environmental scientist and lifelong activist), Eanna ni Lamhna (Irish biologist, Author and Enviromental consultant), Breda Maher (Climate Action Regional Officer), Jeanette O’Brien (Climate Officer Carlow County Council) and Waterford Comhairle na nOg and Comhairle Project Environment. The event will be facilitated by Jen Harris, CEO of Waterford Sustainable Living Initiative. Lunch will be provided in the Pembroke hotel from 2pm.

Please email to ppnkilkenny@kilkennycoco.ie if you would like to attend the event. Places are limited.

GOWRAN PITCH AND PUTT Congratulations to the Gowran team of Anne Dylan and Seán on their win over the weekend at the three-ball scramble in memory of Helen McMorrow.

GOWRAN AC The Awards Night took place at Gowran Park racecourse on Friday evening 26th, 8:30pm.

The awards night recognised athletes performances at all levels and in all disciplines. The club had lots of success at County, Leinster, National and International Level in Track & Field, Cross Country and Road.

GOWRAN LITTLE THEATRE Auditions have taken place for The Communication Cord by Brian Friel. The action takes place in a restored thatched cottage close to the sea in the remote townland of Ballybeg, County Donegal. The play will showcase in Gowran Hall later in the year.

GOWRAN EARLY YEARS AND AFTERSCHOOL SERVICES Service has now resumed for the school year.

SPORTS ROUND UP MICHAER O’LEARY Juniors impressively march towards semi-final It was a very busy week for the Junior A Team as they had wins against St. Patricks Ballyragget and Dicksboro to qualify for a Semi-Final showdown with Thomastown on Saturday.

Against St. Patricks Ballyragget, they won 2-15 to 1-13 as they outscored their Ballyragget counterparts 0-7 to 0-2 to emerge 5-point victors. They led 0-5 to 0-3 by the 18th minute, before their first goal came in the 21st minute after Young Irelands were awarded an indirect free. Paul Kinsella raced through at blistering speed and without catching, he let rip with an unstoppable shot that gave the St. Patricks Ballyragget goalkeeper no chance. 1-5 to 0-3. Sean Kehoe who had a highly prominent first half with 0-3 from play struck a superb point from play in the 23rd minute to extend the Young Irelands lead (1-6 to 0-3), but after the Ballyragget men grabbed a goal in the 25th minute, Young Irelands responded almost immediately with a Dylan Carey goal following a lay-off by the outstanding Padraig Naddy. 2-6 to 1-4.

Young Irelands led 2-8 to 1-6 at half-time but The Third Quarter was very scrappy as the Ballyragget Men prevented Young Irelands from gaining any sort of stranglehold and they added five unanswered points to draw level by the 46th minute with four of those points coming from frees. 2-8 to 1-11. Young Irelands struggled to make inroads during the Third Quarter as they were frustrated by a tighter marking St. Patricks outfit throughout that period, but they impressed once more in the Final Quarter as they began to create and find space with Sub Killian Carey leading the way. Killian added superb points from play in the 47th and 51st minute as Young Irelands added four unanswered points to build up a four-point lead. 2-12 to 1-11.

The St. Patricks Men narrowed the gap with a point from play in the 56th minute, but the Gowran Men finished strongly with points from Paul Kinsella, Tommy Phelan ‘65 and Dylan Carey from play to secure victory.

Following a slow start in which they trailed 0-6 to 0-2 before the end of the first quarter, the Young Irelands Juniors took control as they produced a superb Team performance to eventually blow away Dicksboro. Dylan Carey was keeping the scoreboard ticking over and he had 0-4 (0-3 frees) registered before the first goal came in the 25th minute. It was a brilliant team goal with Padraig Naddy and Killian Carey involved as they combined to set-up Dylan Carey. Dylan’s shot was blocked on the goal-line, before the sliotar trickled into the net following a goalmouth scramble with Dylan possibly getting the final touch although Padraig Naddy was in proximity. That goal put Young Irelands 1-5 to 0-6 up and in front for the first time and they didn’t surrender the lead afterwards. Naddy, Sean Kehoe, and Jimmy Lennon added further points to put Young Irelands 1-8 to 0-7

ahead at the interval.

Within two minutes of the restart, Tommy Phelan added a superb long-range point from 90 yards from play to stretch the lead before Jimmy Lennon blazed a goal chance wide of goal.

Dicksboro added points in the 38th and 40th minutes respectively to narrow the deficit (1-9 to 0-9), before Centre-Back Jack Brennan surged upfield to score a magnificent long-range point in the 41st minute to steady Young Irelands. 1-10 to 0-9. Killian Carey added a point either side of Dicksboro points in the 43rd minute to maintain their four-point advantage (1-11 to 0-10) when his goal chance just had about too much height and crept over the crossbar, before the Boro Men pointed a free in the 47th minute to narrow the gap once again. 1-11 to 0-11.

However, Young Irelands added two further goals in a threeminute spell between the 48th and 51st minutes that their dominance deserved. The Second goal was a Brilliant Team goal that involved the entire Full-Forward line. Paul Kinsella and Dylan Carey combined with Dylan’s shot blocked before Conor Fitzpatrick slammed the sliotar past the Dicksboro goalkeeper.

2-11 to 0-12. Conor added a point in the 50th minute following a Dicksboro free before Dylan Carey effectively finished the game as a contest when he displayed great determination to break free and apply the finishing touch with a superb shot. 3-12 to 0-12. The outstanding Jimmy Lennon finished in style with two long range points and Jimmy gave a 5-star-performance matching his sister Julie who was outstanding for the Young Irelands Camogie Seniors earlier in the day.

It has been a busy week for Jimmy, Jack Brennan, Tommy Phelan, and Sean Kehoe who played four matches in 8 days between the Young Irelands Intermediates and Juniors and all 4 acquitted themselves extremely well against Dicksboro.

YOUNG IRELANDS v Dicksboro: Peter Hutchinson, Kevin Quinlan, Emmet Byrne, Phily O’Donnell, Sean Middleton, Jack Brennan (0-1), Tommy Phelan (0-1), Jimmy Lennon (0-3), Padraig Naddy (0-1), Sean Kehoe (0-1), Chris Nolan, Killian Carey (0-2), Paul Kinsella, Dylan Carey (2-4 0-3 frees), Conor Fitzpatrick (1-1), Disappointment As Final Quarter Fightback Falls Short Following the euphoria of their comeback win against Championship favourites Thomastown the previous weekend, the Young Irelands Intermediates fell flat on their faces with a 2-16 to 1-14 loss against Conahy Shamrocks on Friday night. The Gowran Men made the worst possible start as they conceded a goal in the very first minute and The Conahy Men maintained their lead throughout the first half and by half-time they led 1-8 to 0-6. They took even further control in the third quarter and by the midway point of the Second Half, they had built-up a commanding 2-13 to 0-7 lead. The game was beyond Young Irelands reach, but they did their utmost to try and resurrect the situation. However, despite outscoring their opponents 1-7 to 0-3 in the Final Quarter, they ran out of time to close the gap further.

Attention will now turn to their final Group League game against Dunnamaggin on Saturday week 10th September in Bennettsbridge. It’s a crunch game for both teams with Dunnamaggin themselves looking for a backlash following a comprehensive loss to Carrickshock.

Seniors Continue Impressive Start Michael Lyng Motors Senior Championship Round 2 Young Irelands Gowran 1-19 Conahy Shamrocks 0-10 The Young Irelands Senior Camogie girls made it two wins from two with another emphatic and impressive performance in a 12-point defeat of Conahy Shamrocks on Sunday. At half-time, Young Irelands led 1-8 to 0-6 with the 9 out of the 15 scores in the first half coming from placed balls. County Senior Steffi Fitzgerald was on target 6 times during the first half with 5 of her points coming from placed balls. Last year’s All-Ireland Minor winning Captain Sarah O’Donnell was also on target with a point from play in the 27th minute, with the goal coming from Sarah Ann Quinlan in the 9th minute. That goal brought the Young Irelands girls’ level in the 9th minute (1-0 to 0-3) after the Conahy girls opened the scoring with three pointed frees.

Following Sarah Ann’s goal, the Gowran girls took the lead afterwards and they would maintain the lead and start to take control of the game.

The outstanding Julie Lennon led the way throughout the Second Half, and she pointed twice from play within three minutes of the restart to stretch the lead further and with Steffi Fitzgerald (2 frees), Sarah and Grace O’Donnell adding further points, the game was effectively put beyond Conahy Shamrocks reach as they led 1-14 to 0-6 in the 36th minute. The Gowran girls remained in control for the remainder of the half as further points came from Steffi Fitzgerald(free), Julie Lennon (2), Sarah O’Donnell before Steffi who was top scorer 0-10(0-9 frees) finished the game with a long distance free to conclude the scoring.

A most impressive display from Young Irelands with Steffi leading the way with her reliable and accurate sharpshooting. Defensively, they deserve a special mention as they only conceded 0-3 from play with Mia Murphy, Nicole Carter, and Tiffanie Fitzgerald impressive. Julie Lennon led the way in attack as her speed, power, awareness, and unselfish work caused the Conahy defence all sorts of problems while Sarah and Grace O’Donnell along with Sarah Ann Quinlan all played their part at various stages.

Another home game in Gowran awaits Young Irelands next

Sunday Morning at 11am as they host last year’s Intermediate Champions Barrow Rangers.

SCORERS: Steffi Fitzgerald 0-10(0-9 frees), Julie Lennon 0-4, Sarah Ann Quinlan 1-1, Sarah O’Donnell 0-3, Grace O’Donnell 0-1 Meanwhile, the U-14 and Minor girls are in Quarter-Final action tonight (Wednesday) with the U-14s at home to St. Annes, while the Minor girls travel to Callan to play John Lockes.

Young Irelands healthy club family fun day!

This coming Saturday Afternoon, A Healthy Club Family Fun Day will take place with plenty of activities for all the Family, highlighted by the inaugural Young Irelands Rounders Final from 3.15pm. The Final will be contested between Scart, and The Steeples after both Teams won their Semi-Finals last Thursday Night.

Scart were victorious against Clashwilliam, and they prevailed narrowly 20-17 having led 11-10 at half-time. Rockfield and The Steeples took to the field soon afterwards in the Second SemiFinal, and The Steeples led throughout as they 9-6 at half-time before winning out 18-13 to set-up a final showdown with Scart.

The Rounders is part of a wide range of activities on Saturday as follows Food from 1.30. Fun Team games from 1.30pm. FREE healthy treat table. Rounders final from 3.15pm with Commentary and MC from Young Irelands PRO Michael O’Leary Formerly of KCLR. Music and face painting Development Squads Final Day Very well done to the Young Irelands Representatives who Represented Kilkenny across U14, U15 and U16 age grades in the Tony Forristal, Sonny Walsh, Arrabawn, John Doyle, and U16 Tournaments.

U14: Kealan Barcoe, Kieran Carter, and Aidan Keating. U15: Thomas Langton. U16: Jim Conlon and Cian Phelan.

Juvenile Hurling It’s a busy week for the Young Irelands Underage Teams with the Minor and U-13 B Teams in Championship action. On Monday Night, the Minor A Team played Clara in the First round of the Championship, The Minor B Team played Emeralds last night (Tuesday) also in the First round of the Championship, while this Saturday Morning, The U-13 B Team host James Stephens at 11am in the Championship Quarter-Final. Meanwhile, The Young Irelands U-11s hosted St. Martins last Sunday Morning, while the U-9s participated in the annual Luke Roche Tournament in Inistioge Saturday morning. Three great games were played in the heat with wins against Glynn Barntown and Blacks and Whites. Medals and goodies were presented to the players for their efforts.

CLUB LOTTO Dicksboro GAA Club LOTTO Results Aug 25th Nos: 2 13 25 31.

Jackpot: €3950 Not Won Draw Prizes – €50: Ned Butler c/o online. €25 each J & P Kennedy c/o J Kennedy €25 each John McKee c/o online. €25 each Michael Hayes c/o online. Co op draw ticket Brian Fitzpatrick c/o B Fitzpatrick .

Promotors prize Jimmy McGarry New weeks draw €4100. Thank you for your continued support ST CANICE’S CREDIT UNION SENIORS LEAGUE Congratulations to our Senior Hurlers who had a good win against Graigue Ballycallan Saturday evening in John Lockes Park on a scoreline of 3-22 to 1-13. Next up is James Stephens at 3.30pm in Nowlan Park Sunday 4th September.

Hard luck to our Junior A team who lost out to Gowran Sunday afternoon 3-14 to 0-12.

Our JHL (Section B) team dug deep and won against a very good Lisdowney side. Well done lads.

SENIOR CLUB CAMOGIE Well done to our Senior ladies who put in a very strong team performance against Windgap Sunday morning in Palmerstown Boro girls won on a scoreline of 3-19 to 2-4.Thanks to all who took the scenic route to watch the match Sunday morning too !! Next up for the girls is Piltown Sunday 4th of September at 11am in Piltown.

DEVELOPMENT SQUADS Congratulations to our club players who took part in highly competitive games Saturday representing Kilkenny at u14, u15 & u16 age groups. Well done to all involved.

Best of luck to all our underage camogie players and Hurlers who will return to school this week. And best of luck to our young adult players who will be receiving their Leaving Cert Results on Friday.

PALMERSTOWN CLUBHOUSE Dicksboro Clubhouse Bar is opened every Thursday from 8.30pm. Thursday nights is Lotto Draw and Cards Night. All are welcome out for a social drink, a chat and if there is interest, a beginners card table. We would be delighted to see you out to the club for a chat. We have a selection of non-alcoholic beers, barista coffee also available so come along and enjoy.

MASS TIMES Hugginstown Church: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday and Friday at 9.30a.m.

Vigil. Saturday 3rd. at 8.00p.m. Sunday 4th. at 10.00a.m.

Stoneyford Church:Wednesday and Friday at 7.00p.m. Vigil Saturday 3rd. at 6.30p.m.

Saturday 3rd. Feast of St. Gregory the Great.

Friday 2nd. 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.

Pray For: Packie McBride, Sheepstown. Bishop Seamus Freeman, Retired Bishop of Ossory Anniversary Mass next weekend: James and Ellen Duggan, Boolyglass:Mass in Hugginstown Church on Sunday 4th.

September at 10.00a.m.

Rota for week-end: 3rd. and 4th. September 2022 (TwentyThird Sunday in Ordinary Time).

Readers: Stoneyford: Saturday 6.30p.m. Catherina Roche. Hugginstown: Saturday 8.00p.m. Pat Power. Sunday 10.00a.m. Mary Foran.

Eucharistic Ministers:Stoneyford: Saturday 6.30p.m. Natalia Smolen. Hugginstown: Saturday 8.00p.m. Teresa Broderick.

Sunday 10.00a.m. Lillian Carr.

LOTTO AGHAVILLER AND CARRICKSHOCK GAA Draw: Monday 22nd. August 2022. Numbers: 28; 07; 14; 21. No Winner First 3 Numbers Drawn: One Jackpot Winner: €5,300.00 Jackpot Winner: Paddy Hudson, Aghaviller. €200.00 Seller of Jackpot Ticket: James Irish, Hugginstown. 3 x €15.00 (Sellers):Trish Power; Tommy Hoyne; Pat Fitzgerald. Next week: Match 3: €500.00; (First 3 Numbers Drawn) Jackpot: €5,000.00. (4 Numbers in any order) KILKENNY BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT Kilkenny Bereavement Support is running a Training Course for Volunteers commencing on Friday 16th. September and running for 30 hours over a 5 week period. They have 3 places available on this course. The course will take place in Villa Maria, Talbot’s Inch, Kilkenny. If interested, please phone 056 775 6538 or visit their website www.kilkennybereavementsupport.com for an application form. Closing date: Sept 5th.

ST MARYS CATHEDRAL RESTORATION FUND DRAW The first draw for St. Mary’s Cathedral Restoration Fund 2022/2023 year is due to take place on Wednesday 28th.

September 2022. The draw year 2022/20223 will run from September 2022 to August 2023. Draw will be held at 8.00p.m on the last Wednesday of each month. Tickets are available at the Parish House, Hugginstown: Telephone contact 056 776 8693. All Tickets to be entered by Monday 26th. September if you wish to be part of the First Draw on Wednesday 28th. Subscription €10.00 per month: Prize Money €5,000.00 per month.

Roman Catholic Diocese and Parishes of Ossory - Registered Charity No. 20015831 SAFEGUARDING CONTACTS Diocesan Designated Liaison Person: Ms. Kathleen Sherry Tel: 087 100 0232 or email: dlp@ossory.ie. Aghaviller Parish Representatives are: Teresa Broderick and Carmel O’Toole STUDY THEOLOGY ONLINE The Priory Institute provides Online Theology Courses to degree level. Attend Saturday lectures in Tallaght or from the comfort of your own home. Register before September 13th. Find out more on our website, prioryinstitute.com. Click to see a 2 minute introductory film.

CLOTHES COLLECTION Clothes Collection Supporting Friends of Calcutta (CHY No: 13218) on Thursday September 1st. outside Hugginstown Church. All items of wearable clothing, footwear, curtains most welcome. The collection ends at 4.00p.m. All enquiries to Michael Hopkins 087 907 3074 who will be delighted to arrange a home collection if requested. Sadly we cannot accept duvets, cushions or pillows.

RESCHEDULED MAJOR The last Major of the year President Coleman Loughnane’s Prize has been rescheduled from Sept 3rd to Saturday Sept 10th .

LADY CAPTAIN OUTING The Lady Captain Anne Croke’s outing was held at Faithlegg G.C. on Wednesday in beautiful weather conditions.The winning team of Miriam Fennelly, Pauline Duffy and Anna Starr carded 96 points. In second place was Niamh Cunningham, Melanie O Brien and Ann Needham.

RESULTS Tuesday 23rd 18 Hole s/f. 1st Rita O Neill 44points. 2nd Bridget Holohan 41pts 9 Hole Mary Croke 21pts. Brid Carpendale 21pts. Social Mixed continues on Friday Evening.

Kilkenny Bridge Club will re-open on Tuesday 20th September 2022 at 7.15pm.

New members most welcome.

Angela Carroll President.

Further enquiries to Secretary 086 6050075.

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 02 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

Hurling matters

Sport

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

Another weekend of club hurling is done and dusted as the league get set for final round fixtures.

Another weekend of club hurling is done and dusted as the league get set for final round fixtures.

Group A

Last Friday night Mullinavat surprised some by defeating Clara by 4 points at a sun-drenched Thomastown.

Willie O’Dwyer’s major in the opening period proved decisive along with a 10-point haul for John Walsh as they derailed Clara’s bid to hold onto top spot in Group A. Next up for the Vegas Boys is a round 5 game against Erins Own, while Clara will want to get back to winning ways when they face bottom of the table Lisdowney in Jenkinstown on Sunday.

Lisdowney’s difficult season continued when they slumped to an 11-point defeat at the hands of Tullaroan at Pairc Lachtain last Saturday. Marksmen Shane Walsh and Dylan Simpson notched 1-17 between them and were key to the Sash’s victory. It’s worth noting that 1-12 of this tally came from play. Lisdowney were well in the game until the interval, only trailing by one point.

Indeed it would be Simpson’s major that help Tullaroan pull away from their opponents and in the end cruise to victory.

As mentioned, Lisdowney will face Clara next, while the much-anticipated clash between Tullaroan and Shamrocks Ballyhale will attract many Gaels to John Locke Park on Sunday.

Talking of Ballyhale, Pat Hoban’s team navigated a tricky test against Niall Rigney’s Erins Own at headquarters. It would take a couple of late scores from county star Eoin Cody to get Shamrocks over the line after his side came back from 3 points down to snatch victory at UPMC Nowlan Park.

Early on it appeared that this would be a routine win for Ballyhale, as Liam Barron, and county men Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody fired them into a 5-point lead.

A brace of scores from both Stephen Daly and Niall McMahon, along with one from Declan Dunne, saw the Castlecomer men keep in in touch The Lively Stephen Daly who was impressive throughout, along with Jack Buggy put Erins Own 3 points up, but scores from the Corcoran’s, Darragh and Ronan and eventual match winner Eoin Cody saw Shamrocks level as the game entered additional time. Step forward twice crowned Young Hurler of the Year Eoin Cody who tagged on those two crucial scores to secure maximum points.

Erins Own will look to finish on a high when then faceoff against Mullinavat at Gowran on Sunday. Shamrocks Ballyhale will go toe-to-toe with Tullaroan in a possible group-topping encounter at John Locke Park. This one could be a cracker.

Group B

Round 4’s games started with a cracking game in Inistioge, where Intermediate champions Glenmore took on the challenge of last season’s League winners, Bennettsbridge. A high-scoring affair saw the Bridge take the honours with a 5-point win.

A penalty from David Blanchfield midway through the second period gave his side a 3-point lead which they never surrendered. Free taker, Nicky Cleere was in imperious form and also raised a green flag, and along with Sean Morrisey who was a constant threat throughout.

Glenmore have two wins and two defeats from their four games to date, and will round off the campaign with a tough fixture with O’Loughlin Gaels in Thomastown on Sunday. Bennettsbridge will look to maintain their 100% record when the play winless Graigue-Ballycallan in Dunnamaggin.

Dicksboro proved far too strong for Graigue-Ballycallan when the sides met at John Locke Park last weekend.

St Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling League Brian Butler has his way blocked by high flying Darragh Brennan

Ballyhale edge Erins Own as O’Loughlin’s take city bragging rights

Dylan Simpson scores vital goal for tullaroan

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

51

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Hurling matters St Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling League Group A

Mossy Walsh takes control

Shane Donoghue gets his handpass away challenged

by Paddy Deegan

#

Team

P

W

L

D

F

A

Pts

1

Shamrocks Ballyhale

4

3

1

0

100

84

6

2

Tullaroan

4

2

1

1

94

78

5

3

Clara

4

2

1

1

97

92

5

4

Mullinavat

4

2

2

0

75

89

4

5

Erins Own

4

1

3

0

73

86

2

6

Lisdowney

4

1

3

0

74

84

2

St Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling League Group B #

Team

1

P

W

L

D

F

A

Pts

Bennettsbridge 4

4

0

0

95

68

8

2

Dicksboro

4

3

1

0

107

72

6

3

O`Loughlin Gaels

4

2

2

0

86

87

4

4

Glenmore

4

2

2

0

89

100

4

5

James Stephens

4

1

3

0

79

90

2

6

Graigue Ballycallan

4

0

4

0

72

111

0

The 15-point winning margin didn’t flatter the Palmerstown outfit as they cemented second place in Group B. Dicksboro were 7-points up at the short whistle and powered on in the second period, hitting 3 majors to ensure the result in Callan was never in doubt.

UPMC Nowlan Park will play host to Dicksboro’s final round match with James Stephens, who will be hoping that Bennettsbridge take care of their business against Graigue-Ballycallan to ensure there’s no relegation issues at the final whistle.

Despite the great Brian Cody helping out along the sideline, The Village came up short against O’Loughlin’s at UPMC Nowlan Park. Both sides were guilty of striking some bad wides, and hit

St Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling League ROUND 5 FIXTURES SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4th TEAM

VENUE

TIME

Tullaroan vs Shamrocks Ballyhale

John Locke Park

15:30

Clara vs Lisdowney

Jenkinstown

15:30

Erins Own vs Mullinavat

Gowran

15:30

Bennettsbridge vs Graigue Ballycallan

Dunnamaggin

15:30

O`Loughlin Gaels vs Glenmore

Thomastown

15:30

Dicksboro vs James Stephens

UPMC Nowlan Park

15:30

nearly 30 between them of the course of the game.

Paddy Deegan had put O’Loughlin’s 5-points ahead, before Matthew Ruth struck a major to reduce the deficit to three points at the short whistle.

Mark Bergin’s impressive placed ball striking saw The Loughs moved into a 5-point lead with just under 20 minutes remaining before the lively Sean Bolger raised a green flag to put the result beyond doubt.

Things did get a little nervy for O’Loughlin’s when Luke Scanlon struck a hard low shot to the net, but further scores from Conor Heary and Conor Kelly along with top scorer Mark Bergin saw Andy Comerford’s men home in the derby.

1-2-Watch Tullaroan’s clash with Shamrocks Ballyhale in Callan could be a classic. The form of Shane Walsh and Dylan Simpson has been impressive and they will no doubt look to continue this when they meet Pat Hoban’s side on Sunday. How the Shamrocks defence copes with the above named players, along with the goal threat that is Mossy Keoghan will be crucial to the outcome of this encounter.

Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen have looked sharp while Eoin Kenneally has impressed so far. Brian Cody and Ronan Corcoran will provide much needed drive so you can bet that Padraig Walsh will look to curb this from his half-back position.

This game will surely whet the appetite for championship hurling.

Expect a big crowd in Callan.

52

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Advertisement Memoriams/Miracle prayers

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022

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Memoriams / Miracle Prayers

PATRICK “PADDY” MURRAY 2nd ANNIVERSARY

Forever In Our Hearts Paddy/Dad Late of 3 Cathedral Square, Kilkenny whose anniversary occurs on September 4th.

We thought of you today But that is nothing new We thought of you yesterday And will tomorrow too We think of you in silence And make no outward show For what it meant to lose you Only those who love you know Remembering you is easy We do it everyday It’s the heartache of losing you That will never go away.

Dearly loved & sadly missed by Margaret, Martina, Sharon Sinéad and Padraig Extended family and friends Anniversary Mass will take place in St. Canices Church on Sunday September 4th at 11.30am

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. A.W..

JOHN SEAN CURRAN 7th ANNIVERSARY In loving memory of John Sean Curran, late of Connolly Street, Kilkenny whose 7th anniversary occurs at this time.

Your needs in life were simple Your love for your family true In our hearts you will live forever Because we thought the world of you You always had a smile to share Time to give and time to care A loving nature, a heart of gold One of the best this world could hold Never selfish, always kind We cherish the memories you left behind Always remembered and sadly missed by Your wife Mary, son John, grandson Jack, daughters Martina and Mary Nora and son-in-law Darren.

Anniversary Mass 11th September at 11.30am in St Canices Church, Kilkenny.

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. A.T.

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.J.H.

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. H.D.

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. U.K.

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. U.K.

56

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 02 September 2022