Kilkenny Observer 06th October 2023

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Friday 06 October 2023

Tuesday's Budget Will McGrath save us a winter of discontent?  Pages 3, 8 and 16

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You May Well Ask So why are there still ashtrays on airplanes?  Travel Page 19

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EVERY FRIDAY

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Budget: what to expect Social welfare increases of at least €12 a week and a lump sum payment of the fuel allowance are at the centre of Budget negotiations as ministers scramble for funding before Tuesday’s announcement.

A number of revenue-raising measures are also being discussed with increasing concern within the Government over the economy’s reli-

ance on corporation tax.

This includes an excise hike on cigarettes along with a possible increase of 0.1% on PRSI to pay for a Government commitment to keep the State pension age at 66.

There also talks about increasing taxes on e-cigarettes to deter people from using them, but the policy may not be in place in time.

Talks between Social Pro-

tection Minister Heather Humphreys and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe have yet to conclude and the Coalition has not signed off on the design of a €1.1bn tax package. However, a Government source said: “Welfare rates will go up by at least €12 a week and there will be a double payment for those in receipt of the fuel allowance before Christmas.”

This amount could increase when the Government leaders finalise their Budget policies next week. A double payment of all welfare rates in the lead-up to Christmas is also expected.

There will be a cut to the Universal Social Charge (USC), likely to benefit income taxpayers to the tune of about €235 a year, with a likely €1,500 widening of the

standard rate tax band at the same time.

There are discussions about widening the bands for the USC so more low-income workers stay out of the higher rates. Alternatively, one of the lower rates could be reduced by 0.5pc.

In other Budget areas there will be an increase in the tax credit for renters, which is currently worth €500 a year,

The price of the average second-hand three-bed semi in Co Kilkenny has risen to €275,000, up 3.8% from €265,000 in the last three months, according to a national survey by Real Estate Alliance.

Across the county, the average time taken to sell currently sits at seven weeks.

The survey shows that across the county 53% of purchasers were first-time buyers, and 38% of purchasers were from outside of the county.

A total of 8% of sales in the county this quarter were attributed to landlords leaving the market.

An open invitation to Kilkenny schools interested in participating in the forthcoming series of ‘Fit Squad’ interactive children’s fitness visits has been issued.

Supported by banana distributor Fyffes and backed

by World Para Rowing champion Katie O’Brien and Irish Olympians, Cork sprinter Phil Healy and Dublin athlete David Gillick, each Fit Squad school visit of approximately 45 minutes duration is delivered by Irish health and fitness expert, Sharon Flanagan.

Schools can register their interest at www.fyffesfitsquad. ie/register

Our Aoife’s team hit the bullseye!

Photo shows World Para Rowing champion, Katie O’Brien and Irish Olympians, David Gillick and Phil Healy with children invited to participate.

DJ Carey for trial on fraud charges

Special Report  Page 14

charges over an alleged eightyear fraud.

He is charged with 21 offences under the Theft and Fraud Act. The offences break down to 19 counts of deception and two of using a false instrument. Some of the 23 alleged victims are individual men and women; others are couples.

The offences are alleged to

Borrowers Page 6 Paul Hopkins Page 8 John Ellis Page 16

Kilkenny houses now €275,000

Children fit for purpose

Former Kilkenny hurler icon DJ Carey has been sent for trial after a book of ­evidence was served on him at Blanchardstown District Court in Dublin recently. He is facing trial for falsely claiming he had cancer and deceiving people into paying for ­treatment.

The former Kilkenny star (52) was brought before the court on multiple deception and forgery

with speculation around a figure of €750.

The scheduled rise in excise duty on fuel due at end of this month is not expected to go ahead.

Meanwhile, there will be increased funding for the School Meals Programme.

have happened at unknown locations within the State on dates between 2014 and last year.

The 19 deception charges state Mr Carey dishonestly, by deception, induced alleged victims to make monetary payment to him after he fraudulently claimed to have cancer and needed finances to obtain treatment.

The two other charges allege

he used a false instrument with the intention of inducing another person to accept it as genuine.

Defence solicitor Edward Hughes applied for bail and the court was told there was no Garda objection, with conditions agreed.

Judge O’Leary set bail in the accused’s own bond of €300 with no cash lodgement required.

Under bail conditions, Mr Carey must sign on weekly at his local Garda station, be contactable at all times at the phone number he provided, surrender his passport and not apply for any other travel documents.

He is also to give Gardaí details if he intends to travel out of the country and the address at which he intends to reside.

Kilkenny’s Aoife McCormack was among the Republic of Ireland Women’s Team which has won the World Darts Federation World Cup in Denmark. In doing so, Ireland became the first nation other than England or the Netherlands to win the event.

The team was made up of Dubliners Robyn Byrne and Katie Sheldon, Caroline Breen from Galway and Kilkenny’s McCormack.

Ireland went unbeaten throughout the entire tournament.

CAP changes loom Area-based direct subsidy payments have no future in the Common Agriculture Policy, former EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolo has said. With farmers set to receive their first payments under the latest reform of the CAP, focus in Europe is already turning to the battle over the next iteration of the €386.6 billion policy.

Child medics back call for teen vaping ban

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Guides to Kilkenny! Join Healthy Heroes Lunch Club Girl train in new digital skills

Healthy Heroes Lunch Club, supported by the Irish Bread Bakers Association (IBBA), is issuing a final call to Kilkenny schools to register for the 2023/2024 educational programme.

Now in its 10th year, created by teachers, behavioural and nutrition experts, the Healthy Heroes Lunch Club is one of Ireland’s leading classroom initiatives, reaching more than 300,000 children to date.

The nutrition and education initiative demonstrates firsthand how fun and healthy eating habits are cultivated, while offering students the opportunity to build on a variety of skills such as leadership, teamwork, and communication skills.

Furthermore, the Healthy Heroes Lunch Club empowers students to make responsible and healthy choices when it comes to food, which can have positive impacts on future habits surrounding nutrition.

Sarah FitzGerald, who oversees the Healthy Heroes programme on behalf of the IBBA, said: “Healthy Heroes has been helping to make a real difference in fostering positive nutritional attitudes in schools across the country for the past ten years. Incorporating healthy eating habits in an enjoyable way from a young age, while also teaching children valuable skills

Tucking in: the Healthy Heroes Lunch Club is a primary schools healthy eating initiative sponsored by the Irish Bread Bakers Association (IBBA).

PHOTO: Shane O’Neill/ Coalesce

such as leadership and communication, are vital steppingstones to shaping their future attitudes to nutrition.

“We look forward to continuing to build on the positive impacts of the Healthy Heroes Lunch Club into the

future.” *For more information on how Kilkenny schools can get involved in the Healthy

Heroes Lunch Club, visit www.healthyheroes.ie or email healthyheroes@realnation.ie.

Vodafone Foundation has announced a new partnership with Irish Girl Guides to help close the digital divide between generations. The Irish Girl Guides have become a new charity partner of Vodafone Foundation’s Hi Digital initiative, which brings digital skills, training and support directly to older people across the country.

The partnership aims to train over 800 Girl Guides as Digital Champions who will in turn support more than 3,000 older people in Ireland in improving online and digital skills.

Girl Guide Units from 25 different locations across the country will participate and commit to training older people in their community in online and digital skills. They will introduce the older people to hidigital.ie – a free online learning platform developed by Vodafone Foundation – to help close the gap when it comes to digital literacy between generations. Everyone involved will earn a certificate and the Girl Guides will also earn a new Hi Digital badge.

The Foundation has provided 100 tablets to the Girl Guides to use in classes across Ireland.

Irish Girl Guide units participating in the programme are also planning a series of coffee mornings for older people in their communities to celebrate UN International Day of Older Persons, taking place on 1st October 2023.

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Borrowers unable to buy home Interest rates charged on local authority mortgages have risen by up to 0.65 percentage points on fixed rates which has left some new borrowers unable to secure a big enough loan to buy homes they had a sale agreed on.

The Local Authority Home

Loan scheme was introduced to provide State-supported lending to first-time buyers who cannot get a mortgage from a private lender or bank because their income is too low.

A spokesperson for the Department of Housing con-

Oral contraception will now need no GP prescription Pharmacists will be able to dispense all contraceptive pills without a prescription under new laws.

At the moment, pharmacists are able to give the morning after pill without a prescription, but new proposals will mean all oral contraception will be available over the counter as part of the free contraception scheme.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly will bring the plans to the Cabinet under the general scheme and draft of the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.

Free contraception is currently available to women aged over 17 but under 30.

The law will allow pharmacists to be able to dispense some current prescriptiononly medicines without a prescription.

These changes aim to expand

the role of pharmacists in Ireland and to make it easier for patients to access services.

An expert taskforce has also been set up to support the expansion of pharmacy services which will also look at minor ailment schemes and independent prescribing.

New regulations will be put in place for medicine shortages, by giving power to the Health Minister to put in place “medicine substitution protocols”.

The law will also be changed to allow a wider range of qualified professionals administer vaccines through amendments to the Irish Medicines Board Act 1995.

People with medical cards will also be able to receive a disregard so they can receive up to €14,000 a year tax-free if they rent out a room in their house under the Rent-A-Room scheme.

Women’s pension is 35% less than men AIB highlighted the Gender Pension Gap in Ireland by serving female customers 35% less coffee than male customers.

The ‘Female Serve’ was used to highlight research that shows women receive 35% less of a pension than men when they retire.

“The ‘Female Serve’ campaign is designed to highlight that the Gender Pension Gap is a serious issue for women in Ireland, impacting their long-term financial security,” AIB’s Managing Director of Capital Markets Cathy Bryce said.

“There is a role for everyone in addressing the issue, including policymakers, employers, financial advisors, men as well as women.”

This comes as women in Ireland now have an employment rate of 70.5%, its highest level since 1998, and woman across all age groups have higher levels of third level education than their male counterparts.

AIB said the issue of the pension pay gap was also down to life expectancy, with the latest research showing that women live an average of 84 years, compared to 81 years for men.

firmed interest had gone up on fixed-rate new Local Authority Home Loan mortgages drawn down from last week.

On mortgages up to 25 years, the interest rate to be applied has increased from 3.35% to 4%. For 25-to 30-year mortgages, the interest rate

has increased from 3.45% to 4.05%.

Local Authority Home Loan mortgages already drawn down are unaffected by this increase.

Although the rate rises are high, the department said that rates were competitive

when compared with longterm fixed rates offered by other commercial lenders.

To qualify for the local authority mortgage, single applicants cannot have an annual gross income of more than €70,000. Joint applicants have to have an annual gross

income of less than €85,000.

These council mortgages have a very high rejection rate. More than half of applications to local authorities were rejected last year, figures from the Housing Agency, supplied to Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin, show.

Tutor: Carolin Margraf, who has performed in ensembles and as a soloist across Europe and North America

Plucking the strings online Harpists eagerto explore music for the instrument from 18th-century Ireland and from Medieval European, as well as musicians from any genre looking to overcome performance anxiety, will benefit from new courses from The Historical Harp Society of Ireland.

The Historical Harp Society of Ireland’s autumn Acadamh na gCláirseach —Academy of Early Irish –Harp – will present three online courses, starting Saturday, October 14 , suitable for players of any kind of

harp from post-beginner to professional levels.

The courses, taught by leading international experts, will introduce harpists to authentic, historical sources, and teach them to turn old parchment and ink into living, breathing music.

A Garden of Earthly Delights: Medieval Music From Around Europe will open a door onto the mediaeval world of single-line dance melodies and multi-voiced compositions, from the earliest notated English dances to famous Italian manuscripts,

and playable on any kind of harp. The course will be taught by Leah Stuttard, who has played the mediaeval harp for over 25 years, and Carolin Margraf, who has performed in ensembles and as a soloist across Europe and North America.

Overcoming Performance Anxiety is open to all musicians – regardless of instrument or genre – who struggle with performance nerves.

The course tutor is Dr Jennifer Mackerras, a fully qualified and registered Alexander Technique teacher, who has

worked at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Participants will gain an understanding of what performance anxiety is, why it happens, the physical and mental tools to lessen the symptoms, and how to put those tools into practice.

Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D Higgins, is the patron of Acadamh na gCláirseach - Academy of Early Irish Harp Patron. * See https://irishharp.org/ contact-us

Defiant Trump faces financial ruin A defiant Donald Trump sat through hours of sometimes testy opening statements in the last days in a fraud lawsuit that could cost him control of Trump Tower and other prized properties.

“Disgraceful trial,” he said during a lunch break, after listening to lawyers for New York attorney general Letitia James portray him as a habitual liar.

The state’s lawsuit accuses the business-mogul-turnedpolitician and his company

of deceiving banks, insurers and others by misstating his wealth for years in financial statements.

“They were lying year after year after year,” Kevin Wallace, a lawyer in Ms James’s office, said as Mr Trump sat at the defence table.

The former president looked straight ahead, arms crossed, facing away from a screen that showed details of Mr Wallace’s presentation. Defence lawyers

said the financial statements were legitimate. Mr Trump’s holdings are like “Mona Lisa properties” that can command top money, lawyer Alina Habba said.

“That is not fraud. That is real estate,” she said, accusing the attorney general’s office of “setting a very dangerous precedent for all business owners in the state of New York”.

Mr Trump voluntarily attended a trial that he called “a scam”, a waste of the

state’s time and “a continuation of the single greatest witch hunt of all time”.

The Republican frontrunner in the presidential race reiterated claims that Ms James, a Democrat, is trying to thwart his bid to return to the White House.

Mr Trump does not face prison time but could be fined $250 million, his empire effectively ruined and be unable to run for office in New York State.

The case continues.

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Opinion

The Fact Of OfThe Matter Paul Hopkins

Will Budget save us from a Winter of Discontent?

Are we heading into another Winter Of Discontent with continuing high energy costs and continued hikes in basic food stuff, not to mention yet another increase in mortgage rates?

Minister for Finance Michael McGrath says this Tuesday the 10th’s Budget will be focused on “helping households with bills”. The minister says he is “very conscious” of petrol and diesel costs and that a decision will be made on excise duty before the Budget. And it looks like just one government heating contribution of €200 instead of last year’s three `– with 253,000 householders well in arrears on such bills.

Households can, allegedly, expect measures to support the cost of childcare, healthcare, education and transport, the minister has said.

This will be in addition to an “income tax package”.

This Budget will be the first

from a Fianna Fáil Finance Minister in more than a decade. “There will be a set of temporary one-off measures to complement what is already a large Budget package of almost €6.5b.

So, it’s to be a Budget which focuses resources on cost of living, on helping households to meet the bills that are unavoidable – many unpayable – in day-to-day lives.

All fine and good if even only some of it comes to fruition. The Government really needs to do a lot more talking to the banks and the energy suppliers. As I say, all fine and good but try telling that to a young garda and his or her primary school teacher partner, rearing two children under five. Or a bachelor pensioner. With the cost of living as it still stands, especially the huge hikes in milk, bread and eggs – basic stuff – winter heat bills – down only marginally; add in childcare (if you can find it or afford it) and

yet another mortgage hike, and then just try and tell that couple with the two children under five that all’s well with the world.

Ireland is among the most expensive countries in the EU for goods and services with prices 46% above the EU average. Figures published by the European Commission, show prices are largely driven by expensive alcohol and tobacco, energy, transport and communications costs.

Alcoholic and tobacco in Ireland are 116 per cent higher than the average EU and 3.3 times more expensive than the cheapest EU country, Bulgaria. (There’s an obvious solution to this, but that’s for another day’s debate).

The report also reveals that Ireland is the fourth most expensive country for food and non-alcoholic beverages, with prices 15% above the EU average. Only Denmark, Luxembourg and Malta are

more expensive for basic grocery items, on which Irish consumers spend almost one fifth of their income.

Ireland also has the secondhighest energy prices in the EU, after Denmark. Irish consumers also face costly prices for communication services, which are 56 per cent above

Ireland among the most expensive in EU

the EU average – the third most expensive after Belgium and Greece.

The cost of restaurants and hotels is 28.5% – figure preTaylor Swift — above the EU average, making us the fourth most expensive country after Denmark, Finland and Luxembourg. Motoring costs are the third-highest and 13% above average levels, while public transport prices are 27% higher, making them joint-fourth most expensive alongside Denmark, coming in behind Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands.

On a positive note, the cost of clothing in the Republic is 2% below the EU average, while furniture prices are just 1% higher than the EU average – if you have a house for the furniture, that is.

At the end of the day, though, overall consumer prices in Ireland are 46% above the EU average.

It seems, though, not all is as bad as painted. According

to Organisation for Economic C0-operation and Development (OECD) Ireland performs well in many areas of well-being relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. Ireland outperforms the average in jobs, education, health, social connections, safety and, eh, life satisfaction.

Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to higher living standards. In Ireland, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is €27,007 a year, slightly lower than the OECD average of €28,394 a year.

When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Irish people gave it a seven on average, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.

I wonder what rating that garda and teacher with the two children under five would give? Or the 12,800 with no roof over their heads....

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Scams: stop, think, check A total of 82% of the population are targeted by fraudsters at least once a month, with 36% being targeted at least once a week.

In the wake of a new wave of impersonation scams, Bank of Ireland is warning customers to be extra vigilant in their interactions with businesses online, and when responding to unsolicited or unexpected texts, emails or phone calls.

The current spike in fraudulent activity has occurred as Bank of Ireland launches a major national fraud awareness campaign to warn customers of the prevalence of fraud, with 96% of consumers believing they will be targeted in the next six months.

The most common forms of impersonation fraud involve people receiving calls, texts or emails from fraudsters posing

as a parcel delivery company (80%), a road toll provider (55%) or their bank (49%).

Nicola Sadlier, Head of Fraud, Bank of Ireland said: “Unfortunately, fraud and cybercrime have become part of people’s everyday lives.

Our research conducted by Red C shows this, with 82% of people saying they are targeted by fraudsters at least once per month, and 36%

as frequently as once per week. Most people who have been a victim of fraud said they fell for the scam because they were distracted or too busy at the time. Which underlines the need for vigilance.

“Impersonation is at the root of the majority of fraud in circulation for both our personal and business customers. We are regularly

seeing fraudsters sending texts posing as delivery companies, road toll and government agencies. Parents are being targeted by impersonating children in need of urgent help, to prey on their vulnerabilities and prompt a reaction. Businesses are receiving calls from fraudsters impersonating their bank and duping them into allowing them access to their

companies’ accounts. These are cynical criminals, whose main goal is to access people’s bank accounts and steal their money.

“That’s why we are reminding customers that, often, all is not what it seems, as fraudsters continue to impersonate trusted businesses and organisations, including banks.

The message is: Stop, Think, Check,” she said.

From left, JP McManus Glen Crowe, Waterford Abbey Community College with Principal Michelle Jefford (Glen is from Kilkenny, went to school in Waterford), and Niall Collins TD

Our students honoured with scholarships

Jack's the lad: From left JP McManus, Jack O’Neill, CBS Kilkenny with Principal Tom Clarke, and Niall Collins TD

Students from Kilkenny have been awarded an All Ireland Scholarship which will cover the full duration of their undergraduate studies. The Kilkenny Observer reported the story two weeks ago. Today we bring the photos of the four students receiving their bursaries.

The 2022 leaving certificate students; Enda McCabe, Eoin Deely, Glen Crowe, Jack O’Neill, Joan Akaehomen and Philip Byrne were honoured

at the All Ireland Scholarships Award Ceremony in University Concert Hall, University of Limerick.

In attendance at the ceremony was Guest of Honour and Limerick Senior Hurling Team Manager John Kiely, Minister for Further and Higher Education Niall Collins T.D. and Deputy Secretary, Skills and Education Group, Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland, Moira Doherty as well as the family,

Go Girl! From left, JP McManus, Joan Akaehomen, Kilkenny College with Principal Emma Raughter, and Niall Collins TD

friends and principals of the scholarship recipients.

Commenting on the scheme, scholarship sponsor JP McManus said: “A total of 1,348 successful graduates have emerged with primary degrees and are now either embarking on further studies or in the case of the majority, pursuing successful careers. This figure demonstrates that the key objective – to provide financial support to many gifted young students so they may succeed

during their third-level education – has worked.

"Their drive and determination is admirable, and they should be very proud.

We look forward to celebrating the most recent recipients’ achievements at the upcoming ceremony.”

The All Ireland Scholarships were established in 2008 by JP McManus and this year marks its 15th anniversary. The third level educational scholarship is awarded to 125 of the

Enda the day: From Left JP McManus, Enda McCabe, CBS Kilkenny with Principal Tom Clarke, and Niall Collins TD

highest – achieving students per year, with a minimum of two students from each of the 32 counties. The recipients must meet a further set of criteria, including attending a non-fee-paying school and be in receipt of a third level education maintenance grant from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) or be in receipt of an Education Maintenance Allowance in Northern Ireland. The scholarship offers full

academic financial support for the duration of the students' third level studies.

To date, 1,674 scholarships have been awarded across the island of Ireland, of which 1,348 winners have already graduated from university and have embarked on successful careers. The most popular courses chosen by the 2022 cohort of scholarship recipients include science, engineering, pharmacy, finance and medicine.

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Opinion

As I See It Marianne Heron

When sometimes we don’t get the label right Labels are handy things. You can stick them on folders or containers and store the contents away out of sight.

Job done. Labelling can be a convenient way of dealing with issues you don’t want to think about too deeply or question.

The labels came out for last fortnight’s menacing mob outside the Dail when TDs were threatened, prevented from going to and coming from Leinster House, jeered with obscenities and treated to the spectacle of a gallows complete with a hanging effigy bearing the names of politicians. Those taking part were labelled as Far Right and the gathering of hooligans was labelled a protest.

Those labels largely dictated the low-key official response to what occurred.

Maybe it’s time to peel off the labels and take a closer look. That abusive crowd

didn’t represent any group in particular and TDs were puzzled as to what the socalled protest was about. The malcontents in this group were angry about anything and everything, they were anti-migration, anti-vax, anti-Government and antianything you are having yourself.

These were types who love to hate, marginalise and are looking for a focus – migration is a favourite one – for their anger and discontent.

They are easy for the few Far Right involved to manipulate via social media and make handy foot-soldiers for disruption. More sinisterly, they may be used by agent provocateurs for the kind of hybrid warfare, including social destabilisation, which Putin is waging against the West.

A Far Right label was used

by Garda Commissioner

Are you talking about the menopause?

CLAIR WHITTY

October is menopause awareness month and at Natural Health Store we have been talking to women about the menopause for years. It is a natural conversation for us to have every day so I was surprised to realise how many women are not talking to each other about it.

When I look back to when I started perimenopause almost 20 years ago, back then we didn’t use the word perimenopause. We just said we were going through the menopause or going through the change. My journey started when I was forty.

I remember it clearly, I was at my fortieth birthday party after work, and for the first time in my life I experienced social anxiety.

At the time I thought it was just me and didn’t realise that it was in fact the beginning of my menopausal journey.

20 years ago, we really only talked about the menopause if we had hot flushes and night sweats. I sometimes wonder do we experience more symptoms now than we did 20 years ago or have the symptoms become more severe? If so, is it the extreme stress and busyness of our lives that hinder our ability to cope with these symptoms? Or is it that we are just more aware of our symptoms today?

Perimenopause can affect your mood, energy, sleep,

Drew Harris to explain the ‘softly, softly’ approach to the disruption, saying he understood “the Far Right’s Playbook”. This is a reference to a 2017 TV documentary of that name, which dealt with the rhetorical strategies of the Far Right and how not to fall for them, including not overacting to their activities.

Meantime, the malcontents, as opposed to those with legitimate concerns around the number of migrants Ireland can reasonably host, have felt free to menace migrants, burn their tents, set up roadblocks, interrogate them and rampage outside intended migrant accommodation.

Unlike other countries such as Italy, Hungary, Poland or Brazil where there are strong Far rRght parties or right- wing parties in power, Ireland’s Far Right has no elected representa-

tives and is insignificant. The most recent Far Right party, Ireland First, had just 300 members when it was officially registered last March.

Take that other label protest: the right to protest is enshrined in the Constitution, allowing people to gather and express disagreement or injustice over issues.

Protests are usually coherent and specific, over perceived unfairness like long hospital waiting lists or the lack of affordable childcare. They can be part of a campaign for change and are generally organised by those directly affected in order to seek redress.

Riots are a different matter, characterised by disturbance of the peace, displays of violence, threatening and abusive behaviour, incitement to hatred and intent to provoke fights to harm property or life. (Those demon-

weight, confidence, joint pain, skin health and digestive health. Your concentration and memory can be affected too.

NHP Meno Herbal Support is a supplement that could help.

It’s formulated by Dr. Marilyn Glenville PhD, she is the UK’S leading nutritionist specialising in women’s health. NHP Menoherbal Support is her go to menopause supplement for natural balance of hormones.

It has a nice mix of Fermented Soya Isoflavones and Red Clover, two phytoestrogens to help with hormone balance. Improving hormone balance can help you deal with symptoms associated with hormonal changes.

You could see improvements in your mood, energy, skin, libido, and joint pain.

It contains Sage the popular herb used to help relieve hot flushes and night sweats. Dandelion is included and is great for liver/gallbladder support.

The liver is an important organ to support the healthy digestion of fat and for proper hormone metabolism.

It also has flaxseeds for hormone health and a good source of Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids. Vitamin B6 is helpful for the regulation of hormonal activity and to helps with the reduction of tiredness. Hops is traditionally used for supporting of the nervous system aiding relaxation and a sense of calmness.

Call in to see us for a chat we would love to help.

Shop online www.naturalhealthstore.ie

CAMHS utterly failing children and young people across Carlow and Kilkenny BY: DEPUTY KATHLEEN FUNCHION SINN FEIN TD FOR KILKENNY CARLOW Sinn Féin spokesperson for children and TD for Carlow Kilkenny, Kathleen Funchion, has called for better supports for young people and children trying to access CAMHS in Carlow and Kilkenny.

Deputy Funchion was speaking on the astronomical rise in referral refusals across the region, with a staggering 54% of all referrals to CAMHs being refused in the HSE area covering South Tipperary, Carlow/ Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford.

Teachta Funchion said: “We have now had several damming reports by the Mental Health Commission into CAMHS. The most recent report the Mental Health Commission made 49 recommendations to improve CAMHS services for patients, parents, and staff.

“Whilst the Mental Health Commission can make recommendations on governance and clinical reforms in CAMHS they do not have the statutory authority to ensure that these recommendations will be implemented.

“Sinn Féin are calling for

strating could be perceived as inciting hatred against public representatives but TDs are not included in the terms of the proposed Hate Crime legislation which deals with race, colour sexual orientation and so on. Maybe they should be included.)

It seems to me that the mob outside the Dail had more in common with a riot than a peaceful protest.

Gardai can deal with riots under public order legislation, arrest without warrant and direct participants to leave. They can also restrict groups to remaining within half a mile of the Dail when it is in session.

But the rampage which effectively closed the Dail wasn’t treated as a riot. A few arrests were made, some TDs were escorted through the demonstration and participants were moved a

this to change and have published legislation that will do just that. I am calling on the Government to support this legislation as empowering the Mental Health Commission with the powers to improve CAMHS is the right thing to do.

“Speaking on KCLR this morning Deputy Funchion called for immediate changes in the way referrals were made, for more integrated cooperation with educational settings. Echoing the report’s recommendations for a centralised triage system of referrals for GPs and other professionals.

“One of the most enduring issues we see locally is recruitment and retention of staff and the impact this has on services, from CAMHS to CNDT. We need to throw everything at alleviating staffing issues.

“Young people with suicidal ideation in CHO5, which covers Carlow Kilkenny, were waiting more than 65 days from

bit further away. Whether action will be taken against those behind the gallows effigy – surely an indication of a desire to hang the individuals named on it? – remains to be seen.

The Gardai were in an unenviable position, risking being damned if they overreact and fan the oxygen of publicity on malign causes or criticised if they don’t deal with the situation effectively. The way menacing demonstrations are ongoing and escalating suggests that firmer action needs to be taken, not only on the ground but over the on-line incitement on social media and vitriolic online abuse of our representatives.

Just as with bottles and jars, wrong labelling of groups and incidents can be dangerous and their effects more toxic than the labels suggest.

the point of referral until they received their assessment. 65 days is in no way an urgent response to what is an urgent need.

“Our mental health system is truly broken if we cannot give interventions for our young people contemplating suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. This must change.

“The demand for help is high but the response from government is found wanting.

This year saw no additional funding for the National Clinical Programmes in mental health, including the National Clinical Programme for Self Harm and Suicide-related ideation. What we are seeing in CAMHS is the real life consequence of not pro funding these programmes.

“I am calling on the government to fund the National Clini Clinical Programmes for mental health and to prioritise reduc reducing wait times for suicide related assessments in CAMHS. These unac unacceptable waiting times cannot be allowed con to continue.”

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News

SPECIAL REPORT The Faculty of Paediatrics at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland strongly supports the introduction of legislation to ban disposable vapes to protect the health and wellbeing of children and young people, who are using them in alarming numbers.

In a position paper, released to The Kilkenny Observer, the Faculty of Paediatrics , says that disposable vapes are the most frequently used vaping devices among young people and that the use of vapes by children and young people poses serious health risks to them. The environmental damage of disposable vapes is also well documented.

Professor Des Cox, a representative of the Faculty of Paediatrics, and Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine says that vaping is harmful and has significant long-term health risks for children and young people, whose brains and bodies are still developing.

“Exposure of children and adolescents to nicotine can lead to long-term negative impacts on brain development, as well as addiction.

Aerosols in most vapes contain toxic substances, associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and lung disorders,” Prof. Cox says. “Nicotine, which is highly addictive, is the major psychoactive component of vaping solution.

“The potential negative health impacts of vapes include chest symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, asthma exacerbations, but there is also a significant risk of dependence and neurotoxic effects on the not fully matured brain. Doctors need to be equipped to speak to their patients about these ill effects and provide clear guidance,” Prof. Cox says.

Professor Louise Kyne, Dean of the Faculty of

Child medics back call for disposable vape ban Paediatrics and co-author of the position paper, says doctors and paediatricians need to take an active role in discouraging vaping among young people.

“The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland is committed to providing practical information and the latest available data to our doctors,” Prof. Kyne says.

The college welcomes

recent comments by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly that signal his intention to introduce legislation to ban vapes. Prof. Cox has also met Minister Ossian Smyth to support his efforts to ban vapes on environmental grounds.

According to the paper, digital marketing campaigns are disproportionately targeting young people.

“Clever campaigns on TikTok and Instagram, and the array of flavours and colours, are making disposable vapes more desirable to young people. It reminds me of the unregulated tobacco campaigns of the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s,” Prof.

Cox says.

“We must adopt stronger legislation on the advertising and marketing of vapes

and ban the use of flavours, other than tobacco flavour.”

Research shows that dual use of vapes and conventional cigarettes is the most common behaviour among adolescents in Ireland.

There is also a gateway effect. A review by the Health Research Board in Ireland found that young people who had ever used a vape were three to five times

more likely to start smoking compared to those who never used vapes.

“International research strongly suggests those vaping today will take up smoking at some point in the future. So, effectively what we are doing is creating the next generation of smokers,” Prof. Cox says.

“This poses significant lifetime health risks for our children and young people.”

The paper also calls on post primary schools to encourage the use SPHE content on vaping developed by the HSE, and for a national HSE-led information campaign which appeals to children and young people.

“As a global society we have committed to reducing our negative environmental impact and tackling climate change,” Prof. Cox says.

“As disposable vapes continue to grow in popularity, their negative environmental impact grows. Even when recycled properly – which doesn’t always happen – the process of recycling disposable vapes is labour-intensive and expensive.

“The argument is sometimes made that some people quit smoking using disposable vapes but vapes are not licensed stop smoking medicines in Ireland and health claims that vapes are effective smoking cessation aids are not supported by scientific evidence.

“If something is causing environmental damage and has serious health impacts for our young people, it seems an obvious solution to ban disposable vapes entirely,” the professor says.

“There are other proven smoking cessation aids that are more effective and have a lesser environmental impact.

“The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland supports the Minister for Health’s recent call to ban disposable vapes and will continue to advocate to government to push this Bill through.”

Covid vaccine wins Nobel prize for professors The Nobel Prize in medicine has been awarded to Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman for discoveries that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against Covid-19.

Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the Nobel Assembly, announced the award in Stockholm.

Ms Kariko is a professor at Sagan’s University in Hungary and an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr Eisner performed his prize-winning research with Kariko at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Through their groundbreaking findings, which have

fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with our immune system, the laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development

during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times,” the panel that awarded the prize said.

Ms Kariko said her husband was the first to pick up the

early morning call, then handed it to her to hear the news. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I was very much surprised. But I am very happy.”

Before Covid-19, mRNA vaccines were already being tested for other diseases like Zika, influenza and rabies – but the pandemic brought more attention to this approach, Ms Kariko said.

“There was already clinical trials before Covid, but people were not aware,” she said.

Mr Perlmann said both scientists were “overwhelmed” by news of the prize when he contacted them shortly

before the announcement.

Traditionally, making vaccines required growing viruses or pieces of viruses – often in giant vats of cells or, like most u shots, in chicken eggs – and then purifying them before next steps in brewing shots.

The messenger RNA approach is radically different. It starts with a snippet of genetic code that carries instructions for making proteins. Pick the right virus protein to target, and the body turns into a mini vaccine factory.

Dr Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, described the

mRNA vaccines as a “game changer” in helping to shut down the coronavirus pandemic, crediting the shots with saving millions of lives.

“If it hadn’t been for the mRNA technology, Covid would have been much worse,” he said.

The Nobel Prizes carry a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor (€947,000).

The money comes from a bequest left by the prize’s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1896.

The prize money was raised by 1 million kronor this year because of the plunging value of the Swedish currency.

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Opinion

Your Money & You John Ellis

Budget must look to rising childcare costs The Irish economy has overcome a raft of challenges it faced in the past three years. May 2023 saw a reduction in the unemployment rate to 3.8%, surpassing the pre-pandemic level of 4.8% recorded in February 2020. Recent data for May 2023 indicates an impressive surge in tax receipts, reaching an impressive €33.1 billion by the end of May—an increase of 10% on an annual basis.

This surge can be attributed to increases in income tax, VAT, and corporation tax. Income tax alone amounted to €13 billion by the end of May, reflecting a 9.5% increase compared to the previous year. VAT receipts also surged, registering nearly a 12% rise for the same period compared to the previous year.

Corporation tax receipts for the period ending in May saw a substantial increase of €1.1b. in compari-

son to the previous year.

Ireland stands out as the sole EU country to sidestep a recession during the pandemic, strengthened by the strong performance of multinational companies, which significantly boosted the nation’s economic activity.

With the Budget upon us is it any wonder that many lobbying groups are pushing for more from the government for their sector, from a rise in the state pension to childcare costs.

And who can blame anyone looking for more.

A recent Taxpayer PreBudget 2024 Survey indicates that over a third of Irish people (34%) believe that making childcare fees fully tax-deductible should be part of the Government’s Budget 2024 strategy to alleviate the financial strain on parents throughout the country. With a further quarter (25%) of the respon-

dents believe the extension of the free childcare scheme is the way to go, while more than one in ten (13%) advocated for the introduction of a ‘ceiling’ cap on childcare costs, akin to rent pressure zone legislation.

The survey, which gathered insights from 2,000 tax-

payers nationwide on their views regarding measures to reduce the cost of childcare for parents in Ireland, found that 11% believe that employers should be legislated to provide more childcare services at or through work.

Similarly, another 11% supported the idea of

increasing Government funding to the childcare sector, with just 6% of those asked saying they do not believe it’s the Government’s responsibility to get involved in addressing the soaring costs of such.

The results of the study clearly show most of the people surveyed think it’s a good idea for the Government to step in and help reduce the financial burden of childcare. The most popular suggestion being – give full tax relief to parents.

However, the study also brings up an important point: we haven’t been great at taking advantage of tax breaks we’re entitled to already. This would make you wonder if parents would really use these tax benefits if they were made available?

In an Oireachtas debate earlier this year on childcare fees, the Government recognised that the average

cost of childcare fees ranges from €800 to €1,350 a month for each child. The experts contend that inflationary pressures will have pushed up these prices even further making childcare a financial burden that proves challenging for working parents already managing tight budgets.

Marian Ryan, Consumer Tax Manager at Taxback, commenting on the results said: “These results illustrate a clear consensus on the need for Government intervention to mitigate childcare costs and provide valuable guidance to policymakers as we approach Budget 2024.

“Ultimately, the challenge lies in creating effective policies that genuinely help parents while ensuring the sustainability of the childcare sector.” john@ellisfinancial.ie 086 8362622

Climate Change

– are we all playing our part?

Ossory Bridge artwork demolished The last panels of the beautiful artwork, depicting the history of Kilkenny, on Ossory Bridge were demolished on last Friday 29 September.

The bridge which brings the ring road over the River Nore

was completed in 1984 and the sculpture, by Joan Smith, in concrete panels on both sides of the bridge approach were added.

The demolition is being undertaken as part of ongoing

works to improve accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists with a three-metre path.

It had been thought that the panels could just be removed and erected elsewhere but it appears this was not feasible.

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News Science & Wellbeing When it comes to marriage and other long-term partnerships, the old maxim that “opposites attract” may seemingly break down. That’s the takeaway from a recent major analysis showing that partners tend to have far more in common than not when it comes to personality, behavioural, and physical traits.

In a paper, published in Nature Human Behaviour, included two parts. The first part analysed data from 199 peer-reviewed studies that collectively involved more than eight million married couples, engaged couples, co-parents, and cohabitating partners. All were malefemale partnerships and most lived in Europe and the US .

In particular, the researchers examined correlations for 22 traits commonly studied by psychologists, sociologists, and other researchers. These included measures like IQ, religiosity, depression, and political values, as well as the Big 5 personality traits: openness, extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Traits like height and body mass index were also included.

The second part of the analysis examined partner correlations using data from the UK Biobank, a biomedical database and research resource that contains detailed health and genetic information from approximately 500,000 volunteer participants in the UK. This study examined a total of 133 traits among opposite-sex partners, some of which overlapped with the first study.

Both studies revealed “widespread evidence of positive correlation” for most of the traits. For example, people with similar educational backgrounds tend to be in relationships with each other.

The paper noted: “Across both the meta-analyses and UK raw data analyses, cor-

Why opposites may not necessarily attract relations for educational attainment, substance use measures, attitudinal traits, and behavioural traits were often moderate and relatively higher, whereas correlations for anthropometric, psychological (that is, psychiatric/ personality), and health-relat-

ed traits were typically low to moderate.”

To account for uncertainty in their estimates, the researchers reported adjusted 95% confidence intervals. (For example, a CI of 0.03 to 0.13 for extraversion suggests you can be 95% confident that the

true correlation value for this trait lies somewhere between 0.03 and 0.13. A value close to 1 suggests a strong, positive correlation; a value near 0 suggests no correlation; and a value near -1 suggests a strong, negative correlation.)

The strongest correlations

are listed below. (The first value is the point estimate, and the second shows the CI.) Educational attainment: 0.55 (0.5-0.6) IQ score: 0.44 (0.23-0.61) Political values: 0.58 (0.500.64) Religiosity: 0.56 (0.250.77)

Alcohol drinking quantity: 0.42 (0.07-0.68) Altogether, more than 80% of the correlation estimates analyzed in the studies were statistically significant in the positive direction. Only three traits — worrying, difficulty hearing, and chronotype (whether one is a night owl or morning lark) — were negatively correlated in a significant way. (For instance, a person who worries tends to be in a relationship with a person who doesn’t worry.)

Interestingly, the correlation strength for the Big Five personality traits was positive but relatively low compared to the other 17 markers, with conscientiousness and openness being the strongest of the five.

The study is far from the first research to counter the idea that opposites attract. Assortative mating — the phenomenon where individuals with similar traits are more likely to pair up — has long been observed among people and animal populations, and it is much more common than its counterpart: disassortative mating.

Still, it’s not exactly clear why. It could be that “like pairs with like” because it can be evolutionarily advantageous to do so. Or it could be a consequence of social stratification: Over time, similar groups of people might become concentrated in particular locations, professions, or social networks, making them more likely to pair up.

Alternatively, a population of people might value specific traits, which creates a “mating market” dominated by individuals with those traits.

In this scenario, people with desirable traits might select each other not out of a preference for similarity in itself but because they want a high-value partner — a process that indirectly promotes assortative mating.

Germany may soon ‘legalise’ cannabis Germany could become only the second European country to legalise the recreational use of cannabis. But just because it will be allowed in theory, doesn’t mean you will be able to light up a joint in practice.

The Bill now being prepared for a vote in the Bundestag proposes continued prohibition of cannabis use in so-called Jugendschutzgebiete (‘youth protection zones’). These zones often overlap significantly, especially in urban areas.

When it comes to removing the legal stigma from cannabis use, there is a marked difference between the speed of the process in the US and in Europe. In 1996, California became the first US state to legalise medical marijuana. Medicinal use of cannabis is now legal in 38 US states, recreational use

has been legalised in 23, and an additional eight states have decriminalised it.

Europe is way behind. Even the Netherlands, famous for its tolerance of soft drugs, has never officially decrimi-

nalised cannabis. There has been some movement on medicinal use, and various countries have expressed the intent to legalise recreational use. But it was only in 2022 that the diminutive Grand

Duchy of Luxembourg became the first country in Europe to actually legalise recreational cannabis.

Where Germany goes, Europe might follow Germany, which legalised

medicinal use in 2017, is now discussing doing the same. Considering Germany’s size and centrality in Europe, that could very well spark a rapid and radical change in cannabis legislation throughout the continent.

However, in an attempt to assuage the considerable political and societal opposition to the bill, the proposal actually treads a fine line between prohibition and permission by keeping cannabis strictly off limits and out of reach for anyone under 18 years of age.

It’s often said that the hallmark of a permissive society is one that allows everything that’s not forbidden, while totalitarian societies forbid everything that’s not allowed. The proposed Cannabisgesetz (‘cannabis law’) occupies the muddy

middle: allowing in theory, while continuing to forbid in practice. Under the current proposal, the consumption of cannabis will remain prohibited (1) in a 200-metre radius around schools, kindergartens, youth centres, and playgrounds; (2) in publicly accessible sports areas; and (3) in pedestrian zones, from 7 am to 8 pm.

The Bill has not been voted on yet, so the prohibition zones aren’t final. As the paper points out, they might still expand to include a 200-metre area around socalled ‘cannabis clubs’ where users can congregate inside, when these are established.

Ich bin ein Kiffer If the proposal is approved, Berlin cannabis smokers who want to play it safe will have to relocate to the city’s larger parks, or spots along the Spree River.

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Travel & Leisure In the so-called glamorous early days of air travel, an airplane cabin was filled with dressed-up passengers and a miasma of cigarette smoke.

Even with smoking sections, the clouds would waft through curtains (if there were any at all) and into the nonsmoking areas. Today, things are vastly different, and smoking is prohibited everywhere in the cabin. But if smoking has been banned on flights for more than three decades, why are there still ashtrays on airplanes? Here’s the lowdown on why ashtrays still exist on aircraft and what happens when someone smokes on a plane now.

Why are there ashtrays on airplanes?

Even though smoking has been illegal for 30-plus years, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) still has a written rule on the books to correct for continued bad behavior. The agency’s directive requires that there be placards and repeated announcements to alert passengers to the no-smoking rule, and to remind them not to put out their butts in the bathroom—a rule prompted because fires kept erupting in lavatories.

In the same document, the FAA requires that ashtrays be installed on planes. The logic is that even though ashtrays are no longer needed at each seat (they used to be embedded in armrests), there still must be a safe place to put out a cigarette should someone illegally light up.

Garbage cans and bathroom bins don’t fit the bill because something could catch on fire if the butt is not completely extinguished.

Looking for ways to make the most of your 48 hours in Munich but don’t know where to start? As the state capital of Bavaria in Germany, Munich is bursting at the seams with everything from historic structures to modern lifestyles and nightlife.

The best neighbourhoods to stay in Munich is Schwabing and Altstadt-Lehel.

As you explore Schwabing, you’ll discover several of its most recognisable landmarks, from the New Town Hall and its famed Glockenspiel at the Marienplatz, to the Frauenkirche. This cathedral has come to symbolise Munich.

Those with a penchant for museums will also like the Haus der Kunst, a museum dedicated to modern art located in this area – more of a shopping fan? There are countless high-end boutiques located in this neighbourhood that will make your heart beat faster.

You’ll see why locals and visitors love to stroll the streets of this lively district, often known as Munich’s bohemian section. There are plenty of places to eat and drink and a wide variety of stores and boutiques to peruse.

lavatory led to the crash of a Varig flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris that killed 123 people.

And in 2016, an EgyptAir flight crashed in the Mediterranean after a pilot was believed to be smoking a cigarette. Another pilot’s lit cigarette led to the crash of a US Bangla flight near Kathmandu in 2018.

The path to getting rid of cigarettes on planes was a slow one. Though airline staff had complained about the smoke for years before (among other mistreatments), the first ban was issued

in 1988 — but only for US domestic flights that were two hours or less. In 1990, the ban extended to flights that are six hours or less. Even then, pilots were still permitted to smoke because there was concern that withdrawal symptoms could be a safety hazard.

Delta was the first airline to voluntarily make all of its worldwide flights nonsmoking in 1995. Then in 2000, all flights within the US, as well as those to and from the country, became officially nonsmoking. There is no

overarching international body that governs all airlines and international flights, but today, nearly every carrier bans smoking completely— including vaping and e-cigarettes, which were widely prohibited in 2016 because the mechanism’s lithium batteries could overheat and cause a fire.

To be safe and smart, don’t try any type of smoking, because the FAA can impose hefty fines of up to €25,000, as can other international agencies and governments.

Just a few months ago in June 2023, a man was caught smoking on a Ryanair flight; he was “named and shamed” to the whole plane, and then escorted off by police officers when the flight landed in Manchester, England.

In March 2023, passengers smelled cigarette smoke from the bathroom on an Air India flight bound for Delhi.

The culprit was caught and handed over to the police when they landed.

And the incidents go on: Various videos of people smoking on planes have gone viral over the past few years, including a man on Spirit Airlines in 2019 and a woman also on Spirit in 2021.

Vapers have also caused a few problems: The FAA reports that in 2022, electronic smoking devices were the leading cause of lithium battery incidents involving smoke, fire, or extreme heat on airplanes. They even made a handy infographic on how to avoid vape battery explosions.

So to avoid any trouble, fines, or explosions, do yourself and your fellow passengers a favour—wait until you’re off the plane to have a smoke.

several of Munich’s most famous sights. And a great way to discover it and learn all about Altstadt-Lehel is by joining a walking tour of Munich.

But if you prefer to explore independently and you have only a day to spend in the city make sure to spend your first day visiting these places:

Start at Marienplatz, where you’ll find buildings from various architectural eras surrounding the city’s central square, going back to 1158. Listen to the famous Glockenspiel in the New Town Hall and pay attention to the figures depicting different historical events – can you recognise any?

Another building of note is St Peter’s Church (Alter Peter), Munich’s oldest church.

Climb to the top of the tower for fantastic views of the square.

From here, head to Frauenkirche or the Cathedral of Our Dear Lady. It was built in the 15th century, and its distinctive domed towers – which survived World War II – have become an iconic feature of the cityscape.

Discover the luxurious chambers and halls of the old royal residence of the Wittelsbach rulers of Bavaria, loaded to the brim with artwork that provides a unique view into the royal lifestyle of the time..

Another way of visiting The Munich Residenz is by attending a classical concert in the very place Mozart used to play.

The daily food market at the

Viktualienmarkt has been an experience for all the senses since 1807.

It’s a favourite spot for residents and visitors, where you can sample Munich’s famed beers from the cellars beneath the chestnut trees. What better way to experience authentic German culture than to sip traditional Bavarian beer in a neighboruhood garden full of locals?

Friedensengel: The “Angel of Peace” is another iconic must in Munich if you have extra time on your hands.

It is located in the Bogenhausen district and is a testimony to the 25 years of peace at the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 – yep, many peaceful years since then!

This monument is rich in history with a lovely small park Maximiliansanlagen, next to the monument, and it’s also an instagrammable photo opportunity with the statue against the sky.

Plus it offers accessibility compared to some other monuments as it’s just a short walk away from the banks of the Isar River.

Why there are still ashtrays on modern airplanes Look around on your next flight, and you’ll see that ashtrays are usually on or near the lavatory door, a requirement put in place for new or refurbished planes.

Why that location? Turns out, when people daringly smoke on a plane, they usually do it in the bathroom. Not too smart, because—as just about every safety announcement says—aircraft lavatories are equipped with smoke detectors that will alert the crew.

In fact, the ashtrays are

considered so important that if they’re broken or inoperable, the plane won’t be allowed to take off until they’re fixed.

In airline lingo, it’s a ‘no-go’ item (although there are some adjustments to the rule on planes that have more than one restroom and more than one ashtray).

Smoking on a plane is really a fire hazard. There have been many incidents when cigarette flames have put an entire aircraft at risk. In the early 1970s, it is believed that a fire from a cigarette in the

A short stay in the best of Munich

In addition, Schwabing is home to one of the world’s largest urban parks, the Englisher Garten, where you can unwind and even surf on the Eisbach River. The Alte and Neue Pinakothek is one of the best museums in Germany to visit if you’re interested in art.

If you have only a limited

amount of time, it’s best to start with the neighbourhood you’re staying in – one of the reasons why choosing a good neighbourhood is crucial, and why staying in Altstadt-Lehel is the best option.

If you’re staying in this neighbourhood, then you’re in for a treat, as this neighbourhood is home to

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Opinion

Furthermore Gerry Moran

‘What is the stars, Gerry? What is the stars?’

“Space, the final frontier, these are the voyages of the star ship Enterprise, its five-year mission to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilisations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

This introduction began every episode of the original Star Trek series which I loved because I love space.

I love space because we all – men, women and children and every living creature on earth – came from an exploding star! “We are stardust,” to quote a line from Joni Mitchell’s wonderful song Woodstock.

I mention all this because this is Space Week (October 4 – 10) the nation’s premier celebration of space exploration and science (see www.spaceweek.ie) How I became fascinated with space I do not know but anytime I look up at a starstudded sky, the philoso-

pher breaks out in me (as it does in many of us) when I ask the age-old, clichéd questions: Who are we?

Where did we come from?

And why are we here?

Back in 1924 Captain Jack Boyle in Seán O’Casey’s play Juno And The Paycock asked: “What is the stars, Joxer? Ah, that is the question. What is the stars?”

Well, we now know what the stars are – massive balls of gas, hydrogen and helium, just like our star, the sun, all of 93,000,000 miles away. A hell of a distance but consider our nearest neighbour, the star Proxima Centauri which is 4.24 light-years away.

And let me try and explain light-years. Light travels at 186,000 miles a second.

There are 31,536,000 seconds in a year. Multiply that by 186,000 and that’s how many miles light travels in a year (a light year) – 5.88

trillion miles (check it if you wish as maths was never my forte). And then, the easy bit, multiply that by 4.24 and that’s how far the nearest star is from us! And there are billions of stars in our galaxy, The Milky Way, and there are billions of galaxies in the Universe! Which is why yours truly believes that there has to be intelligent life, aliens if you wish, out there.

In fact I am so convinced that there’s life out there that I occasionally stand in my back garden at night, look up at the star-studded sky and say: “Listen, aliens, if you are out there, come down, introduce yourselves, I’m a sociable guy, give me a ride in your flying saucer, or fancy flying contraption, take me on a tour of the galaxy, but get me back in time for Match of the Day.” So far the aliens haven’t answered me yet. Which

is okay but it would prove once and for all, that aliens do exist. Plus, I’d also like

“Every living creature on earth came from an exploding star . .

to check out the seating arrangement on alien aircraft – just to see if it’s any roomier than Ryan Air or Aer Lingus. And I’d like to see if they serve better in-flight meals (which wouldn’t be hard). Plus it would be the mother-of-all excuses for coming home late from the pub. Wife: “And where were you till this hour of the morning?” (maybe five or six am.) Moi: “On a quick tour of the Milky Way.” Wife: “You need psychiatric help, Gerry Moran. And you need it NOW.” On the topic of aliens I watched an American TV chat show some years back dedicated to aliens. On the show a very articulate blonde claimed to be an actual alien. Now if aliens look even remotely like this lady, we humans (males in particular) are in for a pleasant surprise when

the flying saucers arrive.

Asked how she knew she was an alien she said it was because of memories she had of belonging to another civilisation, not human.

Jeez, I know people like that. But I don’t call them aliens. I call them something else entirely.

As it happened I was watching the show with my two sons. “Guys,” I jokingly asked, “by any chance are any of you aliens?”

“Da,” said my 14-yearold: “You KNOW I’m from Saturn.”Ah humour. Must be in the genes. By the way how much does a DNA test cost these days?

PS: Star Trek Day takes place on September 8 every year in honour of the premiere of the original TV series which started on that date back in 1966. Okay, so September 8 has passed but you can still check it out on the Net.

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Opinion

James Stephens Part one

The Kilkenny man who founded the Fenians

BY JOHN FITZGERALD

One of those wounded in the infamous Ballingarry skirmish was a young Kilkenny man, James Stephens.

Born and educated in the Marble City, Stephens was a railways civil engineer when he joined the ill-fated Young Ireland movement. After the abortive uprising, he fled to France with another activist, John O’Mahony, after cleverly faking his own death and even arranging a funeral to give himself a public send-off.

While in France, he met a number of prominent Irish exiles and formulated a plan

to kick-start a new revolutionary group. He travelled to America to assess the mood among Irish exiles and emigrants there. Upon his return to Ireland in 1856 he made more contacts and explored further the possibility of a new push for Irish independence.

On St. Patrick’s Day, 1858, he and Charles Luby; a man he’d met in Paris, founded the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). In America, it was better known from the James Stephens

outset as the Fenian movement. The name derives from the Fianna of Irish mythology. John O’ Mahony headed the Fenians in America.

The IRB was organized nationwide in Ireland along military lines. A 'Centre' or colonel was picked as leader and he then chose nine subordinate captains. Each captain chose nine sergeants, and each sergeant nine men.

Stephens became its first leader.

The

James Stephens barracks is named in honour of the great Kilkenny man

movement attracted concon siderable support in the beginning but was roundly condemned by the Catholic Church, which advised the faithful to shun its secret oaths of loyalty and advocacy of physical force.

Stephens went on fundraising trips to America for the IRB where he also forged important links with Irish American sympathizers. But in 1859 after returning from one such mission in the U.S., he discovered the police knew of his activities and were about to arrest him.

He quickly crossed the Atlantic again, making his way to New York. Upon his secret return to Ireland the following year, he drafted a blueprint for Irish Independence entitled The Future of Ireland.

In 1863 he launched a newspaper

called The Irish People to foment another rebellion. Two years later, the long arm of the law caught up with him. He was arrested, charged with conspiracy and lodged in Richmond Jail, Dublin. Also captured was the legendary Fenian novelist, Charles Kickham of Mullinahone. The Irish People newspaper was suppressed.

But Stephens escaped after just a fortnight behind bars and again travelled to France and from there returned to America. He failed to receive a hero’s welcome in New York this time. A chasm had opened between his practical approach to running the organization and the firebrand politics of men safely ensconced 3000 miles away from the scene of any future conflict in Ireland.

The American Fenians were furious with him for not having called an Irish uprising the previous year. As with so many revolutionary movements, splits and disagreements proved as lethal as the machinations of the enemy…

To be continued...

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

Global Report Guns and abortion are back on the agenda as the US Supreme Court has returned to a new term.

The year also will have a heavy focus on social media and how free speech protections apply online. A big unknown is whether the court will be asked to weigh in on any aspect of the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump and others or efforts in some states to keep the Republican off the 2024 presidential ballot because of his role in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election that he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Lower-profile but vitally important, several cases in the term that has begun ask the justices to constrict the power of regulatory agencies.

One of those cases, currently being argued, threatens the ability of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to function. Unlike most agencies, the bureau is not dependent on annual appropriations from Congress, but instead gets its funding directly from the Federal Reserve. The idea when the agency was created following the recession in 2007-08 was to shield it from politics.

But the federal appeals court in New Orleans struck down the funding mechanism. The ruling would cause “profound disruption by calling into question virtually every action the CFPB has taken” since its creation, the Biden administration said in a court filing.

The same federal appeals court also produced the ruling that struck down a federal law that aims to keep guns away from people facing domestic violence restraining orders from having firearms.

The three-judge panel of the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals said its decision was compelled by the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling expanding gun rights and directing judges to evaluate The former Soviet republic Armenia, led by a one-time human rights lawyer, had no option but to save thousands of its people from death by surrendering their enclave at Nagorno-Karabakh to the brutal forces of Ilham Aliyev, dictator of Azerbaijan.

The final invasion saw hundreds of Orthodox Christians killed by the aggressors.

It was Russia, once again, that was principally to blame: it was given by a UN Security Council the job of keeping the peace, but when Armenia condemned the invasion of Ukraine, Putin in revenge withdrew all protection of Nagorno-Karabakh and let the Azerbaijan army off its leash.

Up to 120,000 citizens are now at its mercy, being forced either to abandon their ancestral homes or else live under a tyranny that has fomented hatred against them for many years.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a small, mountainous country in the clouds, settled by Ar-

It’s back to guns and abortion

restrictions based on history and tradition. Judges also have invalidated other longstanding gun control laws.

The justices will hear the Texas case, in November, in what is their first chance to elaborate on the meaning of that decision in the earlier case, which has come to be known as Bruen.

The abortion case likely to be heard by the justices also would be the court’s first word on the topic since it reversed Roe v. Wade’s right to abortion. The new case stems from a ruling, also by the 5th Circuit, to limit the

availability of mifepristone, a medication used in the most common method of abortion in the US. The administration already won an order from the high court blocking the appellate ruling while the case continues. The justices could decide later in the fall to take up the mifepristone case this term.

The assortment of cases from the 5th Circuit could offer Chief Justice John Roberts more opportunities to forge alliances in major cases that cross ideological lines. In those cases, the

conservative-dominated appeals court, which includes six Trump appointees, took aggressive legal positions, said Irv Gornstein, executive director of the Georgetown law school’s Supreme Court Institute.

“The 5th Circuit is ready to adopt the politically most conservative position on almost any issue, no matter how implausible or how much defiling of precedent it takes,” Gornstein said.

The three Supreme Court justices appointed by Trump — Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavana-

ugh — have been together in the majority of the some of the biggest cases in the past two years, including on guns, abortion and ending affirmative action in college admissions.

But in some important cases last term, the court split in unusual ways. In the most notable of those, Kavanaugh joined with Roberts and the court’s three liberal justices to rule that Alabama had not done enough to reflect the political power of Black voters in its congressional redistricting.

Roberts, Kavanaugh, this

time joined by Barrett, also were in the majority with the liberal justices in a case that rejected a conservative legal effort to cut out state courts from oversight of elections for Congress and president.

Those outcomes have yet to do much to make better the court’s image in the public’s mind. The most recent Gallup Poll, released last week, found Americans’ approval of and trust in the court hovering near record lows.

It is not clear whether those numbers would improve if the court were to adopt a code of conduct.

take the 6 hour road trek via Mount Ararat to Stepanakert, centre of the Karabakh’s democracy that was this week snuffed out.

The trip is only 20 minutes by air from a modern airport.

But planes have not flown for years because the Azeri government threatens to shoot them down.

The country fell to Russia in the early 19th century, and the demographic evidence from the first census of that time proves that it was all-Armenian and the area should have been allocated to this state when Stalin divided the territory in 1920. Instead, he gave it to Azerbaijan, and the mistake was not rectified until a civil war after the collapse of the USSR. The Armenians of NagornoKarabakh – still the great majority of the population – voted first to join with Armenia (the wiser course) but then (courageously as they thought) opted for independence. The war had commenced with pogroms by Azeris in Sumgait and Baku.

But in time a local Karabakh defence force took the upper hand. Fighting was brutal. With ethnic hate on

both sides. The siege of Stepanakert during which Azeri forces killed several thousand in bombings of schools and hospitals, was Guernica writ small. The people only survived because of supplies brought on a narrow road – a humanitarian corridor – from Armenia, which Azerbaijan closed earlier this year.

Nagorno-Karabakh won the war by 1994 and declared, like Kosovo, its right to selfdetermination. For the next quarter-century it governed itself with help from Armenia. It did so, reasonably enough, with fair elections and democratic institutions like an independent judiciary.

The Security Council, quite absurdly, entrusted the enclave security to Russia which did not take its duties seriously and in 2020 the war broke out again. Armenia voted at the UN to condemn Russia for attacking Ukraine and in consequence Putin determined to end all support for it and to take revenge.

Armenia: the sorry state of a proud people menians for many centuries.

It was the first in 301 AD to adopt Christianity.

Hundreds of Orthodox churches, and their ancient

mysterious tombstones (many now defaced or demolished by the aggressors), attract visitors from Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, who

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Thank you for 20 years A summary of Blacknight’s anniversary event On the 22nd of September Blacknight held a little gathering at Blacknight HQ in Carlow to celebrate Blacknight’s 20 years in business. It was a great opportunity for them to see friends and clients that they have not seen in a while, and to finally meet some people face-toface for the first time.

As a company that provides the majority of their services online, having an anniversary event with in-person food and fun was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon.

Balloons and decorations were provided

by Balloons and Sweet Treats and luckily, the wind was no match for our balloon arch. On a blustery day, cups of tea and coffee were well needed. Thanks to the Irish

Horsebox Bar Hire for supplying the hot drinks throughout the event. What’s a party without cake? We had a delicious array of cakes by Willows Wonderful Cakes to enjoy.

The Triple Crown AND Six Nations Cup even appeared and were the stars of the show! We went head-to-head on an arcade machine by Scats and had a competition for the best high score on Pacman. Lastly, the event concluded with heartfelt speeches from Blacknight co-owners, Michele and Paul.

If you attended the event, we want to say a huge thank you and we hope you enjoyed it. Overall, we’d like to extend our thank you to all our staff, customers and stakeholders for the last 20 years – here’s to many more!

Blacknight is 20: Driving the Irish economy forward - The impact of Blacknight’s two decades of enabling digital growth

Founded in Carlow in 2003

by CEO Michele Neylon and CTO Paul Kelly, Blacknight has grown from a single server operation to running its own data centre and launching broadband services across Ireland, while also building a reputation in global internet governance. Blacknight has grown to serve over 90,000 customers in Ireland and 170 countries.

“The internet has changed Ireland for the better,” says Blacknight CEO Michele Neylon. “Back when we started, it was hard to get online - and speeds were a lightning fast

256k, if you were lucky. Building a website, let alone getting your own server, was something most people simply couldn’t do. Once we got going, we made it easier for Irish businesses and consumers to get online. Tech and services have evolved so quickly in Ireland, Blacknight has had to adapt quickly to a landscape so that we now offer broadband. Some of our customers now have fixed fibre internet speeds up to 2gbps.”

The last 20 years have seen a sea change in the tech industry in Ireland. Along the way, Blacknight has provided

the infrastructure for Irish businesses and individuals to get online.

“With the advent of online streaming and remote work,” continues Neylon, “the internet has completely re-ordered the Irish economy and how people work day-to-day. A recent survey by Retail Excellence and .IE reported that a majority of Irish workers work from home at least one day a week. Blacknight has always been at the forefront of the work-from-home revolution, offering the services that Irish businesses and workers need.”

Quality customer service

is at the core of Blacknight’s offerings. When you call them, there’s always a familiar Irish voice at the end of the line, and trained engineers keep an eye on their infrastructure 24/7.

As members of the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, Blacknight has been working with other European data centre operators to ensure they are carbon neutral by 2050.

When it recently renovated its offices, it installed the latest green energy saving tech and solar panels on their Carlow headquarters roof, ensuring that they generate enough power for most of its day-today office operations.

“I’m a huge green energy nerd,” says Kelly. “We obsessively watch our power generation levels. Happy to say, we’ve always exceeded our targets. The system will pay for itself in no time.”

Blacknight participates in several important organisations responsible for internet governance. It is a member of the Internet Infrastructure Coalition, Eco, and works with ICANN on important industry issues. This international participation ensures Irish views have a seat at the table affecting policy on governance, privacy, security, piracy, and

universal acceptance of domains and internationalised domain names.

Looking ahead for the next 20 years, both Neylon and Kelly have similar visions for the future of the company.

“I hope we continue to grow,” says Kelly. “I’d like to see us grow to having 200 to 300 employees one day, with bigger offices and a larger network and data centre footprint, while watching our energy usage and being as efficient as possible. I’d like to see us grow to millions of broadband customers, as well as increase our enterprise footprint.”

“I think we’ll continue to

grow as the internet develops in Ireland and becomes more and more integrated into our daily lives,” says Neylon.

“Hopefully in 20 years I’ll be retired, but with the growth of the internet of things and how fast gadgets innovate, there will be plenty for Blacknight to do in the next 20 years, especially as devices need to become more conscious of the energy they consume.

Think about 20 years ago - not everyone had an email address - what will be ‘email’ in 20 years? No one can say now, but Black Blacknight will be ready for it when it arrives.”

CTO Paul Kelly and CEO Michele Neylon

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

Boston Tea Party Words: Gerry Cody Photos: Pat Shortall Eoin MacDonald lived in the Cúl in the Village area of Kilkenny. A knowledgeable and articulate man, he was, throughout his life, particularly supportive of the arts. To enhance the experience of artistic events, Eoin, accompanied by his brother Dan, invariably arrived at a venue an hour or two before a performance commenced. He insisted that the early bird gained the advantage of beneficial insights.

I successfully adopted this strategy last Sunday when I attended a commemorative event for Thomas White at Rothe House, Parliament Street in Kilkenny.

The benefits were that I met many of the American delegation in an informal setting before official proceedings got under way. These participants were representing groups including Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum and Boston Revolution 250. An added bonus was meeting the articulate and ebullient Stephanie from Loeber Communications.

Other early attendees included members of Kilkenny’s re-enactment group, Mayor Joe Malone, Councillor Michael Doyle and Fonsie Meally of Rothe House and the Kilkenny Archaeological Society.

I observed members of The Kilkenny re-enactment group, John Joe Cullen, Declan Cooke and Phil Cody act as wonderful ambassadors for our city as they chatted and welcomed the American visitors.

As the Irish and American flags were position I learned from Commandant (retired) Larry Scallan, that if both poles are of equal height, the Irish flag should fly on the left hand pole.

I watched as Sinead Gibbons from Rothe House and Donal Croghan from The Great Kilkenny War Memorial committee put the final touches to preparations.

It was also nice to get a few minutes to walk around the beautiful Tudor kitchen room at Rothe House where the event was being held and where gardener Mary

Mr Pat Nolan from Rothe House attended the Thomas White event at Rothe House

Pyke had prepared two glorious window boxes decorated with flowers in the American colours.

Rothe House front of house staff Sinead Gibbons, Mary Flood, Mary Ann Vaughan, and Sean Allen who were pleasantness personified, embellished the occasion.

You can’t beat class.

COMMEMMORATION So, what was this Thomas White event all about?

Stephanie Loeber of American company Loeber Communications takes up the story.

“Two hundred and fifty years ago, over three hundred chests of tea were thrown into Boston Harbour in what has become known as The Boston Tea Party.

Those involved were of various nationalities, including Thomas White, born in Kilkenny on March 19, 1739.

Stephanie continued: “This is a joint project between ‘Boston Tea Party Ships and Museums’, and ‘Revolution 250’ to place Commemorative markers at the graves of known Boston Tea Party participants.”

Stephanie went on to explain that this year marks the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party and the event taking place in Kilkenny was to officially honour the role played by Thomas White, the sole participant from Ireland in this crucial, watershed event in American history.

Members of the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, Revolution 250 and Rothe House, Kilkenny hosted this commemorative event, which explored Thomas White’s intriguing story and the role he played in the American Independence struggle.

Stephanie went on to explain that with the involvement of members of ‘The Great Kilkenny War memorial Committee’, Rothe House, The Kilkenny Archaelogical Society and Cllr David Fitzgerald, it wasn’t long before a plan was hatched and on Sunday, 24 September, 2023, that plan became a reality.

Thomas White’s participation in the historic Boston Tea Party has largely gone unmarked in Kilkenny.

Thomas Alloway White was born on March 19, 1739 in Kilkenny, Ireland.

White emigrated to America sometime between 1755-1760. In that time, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he married Elizabeth (née Jones) on July 13, 1771 and took up the trade of tailor.

He eventually moved to Boston, Massachusetts with his family and was said to have been a Freemason and to have joined St. Andrew’s Lodge giving him the connection the many known revolutionaries at the time.

On December 16, 2023, at 34 years old, he participated

Kilkenny man Tho

-revolutionarysoldier andpatriot forAmerican Inde

Reenactors of the Boston Tea party from America and Ireland photographed at Rothe House: Josiah George, Kelly Horan, John Joe Cullen and Phil Cody

SAYING IT WITH TEA: Boston reenactor Kelly Horan raise a cup of tea with Mayor Joe Malone at the Thomas White commemoration held in Kilkenny. Also pictured : Cllr Michael Doyle ( Chairman, Kilkenny County Council), Commandant Larry Scallan, John Joe Cullen, Declan Cooke, Josiah George and Phil Cody

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Boston Tea Party Main image: Attending the Thomas White Commemorative event at Rothe House were: BACK: John Joe Cullen (Kilkenny Reenactors group); Jonathan Lane (Executive Director, Revolution 250) ; Stephanie Loeber, (Loeber Communications) , Kelly Horan, (Assistant Creative Manager, Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum and Boston Reenactor), Josiah George (Assistant Creative Manager, Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum and Boston Reenactor), Evan O’Brien (Creative Director, Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum), Declan Cooke (Kilkenny Reenactors), Phil Cody (Kilkenny Reenactor), Kristin Harris (Research Coordinator, Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum). Front Row: Donal Croghan, ( Kilkenny Great War Memorial) Sinead Gibbons, Mary Flood, Ann Tierney, Mary Pyke and Mary Anne Vaughan, from Rothe House

in the Boston Tea Party.

He served in the Revolutionary War joining the Continental Army in the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment in 1776/1777 and served until 1791.

Following the war, he and his family migrated to the West.

homas White

pendencerememberedatRotheHouse

A NEW BEGINNING They settled in what is now part of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, near the present town of Robertsdale, on a tract of land which he cleared and developed a farm.

They had a very large family of 21 children. Mr. White died in his frontier home on September 13, 1820. His descendants and members of various societies created a monument to his memory there, which was unveiled on July 4, 1889.

Executive director of Revolution 250 Mr Johnathan Lane pictured at Rothe House Kilkenny

Mr Fonsie Mealy from Kilkenny Archaeological society spoke at Rothe House on the many contributions made by Kilkenny people in America

Evan O’Brien thanked the citizens of Kilkenny for such a warm welcome

The Boston delegation who travelled to Kilkenny for the Thomas White commemoration: Johnathan Lane, Stephanie Loeber, Kelly Horan, Josiah George, Evan O’Brien and Kristin Harris

Mr Fonsie Mealy , President of Kilkenny Archaeological society attended the Thomas White commemorative event at Rothe House. Also included ar Chair of Kilkenny Council Michael Doyle, Mayor Joe Malone, Josiah George and Kelly Horan

The attendance stands as The American national anthem is played

A commemorative plaque was presented to Fonsie Mealy and which will be placed at Rothe House gardens to remember Thomas White, a Kilkenny man who was part of The Boston Tea Party volunteers. Picture includes Donal Croghan, Cllr Joe Malone, Cllr Michael Doyle, Fonsie Mealy and Evan O’Brien

The inscription on the monument reads: ‘In Memory of Thomas White of the Boston Tea Party December 16, 1773 and a Revolutionary Soldier and Patriot for American Independence.’

Speaking at the event, Cllr. Michael Doyle, Chair of Kilkenny County Council said that it was a great honour for him to attend the commemoration. “The Boston Tea Party, was a momentous occasion in American History, and it is wonderful to hear of Thomas Whites involvement” Joe Malone, Mayor of Kilkenny welcomed all to Rothe House and said he had just returned from Kilkenny in Minnesota which is twinned with Kilkenny Ireland.

“The relationship between our countries is very special and the Thomas White connection is very important to us here” said the Mayor.

Mr. Fonsie Mealy, a director at Rothe House Trust and President of The Kilkenny Archaeological Society said it was wonderful to see this relationship between Boston and Kilkenny and the involvement of Mr White two hundred and fifty years ago is something that will be treasured in Kilkenny.

Members of the visiting American party addressed the gathering of over one hundred people. Josiah George and Kelly Horan, members of the Boston Tea Party ships and Museums treated the audience to a re-enactment of the life of Thomas White.

Executive Director of ‘Revolution 250’, Johnathan Lane thanked the Kilkenny audience for turning out to mark the occasion, saying that the support and encouragement they received from Kilkenny was extra special.

COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE Mr Evan O’Brien, Creative Director of ‘The Boston Tea Party and Ships’ presented a commemorative plaque to Fonsie Mealy. The plaque will be place at Rothe House Gardens as a gift to the community in Kilkenny to mark the birthplace of Thomas White.

The ceremony also consisted of a white rose being planted in the garden of Rothe House to mark the occasion.

Special guests on the day included members of Kilkenny Archaelogical Society, Ray Cleere, Jim Wellwood of Kilkenny Freemasons, Board members of Rothe House Trust, and members of The Kilkenny reenactors group.

Kilkenny piper Tony Coy provided music in the courtyard while staff at Rothe house ensured all enjoyed sandwiches and a nice drink on the day. Tea of course.

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COMPETITION TIME

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The Kilkenny Observer has linked up with Goods of Kilkenny and we are holding a competition to win a €100 voucher.

Choose your Autumn/Winter collection from the wide range of style at Goods, get your entries into The Kilkenny Observer and be in with a chance of winning this great prize.

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This competition is sponsored by The Kilkenny Observer 2. The prize will be a €100 voucher for Goods of Kilkenny 3. The closing date for entries is Friday, October 27th 2023 at 5.00pm 4. The winner will be chosen by an open draw held at the office of The Kilkenny Observer on Tuesday, October 31st 2023 5. The prize is non-transferable; no cash equivalents may be claimed. .

6. All competition entries must be completed on the above form only.

7. The winner will be advised by phone / e-mail 8. After being notified, the name of the winner will be posted in the next edition of the Kilkenny Observer.

9. Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to have agreed to be bound by them when entering the competition.

10. The competition is not open to The Kilkenny Observer employees or their families.

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Cold River

by Nicki Cummins

Nicki Cummins is an emerging artist from Kilkenny city who has been playing and writing songs for many years. She previously played in the band ‘Vickers Vimy’ before eventually taking her own path. Fintan Hanley of Vickers Vimy has produced this single. Cold River is due to be released on October 16th.

‘Cold River’ is the debut single by Nicki Cummins.

It envelopes themes of Life, Love and Death.

Romantic, platonic and familiar love.

It also encompasses grief for Our Earth that we live, love and die on.

The constant of what our earth has been, and seems no longer is.

This song is about the feeling I/We let it Happen’.

Mary Greene of Greenshine, the wonderful and inspiring Irish trio said of Cold River; “What a beautiful and atmospheric song 'Cold River' is and a stunning debut by Nicki Cummins. The vocals are superb and the production by Fintan Hanley of Vickers Vimy perfectly captures the other-worldly atmosphere of the song.

'Cold River' draws you in and invites repeated listens.”

Written by Nicki Cummins Produced by Fintan Hanley Acoustic and Electric Guitars : Fintan Hanley Piano and Bass : Colm Ward Viola and Violins: Mike Chang Backing Vocals: Colm Ward and Ed Drea Mixed by Chris O’Brien and Graham Murphy at Production Suite, Dublin Mastered by Richard Dowling at Wav Mastering, Limerick.

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Savour Kilkenny

Savour(ing) Art at Butler Gallery Kilkenny, October 27-30th - As part of the renowned Savour Kilkenny festival, Butler Gallery is proud to introduce "Savour(ing) Art" - a trailblazing programme that mingles the realms of culinary expertise and artistic expression. Designed to entice both tourists and locals alike, these events will offer audiences an innovative perspective on art through the lens of food and drink.

"Imbibing Art" - Art Tour, Mixology, and Tasting: Dive into the vibrant world of art with an exhilarating tour peppered with tailored cocktails and libations. Guided by Food Designer Clare Anne O’Keefe and Colin Hession of L.Mulligan Grocer, participants will embark on a sensorial exploration, as art is translated and activated through thoughtfully crafted beverages. This lively experience promises a fun-filled immersion into the gallery's

treasured exhibitions.

"Wild Milsean" - A Children's Food and Art Workshop: Set within Butler Gallery’s Learning Centre this workshop offers young culinary enthusiasts a chance to craft a delightful Halloween treat using Irish Dairy Milk. Alongside this, participants will gain insights into the global history of milk candy, the enchanting process of turning milk into paint, and the intriguing narrative of rewilding that threads through Colman’s art.

"Wild Art and Food | A Conversation": Enter a world where food speaks the language of art. Food Designer Clare Anne O'Keefe joins forces with acclaimed artist Eamon Colman to lead a captivating conversation and live demonstration. Drawing inspiration from Colman’s por-

trayal of environmental fragility, attendees will witness the creation of dishes echoing the ethos that all beauty, albeit occasionally damaged, arises from nature's embrace. This event heralds the resurrection of dishes first conceptualised

by Colman at Noma, Copenhagen.

experience that intertwines with the rich tapestry of our environmental heritage.

Seeking to entice new local visitors and to showcase Butler Gallery as an outstanding destination to the Savour Kilkenny audience, "Savour(ing) Art" is more than an event - it's an experience.

"Wild Samhain Cheese Workshop": Dive deep into a tactile and gastronomic adventure as participants craft their very own soft cheese masterpiece, drawing inspiration from the changing seasons and age-old traditions of Samhain.

Each cheese creation is meticulously coloured with organic food paints and adorned with handpicked wild herbs, perfectly encapsulating the delicate balance and harmony that exists between culture and nature. This workshop is more than just a culinary lesson; it’s an artistic

Gallery Visits & Guided Tours Visit the gallery any time or join an engaging walkthrough of modern and contemporary Irish art of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Our friendly and experienced tour guides intro-

duce you to the wonderful artworks in both our Collection and O'Malley galleries along with the fascinating history of our Medieval location and refurbished Georgian building.

Saturday and Sunday | Free all day with tour at 3pm.

Details: Venue: Butler Gallery at Evans’ Home, John’s Quay, Kilkenny.

Dates: Events run throughout the Savour Kilkenny 2023 festival. Specific event timings and ticket prices vary.

Booking: Tickets available at www.butlergallery.ie.

For a deeper dive into the events, visit savourkilkenny. com For Media Inquiries: Info@butlergallery.com Quotes: We are delighted to be part of the Savour(ing) Art programme of events at Butler Gallery and see it as an exciting new avenue for audience engagement with Butler Gallery's collection and exhibitions programme.

Savour(ing) Art will give audiences opportunities to look closely at artwork in the

gallery and to create culinary responses to that work, in a way that is fun and thoughtful and uncovers a deeper context around how and why artists make work.

We are very much looking forward to welcoming Savour Kilkenny audiences to Butler Gallery on Saturday 28th and 29th October and discovering together.

Jean Mann, Assistant Curator of Learning and Public Engagement at Butler Gallery.

Over a decade of association with Savour Kilkenny has shown me its ever-evolving spirit, and this year, we’re inviting you to taste, savour, and appreciate art. So, come, immerse yourself in this flavorful journey, and let's rediscover the essence of art and food, together. Nestled in the splendid Learning Centre of Butler Gallery, participants will discover wild food, evocative art, and sheer fun. It's more than an event—it's an exploration of senses, and a celebration of the deep-rooted connection between the culinary and the artistic.

Clare Anne O’Keefe, Food Designer

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Kilkenny County Council nominates three outstanding groups for IPB Pride of Place Awards 2023

St. Canice's Community Action: L-R: Stephen Murphy Director St. Canices Community Action, Teresa Delahunty, Wendy Taylor, Karin Todd, Declan Nelson (Judge Pride of Place), Jenny Cook, John Fitzgerald (Judge Pride of Place), Liz Hogan, Samuel Morgan, Agatha Manning, Stephanie Brennan, Michelle Claffey, Margaret Burney, Pax Falsey, Lianne Kelly (Kilkenny County Council), Deirdre Beale, Sean McKeown (Kilkenny County Council), Anne Marie Shortall (Kilkenny County Council).

Photographer: Harry Reid.

Kilkenny County Council proudly announces the nominated three exceptional community groups for the prestigious IPB Pride of Place Awards 2023. These nominations celebrate the outstanding contributions made by local organisations in enhancing the quality of life within their communities and fostering a spirit of unity and pride.

The three nominated groups and their respective award

categories are as follows: St. Canice’s Community Action were nominated for the Community category.

The centre stands as a beacon of support for both the local community and the broader Kilkenny region. Their comprehensive range of services includes: • The Fr. McGrath Family Resource Centre • The Learning Tree Childcare Service

First-ever Neurodiversity in Education Conference invites educators to foster inclusive practices in Kilkenny On Saturday, 7th October 2023, Kilkenny will welcome educators, parents, and caregivers to Ireland's inaugural ‘Neurodiversity in Education Conference’, a professional event curated to enhance the inclusivity and support for neurodivergent students of all ages. Under the theme ‘Inclusive Practice’ the conference aims to be a nexus of knowledge and resource sharing among Ireland's educator community.

Empowering Educators with Insights and Actionable Strategies Conceived and guided by Jeanette Delahunty, a prominent figure in inclusive education,

this conference promises to be an enriching platform offering fresh perspectives, knowledge, and tools for educators. “In this ever-evolving educational landscape, we are uniting experts and educators to foster an environment that understands and nurtures the neurodivergent students,” says Jeanette Delahunty, the brain behind TSK Academy Ltd and Tutors Made for You. Event Highlights: Actionable Insights for Educators: Tailored workshops offering strategies and knowledge that educators can integrate into their teaching practices to foster inclusivity.

• Parenting / Counselling / Mediation Services • Kilkenny Multimedia IT Training Centre • St. Canice’s Neighbourhood Hall • Older Persons Support • Education & Employment Services .

Their commitment to serving the community exemplifies the spirit of Pride of Place.

Freshford.ie – Nominated in the Population category (popu-

lation 500-1500).

Freshford.ie has transformed the village into a vibrant and engaging community with a vision for sustainable economic growth. Notable achievements include the creation of a new playground and parking facility, a pristine walking track at the GAA pitch, the remarkable Millennium Park Project, comprehensive village signage, and the thriving Communityrun Loop Café. Freshford.ie's dedication to preserving tradition, heritage, arts, and natural amenities has made a lasting impact.

Callan Community Energy Company - Nominated in the Climate & Biodiversity category.

Callan Community Energy Company (CCE), registered as a CLG (Company Limited by Guarantee) in 2020, is poised to revolutionise Callan's energy landscape by striving to achieve carbon-neutral energy production for the entire town by 2030. Owned and operated by the people of Callan, CCE is open to community members of all ages and backgrounds.

With support from Kilkenny County Council, Kilkenny Leader Partnership, 3CEA, local businesses, and the public, the company is leading the way by installing and operating solar infrastructure.

Notably, they have established the first community-owned electric vehicle charging point in Ireland, marking a significant step toward their vision of community-owned energy assets powering the town.

Freshford.ie: L-R: Lianne Kelly (Kilkenny County Council), Eva Holmes, Julie Kavanagh, John O'Shea, Declan Nelson & John Fitzgerald (Judges Irish Pride of Place) Sheila Killeen, Marian Morrissey, John Barnaville, Phyllida White, Eamon McArdle, John Nolan, Joe Morrissey, Mairéad Cormack, Mike Cormack..

Photographer: Dave Barnaville Children left to right Darragh Lennon, Amy Lennon, Aida Nolan Community-owned EV charge Supervalu Carpark Callan, Co Kilkenny

A panel of esteemed judges, including John Fitzgerald, former City Manager of Dublin City Council, and Declan Nelson, former County Manager of Westmeath County Council, visited each nominated group on September 14th and 15th, 2023, to assess their initiatives and community impact.

The winners of the IPB Pride of Place Awards will

be revealed during a gala awards ceremony scheduled to take place in Armagh in November 2023. The Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr. Michael Doyle, in extending his best wishes to all three nominated groups said: "Celebrating the spirit of community and the remarkable achievements of these outstanding groups is a true testament to the heart and soul of Kilkenny. I congratulate all three nominated groups and I'm proud of the positive impact they've made on their communities. Their commitment reflects the spirit of Kilkenny, and I wish them the very best of luck in the IPB Pride of Place Awards 2023.

Together, we continue to build a vibrant and caring County for all."

Expert Talks: Engaging discussions with nine notable speakers, including neuroscientists and mental health experts, who will provide a comprehensive overview of neurodiversity.

Networking Opportunities: Collaborate and connect with a community of like-minded educators and experts in the field of neurodiversity.

CPD Accreditation: Earn valuable Continuous Professional Development (CPD) credit hours for attending the conference.

Venue and Ticket Information: The conference will be hosted at the prestigious Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel, an ideal location in the heart of Kilkenny.

Tickets are priced at €75, offering an accessible gateway to a day of profound learning and networking opportunities. Recognizing the collaborative spirit of learning and sharing, we are pleased to offer significant discounts for carers and group bookings, encouraging collective participation.

To explore more details on the schedule and to secure your tickets, please visit conference.tskacademy. com.

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10 Positive Ways This Week a class, a course you would enjoy. We don’t stop learning because we grow old. We grow old because we stop learning.

Be optimistic A hopeful outlook means we are more likely to experience positive emotions, feel more confident and have higher life satisfaction. It’s hard to be hopeful if we are unwell or have suffered losses in our life, but with practice we may be able to take a more active, solution-focused approach to problems, and accept support from others.

Whilst we can’t always control what happens to us as we move through life, we do have a say in how we deal with the ups and downs. In this Positive Ageing week, here are ten principles to stay positive and hopeful in every decade.

Be kind Helping others can help us to feel happier too. Studies have shown that caring deeds give our brain a boost, activating its reward centres. Thinking of other people can take our minds off our own worries. It’s not all about money, we can give our skills, time, ideas, en-

ergy, and it may cost nothing.

Kindness can be as a smile, a thank you, or a word of encouragement.

Make friends across the generations Have good friends your own age, but don’t confine yourself only to peers. Use opportunities to make friends with some younger people if possible. Be open to their life view, and have confidence in your own. Building and maintaining a range of relationships helps to keep us current, may ensure we are less prone to depression and activate our feel good hormones.

Be as healthy as you can for your age Try to be active every day, get outside weather-permitting.

Check out activity classes geared for your age group.

Remember to keep hydrated, something many older people tend to forget. Keep a carafe of water in the fridge and add a slice of lemon for taste. Help elusive sleep by adopting a wind down routine.

Be open to new experiences Learning is not just for school, but for life. Again check out what’s available locally and in the library – it might be a talk,

Set goals It’s never too late to set goals whether 65 or 85. Goals – big and small – give purpose and meaning to our day. Try the SMART approach for success: a goal should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. In other words; concrete, doable, within a set time and related to our lives.

Practice Resilience Find ways to bounce back, difficulties are part of life.

Science shows we can learn skills, actions and habits that boost our natural coping.

Resilience isn’t a rare quality found in a few, extraordinary people, but an ‘ordinary

magic’ comprising our everyday capabilities, relationships and resources. It’s not a static characteristic – it varies for all of us, and can grow with practice.

Accept yourself How you feel about yourself can have a big influence on your happiness. Accepting that you have strengths and imperfections is an important component to psychological wellbeing. The trick is to learn from failure but not to dwell on it, allowing us to learn, grow and move on. With this mind-set, we are also less likely to feel ashamed and withdrawn, strengthening our compassion towards ourselves and others.

Find meaning Often when people are asked what happiness means to them, they may describe fleeting pleasures. However, a deeper happiness can be found in family, friends, pets, work, volunteering, learning, hobbies, music, nature, faith – the things that give life real meaning. Finding real purpose in life helps us to keep on striving towards what is best within us.

Positive Ageing Week is promoted in SeniorLine, Ireland’s national confidential telephone service. Freefone 1800 80 45 91, open 10am-10pm daily.

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BM StairliftsWith you every step of the way

For over 15 years, BM Stairlifts has been at the forefront of delivering reliable and efficient stairlift solutions to individuals, care home facilities, local councils and hospitals across Ireland. Our commitment to delivering a quality service is reflected in the many referrals we receive from satisfied customers.

We understand that not everyone will have the same stairlift needs, which is why we provide a free, no-obligation survey in your home, so you can get a stairlift perfectly suited to you and your home.

BENEFITS OF A STAIRLIFT Whether you're dealing with COPD, arthritis, recovering from a hip replacement, or

stairs, helping the user maintain independence at home and offering peace of mind to their families.

Accessibility: Stairlifts are customisable to fit most staircases. They can be installed indoors or outdoors, ensuring accessibility to every part of your property.

cancer, a stairlift can be a transformative addition to your home. As we delve into the benefits of a stairlift in the home, you'll see how it can positively impact your daily life and overall wellbeing.

Enhanced Safety: Safety is a top priority as we age. As you age, a combination of health conditions, physical changes, and, at times, medication can increase the likelihood of experiencing falls. According to a report published by the HSE, one in three older people fall every year with two-thirds of them experiencing another fall within six months. Stairlifts have been designed to significantly reduce the risk of falls and accidents on

Cost-Effective Alternative: A stairlift can be a big investment and a purchase you’re likely to only make once in your life. There are grants available from your local authority to help with the cost of installing a stairlift in your home. Compared to the considerable costs of home renovations or nursing home costs, stairlifts are a costeffective solution.

Peace of Mind: For caregivers and family members, the installation of a stairlift can alleviate the stress and worry associated with their loved ones' safety.

Knowing that your family member can move freely throughout their home offers immense peace of mind.

Free No Obligation Quote & Assessment If you would like to receive a free assessment and quote for installation of one of our stairlifts, please call us on 045 888 811 or visit www.bmstairlifts.ie

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Live-in Care Works for My Family A

fter a four-year career break to care for her parents at home, Carmel O’Sullivan discovered ALHomecare, the live-in care specialists who match high-quality carers with older adults who require care but who wish to remain at home.

“Dad and mom were at home, and as they got older, things just started to get difficult for them,” Carmel explains.

“I took four years off work and looked after them. But they needed more help, and I had to go back to work. We got a fabulous carer recommendation from the company, ALHomecare. We were delighted. “To me, it’s an excellent alternative to a nursing home. Our mother and father both wanted to stay at home, and I promised them that they would stay at home and we would manage. “Previously, we had two live-in carers from ALHomecare, so they covered the two shifts because we need 24 hours care, and we had two parents that needed it. Unfortunately, dad passed away earlier in the year, but he had fabulous care.”

Carmel feels that the live-in model works well for her family as it allows them to get the help they need while also being affordable. She also says that the relationship between her mother Margaret and her current carer Ewa has been wonderful to watch.

“The carers come, and they live in.

It’s a great alternative to visiting care services, which can be very expensive.

Plus, the fact you don’t always have the same person visiting. And, it’s very affordable because you can get 40% back in tax relief. That’s quite exceptional.

“So the advantage for us as a family is you’ve got a reliable carer, which is really important for the elderly person.

That makes them feel safe and secure.

They [the carer] become like a family member. Ewa has been with us for over a year, and she has been fabulous.

Mam is very happy. She’s in her own surroundings, and when we’re not here, she’s as happy as the days are long.

And, I would know because she’s a very vocal woman, she would tell you. So I’m delighted.”

conditions.”They’re exceptionally well trained,” Carmel says. “My mother needs a lot of medical equipment, but all of that is part of the package, so there’s great ongoing support. They also do training in things like diet and dementia.” For Carmel, finding a way for her mother to stay at home and enjoy life in her own surroundings was most important. And, thanks to Ewa and ALHomcare, this has been possible.

To find out more about

ALHomecare’s affordable live-in homecare service and avail of their 3 week trial period, visit www.alhomecare.ie or phone their inquiry lines: 087 991 6791 or 087 744 0729.

ALHomecare’s approach to homecare is fair for the family and fair for the carer.

Carmel and her family stand behind this ethos and feel it helps guarantee the best quality care for Margaret. “How the system works is the carer is provided with free accommodation and bills by the family, and there’s a good salary for the carer. There is also an allowance that’s given towards food.

As well as helping with daily tasks such as housekeeping, preparing meals, and providing personal care, live-in carers are trained to deliver high-quality care to older adults with various medical con-

https://www.independent.ie/storyplus/we-have-great-confidence-that-our-mother-is-very-well-cared-for-carmel-osullivan-talks-about-how-live-in-care-has-changed-her-familys-life/42272474.html

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

Empowering independence: HaloCare transforms ageing in place The Central Statistics Office (2019) reported that more than 70% of Irish people want to stay in their own homes as they grow older. As our society continues to age, solutions that enable older people to maintain their independence are becoming increasingly vital. Ireland, like many other countries, face the challenge of providing quality care and support for its ageing population. Assistive Living Technology provides a solution to these challenges with innovation driven by companies such as Carlow based HaloCare.

The desire to remain in the comfort of your home as you grow older is often referred to as ‘ageing in place’ and is an aspiration for many people on an ageing journey. Living in your own home with your own front door embodies a sense of independence and familiarity. For some, it may even be a matter of mental and emotional well-being. According to WHO, 1 in 4 adults reported poor mental health. These numbers are set to double by 2030 due to the population ageing.

At its core, HaloCare offers a comprehensive suite of smart devices that utilise cuttingedge technology to enhance the quality of life for seniors while enabling them to live at home for longer. The devices are discreet, contactless and

installed in the home by trained technicians. These smart devices range from fall detectors to voice activated panic alarms and fit seamlessly into the décor of the client's home.

The entire system is underpinned by an experienced team of Care Specialists at the company’s 24/7 Care Hub in Carlow town. The HaloCare technology can, for example, detect a fall even if the person is unable to call out for help. Highly trained Care Specialists then verify with the person if they need help and alert their Circle of Care immediately.

HaloCare's socially inclusive HaloPad enables seniors to make video calls, access their daily news and share photos with loved ones. It's a level of connectivity that fosters independence and reduces feelings of isolation, which are

often prevalent amongst older people. HaloCare also provide Comfort Calls where clients can speak to a Care Specialist on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, dependant on the clients wishes. The result is greater independence for people and the ability to live in the comfort of their own homes.

HaloCare is not a “one size fits all” solution, and HaloCare’s Client Relationship Managers will work with clients and their Circle of Care to ensure a solution that fits their needs.

HaloCare fosters independence and empowers people to live a better quality of life, with the care they need when and where they need it.

The road ahead in the field of senior care is undoubtedly challenging, but HaloCare's vision and innovative solution offers a promising path forward.

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Are we ready yet?

When the Beast from the East arrived, we were all hit with a shock to society as the whole country came to a standstill.

Many were isolated and left alone. In some cases, we experienced blackouts and cold

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

affected by the rise in temperature in our seas. Warmer seas means more hurricanes and storms.

One way to be ready for a blast of cold weather from the east is to have our winter ready packs fully stocked and loaded to go when called upon. These packs are excellent and I came across them first with Carlow's senior group. The packs are expertly put together to include; a flashlight with backup batteries, matches, warm thermal silver blankets, a bottle of water, and a wind-up radio.

Now that is just an example of the Winter Packs. Other packs include the ‘Classic Pack’; the most popular pack containing all of your winter essentials: • Size 6-11 pair of socks • Fleece neck warmer • Thermal gloves • Thermal hat • 120x150cm Fleece Blanket (neutral) • Travel Mug (steel)

dark nights with just a candle to light up the small box room we had moved into because it was easier to heat. Now as we all talk about global warming and climate change, there are those among us who think it’s

great! Summers of sunshine and milder winters, wrong!

Global warming is an ongoing process. The weather is still affected daily by the wind currents and atmospheric conditions that will be seriously

All clothing is black and one size unless specified otherwise and packed in a reusable canvas bag. Prices vary depending on the contents of the winter pack.

There is also the ‘Basic Winter Pack’ where all products are warm without being too heavy. This pack is ideal for people who are outdoors a lot or need extra layers: • Size 6-11 pair of socks • Fleece neck warmer • Thermal gloves • Winter thermal hat

As the weather gets colder, be sure to keep tuned to your local radio and our Carlow weather man who is right on the button with his predictions. Alan O’Reilly is the man we all call on now to see what’s coming over the hills and oceans when discussing weather.

Our advice is to take heed of the warnings and get winter ready. Stock up on the essentials. Personally, I love the warm hot cups, a quick bit of heat for the body. Please turn on the heating, no point in having oil in the tank or gas and electricity at the ready, and you’re feeling the cold to save a few euros. If you have to make the choice between your health or your wealth, always choose health! You'll be all the better for it. Why you may ask?

You should always remember that your health is your wealth.

Please give your phone number and a front door key to someone you trust. Check in with your neighbours and family at least twice daily. If they don’t hear from you, they will know to call and check in to ensure you’re safe, sound and snug in your own home.

Remember that you are not a burden, you are a treasured member of your family neighbourhood.

Keep picking up the Kilkenny Observer newspaper at all your good retail outlets. It’s FREE and every penny saved is a blessing. They will all add up to make us ready for the coming winter months.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

News

Wybory I Referendum Za Granica 2023

One small step for Twilight, one giant leap for Kilkenny’s Youth

Twilight Community Group continues to grow year on year in Kilkenny, Ireland and across the European Union.

On September 22nd 2023 the forward-looking group agreed an accord with Beclean in Romania. This, and the other agreements the charity has with other European municipal districts are important for the youth, young adults, citizens and businesses in Kilkenny City. After all, Twilight are a Kilkenny organisation, and their aims are to offer opportunities for all in Kilkenny, including highlighting tourism and business

opportunities.

This agreement with Beclean now offers the youth and young adults of Kilkenny the opportunity to travel to Beclean for one week to a fortnight to experience the culture and community activities. By experiencing the history of other cultures and seeing the heritage venues, the citizens’ minds of Kilkenny will expand and this in turn expands our understanding of cooperation and the values of European solidarity. For our youth, it allows them to immerse themselves into another European city and experience

their culture and witness the similarities and differences between Kilkenny, and in this case, Beclean.

This agreement reads and guarantees the cooperation: To maintain permanent ties between the two communities to create on the signing of this agreement.

We are convinced that the objective achieved will be a source of strengthening our aspirations that men and women called upon to collaborate will do so in a spirit of openness and that each will at the same time achieve mutual development both at personal

Zachęcamy do samodzielnego rejestrowania się w systemie e-Wybory: ewybory.msz. gov.pl (nie jest wymagane posiadanie profilu zaufanego).

By móc wziąc udział w głosowaniu, należy posiadać ważny polski dokument tożsamości (dowód osobisty lub paszport).

Są trzy sposoby na złożenia wniosku do ujęcia w spisie wyborców: • rekomendujemy złożenie wniosku przy użyciu usługi e-Wybory; • złożenie wniosku w postaci papierowej z własnoręcznym podpisem (osobiście w siedzibie urzędu w godzinach pracy: poniedziałek, środa, czwartek, piątek 9:00-15:00,

wtorek 12:00-17:30 lub korespondencyjnie na adres: Consular and Polish Diaspora Section, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Dublin, 4-8 Eden Quay, Dublin 1, D01 N5W8); • przesłanie wniosku na adres poczty elektronicznej dublin.wybory@msz.gov.pl z załączonym skanem/fotografią podpisanego własnoręcznie wniosku.

W przypadku składania wniosku pobranego z naszej strony poprzez złożenie/ przesłanie papierowej wersji lub wysyłanie wniosku z załączonym skanem/fotografią podpisanego własnoręcznie na adres mailowy należy zapoznać się z informacją

o przetwarzaniu danych osobowych oraz załączyć ją do przesyłanego i podpisanego wniosku.

Materiały Wniosek_zgłoszenie do spisu wyborców 2023 WZÓR_zgłoszenia_do_ spisu_wyborców-v2.docx 0.02MBInformacja dotycząca przetwarzania danych osobowych Klauzula_RODO-wybory. docx 0.02MB

level and collectively.

To this end, we will develop exchanges between schools, clubs: sports, cultural, social, and other associations.

We will also promote the development of commercial and business links.

We sign, with faith for prosperity and future achievements of the institutions and its members.

The Accord was signed by: MR MARTIN BRENNAN CEO, MR STEPHEN MUNGOVAN General Manager, MR LIVIU IFTIME Romanian Attaché for Twilight Community Group CLG. And on behalf of Beclean: MR.NICOLAE MOLDOVAN Mayor of Beclean City, MR. BOGDAN RUSU, Deputy Mayor of Beclean City.

As part of this accord and agreement for ongoing cooperation, Mr Martin Brennan CEO of Twilight announced that Twilight Community Group will host 5 young adults in Kilkenny from July 13th to 20th next year, and two leaders, as part of their Connecting Cultures programme. Prior to this, a leader and a member of the Beclean youth can come to Ireland with Mayor Nicolae Moldovan and Deputy Mayor Mr Bogdan Rusu for their ‘European Cultures Together’ programme.

This event will take place from October 26th until October 29th as our European partners will be in Kilkenny to display their culture and cuisines to each other and the general public. This is a free event and takes place on Friday October 27th in the wonderful surroundings of the Ormond Hotel, Kilkenny.

Another surprise and an honour was unveiled in Beclean’s incredible Legacy Centre. This is one of many local municipal district run centres where special rates and membership are available with priority given to the inclusion of marginalised and disadvantaged communities.

In some cases, free access.

Others visited by the Twilight / Kilkenny Delegation which included Cllr Andrew McGuiness and Stefan Cardare, were the Social Care Centre, tourist resort, massive playground and pay centre. All remain under the ambitious Beclean Municipal District and progressive Mayor Moldovan’s control and all profit is therefore re-invested in the district's plans for the future.

The surprise that the Mayor and Beclean Municipality had for Twilight Community Group was the installation of the Twilight Logo ‘The Tree of Life’. The Mayor decided to

install the Twilight Logo after visiting Kilkenny and hearing the significance of the Tree of Life to CEO Murty Brennan.

On this trip to Beclean, the Municipal District of Beclean bestowed the honour of being an honorary citizen of Beclean upon Cllr Andrew McGuinness. Over the past number of years, Andrew has assisted in the promotion of Romania in Ireland. To this end, he has worked closely with Deputy Mayor Mr Rusu. Andrew’s wife and two children were present to witness this honour for their husband and father.

Congratulations to Andrew from all at Twilight Community Group.

It is an exciting time for Twilight. The development of their new Hub at their head office in Hebron House, new partners across Europe and an International Conference on European cuisine and workshops. We would like to invite you to be part of Twilight Community Group’s continuing growth for the benefit of all the Communities of Kilkenny.

Konsulat RP, Międzynarodowy Dom Kultury15A Hebron House, Hebron Business Park, Kilkenny R95DD29 zostanie otwarty jako lokal wyborczy 15 października 2023 roku

If you want to be a part of these projects you can become a member of Twilight by contacting our head office on 056 781 3105 / 086 325 5840 or adm@ twilight.ie

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Recruitment

Join us for an unforgettable night of frights and thrills at Adult Scare Night!

Get ready to face your fears and experience the ultimate adrenaline rush this October.

This spine-chilling event will take place at the eerie Secret Valley Wildlife Park, located in Clonroche, Co.Wexford.

This event will take place on the 20th, 21st, 27th & 28th of October.

Prepare yourself for a night filled with heart-pounding scares as you navigate through our giant haunted corn maze, and encounter terrifying creatures lurking in the shadows. *WARNING* This is not for the faint of heart.

Embrace the darkness and challenge your bravery as you explore the Maze after hours. Dare to venture into the haunted houses, test your

nerves on our lonely laneway, and try to get away from our possessed scarecrows.

Whether you're a horror enthusiast or just looking for a thrilling night out, Adult Scare Night promises an unforgettable experience. Don't miss out on this exclusive event that will leave

you trembling and begging for mercy!

Minimum age is 12.

12-16 year olds must be accompanied by adults.

Location: Clonroche, Co. Wexford.

Tickets cost €25.

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Food & Drink

Dine Me Come

STEP 1 Heat half of the oil in a deep ovenproof frying pan, or flameproof casserole dish, and fry the pork pieces over a medium high heat in batches until seared all over, then transfer to a plate. Add another 1 tbsp oil to the pan, if you need to, while you’re cooking the batches. Once all the pork is seared, transfer to a plate and set aside.

With

Slowcooked pork, cider and sage hotpot

STEP 2 Add another 1 tbsp oil to the pan with a little butter and fry half the leeks with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until tender. Add the garlic, fry for a minute, then stir in the flour.

STEP 3 Pour in the cider, a little at a time, stirring to pick up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan and to combine everything. Add the stock, bay leaves and seared pork, then simmer, half-covered with a lid for 1-1½ hrs until the meat is just tender (it will later cook to the point of falling apart in the oven). Can be prepared a day ahead.

Prep: 40 mins Cook: 3 hrs Serves: 6 Warm up as the cold nights set in with this glorious hotpot, with slowcooked pork cooked in cider and sage. It’s topped with a crispy layer of potatoes.

STEP 4 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Simmer uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the sauce, if you need to – it shouldn’t be too liquid or the potatoes will sink into the sauce. Stir in the parsley, chopped sage, remaining leeks, and the cream, then season well.

Ingredients • 4 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra • 1kg diced pork shoulder • 20g butter, cubed, plus a little extra • 4 leeks, trimmed and thickly sliced • 4 garlic cloves, crushed • 3 tbsp plain flour • 500ml dry cider • 400ml chicken stock • 2 bay leaves • ½ small bunch parsley, finely chopped • small bunch sage, leaves picked, 5 left whole, the rest chopped • 200ml single cream • 400g Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes • 400g sweet potatoes

STEP 5 Peel both types of potatoes and cut into slices 2mm thick, by hand or using a mandoline. Alternate layers of potato and sweet potato in circles over the pie, or randomly, if you prefer. Dot the cubed butter over the top and bake for 1-1½ hrs until the potato is tender. Nestle in the whole sage leaves, brushed in a little oil, for the last 10 mins. Leave to rest for 10 mins before serving.

Apple, cheese and potato pie Prep: 25 mins Cook:1 hr and 15 mins plus 30 mins chilling Serves: 4-6 Put a savoury twist on apple pie with potato, cheese and onion, as well as mustard and thyme. The sweet and savoury flavours create a stunning pie Ingredients • 30g salted butter • 1 tbsp vegetable oil • 2 large onions, halved and finely sliced • ½ bunch of thyme, leaves picked • 30g plain flour • 500ml vegetable stock • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar • 450g potatoes (we used Maris Piper), cut into 2-3cm chunks • 3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1-2cm chunks • 150g mature cheddar, grated

For the pastry • 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting • 70g cheddar, grated • 150g cold butter, cut into cubes • 1 egg, beaten Method STEP 1 First, make the pastry. Tip the flour, cheese and a pinch of salt into a large bowl and mix. Add the butter and rub it in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Mix in 4-5 tbsp cold water, and bring together into a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 mins.

STEP 2 To make the filling, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, then add the oil and onions and cook for 10-15 mins until caramelised.

Add the thyme and fry for 1 min more.

Tip in the flour, and stir to combine.

Gradually stir in the stock, adding it in small amounts to prevent lumps

forming. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Stir in the mustard and vinegar towards the end of the cooking time.

STEP 3 Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large pan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 4-5 mins until just cooked and still holding their shape. Drain well, then stir into the sauce. Add the apples, cheddar and some seasoning, and stir again. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

STEP 4 Pour the filling into a 28cm oval baking dish (ours was 28 x 18.5 x 6.5cm).

While it cools, roll out the pastry on a surface lightly dusted with flour to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut into strips roughly 1cm wide. Lay half the strips across the dish horizontally, leaving gaps of a few millimetres inbetween, then, one by one, weave in the remaining strips vertically, using an over and under technique,

also spacing them apart by a few millimetres. Re-roll any trimmings and cut into flowers, leaves, or other shapes to decorate, if you like (see tip, below). Arrange any pastry shapes on top, then brush with the beaten egg.

STEP 5 Bake for 50 mins, keeping an eye on it – you may need to cover the top with foil if it’s starting to brown too quickly.

Leave to cool for at least 10 mins before serving.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

Encounters of the First Kind

Stephenville in Texas is often referred to by locals as the ‘milk capital of the world’. But after the events of January 2008, Stephenville became known for something otherworldly.

In Messengers, the first episode of Netflix’s new series Encounters, residents

of Stephenville and the surrounding area recount seeing something strange in the sky. One witness called it an orb, another referred to it as a flying three-sided tortilla chip.

But even with such wild descriptions, the so-called Stephenville Lights is con-

sidered one of the most credible UFO sightings in modern times.

It began when Steve Allen and a couple friends were enjoying a few beers by a campfire one night and something caught their eye.

“All of a sudden I see some real bright, high in-

tensity light off to the east, headed our way at a high velocity of speed. The lights was so bright it was unlike anything I’d ever seen.

It was almost blinding to look at them,” said Allen.

“Then what amazed me is there was no wind noise, no engine noise. There was silence. When it came past us, I developed the most peaceful, easy feeling I think I’ve ever had in my life. It was almost like a religious experience, like I was at one with whatever it was.

Something I’ve never had before or since then. It was unreal.”

Then just as quickly as it arrived, it disappeared.

A few seconds later, Allen claimed that two F-16 jets “came in hot pursuit.”

“And in my head I’m wondering, is it War of the Worlds? What was going on?” Allen said.

A few miles west, local police constable Lee Roy Gaitan was on his way to rent a movie for his wife’s birthday when “something caught my attention,” he said.

“I saw what appeared, I call it a bubble, or an orb, it was a reddish orange, fiery looking colour, really big,” said Gaitan. “It was these bright lights, flashing, like a pulsating thing, like that.

They had spread out. There was 11 or 12 lights that I was able to count. All of a sudden, these things just shoot off at a blazing speed.”

The sightings in Stephenville quickly became the talk of the town, and the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), a US-based nonprofit dedicated to the research of UFOs around the world, came to investigate the sighting.

The group invited people who had seen something to come and tell them their stories, expecting a handful of people. Instead, dozens of other witnesses appeared, claiming to have also seen odd things in the sky around Stephenville.

Soon, TV crews from Japan to Brazil were descending on the town.

The Munich massacre retold in Spy Ops If you’re interested in the history of Israeli espionage, you will want to see the Netflix series, Spy Ops, which features two full episodes on ‘The Wrath of God’, the famous Mossad operation to avenge the massacre of 11 Israeli team members at the 1972 Munich Olympic games.

Ido Aharoni, who was the consul general of Israel in New York from 2010-2016 and is a senior faculty member at Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University, was a content consultant on the series and spoke about the why Wrath of God was much more than a routine operation.

“The Munich massacre was unique,” he said in an interview.

“Terrorism, however painful, however devastating... never posed an existential threat to Israel, just as 9/11 did not destroy America. But this was different. Before this, there had been many horrible terrorist attacks on Israel, and the hijackings had started in the early 70s; but this was on the world stage, and I think the fact that it was on German soil and because it happened there less than three decades after the Holocaust, it had all the ingredients that required a different kind of response.

This was the reason that the

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producers felt that it was worth two episodes.”

While the series covers many espionage operations, including US attempts to dismantle the Taliban in Afghanistan following 9/11, a plot to kill the Pope, a mission by the US to recover a Soviet submarine from the ocean floor, and much more, the two well-crafted episodes on the Wrath of God will be the high point for many viewers.

Wrath of God is the operation that Steven Spielberg dramatised in the movie, Munich, although the actual facts as presented in Spy Ops offer more twists and turns than that film. The episodes

of the series focus on two narratives.

The first is the hostagetaking incident itself at the Munich Olympics, and it shows how Germany’s security forces bungled their attempts to rescue the hostages, not allowing the Israelis to do anything but observe. In a particularly shocking moment, the series shows how live television crews filmed German agents attempting a rescue and how this broadcast alerted the terrorists to the attempt, which they were able to foil.

The second shows how each terrorist was tracked down and killed.

5

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This docuseries looks beyond the headlines and the iconic sporting moments as it explores the man behind it all, with insight from Becks himself as well as his closest friends and family. Beckham chronicles a meteoric rise from humble beginnings to global football stardom. This glitzy biographical documentary will be a must-watch for Man Utd fans, and anybody who took a photo of Beckham to the barbers as a kid.

2. Lupin Season 3

The last time we saw Assane Diop (Omar Sy), he was on the run from the police after being framed for murder by Hubert Pellegrinr (Hervé Pierre), a wealthy entrepreneur responsible for Assane’s father being falsely imprisoned. Now the most wanted man in France, the suave thief decides to try and live off the radar for a bit — in the hopes that disappearing will keep his son safe — but first, the conman is planning his most audacious heist yet.

3. Everything Now

The series opens with 16-year-old Mia Polanco (Sophie) returning to her normal life after being hospitalised for an eating disorder. Thrust back into a world of peer pressure and social media expectations, Mia creates a bucket list of quintessential teen experiences in an effort to make up for lost time and find her footing. Offbeat and relatable,

4. The Fall of the House of Usher

The eight-part miniseries focuses on two siblings, Roderick (Bruce Greenwood) and Madeline (Mary McDonnell), who have built a pharmaceutical empire. But the company’s corrupt foundations are exposed when the heirs to the Usher dynasty begin mysteriously dying one by one. Mixing flair for horror with dark comedy, The Fall of the House of Usher sees the filmmaker’s fruitful partnership with Netflix end on a high. Premieres on Thursday, October 12

5. Bodies

When a dead body appears on the streets of London, it seems like business as usual for the detective working the case (Amak Okafor). But this same victim has actually appeared across three other points in time: 1890, during the Victorian era, 1941, during the height of World War II, and 30 years into the future in 2053. As the crime is further investigated in each period, a sinister conspiracy that could threaten the entire United Kingdom begins to unravel.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

Culture Night

Art, heavenly music, and women of distinction…

BY JOHN FITZGERALD

September witnessed a countywide flowering of arts and culture. The finest of singers, artists and topnotch lecturers once again highlighted Kilkenny’s primacy, and irresistible attraction, as a creative hub.

I went along to some of these.

First, I stepped into Callan’s Church of the Assumption to listen to the Cois Nore Choir; a group I hadn’t yet heard or seen performing. From the first note to the final harmonic vocalization I was transfixed.

If a choir of angels had alighted in Callan they could hardly have done better.

Seldom had the historic “Big Chapel” echoed with such unbridled joy. The church was packed to the rafters with people aged from six or under to (I’m told) 98, all humming, swinging, whistling or clapping along as the choir offered old favourites like Those were the days, my friend, as well as soulful renditions of spiritual numbers such as Amazing Grace and Swing low, sweet Chariot.

I agreed with someone who opined afterwards that the

performance brought Heaven and Earth a little closer to each other that night. The singers even managed to give a blast of Always look on the bright side of life, albeit with a minor revision to one of the verses.

The Cois Nore Choir, apart from its wealth of talent that we heard in the church, has played a commendable role in charity fund-raising countywide, making a huge difference to people’s lives.

The award-winning Fennelly’s of Callan played host to music of a different kind.

Belfast group Landless sings unaccompanied trad songs adapted from the cultures of Scotland, Ireland, England and America in close four-part harmony.

The critically acclaimed women enchanted the bustling throng in Fennelly’s courtyard, a former farmyard that also once doubled as an undertaker’s in the days when the present-day arts café was a pub and grocery.

One felt transported back to former times and places as songs of love, loss, war, lamentation, famine, coal mines and emigration pierced the wintry air and friendly flames danced in half-barrels tastefully positioned at intervals in the courtyard to keep the patrons, sipping their wine or lattes, warm and

comfy at a venue that has been likened in online reviews to a film set.

A highpoint of the night was when the women sang a song referencing aspects of Callan’s ancient heritage, specially composed for the occasion.

Allusions to the rising “holy bubbles” of the old abbey well elicited thrills of recognition and a collective nostalgic gasp.

It was a most enjoyable performance, and by the time it ended some of us were in a state of harmonic reverie, and not just from the exquisite selection of red wines on offer.

The wonderful Sinead Fahey Earlier that day, Etaoin Holahan, curator at Fennelly’s had welcomed a delighted gathering to the official launch of a mural on a wall of the KCAT building at Mill Lane.

The unveiling was part of the Wayfinders project. The arts initiative seeks to promote and explore this part of Callan’s intrinsic worth in human terms in addition to its socio-historic import and bio-cultural diversity.

The mural was created from a stunning artwork by Sinead Fahey, who has been an artist with KCAT for 22 years. Sinead has exhibited her work all over Ireland and internationally.

Most of her prolific output has an animated quality, depicting the inner radiant selves of people she knows or has known, as well as animals and facets of nature.

A keynote of her work is an unabashed, lively celebration of being. She takes a light-hearted look at all the milestones along life’s multifaceted journey. Optimism shines through her joyous depictions of people and the lavish array of flora and fauna to which she pays homage

via her breezy and cheerful approach to art.

The mural on the wall of the KCAT building is no exception.

Her exotic otherworldly birds in all their colorful plumages have turned a previously bare stretch of brickwork into a feast for the eyes.

Sinead’s unmistakable signature!

Exceptional women Culture of another kind was in evidence at Rothe House, where talks were given on the subject of historic women of distinction with Kilkenny connections.

Angela Moylan O' Reilly gave the first talk, on the remarkable Isabel de Clare, 4th Countess of Pembroke. Isabel, daughter of Strongbow and Aoife, was married in the 12th century as a teenager to the powerful William Marshal, reputedly one of the greatest knights of all time.

He made a lasting impact on Irish history and his deeds are chronicled in a myriad of academic tomes.

William and Isabel became the quintessential medieval “power couple.”

Isabel was especially prominent in Leinster affairs, but apart from underlining the story’s Kilkenny connection, Angela’s far-ranging talk focused on the extraordinary degree of influence Isabel exerted over her lordly and militaristic husband.

Throughout their long and seemingly happy marriage he found himself deferring quite a lot to her wise counsel and judgment and, to his credit, he admitted this fact in his writings. Another reminder of the old saying that behind every great man there’s a mighty woman.

The second talk took us to

a different era and two very different women. The "Ladies of Llangollen" were two Irish aristocrats who scandalized the chattering classes of their time by running away together and living more or less as a couple.

Anne Lannon gripped the audience with her tale of how the two independentlyminded women defied the social and moral norms and expectations of an age far removed from our own.

The women in question were Eleanor Butler (1739–1829) of Kilkenny Castle and Sarah Ponsonby (1755–1831), of Woodstock House, Inistioge.

They embarked on what was at the time a most unconventional relationship. It was a love story, though many mightn’t have perceived it as such in that “other country” that’s the past.

Anne Lannon recalled how they moved to a Gothic house in Llangollen, North Wales, in 1780 and the long list of visitors they entertained in the decades that followed,

including the poets Shelley and Wordsworth, and the future Duke of Wellington. They lived happily together for fifty years, dressing in black riding gear and wearing men’s top hats in their latter years.

Anne ended her talk with a suggestion that the story of the two brave women served as a reminder of the need for tolerance towards people who, at any point in time or in any society, happen to tread the “road less traveled.”

Drawing closer to our own day, Marianne Kelly chose the life of Lady Desart for her talk. Marianne opted to play the part of the great woman, donning an early 20ith century costume and, in a sense “channeling” her subject.

We heard the riveting tale of how the Jewish-born woman went on to become an Irish politician, a champion of Gaelic revival, and a most generous benefactor to Kilkenny City and County.

It was she who commissioned the building of Talbot's Inch.

Together with her husband Captain Cuffe, she brought a succession of amenities, industries and much-needed services to Kilkenny, including the beautiful Carnegie Library, Aut Even Hospital, the Woollen Mills, the Kilkenny Woodworkers, the Kilkenny Theatre, the Tobacco Growers Association, Desart Hall, and the Talbots Inch Suspension Bridge.

Marianne entered so deeply into her subject’s persona that one almost felt the presence of the much-loved philanthropist in the auditorium.

The three speakers received rapturous applause for their presentations, each of which was impeccably rehearsed. The talks were delivered with grace and sensitivity, and showed an uncanny grasp of historical detail Marianne Kelly expressed gratitude to her daughter Eimear and granddaughter Caoimhe Phelan for their technical assistance, reminding me that untold hours of rehearsal and preparation go into the talks and lectures for which Rothe House is renowned.

If these cultural events that I happened to attend are anything to go by, Kilkenny’s reputation as a Mecca for the arts will continue to grow and flourish, enhancing our all-too-brief earthly spell in a multitude of life-enhancing ways.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

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Sport

Kilkenny Sport Focus Michael O’Leary

Richie Hogan The retirement from InterCounty Hurling of Richie Hogan brought down the curtain of an illustrious career with The Black and Amber of one of the most skilful players of his generation.

Richie was marked out for greatness from a very young age as he was a very special talent, and having just turned Sixteen in 2004 he was part of the Kilkenny Team that lost out to Galway following a replay in the All-Ireland Minor Final.

In his final year with The Kilkenny Minors in 2006, Richie also appeared with The Kilkenny U-21s as he made a vital contribution to their All-Ireland triumph. The Danesfort clubman scored a rescuing last gasp levelling goal to force a replay that Kilkenny won 1-11 to 0-11 as Richie's brother Paddy scored the all important goal.

2006 was a very special year for Richie and Danesfort as managed by former AllIreland Senior medal winner Adrian Ronan they defeated Tullogher-Rosbercon to win their first Junior County title since 1930, before going on to win The Leinster Junior title followed by All-Ireland glory in early 2007.

Richie joined The Kilkenny Senior set-up in 2007, before making his Championship debut against Offaly in the Leinster Championship Semi-Final the following year in 2008.

Another U-21 All-Ireland followed also in 2008 as Kilkenny completed The AllIreland winning Grand Slam having also won Minor, Senior and Intermediate.

Richie played a 5-star role as he scored 1-10 in Kilkenny's epic 2-26 to 4-17 League Final win against Tipperary after extra-time in 2009, as the modern day rivalry between Kilkenny and Tipp had begun.

He would be a central figure to clashes between the two counties over the following decade.

His first All-Ireland Senior Final start was in 2009 against

Tipperary as he scored 0-2 in helping the county to a historic 4-in-a-row.

An attempt to win a third U-21 All-Ireland Medal just came up short a week later, as Kilkenny lost by a solitary point to Clare who were winning The U-21 All-Ireland for the very first time.

Following the disappointment of losing the 5-in-a-row in 2010 to Tipperary in the All-Ireland Final, the Cats bounced back in 2011 as Rich-

ie began to become a permanent member of the Kilkenny starting 15. He scored two goals in the All-Ireland SemiFinal win against Waterford, before playing a vital part in the All-Ireland Final against Tipperary as the Black and Amber regained The McCarthy Cup. Richie set-up the first goal for Michael Fennelly, before applying the finishing touch for Kilkenny's Second goal following a wonderful solo run

by Eddie Brennan.

2011 was a special year for Richie as he also Captained Danesfort to their first Intermediate County title in 80 years since 1931 following victory against RowerInistioge in the decider, before finishing the year with his first All-Star.

Another All-Ireland followed in 2012, before Richie was at his peak during The 20142016 period as he was very central to further All-Ireland

wins in 2014 and 2015. In 2014, he scored 0-6 from play and was named Man of The Match in that epic drawn All-Ireland Final against Tipperary, before Kilkenny won the replay. Richie picked up his 2nd Allstar before been named Hurler of The Year.

Another All-Ireland Medal followed in 2015, and for the second consecutive year he was nominated for Hurler of The Year that was won by his Kilkenny Teammate TJ Reid.

However, he picked up a third All-Star for a string of top class performances, and a 4th All-Star followed in 2016 as Kilkenny lost the All-Ireland Final against Tipperary.

From 2017 onwards, he was often plagued by injuries that restricted his appearances.

Following the disappointment of his sending-off in The 2019 All-Ireland Final against Tipperary, Richie bounced back in 2020 with a moment of brilliance to help Kilkenny to their first Leinster title since 2016.Having come off the bench as a substitute, Kilkenny were trailing Galway by five points as the match had entered the final quarter.

However, Richie displayed magical skill with a sublime goal as he controlled the sliothar on his hurley, before doubling on it as he slammed the ball to the net. It was a magical moment and that was quickly followed by a another goal by TJ Reid. All of a sudden Kilkenny led by a solitary point, and those two quick fire goals inspired Kilkenny to victory.

He continued as part of The Kilkenny set-up, but saw limited game time over the past three years. In last years epic All-Ireland Final against Limerick, Richie came off the bench to score an important point that brought Kilkenny level with less than 10 minutes remaining, before The Shannonsiders went on to claim victory and record the three-in-a-row.

His final Inter-County Championship appearance was as a late sub in this years All-Ireland Final also against Limerick as they cruised towards a fourth All-Ireland title in succession.

He brought the curtain down on a very successful Inter-County career in late August in which he won 7 Senior All-Ireland Medals and scored 12-95(131) in 56 Championship appearances.

He was also a very established Handball player having won 15 All-Irelands and also winning a World Championship similar to his cousin DJ Carey.

He is continuing to play with his club Danesfort and last year he led the way as he scored 0-12 ( 0-6 from play ) to defeat Thomastown in an epic Intermediate County Final after extra-time. It was a particularly special victory as last year was the 100th anniversary of the founding of Danesfort(1922).

However, Danesfort now face a battle to hang on to their Senior status, and that will be the priority of Richie and his teammates as they play Erins Own of Castlecomer in tomorrow's relegation final.

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Community & GAA Notes

CLUB LOTTO Lotto Results 26th September. Numbers drawn, 1, 21, 25. No Jackpot winner. €30 each to: Annie Coogan, Marie Cassin, Keith Hogan, Phil Phelan (Grove), Martina Firbank. Thanks to all for your support.

SENIOR CAMOGIE The Clara girls produced their best display of a topsy turvy season on Sunday in Skeough when easily accounting for Conahy in a first round championship affair. By doing so they staved off any threat of relegation and qualified for a quarterfinal. Keara Ryan opened the scoring with a long range free and the hardworking Lucy Boyd soon added a goal. After Ellen Gunner opened Conahy’s account with a point there was stalemate for a few minutes before Clara hit their first purple patch. First Emma Shortall rounded her marker and shot over from a tight angle. Her confidence buoyed, Emma waltzed around her marker again with the next ball she got. This time the net shook. Three minutes later Niamh Byrne sailed in from the right wing and her shot was partially saved by the Conahy goalkeeper but it had enough on it to trickle over the line with Emma Shortall on hand to make sure if needed, and then three quickfire Keara Ryan points, the last from a free, and a fine effort from Lucy Boyd, had Clara firmly in the driving seat.

Conahy scored their second point but two minutes before the interval an Emma Shortall shot dropped short and Keara Ryan brilliantly controlled it, turned and rifled an unstoppable shot to the roof of the net. 4-6 to 0-2 at halftime and the job was nearly done.

Just 30 seconds into the new half Emma Shortall goaled again after a lovely pass from Keara Ryan. This was quickly followed by a Niamh Byrne point and when Keara Ryan goaled after 4 minutes this game was well and truly over. The work rate of the Clara team was top class and the delivery of ball inside was of the highest quality. They only recorded one wide over the entire game and Conahy just ran into a very much in form team. To Conahy’s credit they stuck to the task and scored the next goal and a point unanswered. They pressed hard for the next 10 minutes or so and the Clara backs and goalkeeper had to be on top of their game to keep them at bay. Then Emma Shortall struck for another breakaway goal, Keara Ryan added a free and Emma Shortall rounded off the scoring with her fourth goal. It was a great performance by the Clara girls all over the field and should give them some renewed confidence for their next test.

Team - Aoife Glynn, Tamsin English, Rachel Whelan, Margaret Kehoe. Emma Corr, Laoise Nolan, Grace Barcoe. Aisling Curtis, Rebecca Nolan. Niamh Byrne 1-1, Katie Ryan, Lucy Boyd 1-1.

Gráinne Glynn, Keara Ryan 2-5, 0-3f, Emma Shortall 4-1. Subs used Joanne Comerford, Niamh Ward, Aine McDonald, Róisín Kealy.

CLUB LOTTO There was no winner of club lotto (September 26th). Numbers drawn were 18, 21, 22, 27 Bonus 10. Play now at www.oloughlingaels.com/lotto Promotors Draw. 1. Fiona Hayes c/o Neil Loy. 2. Donal Gibbons c/o Benny Walsh. 3. Jake Leydon c/o Online. 4. Jackie Tyrrell.

5. Jane Dineen c/o Hugh Mahon. 6. Jimmy McGarry c/o Esther Maher. 7. Robbie Woods c/o Pauline Greene. 8. Susan McCormack c/o Kevin Cleere. 9. Killian Buckley c/o Online.

10. Mairead Hoyne c/o Online. Thank you for your continued support TEAM NEWS Well done to our senior hurlers who successfully negotiated a tough encounter at Thomastown against Mullinavat to claim a place in the championship semi-final. That match will be against Bennettsbridge in two week’s time.

Hard luck to our u13s teams who all exited their championships at the weekend. This group have worked hard and we’re unlucky not to advance further in their grades. A huge effort and commitment was made by mentors and administrators and we thank them for their time. Well done all.

CAMOGIE Intermediate Camogie Team are League Champions.

O’Loughlin Gaels 3-10 to 1-7 The Rower Inistioge Well done to the O’Loughlin Gaels Camogie Club Intermediates who had a good win over The Rower Inistioge on Sunday evening in Graiguenamanagh to claim the Shaws Department

The O’Loughlin Gaels Camogie Team and Management

Players Neassa and Ailbhe Galwey celebrate their League Final success with parents Mick and Joan

Stores Kilkenny Camogie League Final. Goals through Abigael Egan, Eva Collins and Emma Poyntz helped to seal a great team performance.

Next weekend is Championship Quarter Final time so please get along and support your club. The girls have been drawn to face Glenmore and your support is appreciated. Thanks to club Sponsors MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre for their continued support ALL-STAR NOMINATIONS Well done to Paddy Deegan, Huw Lawlor and Mikey Butler who all have been nominated for PWC All-Star awards, reward for their commitment and performances with Kilkenny hurling this season. A well-deserved accolade.

MINOR HURLING ROINN ‘A’ CHAMPIONS On Saturday 30th.September our minor hurlers won the 2023 Roinn A County Final, in U.M.P.C. Nolan Park when they defeated Dunnamaggin to regain the title last won in 2012 (see full report in our Sport section) SENIOR HURLING QUARTER FINAL Played in summer-like conditions on the first day of October, this senior hurling quarter final against Graigue Ballycallan was marked by wayward shooting, from play and frees, on both sides before the Village claimed the victory on a scoreline of 1-18 to 0-15. A goal in the 4th minute from corner back Mikey Byrne from 80 yards, aided by a blinding sun in the eyes of the Ballycallan goalkeeper, gave us a lead we never relinquished. This added to a point from Willie Spencer and 2 from Luke Scanlon gave us a lead of 1-03 to 0-02 after 10 minutes. A magnificent save from Gavin Costigan during that period was a great lift for the Village lads. From there to half time the scores were evenly divided and with Niall Brassil commanding the centre of the Village defence and all 6 backs working tirelessly the Village added a further 7 points through Sean Manogue, Ross Whelan (2), Luke Scanlon (2), Willie Spencer and Niall Brassil (free) to leave the half time score at James Stephens 1-10, Graigue Ballycallan 0-09. Ballycallan were first out of the blocks at the start of the second half and had 2 points on the board after 2 mins but these were then cancelled by points from Luke Scanlon and Niall Brassil. The Village introduced Stephen Manogue for Ethan Butler before Eoin Guilfoyle added a point (free). Liam Rafter then came on for Andy Parsons before the Village added further points from Sean Manogue and Eoin Guilfoyle and with 15 mins remaining were ahead by 6 points, 1-15 to 0-12. From there to the end both teams added 3 points apiece with the Village scores coming from Stephen Manogue (2, 1 free) and Eoin Guilfoyle to leave the final score at 1-18 to 0-15. The result now qualifies

for a spot in the semi-final where the draw has us pitted against Ballyhale Shamrocks to be played in UPMC Nowlan Park on Sunday 15th. Oct. CAMOGIE With an early start time of 10am, the village Minor girls played away to Windgap on Sunday morning 24th. September. in the league and started very slowly, finding themselves 1-2 to 0-0 after 5 minutes while playing with a strong wind. The fought back bravely and went in at halftime with a 2 point lead. The second half was a tight affair with the game level on a number of occasions. In difficult conditions, the village girls stayed fighting until the end and scored the last two points to win by on a scoreline of 1-10 to 15 pts. It was great to see a good spread of scores across the team with Molly Burke and Emily Smith scoring 2 pts each from midfield and Aine White 3 pts, Eimear Gladney 1 pt and Roisin Leahy 7 pts (5 frees) completing the scoring. The backs were steady throughout with Cady Boyle, Sophie Meagher and Fiona McKee to the fore.

JUNIOR HURLING (GROUP B CHAMPIONSHIP) SEMIFINAL We headed to Piltown last Sunday evening to take on Mooncoin in the Junior Championship section B semi-final.

On a perfect evening for hurling, under lights, our Juniors got off to a flying start and had 3 points on the board before Mooncoin got off the mark with a white flag.

With Oisin Bateman, from play, and Ryan Scanlon from frees punishing the hard tackling Mooncoin defence, the Larchfield outfit kept the scoreboard moving, with David Walton and a great point from 60 metres from midfielder James Tyrrell all contributing to leave the Village boys ahead by 9 points to 4 with twenty minutes gone. Mooncoin were trying to keep in touch but then the Village started the move of the match when a long clearance by the excellent Sam Mc Evoy was superbly caught by Eoin Larkin and he delivered a pin point diagonal forty meter cross to Oisin Bateman who caught, turned and delivered an unstoppable shot past the Mooncoin net minder. This gave the Village boys a lead of 1-7 to 0-4 with four minutes to the half time break, but the southerners hit back with a goal when the Village defence conceded a penalty.

Ryan Scanlon got the second half off to a good start with his 6th point of the night followed by a Dinny Stapleton point, when Mooncoin were awarded a 21 meter free. It seemed to catch our defence off guard as they dispatched it to the back of the net. With the scoreboard reading 1-13 to 2-4 it pressed our team into action as we went on a scoring spree of five unanswered scores with Eoin Larkin getting in on the act with typical Larks like point with Robbie Hayes and David Walton all contributing to the scoreboard. The Village conceded a penalty which resulted in another goal for Mooncoin despite the valiant attempt of our goalkeeper Daniel Power who got a touch on the ball but couldn’t keep it from crossing the line.

With the win secured, the Village management team emptied the sub bench to see out a great victory on a final score line of James Stephens 1-20, Mooncoin 3-7. This victory was based on a solid defence with Ben Lawlor, Sam Mc Evoy, Paddy Kehoe and the evergreen Jackie Tyrrell not allowing the Mooncoin forwards to score freely. Midfield pairing of James Tyrrell and Adam O Connor moved the ball fast into our forwards and with Oisin Bateman unmarkable, ending with a tally of 1-6 and Ryan Scanlon unerring from frees and play, 0-9, and the hard working David Walton, Dinny Stapleton all giving their best it was a great victory for the Red & Green that made this a very enjoyable weekend for the Village club. We now play Dicksboro in the Group B final.

QUARTER-FINAL: (received too late for last notes) On Sunday 24th September, our Junior team made their way to a very wet and windy Tom Walsh Park to take on Thomastown in a quarter final of the Junior B championship. It was a game where defences dominated and forwards found it very difficult to find space to score. As half time approached the Village, playing against a very strong wind, had a 2 points deficit with the scoreboard reading James Stephens 0-3 to Thomastown 0-5, with a vital score coming from Ryan Scanlon as the halftime whistle blew, and points from Stephen Manogue (free) and Robbie Hayes. Daniel Power brought off a crucial save midway through the first half. In the second half, with the aid of the strong wind, it didn’t take long for the Larchfield outfit to draw level with excellent free taking from Stephen Manogue to punish any ill discipline on the Thomastown side. Our defence was very well marshalled by Jackie Tyrrell with great assistance from Ben Lawlor, Luke Hickey, Paddy Kehoe and Sam Mc Evoy. Eoin Larkin and James Tyrrell worked hard at midfield along with good work from David Walton, Dinny Stapleton and Oisin Bateman, a second half substitute, who scored the point to give us the lead for the first time in this tight encounter. Another 3 unerring frees from Stephen Manogue saw the Village stretch their lead to 3 points heading into the final minutes. To their credit, our opponents pressed hard to close the gap and it took brave defending to keep keep them at bay. A late goal mouth attempt was cleared, to the delighted of our small band of supporters.

When the final whistle blew the scoreboard was read James Stephens 0-9, Thomastown 0-7.

LIAM HINPHEY RIP Liam was born in Kilkenny, moved at a young age to Dungiven, and was a lifelong Village supporter. A large contingent of Village members travelled to Dungiven for the funeral.

The following is a tribute posted by his Dungiven friends:

It was entirely fitting that strong men carried ‘The Chief ‘ from St Patrick’s Chapel in Dungiven to the strains of “The Rose of Mooncoin” beautifully played on the tin whistle by one of the Brolly’s I think. Liam Hinphey loved that wonderful Kilkenny anthem so much. It was also fitting that some of his hurling heroes were there today to say a final sad Slán as Brian Cody, Fan Larkin, Joe Hennessy and Brian McEvoy made the long journey for a fellow James Stephen’s man. Earlier, the rain fell like razor blades as they carried him from St Patrick’s Secondary School where he taught for so many years.

It felt like a farewell to an ancient Gaelic chief and despite the pelting rain, men from the town and mountainy men from Benedy and Ben Bradagh were jostling to see who could step in and carry.

For he had taught, coaxed, cajoled and entertained so many of the people at his funeral and they all had stories of his pithy wit and wisdom and his great love for his family, Kevin Lynch’s hurling club and Dungiven, the town he loved so well.

His daughter Emer, truly the apple of his eye summed it all up beautifully in her eulogy to the man who had such an impact on so many people but had a wonderful impish human touch too as Emer recalled her father confiscating cigarettes from pupils and then quietly smoking them himself in very different times. She also spoke of his great love for his family and his total dedication to hurling. A few years ago, Joe Brolly told a great story of some of the background to Liam meeting up with the love of his life Mary K Brolly. According to Joe, Mrs Hannah Brolly said she had a wayward daughter and on hearing this Liam, who never got behind the wheel of a car, enquired: “Does the little lady drive”? Joe added that his aunt Mary K was known as “The Chancellor of The Exchequer”. A few years ago, somebody asked Liam what kind of a hurler was Joe Brolly? Hinphey, who was a ringer for Marlon Brando paused before that inimitable drawl, saying: “He survived”.

After the funeral it was all hands to the clubhouse where the huge crowd were fed and well watered. But there was only one real place to remember “The Chief” and that was in his “Office” in McReynolds Bar where he held court for 35 years and if he was Don Quixote then the famous “Wart” Kelly was Sancho Panza-they were a brilliant double act and “Wart” was doing his old mentor justice today. Strange things can happen in McReynolds’ bar as I know from previous visits, when I was a bosom friend of Arthur Guinness, but the sight of ex Derry great footballer Liam Murphy who was on the great 1975 and 76 teams that won two Ulster championships in a row, using a hair dryer kindly supplied by the bar to dry one of his immaculate socks after somebody spilled a pint of Guinness on him, was really something and in the middle of all was “Wart” Kelly apologies but I have forgotten his first name -a light in those dark eyes, the eternal court jester spreading mirth and mischief and laughter all over the place. The Don would have approved.

LOTTO Last week’s numbers were 9, 18, 25, 26. There was no winner.

The €40 consolation winners were Conor Keane, Martin Murphy, Eoin Mullally, Ann Larkin, Mike and Paddy. You can play our Lotto on Clubforce and any entry received before 6pm on any Tuesday is included in that nights draw.

GOWRAN AC Gowran AC took part in the first of the Kilkenny County Cross Country Days. Starting off the day with a strong display was our u8 girls. Well done again to all those completing for the first time ever at cross country, it was great to see so many representing the club in the red and white colours of Gowran.

Results. U8 Girls 1st Sarah Carroll. 2nd Aoife Fitzgerald. 4th Aoife O Keeffe. 7th Roisin Grimley. 13th Aine Dalton. 15th Hannah Cummins U8 Boy. 7th Tom Pollock U10 Girls. 11th Emma Hayden. 13th Niamh Carrigan. 15th Aoife Dalton U12 Girls. 2nd Orla O’Keeffe. 3rd Abigail Hunt. 5th Mia Kennedy. 10th Hannah Phelan Girls team1st.

U12 Boys. 4th Sean Farrell. 5th Bobby Coomey. 10th Jay Pollock. 12th Daniel Carroll. 13th Matthew Byrne. 14th Peter Grimley. 15th Sean Cummins. 16th Ross Hutton. 19th Ted Kelsey. 20th Noah Grimley. Boys team 1st and 3rd U14 Girls. 3rd Emily O’Keeffe. 8th Lucy Cunningham. 10th Daisy Coomey. 12th Orlaith Carroll. 13th Heidi Ryan. 15th Anna Kelsey. Girls team 2nd U14 Boys. 3rd Aaron Carrigan. 4th MJ Carroll. 6th Michael O’Keeffe. 7th Evan Ryan. 9th David Carroll. Boys team 1st U16Girls. 3rd Kate Hayden U16 Boys. 2nd Conor Carroll. 7th James Kelsey. 11th Charlie Ryan Senior Ladies. 9th Katie O’Brien. 12th Orla Clear Men’s Senior Senior B Matthew Ryan. 6th Dean Rose. 8th Ray Lahart. 10th Cillian Dunne. 13th Joe Keohane. 15th Johan Muller. 17th Paul Deegan. 20th Adrian Cunningham SENIOR GIRLS LOSE TO ST. BRIGIDS AT QUARTER-FINAL STAGE Disappointment for The Young Irelands Senior Camogie Team who lost 1-14 to 1-10 to St. Brigd’s in The First Round of The Championship in Danesfort on Saturday.

St. Brigid’s led 0-7 to 0-5 at half-time before running out 4 point winners.

U-12 CAMOGIE

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Community & GAA Notes The Young Irelands U-12 Camogie girls who are managed

by Kevin Dreeling have had a fantastic season as they have reached the latter stages of The Championship.

They defeated Barrow Rangers the previous weekend, while last weekend both U-12 Teams were scheduled to be in action against both John Locke’s of Callan and Tullaroan respectively.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS FOOTBALL The Gowran Primary Schools Football Team lost 4-6 to 2-5 against St. Canice’s in Round 2 of the Primary Schools Football League in Gowran last Tuesday.

The match was brought forward 24 hours due to Storm Agnes.

MONDAY NIGHT COACHING The Monday Night Coaching drew to a close on Monday 25th September following another highly successful season.

The U7 and U9 boys and U6, U8 and U10 girls have been training since April. These players and coaches had 23 Monday night sessions and numerous games, blitzes and tournaments throughout the Summer.

The U7 boys were in Castlewarren on Sunday for their Field Day, while The U9s have their Go-Games Finale on Saturday October 7th in Gowran.

Well done to the Boys and Girls on their wonderful efforts throughout the season and enjoy the well earned break.

GOWRAN PARK The National Hunt action returned to Gowran Park with a very successful two-day meeting on Friday and Saturday.

The two featured races on Friday produced two very impressive performances with The Henry De Bromhead trained Magical Zoe landing The Pat Walsh Mares Hurdle, while The Willie Mullins trained Aurora Vega was also highly impressive in winning The Mucklemeg Mares Bumper.

Willie won the featured Champion Steeplechase on Saturday, with the Paul Townend ridden Easy Game winning the race for the third time having previously won last year and also in 2020.

There was local success also for the Griffin family in Slieverue as 12/1 shot Great Island ran out a 16 length winner of the Joe Bollard Memorial Handicap Hurdle, with Falcon Park trained

by Paul Hennessy and owned by his wife Susan finishing 2nd at 20/1.

Keith Donoghue and Gavin Cromwell were the leading Jockey and Trainer over the two days with three winners each.

Hypotenus returned at 6/4 favorite to run out a 15 length winner of the opening maiden hurdle, while on Saturday the duo combined courtesy of Mint Boy in The Golf Memberships at Gowran Park maiden hurdle, before Letsbeclearaboutit defied odds on to land the concluding Beginners Steeplechase.

The next meeting in Gowran Park is a two-day flat meeting on Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th October, before the year concludes with Kilkenny GAA Raceday on Saturday 11th November.

Meanwhile, Danny Mullins was among the winners in Tipperary on Sunday when he partnered The Willie Mullins trained Williamstowndancer to victory in The Grade 3 Boylesports Novice Hurdle.

Bennettsbridge/John Lockes Camogie team winners of the Premier Junior League Final

Bennettsbridge U14s Camogie team winners of the Roinn B Galtec Championship against Mooncoin

LOTTO Dicksboro GAA Club LOTTO Results 28th September 2023. Nos, 3 7 12 18. Jackpot: €12,350 Not Won. Draw Prizes. €50: Michael Deegan c/o P Hogan. €25 each Patsy Dempsey c/o Online. €25 each Anne Hennessy c/o Online. €25 each Pat Ryan c/o T Hackett. Hurlers Co Op Draw Philly Campion c/o Online.

Promotors prize P and J Cody. Thank you for your continued support SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP Hard luck to our Senior Hurlers who lost out to reigning SHC Ballyhale Shamrocks in an epic battle full of pace, skill and grit on Sunday in UPMC Nowlan Park. We thank these great bunch of players and their Management Team for their dedication and hard work for 2023.

JUNIOR HURLING Our Junior Hurling Team will face their neighbours James Stephens on Sat 7th Oct at 12pm in Bennetsbridge in the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Junior Championship Section B Co Final.

Best of luck to the lads & their Management Team.

U15’s We wish our u15’s and their Management Team the very best in the Duggan Steel Roinn A Championship Final against Dunnamaggin on Saturday 7th October at 3pm in UPMC Nowlan Park. The boys have had a great campaign in this highly contested division so we would love to see a huge crowd out to support them on the day.

SENIOR CAMOGIE Dicksboro captured the Michael Lyng Hyundai Motors Senior Camogie Title for 2023 at a wet and windy Tom Walsh Park on Saturday with victory over Piltown. Final Score Dicksboro 1-13 Piltown 1-11. Congratulations to the Team, Panel and Management. The girls will play St Brigid’s in the Championship Quarter Final this weekend Day, Time and Fixture TBC.

Droichead Binéid Banner

PHOTO CALL Congratulations to local photographer, Anne Dowling whose entry in the 2023 Pet Photography competition organised by the Kilkenny Photographic Society picked up 3rd Prize in the Intermediate section with her entry, “I Got the Ball” LOURDES PILGRIMAGE The 2024 Ossory Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes led by Bishop Niall Coll will take place from Tuesday May 21thSunday May 26th with places for pilgrims in need of assistance, youth helpers, support staff and able-bodied pilgrims.

More later.

CHURCH NEWS Mass times. Weekday mass times Wednesday 10,30am. Friday 10.30am.Weekend Masses Tullaherin Saturday 8pm. Bennettsbridge Sunday 10.30am GATHERING GROUP The meeting of the Gathering Group resumes next Wednesday with the fourth session of a six week programme of Yoga.

ART GROUP Weekly classes continue each Monday from 2 to 4pm in the Community Centre. Members are finalising the format for the next few months and are looking forward to exploring a variety of ideas under their tutor, Julie Moorhouse.

LOTTO No winner of Jackpot last week, Numbers, 1, 5, 9, 24. Jackpot now €3,250.00. Consolation Prizes, Ian Morrissey, Rathcusack, James Dowling, Rathcusack, Liam O’Neill, Ballinaboola, Eanna Cleere, Station Road, Say Again c/o Fr Duggan.

SYMPATHY Sympathy is extended to the Prendergast family on the death of John on Tuesday last at his home in Killarney, Thomastown.

He was predeceased by his parents Peter and Frances (nee O’Brien). He is survived by his wife, Gillian, daughter Ciara and sons, David, Mark and Peter. He is also mourned by his daughter-in-law Nicole, grandchildren, Ciarán and Caoimhe, sisters, Margaret and Frances, brothers, Tom and David, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours and friends.

Rosary and Vigil Prayers were held at his home.at 7pm.

Requiem Mass was celebrated in The Church of the Assumption, Thomastown followed by interment in St Mary’s New Cemetery.

CAMOGIE CELEBRATIONS There was great excitement in the village on Sunday evening

boy’s minor A final.

SENIOR HURLING Well done to our senior hurlers who defeated Glenmore in the championship quarter final in Clara last Saturday. In very difficult conditions the team hurled for the full hour and ran out winners by 3-14 to 0 -17. Well done to all players and management. The semi-final is on October 15th versus O’Loughlin’s.

CLUB SHOP New additions of a training top and shorts have been added to the Bennettsbridge O’Neills club shop. To access the full range of club gear simply go to the O’Neill’s website and enter Bennettsbridge in the search box.

SPLIT THE POT The Split the Pot draw this week will be on Thursday evening.

The competition can also be entered online using club force.

Please see the clubs Facebook page for details of how to enter on line. Envelopes are available in the usual spots around the village. Thanks for the continued support.

as young Bennettsbridge Camogie players celebrated a double win on the playing field.

What a great day it was for the club with the Bennettsbridge/ John Lockes Junior girls winning the Kilkenny River Court Hotel Premier Junior League Final against Graignamanagh and our U14 girls winning the Roinn B Galtec Championship against Mooncoin. Both teams won comprehensively and it was a proud day for all of the players, management, their families, our Club and the Bennettsbridge and Callan communities. There was good support for the double header and well

Referee duty for Vivienne

deserved wins in both matches.

On Sunday evening several laps of honour were carried out around the village and the green and gold was much in evidence. It was good to see the Droicead Binéid Banner flying once again as it had been out of commission for a time.

Appeals as to it’s whereabouts through social media platforms were obviously successful.

A FIRST FOR VIVIENNE Vivienne Holmes made history over the weekend when she became the first female referee in Kilkenny to take charge of a

Anne Dowling’s winning entry in the Kilkenny Photographic Society Competition. “I got the Ball”.

JIVE WORKSHOPS Three jive workshops are to be held in St. Mary’s Hall, Johnstown on Sundays Oct 8th,15th and 22nd 6pm to 8.30pm. Fee €40 for the three sessions. To book text your name in full followed by Johnstown to 0873536502.

COMMUNITY HALL 500 CLUB Results of the September draw 1. Joe Reid (Peter Norton), 2.

Rufina McCormack (Evelyn Sweeney), 3. Ellen Phelan (Peter Norton), 4.Donal Phelan (Evelyn Sweeney),5. Dick Daly (Peter Norton). Next draw last Saturday. in October. Tickets €10 available from the local shops and committee members.

CONSULATE Taoiseach Leo Varadkar recently officially opened the Irish Consulate in Miami, Florida. The event was hosted by Sarah Kavanagh, Galmoy, daughter of Councillor Mary Hilda and Eddie Kavanagh. Sarah has recently taken up the newly created post of Irish Consul based in Miami. Also attending the reception was Johnstown hurler J.J. Delaney and his wife Aisling (Tobin) who have just moved to Miami.

OSSORY PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES the annual Ossory pilgrimage to Lourdes which was put on hold during and after Covid is set to return to Lourdes with a full complement of Pilgrims, assisted Pilgrims, youth, leaders ,nurses, brancardiers and kitchen staff from May 21st to 26th 2024. The pilgrimage will be led by Bishop Niall Coll. More information at a later date.

FENIANS HC Bingo continuing each Wednesday.night in St. Mary’s Hall with the addition of “split the pot”. The first four nights of split the pot will be for the hurling club, while the next four nights will be for the Christmas Lights for the village.

Congrats to two local men, Owen Shiel, Crosspatrick and Kevin Reid, Johnstown who both played a big part on the Brothers Pearce Senior Hurling Team who have qualified for the London Senior Hurling Championship final. Both were one time members of the Fenians.

SPA UNITED AFC Results Junior League Division 3 Spa 2 (James Sweeney, Michael Carroll) Dean Celtic B 3, U12 SFAI Scetchers Cup Carrick Utd 2 Spa 0, U15 boys league division 1A Spa 2 Clover Utd 4, U14 boys league division 2 Callan Utd 2 Spa 4. U12 girls league division 1 Dean Celtic 1 Spa 3, U12 boys league division 2 Spa 4 Stoneyford 1. Also in action were the U8 and U10 boys who took on Evergreen in both age groups and put in big performances in their first games of the season.

SPA DEVELOPMENT/FENIANS LOTTO Winning numbers 2,5,9,21. Five match threes Michael Ryan,

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

Community & GAA Notes St Patrick’s junior side played Sliverue on Sunday in Gowran, it was a tough contest with the St Pats side coming out on top on a scoreline 1-18 to 1-16, they are next drawn to meet Freshford in Jenkinstown on Sunday at 12 noon. The Juvinelle hurling Street league will take place this week.

LOTTO St Patrick’s lotto numbers drawn September 25th were 10,15,22,23 - jackpot stands at €3,700. Tickets available locally or online.

SET DANCING Set Dancing classes are beingheld in the Wheel Inn Ballyouskill Co. Kilkenny, all are welcome, starting time 9pm.

Contact Paddy at 0858607256 or Francis at 0857157694 for details. Please spread the news Thank you.

CARD GAME Progressive 25 card game. Ballyouskill Hall 8pm start.

Admission €10, tea served, Raffle on the night

Senior Camogie Title Winners for 2023

Jenny Clifford (Captain) and Caoimhe Dowling (Vice Captain) Friday Blues x2, Mary Hughes and Pauline Beehan.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Glengoole Wednesday 11am to 2pm, Gortnahoe Thursday 11am to 1pm PARISH PRIEST The installation of Fr Walton as Parish Priest of Gortnahoe Glengoole will take place in Gortnahoe Church with Mass at 7pm on Friday 6th October with refreshments afterwards in the hall. All are welcome.

CHURCH COLLECTION The Parish council would like to thank parishioners for their weekly envelope collection for the support of each church.

Also thanks to everyone who supported the priest collection last weekend.

400 CLUB DRAW A sincere thanks to everyone who supported the 400 club draw in support of the Gortnahoe Glengoole parish. The last number of draws took place last Thursday night and the results are on the notice boards in each Church porch and in the Community Halls. The new draw will commence in November and promoters will be contacting all households in the parish to renew their membership for the next 12 months.

We look forward to the continued support of our parish.

The results for September 2023, 1st Prize €200 was Betty Irwin, Thurles, 2nd Prize €100 was Tom and Ann Nolan, Graigue. Other prize winners were, James and Katie Phelan, Fennor, Dermot Fennelly, Boulick, Albert and Mary Stanley, Urard, Grace and Abbie McMenamin, Killenaule, Mary Fogarty, Longfordpass, Willie and Marian Fogarty, Graigue, James Quinlan, Urard, Nuala Kiely, Glengoole North. Promoters Prize Winner, Nic Wilson.

The results for October 2023, 1st Prize €200 Anne and Tom McCaffrey, Fennor, 2nd Prize €100 was Susan Lanigan, Gurteen. Othe prize winners were, Clement and Geraldine Gleeson, Graigue, Nicholas Hoyne, Grange, Larry Tierney, Margaret O’Mahoney, Thurles, Jimmy Fogarty, Longfordpass, Paul and Louise Dwyer, Longfordpass, Seamus and Ann Marie Doheny, Graigue, Willie Joe and Fiona Stapleton, Ballysloe.

Promoters Prize Winner, Richard Dunne, Graigue.

U19 COUNTY CHAMPIONS Congratulations to Gortnahoe Glengoole GAA on winning the U19 Mid and County Championship. Congratulations to all the players and management. This is a great achievement and a proud moment for the Parish of Gortnahoe Glengoole.

CAMOGIE COUNTY CHAMPIONS Congratulations to Gortnahoe Glengoole Camogie Club who won two County Finals in the U13 girls and the U11 girls.

This a great result for the camogie club and the results show that much more success will come to club with these pool of players. Congratulations to the players and management.

TUESDAY BRIDGE Bridge is being played each Tuesday night in Gortnahoe Hall at 7.30pm. If you would like to join or find out more information please contact this number 089 4349106 OLD SCHOOL HOUSE If anyone in the Parish has any photographs or paper clippings of the Old School in Gortnahoe, could they forward them to Richard Dunne in Graigue or phone 0866075281 or email items to richardbdunne@yahoo.co.uk. The Old School House stood on the site where the prayer garden is now

situated beside the Church. It is intended to record the history of the School in photograghs and text. Any contribution will be copied and returned to the sender.

GLENGOOLE COMMUNITY CAFE Volunteers are needed to start this provisionally one morning per week as a space for people to meet. Anyone interested please contact Julie O’Halloran, MFRC, on 087-1008075.

GORTNAHOE BINGO Bingo continues this Saturday night at 7.00pm with doors opening from 6.00pm and will continue each Saturday night at the same time. Over €2,660 in prize money on offer including a special €500 game. We look forward to the many visitors and family members home with their family, it will be a great nights entertainment for all.

SPLIT THE POT Congratulations to last weekend’s winner Francis Tobin, Ballysloe who won €197 in the Split the Pot draw. Envelopes are available at the usual outlets. Split the Pot for the month of October will be in support of The Gortnahoe Christmas lights. The draw takes place each Sunday at 12pm in Gortnahoe Hall. Your support would be appreciated

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK A very Happy 90th Birthday to Jack Dunphy, The Green, from all. The quiz master, minstrel and all round gentleman is wished every happiness for his birthday.

CAMOGIE Naomh Brid Camogie held their end of year Street League over two nights last week, a great crowd was in attendance both nights. Well done to all involved.

GAA

The Dunphy family celebrate Jack’s 90th

CAMOGIE The senior camogie girls were second best to Clara in the opening round of the Michael Lyng Motors Senior Championship in Tom Walsh Park on Sunday last. There was no denying who was the stronger team, as Clara were dominant from start to finish and won with a big margin to spare in the end.

Conahy now face into a relegation semi-final battle, with details to be confirmed at the time of writing.

CONCERT IN THE CLUBHOUSE The ABBA tribute band “Abbaesque” will play in Conahy Shamrocks GAA Club House on this Friday, October 6th.

Tickets may be purchased from Garrett Comerford on 0872560343 or Kevin Healy on 086-8389490, the GAA Clubhouse or on the door on the night.

DEVELOPMENT FUNDRAISER Conahy Shamrocks GAA Club have launched a major development fundraiser, and are seeking the support of everyone in the community to ensure its success. The fundraiser will involve a ticket draw, with the winner receiving a new Hyundai Tucson car or €35,000 in cash. Tickets for the draw will be €25 each, or three for €65, or five for €100. Tickets have and will continue to be given to club members to sell amongst their friends and relations. A website that will allow the purchase of tickets for the draw is available on www.winahyundaituscon. ie , and the draw will also actively be promoted on social media platforms. All support would be greatly appreciated for what will be a development to benefit both young and old in the community.

CLUB LOTTO The numbers drawn in the Conahy Shamrocks GAA Club Lotto were 2, 22 and 31. Congratulations to Michael Hestor who scooped the jackpot of €5,200. The promoters’ prize winners were Teresa Dollard, Nora Delaney and Helen Cahill. This week’s jackpot now returns to €1,000.

PROGRESSIVE 25’S Progressive 25’s are continuing every Sunday night at 8.00 p.m. in the GAA Clubhouse.

All are welcome.

MASS TIMES Hugginstown: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 9.30a.m. Vigil - Saturday 7th. at 8.00p.m. Sunday 8th. at 10.00a.m. Stoneyford, Wednesday and Friday at 7.00p.m.Vigil, Saturday 7th. at 6.30p.m. Friday 6th. Feast of St. Bruno.

FIRST FRIDAY Home 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 on First Fridays or at any other time.

PRAY FOR Peter Raggett, late of Knockdrinna who died last week.

Anniversary Masses Kit Doran, Stoneyford. Mass in Stoneyford Church on Saturday

7th. October at 6.30p.m.

Larry and Sheila Murphy, Gowlawn. Mass in Hugginstown Church on Saturday 7th. October at 8.00p.m.

Months Mind Mass. Maggie Walsh, Boolyglass, Mass in Hugginstown Church on Sunday 8th. October at 10.00a.m.

REMEMBERANCE MASSES Remembrance Masses for the Faithful Departed will be celebrated on Saturday 4th. November: In Stoneyford Church at 6.30p.m: In Hugginstown Church at 8.00p.m.

ROTA Readers. Stoneyford, Saturday 6.30p.m. Rita O’Farrell. Hugginstown: Saturday 8.00p.m. John Barron. Sunday 10.00a.m.

Deirdre O’Shea. Eucharistic Ministers, Stoneyford: Saturday 6.30p.m. Barbara Smolen. Hugginstown: Saturday 8.00p.m.

Mary Cuddihy. Sunday 10.00a.m. Ruth Crowley.

OCTOBER STATIONS The October Station Envelopes 2023 are available at the Church Porch. Your contributions are for the support of the priests of the Parish and the Diocese. Your envelopes can be left into the Collection Boxes at the Churches or you may donate directly. Use IBAN: IE19 AIBK 9330 9000 0561 20 (BIC: AIBKIE2D).

HAIL HOLY QUEEN CONFERENCE 2023 This Conference is live on Radio Maria Ireland from 2.00p.m. on Saturday 7th. October. The speakers include Fr. Seán Maguire, Catherine McGowan,Fr. Colum Power, Fr. Freddy Warner. Radio Maria Ireland can be listened to by downloading the Radio Maria Ireland App or Saorview Channel 210 or listen live at 01 437 3277 LOTTO Aghaviller Parish and Carrickshock G. A. A. Draw: Monday 25th.

September 2023. Numbers: 02; 23; 25; 22. One Winner First 3 Numbers Drawn. No Jackpot Winner: €500.00. Winner, Anne Power, Lawcus. €25.00. Seller of Ticket.

Anne Power, Lawcus 3 x €15.00 (Sellers). Ann Power, Eilish Rohan. James Irish.

Lotto Ticket is now €2.00.

FAITH RENEWAL EVENTS AT KNOCK SHRINE ‘What do we know about Jesus?’ Adult Faith Formation Course with Fr Eugene Duffy. Beginning 3rd. October and running for 8 weeks on Tuesday evenings at 8.00p.m. Booking required on Eventbrite (see knockshrine.ie for direct link to book) ‘Joining in the Synod: A weekly update on the proceedings in Rome’ This series will take place online and culminate in 1 in-person gathering at Knock Shrine.

Began Monday 2nd. October at 8.30p.m. and running for 5 weeks. Join online at www.knockshrine.ie/watch-live No booking necessary.

REFLECTION ‘Seeing is Believing: Reflecting on art as a glimpse of the sacred.’ With Dr. Nora Donnelly on Saturday 9th and 16th December at 10.30a.m. With these illustrated lectures, Nora Donnelly hopes to help not only to make some sense of Art but to make new sense by attending to what we see just for its own sake. Booking required on Eventbrite (see knockshrine.ie for direct link to book) RECONCILOIATION Advent Reconciliation Service: On Tuesday 19th. December from 8.00p.m. to 9.00p.m. in the Chapel of Reconciliation with music provided by Schola Cantorum Basilicae. Further details about these events as well as others not listed here are available to view on the Knock Shrine website.

SAFEGUARDING CONTACTS Diocesan Designated Liaison Person: Ms. Kathleen Sherry Tel: 087 100 0232. Aghaviller Parish Representatives are: Teresa Broderick and Carmel O’Toole.

MONROE SCHOOL Autumn School Clothes Collection taking place at the moment. Bags collected on Wednesday 11th. October; please leave bags into the school shed.

COUNSELLING SERVICES Our low cost Counselling Services, includes One-to-One, Adult & Teens. General Counselling, Bereavement, Stress, Anxiety & Depression. Other Counselling Services available: Drug, Substance and Gambling Addictions.

Play therapy is now also available. Age 5+.

Please contact Sue for more information or to make an appointment.

ST KIERAN’S HOME FOR THE ELDERLY Applications are invited for the Vacant Tenancy of a onebedroom house at St Kieran’s Place, Urlingford. To be eligible to apply you must be on the Kilkenny County Council Housing list. Applications are available from the centre.

DEFIBRILLATOR Please note that there is a defibrillator located in the Mill Family Resource Centre if and when it may be required.

SENIOR ALERT If you need to apply for a Personal Alarm, please contact Sue or Josephine.

APPEAL FOR CLOTHES DONATIONS Any clothes donations would be greatly appreciated in aid of our counselling/play therapy services. Donations can be left into the Centre, please call before dropping off.

SAVE THE DATE Friday 1st December we will be having our Christmas Fair. Full details to follow.

ART CLASSES We are running Art Classes every Thursday morning from 10am to 12pm. Places are limited, if you are interested please contact us here at the centre.

Contact number for the Centre 056-8838466

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Roinn A County Final Village friends forever celebrate the minor win

James Stephens Minor Hurling Roinn ‘A’ champions On Sat last, 30th September, our minor hurlers headed to Nowlan Park to take on Dunnamaggin in the 2023 Roinn A county final, in a bid to regain a title last won in 2012. Dunnamaggin were first to score with a pointed free in the first minute. The Village, after a shaky start, when we registered 5 wides in the first 8 minutes, settled when Ed. McDermott pointed a free.

This was followed 2 minutes later a brilliantly taken goal from the stick of Zac Scanlon. Zac was injured in a follow up, heavy and late, tackle which ended his participation in the game and was replaced by Conor McEvoy. This score settled the Village lads and with a superb defence holding the Dunnamaggin forwards to 2 further points, both

from frees, and the Village adding further scores through Jacob Breslin, goal on 14 minutes, and points from Conor McEvov, Ed McDermott and Bill McDermott (2), the score stood at 2-05 to 0-03 on 24 minutes. From here to half time, Dunnamaggin upped their game and registered 5 points from paly to the Villages 1 point from Bill McDermott to leave the half time score 2-06 to 0-08.

With everything to play for the Village upped their game right from the start of the second half with scores from Ed Lauhoff (33 mins), full back Noah Manogue (2 frees), followed by points from Conor McEvoy, Bill McDermott, Sean Bergin (goal) Ruairi Harrison (goal) leaving the score at 4-11 to 0-08 after 48 mins.

Alan Larkin and Noah Manogue receive the Minor A Trophy from Willie Dempsey Chairman BNG also In Pic Cathal O Neill Kilkenny Vehicle Centre sponsor

From there to the end the Village added points from Conor McEvoy, Bill McDermott and Daniel Ring plus a goal from Allen Larkin while Dunnamaggin replied with a pointed free to leave the final score at James Stephens 5-14, Dunnanmaggin 0-09. This was a great team performance from the Village starting with goalkeeper Billy O’ Sullivan who had a hard working full back line of Conor Heffernan, the superb Noah Manogue and Dara Behan keeping the Dunnamaggin threat at bay. The half back trio of James Bergin, Sean Deely and Tuan Hyland worked tirelessly for the hour while the midfield pairing of Diarmuid Behan and Ed Lauhoff commanded their patch with great authority.

All of the starting forwards scored, including Conor McEvoy who replaced the injured Zac Scanlon after 10 minutes.

Second half substitutes Sean Bergin, Allen Larkin, Larry Phelan, Daniel Ring and Matthew Kavanagh also contributed to the excellent team performance. Congratulations also to team management, Joe Murray, Matthew Ruth, Niall Tyrrell, David Tyrrell, Paddy O’ Brien and Shane Egan.

Aove: Sean Deely in possession but hard tackled by Cathal Rossiter Left : Ross O Neill on the run towards goal chased by Dara Behan Below: Thomas Deegan attempts to hook Conor Mc Evoy

Footnote: Referee for the game was Vivienne Holmes and this marks the first occasion that a lady has refereed a minor hurling county final.

Ruari Harrison in possession about to be challenged by Eoin Shiel and Conor Lawton

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Hurling matters

Sport

Killian Corcoran attempts to get in his clearance as hes challenged by Bill Sheehan

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

St Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship 2023 UPMC Nowlan Park, Sunday October 1st Dicksboro 0-21

Shamrocks Ballyhale 1-20

Class is permanent, form is temporary.

In the buildup to this game, all the talk was that the holders were there for the taking, that this was the year they’d be caught. This may still happen in the semi-final, or possibly the decider, but for now, respect is due.

Shamrocks Ballyhale put in one hell of a shift to get the better of Dicksboro and keep their dreams of a sixth consecutive county title alive after an epic encounter at UPMC Nowlan Park last Sunday. This was the last of the quarter-final ties, and fittingly the best was saved to last.

Pat Hoban’s charges had to draw on all their previous year’s experiences in seemingly unwinnable situations to get over the line in this contest and had to play the last 20-odd minutes with 14 men, having had midfielder Paddy Mullen sent off following an altercation with Boro’s Harry Shine.

TJ Reid was awarded MOTM, but the south Kilkenny club had Adrian Mullen in imperious form as they reached the last four, where they will face-off against Brian Cody’s Village outfit.

While the legendary TJ finished the day with 0-10, a tally which included an absolutely stunning sideline cut, it was former county captain Adrian Mullen’s goal on the stroke of half-time that ultimately proved the biggest score of the day.

Indeed, it was Adrian that opened the scoring in the opening seconds of the game, taking a great catch from a lovely Evan Shefflin pass before swiveling to fire over. Shamrocks then almost got in for a major, but Niall Shortall saw his effort deflected behind for a ‘65, which TJ surprisingly pulled wide of the target. Shortall then saw his name go into referee Owen Beehan’s book on 3 minutes, after a bone-shuddering Adrian Mullen challenge on Boro centreback Tom Kenny. Andy Gaffney split the posts to level matters with the first of his eleven successful placed-ball efforts.

Shamrocks edged ahead in the 6th minute when Eoin Cody took a pass, turned and rifled over for a nice score. The game was end-to-end and Michael Walsh’s team struck for their second score of the match after Tom Kenny picked out Cillian Hackett with a pinpoint pass and the Dicksboro no.9 pointed for a nice score. The Palmerstown based team took the lead for the first time in the 10th minute when Andy Gaffney pointed after his forward partner Bill Sheehan was fouled. Two yellow cards followed for Adrian Mullen and Tom Kenny after the pair tangled off the

Shamrocks survive ‘Boro test to advance!

County men step up to secure Village semi ball, the latter needing a new helmet following the wrestling.

Bill Sheehan then scored a lovely point after showing Killian Corcoran a clean pair of heels, to give his side a two-point lead with 13 minutes gone. Shamrocks wing-back Evan Shefflin then sent over a booming score from halfway to reduce the deficit to one, before two cracking points from TJ Reid and Conor Walsh saw the holders re-take the lead. Bill Sheehan, whose clever movement and running was causing Killian Corcoran problems then presented Cillian Buckley with a chance of a score, and the Kilkenny veteran made no mistake in pointing to deadlock matters again. Killian wasn’t the only Corcoran struggling to get to grips with his man, Darragh, who was again operating in the ‘Joey Holden’ position was finding it tough trying to curb Andy Gaffney’s influence close to goal and his man struck over a nice point on 16 minutes to nudge the

Richie Reid trying to evade Andy Gaffney

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

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Hurling matters

Bill Sheehan attempts to go past Darragh Corcoran

‘Boro ahead.

TJ Reid and Andy Gaffney swapped placed ball efforts before Harry Shine hit the point of the game to date with a long-range effort from close to the left sideline on halfway, his first real involvement in the game with 20 minutes on the clock. Paddy Mullen then battled well to emerge with the sliotar before passing to brother Adrian who fired over a tidy score to leave the Dicksboro lead at the bare minimum. There was definitely a real physical edge to this game, and you could sense that things could boil over at any stage. TJ was then halted illegally, and in the aftermath of this foul a little pushing and shoving occurred, and two players saw their names added to the referee’s book, Shamrocks Eoin Kenneally for a push, Boro’s Cillian Hackett for throwing TJ’s hurl off the pitch. When the dust settled, TJ slotted the free to draw the sides level, yet again.

Shamrocks captain Adrian Mullen

then struck for another classy score.

The flame-haired no.10 displayed great skill to pick up the sliotar before rifling over from way out on the left sideline. TJ then recorded a brace of placed balls to push the All-Ireland champions into a 3-point lead after 29 minutes of a pulsating, bruising half. As the opening period entered injury time, Aidan Nolan was adjudged to have been fouled and the reliable Gaffney popped over the free.

There was still time for the major score of the first half, major in more ways than one. The ball was worked back to Colin Fennelly who many thought might strike a point from his position, but the veteran who again had travelled back from Dubai for the match, showed excellent vision to send a beautifully weighted pass to Adrian Mullen who steadied himself before striking a rasping shot across the diving Darragh Holohan and into the back of the Dicksboro goal.

Referee Owen Beehan sounded the

short whistle and Shamrocks headed to the changing rooms with a five-point lead, despite having struck several uncharacteristic wide’s in the opening period.

The Dicksboro management team must have sent their players out with a real spring in their step, as the men in maroon had a blistering start to the second period. Andy Gaffney popped over an early free, after the unusually quiet Liam Moore was fouled and then Moore got on the scoresheet moments later, rifling over, after cutting inside his man and striking cleanly to make it a one-score game.

Adrian Mullen then fired over another lovely score before Michael Walsh’s men hit three on the bounce, two further placed balls from Gaffney and another classy score from the awakened Liam Moore.

Gaffney’s second point of that burst came after Paddy Mullen was cautioned for a chop across the arm of Cillian Hackett. It was all ‘Boro in the opening ten minutes after the interval. If Harry Shine’s point was the pick of those before the short whistle, the next score would have big claims for the pick of those in the second half. Shamrocks won a sideline cut, out on the left and TJ displayed typical TJ skill to split the posts with a wonderful strike.

Dicksboro almost struck a major of their own in the 40th minute when Cillian Hackett burst through the centre of the pitch before striking a fierce shot that Shamrocks netminder did well to turn behind for a ‘65.

Andy Gaffney made no mistake from the resulting ‘65 to reduce the holders lead to one point. Michael Walsh then sent on Shane Stapleton to add more of a physical presence in the middle third and Boro were level moments later, thanks to a lovely point from Aidan Nolan after the wing-forward showed great pace to blaze across the Nowlan Park turf before rifling over.

The maroon-clad men then went two clear, thanks to a couple of classy points from Andy Gaffney and Harry Shine. Shine was then heavily involved in the incident that led to Shamrocks going a man down. Following a shemozzle close to the sideline, Shine received some treatment before jogging towards Paddy Mullen. The young Boro forward appeared to charge at Mullen who reacted and after a brief consultation with his linesman, Referee Beehan showed the Shamrocks midfielder a second yellow, and then red, much to Mullen’s dismay. Gaffney struck over the free to push his side into a 3-point lead.

Shamrocks had only managed to add 2-points to their total following

the interval and were now a man down. TJ Reid then sent over a monstrous effort from near-on halfway, before Andy Gaffney pointed from another placed ball.

With a 3-point lead and an extra man, Dicksboro were in a great position to push on and claim victory, but Shamrocks didn’t get a copy of that particular script. Richie Reid then struck a great effort that Boro netminder Holohan managed to bat away at full length. Pat Hoban’s men were digging deep and then reeled off the next three scores, a free from TJ, and points from play courtesy of Colin Fennelly and a beautiful effort from Eoin Cody. These two sets of warriors were level yet again.

Gaffney then split the posts with his 11th and final placed ball of the day to nudge the Boro ahead.

Eoin Cody then fired over another trademark point before winning his side a much-needed free, which TJ duly converted in the 3rd minute of injury time to give his side the lead.

Dicksboro went on the attack, but Dean Mason batted away Timmy Clifford’s effort and TJ Reid burst out of defence before being upended by

Mark Nolan. With ice in his veins, TJ struck the free between the posts to make it a 2-point game.

Michael Walsh’s team knew a goal was needed and they launched the ball forward in search of a winning major. Liam Moore collected Evan Cody’s long delivery but was rugbytackled to the ground by corner-back Dara Mason. Referee Beehan jogged forward and signaled penalty!!! The Shamrocks players couldn’t believe it and made their feelings clear that the challenge was outside the area.

Credit to the referee, he consulted with his umpires and made the correct decision and awarded the free.

Andy Gaffney stood over it, knowing that it was the last action of the contest and that he needed to make the net bulge. He stepped up, struck his shot, but Dean Mason got a good block on it and as the sliotar broke loose, Cillian Hackett drew on it, but the Shamrocks managed to divert it away from danger. The long whistle sounded. Shamrocks quest for 6 continues. Final score at UPMC Nowlan Park, Dicksboro 0-21, Shamrocks Ballyhale 1-20.

St Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final Round-up Glenmore 0-17 Bennettsbridge 3-14

Clan Blanchfield took the bragging rights following this quarter-final clash in Clara, where the Bridge booked their spot in the last four following a 6-point win over Glenmore. They say goals win games and Tim Dooley’s side struck 3 majors over the course of the sixty-odd minutes courtesy of Liam Blanchfield, Ciaran Brennan in the opening period, and young Jack Campion early in the 2nd half.

Another of the Clan’s, the Cleere’s contributed eight points to their sides total as Bennettsbridge powered past Glenmore. On the losing side, Alan Murphy accounted for almost half of his sides scores on the day, but Bob Aylward’s charges couldn’t breach Enda Cleere’s net to really put the squeeze on the bridge.

O’Loughlin Gaels 0-18 Mullinavat 2-10

Brian Hogan’s men have their name in the semi-final hat, but by God, Mullinavat gave O’Loughlin’s a mighty tough test in Thomastown last Saturday. At the long whistle there was only 2 points separating the sides, and while it was no consolation in the immediate aftermath of the quarter-final encounter, Colm O’Byrne and his selectors will be extremely proud of team’s efforts against the city side in testing conditions. The Vegas boys had the wind at their backs in the opening period and had a 5-point cushion at the short whistle, thanks to a goal from the talented Oisin Knox.

With the aid of an even stronger wind after the break, O’Loughlin’s reeled off eight scores on the trot to take control of proceedings. A second major of the day from Oisin Knox got the ‘Vat back into the game but the city side held on to win out by 2-points when Julian O’Dwyer blew for full-time.

James Stephens 1-18 Graigue Balycallan 0-15

The Village reached the last four of this year’s championship with a 6-ponit win over Graigue Ballycallan in UPMC Nowlan Park last Sunday. GBC, who many people had tipped to be involved in the relegation battle this season, gave their all in a humdinger of a contest at headquarters. Brian Cody’s men had to deliver a top performance after the short whistle to see off Eugene Cloonan’s brave challengers and they will need to deliver an even bigger one in the semi-final next week!

SEMI-FINAL DRAW

(Ties to be played October 15th @ UPMC Nowlan Park) James Stephens Vs Shamrocks Ballyhale O’Loughlin Gaels Vs Bennettsbridge

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

Motors Classifieds

Classified section To advertise your business in our classified section call in or telephone: 056 777 1463, or email: accounts @kilkennyobserver.ie

JOEPARSONSGARDEN MAINTENANCE SERVICES INCLUDE • Hedge cutting • • Grass cutting • • Power washing • • Dry rubbish removal • • Tree pruning •

CONTACT JOE: 086-8587568

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

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Classifieds Motors

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023

Planning notices

Planning notices KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL

KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL

I, William Peters, intend to apply to the above authority for Permission for a detached Dwelling and detached garage, new vehicular entrance to L66971-3 public road, new on-site septic tank with connection to public foul mains for pumping treated effluent as well as the decommissioning of existing septic tank and percolation for the adjacent dwelling and provision of upgraded on-site domestic wastewater treatment system to include new septic tank and connection to public mains for pumping treated effluent and all associated site works at Derdimus, Callan Road, Kilkenny.

The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Department, Kilkenny County Council, County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny, during its public opening hours 9 a.m.- 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m.

Monday to Friday, and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the planning application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the Planning Authority in making a decision on the application.

The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission.

We, Aoife O’Connor and Darragh Martin, intend to apply for Permission for development consisting of the demolition of a single storey utility room, the construction of a single storey extension to the rear of the house, a two-storey extension to the side of the house, internal modifications and associated site works to the dwelling house at 33 Larchfield, Kilkenny.

The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Department, Kilkenny County Council, County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny, during its public opening hours 9 a.m.- 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m.

Monday to Friday, and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the planning application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the Planning Authority in making a decision on the application.

The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.

Signed Darragh Martin, M Arch, design.darraghmartin@gmail.com

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Memoriams / Miracle Prayers

A prayer to the Blessed Virgin

(never known to fail).

O most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful vine, Splendour of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, O Star of the sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother. O Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to grant my request.

(Please state request). There are none that can withstand your power. O show me herein you are my Mother. I place this cause in your hands (three times). Thank you for your mercy towards me and mine. Amen.

This prayer must be said for three days and after this the request will be granted.This prayer must be published immediately. H.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. M.M.

The Miracle Prayer

Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.

This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).

Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.

Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted.

Never been known to fail.

Must promise publication of prayer. M.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.M.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. M.B.

The Miracle Prayer

Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.

This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).

Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.

Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted.

Never been known to fail.

Must promise publication of prayer. M.R.

The Miracle Prayer

Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.

This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).

Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.

Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted.

Never been known to fail.

Must promise publication of prayer. M.M.

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.S.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 06 October 2023