Kilkenny Observer 7th October 2022

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Friday 07 October 2022

The Searchers Looking for birth mum with my family’s help Special Report, Page 14

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Alzheimer’s Drug Decades-long hunt finally paying off Page 18

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Two Kilkenny companies have been awarded Ireland’s Best Managed Companies accolade at the 14th annual awards programme, led by Deloitte in association with Bank of Ireland.

This year, Deloitte recognised 136 indigenous companies at the awards representing 25 of the 32 counties

across Ireland. This is the first year where the awards programme returned as an in-person event following the pandemic and culminated with a gala awards ceremony at The Convention Centre Dublin.

Among the winning companies were Kilkenny’s CluneTech and Modubuild.

CluneTech requalified for the awards for the 13th year in a row while Modubuild was recognised for the second consecutive year.

The network of companies has a combined turnover of €13.9 billion providing over 51,000 jobs across Ireland across a range of sectors – from retail and hospitality

to manufacturing and construction.

The companies received recognition following a detailed judging process that evaluates the entire management team and business strategy in some of Ireland’s top privately owned businesses.

Established in 1996 by

entrepreneur Terry Clune, CluneTech is a suite of software technology companies, comprising Immedis, Taxback International, Taxback.com, Sprintax, Visa First, Benamic, Gradguide, and Ireland’s most recent tech unicorn, TransferMate.

The group has offices in 21 countries and employs more

Energy payment in three lots

Alison and campaign on sexual violence South East Technological University (SETU) has welcomed the launch of the second nationwide #UnmuteConsent campaign to drive a positive conversation on consent and to end sexual violence and harassment.

The campaign seeks to mobilise the student community to make a difference, by speaking out, by enhancing their own knowledge about consent, and ultimately, by challenging and changing behaviours.

The campaign was informed by findings from the National Survey of Student Experiences of Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish HEIs (2021), and the Active Consent Sexual Experiences Survey (2020), as well as the experience of HEIs in researching and implementing action plans to educate and raise awareness about consent, and to combat sexual violence and harassment.

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The Cabinet has officially approved a plan to pay every household in the country three separate electricity credits worth €600.

The payments will be made in three €200 instalments over the next six months: the first in the November billing cycle, second in January and third in March.

The Government has also put a plan in place for how the payments will be made to Travellers who pay their local authority for electricity.

Radio ‘no longer covering GAA’

SETU’s Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Dr Allison Kenneally said: “At SETU, we are committed to embedding a safe, respectful, positive, and supportive culture across our campuses which takes a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment, violence and bullying in all its forms, and promotes a positive culture of respect.

“All of our incoming students for the past three years have been provided with active consent training, and this year I am delighted to announce that we will be rolling out bystander intervention training for all SETU students and staff.

“We are also one of the first HEIs to roll out training designed to tackle sexual harassment and violence to all staff, and we are working with various local and regional stakeholders on a range of other initiatives.”

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“This award is testament to the passion and commitment of our strong leadership team and fantastic people across our business, with their continuous focus on innovation and delivering excellence,” said Mr Clune, commenting on the coveted award.

Further to an agreement between the GAA and Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI), Community Radio Kilkenny City has been informed by KCLR that they (KCLR) have exclusive rights to the broadcasting of GAA club games at all levels in Kilkenny, according to a statement seen by The Kilkenny Observer.

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INSIDE

Paul Hopkins.....................P8 Marianne Heron............P12 John Ellis ........................P16 Health & Science............P18 Travel & Leisure.............P19 Gerry Moran...................P20 Ger Cody.....................P29, 33 Food & Drink..................P36 TV & Streaming.............P37 Sport...........................P40–43

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GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE TEAM

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News The new Birth Information and Tracing legislation, which came into effect on October 3, will give greater access to vital personal information for people who were adopted, boarded out, subject to an illegal birth registration or born in a Mother & Baby Home Institution, and who are seeking to learn about their origins and early history.

It will also provide access to important tracing and counselling services for parents who placed a child for adoption.

The journey and decision to trace a child placed for adoption can be an emotional and difficult one.

One woman who knows all-too-well the fallout from adoption is successful businesswoman and mother-of -four Eithne Ring. She has has written a no-holds-barred memoir of how the pressures of society in 1980s’ Ireland led to a then unmarried Eithne placing her baby for adoption.

It was a decision that led to loss, pain and isolation – and one which took years to come to terms with, not only for Eithne but for her now husband, Joe, who says he had to face up to his guilt for not being there to support Eithne when she needed him most.

Does My Son Take Sugar? is their story of dealing with decisions of the past and trying to build a relationship for the future with the son they relinquished all those years ago.

It’s experiences like theirs that will be played out across the country now that the Birth

Does my son take sugar?

The hidden guilt behind our adoption stories Information and Tracing Act has commenced, and people affected by adoption and related matters attempt to pull together the threads of their past.

With this Act, Tusla will be providing comprehensive tracing and counselling services to parents to help them

locate and contact children from whom they were separated through adoption.

Joe and Eithne are happy to tell their story in the context of the new legislation coming into effect.

“I know there are guys out there who the guilt is eating them…they are now mature

and have other children and thinking about the time with that woman and the baby.

Those men would like to apologise to the woman and/ or meet the child.

“They will need people they can talk to. People like me who have been through it…we know their pain, we feel their

pain,” says Joe. Eithne says: “I looked for my file years back but didn’t get any help. Some mothers’ and adoptees’ experience was awful and we need to remember that.

“It’s really important that everyone tries as much as possible to walk in the shoes

of the other people involved.

Read what mothers, adopted people, adoptive parents say and feel, It is important to know, really important to read yourself into the shoes of another.”

Marguerite’s story: Special Report, Page 14

HSE appoints new self-management support co-ordinator for long-term conditions in the South East The HSE/South East Community Healthcare has appointed a new SelfManagement Support Coordinator for Long-term Conditions.

Rosaleen Mac Uistin recently joined the Health and Wellbeing division of South East Community Healthcare and her main role as Self-Management Support (SMS) Coordinator for Long-term Conditions will be to support the awareness and development of Self-Management support services across the South East and which increase the ability and confidence of people with long-term conditions to manage their health and to live well.

Rosaleen’s work includes implementing the SMS Framework, identifying opportunities for funding and

collaboration to address gaps in service provision, promote awareness and uptake of Self-Management support programmes and develop cross-sectoral links between health, community, voluntary and statutory agencies.

Rosaleen Mac Uistin began working in the HSE in 2001 as a Registered General Nurse. Over the past 21 years, Rosaleen has worked and studied in both Ireland and the UK. Rosaleen found out early in her career that she had a passion and drive for working in the different areas of chronic disease, specialising in the Respiratory field. Rosaleen has worked in various roles in the HSE and NHS, including as a Respiratory Clinical Nurse Specialist, Respiratory Clinical Nurse Manager and Clinical Lead

– Covid-19 Vaccination Centre.

Rosaleen set up the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Outreach Service in Wexford in 2012 and then the Respiratory Integrated Care Service in Kilkenny/Carlow in 2016 – working closely with the Asthma Society of Ireland (providing phone/ digital supports) and COPD Support Ireland (setting up COPD Support groups in Carlow/Kilkenny and being an active member of the SECH Peer support regional steering group respiratory conditions).

While setting up, delivering and improving chronic disease services have been a career goal for Rosaleen, ongoing learning and further education have also featured heavily. Rosaleen has studied across numer-

ous different aspects of chronic disease and in various institutions – UCD, RCSI, SETU and the Universities of Lancaster and Hertfordshire (BSc in Nursing Studies, PG Diploma in Respiratory Disease Management, MSc modules in Referring for Radiological Procedures, Optimising Asthma Management, Advanced Health Assessment and Spirometry).

Rosaleen’s new role as SMS Coordinator allows her to use her previous skills and experiences in coordinating Self-Management supports for the people with long-term conditions (such as asthma, COPD, diabetes, heart conditions and stroke). She will be working with the dedicated Health and Wellbeing team in South East Community Healthcare.

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News

Builder loses appeal against €348k. tax demand A Carlow builder who engaged in share transactions with his son’s firm that were designed to avoid a tax liability and had no “bona fide commercial reasons”, has lost an appeal against a €348,000 tax demand from the Revenue Commissioners.

Revenue made the assessment against Thomas Foley,

who had claimed tax relief on almost €1.4m of share transactions undertaken by him and his wife with their son’s then newly-formed firm, Martello Builders (Carlow), in 2011, and Martello Developments. He had appealed the assessments raised against him.

The businessman was not

named in the appeals ruling just made public, but was identifiable from company records.

Contacted by the Irish Independent, Thomas Foley (84) said he was “disappointed” at the outcome of his appeal.

The Tax Appeals Commission heard that Mr Foley had failed to disclose the share

transactions in his income tax return for 2011. However, in his income tax return for 2013, he claimed retirement relief on €700,000 from the sale of shares in one of the transactions. He also claimed tax relief on share transactions worth €583,000.

In 2018, Revenue issued a notice of assessment to

Thomas Foley in respect of capital gains tax, for just over €348,000.

The Commission heard that in 2007, Thomas Foley’s health was declining. He was not able to work at the same pace he had in the past.

The Commission was told that Mr Foley was trying to get his son to “run the show”, so

he could retire from business.

Mr Foley insisted that he had retired in 2011, and from that point only continued to act as a mentor to his son in his running of the building business.

However, the Commission heard that despite being ostensibly retired, Mr Foley continued to perform duties.

Four schools will benefit ‘creatively’ The Arts Council has announced today that offers have been made to 186 schools and centres across Ireland who applied to be part of the Creative Schools initiative. The initiative includes for schools in Kilkenny.

The very high level of applications to be part of this two-year process reflects the importance that schools and youth reach centres put on creativity and their ambition to celebrate and put creative thinking at the very heart of

what they do.

Among those schools invited are 4 in Kilkenny – Bunscoil McAuley Rice, Scoil Mhichíl Naofa (Crosspatrick NS), Mother of Fair Love Special School and SN Mhuire gan Smál Graignamanagh .

Participation empowers children and young people to develop, implement and evaluate arts and creative activity throughout their schools/centres and stimulate additional ways of work-

ing which reinforce the impact of creativity on children and young people’s learning, development and well-being.

Director of the Arts Council Maureen Kennelly said: “We warmly welcome our new cohort of 186 schools to Creative Schools. We are delighted that demand for the programme is so strong across the country and we are thrilled to say that by this stage of the programme, 20% of schools in Ireland have connected with us.”

We get cut of €3.5b.

European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira visited Ireland last week to launch the Cohesion Funds Partnership Agreement with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, laying down a €3.5 billion investment strategy in cohesion policy funding for Ireland for 2021-27.

Under the Partnership Agreement, Ireland will receive €1.4 billion for Cohesion Policy investments for 2021-27 from the EU which will be matched with national funding from the Irish Government, bringing the full value of the support

for Ireland to almost €3.5 billion.

The Partnership Agreement covers three cohesion policy funds, including the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) which supports balanced regional development across the EU through a variety of investment initiatives that strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion.

The Southern Regional Assembly manages the ERDF Southern, Eastern and Midland (SEM) Regional Programme which will see approximately €663 million being invested in both the Southern

Region and the Eastern and Midland Region in the 2021-27 period. Funding will focus on three key areas, building research, development and innovation capacity in public research institutions in the two regions, scaling up investment in actions to improve energy efficiency of residential homes and targeting homeowners in/ at risk of energy poverty, and supporting sustainable urban development in the two regions. *Pictured above are Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira with Minister McGrath

Hail and hearty at the post-Covid party Residents, visiting family members and HSE/South East Community Healthcare staff recently enjoyed an autumn garden party on the grounds of New Haughton Hospital in New Ross.

The event, which took place in a marquee hired

for the occasion, marked the resumption of one of the annual highlights in the Co Wexford residential care centre that had been curtailed in recent years due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

It was eagerly awaited by

the residents, their family and friends and staff members.

Entertainment on the day came from Phil and Conor, with dancing by Lorraine and Seán. There was lots of singing, games, food and a great day was had by all.

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Opinion

The Fact Of OfThe Matter PAUL HOPKINS

The common cold, and winters of discontent When I was but knee-high to a grasshopper and succumbed to bouts of childhood ailments, my mother would summon the local GP. After he had pressed the cold stethoscope to my chest and back and had me cough and cough, my mother, fearing the worst, would say: “Well, Dr Dolan, what is it?”

He would say: “Germs, Mrs Hopkins, germs. Just keep him in bed a day or two and give him plenty of ice cream.

Germs.”

Ice cream, plenty of ice cream? Boy, was it great back then to feel poorly, as my grandaunt was wont to say of any illness.

Before antibiotics revolutionised medicine, germs covered a multitude of ailments and all manner of bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

Today, antibiotics, though perhaps controversial the more we learn, can be argued to be a panacea.

But they cannot cure the common cold, that annual bug that besets many of us as winter approaches. You can get a jab at your local GP to ward off influenza or pneumonia but a cure for the common cold still eludes medical science.

The common cold has the twin distinction of being both the world’s most widespread infectious disease and one of the most elusive.

The name is a problem, for starters. In almost every Indo-European language, one of the words for the disease relates to low temperature, yet experiments have shown that low temperature neither increases the likelihood of catching a cold, nor the severity of symptoms.

Then there is the common part, which seems to imply that there is a single, indiscriminate pathogen or microorganism at large. My local GP tells me that more

than 200 viruses provoke cold-like illness, each one deploying its own peculiar strategy to evade the body’s defences.

It is hard to think of another disease that inspires the same level of collective resignation. The common cold slinks through homes and schools, towns, and cities, making people miserable for a few days without warranting much afterthought. Adults, reportedly, suffer an average of between two and four colds each year, and children up to 10, and we have come to accept this as part and parcel of life.

Our common-or-garden understanding remains a jumble of mumbo-jumbo, folklore, and false assumption. The most common beliefs about how to treat the disease have turned out to be false. Dubious efficacy has done little to deter humankind from formulating rem-

edies. The Ebers Papyrus, a medical document from ancient Egypt dated to 1550BC, advises a cold sufferer to recite an incantation, in association with the administration of milk of one who has borne a male child, and fragrant gum.

Today, winter remedy sales here reach about 2.5m each

year, though most overthe-counter products have not actually been proven to work. Some contain paracetamol, an effective analgesic, but the dosage is often miniscule. Taking Vitamin C in regular doses does little to ward off the bug. Hot toddies, medicated tissues and immune system Extracted from Affairs of the Heart (And Other Writings)

by Paul Hopkins, out now, priced €14.99, and available in selective outlets.

The collection, culled from writings of the past 20 years, has been described as a selection of stories that will “warm your emotions and light your soul... bringing together the very essence of what it means to be human”.

The bookcan now also be ordered online at www.monumentmediapress.com, with worldwide shipping.

boosts of ginger, or the like, are equally ineffective.

It would seem the only failsafe means of avoiding a cold is to live in complete isolation from the rest of humanity.

Although modern science has changed the way medicine is practised in almost every field, it has so far failed to produce any radically new treatments for colds. The difficulty is that, while all colds feel much the same, from a biological perspective the only common feature of the various viruses that cause such is that they have adapted to enter and damage the cells that line our respiratory tract. This makes a catch-all treatment extremely tricky to formulate.

As Dr Dolan told my mother all those years ago, you just must let it take its course.

Grin and bear it.

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News

Free book for TY pupils will aid their spend habits More than 1,200 Transition Year students in Kilkenny will receive a free copy of a bestselling money advice book from Ireland’s top financial expert to make them more financially savvy.

As the cost-of-living crisis deepens,

John Lowe insists it is more crucial than ever that school leavers are equipped with the tools to help them to manage money.

A pilot scheme which last year saw 3,000 hard copies

of Lowe’s bestselling book, Money Doctors 2021, delivered to 30 schools, is now being replicated this month with Money Doctors 2022 ebook being rolled out to over 1,276 Transition Year students in 16 schools across the county for free.

Lowe’s “gift to tomorrow’s leaders” was prompted after

his 19-year-old son asked him while in UCD: “What’s an overdraft Dad?” “After this question, I knew something needed to be done to arm young people with practical money advice that’s useful in their day-today lives,” said the father-ofthree and qualified financial adviser.

“Many young people talk enthusiastically about cryptocurrencies and NFTs, but how well do they understand basic financial terms like an overdraft?

“The 2022 edition of Money Doctors covers everything you would want to know about personal finance in Ireland and contains a

'No more live' GAA on radio Further to an agreement between the GAA and Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI), Community Radio Kilkenny City has been informed by KCLR that they (KCLR) have exclusive rights to the broadcasting of GAA club games at all levels in Kilkenny.

In a statement seen by The Kilkenny Observer, Community Radio Kilkenny City said it "must therefore seriously curtail its own coverage with immediate effect".

It said Community Radio Kilkenny City would now no longer be commentating on any Kilkenny GAA club games (adult or underage), nor would

chapter aimed specifically at TY students and their money. " Money Doctors 2023, published by Providence Press, which goes on sale in midDecember (€12.99) The book has been a bestseller in Ireland three times since the first edition was published in 2006.

Photo: Sasko Lazarov/ Photocall Ireland

they be reporting live from any games.

"On behalf of itself and its listenership, Community Radio Kilkenny City is extremely disappointed by the position it is placed in by the GAA/IBI agreement," the statement said.

The station said it would, however, continue to provide extensive reports of Kilkenny GAA games on Sunday and Monday evenings.

"Since Community Radio Kilkenny City commenced full time broadcasting five years ago, the station has given unrivalled coverage to club games at all levels in Kilkenny," it said.

Here's to the heart Petermarkathon Peter Mark, which two salons in Kilkenny, has announced the 2022 Petermarkathon, an annual fundraising event which will take place in Peter Mark salons nationwide from October 24 to 31.

This year the team will be raising vital funds for the Irish Heart Foundation, as part of its ‘Her Heart Matters’ campaign.

The Irish Heart Foundation is the national charity for the prevention of heart disease and stroke in Ireland. More than 4,000 women in Ireland die from heart dis-

ease and stroke each year.

In fact, cardiovascular disease kills six times as many women in Ireland as breast cancer. From about the age of 40, a woman’s risk of heart disease and stroke increases as she moves into menopause. The ‘Her Heart Matters’ campaign aims to encourage women in their 40s, 50s and beyond to review their lifestyles and make vital, sustainable changes to improve their heart health.

To raise as much money as possible, each Peter Mark salon in Kilkenny

has been tasked with creating its own individual and unique way to raise money this year, so visitors to their local salon can expect raffles, sponsored walks, and many other fun-filled events over the course of the weekend. * Pictured above: Monique Jordan with Dr Angie Brown, Consultant Cardiologist and Medical Director, Irish Heart Foundation; Peter Mark CEO Peter O’Rourke; and Emily Jordan.

Another local wind farm planned Plans for a new Windfarm in Kilkenny are to be submitted next year EDF Renewables want to put 10 turbines at Freneystown Recently An Bord Pleanála gave the go-ahead for 21 tur-

bines to be erected in Castlebanny in South Kilkenny.

Now the planning authority will have another decision to make next year on a proposal by EDF Renewables for one at Freneystown – just northeast of the city.They

intend to seek permission for 10 turbines that would power up to 35,000 homes with plans to be submitted in 2023.

If it gets the green light, it could be up and running by 2028.

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Opinion

As I See It Marianne Heron

Inheritance: a tax worth knowing about Any close encounters with the taxman reduce me to an apprehensive state akin to skating on thin ice. Not knowing what is lurking underneath the ice increases the fear. Ridiculous I know, taxation is an instrument of monetary policy that’s meant to be fair, nevertheless I am not alone in finding taxation ….well taxing.

What happens to that nest egg or the accumulated wealth from a lifetime’s work is a particularly emotional issue. A recent report suggesting a hike in inheritance tax stirred up a hornets’ nest of reactions from political derision when Leo Varadkar dubbed the Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare as something that “was straight out of the Sinn Fein manifesto” to howls of protest from senior citizens who see

their efforts to benefit the next generation under threat.

“I’ve worked hard and struggled to own my home/ business/farm out of taxed income, so why should I pay double tax” is a typical comment.

It doesn’t seem fair put that way. But in fact, it’s not the now deceased who will pay the tax but their beneficiaries. Inheritance tax is not on the actual estate of the dearly departed but part of the value of the transaction that occurs when money or wealth in some form is transferred to another party.

There hasn’t been an increase yet… and at 33% on taxable elements of inheritance that seems high enough and it doesn’t raise much anyway — about 1% of tax revenue in 2020.

The other point is that there are ways to reduce

inheritance tax AKA Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT).

Once you know the rules, there is wiggle room. Surprisingly though, a majority in Ireland don’t even make a will, perhaps to avoid thinking about the Grim Reaper. So I took a look at what is under that revenue ice.

Some of the inheritance tax regulations are straightforward, others merit the advice of a creative accountant and need to be considered long before the thought of succession planning has entered most people’s heads. Also cases vary, depending on circumstances.

Firstly, there are tax-free thresholds which depend on the relationship to the disponer — that is the person who provided the gift or inheritance — and the beneficiary, anything beyond those thresholds

UPMC Nowlan Park Saturday 8th October 2022 JJ Kavanagh & Sons Jnr Hurling Semi Finals 12.00 Dicksboro v Windgap 13.45pm Piltown v Black & Whites St Canice’s Credit Union Snr Hurling Semi Final 3.30pm Tullaroan v Shamrock’s Ballyhale.

NOTE: Entry is at the DeGras Stand side only.

(Breathnach Stand side entrance will remain closed.)

General Admission €15. These tickets can be purchased online or in Supervalu or Centra Supermarkets Student & Pensioners discounted tickets for €10 can only be purchased online.

UPMC Nowlan Park Sunday 9th October 2022 Michael Lyng Motors Hyundai Intermediate Hurling Semi Finals

2.00pm Danesfort v Rower Inistioge 3.45pm Thomastown v Carrickshock NOTE: Entry is at the DeGras Stand side only.

(Breathnach Stand side entry will remain closed.)

General Admission €15. These tickets can be purchased online or in Centra or Supervalu Supermarkets.

Students & Pensioners discounted ticket for €10 can only be purchased online.

is taxed at 33%. Gifts and inheritances between spouses/civil partners are exempt from CAT. The first threshold (currently €335,000) applies to children (including adopted child, stepchild and certain foster children) The second (currently €32,500) applies to a brother, sister, nephew, niece or lineal relation and the third (currently €16,250) applies in all other cases. There is also a taxfree allowance of €13,000 annually per individual gifted as a way of reducing future inheritance tax.

There’s a balancing act involved here, give too much away and you risk running short of funds for later years and we are all living much longer now.

Planning early is key.

“It’s important to sit down and to plan what you want to achieve,” says Adrian

McManus of McManus McCabe accountants. Inheritance where businesses and farms are involved are a particular concern when it comes to succession Tax regulations are designed so that farms, or part of them, and businesses don’t have to be sold off in order to meet inheritance tax but there are strict rules to be met to qualify for business and farming relief of 90%.“In relation to business it’s important to review what has happened each year to reduce tax liability,” says Adrian Mc Manus. “Where a business is growing and where you have built up wealth what is the point in having it all in your name rather than passing ownership early?”

Farm inheritance can be particularly sensitive and knowing the rules for agricultural relief can make a

big difference. One of the important ones is that the recipient of an agricultural must have been an active farmer for six years or where the land is leased it must be farmed as a commercial venture for six years.

There are instances where inheritance tax regulations could be used creatively to help resolve issues like the housing crisis or the need for renewable energy.

If part of a family home is divided to create a granny flat and the part given to a son or daughter that gift would be liable to CAT, this surely merits changing to get people started on the housing ladder. Allowing marginal farms full relief when leasing to a wind farm would promote renewable energy.

There is a simple solution, though: go skiing, spending the kids’ inheritance...

Winter remedies for kids with coughs CLAIR WHITTY

and colds There’s nothing worse than listening to your child coughing and sneezing, it makes you feel so helpless.

Thankfully, there are natural remedies that can help relieve their symptoms. It can be that when you collect them from creche or school they are coughing or sneezing, especially at the start of the school year. It’s a good idea to have a couple of things in the cupboard for these times.

ForTuss Otosan is ideal to help relieve coughs and is suitable for a dry or productive cough. It tastes good too which is important for kids.

I love that it’s suitable from one year of age as there is very little for this age group.

It’s suitable for the oldest member of the family too! It contains Manuka Honey, renowned for its anti-microbial properties.

Elderberries are traditionally used to help with respiratory problems there’s lot of supplements. Biocare Children’s Elderberry Complex is one option, it’s formulated for children aged three and above. It has a fruity flavour and can be taken straight from the spoon, or mixed in food or drinks. Elderberries are a natural source of vitamin C

and zinc.

To help support immunity, top up on vitamin D, as it’s antiviral and supports immunity. BetterYou Vitamin D Oral Spray is a great option for kids as there is no struggle swallowing large tablets or chewing unpleasant tasting pills. It is easy to administer, a simple spray onto the inside of their cheek. Most parents love this product as there is seldom any argument.

Choose between the infant or the junior depending on the age. And of course, don’t forget yourself, you need to stay on top of your game. You can choose between the 1,000iu or the 3,000iu BetterYou Vitamin D Oral Spray.

A healthy diet is important, and not always easy to achieve with young kids. However,

keep an eye on the number of dairy products and sugar they eat as they can contribute to excess mucous production and aggravate the problem.

You might like to top up their nutrient level with a multivitamin, you could consider BetterYou Junior MultiVit Oral Daily Spray, like the vitamin D it’s sprayed onto the inside of the cheek.

Let us help you keep you and your family healthy this winter.

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

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

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News “People don’t understand what adopted people go through. You’re always wondering, ‘Will I get a phone call today, or tomorrow.’ You’re always waiting. You need patience because it’s very frustrating.”

That’s how Meath woman Marguerite Penrose [pictured] describes her journey from the first three years of her life in a Mother & Baby Home on Dublin, from where she was adopted by loving parents, to where she is now – a woman who traced her mother and who finally reconnected with the birth siblings she never knew.

Marguerite has had more than her fair share of battles over the years – from facing fundamental questions about her own origin, to battling racism due to her skin colour, and as an active woman who lives with a disability.

She has chronicled all this in her memoir, Yeah, But Where Are You Really From? That’s a question which Marguerite, the daughter of an Irish mother and a Zambian father, has often been asked and one which, no doubt, she posed herself when she embarked on the search for her birth parents.

To find those answers, she turned to Tusla Child and Family Agency, who assigned social worker Margaret Comaskey as her case worker and gave her the task of taking on the search.

It was an undertaking hampered by the arrival of the Covid pandemic and then by the cyber-attack on the HSE website, which led to a shutdown of the computer network.

“The cyber-attack was very hard, There were months of not being able to do anything,” says Marguerite.

Covid added to the difficulties. “We never got to meet one-on-one, but we had good Zoom calls,” she says. “Margaret had a good sense of my expectations… but it’s a Pandora’s Box… something you can’t prepare for.”

What Margaret found was that Marguerite’s father had been a cadet in the Zambian Army Medical Corps and had been based in the Curragh army camp for a period of time before returning to his homeland. It was during this stay that Marguerite was conceived and subsequently put up for adoption in St Patrick’s.

The introduction of GDPR in 2018 made tracing searches more difficult. Prior to this, Margaret and her colleagues could search medical records, client IDs, contact post offices and parish registers, and find people through PPS numbers.

Now, all of that was off the table and only births, deaths and marriage certificates could be used.

“Case workers are under strict instructions about what they can tell you,” says Marguerite. “It can be a long, slow process. “I’m 47 – but there are people who are quite old who don’t have five or six years to do this. I hope the system gets easier.”

That wish could well be

SPECIAL REPORT

‘I didn’t tell them until I heard about my [birth] mum, but my family always wanted me to find out...’ granted with the arrival of the Birth Information and Tracing Act, begun on October 3, and which provides full and clear right of access to birth certificates, birth and early life information for anyone who was adopted, boarded out or the subject of an illegal birth registration.

The law sees the establishment of a tracing service and

‘It’s a Pandora’s Box… something you can’t prepare for..

contact a preference register, as well as a making available a broad spectrum of counselling and support services.

The birth information and tracing journey can be traumatic. And although Tusla aims to make the search for information as smooth as possible, the agency says it can never guarantee that what you hope to find will be available in its files or in the files of other agencies.

Sometimes people’s experiences don’t live up to expectations… mistakes are made, and delays occur.

It was only last year that Marguerite finally got hold of her birth certificate. Prior to that, what scant information she had about her origins was on an ‘adopted birth certificate’ and she had no access to her medical history – a vital aspect of her life considering Marguerite was born with the spinal condition scoliosis.

“The whole process could be made a lot quicker,” she says. “How the Bill will work once it properly kicks off

remains to be seen. I’ll be keeping an eye on it as I have friends who are adopted and are going through the process.”

Using information sourced

by Tusla, it emerged that her birth mother was now dead, and using the MyHeritage. com genealogy platform, led to Marguerite discovering that she had birth siblings two brothers and a sister.

Through Dublin company AlphaBioLabs, she also got a breakdown of her DNA… something that is vital in the search for her African family, and Margaret will be there to support her when that time comes to that journey, too.

Says Marguerite: “She has been 100% there for me. I knew from Day One that we would get on. It’s very important to have a connection with the person. She is very understanding and deserves great credit. She always says I can call her anytime, which is great.”

The search has already brought three families togeth-

er – those of her birth siblings and Marguerite’s own adopted family of parents Mick, Noeline, and her sister Ciara.

“I didn’t tell them about the trace until I heard about my [birth] mum, [but] my family always wanted me to find out,” she says.

So, what’s it like having so many new people in her life?

“Sometimes I do feel torn.

I’m trying to get to know my new family but I’m also very aware of the time I spend with people; that I make time for everyone. It’s emotionally trying, dividing yourself up, and soon I’ll be even more so with the African side of my family.”

She adds: “I will do a DNA test, but it’s quite expensive and you have to pay yourself.

I think it’s something the State should pay for.”

For Marguerite and others like her, the new legislation will hopefully help in what is a traumatic and emotionally draining detective hunt.

“It’s great to hear the news about Tracing,” she says. ‘We need to educate people…

they need to hear the human side to the [adoption] story. I had a positive experience – it’s important to tell people that it’s not all negative.”

The good news for Marguerite, though, is that thanks to her case worker Margaret’s efforts, she has been reunited with her birth brothers, and it was a reunion that went perfectly.

“I couldn’t ask for a better [one]. We met in December, before Christmas. It was like we were never apart… it was full-on,” she says.

“The similarities are uncanny.” I feel like I have known them my whole life. It worked out for me, which isn’t always the case.”

Taking on a search for one’s origins is no easy; task, but with Tusla’s help and with the new legislation, things might become a bit easier for all concerned.

For further information on birth, information and tracing services see www. birthinfo.ie

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

Opinion

Your Money & You John Ellis

A month’s reprieve for those have to change banks Having recently written about the closure of Ulster Bank and KBC I think another review and reminder is in order. This is because Ulster Bank is putting back its proposed closure deadline to help those on social welfare not lose the higher payments announced in the Budget, like the double children’s allowance payment due soon. And the fact that vulnerable customers forced to move bank accounts need extra help with the complexities of the moving process.

The Ulster bank had planned to freeze the accounts of thousands of customers from this weekend who have not yet moved.

Customers have had adequate time to make other arrangements as they were informed in April and May that they had six months to

switch to a new provider.

Yet, there are around a third who have yet to close their accounts.

Account holders will now have until Friday, November 4, to get new banking arrangements in place. This comes on foot of the intervention of advocacy services for personal customers in vulnerable situations and older customers The bank confirms it is continuously reaching out to the remaining one third of these customers and most report that they have opened a new account and are in the process of moving their payments to their new account. The bank said 75% of Ulster Bank personal current account customers in receipt of social protection payments have already acted.

The Citizens Information website, as always, has

helped with information to aid you decide how and to which provider you should move. They say before you move, think about how you use your current account and the features you use.

Review your banking habits. Check back over your records and count how many times you make each of the following transactions: cash withdrawals, bill payments, debit card purchases, contactless payments, money transfers, inbranch cashier transactions and non-EU transactions.

Know, too, how you make your transactions. Check whether you make most banking transactions using ATMs, online or in-branch.

Then decide how you want to deal with your bank.

You might like dealing with a person in a branch, so choosing a bank you can easily get too will be an im-

portant factor. If you prefer the convenience of internet and mobile banking, you should make sure you are happy with the online and mobile services of your chosen bank.

The five retail banks have also put in place helplines

‘Around a third who have yet to close their accounts...

for vulnerable customers forced to move bank accounts.

Head of sustainable banking at the Banking and Payments Federation Louise O’Mahony said the group’s member banks were acutely aware that moving bank can be a daunting experience, particularly for customers who may be in vulnerable circumstances.

She said: “Banks understand the importance of facilitating independent decision making for all customers, and while some cases are quite complex and may take more time, our member banks understand that each case is different and will work with you to find a solution.”

For example, there is help if you cannot attend a branch due to mobility issues, or you may have an accessibility issue due to

hearing loss or you need additional support due to diminished cognitive ability.

You may be a trusted family member, a carer, or the legal representative acting on behalf of the customer who needs help during the process.

You are encouraged to contact the new provider on their dedicated phoneline to discuss your individual situation.

The dedicated vulnerable customer phonelines for those who need additional support moving accounts are: AIB at 0818 227 056, Bank of Ireland at 1800 946 146, KBC Bank at 1800 804 472, Permanent TSB at 0818 818 721, and Ulster Bank at 1800 656 001. john@ellisfinancial 086 8362622

No funding for student accommodation in Budget ‘beyond belief’ BY: DEPUTY KATHLEEN FUNCHION SINN FEIN TD FOR KILKENNY CARLOW Sinn Féin TD for Carlow Kilkenny, Kathleen Funchion, has hit out at the government for failing to include any provision for student accommodation for a third consecutive budget. This lack of foresight will particularly impact students attending South East Technological University (SETU), based in Carlow Town.

Teachta Funchion said: “Student and parents will look at this budget and see that, once again, no funding has been allocated for student accommodation. This inability or reluctance to tackle the severe lack of student accommodation is impacting students migrating into the region to attend university; and at the same time affecting young people from Carlow and Kilkenny who attend colleges and universities in other parts of the country.

“It shows a complete lack of

sincerity from the government in how they address the crisis that students and families are facing trying to secure and afford housing.

“The student accommodation crisis is more severe than it has ever been. Yet, this is the third consecutive budget from this government with no allocation for student accommodation.

“Shovel ready projects that could deliver 3,000 student college-owned beds are sitting on the shelf as a result of government inaction.

“Families are being crippled by rents. Others are being forced to commute crazy distances or defer their courses.

“Colleges have issued a warning on deferrals with early indication that they could be up 20%.

“Students from

smaller towns and rural areas are particularly disadvantaged by the housing crisis.

“Sinn Fein have called on Minister Harris to go back to his government colleagues and urge them to make funding available that will get student accommodation projects onsite and under construction.

“The fact that students and their families won’t benefit from the tax rebate on rent is also unfair and must be looked at.

“PhD researchers are also excluded because they are denied worker status stiand instead paid sti pends far below the minimum wage.

“More needs to be done urgently for student renters here in Carlow Kilkenny and further afield to address the supply of acstudent ac commodacommoda tion.”

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News & Wellbeing Science New research shows that a smartphone game that gathers video and audio data could help earlier diagnosis of autism and improve treatment.

In the game Guess What? an adult caregiver holds a smartphone to his or her forehead and asks a child to mimic an image displayed on the screen. It might be a monkey, a soccer player, or perhaps a happy or sad face.

The adult then guesses what the child is acting out and registers correct answers by tilting the phone forward; incorrect by tilting it back.

For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the game provides a quick dose of therapeutic learning in the home setting — helping them make eye contact with their caregivers as well as helping them associate specific emotions with various facial expressions.

But the value of Guess What? goes much deeper.

Each 90-second game session is video recorded and can be submitted (with appropriate consents and privacy protections) to researchers at the renowned Stanford University in California.

“If we switch the camera on, and we can give useful prompts to the child, we can challenge them, help them, and capture information as we go,” says Dennis Wall, Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford Medicine.

For a few years now, Prof.

Wall and his colleagues have been gathering Guess What? home video recordings and using them to develop new ways to diagnose ASD remotely, improve emotionrecognition datasets, track children’s progress recognising emotions, and ultimately improve ASD treatments.

The work, which uses computer vision as well as other forms of AI, has potential applications for other types of behavioural analysis as well. “The methods that the Wall Lab has developed for autism can enable new general purpose models of human behaviour which can be applied to all sorts of conditions, including other developmental delays, mental health conditions, and affective disorders such as schizophrenia,” says Peter Washington, an assistant

Smartphone game a winner with autism Professor of Information and Computer Science at the University of Hawaii.

Children with ASD typically struggle with making eye contact and engaging in what’s called social- emotional reciprocity — the back and forth of social interaction that requires an understanding of nonverbal cues including, among other things, the recognition of emotion in others’ faces.

Social reciprocity is best learned when children are quite young, and various strategies for teaching it to children with ASD — using, for example, handheld flash cards — have proven effective, Prof. Wall says.

To address that problem, Prof. Wall and his colleagues developed an autism treatment program that uses augmented reality wearables — specifically Google Glass —to provide

children with cues about the emotions of people with whom they are interacting.

Although the Google Glass approach received attention in the media and has proven effective in a randomisde controlled trial, augmented reality tools have not yet been widely adopted, Prof.

Wall says.

To overcome that limitation, he and his team developed Guess What? which relies on a more ubiquitous tool: the smartphone. “Most people across all sectors of socio-economic status, race, and ethnicity have a smartphone,” he says. “This makes it a potent vehicle for helping to manage health and deliver treatments.”

The smartphone is also more natural for families to use because it creates an excuse for social exchange in the home.

But Prof. Wall also had

another goal in mind: Collecting home videos of both ASD and neurotypical children. By creating a game that makes it easy for families to safely share videos with researchers, they hoped to gather a large enough data base to move the field of ASD diagnosis and treatment forward. And those efforts are beginning to bear fruit.

Researchers know that early intervention is beneficial to children with autism, yet in some countries, diagnosis typically takes about two years and the average age of diagnosis is aged four five, Prof. Wall says.

In addition, autism services are not uniformly distributed around such countries, Ireland included.

Going forward, the team hopes their models will gradually become smart enough to diagnose a child

with ASD without human assistance. To make that leap, however, the team needs a sizeable stock of home videos to use for model training. That’s where Guess What? comes in.

In a recent paper in JMIR Paediatrics and Parenting, the team tested the idea of using just the audio portion of Guess What? video recordings to directly predict ASD without relying on any humans to label relevant features. Audio is relevant to ASD diagnosis because many children with autism are known to vocalise differently than neurotypical children. n next steps, the team will start combining the audio signal with other types of behavioural information in the videos such as emotion recognition, hand movements, etc. “I’m interested in developing multimodal

models that integrate multiple sources of data into one explainable diagnostic system,” Washington says.

“It will be useful to know how much of an automated diagnosis was attributed to, for example, emotion recognition or eye contact versus another behaviour such as speech.”

Not only do the scholars hope their game will help diagnose ASD early, they also hope it will assist children in learning and recognising others’ emotions.

When children look at another person’s face using the Google Glass autism system developed by Wall and his team, the glass will tell them what emotion the other person is expressing.

For the system to do this accurately and reliably requires a model trained on data base of labeled facial expressions.

Decades-long hunt for Alzheimer’s drug finally shows promise Leading international pharmaceutical firms have spent decades and billions of euro in pursuit of a breakthrough drug for Alzheimer’s.

None has succeeded in the twin aim of slowing cognitive decline and tackling what is believed to be the underlying cause.

The drug Lecanemab has heralded excitement because it is the first to prove in clinical trials that it can do both, that is slow cogni-

tive decline and tackle the underlying cause.

It works by flushing out harmful amyloid toxins, which form into plaques in the brain where they kill cells and impair an individual’s ability to function.

Results show those given the drug experienced a less rapid decline in memory and problem solving skills and their ability to perform day-to-day tasks than those given a mere placebo.

Trial participants had

tested positive for amyloid before enrolment but only had mild cognitive impairment or early stage Alzheimer’s.

They also had a reduced build-up of amyloid in their brain. Experts say lecanemab succeeded because it was designed to target amyloid before it became too clogged up.

The drug has significantly slowed cognitive and functional decline by 27 % in this large patient trial.

The fact the patients only had early-stage disease may also be significant as it may be necessary to clear the amyloid before it has a chance to cause too much damage.

Patients diagnosed with dementia are currently given drugs that help boost the levels of chemical messengers in the brain.

These do not work for everyone and only temporarily mask the effect of the disease.

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Travel & Leisure Art in the broad sense can be a huge draw when it comes to choosing locations for city breaks, together with history and culture.

1. London, England Even though it seems obvious (a bit like including Florence in this list, which I was tempted to, but resisted), London needs a mention, if only for the large amount of free art you can enjoy here. Whereas street art is free everywhere, and Brick Lane and Leake Tunnel are must-sees, it’s the excellent museums and galleries, such as Tate Britain and Tate Modern — which can easily be connected by a lovely walk — that stand out. These simply superb galleries have free entry, as does the British Museum, where you can catch some ancient art, and that is pretty special in a city like London.

For something out of the ordinary, head to The Bower, a former public toilet block turned gallery and café. Tiny, but impressive.

2. Paris, France Paris is one of those destinations that seems to have it all; it is a beautiful, historic city with artful architecture — old and new — evident everywhere.

And, of course, it has the world’s largest art museum, the Louvre, which covers the best examples of ancient and simply old art, from the Mona Lisa to the Venus de Milo. Then there are museums of specific artists, such as the sculptures

by Rodin, Monet’s waterlilies, or indeed Dali’s works.

Some museums/galleries are destinations in their own right, such as the Musee d’ Orsay, Fondation Louis Vuitton, or the Centre Pompidou. There is superb street art, from gigantic murals along Boulevard 13 to the tiny mosaics on street corners by Parisian artist ‘Invader’. In Paris, you

Mercato Testaccio “Roman markets epitomise what we strive to achieve when building our experiences: connecting curious travellers to local food and people in a way that helps local culture thrive,” says Lauren Aloise, co-founder of Devour Tours, part of City Experiences.

The company offers tours led by locals that mesh food and drink with history and storytelling, and, according to Aloise, include “a mix of unique mom-and-pop places that are off the beaten path and give you a true taste of life in Rome.”

Located in the heart of the relatively quiet, unpretentious neighbourhood, Aloise calls Mercato Testaccio “the goto-market when you’re in the mood for tasting.” (It’s also the epicenter of Devour’s Testaccio Food & Market tour.)

There’s predictably excellent fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish among the market’s roughly 100 stalls, but the prepared foods are the real draw. “From some of the city’s

a former grain silo, an ugly concrete building, which with enormous vision and engineering skill has been transformed into one of the most amazing buildings ever.

Defying logic and against all common sense, the rooms that were created now hold the best of African modern art, and the result is worth flying out to Cape Town for.

Luckily, part of the building is a superb luxury hotel, aptly called The Silo, and from its rooftop bar, you get stunning views across gorgeous Cape Town and beyond.

Best cities to visit for their Art

stumble across art everywhere, making it a perfect art lover’s destination.

The Pinault Collection has only recently opened, adding another great gallery in a superb setting.

3. Doha, Qatar The small desert country of Qatar has over the last decade or so turned itself into a veritable art hub, with not

only striking architecture by heavyweights such as I.M. Pei, Jean Nouvel, and Zaha Hadid Architects, but also world-class museums, galleries, and art installations in and around the capital Doha.

Add superb galleries, street art (but without the graffiti), and public sculptures throughout the city as well as in the international airport, and you have a place that is a

must-see for art lovers.

Wandering through the Katara Cultural Village, you can scratch the art itch, full of sculptures, murals, and galleries and with great architecture and cafes and restaurants, right by the beach.

4. Cape Town, South Africa Sometimes a destination needs just one thing, one place they have done so well, that

Trionfale is exclusively devoted to fresh food and produce, with selections ranging from fruits and vegetables to eggs, cheese, and homemade pasta,” says Aloise. “Some stands in the market have been open since 1924, spanning three generations.” She suggests visiting before or after a trip to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica, especially if you’re staying in an Airbnb and plan to cook.

Check out: Da Peppino for honey, eggs, and jams, Da Gustavino for truly local bulk wine, and Box 102 where Arsenio and Ivo sell some of the best porchetta.

When in Rome, check out the markets...

best pizza al taglio, to Rome’s most famous sandwiches -- this is a place to come on an empty stomach,” she says.

For first-timers to Rome, it’s a wonderful place to sample the city’s culinary range, all in one place!” After wandering the stalls, find a table near Max Caffè Piazzetta (box 102) and

order a €5 Aperol spritz to pair with your feast.

Check out: Casa Manco for innovative and delicious pizza, Enzo and Lina for cured meats and cheeses, Mordi e Vai (box 15) for famous Roman sandwiches (such as the stewed tripe)

it puts the entire city on the map. For me, that is the Zeitz Mocaa, the Zeitz Museum for Contemporary Art Africa.

The entire place just blew me away and was one of the main reasons for wanting to visit Cape Town, although, of course, the city and its surroundings offer so much more than just one museum.

But the Zeitz Mocaa is no ordinary museum. This is

Mercato Trionfale Rome’s Prati neighbourhood, which borders Vatican City just west of the Tiber River, is home to Mercato Trionfale — the city’s largest food market with over 270 stalls.

“Unlike more touristy Roman markets, Mercado

Mercato di Campagna Amica al Circo Massimo The outdoor, weekend-only Mercato di Campagna Amica al Circo Massimo is a “0 KM” farmers market, meaning all its vendors are selling items grown or made within 100 kilometres. “The products come from Lazio, the region surrounding Rome, and the

5. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi is included because apart from people who have lived there or visited, most travellers do not appreciate quite how special this capital of the United Arab Emirates is when it comes to art. There is, of course, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the second Louvre Museum outside of Paris (the other is in Lens near Lille in France).

The Abu Dhabi one wows not only with its art, but also with its setting on its own island, and its Jean Nouvel architecture. Then there is the Yas Bay Waterfront, the walkway of which is studded with superb larger-than-life sculptures and art installations, with artists ranging from Takashi Murakami, KAWS, and many others.

There is even a gigantic astronaut who seems to be waiting for his space rocket.

Add the combination of traditional and modern architecture ranging from the stunning Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque to the Zaha Hadiddesigned Sheikh Zayed bridge, and you have something for everybody.

The Abu Dhabi Guggenheim

by Frank Gehry is still a work in progress and should be open by 2026.

local farmers and producers are happy to tell you all about them,” says Aloise.

Check out: They change depending on the season, but bring your shopping bags to take home treats like organic honey, fresh mozzarella, local wine, and fragrant olive oil.

Mercato Rionale Piazza San Giovanni di Dio Best For: A Truly Local Experience Not far from Trastevere in the leafy Monteverde Nuevo neighborhood, “this buzzing market is the perfect place to go to people-watch,” says Aloise. “The market has just about everything on offer, including quintessential Italian housewares, and there’s often not a tourist in sight.” It’s also a short walk to Villa Doria Pamphili, a 17th-century villa situated in Rome’s largest landscaped public park.

Must-try vendors: At Albero delle Spezie you’ll find dried fruits, nuts, and quality spices.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

Opinion

Furthermore Gerry Moran

Kilkenny – the town I love so well ...

Sunday, October 9 is Kilkenny Day – a day when we celebrate who we are, and what we are. I love Kilkenny. Love this city of ours and feel privileged to live here. And so, this week I am presenting a few tidbits about the town I love so well.

Tidy Town Kilkenny has won its fair share of honours when it comes to the Tidy Towns Competition thanks to the Keep Kilkenny Beautiful folk who do such Trojan work in keeping our city tidy. Following is how the authorities kept Kilkenny tidy 700 years ago. This is taken from the Liber Primus (Latin for First Book) the oldest record of events and happenings in Kilkenny: “On Friday next after the feast of St Michael the

Archangel (October 6, 1335) it was ordained and provided by Gilbert Fort, sovereign of the town of Kilkenny, and the community of that town, that everyone should cleanse the pavement against his house, and this twice a week, that is on Wednesday and on Saturday, and unless he do so he shall be charged 6d (six pennies), 3d. on Wednesday and 3d. on Saturday.

“It was also ordained and provided by John Cros, sovereign of Kilkenny and the community of that town, that if anyone be found washing clothing or the intestines of animals or anything else in the fountains of the said town they shall be forfeited and if anyone be found committing any other enormity in the said fountains they shall be put in the tumbrel (in this case

a cart-load of dung for the dump).”

Daylight robbery!

Paying tax has never been pleasant for people throughout all ages. In Alice Kyteler’s time (early 1300s) there was a tax on windows that let in daylight, hence the phrase “daylight robbery”. The blocked up windows in Kyteler’s Inn, which can still be seen today were a medieval means of avoiding tax. Staying with Alice Kyteler — Kilkenny was very much a Norman French town and French was very much the language of its citizens. During the Alice Kyteler witchcraft trial in 1324, Bishop de Ledrede, who brought the charge of witchcraft against Alice, found it necessary to defend his actions in French.

The inn thing!

In the old days, travellers, rich and poor, were fed and sheltered, free of charge, in the abbeys and monasteries. When numbers became too great to cater for, inns were established close to the monasteries where the travellers were entertained without payment. These inns often had the sign “Bull” outside. The word Bull in this case comes from the Latin “Bulla” meaning seal, indicating that the inn was licensed under the seal of the abbey or monastery. The Bull Inn, very close to St Francis Abbey, was such a house of hospitality attached to the abbey. It gave its name to the street where it stood, known as Bull Alley up to 1883 when it was widened and its name was changed to St Canice’s Place. Prior

to its widening, Bull Alley was so narrow that people could almost shake hands across it.

The Lighthouse Bar I often wondered how the Lighthouse Bar (which was in Walkin St and where I had the occasional pint) got its name especially as Kilkenny is an inland city with not a seashore in sight!

Well let me throw some light on it – the pub was one of the old landmarks in Kilkenny, its history dating back 300 years.

In the old coach days, this particular part of Upper Walkin St was used as a signal station for the mail coaches. There was always a light kept outside; when the mail coach reached a certain point on the Dublin Road, the light could be seen and so it came to be known as “The Lighthouse”.

Byrne’s Coach Factory Where in Kilkenny will you find Byrne’s Coach Factory?

I’m ashamed to say that I only spotted it last year during one of my Covid walks around town even though I’ve been driving past it for years (and years and years!). I t was quite a busy place if the following add is anything to go by: ‘John Byrne’s Coach Factory, vehicles of every description, including Carriages, Waggonettes, Stanhopes and Jaunting Cars are manufactured in the newest styles, the best material only being used.

Repairs executed at moderate charges.’ And you’ll find Byrne’s Coach Factory in Upper Patrick Street just across from Chapel Avenue.

In the meantime – happy Kilkenny Day. Celebrate and enjoy

Kilkenny Day 2022 next Sunday

Photo by Jack Moore

Kilkenny Day is a celebration of all things Kilkenny, bringing the communities of Kilkenny City & County together to have fun, laugh, dance, connect and remember everything that makes Kilkenny a very special place to be!

Kilkenny Day takes place this year on October 9th with much of the city-based entertainment focusing on Canal area in the heart of the city. Kicking off at 1pm and continuing until 6pm, this will be a jampacked free family fun day, with entertainment for everyone.

Crowds will be greeted with a live performance by Maracatu Ilha Brilhante, a Brazilian percussion band. Starting at the historic bandstand along the Canal Walk, people can interact with the animals from Nore Valley’s Pet Farm, watch Monsieur Gusto’s family performance, marvel at stilt-walkers & jugglers entertainment and enjoy interactive plate spinning, traditional family games such as hook-aduck and take a spin on some amusements, while snacking on popcorn and candyfloss as they stroll around.

A few minutes’ walk away, there will be a live performance from the incredible Code of

Behaviour, an Irish brass band, at 2pm on Canal Square. With a mix of pop, jazz and other genres, Code of Behaviour are known for getting their audiences up and dancing. We can’t wait for people to experience this exceptional group, along with many others at the bandstand on Canal Square. The other groups, including will perform on the day with the support of the Live Local Public Performance Scheme, funded by Minister Catherine Martin’s Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

Kilkenny Day was created to celebrate the memory of St Canice, a 6th century monk who founded Kilkenny city. His memory is celebrated in the beautiful St Canice’s Cathedral & Round Tower. The medieval city is filled with astounding beauty; in its historic gardens, traditional and contemporary design,

fantastic restaurants, bars and boutiques, all within walking distance of each other.

This year will feature a memorable moment for Kilkenny as a very special sculpture, featuring Adam King’s legendary, ‘Virtual Hug’ will be unveiled by Adam and special guest, Paralympian Mary Fitzgerald. The public will be led along the Canal Walk by Adam’s dance group for the unveiling at 3pm on the day. This permanent feature will serve as a reminder of how the people of the city and county stayed strong and connected during difficult times and will provide a place to reflect and contemplate.

To celebrate the county on Kilkenny Day 2022, many historical sites and fun experiences will open their doors free-of-charge for all to explore and enjoy on the day. In people’s busy lives they can miss some of the wonderful sites and experiences on their doorstep. Kilkenny Day offers the chance to explore their own county and take a tour around Kilkenny Castle, visit the Coal Mining Museum in Castlecomer’s Discovery Park or walk in nature with the scenic views at Woodstock in Inistioge. For Information and a list of the free sites on the day can be found on visitkilkenny.ie People are asked to dress up in their black and amber, to get out and enjoy the day and make some lasting memories in their local city and county towns!

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Arán Bakery & Bistro named ‘Supreme Champions’ at Blas na hÉireann Awards Arán Bakery and Bistro won Supreme Cham Champion of the Blas na hÉireann 2022 awards after winning Gold for their Spelt Sourdough bread, which won Gold for the second year in a row. Sweeping the Sourdough category, Arán also won the Bronze with their Heritage Sourdough and Silver with their Multi-Seed Sourdough.

Arán won Gold in the PastriesTart category with their Citrus Tart, and Best in County for Kilkenny. Hailed as being the Irish seal of approval, Blas na hÉireann celebrates the very best in Irish food and drink, shining a spotlight on the talented producers dotted around the island.

Bart Pawlukojc said: “We have a huge amount of gratitude to the customers. We try, from the heart, to bring the best quality to them. To be recognised like this is wonder-

ful. We are grateful to our team and our suppliers in Kilkenny and further afield who

made this possible. It is an honour to be recognised along with all the candidates.”

Nicole Server-Pawlukojc said: “That loaf of bread epitomises our entire approach

at Arán — start with the very best and then add a little love and skill.

We couldn’t be more delighted for the whole team — it’s a real boost for everyone.”

Arán Bakery and Bistro, Barrack Street, Kilkenny, was founded in 2019 by Bart Pawlukojc and Nicole Server-Pawlukojc who met while working in the world famous Noma in Copenhagen. They fell in love and became happily married.

Arán is Nicole and Bart’s creative outlet that allows them to make top-quality food accessible to everyone. Focusing on local, seasonal food, they work with producers from Kilkenny and Carlow to bring a delicious menu that can change from day to day. For the past 3 years, Arán has adapted to challenges with creativity and attention to their consumer needs. This led them to open a second location just last year which houses their bakery and deli, and offers take away

sweet and savoury baked goods.

Now in their 15th year, Blas na hÉireann, the Irish Food Awards is the biggest competition for quality Irish produce on the island of Ireland. This year, over 3,000 products from every county on Ireland were entered into the competition to win Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards in a broad range of food and drink categories as well as key awards such as Supreme Champion and Best Artisan Producer.

Arán Bakery and Bistro continues to offer their award winning bread and pastries, and brunch 5 days a week.

From Thursday 6th October, Arán will be opening in the evening for ‘à la carte’ dining.

Every Thursday in October there will be live Jazz with Indigo Mood. The menu is available for sit in dining, take away and delivery. Book a table by contacting (056) 775 6297.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

Global Report So, Russian President Vladimir Putin has now said he is willing to negotiate with Ukraine. That might sound good, but it is imperative to pay attention to the details.

He made the statement right after he announced the illegal annexation of regions of Ukraine that are (at least partly) occupied by Russian troops. So in effect he was saying: “I’ve invaded your country. I’ve killed tens of thousands of your people, created millions of refugees, caused many billions of dollars’ worth of damage, and now I am trying to steal your land. So let’s negotiate.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also made a statement about negotiations with Russia. Ukraine, he said, was ready “to agree on coexistence on equal, honest, dignified, and fair terms”.

He also made it clear that no talks about peace were possible with Putin: “We are ready for a dialogue with Russia, but with another president of Russia.”

In case that wasn’t clear enough, he announced another decision: Ukraine is speeding up its plans to join NATO. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak is often described as one of the most powerful people in Ukraine, not far behind the president himself.

As Podolyak has repeatedly pointed out it’s a myth — often asserted by the Russians — that Ukraine isn’t ready for talks. In fact, Podolyak already has experience of sitting at a table opposite a delegation from Moscow. In February, he was part of the Ukrainian negotiation team that met with Russian representatives at the border with Belarus just as the war was getting underway.

The Russian negotiators, fully believing their own propaganda, issued ultimatums to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine.

“They kept calling us ‘Nazis,’ ” says Mykhailo Podolyak.

Now, Putin says he wants to negotiate

“It shows you how degraded Russian diplomacy and consequently the political process is.” Even some of the members of the Russian delegation Podolyak has known for years referred to him with this label.

The Ukrainian delegation came with a mandate to do everything it could to start a dialogue. At the time, Russia was killing countless Ukrainian citizens and destroying Ukrainian cities; Ukraine had prevented the Russian troops from taking the capital but had not yet fully driven them out of the area to the north of

Kyiv. The Kremlin demanded that Ukrainians lay down their arms and surrender.

“They were completely unprepared,” Podolyak recalls.

“The Russians knew nothing about the state of our army.

They described some of our bases, which are exclusively under Ukrainian jurisdiction, as NATO bases. ... The only thing they had to offer was war and blackmail.”

The last round of talks, held in Turkey at the end of March, ended with the Ukrainians handing over a communique with a proposal to end the war. The Ukrainian del-

egation presented a proposal for a new system of security guarantees that would define Ukraine’s status as a neutral nonaligned nonnuclear state.

Ukraine offered to negotiate the status of Crimea separately within 15 years, without the use of military means.

Separately, the presidents of Ukraine and Russia would discuss the status of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The Russians responded by saying that they would give Ukraine a gift “that would please them very much.” That meant, Podolyak said, “that they would withdraw their

troops from Kyiv region.” (By then, of course, Ukrainian fighters had already defeated the Russian forces marching on Kyiv.)

But what the Ukrainians discovered after the withdrawal filled them with horror. In Bucha, investigators discovered the bodies of more than 400 civilians — their hands often tied behind their backs — who were shot by the Russian invaders. There is evidence of torture and rape. Hundreds remain missing. What the Ukrainians saw was shocking in its brutality, this “not only canceled out the Istan-

bul communique but also our understanding of what Russia is.”

I asked what he meant by this: “We saw that the Russian army wasn’t just fighting, it was destroying,” Podolyak told me. “And they were doing it on the principle of genocide — not on the basis of ethnicity but of affiliation with the Ukrainian state. As if it didn’t matter who you were ethnically, what language you spoke, they would kill because you were a citizen of Ukraine.”

Even after visiting the site of the massacres on April 4, Zelensky still confirmed his readiness to negotiate: “We strive for peace, we deserve it. And these people showed it, and the Armed Forces showed it.

Peace is impossible without victory.” And yet, he added: “We do not want to lose millions of people. That is why there should be dialogue.”

Now Putin declares his willingness to discuss peace even as he declares mobilisation, annexes Ukrainian territory and threatens the use of nuclear weapons against those who would resist his seizure of Ukrainian land. And Ukrainians are still prepared to negotiate. If the Kremlin wants talks, it should start by withdrawing its troops.

Nothing is preventing it from doing that.

Meanwhile, the Biden Administration has announced a new round of sanctions on Russia, in response to the annexations, targeting government officials and family members, Russian and Belarusian military officials and defence procurement networks.

Finally, Putin recently declared a military mobilisation to call up as many as 300,000 reservists in a dramatic bid to reverse setbacks in his war on Ukraine. The announcement led to an exodus of more than 180,000 people, mostly men who were subject to service, and has led to renewed protests and acts of defiance against the war.

What you need to know about the Nobel prize October means Nobel Prize season. As you read this, six prizes will have been announced from around the globe, leading to some new faces being added to the world’s most elite roster of scientists, writers, economists and human rights leaders. The prizes are for medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, economics and the much coveted Nobel Peace Prize.

Who created the Nobel prizes?

The prizes in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace were established by the will of Alfred Nobel, a wealthy Swedish industrialist and inventor of dynamite.

The first awards were handed out in 1901, five years

after Nobel’s death.

Each prize is worth 10 million kronor (nearly €900,000) and will be handed out with a diploma and gold medal on December 10 – the date of Nobel’s death in 1896.

The economics award – officially known as the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel – was not created

by Nobel, but by Sweden’s Central Bank in 1968.

Between 1901 and 2021, the Nobel prizes and the

prize in economic sciences have been awarded 609 times.

Who knows who will win and why?

The Nobel statutes prohibit the judges from discussing their deliberations for 50 years. So it is probably going to be a while before we know for sure how judges made their picks for 2022 and who was on their shortlists.

The judges try hard to avoid dropping hints about the winners before the an-

nouncements, but sometimes word gets out. Bookies in Europe sometimes offer odds on possible peace prize and literature Nobel winners.

Who can nominate a candidate?

Thousands of people around the world are eligible to submit nominations for the Nobel prizes.

They include university professors, lawmakers, previous Nobel laureates and the committee members themselves.

Although the nominations are kept secret for 50 years, those who submit them sometimes announce their suggestions publicly, particularly for the Nobel Peace Prize.

What about Norway’s connection?

The Nobel Peace Prize is presented in Norway while the other awards are handed out in Sweden. That is how Alfred Nobel wanted it.

His exact reasons are unclear but during his lifetime Sweden and Norway were joined in a union, which was dissolved in 1905. Sometimes relations have been tense between the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, which manages the prize money, and the fiercely independent peace prize committee in Oslo.

What does it take to win a Nobel?

Patience, for one. Scientists often have to wait for decades to have their work

recognised by the Nobel judges, who want to make sure that any breakthrough withstands the test of time.

That is a departure from Nobel’s will, which states that the awards should endow “those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind”. The peace prize committee is the only one that regularly rewards achievements made in the previous year.

According to Nobel’s wishes, that prize should go to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”.

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Opinion News

The Worshipping of Helena

BY NED EGAN

Part 1 It was springtime, back in the far days when you noticed such things. When every dawn gave the hope that the savage frost of the night before might be the last one of a hard pitiless winter.

And maybe this day would see the snow start its long slow retreat back up Slievenamon, which loomed, white and clear and Arctic, in our back-window, in the blue light of a late January evening.

In those 1940s days, cold was the blueprint – the template – of our dirt-poor lives, and every winters grasp was bitter and iron hard. The bed at night now had the maximum amount of beet sacks on it: {blankets were something we’d read about in schoolbooks.} Any more sacks and the weight would break our bones; what brainiacs might now call ‘critical mass.’ The small bedroom window glass was cloudy-yellow with ice; just a milky spot left in the middle, which hadn’t quite yet been covered. Yet, I said. And I’m talking about the inside. Our

house was a barn with a greenstick feeble fire in one corner.

Later on in the evening, I’d be off on my usual mission. An obsession I’d only noticed when my voice deepened a bit, and body foliage was discovered sprouting in unlikely and hitherto barren spaces. I was a bit more than twelve, can’t be sure how much, maybe a year or two.. The ancient biological scene had crept up on me, somehow, without attracting much of my attention. No one to tell me anything of the body, of course. Same as the girls, who had their own particular problems and misfortunes {which I knew naught of, at the time.} Aye, ‘our land of saints and scholars.’

It was all a bit of a mystery for me. Worse for them. Probably a sin, too. No, definitely a sin.

Every event south of the old belly-button {the ‘nable’ as we knew the ‘navel’} was tainted with the feral stink of Hellfire.

That, amongst other even less attractive personal aromas…

But the old terrorizing sinny angle didn’t bother me one little bit: I stopped believing in that craic when I was old enough to realise that if anyone who was any good at all lived beyond the clouds, they would sort out this old world a lot better. But they wouldn’t bother their arses

coming down this way; ever.

What for – for the luvva Jaysus?

Getting on for thirteen or so might have been early or late to set out on the march to manliness – not that I knew what that meant - with all its pitfalls and odd pleasures. I found out, long after, that having a good time in this world had been far easier as a dirty hungry wandering loner of a child, than it was when I became very rich.

Maybe that’s why I ‘flewered’ it all away on several occasions. In the years I had it, I wasn’t happy.

And whenever without it again, I certainly wasn’t much sadder.

Anyway, back to where I rambled away from – this obsession. Nearly all obsessions worthy of the name involve a female. And mine was no exception. The divine object was the daughter of a local business man, in the ‘drinks retail trade.’

Well, a pub – a ‘grocery pub’. …

Each evening I would walk down to the village - resisting the urge to run, run! I would love to race – gallop – tear – storm - into the small street - like a wild Don Cossack, or one of Genghis Khan’s raiders, all hairy, my horse a-snorting, turban and beard flying, lance glittering and blood-stained with gore! This, might attract favourable glances from the fair object of my {innocent} desire!!

A bit extreme, I suppose; slightly over the top... But I read books, maybe believed the Cossack bits more than others might...

Anyway, on foot, in badly holed, over-sized and smelly Welly boots, I arrive when dark has fallen, giving me a good four or five hours to hang about outside the shuttered pub windows, where-within shimmered and soft-shoe’d my rapturous one – my very own secret love – my unknowing love – my darling Dunna Mona Lisa.

The closed shutters didn’t fit flush, and there were many wide gaps at the centre divisions. Through these, I could see half of the lamp-lit bar - and my ‘intended.’ The special relationship was all in my mind, of course – but where else would it be? Ne’er a Parker fountain pen had I - the only instrument sophisticated enough to give appropriate dignity to any script addressed to my love. How could I pen a proper poem, or love words, to my casually indifferent dear, without such a necessary gadget? At the back of my mind, I knew the age difference might be a prob. And not the only one, either. Her riches, beauty, fine clothes, and acceptance as the sweetest ‘belle’ of the area, were also hurdles in my path. But not insurmountable

ones!! ‘The course of love never runs smooth!’ So Clark Gable. a lad with a fine ‘tache - had assured us all, in a film at Bill Egan’s Gaeity Cinema, for the princely sum of fourpence.. And who was I to naysay a film star?

Who’d know more than that girlcharming fella?

Oh, long wavy auburn {film word} hair my love had, with the most winsome way of tossing it this way and that, and the sweetest little shy smile. An adorable and genuine smile – {not ‘put on’ like those of the other, lesser, local wans!} To my great anger, she bestowed her sweetness on everyone, old or young, rich or poor, even the omadhuns and lutherauns drinking at the bar! Cripes!

Aaahh, but her voice was pure golden honey….

The grocery shop tied into the pub was a handy yoke. I’d sometimes scratch and scrape up a coupla pennies, enough to buy a few squares of Cleeres toffee, just to hear the loved voice intone, sweetly: “Thanks, Nedda”…

She had this charming way of cutting words short, of putting a different intonation on them. Nobody else, in all of my derelict, strange, and often dangerous life, ever called me ‘Nedda’ with that same unique inflection. I’m glad they didn’t

… I’d be running after them, too, maybe!

Faced with a few of the {aleady-mentioned} snags, I figured that if I made regular money, snaring and lamping rabbits, I’d have enough to make a move in her direction in about seven years’ time, when I’d be twenty or so. At the age I was, everyone from twenty to thirty was ‘grown up,’ and anyone over that was just old. Not finished – just old; and therefore completely out of the market for ‘my Helena’!! Not her real name, but, like all other lovers, I had a ‘pet’ name for my sweetest; so I conferred that on her.

Thus, I could dream my dreams, uninterrupted by any lousy ignorant Culchie butting in and using that exalted name! If he didn’t know her secret name – he was stumped, right off! I alone would have that part of her, all to myself! Or so I reckoned, in all my greenery…………. To be continued Ned E Disclaimer The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of The Kilkenny Observer.

Irish women entrepreneurs’ self belief continues to grow as Kilkenny’s National Women’s Enterprise Day event is launched Louise Kennedy, Ruth Larkin & Suzie McAdam some of the names lined up for this year’s event in Kilkenny.

Research has shown that Irish women’s belief in their ability to run a successful business is continuing to grow as this year’s National Women’s Enterprise Day (NWED) was launched in Kilkenny today.

The initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices, now in its 16th year, will take place on the 13th October with the aim of encouraging female entrepreneurship and supporting women in business across the country.

The research, part of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) for 2021, showed that 49% of women surveyed believed they had the necessary skills and knowledge to start a business. This was up from 39% in 2018. The report also highlighted that Ireland has the third highest rate for early-stage women entrepreneurs across European countries, with over 1,400 women starting a new business in Ireland every month.

Early-stage women entrepreneurs in Ireland are mainly focused on the customer services sector with 64% of those surveyed working in that area.

The report showed a significant growth in export customers for these businesses, with 26% of customers of these early-stage startups based abroad, up from 15% in 2019 highlighting how they have diversified their markets during Covid.

The theme of this year’s National Women’s Enterprise Day is “Our Future, Our Way”

which will be reflected in the 16 physical events taking place across the country, supported by Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities. The Kilkenny event, run by Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny will take place at Mountain View, Ballyhale, Co. Kilkenny, from 9.30am – 2.30pm. This will be a facilitated networking

and exhibition event to allow attendees meet with other female businesses and to pitch for business.

Ruth Larkin, Lark Bridal Ltd will MC the event and host a masterclass entitled “Elevate Your Pitch in 30 Seconds” followed by a panel discussion with Suzie McAdam, Suzie McAdam Design and former

Picture L-R: John Mulcahy, Lisa O’Rourke, Cathaoirleach Pat Fitzpatrick, Louise Kennedy and Denis Malone.

Photo by Vicky’s Photography.

judge on RTE’s Home of the Year along with our Leading Light Louise Kennedy. The event will conclude with a networking lunch. Tickets are €10 or €15 to display and pitch your business.

Pat Fitzpatrick, Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council said “I am delighted to support National Women’s

Enterprise Day, particularly as we are seeing in person events return this year. Events like NWED are important in supporting women entrepreneurs and those considering starting a business with insights from leading business women and introducing them to a network of entrepreneurs who are blazing a trail in the Irish market and overseas.”

Aileen McGrath, Head of Enterprise (Acting), said; “National Women’s Enterprise Day has become a flagship event for women entrepreneurs and businesswomen every year.

While the past two years saw successful online celebrations, it really is special to be back in person supporting the inspirational businesswomen of Kilkenny. If you have that itch to start a business, or maybe you are already running a business, then this is the event for you. It can help you grow your network, find out what supports are available and learn from those who have gone before.”

Let us come together to celebrate our achievements to date and support one another in the opportunities to come – Our Future, Our Way. Booking at www.localenterprise.ie/kilkenny

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A year on, our electric vehicles power ahead New car registrations for September were up 42.5% (6,340) when compared to September 2021 (4,449). Registrations year to date are up 0.7% (101,492) on the same period last year (100,745) and are 10.9% behind (113,945) that of pre-Covid levels, according to the Society of the Irish Motor

Industry (SIMI).

Light Commercial vehicles (LCV) are up 6.5% (1,756) compared to September last year (1,649) and year to date are down 20.5% (20,974). HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) registrations are down 12.4% (197) in comparison to September 2021 (225). Year to date HGV’s

are down 6.3% (2,120).

Used car imports for September (4,344) have seen a decrease of 12.4% on September 2021 (4,952). Year to date imports are down 26.8% (37,418) on 2021 (51,138).

For the month of September 1,858 new electric vehicles were registered compared to

770 in September 2021. So far this year 14,513 new electric cars have been registered in comparison to 7,819 on the same period 2021 an increase of 85.6%.

Electric Vehicle, Plug-in Hybrids and Hybrids continue to increase their market share, with a combined

market share now of 40.76%.

Petrol continues to remain dominant with 30.09%, Diesel accounts for 26.99%, Hybrid 19.67%, Electric 14.30% and Plug-in Electric Hybrid 6.79%.

Brian Cooke, Director General SIMI, said: “The early Budget, with no

Farmers ‘note tax rules’ of live-in roles of employees Ifac, Ireland’s farming, food and agribusiness specialist professional services firm, is reminding Kilkenny farmers of the tax implications of providing free or subsidised accommodation for their farm employees.

In the first quarter of 2022, the national average monthly rents in Ireland were more than €1,500. Across the country, high rents along with a shortage of rental properties are making it increasingly difficult for employees to find accommodation.

Concerning live-in roles, Declan McEvoy, Head of Tax at ifac, said: “High rents and a housing shortage mean that farmers who can provide free or subsidised accommodation enjoy an advantage in the current market when it comes to attracting and retaining agricultural employees.”

Benefit-in-kind As with any employee benefit, when considering offering free or subsidised accommodation, it is important to understand the benefit-in-kind implications.

Under Revenue rules, BIK on employee accommodation is calculated based on the annual market value of the rent plus any related expenses paid by the employer (such as light and heat).

While the employee is liable for PAYE, PRSI and USC on the benefit received, access to accommodation is very attractive in the current market and can compensate for lower wages in certain roles.

It is also important to be aware that for certain roles, accommodation provided by an employer may be exempt from BIK.

BIK exemption Where an employee is required to live in accommodation on their employer’s premises to perform their duties, the provision of free accommodation may be exempt from BIK. Revenue guidance states that this requirement is usually met where: • The employee is required to be on call outside normal hours • The employee is actually frequently called out • The employer provided the accommodation so that the employee could access work quickly.

Other benefits You can provide various other tax-free benefits to your employees. These include: • Bicycles and safety equipment • Certain course and exam fees • Employer pension contributions to Revenue approved schemes • Small benefits worth €500 or less that are not in cash form and are given to the employee once a year.

Remember, when hiring employees, it is important to agree on wages on a ‘gross’ rather than a ‘net’ basis, to avoid unforeseen costs if the employee’s tax status changes.

Retaining workers Good employees are difficult to find and expensive to replace so it is worth taking steps to ensure that you provide a good work environment. With the cost of living soaring and rental properties in short supply, free or subsidised accommodation is an attractive and valuable benefit.

VRT increases and the extension of the EV grants for the first half of next year, provides some stability in what is highly volatile retail environment, and will hopefully encourage car buyers into dealerships for the vital selling period between now and the end of the year.”

Our volunteers at Foróige’s 50th!

Foróige volunteers from all over Ireland came together in the Tullamore Court Hotel in Co. Offaly recently for Foróige’s annual volunteer conference. Minister Roderic O’Gorman was in attendance and spoke to volunteers, praising their continued efforts throughout the pandemic.

“Foróige volunteers have helped create communities that are vital to our society. The value of the contributions that are made by these volunteers cannot

be overstated,” he said.

“Not only does volunteerism positively impact our communities but it can provide people with a sense of purpose, improving their own wellbeing, enhancing their empathy and allowing them to connect with young people in their communities.

Foróige has to be commended for the innovative approach in involving young people in the decisions that impact their lives.”

This was the 50th annual Forage Volunteers Conference, with 120 delegates from 16 counties enjoying a wide variety of guest speakers, group discussions and social events aimed at exchanging ideas to continue Foróige volunteers’ impactful work throughout Ireland.

Dr David Coleman, clinical psychologist, broadcaster and author was the keynote speaker at the conference and gave his insights into how to

communicate with and help teenagers tackle the problems they’re facing in their lives.

Foróige celebrated its 70th year anniversary with the first Club meeting in Mooncoin on 14th March 1952. Foróige now has over 5,500 volunteers working in its 550 clubs, 150 projects and programmes, including Leadership for Life; Be Healthy Be Happy, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), and Big Brother Big Sister.

Slainte! Raise a glass to ‘Sober October’ Turn2Me, a national mental health charity, is encouraging Kilkenny people to get involved in ‘Sober October’ and to quit drinking for the month.

The charity said it’s a great time to reflect on your alcohol consumption and your relationship with alcohol.

The charity stated that alcohol can make anxiety and depression worse, it can reduce sleep quality, and it can heighten stress levels.

“Reducing or cutting out alcohol can improve our mental health,” Fiona O’Malley, CEO of Turn2Me, said. “Alcohol is a depressant. Our moods can significantly improve when we reduce or stop drinking entirely. Setting yourself a challenge of giving up alcohol for a month can help you adapt a healthier lifestyle. It can make us reflect on how many alcohol units we consume, on average, every week

and month, and it can also make us analyse our relationship with alcohol. Many people use alcohol as a social crutch, and they can start to rely on it in stressful or awkward situations.

“Nowadays, so many people decide to not drink at all, or not as much, on a night out thanks to so many alcoholfree alternatives. A monthlong challenge like Sober October can make us consider

how reliant we are on alcohol, why we consume alcohol, and how much happier we feel when we don’t drink as much or at all.”

Turn2Me is encouraging anyone who is feeling anxious, depressed, or going through a period of grief to sign up to their free one-to-one counselling sessions or their free support groups, available on the Turn2Me website, Turn2Me.ie

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Opinion

And the band played on…

BY JOHN FITZGERALD

For more than a century, the men and women of St. Patrick’s Brass Band promoted all that was best in Kilkenny’s musical traditions. From the day it was founded in May 1882, it won its way into the hearts of young and old in Cat County. The band’s motto, inscribed on a promotional banner, was “To God and Ireland True.”

It honoured this commitment in style. It entertained at hurling and football matches, led religious processions, and made a point of commemorating emotionally charged political anniversaries, even when the authorities officially banned these.

The band played rousing military marches that stirred up patriotic fervour in Kilkenny in the heady days of political turmoil that marked the first two decades of the 20th century. After independence, it performed in a different atmosphere and more relaxed political climate.

Its much loved formation of bandsmen and stunning majorettes, marching in step with impeccable precision and choreography, brought joy to countless thousands of people in the county and other parts of Ireland.

No major outdoor-festive occasion would have been the same without it. At the beer festival in the sixties and seventies, it proved every bit as competent as the Bavarian band that roused the spirits of drinkers.

St. Patrick’s Band complemented the Germanic airs with good old Kilkenny band music as locals and visitors sang along with their two pint glasses of ale that the smiling maidens lovingly handed down to them in the beer tents.

At a funeral, it could be relied on to strike appropriate notes of devotion, honour and respect to give the dearly departed a memorable sendoff. The sound of St. Patrick’s band was special music to the ears of Kilkenny hurlers setting off to do battle in Croke Park and other sporting venues. Hearts fluttered proudly when it played the Rose of Mooncoin before a match or to welcome the team back home to Kilkenny.

A Rebel Band The band was born in “The Village”, the name given by Kilkenny folk to St. Patrick’s Parish. Among the first subscribers to the band was Martin Coyne of Upper Patrick Street. His gesture of placing a few shillings on a blacksmith’s anvil in The Village was fondly remembered for decades afterwards. It was the day the band members knew their musical venture had a future.

“Sure it’ll keep ye going for a while”, Martin predicted reassuringly.

The band’s first high profile engagement was the funeral in August 1882 of writer and Fenian, Charles Kickham. It led the cortege across the city as far as the Callan road, and a few days later travelled to Kickham’s native Mullinahone for the burial. As the coffin was lowered into the earth, the band played God Save Ireland and a Nation Once Again.

A few months after its formation, the band became embroiled in the political turmoil of pre-independence Ireland. Its president, Pat Hartigan, was the son of prominent Fenian leader,

New online facility for booking birth and death registrations A new online facility to book appointments for the registration of births and deaths is now in place.

The HSE Civil Registration Service registers all births, deaths and marriages in Ireland (and carries out civil marriage registrations). There are 11 full and part time Civil Registration Service offices across the South East.

The new system (similar to booking online for vacciantion appointments) is available per https:// www2.hse.ie/services/ births-deaths-and-marriages/find-a-civil-registration-service/ Online booking will enable members of the public across counties Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford to book a birth or death registration appointments online for a date and time that they choose at Civil Registration offices in Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel,

Carlow, Clonmel, Dungarvan, Enniscorthy, Kilkenny, New Ross, Tipperary Town, Waterford and Wexford.

Registration of Births For information on the registration of births, see https://www2.hse.ie/services/births-deaths-andmarriages/register/birth/ The new online appointment system will enable parents to book a birth registration appointment online for a date and time that they choose.

Whereas Civil Registration Offices will continue to operate as normal (including for registration of marriages and as regards availability by phone for enquiry), the online appointment process will make it quicker and easier for parents to organise their registration appointment at a time and date that works for them. Appointments can also be easily cancelled with the click of a button.

Registration of Deaths For information on the registration of deaths, see https://www2.hse.ie/services/births-deaths-andmarriages/register/death/ The new online appointment system will enable anyone who needs to register a death to arrange an appointment online for a date and time that they choose.

Civil Registration Offices continue to operate normal opening times (for further information and contact details, see https://www2.hse.ie/ services/births-deathsand-marriages/find-acivil-registration-service/) but the online appointment process will make it quicker and easier to organise death registration appointments at a time and date that works for the person requiring the service. Appointments can also be easily cancelled with the click of a button.

John Hartigan.

On November 23rd, 1882, it led a big procession through Kilkenny to honour the anniversary of the Manchester Martyrs, three Irishmen who had been hanged in 1867 for an alleged murder.

This event passed off without incident, but the following year a police notice banned a similar parade.

Constables were instructed to be especially on guard against any attempt by St. Patrick’s band to play rebel music.

In defiance of the ban,

thousands of people thronged the streets of Kilkenny as darkness approached. Crowds of cheering citizens shuffled down Rose Inn Street and along John’s Quay.

Police rushed to the banks of the River Nore with batons drawn as flares lit up the water to reveal a line of boats tied together. These craft contained all the members of the illusive band and their instruments.

The constables roared at the men in the boats to surrender, to no avail. The band struck up a tune that had

people cheering, whistling and singing, drowning out the police commands to call off the unlawful assembly...

(Picture shows: the band in about 1900. Standing: John Walsh, Tommy Dunne, Tommy Nolan, Pat Corcoran, Jack Carroll, Tom Egan, Brian Fogerty, Mick Walsh, Tommy Meighan. Seated: Pat Devlan, Jack Fahy, Tommy Haide, Jack Holland (coductor), Paddy Cahill, and Joe Cahill.

-John Fitzgerald To be continued…

‘TYI celebrate World Peace Day’ Every year there are days to mark special world wide events.

Days celebating Seniors, Our Mother Tongue day, Teacher’s day and of course the one everyone celebrates is Mother’s Day. September 21st every year is ‘World Peace Day’.

To mark this day the Twilight CEO Murty Brennan spoke to the gathering at the annual Peace Convention event held in Tipperary.

Our Twilight Youth Inclu-

sion group, which has members from Kilkenny’s diverse communities went one step further. This progressive and expanding youth group is becoming a very popular youth club which now has a waiting list for membership.

TYI offer excellent services for ages 13 to 17-year olds which includes European travel through the Erasmus + Programme. TYI group is currently researching a trip to Hungary in 2023.

In recent weeks the club has travelled to the Dunmore East adventure centre and Splash word and took

part in personal development days back at the current base in the Twilight International Cultural House.

To Mark International Day of Peace 2022 and as the theme of Peace is “End racism. Build peace.” Our Twilight Youth Inclusion Group made Origami Peace Cranes in honour of this day.

The Team leaders, Leah Mc’Donnell and Liam Mungovan, must be complimented for the progressive ideas and have plans set out till the end of 2022 and working on their 2023 activities

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Feature

Remembering Dermot Morgan

By Fred Tuite This week, The Kilkenny Observer Newspaper caught up with Kilkenny resident Fred Tuite as he reminisced about the late writer and actor Dermot Morgan.

In October 1972, I returned for my second year to UCD to find the Belfield Arts Block filled with new first year students trying to find their way about. Making my way through this excited crowd, I met a friend coming the other way. “Come with me” she said. And so, I followed her into Theatre L, that huge amphitheatre lecture hall crowded with expectant first year students for their first lecture in English.

The lecturer, a lanky figure with a shock of black hair, in priestly garb, came and took his place on the podium.

A hush descended on the packed hall.

“Good morning students, I’m Father Michael Paul Gallagher and these lectures will be on Practical Criticism”.

“But that’s not Michael Paul Gallagher!” I whispered to my companion.

She put her finger to her lips and motioned for me to listen on.

“Ah yes,” he continued, “Practical Criticism. I recall a student who went to Professor Donohue saying, ‘I have Practically Criticised this poem’. ‘Yes’, he replied, ‘practically, but not quite’.

But at the end of this course, you will gain new insights into poetry, new visions and understanding.

You will look at a poem like “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, All the Kings Horses and All the King’s Men, couldn’t put Humpty together again”, and you will see this not as a nursery rhyme but as an existentialist exploration of the situation of modern man fallen from grace and searching for meaning in an absurd world…”

Will the real Fr. Michael please stand up.

“Who are you?” said a bearded clerical figure who’d now arrived at the podium.

“I’m Father Michael Paul Gallagher” the lecturer replied.

“No, I’m Father Michael Paul Gallagher!”

“Right, sorry!” the imposter cried, and off he ran to the cheers and groans of the first-year students.

We caught up with him outside. He was flushed and excited from his act and keen to know how we thought it had gone. This was my first encounter with Dermot Morgan, second year student and all-round

funny guy. We became good friends, and as we were both doing English, we saw a lot of each other. I was thoroughly entertained by him on every meeting, for he never stopped performing whether on stage or with company. His energy was manic and his comments hilarious and apt. He was liable to turn up anywhere and everywhere, in the guise of his latest character.

He even showed up at the Tramps’ Ball in the Restaurant Building fronting a band called Big Gom and the Imbeciles. But he had to give up that act, he told me, as people were taking it too seriously and missing the satire, wanting to book the group for dances, while all he wanted to do was poke fun at the country music scene with songs like “Castleblaney Blues”, “I walk Blacklion” or “Be nobody’s darling but wine” After college we drifted apart, but I followed his comedy career through his letters to the early morning Mike Murphy radio show, and on to “The Live Mike” on television –where Father Brian Trendy, his next priestly incarnation, appeared.

This was an altogether smoother priestly character, well-groomed in his leather jacket smiling at the camera as he gave us his little bit of religion. He advised us to be like the Irish soccer team and “Pick Devine”, or act

as a fishing rod for God to catch a sole and fillet with love.

But again, there was the danger that his bite-sized pieces of religion were taken for real and my mother, for one, loved his little sermons.

A bit of a Charlie His next incarnation was as the growling, irritated voice of Charley Haughey in his own radio show Scrap Saturday, with Gerry Stembridge. This was full of cutting impersonation and biting political satire that to me represents the height of his career. Maybe it was too close to the bone as after a few seasons Scrap Saturday was scrapped.

He went on to play his third and most famous priestly role, Father Ted, and gain international fame.

Father Ted Crilly dreams of bigger things then the deadend wilderness of Craggy Island, a parish to match his abilities, recognition, fame and fortune. But everywhere his projects crumble under the reality of the people he is surrounded with. It was a wonderful farce, extremely well written and well-acted by a fantastic cast. But I kept thinking that for all its quality Dermot Morgan has so much comic ability underused in the series.

The last time I met him was in Kilkenny when he was on a solo tour called Black Magic. He’d been in the news recently having

appeared in court and been fined for speeding through Mountrath in County Laois.

His comment to the audience on this was as acerbic as ever.

“Did you ever see Mountrath?” he thundered, “Fifty miles is too bloody slow to go through the place!”

We met and talked after the show, but he had to return to Dublin early and promised a real UCD reunion at a future time.

Died at the height of his fame That reunion never happened, and he died at the height of his fame playing the vainglorious Fr. Ted. He never lost the manic energy and enthusiasm he showed in Belfield, where he constantly had us all in fits of laughter with his antics.

While the world got to know and love him as the farcical Fr. Ted, it was in UCD in front of those bemused and bewildered first years that he played the first of those oddball priests that were to bring him so much fame.

Fred Tuite is a retired Guidance Counsellor living in Kilkenny. Along with some private work he edits the Guidance Counsellors’ journal Guideline and is very involved in the Alliance Française in Kilkenny. This text was broadcast on RTE Sunday Miscellany on Sunday 25th October 2023.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

News

Kilkenny Day 2022

Kilkenny Heritage Sites open their doors for free on Kilkenny Day To celebrate our county on Kilkenny Day 2022 many of Kilkenny’s historical sites and visitor experiences will open their doors free-of-charge for all to explore and enjoy on the day.

Kilkenny’s foundation began with an early 6th-century ecclesiastical settlement, with a church built in honour of Kilkenny Day’s patron Saint, St. Canice, now St Canice’s Cathedral.

Director of Services of Kilkenny County Council Tim Butler commented “Kilkenny Day is a great opportunity for people to get out into the city and county to see somewhere they have never experienced before and re-visit a venue they love.”

Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr. Pat Fitzpatrick said “Kilkenny County Council wish to extend a warm invite to Kilkenny people to get out and celebrate our place on Sunday 9th October for Kilkenny Day. We are incredibly lucky to have such historic and beautiful places in Kilkenny city and county, and many people from Kilkenny have never visited these places. Now is their chance to put that right.”

People can learn about Castlecomer’s Coal Mining history in the Discovery Park, roam

monastic ruins at Thomastown’s Jerpoint Abbey, and pick up some mouth-blown glass pieces at Jerpoint Glass Studio. They can step back in time by visiting Duiske Abbey in Graiguenamanagh and experience the restored Victorian Gardens at Woodstock, Inistioge. They can also visit Ionad Lachtaín, Freshford which hosts a local heritage museum and an exhibition of work by local artists.

A number of Kilkenny Fire and Rescue Service fire stations will be open to the public on Kilkenny Day for everyone to see and experience. Fire stations in Kilkenny City, Freshford, Urlingford, Thomastown, Callan and Graiguenamanagh will be open from 1pm to 5pm, and the fire station in Castlecomer will be open 2pm to 5pm.

Mayor of Kilkenny, Cllr. David Fitzgerald said that the city will be an open house when it comes to visitor attractions next Sunday.

“Kilkenny is steeped in history and its memorable landmarks and heritage sites draw visitors from all over the world. In the heart of our compact city centre there are many must see landmarks & experiences. People can take a tour in Kilkenny Castle, experience the incredible archi-

tecture at St Canice’s Cathedral and visit the secret garden at Rothe House, all within a milelong stroll of each other. We are hugely proud of that heritage and urge local citizens to grab this opportunity to get to know the city better, while celebrating all the best of being from Kilkenny.

General Manager of Rothe House, Valerie O’ Sullivan said “We are delighted to support Kilkenny Day again this year.

As one of the key attractions on Kilkenny’s Medieval Mile, Rothe House is a place steeped in heritage and history. Admission to the house and gardens is free from 1pm – 4pm on Kilkenny Day and we look forward to welcoming lots of local families, some of whom might not have visited us before.”

People can explore 800 years of History at the Medieval Mile Museum followed by a short stroll to MacDonagh Junction for the Famine Experience or pop into the newly renovated Smithwick’s Experience and try Ireland’s most popular ale.

With free entry on Kilkenny Day to must-see sites and experiences, there’s something for everyone. For full details of locations, terms and conditions check out www.visitkilkenny.ie.

Fire Stations throw their doors open for Kilkenny Day Kilkenny Day 2022 will offer a unique opportunity to local residents to visit their local fire station and to interact with members of this crucial critical service. Children and adults will get an opportunity to see fire service personnel at work and to see the sophisticated equipment the service uses up close in a relaxed environment, while providing valuable feedback to the service also.

A number of Kilkenny Fire and Rescue Service fire stations will be open to the public on Kilkenny Day for everyone to see and experience. Fire stations in Kilkenny City, Freshford, Urlingford, Thomastown, Callan and Graiguenamanagh will be open from 1pm to 5pm, and the fire station in Castlecomer will be open 2pm to 5pm.

Chief Fire Officer John Collins said “Kilkenny Fire and Rescue Service will be open-

ing their doors to everyone in the community to come along to visit the Fire Stations as part of Kilkenny Day. Kilkenny Fire and Rescue Service fire stations are part of their local community and we want people to come along and get to know their local firefighters, see their life-saving equipment in action and learn about fire safety. Kilkenny Day is a great opportunity to learn more about how the fire service serves the public and for the public in turn to give us some vital feedback about what more we can do to

help them. We hope that local residents will come along and enjoy the Open Day in their local fire station.

Our full-time and reserve firefighters have very strong links with their local community but the public rarely get to see them outside of the emergency situations in which they respond to emergency calls, day and night.

In the ,more relaxed atmosphere of this Open Day, they will be able to explain their work and seek to deepen the connection with their neighbours. ”

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Feature

Garden party at New Haughton Hospital Photos show residents, their visitors and staff enjoying the recently held annual Summer Garden Party event at the New Haughton Hospital, New Ross, Co. Wexford.

Residents, their visiting family members and HSE/South East Community Healthcare staff recently enjoyed an autumn garden party on the grounds of New Haughton Hospital, New Ross.

The event, which took place in a Marquee hired for the occasion, marked the resumption of one of the annual highlights in the Co. Wexford residential care centre that had been curtailed in recent years due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

It was eagerly awaited by the residents, their family and friends and staff members alike. Musical entertainment figured on the day from Phil and Conor, with dancing by Lorraine and Seán. There was lots of singing, games, food and fun had by all.

A treat (especially for residents and staff of communities such as Tullogher/ Rosbercon, Glenmore and The Rower/Inistioge that are in New Ross and the New Haughton’s hinterland) arrived in the form of Denis “Rackard” Cody with trophies currently held by the Kilkenny hurlers – particularly the Bob O’ Keeffe Cup as reigning Leinster senior hurling champions.

It was also an opportunity to reflect on recent developments at New Haughton,

including the recently completed resurfacing of its car park and environs, external and internal repainting and the wonderful work with residents done by the Activities team – including pieces created by resident artist Bosco Greene, including on his motorcycle replica and COVID-19 memorial lectern tree.

Speaking at the Garden Party, Margaret Nowlan O’ Neill (Director of Nursing New Haughton Hospital, New Ross) said: “There have been tough times for everyone over the last two and a half years and we look forward to better days ahead. We are very appreciative of the great support we get at the New Haughton from the community in New Ross and its environs in counties Wexford,

South Kilkenny and some of Carlow. The annual Garden Party is an important fixture in the life of a residential

care centre and we were delighted to resume with this year’s most enjoyable event.”

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Dine Me

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

Food & Drink

Come

With

One-pot roast guinea fowl Prep: 20 mins Cook: 1 hr and 40 mins Serves: 2

A delicious alternative to roast chicken that’s just the right size for two. Use any seasonal root veg you like.

Ingredients • 1 onion , cut into wedges, through the root • 2 carrots , quartered lengthways • 1 large potato , cut into bite-size chunks • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 small guinea fowl (around 1kg/2lb 4oz) • 1 tbsp butter at room temperature, plus 2 tsp for the gravy • 4 smoked streaky bacon rashers • 6 garlic cloves , unpeeled • few thyme sprigs • 300ml chicken stock • 100ml white wine • 2 tsp plain flour • 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly Method STEP 1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the vegetables with the oil and some seasoning in a large flameproof roasting tin. Place the bird on top of the veg, smear with 1 tbsp butter and lay the rashers in a row over the breast. Season generously, then roast for 40 mins.

STEP 2 Remove from the oven and give the veg a stir while adding the garl ic and thyme. Pour 200ml stock and the wine over the veg and return to oven to roast for another 40 mins until the bird is cooked through and the juices run clear.

STEP 3 Remove the bird, place on a serving plate, cover with foil to keep warm and leave to rest. Turn the oven up to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and roast the veg for a further 15 mins until tender.

STEP 4 Remove the veg with a slotted spoon and transfer to the serving plate with the bird. Mix 2 tsp butter and flour in a small bowl to form a smooth paste. Place the roasting tin with all the cooking juices, plus any resting juices, on the hob.

Whisk the paste and redcurrant jelly into the juices until dissolved, then add the remaining stock and extra seasoning, if you like. Bubble for a few mins until the sauce thickens. Slice and serve the guinea fowl, crisp bacon and the veg with the sauce on the side.

Mustardy salmon with beetroot and lentils Prep: 10 mins Cook: 10 mins Serves: 2 Cook a delicious gluten-free dinner in 20 minutes. Our Scandi-style salmon is served with beetroot, lentils, pumpkin seeds, capers, mustard and dill.

Ingredients • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard • ½ tsp honey • 2 salmon fillets • 250g pouch ready-cooked puy lentils • 250g pack ready-cooked beetroot , cut into wedges • 2 tbsp crème fraîche • 1 small pack dill , roughly chopped • 1-2 tbsp capers • ½ lemon , zested and cut into 2 wedges to serve • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds , toasted • rocket , to serve (optional) Method

STEP 1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix together 1 tbsp oil, the mustard, honey and some seasoning. Put the salmon fillets on a baking tray and spread the honey and mustard mixture all over. Tip the lentils and beetroot into a casserole dish, toss with the remaining

oil and season well. Put both in the oven for 10 mins until the salmon is cooked through.

STEP 2 Stir the crème fraîche, dill, capers and lemon zest through the lentils. Serve alongside the salmon with the pumpkin seeds and lemon.

A Guide to classic French aperitifs A great French meal starts with a pre-dinner drink.

Apéro hour is sacred. It’s simply unthinkable to jump from a busy work day’s work straight into dinner without for a little pause and a little glass of something to whet your appetite. It’s a moment to slow down, enjoy conversation, and appreciate good company.

Certain traditions are always respected. An aperitif is a pre-dinner drink, which means it should be enjoyed somewhere between 6 pm. and 7.30 p.m. One drink is standard. Knock back more than two in quick succession and you might get some disapproving glances.

Light snacks are essential.

The options of what to serve for a tasty apéro are endless. As well as regional specialties such as pastis, wine, beer, and champagne are fail-safe pours. Add in a roster of bar-loved brands and you’re all set to start a soirée the French way. Santé !

The Kir A kir is the most classic French aperitif to order in a café, a sweet two-ingredient cocktail that takes seconds to make and is always served in a small wine glass. Sticklers for tradition will tell you that a kir is truly Burgundian, a slug of the blackcurrant liqueur cassis topped off with the local white wine, Aligoté. Some say it was invented to hide the wine’s poor taste.

These days, many Aligotés are seriously good, and the French are generally flexible about the recipe.

You could swap out the cassis for crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur) or even crème de pêche (peach liqueur). In Brittany, the wine is often replaced with cider to make a lighter and longer kir Breton.

Picon Bière Picon is to half a pint of blonde ale what cassis is to a glass of somewhat unspecial white wine: an old-fashioned addition to pump up the flavor.

Generally the balance is around 1 ounce of the bittersweet orange Picon to 4 ounces of beer.

Blonde is the typical choice, but pilsners and lagers also work well.

The ingredients in Picon, now owned by Campari group, remain a closely guarded secret but the recipe for this amer (bitter) is known to contain orange zest, gentian (a medicinal herb) and cinchona (the quinine-containing bark of the cinchona tree). Although the first Picon distillery was in Marseille, it’s most popular in Alsace and northeast France.

Un Ginto Hear us out. The gin and tonic, better known as le ginto, might not be French. But with distilleries across France now creating some of Europe’s most exciting spirits, it’s becoming a staple apéro order from Paris to Provence.

The best-known French brand is the elegant Citadelle, created by Maison Ferrand to make use of its cognac stills out of season. Smaller names to search out include Camargue-based Bigourdan, which distills in the sleepy town of Arles, making a gin heady with the flavors of wild Mediterranean herbs, including thyme, lavender, and fennel seed.

Continues next week

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

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5

Spielberg’s take on classic fairytale deserves a revisit

Advertisement TV & Streaming

Netflix shows Emily in Paris fans will enjoy 1. Gilmore Girls

With an emphasis on family, relationships and love, this absolutely wonderful show deals with a 30-year-old mother named Lorelai and the challenges she faces while raising her intelligent teen daughter Rory. living in a small town, their lives are in constant motion with various romantic pursuits, crazy friends and wild neighbours.

With umpteen references to pop culture, the show has a witty set of dialogues that will resonate with all. Romance, friendships and melodramatic moments form the crux of the series that will appeal to Emily in Paris fans.

2. Dash & Lily

Long before Pinocchio remakes were cool, Steven Spielberg dove into uncharted stylistic territory on a leap of faith bestowed

by Stanley Kubrick with A.I. Artificial Intelligence, a futuristic spin on Pinocchio that was equal parts disturbing and lovey-dovey.

Cinematic legend has it that Kubrick began adapting the short story ‘Supertoys Last All Summer Long’ by sci-fi author Brian Aldiss sometime in the late 1970s, but the movie languished in purgatory. Kubrick didn’t believe special effects technology was advanced enough to make his dreams for the dystopian Pinocchio tale come true, at least until Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park debuted.

Then, at long last, A.I. Artificial Intelligence was finally leaping from the page onto the big screen.

But legend also has it that not even the pull of an iconic Spielberg and Kubrick pairing, or the child superstardom of Haley Joel Osment fresh of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, or even Jude Law’s enduring sex symbol status, could save the movie from being woefully underrated and misconstrued by critics and audiences alike.

On its surface, A.I. Artificial Intelligence doesn’t shy away from its inspiration. A boy carved out of a tree by a lonely craftsman is traded in for a shinier model: David (Osment), a robo-boy prototype gifted to couple Monica and Henry Swinton (Frances O’Connor, Sam Robards), who are mourning their comatose son, Martin, amid a rapidly declining human population in a world ravaged by climate change. David is de-

signed to not only imprint on his human parents, but programmed to fiercely love Monica and Henry above all others, effectively replacing their emotional need for Martin.

But artificial love embedded in code is a shadow of love authentically experienced, given, or received.

David discovers this when Martin (Jake Thomas) miraculously awakens from his coma, and David is tossed on the side of the road like a worn-out toy.

Cursed with an everlasting desire to obtain love from Monica and Henry, David becomes obsessed with becoming a “real boy” so he can be as wanted as Martin.

If an edgy recounting of Pinocchio isn’t a draw, or if the eco-horror genre doesn’t appeal to you, then perhaps watching a film that’s wholly unique be-

cause of its production is enough to get you running to Amazon Prime Video.

A.I. successfully blended the seemingly disparate storytelling sensibilities of Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick into a cohesive piece that was neither too stereotypically morose for a Kubrick movie, nor too stereotypically mawkish for a Spielberg movie.

When Kubrick died, Spielberg went against his own directorial impulses to create a movie that honoured Kubrick’s original vision.

Spielberg may have been the one behind the camera, handling casting and supervising the final cuts, but all the storyboards he referenced in A.I.’s creation had been supervised by Kubrick in the early ’90s.

Spielberg and Kubrick combine to make a strange and unsettling future.

Outrage over Monroe scene in Blonde Netflix users are outraged by a “horrifying” scene in new Marilyn Monroe film Blonde.

The controversial new movie from director Andrew Dominik was adapted from Joyce Carol Oates’s fictional book about Monroe, which was released in 2001.

For some time now, the project, which stars Knives Out actor Ana de Armas, has been hyped up as being a shocking watch, with the film being handed an

NC-17 age certificate in the US. Many may believe Blonde to be a standard biopic about Monroe, but the opposite is true: due to the source material, the film features several imagined scenes from the Hollywood star’s life, one of which is being accused of going too far.

It concerns John F Kennedy, the US president whom Monroe is believed to have had an affair with in the 1960s. Rumours of

this affair remains unverified to this day – but Blonde goes one further.

In a scene near the end of the film, Monroe is shown to be drugged and taken to a character named ‘the President’ who bears a striking resemblance to JFK (the actor, Caspar Phillipson, previously played him in Jackie).

Here, while he is on the phone refuting claims of sexual assault, he forces Monroe into performing a sex act on him, while

a voiceover by de Armas shows Marilyn attempting to disassociate from the situation.

Some viewers who are not aware of the source material appear to believe this actually happened, despite there being no record of any such incident.

This is one of the reasons why the scene’s placement is being questioned, with many calling it “character assassination”. Others are calling it “exploitation” of Monroe’s story.

Based on David Levithan and Rachel Cohn’s book, this rom-com series focuses on the budding love between a Christmas-hating, cynical Dash and a merry and optimistic, Christmas-loving Lily, who hides a red notebook across various locations in New York City.

The notebook contains messages and dares.

Although the show was axed after just one season, it was a refreshing break from the usual melodramatic sitcoms. The sappy romance, starring Austin Abrams and Midori Francis in the leads, is reminiscent of the complex romantic angles in Emily in Paris besides the varied visual delights it provides.

3. Never Have I Ever

This young-adult coming-of-age comedy focuses on a young Indian American girl, Devi, and her journey through high school. We follow Devi as she navigates herself through grades, friendships, jealousy, aspirations, young love and subsequent love triangles while grappling with the tragic demise of her father and the constant bickering with her mother.

Led by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, who plays the role of Devi with unimaginable spunk and ease, the show has gained a vast fan following due to its relatable content.

4.Firefly Lane

Based on Kristin Hannah’s novel, young girls Tully and Kate become extremely attached to each and the upheavals in the friendships are documented for over thirty years during their life in Firefly Lane. A depiction of a beautiful and platonic relationship between two females is what makes the series so enjoyable.

With Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke in the lead, the duo has heartwarming chemistry on screen as they support and uplift each other through various problems.

5. Girlboss

Based on Sophia Amoruso’s book, the series follows the meteoric rise of Amoruso’s fashion empire, Nasty Gal. Starring Britt Robertson in the lead as a rebellious businesswoman who starts her own fashion empire online, the protagonist is faced with several obstacles and hurdles that she gradually overcomes to take control of her own life and become the titular girlboss.

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News Community & GAA Notes

LOTTO Lotto Results. Numbers drawn. 8, 20, 25. No jackpot winner. Next week’s jackpot €5,450.

Winners of €30. Peter Nolan. Eddie Phelan. James Tobin. Statia O Carroll. John Meany (Higginstown) U13s MAKE FINAL After a pulsating Roinn C county semi final in Dunmore on Saturday morning, the Clara U13s rode their luck to edge out a gallant Blacks and Whites outfit by a single point. Blacks and Whites got four of the game’s final six scores, but crucially the two Clara scores were both goals and were ultimately responsible for this victory.

Aidan O Connell got the game’s opening point for Clara but Blacks and Whites soon looked the livelier team and scored the next three points, two from frees by sharpshooter Ross Whelan.

Ned Og Kelly was also dangerous for the Skeoughvosteen lads in the early going. Padraic Meany was having a huge battle with Blacks and Whites captain Noah Langrell but Padraic chipped in with two points, one from a free and one from a 65, to tie the game. Two more Clara points from Aidan O Connell and Aaron Carrigan cancelled out two Skeough points and left the match tied at five each at the break.

Blacks and Whites moved two points clear early in the second half before Padraic Meany replied with a pointed free from distance.

The Skeough lads regained the two point lead with a Ross Phelan free and then came the first big moment of the game. For once the ball broke kindly for Padraic Meany in the middle of the field.

Padraic latched onto it, took off on a trademark run and fired an unstoppable shot low just inside Pauric Orpen’s right hand post.

In fairness to Blacks and Whites, they responded with two frees to edge ahead again. But now playing like a man possessed, Padraic Meany took off again shortly afterwards and crashed a superb shot against the crossbar with the goalie beaten. Clara were now pressing hard and when Aidan O Connell’s shot for goal was parried by the goalkeeper young substitute James McDonald was on hand to deftly dispatch the rebound to the net.

Another Padraic Meany effort went wide off a post and when Ross Phelan reduced the deficit to the minimum it was nail biting stuff.

A late free by the same player looked to offer a great chance of an equaliser but for some reason he didn’t hit it with the same conviction as he had all day and it dropped short. One last Skeough chance was ably dealt with by the Clara defence and soon afterwards excellent referee Vivienne Holmes blew the final whistle.

On a day when all in the maroon and white had to hurl really well to win goalkeeper Ruairí Bowden Mullen was soundness personified. Liam Treacy and Sam Corr formed a great spine in defence where Robert Coogan and Sam Lawlor excelled. Dara Leahy and Padraic Meany really complemented one another well in midfield and Aidan O Connell gave a very good Blacks and Whites rearguard most to think about. James McDonald took his goal really well.

The Blacks and Whites had real heroes in Bill Barron, Noah Langrell, Ross Phelan and Ned Óg Kelly and can consider themselves very unlucky not to have taken the spoils here. The Clara management team of Stephen Lawlor, John Carrigan and Joe Treacy must be delighted with the way their side responded to the huge challenge presented by the opposition.

Team - Ruairi Bowden Mullen, Matthew Cooke, Liam Treacy, Ollie Butler. Robert Coogan, Sam Corr, Sam Lawlor. Dara Leamy, Pádraic Meany 1-3, 0-2f, 0-1 x 65. Jack Byrne, Aidan O Connell 0-2, Rory Treacy. Ciarán Gibbons, Mícheál Meany, Aaron Carrigan 0-1. Sub used James McDonald 1-0. Also Jim Carrigan, Michael O Keeffe, Liam O Callaghan.

CAMOGIE For the third year running the Clara senior girls exited the championship at the semi final stage when going under to Thomastown in sunny Tullaroan on Saturday. The previous two had been lost by a point on each occasion and while this one was lost by four, they will probably have most regrets about it because of the nightmare start that they made. Scarcely eight minutes had elapsed when Clara found themselves 1-4 to 0-0 in arrears. To their credit they not only erased the deficit but they led by three points eight minutes into the second half. However the huge energy that they had expended to get to this position began to take its toll and from there to the end of the game two Mary O Connell frees was all that they could muster.

Thomastown shot out of the blocks and, with the aid of the breeze, they ran a shellshocked Clara ragged in those early exchanges. The two Donnellys, the two Farrells and Sarah Walsh all had scores to their names, with Therese Donnelly bagging the goal. After that however the Clara backs recovered to get on top, with Rachel Whelan, Katie Ryan and Laoise Nolan particularly prominent. Aisling Curtis and Rebecca Nolan got on top around the midfield and Siobhan Curtis, the returned from exile Aisling Nolan and Keara Ryan began producing up front. County star Mary O Connell chipped in with three frees, Keara Ryan added another and a Siobhan Curtis goal, after a good advantage was played by referee Peter Burke, had the Clara girls right back in this contest. Keara Ryan nailed a point just on the stroke of half time and Clara headed to the dressing room with a bounce in their step only 1-7 to 1-5 behind.

That bounce was still apparent early in the second half when two Mary O Connell frees added to three by Niamh Byrne, Keara Ryan and Aisling Curtis moved the girls three points clear playing with the breeze. It could have even been more had a Niamh Byrne snapshot for goal not flown narrowly wide during this purple patch. But suddenly and understandably after the huge effort put in to get back in the game, the energy levels just dipped in the Clara performance and Thomastown sensed this and upped their own game to out score their opponents 1-6 to 0-2 down the

stretch. The crucial goal came from substitute Michelle Donnelly from a ball that should have been cleared but the mistakes become more plentiful when tiredness sets in. Clara battled to the very end but Thomastown deservedly earned the right to face Dicksboro in the final.

Clara consolidated their position as a top flight team again this year and the management team of Peter “Chap” Cleere, Jennifer Dillon and Shane Prendergast will rue the absence of stars like Claire Nolan and Emma Shortall. But with some good younger players coming through the ranks that final goal is still attainable if the effort is maintained. Huge credit is due here to Aisling Nolan, who returned from Dubai to assist her teammates for this tie.

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

Tamsin English, Laoise Nolan, Margaret Kehoe. Rebecca Nolan, Aisling Curtis. Aisling Nolan 0-1, Siobhan Curtis 1-0, Mary O Connell 0-7f. Keara Ryan 0-3, 0-1f, Margaret O Connell, Niamh Byrne 0-1. Sub used Grace Barcoe.

SHAMROCKS UNDO CLARA Clara were competitive against Shamrocks for about 20 minutes on Sunday in Nowlan Park but the game was over by halftime, when the southerners led 1-16 to 0-9. Shamrocks opened the scoring but two points from David Langton and John Murphy put Clara ahead for the only time all day. Shamrocks regained the lead with two points before a major mistake in defence gifted Adrian Mullen a goal. The same player added a point before John Murphy notched his second from a smart Dara Glynn pass. Glynn then pressured Richie Reid into over carrying and Jason Byrne pointed the resultant free. Two more Jason Byrne frees kept the deficit at four but then Ballyhale rattled off 6 points in a row to put daylight between the teams. Clara briefly rallied with points from Matt Kenny and Liam Ryan but the Shamrocks response was four more before halftime, all from play.

The second half was plain sailing for the county champions as they toyed with their opponents. Clara only added six points as Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody scored more between them than the Clara total. These Shamrocks lads seem to be coming into form at exactly the right time and will once again take some stopping. Clara’s tactics of playing a two man full forward line against them simply did not work. The two Langtons, Jack and David, John Murphy and Liam Ryan did most to try and stem the tide here. Thanks to the management team of Kevin Ryan, Neil White, Tom English and Brian Kennedy for their efforts throughout the year, when at least a Shield title was won.

Team- Kevin Nolan, Bill Carrigan, Jack Langton, Sean O Shea.

Shane Staunton, Matt Kenny 0-1, John Murphy 0-3. Conor O Shea 0-1, David Langton 0-1. Paul Cody, Martin O Connell, Liam Ryan 0-4. Dara Glynn, Jason Byrne 0-4f, Chris Bolger 0-1. Subs used Conor Cody, Lester Ryan, Tom Ryan, Evan Whearty.

Thanks for supporting the local lotto.

100th BIRTHDAY Very special birthday wishes go out to Ms..Maura Dowling of Balleen Freshford who celebrated a very special birthday recently.

Maura celebrated her 100th birthday with her family of seven children. Born in Ballylarkin in 1922 she has lived at Balleen since her childhood days. She received her medal from the President.

She is hale and hearty and is wished many more years of good health.

FEILE LACHTAIN 2022 The showpiece event of Féile Lachtain takes place on Saturday next, October 8, when the Rafter Family perform in concert at St. Lachtain’s R.C. Church at 8.00 p.m., a Kilkenny family and very talented and musical family. Tickets (unreserved seats) cost €25 and are on sale at O’Shea’s Newsagent and online at Eventbrite at “Rafter Family Concert”. You are asked to please support the event.

DAYCARE CENTRE Freshford day care centre recommenced recently and continues each Wednesday in the GAA Centre at 2pm. New members are most welcome GAA St Lachtain intermediates hurlers went down to The Fenians of Johnstown in the relegation final game in Ballyragget on Saturday last. This was a massive game for the club and the Johnstown side proved too strong and experienced for the local lads who will now play at Junior level next season.

Meanwhile St Lachtains minors had a great win over Dicksboro

U6 team: Back Row (L to R): Niamh Grant, Alexa Kelly, Lila Phelan, Grace Hickey, Ella Nolan.

Front row (L to R): Aoibhinn Byrne, Ada Nolan, Jess Daly, Grace ONeill, Rachel McGree. Missing from photo: Emily Dolan, Zoe Dunne, Rhea Brennan, Aobha Dooley

St. Lachtain’s U10 Camogie team: BACK ROW (L to R): Katie Ryan, Cera Gibbons, Grace Dunphy, Eve Carroll, Caoilinn Rourke, Róisín Hickey, Olivia Marnell, Ella McGree, Aoife Garry.

FRONT ROW (L to R): Aisling Murphy, Lily Daly, Siún McCarthy, Caoimhe Kane. NOT PRESENT: Niamh Butler, Eimear Connor, Phoebe Dunne

U8 team: BACK ROW (L to R): Katie Deacon, Rebecca Cleere, Lara Kelly, Aubrey Walshe,Siún McCarthy, Saoirse Byrne, Aisling Murphy, Saoirse Rourke, Caoimhe Kane, Lucia Stanley, Lily Daly.

FRONT ROW (L to R): Nieve Minogue, Abigail McCabe, Freya Kavanagh, Zoe Butler, Jess Daly, Amy Mackin, Eva Bergin, Grace Hickey, Lily Deacon. NOT PRESENT: Áine Curley, Heidi Kavanagh, LilaPhelan, Ella Nolan. recently in the championship semi final in Tom Ryall Park

SYMPATHY Sympathy is extended to Ms.Lizzie Walsh, Wooview Freshford and all the Downey family on the death last week of Tom Downey late of Jenkinstown. The deceased and his family were widely known and respected in the area and especially in the haulage business and GAA circle. Funeral mass took place in Jenkinstown Church followed by burial in Conahy cemetery.

SOCCER The soccer season began recently and also the schoolboys section. Freshford Town Junior side were beaten in the first round of the Maher Shield and drew away to St.Johns recently on a 3-3 scoreline.

SPLIT THE POT The weekly lucky winner of last weeks split the pot draw was Teresa Murphy who won herself €96. The draw takes place each Wednesday. Tickets are just €2 and the winner gets half of the takings. The draw is held each Wednesday and boxes and envelopes can be found in Kavanaghs Bar, Mace, O’Shea’s corner shop, Girls & Guys Hairdressers, Oasis Creche, Freshford Creamery, Freshford Butchers and Prague House. Please support this fund raising draw and big thanks to all for their continued support.

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

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

Mass Cards Special printed parish cards are available at the Parish Office or from Annette at Tulla Church signed by Monsignor Kennedy. You can contact the Parish office on 056 8832843 or by email – freshfordd@ossory.ie.

CAMOGIE The underage camogie had a great season with teams at u6, u8 and u10 all now finished up and have shown much improvement. Great credit and thanks to all the trainers and management for their time. Some great work and patience.

LOOP CAFE Big Work is continuing on the Community Cafe at Buncrussia Street and it is hoped to be open next month. Huge credit is due to the volunteers who have worked so hard to get all the work

done. The Committee thank all those who supported their fund raiser and all who have donated in any way over the past months.

They are looking for certain equipment such as fridges etc. at present and would be obliged if people had some they could donate.

HELP FOR ALL Are you struggling with anxiety or depression or finding life difficult or feeling isolated at this time GROW is there to help you. Their Mental Health support Groups are free and confidential and open to all no referral or booking is needed. For more information on same you can contact Mary on 087 284342 If you can’t cope and need support text HELLO to 50808.

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

DUNNAMAGGIN GAA Dunnamaggin GAA’s Dinner Dance (Mark the calendar). The GAA club will host a Dinner Dance on Sat 26th November in Hotel Kilkenny. Something to look forward to as the nights draw in.

LOTTO Local Lotto - Winning Numbers for September 26th: 8, 14, 31. No Winner.

Winners of the Draw for 5 x € 30. Carmel Savage ( C J Delane ), Robbie Byrne ( Malachy Hogan ), Dan Breen Snr (Dan Breen ),DMd ( Dan Breen ),Mary O Shea ( Pete’s ) Jackpot week October 3rd €2650.

KILMOGANNY BRIDGE CLUB Bridge results for 21/09/2022: 1st Josie O’Gorman and; Philip Brennan. 2nd Mary Delaney and Jackie Kenneally. 3rd Mary Lonergan and Kathleen O’Shea.

The bridge results for 14/09/2022: Joint 1st Mary Delaney and Tina Ronan, Rita Houlihan and Mary Comerford. 3rd Josie O’Gorman and Philip Brennan Bridge is every Wednesday night at 7.30pm in St. Eoghans Centre, Kilmoganny. All welcome.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN DUNNAMAGGIN MONDAY YOGA with Sharon at 10.30am in the Old School Dunnamaggin.

Contact Sharon 086 8159441 to book a place.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARD The fourth Community Spirit Award will be awarded in November. This year, as last, we have a nomination process in place for people to nominate someone they feel should be acknowledged for their voluntary work and contribution to the parish of Dunnamaggin which encompasses the three villages of Kells, Dunnamaggin and Kilmoganny. Nominations can be

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News Community & GAA Notes sent via private message to our facebook page (Dunnamaggin Community News) saying why your nominee should receive the award. Nomination forms will also be available in local shops soon.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY October 30th 11.30am to 4pm - Halloween Fun - Pumpkin Carving Competition - Children’s Halloween Games - Eamo’s Beef Stew to keep you all warm - Facepainting - and lots more to be unveiled. Saturday December 3rd in Madge’s Garden.

Turning on the Christmas Lights with Mince Pies and Hot Chocolate - Sunday December 4th our annual Christmas Market with Santa and Mrs Claus 11.30am to 4pm.

WHATS APP GROUP A new Whats App Group has been set up Parish News and Events to inform the whole community of forthcoming events across the three villages of Kells, Kilmoganny and Dunnamaggin. If you wish to be added please text 087 9665020 or 087 7565376 to be added to the group. It is an information only group so admins are the only ones that can post but there are admins from the three villages so if you have some event to highlight or news to impart you contact one of the admins and they will post for you.

DUNNAMAGGIN DEVELOPMENT GROUP Dunnamaggin Development Group are looking for more volunteers to join the DDG. We hold two meetings a month to organise our markets. We have our markets at Easter - June - August September Harvest Market - October Halloween and Christmas and you don’t have to be involved in every one . We work as a team but we all understand that family and work comes first. If you are interested in lending a hand a couple of hours a month please let Cyndi know. It’s also a lovely way to make friends and keep up to date with everything going on in the community and also helping to make our community a better place.

NO CONTRACT ! NO COMMITMENT ! JUST FUN ! Contact Cyndi on 0899473002 PUMPKIN PICKING Kilkenny Pumpkin Picking at Hughes Farm in Kells (R95K82) - from the 14th of October to the 31st from 10am to 6pm.

Admission tickets now available on Eventbrite! Make sure to get your ticket via this link, https://bit.ly/3LW3zUI before your date sells out! Great fun and you can carve and enter into the pumpkin carving competition at the Halloween Funday in Dunnamaggin on October 30th.

DUNNAMAGGIN LADIES FOOTBALL CLUB The U10s had a fabulous end of season session at the weekend of September 25th. Thanks so much to all their wonderful mentors who brought them on so well this year, namely Mick Lyons, Tom McCormack, Yvonne Lyons, Owen Harrisson and Regina Moran. Thanks also to Denise Gaule by adding to the occasion by presenting the girls their certificates and bringing along some silverware.

The U12 girls played the Roinn C final against Muckalee. Well done to the girls on getting to the final and playing so well all season. Hard luck on not coming away with a win but we are all very proud of the girls fantastic efforts. Thank you to mentors Séan Ryan, Mary Brennan, James Moylan and Barbara Rossiter for their time and commitment. A big thanks also to Doyle Concrete for standing the girls their McDonalds after the match.

Your generosity to the club is very much appreciated.

THE VOLUNTEER CENTRE KILKENNY Some new volunteer roles at The Volunteer Centre in Kilkenny.

Barnstorm Youth Theatre - would love to hear from anyone interested in supporting their Youth Theatre Programme. Full supervision and support is given. It is a great opportunity to gain some experience with young people and the theatre.

Lets Team Up to Clean Up - Kilkenny Volunteer Centre are supporting this County Council Initiative on Sunday 9th of October.

Any groups or individuals who would like to get involved can get in touch with us here to Keep Kilkenny looking its best!

A Dogs Life are looking for Volunteer Dog Foster Carers who are in a position to take a dog into their home to support the agency in the rehoming process.

L’Arche Community in Kilkenny are looking for a number of volunteers to help support the organisation with a Culinary Life Project, Gardening Support and General Volunteer for their Day Services.

It is a great opportunity for anyone who has a passion for not just food and gardening but also arts and crafts and supporting adults with an intellectual disability.

Community Radio would love to hear from anyone who is interested in joining their board. Particularly anyone who might have a background in governance, general administration etc.

If you are interested in finding out more please get in touch .

Email : info@volunteerkilkenny.ie or Call 0892584946 .

DROICHEAD FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE CALLAN Knit/ Crochet and Natter, every Friday in Droichead Family Resource Centre from 10-11.30am starting on the 16th September. Open to all beginners/ improvers/advanced, a tutor will be on hand to show new skills and all materials are provided. €2 per class to cover the cost of teas and coffees. To book your place contact Carmel on (083) 2098069 or familysupport@droicheadfrc.ie.

GOWRAN MOLLY’S GOODWILL TRIFT SHOP AT DALTON HOUSE Molly’s are requesting good quality used clothes, bags, scarfs and other saleable items for Molly’s Goodwill Trift Shop. No bed clothes, underwear, cosmetics, books or toys please.

The profits of this venture are to help Dalton House to offset the cost of continuing to operate in the present climate, any help and donations would be gratefully accepted. Items can be left into Dalton House or to Nellie Brett Main St. Receipts will be given.

Molly’s Goodwill Shop will open in November on Saturday only, as it will be voluntary staffed. Please consider helping.

GOWRAN COMMUNITY HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY

House available for rent in St Mary’s Court Homes for the Elderly complex. Apply to Fr Dalton on 086 8283478.

GOWRAN PANTO Have you ever wanted to join the cast of Gowran Pantomime?

The society are looking to take on new adult cast members for upcoming 2023 performance. No experience necessary - full training will be provided. If you’re over 18 and want a bit of craic with a mad but friendly bunch, then come along to our kick-off read through on October 11th at 8pm in the hall in Gowran.

ELITE CAMOGIE TRAINING DAY A Special Day will take place in Young Irelands GAA Grounds on Saturday 15th October from 10am - 1.30pm as 4 of the successful All-Ireland Senior Camogie winning Squad will host an Elite Camogie Training Day ran by the Kilkenny Camogie Champions in Aid of The Kilkenny Camogie Holiday Fund.

It’s open to Camogie Players aged 8-14 and it will be hosted by the Young Irelands Trio of Tiffanie and Steffi Fitzgerald and Ciara O’Keeffe along with Claire Phelan(Lisdowney).

The O’Duffy Cup will be in attendance and prices are €10 for 1 child, €15 for 2 children (Family) and €25 for 3 children (Family).

Young Players from all Clubs are welcome and for any further details check out The Young Irelands Camogie Club Page on Facebook MINORS IMPRESSIVELY WIN SHIELD FINAL The Young Irelands Minor A Team impressively won The Shield Final last week when they defeated Piltown 2-18 to 0-9 in The MW Hire Centre in Dunmore to finish the season on a high. The opening quarter was tight as Piltown led 0-4 to 0-3, but once The Young Irelands Boys got a goal in the 18th minute to take the lead(1-3 to 0-4), they took control and never looked back.A strong finish to the First-Half saw them go in 1-8 to 0-5 at half-time and they continued that momentum into the Second-Half.

A strong Third Quarter saw them outscore Piltown 0-6 to 0-2 to build a 1-14 to 0-7 lead, before a 47th minute goal confirmed their superior dominance(2-14 to 0-7). It was plain sailing right the way to the end as they ran out very convincing winners to finish the season on a high.

Congratulations to the Players and Management on winning The Shield Final and for all their efforts throughout the year.

MONDAY NIGHT COACHING FINALE Following a very busy 6 months with 23 Coaching Sessions featuring The Young Irelands youngters up to U-10, The Monday Night Coaching has finished up until next Spring.

So much work as always done by The Coaches with organising games, setting up pitches and planning drills. There was a great end to the season with games, a disco, races and of course treats to thank all the players for their hard work and commitment.

DANNY DELIVERS AS JUMPS RETURN TO GOWRAN PARK A MAJOR SUCCESS The National Hunt Season returned to Gowran Park with a Two-Day Meeting on Friday and Saturday and Local rider Danny Mullins had three winners across the Two-Days.

On Friday, he had a double with Saylavee - Trained by Willie Mullins - the most impressive winner of the meeting running out a 15 length winner on her hurdling debut in The Gowran Park Racing Club Maiden Hurdle, before the double was complete when Sea of Sands was a 12/1 winner of The Division Two of The Golf at Gowran Park Handicap Hurdle.

Danny was at his brilliant and tenacious best on Saturday when getting Wellington Hill - Trained by his Mum Mags - right up on the finish line to oblige in a photo finish and land The Golf Memberships at Gowran Park Maiden Hurdle.

Elsewhere on Friday, there was an upset in the featured Pat Walsh Mares Hurdle when The Norman Lee trained She Is Electric at 16/1 made all to defeat The Willie Mullins favorite Champagne Problem, while the Sam Curling trained Troubled Times with Derek O’Connor onboard landed the other feature The Mucklemeg Mares Bumper.

It was a great day also for Callan Native Jack Foley who rode a double for Trainer Philip Rothwell with Berliet Express winning The Division One of The Golf at Gowran Park Handicap Hurdle, before doubling up with Don’t Doubt Me in The Thomastown Handicap Hurdle.

On Saturday, Easy Game with Brian Hayes onboard led home a Willie Mullins 1-2 to win the featured Grade 2 PWC Champion Steeplechase ahead of the Danny Mullins ridden Kemboy, while Mark Walsh enjoyed a double in the JP McManus courtesy of Cougar in The opening 3-year-old Maiden Hurdle and Pairc Na Ngael in The Hospitality at Gowran Park Handicap Steeplechase.

Joseph O’Brien was in The winners enclosure when Banbridge was a very impressive winner of The Join Gowran Park Racing Club Beginners Steeplechase, while Jimmy Barcoe’s Influential Lady ran a superb race to finish a close Third in the concluding Captain Christy Novice Steeplechase and could easily have had another placed effort when Ventnor fell at the last in The Paulstown Handicap Hurdle.

Overall, a Superb Two-Days Racing and there are just TwoMeetings left in Gowran Park in 2022, a Flat Meeting on Tuesday 18th October, before The Kilkenny GAA Raceday on Saturday 26th November.

DICKSBORO CLUB LOTTO Dicksboro GAA Club LOTTO Results 29th September. Nos: 3 19 25 32. Jackpot: €4,700 Not Won Draw Prizes – €50: Deirdre O’Reilly c/o online. €25 each Siobhan O’Gorman c/o online. €25 each Ivan Doherty c/o online. €25 each Ted Carroll c/o online Co op draw ticket Ciara Lawlor c/o online. Promotors prize Tommy Hackett New weeks draw €4850. Thank you for your continued support SENIOR HURLERS Hard luck to our Senior Hurlers who lost out in a very entertaining

Handball winners Rian Dowling, Anthony Clifford, and Dan Carroll County Semi Final. Well done to James Stephens on their win and best of luck in the County Final. We thank all our players and Management Team for all their efforts this year.

JUNIOR B SECTION Congratulations to our Junior Hurlers in the JJ Kavanagh Hurling Section B Final who defeated James Stephens 2-18 to 3-11. Well done lads.

MINOR A COUNTY FINAL We saw one of the most dramatic Kilkenny Minor A Finals in recent memory. Up against a very strong Village side our young Hurlers dug deep and came out on the winning side thanks to a late Billy Fitzpatrick point. Huge Congratulations to all the players and Management team and we retain the Title for another year.

Well done.

SENIOR CAMOGIE Our Senior Girls played their Semi Final on Saturday morning in a windy Tullaroan. Up against a tough Piltown side the girls put on a great display of hurling and defeated Piltown 0-21 to 0-10.

The girls will now look forward to a Co Final scheduled for 15th October.

U14 CAMOGIE Another successful win for our u14 girls who defeated Mooncoin and will now progress to the County Final. Well done girls.

HANDBALL Congratulations to 3 of our 15 Hurlers who had huge success in Cashel Sunday afternoon. Dan Carroll and Rian Dowling won the u14 Doubles All Ireland Final while Anthony Clifford won the u15’s single title. Well done boys and congratulations to Ciaran and Jim Neary in TalbotsInch HBC. PALMERSTOWN CLUB Dicksboro Clubhouse Bar is opened every Thursday from 8.30pm.

Thursday nights is Lotto Draw and Cards Night. All are welcome out for a social drink, a chat and if there is interest, a beginners card table. We would be delighted to see you out to the club for a chat. We have a selection of non-alcoholic beers, barista coffee also available so come along and enjoy.

HUGGINSTOWN NEWMARKET STONEYFORD Mass Times in Aghaviller Parish:October 2022.

Hugginstown Church: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 9.30a.m.

Vigil, Saturday 8th. at 8.00p.m. Sunday 9th. at 10.00a.m.

Stoneyford Church, Wednesday and Friday at 7.00p.m. Vigil Saturday 8th. at 6.30p.m.

Friday 7th. Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. First Friday Visitation with Holy Communion will take place as usual on Friday. Please let us know if you would like to receive Holy Communion in your home for the First Fridays or at any other time.

Pray For: Gerard Cantwell, Carricketna. Nuala Moore, Kimoganny: both who died during the week.

Anniversary Mass: Kit Doran, Stoneyford: Mass in Stoneyford Church on Saturday 8th. October at 6.30p.m.

Larry and Sheila Murphy, Gowlawn.Mass in Hugginstown Church on Saturday 8th. October at 8.00p.m.

Remembrance Masses for the Faithful Departed: Remembrance Masses for the Faithful Departed will be celebrated on Saturday 5th. November: In Stoneyford Church at 6.30p.m., and in Hugginstown Church at 8.00p.m. We will remember all who have lost a family member during the past twelve months.

Families will be invited to bring a candle to the altar in remembrance of their loved ones during Mass.

Rota for week-end: 8th and 9th October 2022 (Twenty-Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time).

Readers: Stoneyford: Saturday 6.30p.m. Rita O’Farrell. Hugginstown: Saturday 8.00p.m. Tommy Murphy. Sunday 10.00a.m.

Mary Foran.

Eucharistic Ministers: Stoneyford: Saturday 6.30p.m. Natalia Smolen. Hugginstown: Saturday 8.00p.m. Mary Cahill. Sunday 10.00a.m. Ruth Crowley.

COASTAL ROSARY FOR FAITH AND LIFE IN IRELAND On Sunday October 9th the Annual Coastal Rosary will take place at 2.30pm. Join thousands of people from around Ireland to pray the Rosary for Life and Faith at our Coasts, Grottos, Rivers, Churches, and other suitable places. Simply sign up a Rosary location at www. coastalrosaryireland.ie or text your location to 087 278 6552.

OCTOBER STATION October Station Envelopes 2022 are available at the Church Porch. Your contributions are for the support of the priests of the

Parish and the Diocese. Your contribution 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).

LOTTO Aghaviller Parish and Carrickshock G. A. A. Draw: Monday 26th.

September 2022 Numbers: 20; 02; 22; 27. No Winner First 3 Numbers Drawn. No Jackpot Winner: 5 x €30.00. Winners: Angela and Paul Barron, Romansvalley. Pat Duggan, Boolyglass; Liam Barron, Sheepstown. Killian Kane, c/o Fred Malzard.Harry Butler, Rathduff.

3 x €15.00 (Sellers). Pat Dwyer; Willie Walshe; Teresa Fitzgerald.

Next week: Match 3: €500.00; (First 3 Numbers Drawn) Jackpot: €5,500.00. (4 Numbers in any order) WESTPORT HOLIDAY 5 days/4 nights. From the 31st. October to 4th. November 2022.

Coach from Stoneyford; Outings every day. A great hotel. €395.00 p.p. sharing.€475.00 single room. More details on www.stoneyford.ie or Telephone: 087 641 4038 PILGRIMAGE TO ROME The Adult Faith Development Group are holding a pilgrimage to Rome this coming March (9th. to 14th.) 2023. Rome has a remarkable array of religious art - frescos, paintings, sculptures, mosaics and stuccos. Over the centuries these treasures have inspired, educated and uplifted countless people. This pilgrimage will explore the religious and catechetical meaning of some of these masterpieces. For further information or for booking please contact Kieran or Laura Troy at info@myriam.ie or by calling 057 935 5050.

FIRST HOLY COMUNION 2023 First Holy Communion will be celebrated in Stoneyford Church on Sunday 14th. May for Stoneyford School.

First Holy Communion will be celebrated in Hugginstown Church on Sunday 21st. May for Monroe/Newmarket Schools.

MILL FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE SAVE THE DATE Knitting and Crochet Christmas Fair and Coffee Morning on Friday 2nd December in the Centre, Main Street, Urlingford from 11am – 1pm. Hope to see you there.

LTI PATHWAY TO EMPLOYMENT LTI Pathway to Employment course QQI Level 4 LTI is recruiting for the new programme in the Centre. If anyone is interested in completing this full-time course, please contact us for an expression of interest form. More details can be found on our website www. millfrcurlingford.com 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.

Counselling Services: Our low cost Counselling Services, includes One-to-One, Family & Teens, aged 12 plus.

General Counselling: Bereavement, Stress, Anxiety & Depression. Other Counselling Services available: Drug, Substance & Gambling Addictions. Please contact Sue for more information or to make an appointment.

Appeal for Clothes Donations: Any clothes donations would be appreciated in aid of our counselling services. Donations can be left into the Centre, please call before dropping off. Contact number for the Centre 056-8838466 CALLAN GOLF CLUB RESULTS 18 Hole S/F Sept. 20th. 1st, Ann Wenyss 36pts (15). 2nd, Caroline Somers 36 (32). 3rd, Sheila Kirby 35 (38) 9 Hole 1st Mary Lonergan 19 (18). Mary Kennedy 18 (29) 3 Person Team Event Sept 27th. Winners Anna Starr, Teresa Phelan. Maria Gorey 82-17=65 9Hole. Mary Kennedy 16c/b (29). Rita O Neill 16 (4) Senior Ladies 12Hole Thursday 29th This was surely a busy day for Mary Lanigan with count backs. As ever no bother to Mary.

Winner Ena Kennedy 25. Ann Phelan 23. Mary Norton 23. Ellen O Shea 23 Geraldine O Sullivan 23 Three of our ladies took 2nd place in 3 person team event at Dungarvan G .C. Open Week . Pauline O Brien, Anna Starr and Lady Captain Anne Croke.

Wednesday will see 4 ladies off to Birr to represent the club in the Glen Trophy.

We wish them all the best.

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

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

Hurling matters

Sport

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

St Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final Review Shamrocks Ballyhale 1-27 Clara 0-15 The last of the remaining quarterfinal ties took place last Sunday at UPMC Nowlan Park when holders Shamrocks Ballyhale took on Clara with a semi-final against Tullaroan the prize for the winners.

Pat Hoban’s men certainly laid down a marker as they continued their bid for 5-in-a-row County titles with an impressive display against the side that had got one over on them in the league earlier this season.

Adrian Mullen was particularly impressive as he notched 1-7 in the dismantling of Clara, some of his scores were worth the admission alone.

Clara to their credit started brightly, and registered the first couple of scores of the game, thanks to points from John Murphy and David Langton. Clara’s bright start was soon dimmed, when County stars Mullen and TJ Reid began to find their range.

Shamrocks greater attacking quality was proving troublesome for the Clara defence, and even though they employed a sweeper, the Maroonclad men seemed to be chasing shadows for long periods of the game. A mistake by the normally reliable Kevin Nolan in the Clara goal, allowed Adrian Mullen to raise the only green flag of the day and this score seemed to ignite the Ballyhale charges. Indeed, Mullen’s next score was one of his finest, from way out on the sideline.

The champions were 6 points up with just over ten minutes played, and things were looking ominous for the Shield winners. Clara gave their vocal support something to cheer with points from the dangerous Jason Byrne and another from John Murphy. Paddy Mullen and Darragh Corcoran responded for Shamrocks but the free-taking of Byrne allowed his team to close the gap to five at the mid-way point of the half.

Ballyhale then went up a gear and reeled off some fine scores from Mullen, Eoin Cody and Colin Fennelly. Clara were simply outgunned.

Wing-forward Liam Ryan tagged on a couple of tasty scores, Adrian Mullen hit his fourth of the half before further points from Cody, TJ Reid and Darragh Corcoran sent Pat Hoban’s men into the changing rooms ten points to the good.

The County champions of ‘13 and ‘15 simply had no answer to Shamrocks. The second half followed the pattern of the first, with Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody the chief protagonists, striking over points that highlighted their quality and undoubted class.

Liam Ryan and Conor O’Shea battled in vain for Clara, who in truth never looked like mounting a serious challenge to Shamrocks reign as champions. Defenders Darragh Corcoran and Evan Shefflin struck over points while Colin Fennelly added to his tally and finished with 0-3 on the day.

When referee Peter Burke blew for full-time, Ballyhale had taken another step on the road to 5-in-a-row. Final score Shamrocks Ballyhale 1-27, Clara 0-15.

Scorers Shamrocks Ballyhale: A Mullen (1-7), E Cody (0-6), TJ Reid (0-6, 0-4f and 0-1 65), Darragh Corcoran, Colin Fennelly (0-3 each), Evan Shefflin, Paddy Mullen (0-1 each) Scorers Clara: L Ryan (0-4), J Byrne (0-4, 0-4f ), J Murphy, C O’Shea (0-2 each), C Bolger, M Kenny, D Langton (0-1 each) Shamrocks Ballyhale: D Mason; K Corcoran, J Holden, B Butler; E Shefflin, R Reid, D Corcoran; R Corcoran, P Mullen; A Mullen, TJ Reid, E Cody; E Kenneally, C Fennelly, N Shorthall.

Clara crushed as Shamrocks size up The Sash!

The Village see-off Dicksboro to book final spot

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

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Hurling matters Bill Sheehan heavily challenged

by Diarmuid Cody

Subs: J Cuddihy for P Mullen, E Reid for Shortall, L Barron for R Corcoran, S Barron for Butler.

Clara: K Nolan; B Carrigan, J Langton, S O’Shea; S Staunton, D Langton, M Kenny; C O’Shea, M O’Connell; P Cody, J Murphy, L Ryan; D Glynn, J Byrne, C Bolger.

Subs: L Ryan for O’Connell, C Cody for Glynn, T Ryan for Byrne, E Whearty for Kenny.

Referee: Peter Burke Semi-Final Review Dicksboro 1-18 James Stephens 2-18 The Village are the first side to qualify for this seasons St Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship Final after an exciting encounter with city rivals Dicksboro at UPMC Nolan Park last Sunday.

Goals win games and so it proved in this semi-final encounter as James Stephens

bagged two majors to ‘Boro’s one as they bid for a first county title since 2011.

Seamus Dwyer’s men were quick off the mark and hit three early scores via Tadhg O’Dwyer, Matthew Ruth and Willie Spencer. Dicksboro responded with four of their own, the dangerous Andy Gaffney hit a couple as did Liam Moore and one from Eoin Fennelly nudged them ahead.

A wonderful goal followed from Eoin Guilfoyle as those in attendance were being treated to a scoring spectacle! Bill Sheehan led by example and struck over a fine point, before Village netminder Gavin Costigan reacted smartly to deny a well struck Andy Gaffney effort.

Placed ball specialist Niall Brassil rifled over a brace of frees to confirm his radar was locked in on the day. The city rivals exchanged scores before Brassil nailed another couple of efforts to leave James Stephens four up at the short whistle.

Dicksboro came out determined to claw back the deficit and struck the first few scores of the second half through a hat-

trick of placed balls from Andy Gaffney and a lovely score from the roving Liam Moore. The ‘Boro then fashioned a major of their own. Some good play from Moore saw the ball played to Gaffney, and the deadly attacker made no mistake as he finished past a helpless Costigan.

Seamus Dwyer’s team then dug in and pulled a couple back through Niall Brassil and Tadhg O’Dwyer, but Gaffney was in fine form for Michael Walsh’s men and he struck over a challenging free before recently introduced sub, Harry Shine popped over a nice point to leave his side ahead by the minimum as the semifinalists entered the home straight.

The turnaround in form of this Village team since the opening rounds of the league has been quite remarkable. Could it be that Brian Cody has made a tangible difference since joining Seamus Dwyer’s management team?

Niall Brassil then struck the score that brought the sides level again, but matters were about to get a whole lot better for The Village.

With a little over 10 minutes remaining, one of Brian Cody’s trusted lieutenants got the vital score of the game. Conor Browne picked up possession some 40-odd yards away from goal but drove straight to goal and when he reached the ‘21 he unleashed a firm shot past Holohan in the Dicksboro goal. The Village up by three.

Dicksboro were rocked, but to their credit they fired over points from that man Gaffney and captain Bill Sheehan.

However, James Stephens had wind in their sails following Browne’s goal, and they added a couple of more points from their top scorer Brassil and Eoin Guilfoyle to see them home by three in an exhilarating encounter that in truth could have gone in either sides favour. Final Score, Dicksboro 1-18 James Stephens 2-18.

Scorers James Stephens: N Brassil (0-9, 0-7f ), E Guilfoyle (1-1), C Browne (1-0), L Scanlon, T O’Dwyer, A Parsons (0-2 each), W Spencer, M Ruth (0-1 each) Scorers Dicksboro: A Gaffney (1-8, 0-5f, 0-3 65’s), L Moore, B Sheehan (0-3 each), T Clifford (0-2), E Fennelly, H Shine (0-1 each) James Stephens: G Costigan, L Murphy, D Cody, S Donoghue, N Delaney, C Kenny, N Mullins, W Spencer, C Browne, A Parsons, N Brassil, E Guilfoyle, T O’Dwyer, M Ruth, L Scanlon Subs: R Whelan for Parsons Dicksboro: D Holohan, N Rowe, E Cody, A Phelan, O Walsh, P Moylan, E Carroll, T Kenny, E Fennelly, L Moore, B Sheehan, T Clifford, A Nolan, M Nolan, A Gaffney Subs: H Shine for Walsh, S Farrell for Clifford, C Kavanagh for M. Nolan, S Stapleton for A. Nolan Referee: Raymond Byrne

Aerial Duel Colin Fennelly and Jack Langton in aerial duel

Conor O Shea Down but still trying to gain possesion from Evan Shefflin

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Hurling matters

Sport

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

St Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final Preview Shamrocks Ballyhale vs Tullaroan League champions Tullaroan will take on the absolute might of Shamrocks Ballyhale when the two sides meet at UPMC Nowlan Park tomorrow (throw-in 3:30pm) for a place in the St Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship final, where James Stephens await the winners of this intriguing tie.

I’d imagine most will see this as another run-out for Ballyhale as they seek to position themselves for a much-coveted 5-in-a-row tilt, but that would be a little disrespectful on a Tullaroan side that can mix it with the best of them.

Ken Coogan’s side will relish the opportunity of a crack at last season’s beaten All-Ireland club finalists and will know that his side possess weapons that can damage any opponent on the day.

Central to The Sash’s chances of making it to a senior championship final will be the form of Shane Walsh. Indeed, it was Walsh’s 12-point haul in their quarter-final win over Erin’s Own that ultimately proved the winning of that game and gave Tullaroan a semi-final berth.

Joey Holden and Co. will know that any illdiscipline in the Shamrocks half of the pitch could result in scores for the deadly accurate Walsh who will relish his free-taking battle with the great TJ Reid.

The youngest of the Walsh brothers, Shane has shown a temperament matched with a skill level that many club sides would give their right hand for. When the semi-finalists clashed in the final round of league games, Tullaroan produced a stunning comeback to shock Pat Hoban’s men and qualify for the league decider that they went onto win comfortably against Bennettsbridge.

While Shane Walsh clearly has a pivotal role to play tomorrow, he will have players beside him that won’t be found wanting in the heat of the battle at UPMC Nowlan Park. Another Walsh, Padraig could have key bearing on the game’s outcome. Padraig is a classy player who can operate in numerous positions across the pitch and his hunger and desire to get his beloved Sash over the line will be clear for all in attendance to see.

The Tullaroan attacking unit will be shackled by a largely experienced defence, and how the likes of Mossy Keoghan, Gearoid Dunne, John Walton and Dylan Simpson deal with this will go a long way to how credible The Sash challenge will be tomorrow. We all know Mossy has an eye for goal, and majors could go a long way to deciding the outcome of this match.

During the sides last meeting, The Sash defence managed to keep Eoin Cody in check for large parts of the game, but the twice crowned Young Hurler of the Year has been going well since that outing, scoring 0-6 in his sides win over Clara last week.

Ken Coogan will no doubt try to restrict the influence the likes of Eoin Cody, TJ Reid and Adrian Mullen will have tomorrow, but to do that in championship hurling won’t be easy. Against Glenmore and Clara, you could sense that Shamrocks Ballyhale not only demand winning a 5th consecutive county title, but they feel that they have unfinished business on the All-Ireland club stage, following last year’s sickening defeat to Ballygunner in Croke Park. Before they look to that, local business needs attended to.

The Tom Walsh top 2 lock horns!

Final berth awaits semi winners Shane Walsh gets away from Kevin Brennan

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

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Hurling matters Darragh Corcoran will stick tight to the Tullaroan forwards

Padraig Walsh will look to lead by example

Padraig Walsh will look to lead by example

These days, scores come from all over the park, and the attacking capabilities of both Darragh Corcoran and Evan Shefflin could be extremely useful tools in the Ballyhale locker. Both players can strike from distance and love making their markers chase the other way.

While Shane Walsh may well be the key man for Tullaroan, the hurling of former Kilkenny captain Adrian Mullen has been instrumental in Shamrocks quest for more championship glory. His nonstop work ethic, coupled with the ability

to strike points from the most ridiculous of angles means Mullen is a vital cog in the Ballyhale machine. The way Mullen, Cody and TJ dovetail, normally allows Shamrocks to thrive in the open spaces of UPMC Nowlan Park, while Colin Fennelly has looked hungry following his summer spell in the USA. Expect a decent crowd to be in attendance tomorrow and one hopes that they will be treated to a fantastic spectacle. Tullaroan dreams.... Ballyhale expects.

>> SHERRY SAYS...

James Stephens are there. A narrow victory over Dicksboro last week saw Seamus Dwyer’s charges make their third county final in the last six years. It’s hard to believe that the city side haven’t lifted the Tom Walsh Cup since 2011 when they beat Ballyhale by eight points after a replay.

There’s no doubt that the input from a certain Mr. Brian Cody has perhaps got a little bit extra out of this talented side. Certainly, the likes Cian Kenny and Conor Browne have an extra spring in their step in recent games, while the reliable Eoin Guilfoyle and Niall Brassil have fired The Village to the county decider.

So, which team will join The Village in the showpiece later this month?

Could we see a repeat of the 2011 final? Or could it be the neutrals final with Tullaroan providing the opposition to Seamus Dwyer’s side?

Should Shane Walsh be able to replicate his influence on tomorrow’s game the way he has done in the season to date, Tullaroan certainly stand a fighting chance. If The Sash can play the game and not the occasion, well, who knows?

One thing is certain, Padraig Walsh and Mossy Keoghan will want to get one over on their many county team mates at UPMC Nowlan Park tomorrow. Mossy will fancy his chances of raising a green flag at a venue that he knows well, and as we alluded to earlier, goals can make a major difference in games like this.

Shamrocks are building nicely – and in Adrian Mullen they have one of the top hurlers in the country at present. He has esteemed company in the Ballyhale attacking unit and this could prove crucial. Should Paddy Mullen miss out with what’s thought to be a hamstring injury, captain Ronan Corcoran will have a new partner in the engine room and will look to give his side the platform to go forth and do the Ballyhale thing!

Reaching a first senior county final since 1994 will be a massive carrot for Ken Coogan’s side, while Pat Hoban’s team will want to give themselves an opportunity to claim a magnificent 5th consecutive title.

This game could be good, it certainly has all the ingredients to be a classic.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

Motors Classifieds

Classified section To advertise your business in our classified section call in or telephone: 056 777 1463, or email: accounts @kilkennyobserver.ie

NOW OPEN SATURDAY MORNINGS 9.30am to 12.00pm

CAR WASH – 087 2587745 TYRE BREAKDOWN SERVICE

JOEPARSONSGARDEN MAINTENANCE SERVICES INCLUDE • Hedge cutting • • Grass cutting • • Power washing • • Dry rubbish removal • • Tree pruning •

CONTACT JOE: 086-8587568

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

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Classifieds Motors

FOR SALE •04 Toyota Avensis D-4D – Diesel •Two Wheel car trailer •Four Wheel car trailer

Contact 087 2604742

Call 056 7771463 for all your classified advertisements

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

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Planning notices

Planning notices KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL:

I, Breda Walker intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for Retention Planning Permission to retain existing garage and stores and all associated site development works at 65 Newpark Lower, 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.

Contact us at 056 7771463 or email sales@kilkennyobserver.ie

for your planning notice requirements.

The Kilkenny Observer is an approved newspaper by Kilkenny County Council for the entire functional area.

TO PUBLISH PLANNING APPLICATION, CONTACT US: Call to our office at: Unit 7 Friary Street Telephone: 056 777 1563/086 2395370 Email: sales@kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022

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Memoriams / Miracle Prayers

The Miracle Prayer

The Miracle Prayer

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. S.M.

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. S.M.

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

The Miracle Prayer

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.

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.

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. T.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. B.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. S.B.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 07 October 2022