Kilkenny Observer 9th September 2022

EVERY FRIDAY

The Kilkenny

Observer FREE EDITION

Friday 09 September 2022

Energy Crisis Does it pay you to retrofit your home?  Special Report, Page 14

Tel: 056 777 1463 E: sales@kilkennyobserver.ie W: kilkennyobserver.ie

UK’s New Boss The life and time of Elizabeth Truss  Global Report, Page 22

2

kilkennyobserver.ie

Advertisement

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

3

kilkennyobserver.ie

EVERY FRIDAY

The Kilkenny

10,000 COPIES PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTED ACROSS CITY AND COUNTY EVERY WEEK

Observer

kilkennyobserver.ie

It’s the Dark Ages Each and every one us will be expected to limit our energy use this winter as the Government prepares a plan to avoid blackouts. We can expect periodic times without heat or light.

Ministers believe record utility bills will have a “shock and awe” effect on families, leading them to voluntarily

reduce their usage. A massive campaign is now being planned to inform consumers on the best ways to cut back on their electricity usage in the months ahead.

Government sources said “fear and anger” could take hold once the first bills of autumn start to arrive.

A major package of finan-

cial supports, which will benefit all households, is being planned ahead of Budget Day on September 27.

The Cabinet is signing off on a plan to advise public sector bodies to set their buildings’ heating systems to 19C where appropriate in an effort to conserve energy and reduce costs this winter.

But there are growing concerns among senior coalition figures that people will be unable to pay their energy bills, with some acknowledging the possibility of mass non-compliance akin to what happened with water charges nearly a decade ago.

Such happening all over the EU.

However, the Government sources and other insiders cautioned that this has not yet arisen in Ireland and said the main concern was whether households would be able to pay their bills, not whether they would refuse to do so.

See also Page 6

Vicky’s story arrives on Big Screen

A windfall tax to fund help for homes and businesses to meet spiralling costs has been strongly hinted at by Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

Mr Martin’s comments came after it emerged that the EU is on course to make huge interventions in the energy market under plans before energy ministers in Brussels.

Full story, Page 6

Moscow-bites ...

Our Business Awards are back!

EVERY FRIDAY

cess was officially announced

by Cathal Smyth, Managing Director, Chief Administrative Officer, State Street Global Services Ireland.

Dores were the winners of the Overall Business of the Year at the 2021 Business Awards.

Kilkenny Chamber is now calling upon individuals and enterprises across Kilkenny to nominate businesses for one

The Kilkenny

Observer UNIT 7, FRIARY STREET, KILKENNY, R95 VHY7

Property prices will continue to soar beyond Celtic Tiger levels in the coming months, despite the cost-of-living crisis and fears of global economic slowdown, according to the banks.

Strong demand, particularly from first-time buyers, will keep prices rising, according to a new report from the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI).

It appears that home buyers are continuing to push themselves to save for property, even as mortgage costs rise.

Windfall tax for energy giants

Vicky Phelan’s emotionally charged documentary ‘Vicky’ is finally heading to the big screen.

The documentary charts the Mooncoin native’s battle with cancer and her gruelling fight for justice for the victims of the CervicalCheck scandal and hold those responsible to account.

It premiered at the Virgin Media Dublin Film Festival earlier this year before going on to win best Irish Documentary and was also nominated for an Irish Council of Civil Liberties Human Rights Awards at the festival.

After a very successful 2021 Business Awards last March Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce is returning to its traditional date in November this year, for the big social and business networking event of the year. Saturday, November 19 in the Lyrath Estate Hotel is a date for all business diaries.

Open to all businesses operating in Kilkenny City and County, the nomination pro-

Celtic Tiger house prices back again

of the prestigious awards. This year three new categories are being introduced: Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in the Workplace, Health and Wellness in the Workplace, and the Post Pandemic Phoenix Award.

President of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce, Brian Keyes said: “We are delighted to launch the Kilkenny Business Awards 2022.

Nominations are now open!

The awards process is free of charge and open to all Kilkenny based businesses. I would encourage any enterprise, big or small, across the county to put forward a nomination for themselves or another worthy company who deserves recognition for their business and accomplishments.”

Kilkenny Chamber uses a simple on-line nomination

and application form to process the anticipated large volumes of applicants for the popular awards scheme.

Nominations close on Wednesday, September 21.

Thereafter candidates will be required to put forward a full application by Friday, September 30. * See www.kilkennychamber.ie for nomination forms and more information.

Russia isn’t exactly flavour of the month at the moment.

Indeed, Russia hasn’t been flavour of the month for several months now, since it invaded the Ukraine. And I’m wondering if Russia was EVER flavour of the month?

Gerry Moran at his best Every week, Page 20

INSIDE

Paul Hopkins....................P8 Marianne Heron............P12 John Ellis ........................P16 Health & Science...........P18 Travel & Leisure............P19 Gerry Moran ..................P20 Gerry Cody... P20,21,32,33 Food & Drink .................P36 TV & Streaming............P37 Sport...........................P42,43

EDITOR E: editor@kilkennyobserver.ie

SALES E: sales@kilkennyobserver.ie T: 087 382 0109 or 087 342 1958

FEATURES E: features@kilkennyobserver.ie T: 056 777 1463

SPORTS E: sportseditor@kilkennyobserver.ie

ACCOUNTS E: accounts@kilkennyobserver.ie T: 056 777 1463

DESIGN E: design@kilkennyobserver.ie T: 087 348 0279

GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE TEAM

4

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

News

Gearing up for entrepreneurs’ future The Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny has launched their online and in-person training programme for Autumn 2022.

The programme schedule provides potential new entrepreneurs and small business operating in the county the opportunity to develop new skills and adapt to changing economic environment.

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO will continue to deliver virtual programmes and inperson training for the forthcoming season.

Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council Pat Fitzpatrick said: “The Local Enterprise Office is the firststop-shop for entrepreneurs and small business owners based in Kilkenny and there is a range of business support packages along with the training programmes including business information and advice, mentoring and financial assistance.”

The training schedule includes Start Your Own Business Courses including one specifically for food related start-ups, financial courses including book-keeping and taxation and digital marketing programmes e.g. enhancing the customer experience with a digital approach.

LEO are also excited to announce continued supports directed at existing businesses namely Lunchtime Seminars with Blaise Brosnan and Inno-

New skills: from left, Lynne Whelan, Senior Design Strategist, Design + Technology Gateway, Cathaoirleach Pat Fitzpatrick, Catherine Hennessy, LEO Kilkenny, and John Mulcahy, LEO Kilkenny

vate Kilkenny. The Lunchtime Seminars with Blaise Brosnan are taking place on September 13 and 27 starting at 12.30pm and cover Planning for your Business in 2022 and Optimising Your Bottom Line.

Innovate Kilkenny, a business innovation support

programme will commence on Thursday September 22.

This programme is directed at existing business that want to create more value and improve/transform their business by developing innovative strategies. The programme has been developed by LEO

in association with Enterprise Ireland and Design+ Technology Gateway — an established centre for innovation and commercialisation in Design and New Product Development — as part of South East Technological University.

The programme will be de-

livered by Senior Design Strategist Lynne Whelan alongside the industry-facing creative designers at Design+ Technology Gateway.

Aileen McGrath, Head of Enterprise (Acting), LEO, said: “Last year, a total of 828 clients participated in 75

training and management development programmes – the majority of which took place virtually. We know that Co Kilkenny has a significant talent pool of entrepreneurs and is the ideal environment for indigenous entrepreneurs to develop and grow.”

HSE urges parents in the South East to protect their children by registering for school vaccinations The HSE in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford are reminding parents/guardians to look out for and return immunisation consent forms to children’s school or as advised in correspondence.

The HSE also advise parents/ guardians to access information about the vaccination programmes from immunisation.ie From today, the HSE calls on parents to take the opportunity to protect their children and not to delay getting their children vaccinated as the HSE immunisation programme commences in schools nationwide from 26th September.

Dr. Kathleen O’ Sullivan, Principal Medical Officer with South East Community Healthcare, is reiterating the message issued nationally by the HSE: “Students will be bringing home immunisation consent packs if they are in first year or Junior Infants. We would ask parents to keep an eye out for these and urge them to return these completed to the school, consenting to vaccination of their child as soon as possible.”

“COVID-19 has disrupted the HSE’s school immunisation programmes. We want to

achieve high levels of uptake for these programmes during the 2022/23 academic year to prevent outbreaks of vaccinepreventable diseases.”

“We know one case of measles can cause an additional 12-15 cases and we know that meningitis can be very serious, very quickly. We also know that HPV causes one in 20 cancers worldwide. Vaccination is vitally important to protect children from preventable diseases such as measles, whooping cough and polio amongst others.’’

The majority of vaccines will be given on school premises but if this isn’t possible, the HSE will invite students and their parents to a local clinic.

Primary School - 4 in 1 and MMR vaccine When a child is in Junior Infants, they will be offered two vaccines: the 4 in 1 booster to protect against diphtheria, polio, tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis); and a second dose of the MMR vaccine to protect against measles, mumps and rubella. Learn more about the 4 in 1 and MMR school programme here.

Second Level School - HPV, Tdap and MenACWY vaccines All students entering first year of secondary school will be of-

fered a tetanus, low dose diphtheria and low dose pertussis (whooping cough), (Tdap) non-live booster vaccine and a booster dose of the Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) non-live vaccine, which protect teenagers from life-threatening meningococcal group A, C, W and Y infection.

The HPV (Human Papillomavirus) non-live vaccine will also be offered. The HPV vaccine protects against almost all cases of cervical cancer, 7 out of 10 vaginal and 5 out of 10 vulval cancer, 9 out of 10 HPV related anal cancers and 9 out of 10 cases of genital warts.

Two doses of the HPV vaccine are needed for full protection, a second dose will be given six months after the initial dose In Ireland, all the recommended vaccines given in the school’s immunisation programme are free. Learn more about the different vaccines and the school programmes on the HSE website: • Tdap school programme • MenACWY school programme • HPV school programme For further information visit the National Immunisation Office website www.immunisation.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

5

kilkennyobserver.ie

Advertisement

6

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

News

Ibec Kilkenny Budget push Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, and business leaders have met with regional TDs in Glanbia, Kilkenny, to highlight key priorities ahead of this month’s Budget. Ibec says that Budget 2023 must provide a robust response to both the immediate inflationary competitiveness challenges and in

meeting the long-term strategic issues we face as a society.

As Ibec launched its Budget 2023 campaign detailing suggested spending and tax measures of just under €2bn, it said that the undoubted current inflationary pressures must be matched by a focus on the crucial longterm investments necessary

to enhance living standards, overall quality of life and economic resilience.

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

Fiscal policy must also be flexible over the winter and potentially into 2023 should

a continued deterioration of the inflationary environment occur.

Speaking at the meeting, Helen Leahy, Ibec Head of Regional Policy said: “Budget 2023 arrives at a crucial inflection point for the global economy. Catalysed by huge cost pressures and tightening of financial

Taoiseach says energy windfall tax now ‘likely’ A windfall tax to fund help for homes and businesses to meet spiralling costs has been strongly hinted at by Taoiseach Micheál Martin who has given the strongest indication yet that energy companies making huge profits will be hit with such a tax.

Mr Martin’s comments came after it emerged that the EU is on course to make huge interventions in the energy market under plans before energy ministers in Brussels. These include a levy on huge electricity and energy company profits, and potential caps on gas prices.

The Brussels executive is also going to increase pressure on all national governments to frame hard and realistic energy-saving plans for the coming winter.

The plans are being discussed amid growing unrest in many EU member states and big national energy- support being developed in many member states.

Prospects for agreement

on the EU measures have increased after Germany, a conservative on energy market intervention, backed the Commission proposal welcomed by other countries.

Dublin and all other 26 EU governments have been asked what measures they will back.

Brussels officials said signs pointed to a levy on excess electricity profits and demand reduction measures, backed by the Commission last week.

But some countries want to go further.

Further moves include price caps on Russian gas and oil.

This follows a move by the G7 group of nations, which includes three EU kingpin members, Germany, France and Italy.

Recently the G7 decided to fix a price limit at which companies can buy Russian oil leaving Moscow with a take-it-or-leave-it choice.

Some governments argue the same could be applied to all Russian energy, turning tables on Putin’s regime and curbing funding for its war in Ukraine.

Glanbia name change comes under scrutiny Glanbia Co-op and Glanbia Ireland have changed their name to Tirlán, after the decision last year to buy Glanbia PLC’s stake in its Irish dairy and grain business.

Combining the Irish words ‘Tír’ for land and ‘Lán’ for full, Tirlán it said stands for ‘Land of Abundance’ and represents the ‘deep connection’ and ‘relationship’ between the Co-op, its people and the land they ‘nurture together to farm and sustain’.

However, following the announcement, the new name came in for some criticism from Irish language enthusiasts who queried the use of only one fada.

A spokesperson for Tirlán

said it used one fada to simplify the name and make it more relevant in a global context, as it export to 80 countries worldwide. “We chose to include one of the fadas as a distinct Irish reference and looked at other well-known consumer brands which also include an accent (such as Nescafé and many others). Many other wellknown brands are also drawn from an amalgamation of words and names,” it added.

Tirlán was unveiled simultaneously to employees and farmer shareholders during a webinar last week in the Co-op’s new collaboration centre at Abbey Quarter in Kilkenny city.

markets, we are facing significant global economic headwinds, with the era of record low interest rates, low inflation, and spare capacity ending.

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

Our members are already experiencing this through tighter capital markets and rapidly rising costs. The outlook for Irish business is marked by growing concern at rapid shifts in our competitive position. This underlines the importance of controlling what we can here at home in Budget 2023.”

We fine Insta €405m. for child breach

The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has imposed a record fine of €405 million against social network Instagram following an investigation into its handling of children’s data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The fine, which is the biggest issued by the DPC to date, is the third for a Metaowned company handed down by the Irish regulator.

The enquiry about Instagram’s handling of children’s data was opened by the DPC, Meta’s lead data supervisor in the EU, back in September 2020.

The investigation focused on child users between the ages of 13 and 17 who were allowed to operate business accounts, which facilitated the publication of the users’ phone numbers and/or email addresses.

According to Euronews,

the Irish regulator completed a draft ruling in the Instagram investigation in December and shared it with other European Union regulators under the bloc’s “one-stop shop” system of regulating large multinationals.

“We adopted our final decision last Friday and it does contain a fine of €405 million,” said the spokesman for the DPC, which regulates Facebook, Apple,

Google and other technology giants due to the location of their EU headquarters in Ireland.

The watchdog said phone numbers and email addresses of some children were publicly accessible at times, while some profiles were ‘public’ by default rather than ‘private’.

Full details of the decision would be published soon, the DPC spokesman said.

Meanwhile, online bullying is increasing The number of children between eight and 12 years old with online social accounts has risen to 87%, according to a major survey of 4,500 Irish primary schoolchildren.

The findings come as Instagram was fined a record €405m by the Irish Data Protection Commission yesterday for breaching the privacy of children.

The study of children’s online habits, conducted by CyberSafeKids, found that more than one in four kids has been

bullied online, with the same amount seeing content that “bothered” them. And almost one-third of pre-teen boys are playing adult games and are “exposed to potentially harmful content”. This includes violent imagery, according to the report.

Over a third of children are allowed to go online “whenever they want”, the survey says, while 95% of eight- to 12-year-olds have their own internet-connected smart device. One in seven say there

are “no rules” at home for their online usage. Two-thirds say they have been contacted by a stranger in an online game.

The annual survey, conducted among 4,500 children between September 2021 and June 2022, includes a reported incident involving “sexually explicit and aggressive language” on a Snapchat group set up by a group of sixth class children.

“Reading the explicit threats of physical assault and rape of

my son in the most offensive, stomach-turning language, was horrendous,” the mother of one child involved in the reported incident is quoted as saying.

“We were able to take immediate action because my son told me what was happening, other parents also took action and there was an intervention from the school. I wasn’t vigilant enough and have taken steps to address that, but the duty of care cannot lie with the children and parents alone.”

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

7

kilkennyobserver.ie

Advertisement

8

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

Opinion

The Fact Of OfThe Matter PAUL HOPKINS

Women may well put Trump back in his box President Biden has mocked Donald Trump’s claims that all classified material brought by him to his Florida home had been declassified beforehand.”

I want you to know I’ve declassified everything in the world. I’m President, I can do — c’mon,” Biden has said, yhe quip reflected his most extensive remarks about an issue he has taken pains to keep at a distance.

“I’ll let the Justice Department [deal with] that,” Biden said. He also repeatedly called MAGA Republicans “semi fascists”.

The many top-secret documents found at Mara-Lago on August 8 and referred to in the heavily redacted affidavit released by Attorney General Merrick Garland — so determined on getting to the truth — ‘belong’ to the people of America and the National Archives. Trump has, argu-

ably, no power to declassify them. More than a dozen senior officials from the Trump administration believe the former president’s claim to be “patently false”.

There is little to learn from the 75 per cent blacked out 38 pages of the affidavit but there are a couple of things we can say with certainty. The FBI told Judge Bruce Reinhart the August 8 search would likely find “evidence of obstruction” and that there was “probable cause to believe” that classified national security papers were “improperly taken to unauthorised” locations at Trump’s resort.

The FBI found 184 classified documents from 15 boxes returned by Trump’s team in January, 18 months after the return was requested.

The August 8 documents were effectively ‘scattered’

all over Mar-a-Lago, many with Trump’s hand-written remarks on them.

The affidavit used a handful of acronyms when describing the sensitivity of the documents, with US national security experts saying it “reveals the horrifying scope of this security breach”. The investigation is ongoing.

The most damning thing learned from the redacted affidavit was the suggestion that if some of the classified documents had fallen into the wrong hands, they could have revealed sensitive details about US spies abroad. We don’t know they haven’t.

Likewise, we don’t know what Trump’s handwritten remarks entail, why he held on to some documents after last January and what he intended to do with the classified information and to what end? The US Depart-

ment of Justice (DoJ) seems to know, and knows a lot more by some accounts.

Leading Harvard lawyer Laurence Tribe believes the there’s a case for criminal charges against Donald Trump. So does former Richard Nixon counsel John Dean, though other legal experts do not concur.

I suggest that were Trump to soon declare himself as running in 2024, it would prove embarrassingly awkward for charges to be pursued. However, he’d have to announce his campaign in the next two weeks, if he wanted to prevent being indicted under the Espionage Act after what the FBI has seemingly unearthed.

As I write Trump is huddled down with his lawyers — what’s left of them as all the top ones have deserted him; huddled down and considering his

options as he also faces potential legal charges in Georgia, Florida, New York and Washington DC. My money is on Trump being found wanting, not enough to necessarily go to prison but enough to prevent him ever running again for public office.

Here’s another thing. Were he to walk away from DoJ charges and the January 6 inquiry and run, the Democrats and President Biden, despite his popularity among Democrats being just 40 per cent, are beginning to rally, even if Biden’s student loan writeoff Bill is proving divisive.

However, it won’t primarily be student loans, nor law and order, nor walls closing off Mexico, nor, indeed, inflation that will dominate voters’ minds in the coming November midterms. It will be a woman’s right to choose.

What is different about 2022 is that the Republicans, who are shut out of both the White House and Congress, nonetheless saw their side make a dramatic and unpopular change to the status quo, as Republican appointees to the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

This has given the Democrats the rallying call they need for the midterms.

Also, with Generation Z now old enough to run for Congress, voters’ desire for ‘fresher’ candidates seems to be less focused on being to the Right or the Left, but more focused on current issues.

Women who have never voted before or are old enough to vote for the first time will come out in droves to put Donald Trump and the alt-Right back in their box.

Time will tell…

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

9

kilkennyobserver.ie

Advertorial

A musical Autumn with

The air is filled with anticipation in preparation for the new academic year at Music Generation Kilkenny HQ! Instruments are arriving daily ahead of the launch of our programmes mid-September in our schools and music hubs - violins, ukuleles, guitars, drums, banjos, accordions, bodhráns, music technology and more. Young musicians who take part in our programmes can rent an instrument for a small fee, giving every young person in Kilkenny the opportunity to participate in meaningful music-making Building on the strength of 2021, which saw 7,804 children and young people participate in our music programmes across a diverse range of programmes in schools and in the community including workshops, camps and the weekly delivery of instrumental and vocal performance music education in schools and after-school music hubs, music generation Kilkenny has been enjoying another positive music-filled year to date, in Kilkenny City and County.

Speaking about 2022 so far Music Development Officer Sinéad Blanchfield said, “Music Generation Kilkenny achieved incredible growth in 2021 despite the restrictions of the pandemic. Enormous progress was made achieving growth in participation of 660% from December 2020 to December 2021. This

year, we continue to build on those foundations with a focus on sustainability across our programmes in schools and the community.

It has been an exciting year so far! I am delighted to see so many children and young people sign up to our music programmes for the next academic year in what promises to be another creative, fun, music-filled year”.

Throughout the month of June primary school children across Kilkenny took part in our ‘schools out’ drumming workshops ‘Summer Drummers’. 2,122 children participated in this programme delivered by drumming luminaries and Music Generation Kilkenny Musician Educators Jeremy Hickey, Mark Colbert and Tom Duffy.

Our programmes

throughout the year also include camps and workshops such as Rhythm Workshops, Drumming Workshops, Music Technology, Song writing, Toddler workshops as well as our annual TradCamp held in July, in partnership with Music Generation Tipperary.

Up to date information on our programmes can be found by liking our Facebook page where we post weekly news and updates.

Looking ahead to the Autumn and what’s in store for young musicians in Kilkenny.

As children return to school having access to opportunities for creativity is vital for their wellbeing.

Other current opportunities for musicians in the county include participation in our weekly after school music hubs. Parents pay termly

for lessons from September to June with each session working out at only €8 and rental of instruments available for a small fee.

The Creative Music Space starts on the 22nd of September. This is our after-school music hub run in partnership with Foróige at the DRUM, MacDonagh Shopping Centre. We run small group lessons in ukulele, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums and singing on Thursdays from September to June. There are limited spaces available.

Our Trad hub in Castlecomer will run every Monday after school from the 19th of September and runs from September to June. This is an opportunity for young traditional players of primary school age to get involved in fun weekly lessons and performance opportunities.

Plans for Castlecomer include the creation of a Trad ensemble for all young trad musicians in the area.

Our Uilleann Pipe Hub will run weekly this Autumn and continue until June 2023 with sessions in-person and online.

Run in partnership with the ‘Kilkenny Pipers Club’ and ‘Na Píobairí Uilleann’ and suitable for age 10-18.

Check out the Music Generation Kilkenny YouTube channel to hear young pipers from our programme in a captivating performance called ‘Uilleann Pipe Dreams’.

We are taking expressions of interest for our beginner, improver, intermediate and advanced Uilleann Pipe weekly sessions with master pipers. Please get in touch for more information.

Anyone interested or who wants to know more about our programmes

can get in touch by email: musicgenerationkilkenny@ kcetb.ie, by Facebook message: musicgenerationkilkenny, or by phone: 087 1765493.

There are limited spaces available.

Music Generation Kilkenny is part of Ireland’s national music education programme, initiated by Music Network and co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, the Department of Education and Skills and Local Music Education Partnerships.

The programme seeks to transform the lives of children and young people ages 0-18 by creating access to high quality, affordable music tuition in their localities.

Locally, the programme is led by Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board in partnership with Kilkenny County Council.

10

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

News

That €325 a week for 2,000 artists is on the way The much heralded Basic Income for Artists (BIA) programme has been delayed until October.

The pilot programme will see some 2,000 applicants chosen at random and paid €325 a week to allow them to

devote themselves entirely to their art.

At present, many artists say their bank account tells a story of either feast or famine; the BIA aims to correct that and give artists the long-term financial stability that people

in other careers abd professions enjoy.

It is a policy that the National Campaign for the Arts has been advocating for years for and the group’s chair, Angela Dorgan, describes it as “the ultimate game changer”.

“It’s something that the National Campaign for the Arts have been asking in our preBudget submissions for about five years,” she told The Pat Kenny Show.

“It means that artists who have to juggle three, four, five

jobs to pay for their living… it means that they will be free to do just their artwork.

“So it is the ultimate game changer; the eyes of the world are on Ireland for this. There are a lot of countries, especially European countries,

looking to emulate this. So the pilot is an incredibly important first step to this.”

The Government has not yet informed applicants whether they’ve been chosen or not but Ms Dorgan hopes that “all artists" can get ithe stipend.

Fair Deal hitch closing more nursing homes More smaller nursing homes across Ireland are facing closure, according to the lates report from BDO consulting.

Commissioned by Nursing Homes Ireland the report also shows a gap in Fair Deal subsidies for residents in different counties which is "making it impossible for many homes in lower-rate locations to survive”.

The report comes as concerns rise about closures in recent months.

Of the private and voluntary nursing homes surveyed, 96% said they did not believe the State's Fair Deal rate covered the operational costs.

The county with the lowest Fair Deal payment is Donegal, where the average weekly rate of €955 is €280 less per week than for residents in Dublin, where it is €1,235 — this is the highest

average weekly rate in the country.

This equates to €14,560 a resident annually, amounting to a disparity of €859,040 for each average size private and voluntary home.

Author Brian McEnery, of BDO Ireland, said overall nursing home bed numbers decreased since the previous survey from 31,909 to 31,743 despite the estimated requirement for 45,000 beds by 2031.

There was an increase in private and voluntary bed numbers from 26,221 to 26,561, though this was less than expected due to the slowdown of construction activity arising from Covid.

However, the overall reduction was mostly due to a drop in the number of public beds, from 5,688 to 5,182.

On their bikes for Kilkenny Rás na mBan has returned to Kilkenny – new for 2022, with cyclists of all ages and abilities cycling the Criterium route!

Rás na mBan, Ireland's international bike race for women, is taking place over six stages until Sunday, September 11. Riders from all over the world are doing battle over 400km of racing on six separate stages on some of the most beauti-

ful roads in and around Co Kilkenny.

The final day of the race brings the riders back to Kilkenny City for two stages centring on the imposing edifice of Kilkenny Castle. In the morning, with a 9am start, the riders will face individual 2.5km time trials, starting out on The Parade and completing a technical route with sharp cornering along by

Canal Walk and around the walls of the Castle against the watch.

The final stage of the week is the hugely popular circuit race in Kilkenny City Centre, the fastest stage of the week, approximately an hour and fifteen minutes of high-octane city centre racing after which the champion of Rás na mBan 2022 will be crowned.

Mental Health support for teenagers Turn2Me, a national mental health charity has launched two support groups, on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 6pm, for teenagers starting or going to secondary school, and for young people going to college for the first time.

The charity reported a spike in young people using its website experiencing anxiety about school or college. The charity said higher levels of anxiety are natural and should be expected starting or returning to school, and that students feeling nervous should use its free mental health services including its ‘Thought Catcher’ online

mood diary, which runs everyday from 2pm until 8pm, and its free support groups run by mental health professionals.

Suzanne Ennis, Clinical Manager at Turn2Me, said,:“We will help you find ways to manage that sick feeling and learn the tools you need to get through it.

Here, you can be honest and be yourself without any fear of being judged. Groups are 100% anonymous and confidential, you’ll be able to speak to similar people in the chat function who understand you and what you’re going through."

Turn2Me’s ‘Preparing For College’ support group for college students will run on Thursdays at 6pm.

Suzanne Ennis said: “Starting college means a new timetable, new campus, new classmates, new cities, and new homes for some — a lot of unknowns. Being apprehensive, anxious, worried, or stressed is normal.

This support group will be attended by like-minded students, experiencing the same challenges and obstacles, let’s navigate them together! *Register now on Turn2Me. ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

11

Advertisement

12

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

Opinion

As I See It Marianne Heron

Our sins of failure as testimonies shelved again This week the lurch of combined anger and incredulity I felt over the Commission Report on Mother & Baby Homes ignited again. I was dismayed by the 2021 report which was criticised for its inadequacies, including the failure to report hundreds of testimonies given by survivors. Following public outcry, a review of the testimonies was promised.

This has now been shelved

by Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman in favour of an alternative ‘initiative’ without consultation with those representing survivors.

The suffering and institutional mistreatment of women and children has been discounted yet again and decisions about them once more taken, over their heads and behind closed doors.

“We are being eradicated from history,” says Clodagh

Malone, Chair of the Coalition of Mother &Baby Home Survivors (CMABS), who was born in the St Patrick’s Mother 7 Baby Home, 0n Dublin’s Navan Road. “We are not surprised that we are at the bottom of the pile compared with the Magdalene laundries and the industrial schools.”

The three-member commission was set up in 2015 to examine practices in Mother & Baby Homes between 1922 and 1998 following the discovery of 800 bodies of children in unmarked graves at the Bon Secours Mother & Baby Home in Tuam, Co Galway. The report found that around 9,000 children (one in every seven. that is twice the national infant mortality) had died in the 18 institutions included in the investigation and the report also confirmed that children had been used for medical experiments.

But it failed to deal with issues such as forced adoption, forced labour and involuntary detention as well as excluding and misreporting testimonies of hundreds of survivors.

Minister O’Gorman’s ‘initiative’ would encourage survivors to tell their stories afresh or to have their original testimonies used for inclusion in records at a National Centre for Research and Remembrance in a future site at a former home in Sean MacDermott Street, Dublin This initiative will take years to complete.

Meantime, more and more of the elderly surviving mothers will die before justice is done.

“They should have got it right the first time; the Commission didn’t tell the truth,” says Clodagh Malone.

“What people want now is a proper apology and redress.

A lot of survivors were re-

traumatised after giving testimonies’ this is a community of extremely vulnerable people. These women just want a few bob to bury themselves.”

The findings of the commission were also criticised by outgoing children’s rapporteur Professor Conor O’Mahoney in his annual report. His views, made independently of the Ministry for Children, dealt with human rights issues, and said the commission had downplayed the question of forced labour whereas he had found quite a significant level of forced labour.

He also disagreed with the commission’s view that the women were not incarcerated in the homes and found that the definition of the deprivation of liberty was met in quite a number of cases in the homes.

Meanwhile, CMABS want to see a lifting of the rule

on the Government’s proposals for redress, which excludes children who were in mother & baby homes for less than six months. “We want to have equality among survivors. Many of them feel guilty that others are being treated differently,” says Ms Malone.

One of the ongoing sources of distress for survivors has been the difficulty or denial in accessing birth and early life records. The story of a mother’s search for her son was poignantly portrayed in the 2013 film Philomena with Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. From October, the Birth and Information and Tracing Act will give survivors a right to their information and establish a contact register.

Clodagh Malone runs a ‘search angel’ to locate birth certificates for survivors seeking redress. But she caytions survivors finding out

about their origins: ”It may be the toughest day of their lives.” Records, she says, may sometimes reveal instances of pregnancies resulting from rape, incest or clerical abuse.

We should know more about how the rest of those stories went. The commission heard testimonies from several hundred survivors, a tiny fraction of the estimated 75,000 women and the 66,000 of the children who survived, who were in homes until they closed in 1998.

Those women and their children were the victims of the punitive attitudes which prevailed against unmarried mothers at the time.

They were failed by families, partners, Church and State in a way which today is seen as a shameful chapter in our history. We shouldn’t fail them again by shelving the truth of their stories.

Terranova launches a new collagen alternative- Vollagen® CLAIR WHITTY

Vollagen®, what’s it all about? If you’re interested in collagen but you are vegan, or you just can’t stomach the idea of taking a bovine or a marine sourced collagen supplement, then I have some exciting news for you.

Terranova one of our favourite brands has launched Vollagen®, a range of supplements which are an alternative to collagen, with all the benefits of collagen and more!

What is Vollagen®? Where does it come from? Is it as good as animal sourced collagen?

I didn’t know the answers, so I asked Laura. Laura is a Nutritional Therapist who works with Terranova. “Vollagen® is from bacterial fermentation and provides the building blocks (amino acids) for all human collagen types. There are 28 types of collagen, differentiated by the location in the body where they are formed and used. Regardless of the ‘type’, the amino acids are the exact same. Supplementing with Vollagen® allows the body to use these building blocks in the most appropriate way depending on individual needs of each person. The beauty of Vollagen® is that it’s also suitable for vegans, vegetarians and available in capsules. You don’t need to worry about animal origin or hydrolysis.”

Collagen is the most abundant protein found in the body where its key role is to manufacture connective tissue, a major component of skin, hair, bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and cartilage where is helps to make tissues strong, resilient, and capable of withstanding stretching. It’s also found in gut tissue. Research has shown collagen may be beneficial for those who suffer with gut disease restoring the integrity of damaged gut lining.

The ageing process results in a reduction of collagen production but other factors such as excess sun, free radical exposure, poor diet and inactivity also speed up of collagen degradation. Collagen supplementation has become a popular way to provide the raw materials needed to maintain and enhance this connective

tissue within the body. However true collagen is always derived from animal source.

This new Vollagen range is totally vegan. Several products are coming on stream over the next short while, products will include Vollagen® Complex, Vollagen® & Hyaluronic Acid and Vollagen® & Glucosamine.

For more information check out our in-store information days, plus there’s 25% off the whole Terranova range for September.

Shop in store or online at www.naturalhealthstore.ie where you’ll be able to take a look at these supplements.

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

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

13

Opinion

The sea...

Reader, the following tale/drama was passed on to me in dribs and drabs, all, naturally, from ‘the old days.’ There will be some subsequent chapters, each one more or less a story on its own – but linked as well.

I can only give facts as well as I can assemble them. Truth there is in fair supply – but even Shakespeare had to invent the odd scenario in order to stitch in missing patches, to create a pattern. Anyway – as that incomparable wordsmith declaimed – “The Tale’s the Thing!” And remember – I, Ned,am narrating and acting the part of Jonathon Conway, who is no longer about…

BY NED EGAN

The Tale….

It was 1940, wartime, and I, J Conway was on a special mission to the USA. Based in England, I and my new wife Marie took the opportunity to visit our old haunts in Kilkenny Town, on our way to Waterford, then to Cobh. So, we headed down to Waterford, and booked into a small hotel on the Quay.

Honeymoon nights were still upon us, and, listening to the midnight River Suir slapping around the bridge in gusty September storms of rain, we were fulfilling our Biblical obligations by getting down to that natural friendly business that is traditional with all newly married couples. We had, after all, been enjoined by the Big Man in the sky to ‘go forth and multiply.’ In this cultural and religious obligatory task, we soldiered on manfully – and womanfully…

We were, of course, conscious of the daintilyprowling activities of the virtuous-seeming old hotel manageress, but didn’t pay too much attention to her quiet footfalls. Although the marriage bed was of the well-strung instrumental genre – and therefore wont to play sweet music as an accompaniment to whatever joyous love-song was currently being performed by moonstruck man and magical macushla. Which efforts varied in cadence and rhythm between Ravel’s frenetic ‘Toccata’ - and the dreamy ‘Blue Danube.’ Just before drifting off to well-earned sleep, trembling on the peaceful velvety air, came a sweet rendition – in a small faded contralto – of “She’s only a Bird in a Gilded Cage” – right outside our door! We smiled as Morpheus swept us away to his world of dreams…

At the breakfast, our dear ancient hostess was gracious and kind, and enquired sweetly - if ‘we’d slept well’ – with an innocent smile that disarmed that stealthy old question! She then surprised us by disclosing her own tale of old romance.

“A, sure my own luck ran out before I could know the delights of marriage and love,” she said, wistfully. “I had a fellow, Nathanial Storm, a fine young man, who went to Australia to make his fortune. I got four letters, then silence. His talk was

mainly about missing Ireland, and me. His sister called to me a few months after the last letter, in 1901. We were all close – his whole family really wanted me to join them. There was something intellectual and aristocratic about the Storm clan – there were ‘big people’ in their lineage, way back. She, Violet, told me Nathanial had gone into the West Australian Bush looking for gold, and never came back. I didn’t know what she meant - didn’t know that gold grew on the bushes down that way. He, or even bits of him - were never to be found, anyway...

“I hope you didn’t mind me singing that little song outside your door – you probably thought ‘crazy old woman!’” We assured her, and it was true that we were delighted - not at all offended. This pleased her.

“I do it sometimes” she went on “to bring young couples luck – especially those who appear nice and really in love with each other. The ‘Bird in the Gilded Cage’ wasn’t meant for you, Marie – that was me – all these years waiting, hoping Nathanial would come back, squashing any feelings I might have had for other men, keeping myself pure for him.

“That was the way we were, the way life was, in those days. I couldn’t betray him. Even if I’d been told that some wanderer came on his sad lonely bones, I’d not have wed another. We’ll meet in Paradise, Nathanial and me. Maybe God can arrange some tiny corner in a Garden of Eden for us to honeymoon in! I know that’s sacrilege, but I’m sure the ‘Great Man’ would forgive an ancient woman these strange old thoughts… I doubt I could find Nathanial amongst the crowds Up There There, though.

“I pray every day that we’ll meet again. I hope you don’t mind me talking like this. To tell the truth, I seldom mention Nathanial. Everyone thinks I’m just an old maid, but; strange as it may seem, I’ve had a deeper love than most, in that my man has never disappointed me, nor I him.”

It was a great little story; I told her I was a writer, and would like to publish her tale of faithful love, and cruel loss.

At this she gave a little cry of astonishment: “A writer? That’s amazing! I don’t know what to say!” I hastily assured her I wasn’t anywhere near the high league inhabited by Tolstoy or Sir Walter Scott – but merely a paid scribbler for an English paper. “Never mind that” she said, in a rush – “Nathanial

left me a bundle of diaries and notes that came down through his antecedents, and finished up with him. He said in his very last letter that if anything happened to him – I was to ‘get some writer to put the whole lot together into a story. That’s what amazed me, Jonathon. Apparently there was a beautiful and very clever girl, way back a century ago, who came into Nathanial’s ancestry in some unusual and spectacular way. I don’t know if it turned into an ‘event’ or what, but it was a strange and odd episode – without being harmful or dangerous to anyone.

“Violet knew bits about it – and said ‘go ahead with whatever Nat wished – old affairs mean nothing these days – and if it is what he wanted – that’s good enough for all of us.’

“So there you are, Jonathon. I know you’re away tomorrow to America – you’ll catch the boat – but it looks like I’ve missed another, in this life. If you ever come back, the bundle is in the bank safety deposit box. I wouldn’t want a fire or a flood to destroy it. But it doesn’t leave the County, ever. So, if you return, the two of you call in, and I’ll place the whole lot in your hands. If I’m not around by then, I’ll leave them to you in my will. They’ll be in the bank just below, on the next corner.”

Well, I was dumbstruck. Here was a chance for me to write and publish a story of huge interest – and here was I – going thousands of miles away! What to do? What on earth to do?

So, we say our goodbye’s Hanora didn’t want to take the money for the night, but we insisted - and headed off to Cork, and Cobh, to catch this old rust bucket.

“We’re going to sea in a sieve, a sieve!” we sang, reclining in our Spartan cabin – with reasonably high hopes of making it to New York – enemy explosive ordnance permitting.

Heaven - or Hell - were the alternatives. Wallowing along at about eighteen knots – the subs, incidentally, could do twenty – we watched the great rollers of the Atlantic cruise by in stately shapely, mountains - and hoped that each and every Fritzie Germanicus was off on holiday – killing time in some barracks – or off killing somebody else. It was that time of the year, when the moon was as big as a house, and the reclusive fellow who dwelt there had a face as yellow as a giant primrose.

Ned E.

14

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

News As the Government announces its plans to retrofit 500,000 homes before 2030 to reduce energy consumption and make homes warmer and cosier, one wonders why it has taken so long.

That said, and with the growing energy crisis, deciding to retrofit the house you have been living in for years is no easy task – even with the increased Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grants helping to cushion the cost.

First, you must decide whether you can afford both the financial outlay and the domestic upheaval of a deep retrofit (which includes everything from attic and wall insulation, new windows and doors, conversion of heating system from gas/oil to a heat pump, advanced ventilation and photovoltaic (PV) solar panels for electricity generation).

And if a deep retrofit seems too daunting, homeowners can instead take a step-by-step approach to retrofitting by doing attic and cavity wall insulation one year, putting in new windows and doors another year and later embarking on transforming their heating system from oil/gas to an air-to-water heat pump system.

Solar PV panels are another option for those who want to generate their own electricity.

And there are new SEAI grants available for many of these oneoff measures too.

“The one-stop [retrofitting] shops offer homeowners guidance from start to finish, which includes the design stage, choosing and managing the contractors, applying for the SEAI grants and completing the BER at the end,” says Brian O’Mahony, head of retrofit and communities at the SEAI. The newly announced SEAI grants cover up to €25,000 of the costs for a deep retrofit which brings your home up to a B2 rating. An additional grant of €2,000 is available for those who install a heat pump as part of their retrofit. And, energy suppliers also offer their customers so-called carbon credits of about €2,000 when work is carried out by a partner company.

The estimated cost of a deep retrofit for a three-bedroom home is between €60,000 and €70,000. The SEAI grants must be drawn down within a 12-month period from when work starts and if you work with a retrofitting company, the discounts will be deducted at the start of the job.

But for those who don’t have the funds (or don’t want to take out a loan) to embark on a deep retrofit, it’s also possible to take a step-by-step approach to retrofitting your home.

“Some people know exactly what they want to do and can manage the grants themselves so the step-by-step approach suits them,” says Mr O’Mahony.

The SEAI grants on single measures are paid when the work is completed.

Rory Clarke from House2Home Retrofits (which partners with Energia) and Peter Campbell from Energlaze (which partners with Bord Gáis) agree that when it comes to deciding which retrofitting

SPECIAL REPORT

Will it pay to retrofit your house?

The estimated cost of a deep retrofit for a threebedroom home is between €60,000 and €70,000 jobs to begin with that it’s “fabric first”. In other words, you start by insulating your attic and walls before you move on to installing new windows and doors and then, upgrading your heating system from oil/gas to air-to-

‘Start by insulating your attic and walls..

water heat pump is the final job.

Owners of period homes should seek advice from retrofitting specialists who have experience and knowledge of the breathable insulation required for homes built in the 17th, 18th and 19th century.

“Period homeowners can put in attic insulation, new windows, improve their heating systems and generate electricity on site, but breathable insulation must be used for these homes. Most homes built after 1900 can take the modern insulation materials,” says O’Mahony.

This year sees about 20 socalled one-stop shops registered with, and audited by, SEAI to help householders embark on deep retrofits on their homes.

Mr O’Mahony says that seven or eight of these companies will operate throughout the country, while others will work with homeowners in specific regions or counties. Many of these retrofitting businesses team up with energy suppliers who incentivise their customers to retrofit their homes by offering them so-called carbon credits worth about €2,000.

“Most of these companies will already have experience in retrofitting but it’s a good idea to shop around and talk to one or two companies, get references from homeowners who used them and talk to people who’ve already done it,” says Mr O’Mahony, who estimates that most deep retrofits can be completed in five to six months.

The first step on your retrofit

journey is to have an energy assessment on your home.

This assessment, which costs between €400-€700 (€350 covered by an SEAI grant) is

carried out by an independent assessor. It includes a full technical assessment of the fabric of the house as well as tests for air tightness and heat loss. An

What does such work involve?

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is Ireland’s national energy authority, investing in and delivering appropriate, effective and sustainable solutions to help Ireland’s transition to a clean energy future.

SEAI works with citizens, communities, business and Government to help achieve Ireland’s clean energy transition. As part of its role, SEAI helps thousands of homeowners each year to make their homes more comfortable and energy efficient, while also reducing their energy bills.

This ranges from free energy upgrades if you are in receipt of certain social welfare allowances, to varying levels of grant support depending on the scope of the energy upgrade. You can get grants to do individual energy upgrades such as insulation grants or heating systems grants, or you may choose to undergo a deep retrofit all at once. While this is a big undertaking,

higher grant support exists for deep retrofit to help you achieve a really energy efficient A-rated home.

The Deep Retrofit of a home means carrying out multiple energy upgrades all at once to achieve a BER of A-rating.

• Firstly, you will need to reduce the level of heat loss so that you keep heat in the home for longer. This involves some or all of the following: wall insulation, roof insulation, floor insulation, window upgrades.

• The next step is to look at an efficient renewable heating system to support the transition away from fossil fuels.

The typical heating system installed on a Deep Retrofit Pilot Project is an air-source heat pump.

• It also includes mechanical ventilation to maintain good indoor air quality.

• Other renewable energy technologies such as solar water heating panels and solar photovoltaic panels may be appropriate for your home.

assessment of the current BER rating and what measures will be required to bring the home to a BER of B2 is also included.

The homeowner can then decide whether to use the service of the retrofitting contractor who organised the home energy assessment or bring this assessment to another retrofitting contractor instead.

Opting to put in solar PV panels on the roof of your house and/or garage is a personal choice. “Some people will go with solar and some won’t. Getting a BER of B2 isn’t dependent on them but some people will want to generate electricity and particularly when the feed-in tariff comes in,” says Mr Campbell.

New low-cost loans are expected to become available later this year through banks, credit unions and post offices for people retrofitting their homes. The retrofitting companies will have these details once the Government sets the low interest rates with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland.

Homeowners who qualify for the SEAI Warmer Homes schemes can apply for fully funded deep retrofits on their homes. Eligibility requirements include those on job seeker’s allowance, disability allowance and working/one-parent family payments. The recently announced scheme will prioritise homes built before 1993 with a BER of E, F or G. The one-stop shops are available to people who own homes built before 2011 with a BER of B3 or lower.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

15

Advertisement

16

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

Opinion

Your Money & You John Ellis

Pensions: why you need to start saving now Pensions Awareness Week (PAW22) will take place from September 19 to 23. It is designed to raise awareness about retirement planning.

As there have been some dramatic changes in financial markets and the world in the recent past and the continuing uncertainty, it’s time to look at what it means for investments and pensions.

Guest speakers will be on hand with experts from the Pensions Authority including former pensions ombudsman Paul Kenny. Some of the participating companies include Aviva, Irish Life, Royal London Ireland, Zurich Life, Lidl, Davy, the ISME Association, the Pension Authority, the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland, Life Insurance Association of Ireland, Brightwater Recruitment Specialists, the Irish Association of Pension Funds, Insurance Ireland, Parents and Brands, and Moneycube.ie.

While the session on Building the Employee Value Proposition is the only in-person event, virtual sessions will cover pension-related topics such as Financial Wellbeing for Women, Starting a Pension, Keeping Your Pension on Track, Approaching Retirement and Pensions & Benefits for Business Leaders.

The launch of PAW22 comes on foot of a new survey from ParentsandBrands.ie. which reveals that 60% of people are failing to save for retirement on a regular basis, a figure which could rise further in light of the current cost-of-living crisis.

Ralph Benson, founder of PAW, says: “It is a striking statistic that 60% are failing to make regular savings towards their retirement and it’s clear that people need to take active steps to make sure they can continue to live comfortably into their old age.

“We want people to do the right thing with their money,

which is why Pensions Awareness Week has brought together pension savers and experts, as well as businesses and financial wellbeing organisations. Our aim is to help people make informed decisions by pushing the importance of having a pension in place.”

In fact whether it’s the costof-living crisis, the ups and downs in financial markets, or the new pension regulations it’s more important than ever that people and businesses in Ireland engage with pensions to secure their financial future.

Currently, the full state pension provides each individual with a pension of approximately €12,400 a year assuming you have paid the relevant PRSI contributions over your working life.

This provides each qualifying person a degree of comfort in knowing they will have some income each month.

But with the current situation and the financial storms ahead the current model is completely unsustainable in its current form.

According to pension experts the Social Insurance Fund has a current deficit of approximately €2 billion a year a a

‘What continuing uncertainty means for investments...

cumulative deficit of approximately €10 billion in more recent years and will continue escalating.

To address this, earlier this year the Minister for Social Protection announced details of the Final Design principles for the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System for Ireland. Ireland is the only OECD country that doesn’t yet operate an Auto Enrolment or similar system as a means of promoting pension savings.

The new system is designed to simplify the pensions decision for workers and make it easier for employers to offer a workplace pension.

Under the scheme the employees will have access to a workplace pension savings scheme which is co-funded by their employer and the State.

A key feature of the system is that, although participation is voluntary, so that people don’t have to participate, it operates on an ‘opt-out’ rather than an

‘opt-in’ basis. To encourage workers to participate, those who choose to remain in the system will have their pension savings matched on a one-forone basis by the employer, the State will provide a top-up of €1 for every €3 saved by the worker.

This means that for every €3 saved by the employee, a further €4 will be invested by the employer and the State combined.

What do these seminars and government scheme say about today’s worker attitudes? For many retirement seems a long way away and the process of putting aside a little each week to provide for retirement years is something to be considered next year, or longer! However, that is not the case. If people want to retain a reasonable standard of living in retirement, they need to start saving now. john@ellisfinancial.ie 086 8362633.

RESIST Hand Hygiene campaign launched at Sacred Heart Hospital and Carlow District Hospital The Sacred Heart Hospital Carlow and the Carlow District Hospital are to the fore in the HSE’s South East Community Healthcare (SECH) services, as regards to the implementation of the national “RESIST” hand hygiene campaign.

“RESIST” is the campaign branding for a number of hand hygiene and infection prevention and control initiatives under the National HSE Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control Programme (AMRIC). One of these initiatives is a rollout of the RESIST hand hygiene awareness programme to all residential care facilities and district hospitals.

The programme builds on the work already done to date by all healthcare facilities and healthcare workers in promoting and complying with hand hygiene standards. Hand hygiene has been at the forefront of all the initiatives that the HSE has been implementing to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other infections which can cause harm to care facility residents.

Speaking at the recent launch of the RESIST cam-

paign in the Sacred Heart Hospital, Julie Meally (Clinical Nurse Specialist Infection Prevention and Control for Carlow/Kilkenny) said: “As a programme, RESIST is aimed not just at those delivering care but at everyone who comes into a hospital

or residential care facility, including patients and visitors. We will be intensifying the campaign across the South East and are delighted that the Sacred Heart Hospital Carlow and the Carlow District Hospital have come together to promote such an

important programme. The roll out of this campaign was greatly assisted by the Senior Nurse Management and a special mention to the infection prevention and control link nurse practitioners who are our lead hand hygiene trainers in both hospitals.”

“When healthcare workers like nurses, care assistants, cleaning and catering staff and doctors keep their hands clean, they help to prevent the spread of serious Health Care Associated Infections (HCAIs). These are infections that can happen in any healthcare service.

In addition to healthcare workers and their need to wash hands very regularly throughout their work, patients and visitors also play a part in reducing the spread of infection by following advice on hand cleaning.”

Also speaking at the launch, Elaine Flanagan (Assistant Director of Nursing, Sacred Heart Hospital Carlow) added: “Here in both the Sacred Heart Hospital and the District Hospital, we have a very good record in hand hygiene. We are always, however, looking to improve out standards. The RESIST programme will help us to do that and we are delighted to have been selected to be part of the rollout in HSE residential services.”

“Along with our own staff, our residents and visitors all have a role to play to help

stop the spread of infections and join the superbug resistance. This programme will help us to refresh and energise our hand hygiene approach”.

Residents can play a big part in reducing the spread of infection. There are things we can encourage and assist the residents to do to protect themselves from picking up an infection or super bug: • Clean your hands regularly, using the alcohol hand gel in the hospital.

• Clean your hands before you eat and wash your hands after you go to the toilet.

• Avoid sharing your personal things with other residents – for example, your phone.

• Do not let anyone sit on your bed and avoid sitting on other residents beds • Remember it is OK to remind a staff member or your visitors to clean their hands • It is OK to tell a staff member if you see anything that is not clean.

See https://www2.hse.ie/ conditions/how-to-cleanyour-hands/

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

17

Advertisement

18

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

News & Wellbeing Science Anyone who knows dogs knows there are huge differences among these fourlegged creatures, even among the same litter and other siblings and within breeds.

It’s very harmful to dogs and dog-human relationships when dog-appropriate and context-appropriate behaviours are mislabeled and misinterpreted and referred to as being abnormal. There is no ‘universal dog’— dogs are individuals and these differences must be honoured and factored into teaching a dog to do what we want them to do.

Dogs need real love, not tough love that they won’t understand; it confuses them with mixed messages and stresses them.

Say goodbye and hello to your dog and whisper “good dog” even when they haven’t done anything to merit the praise.

During the pandemic of the last two years many people re-homed a rescue dog, although some people didn’t last the course and were wont to send the poor creatures back or basically abandon them.

These are egregious myths about rescue dogs; rescue dogs aren’t misfits. In fact, rescue dogs are not necessarily quirkier than other dogs, they can be wonderful companions, and there can be mutual benefits for the dogs and their humans.

But back to that tough love and its wrong ‘use’. Tough love is defined in many different ways, but it boils down to holding an individual responsible for their actions or lack thereof, and, in a dog’s case, ignoring them or possibly turning the tables on them and making them feel they have to earn hugs, rewards, and love.

One definition reads: “Tough love is an example of unconditional love for your partner. Tough love is about recognising faults, overcoming them as a couple, and We are by now all only too familiar with the numerous studies and media coverage full of warnings on how sugar, carbohydrates, saturated fat and lack of exercise contribute to obesity. And so, so many people are still overweight or obese in large part because of the classic Western diet and lifestyle.

Obesity, too, leads to related conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease.

That said, relatively little has been said about how lack of hydration and excessive salt intake. Both are known, scientifically, to contribute to obesity.

Nature provides a clue to the role these factors play with the desert sand rat Psammomys obesus, a halfpound rodent with a highpitched squeak that lives in the salty marshes and deserts of Northern Africa.

It survives, barely, by eating the stems of Salicornia – the glasswort – a plant that looks

stressful for them — you say you love them, and they think you do, or at least you did but they may wonder why you are treating them as if you don’t.

Simply put, they don’t get it.

When dogs and humans are able to agree about what you

want them to do, it’s a win for all.

For dogs, tough love is a misguided mindset. Besides, why would anyone want to live with an unhappy dogwho is living in chronic states of fear, anxiety, or uncertainty?

While training is the best method to use to teach a dog what you would like them to do, individual differences must be respected — there are few, if any, one-size-fitsall explanations of what’s happening and what needs to be adjusted, and a dog’s emotional state must also be considered.

If your dog likes to be hugged, hug them. Say goodbye and hello to your dog when leaving and reuniting, and say “good dog” simply because they’re alive and it’s critical to reassure them that they are loved. This also affirms that they are important to you and they don’t need to please you to earn the praise.

And play with them and have fun together.

Many people are relinquishing their pandemic rescue dog because the dog didn’t turn out to be the individual they wanted or they didn’t realise what a huge decision it was to bring a dog into their lives. When the bond with your dog is broken and you’ve reached the point of “tough love,” is that perhaps a harbinger?

In an ideal society, we would have a human-dog set-up to help people find the best dogs for their lifestyles.

Choosing to take a dog into your home and heart is a huge responsibility.

It should mean you’re offering a forever home with lots of compassion, respect, and love. However, there are scenarios in which rehoming is the best option for both human(s) and dog(s).

You might also reevaluate whether there are options to help you keep your dog in your home.

Many humane societies and rescue groups have information on rehoming or can directly provide financial as sistance (for your dog’s food, veterinary care, etc.), access to resources to address behaviour issues, temporary housing, and much more.

Paws for thought...

of sugar that occurs naturally in fruits, honey and some vegetables.

This helps the animal survive when food and fresh water are sparse. This is because fructose activates a ‘survival switch’ that stimulates foraging, food intake and the stor-

age of fat and carbohydrates that protect the animal from starvation.

However, when the rat is brought into captivity and given the common rodent diet of about 50% carbohydrates, it rapidly develops obesity and diabetes. But if given fresh vegetables low in starchy carbohydrates, the rodent remains lean.

As mentioned, fructose, a simple sugar, appears to have a key role in activating this survival switch that leads to fat production.

Small amounts of fructose, like that found in an individual fruit, are not the problem – rather it is excessive amounts of fructose that are problematic for human health.

Most of us get our fructose from table sugar and highfructose corn syrup. Intake of these two sugars totals approximately 15% of calories in the average American diet.

These sugars encourage people to eat more, which

can lead to weight gain, fat accumulation and prediabetes.

Our bodies also make fructose on their own – and experimental studies suggest it may be enough to trigger the development of obesity.

Since fructose is made from glucose, production of fructose increases when blood glucose levels are high. This process happens when we eat a lot of rice, cereal, potatoes and white bread; those are carbs that rapidly release glucose into the blood rapidly.

And notably, fructose production can also be stimulated by dehydration, which drives fat production.

Fat has two major functions.

The first one, which is well known, is to store calories for a later time when food is unavailable.

And, the other major but lesser-known function of fat is to provide water.

So easy on the salt and go big on the water.

How tough love is not the answer for your rescue dog growing stronger together through honest communication about boundaries While this might be true for humans who can talk about what’s going on, it’s unlikely dogs will understand why they are being treated this

way. This isn’t to say dogs don’t have highly developed cognitive capacities or they’re not smart enough, but rather they can’t talk with their human(s) about what’s happening and why.

It’s very confusing and

Why eat less salt and drink more water a bit like asparagus.

Although low in nutrients, the glasswort’s fleshy, succulent sap is filled with water that’s rich in salt, at concentrations as high as what’s found in seawater.

Recent studies have provided new insights into why the

desert sand rat might crave the salty sap of glasswort.

Although this has not yet been proven specifically in the sand rat, it is likely that a high-salt diet helps the sand rat convert the relatively low amount of carbohydrates it’s ingesting into fructose, a type

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

19

kilkennyobserver.ie

Travel & Leisure 1. Patagonia, Argentina October is the start of spring in the southern hemisphere, bringing mild temperatures that are perfect for hiking, climbing, and outdoor adventure. When it comes to pristine nature, Argentina’s Patagonia region has it all: The Andes (aka the longest mountain range in the world), vast glaciers and lakes, coastal beach towns, volcanos, an abundance of wildlife, dramatic vistas, and more.

Spend a weekend taking in the glacial lakes and icebergs in Parque Nacional los Glaciares or opt for some horseback riding in El Chaltén. Take in a waterside breeze on a boat cruise around the Canal Beagle where you can spot hundreds of sea lions and wrap it all up with a dip at Route of the Seven Lakes, toasting to an unforgettable trip with a cannonball.

7 best places worth a visit in October

2. Dubrovnik, Croatia For a cultural and historical experience, head to the city of Dubrovnik in southern Croatia. Known for its picturesque, old world architecture set along the Adriatic Sea with views of the Dinaric Alps, Dubrovnik is perhaps best appreciated in October. The temperatures stay in the 70s with minimal rain, so you can still enjoy the beaches and comfortably explore historic landmarks by foot.

You’ll feel like you stepped onto a Game of Thrones set with a visit to Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Walls of Dubrovnik, and Fort Lovrijenac. It’s also relatively affordable compared to the rest of Europe, so you’ll have more cash to experience the numerous restaurants, cafes, and shops along the historic main street of Stradun.

are still warm and there’s plenty of sunshine.

Experience the vibrant culture and enchanting landscape of eight provinces, including the Alhambra Palace in Granada, UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Seville, and 500 miles of coastline in the south. Catch a Flamenco show in the evening (Andalucia is the birthplace for this spirited art form), admire intricate Moorish architecture from the past, and visit some of the best beaches in the world in places like Costa del Sol on the Mediterranean Sea.

3. Andalucia, Spain The Andalucia region in southern Spain is best appreciated in the month of October, when temperatures

4. Rome, Italy The Eternal City shines in the fall, with fewer tourists than the summer months and (much) cooler temperatures.

A last-minute cruise can still be fun and, if you aren’t too choosey, there are some amazing last-minute cruise deals. You may even be able to snag a week in the Caribbean for less than €400 a person.

The thing is, just like clothes that have hung on sale racks for a while, if you’re picky, you may not find an acceptable cruise bargain.

If you wait too long you’ll be left with whatever selection is available — ships, cabins and dates — that may not be near the top of your wish list.

If you’re trying for a last-minute bargain, you also should be flexible on when you will cruise. Don’t expect a deal on the latest, greatest ship or route, or in the fanciest cabin. High demand equals fewer lastminute offers.

Last-minute deals are

There’s still ample sunshine, too, allowing visitors to spend more time taking in the city by foot. Explore major sites like the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, and the Trevi Fountain — but make sure to set aside time for the lesserknown gems such as San Luigi dei Francesi, which is home to three Caravaggio masterpieces. There’s also a plethora of events to choose from throughout the month, including the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, Romaeuropa, and Festa del Cinema.

5. Puerto Escondido, Mexico One of the best surfing spots on the planet, Puerto Escondido is a laid-back beach town situated on the

Pacific Ocean in southern Mexico. It’s bright and sunny nearly all year round, with temperatures hovering around 90 degrees throughout October, making for ideal beach conditions minus the summer crowds. With its numerous beaches for snorkelling, water adventures, and sunbathing—coupled with its vivid nightlife, good eats, and open air mercados — Puerto Escondido is truly a tropical paradise more than worthy of your time.

6. Lisbon, Portugal It’s always a good time to visit Portugal’s capital city of Lisbon, but October offers slightly cooler temperatures, cheaper prices, and smaller crowds. Sample the city’s

world-famous food (bacalao is a must) and indulge in sweet rounds of porto (a Portuguese red wine) as you stroll through the charming, picturesque streets. Check out the 16th-century monastery Mosteiro dos Jeronimos; meander around one of the biggest squares in Europe, Praça do Comércio; and soak in panoramic views at the scenic lookout of Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. For more cultural highlights, try a private food tour around the city or take a day trip to explore landmarks in the nearby towns of Sintra and Cascais. Lisbon is also one of the sunniest cities in Europe (with nearly 300 sunny days per year) so you’re bound to have good weather while you’re there. Plus, it’s an easy

come out after everyone who booked in advance makes their final payment, which, depending on the

line and itinerary, could be 60 to 90 days before embarkation.

Cruise lines get a good chunk of their income from onboard spending and make a bigger profit if they get more people on board, even if they need to reduce fares drastically to attract a larger crowd. It’s a bit of a slippery slope, though.

How much can you save?

Potentially, you’ll see lastminute deals ranging from about 30% to more than 85 % off full fares.

Keep in mind, though, that it’s rare for anyone to pay a full fare or brochure price.

When checking out a lastminute fare, you should do a comparison with other value-added offers from the cruise line.

For instance, some lines do kids-cruise-free deals, free category upgrades or free drinks as enticements.

None of these will apply to a

How to bag a last-minute cruise deal available when a cruise line has not sold the number of cabins that officials were hoping to sell on a

particular sailing. To fill vacant cabins, a cruise line may slash fares.

The last-minute offers

destination to get to, thanks to two major train stations and an international airport.

7. The Cyclades, Greece Whether it’s sightseeing in Crete, sunbathing in Mykonos, catching sunsets in Santorini, or exploring the mountain villages of Naxos, October is one of the best months to visit the Greek Islands. There are less cruise ships and tourists at this time of year and the temperatures hover around 70 degrees.

For prime swimming in the Aegean Sea, however, it’s best to go at the beginning of the month. If island hopping is on the agenda, check out the ancient ruins in Naxos, Palace of Knossos in Crete, and the Open Air Cinema Kamari in Santorini.

last-minute fare. Depending on your specific needs, you may be better off booking early and taking advantage of these value-added ways to save.

On the other hand, if you don’t drink much, aren’t taking the kids and your goal is the lowest possible fare, last-minute may be foryou.

If cruise lines always offered last-minute bargain fares, more people might be hesitant to take advantage of early-bird offers, and other sales geared to those passengers booking several months in advance — which is the period when cruise lines really want you to book.

Because of this, cruise lines don’t always offer lastminute deals. When they do, they are targeted on a ship-by-ship, sailing-bysailing basis.

Shop around ...

20

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

Opinion

Furthermore Gerry Moran

Borscht ‘n Tears ‘n tears ‘n tears..!

Russia isn’t exactly flavour of the month at the moment.

Indeed, Russia hasn’t been flavour of the month for several months now, since it invaded the Ukraine. And I’m wondering if Russia was EVER flavour of the month? Maybe during the Moscow Olympics back in 1980 or when Mikhail Gorbachev, recently deceased, was instrumental in ending the Cold War between East and West.

Be that as it may, this week’s column revolves around a Russian restaurant, a London hotel, two Yanks, two ‘Paddies’ and a very proper English gentleman.

Can’t remember the year but my wife and I, and two American friends, Jack and Diane, enter the Borscht ‘n Tears, a Russian restaurant in Beauchamp Place, London.

We immediately like it, the red décor, the candle-lit tables and the musicians belting out folk songs. We also like

the menu which offers blinis (thin, garnished pancakes) marinated herrings, Shashlik (chunks of lamb gilled on a skewer) and, of course, Borscht, a soup consisting of beetroot, cabbage, celery and onions.

While awaiting our food we slake our thirst with some ice-cold shots of Stolichnaya (pronounced Stol-ich-neeah) vodka; “not to be left on the table too long,” Joseph, our Polish waiter, smilingly informs us. We take him at his word and two rounds on we are into the swing of things.

After we dip in and out of each other’s dishes we take up where we started with more Stolichnaya to the strains of impassioned ballads of love and war.

Joseph, our waiter, is an agricultural student and works alternate nights in an Irish bar and tells us about the marvellous music of a group called Gliondar. He’s off home to

Poland soon to get married and run his parents’ apple farm.

Meanwhile, the musicians gladly accept our offer of a drink, opting for some Jarzebiak, a rowanberry flavoured vodka. “Nas-dar-ovia,” (good health) they say, raising their

‘The best balalaika player north of the Thames..

COMPETITION WINNER Congratulations to Donal

Thank you to all who entered the draw to win a gift voucher sponsored by The Kilkenny Observer.

Congratulation to Donal Gibbons, 86 Fatima Place, Kilkenny who won the €100.00 gift voucher for Lash Dolls Beauty, Market Cross Shopping Centre, Kilkenny The gift voucher was presented to Donal by Faith, Features and Advertising Consultant with The Kilkenny Observer.

Photo by Jack Moore

glasses. “Sláinte,” we toast them back. “Sláinte,” they repeat.

Later, Bibs, one of the musicians joins us. Bibs is half English, half Polish. “The best balalaika player north of the Thames,” he assures us. Bibs was waylaid in some pub on the way to the Borscht ‘n Tears and is, if not quite ‘four sheets to the wind’, definitely two!

As Bibs drags Diane to the floor for a rather botched polka we pay our bill, tip Joseph generously and after several more Stolichnayas, ‘nas-dar-ovias’, and ‘sláintes’ we finally emerge from the Borscht ’n Tears, red of cheek and not too steady of step. As we amble back to our lodgings I stop to scan a book shop window as the others walk on and vanish into our hotel.

Sauntering along Beauchamp Place my foot kicks something on the ground. I look down and see a brooch.

Diane’s brooch! A brooch we

had admired earlier in the evening and an item of great sentimental value to her. I pocket the brooch and smile.

This, I’m thinking, will make for some fun back at the hotel when Diane misses her precious piece of jewellery. I imagine her alarm, her panic but I’ll let the tension mount before proclaiming myself the hero of the hour by producing the brooch.

The only problem was that by the time I got back to the hotel everyone had gone to bed, thanks to an overindulgence of Stolichnaya. I put the brooch in a drawer and fell fast asleep.

Early next morning, while immersed in a warm, sudsy bath, the drama began. Kathleen, my wife, burst into the bathroom: “Jack,” she gushed, “is on the phone. Diane is in tears and having words with the hotel manager, what do you suppose is wrong?”

And then the penny dropped. I leapt from the bath

in the all-together shouting, not ‘Eureka’ but “Jesus, Mary and Holy Saint Joseph, it’s the brooch”.

“What brooch?’”my wife confusedly asked but now I am busy ringing Jack back. My phone call came in the nick of time ie. before Scotland Yard were called in, but not before the hotel manager, in a thoroughly, upper-crust, English accent delivered a thoroughly chastising lecture to Diane about the foolhardiness of leaving valuables in the room.

And so, moi, the would-be hero of the hour had suddenly turned villain.

Diane beat a hasty path to our door to retrieve, and inspect, her brooch. I stood there in my boxer shorts apologising profusely knowing in my heart of hearts that this woman would never, ever, trust me again. I also knew that this incident could only ever be called: ‘Borscht ‘n Tears ‘n tears ‘n tears!

Mayor of Kilkenny calls for a reduction of the Local Property Tax Mayor of Kilkenny Cllr David FitzGerald has called for a 10% reduction of the Local Property Tax (LPT) in Kilkenny. Following on from the commitment that he gave during his Mayoral election speech in June, Cllr FitzGerald said “The Cost of living is affecting every business and household.

We in Kilkenny both as a local authority and in local businesses need to ensure we offer the best value to all in our customers and ensure we don’t inadvertently add to the increasing costs facing our people. We must be prepared to consider temporarily reducing local property taxes and commercial rates to help alleviate the un-paralleled inflation squeezing everyone particularly those on low incomes.”

The current LPT rate is at the max of 15 % above the flat rate which was introduced in 2019. Ahead of the September meeting of the Kilkenny County

Council Cllr FitzGerald has proposed a 10% reduction of the LPT. ‘’Everyone is feeling the impact of the cost of living, we have the ability in the county council not to inadvertently add to the cost on the people of Kilkenny. One measure we can introduce to help elevate the pressure is reduce the Local Property Tax. With inflation running at almost 10%, the Council needs to reduce the burden on tax payers during these difficult times. I understand

the impact this will have on the County Council budget however I cannot ignore the financial strain on society.

I will be proposing a 10% reduction of the Local Property Tax.’’ Cllr FitzGerald added “ All branches of government must live within their means in the year ahead.

It is unrealistic to expect each household in Kilkenny to cope with the spiralling cost of heating, electricity and food prices if Local Government continues to levy local taxes at the top rates. Kilkenny County Councillors have supported the Council with generous budgets over the past number of years but it’s time for the Council, like everyone else, to cut its cloth to its measure.”

Councillors are being briefed in committee on the draft Council budget with the decision on the rate to be levied for Local property Tax (LPT) due to be made during September.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

21

Advertisement

22

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

Global Report Former UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss trailed ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak in all five rounds of voting by Tory MPs. But bookmakers always had her as the clear favourite to win, having spent years building relationships with constituency associations and having remained loyal to Boris Johnson during the darkest days of his premiership.

In many ways, she is not a conventional Tory.

Mary Elizabeth Truss was born in Oxford in 1975. She has described her father, a mathematics professor, and her mother, a nurse, as “left-wing”.

As a young girl, her mother took on marches for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, an organisation vehemently opposed to the Thatcher government’s decision to allow US nuclear warheads to be installed at RAF Greenham Common, west of London.

The family moved to Paisley, just west of Glasgow, when Ms Truss was four years old.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Profile, her brother said the family enjoyed playing board games, but the young Ms Truss hated losing and would often disappear rather than risk not winning.

The family later decamped to Leeds, where she attended Roundhay, a state secondary school. She has described seeing “children who failed and were let down by low expectations” during her time there.

At the age of seven, Liz Truss played the role of Margaret Thatcher in her school’s mock general election.

But unlike the prime minister, who won a huge majority in 1983, she did not prove a success.

Many years later, Ms Truss recalled: “I jumped at the chance and gave a heartfelt speech at the hustings, but ended up with zero votes. I didn’t even vote for myself.”

Thirty-nine years on, she has jumped at the chance to follow the Iron Lady’s lead for real and become Conservative leader and prime minister.

Some of Ms Truss’s contemporaries at Roundhay have disputed her account of the school, including Guardian journalist Martin Pengelly, who wrote: “Perhaps she is selectively deploying her up-

The life and times of Liz Truss bringing, and casually traducing the school and teachers who nurtured her, for simple political gain.”

Whatever her schooling, Ms Truss got to Oxford University, where she read philosophy, politics and economics and was active in student politics, initially for the Liberal Democrats.

At the party’s 1994 conference, she spoke in favour of abolishing the monarchy, telling delegates in Brighton: “We

Liberal Democrats believe in opportunity for all. We do not believe people are born to rule.”

At Oxford, Ms Truss switched to the Conservatives.

After graduating she worked as an accountant for Shell, and Cable & Wireless, and married fellow accountant Hugh O’Leary in 2000. The couple have two children.

Ms Truss stood as the Tory candidate for Hemsworth, West Yorkshire, in the 2001

the seat by more than 13,000 votes.

She co-authored a book, Britannia Unchained, with four other Conservative MPs elected in 2010, which recommended stripping back state regulation to boost the UK’s position in the world, marking her out as a prominent advocate of free market policies on the Tory benches.

During a BBC leadership debate, she was challenged about a comment in Britannia Unchained, describing British workers as “among the worst idlers in the world”. She insisted she had not written it.

In 2012, just over two years after becoming an MP, she entered government as an education minister and in 2014 was promoted to environment secretary.

At the 2015 Conservative conference, Ms Truss was mocked for a speech in which she said, in an impassioned voice: “We import two-thirds of our cheese. That. Is. A. Disgrace.”

Less than a year later came arguably the biggest political event in a generation — the EU referendum.

Ms Truss campaigned for Remain, writing in the Sun newspaper that Brexit would be “a triple tragedy — more rules, more forms and more delays when selling to the EU”.

However, after her side lost, she changed her mind, arguing that Brexit provided an opportunity to “shake up the way things work”.

Under Theresa May’s premiership, she served as justice secretary before moving on to become chief secretary to the Treasury.

When Boris Johnson became prime minister in 2019, Ms Truss was moved to international trade secretary - a job which meant meeting global political and business leaders to promote UK Plc. In 2021, aged 46, she moved to one of the most senior jobs in government, taking over from Dominic Raab as foreign secretary.

In this role she has sought to solve the protracted problem of the Northern Ireland Protocol, by scrapping parts of a post-Brexit EU-UK deal — a move the EU fiercely criticised.

AT A GLANCE

general election, but lost. Ms Truss suffered another defeat in Calder Valley, also in West Yorkshire, in 2005.

But, her political ambitions undimmed, she was elected as a councillor in Greenwich, south-east London, in 2006, and from 2008 also worked for the right-of-centre Reform think tank.

Liz Truss became an MP in 2010 when Conservative leader David Cameron put Ms Truss on his “A-list” of priority candi-

Age: 47 Place of birth: Oxford Home: London and Norfolk Education: Roundhay School in Leeds, Oxford University Family: Married to accountant Hugh O’Leary with two teenage daughters Parliamentary constituency: South We st Norfolk dates for the 2010 election and she was selected to stand for the safe seat of South West Norfolk.

But she quickly faced a battle against de-selection by the constituency Tory association, after it was revealed she had had an affair with Tory MP Mark Field some years earlier.

The effort to oust her failed and Ms Truss went on to win

Meanwhile, Dublin holds its breath on Article 16 Politicians on both sides of the border are watching to see how Liz Truss sets up her team to handle Brexit Civil servants in the UK have been asked in the transition talks to arrange an early Dublin visit for the new prime minister to meet Taoiseach Micheál Martin in an effort to come to an understanding on the future of the protocol. Her team believes there is a window before Leo Varadkar, who is seen as a “tougher nut to crack”, returns as Taoiseach in December.

Dublin has watched the

Tory leadership race anxiously with Brexit front of mind and wary that the doors of the Stormont chamber will remain locked until the

impasse is finally broken.

The DUP’s failure to elect a speaker as part of its ongoing protest over protocol concerns has meant that

Northern Ireland is without a government during a cost of living and healthcare crisis in the region.

Substantive discussions on Brexit have not been held since February 11 this year, and the stalemate had been used as an election bargaining chip by Truss and her opponent, Rishi Sunak.

Although publicly the Government has been at pains to avoid commenting on another country’s politics, there is quiet concern in the Department of Foreign Affairs that Truss, who was deeply loyal to Boris Johnson, will

continue in his mould.

While UK foreign secretary, Truss announced selective unilateral action regarding the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol this year, and the most hardline Brexiteers are now calling for the triggering of Article 16.

Article 16 sets out the process for taking unilateral action if either the EU or UK find the protocol is leading to serious “economic, societal or environmental dfficulties” and are liable to persist.

In July last year the British government said it felt the

threshold had been reached for using such safeguards, but had chosen not to use them for now.

Liz Truss has also been widely criticised in Irish media for her inability to pronounce ‘taoiseach’ correctly while foreign secretary and after reports she told a US audience three years ago that Brexit would not have any serious impact in Ireland and would merely “affect a few farmers with turnips in the back of their trucks”.

Those in Dublin who have met Truss say she is not to be underestimated.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

23

EDUCATION - Create your future

24

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

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

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

We’re taking bookings now for the coming school year so give us a call or drop us an email and we can send you some brochures and more information, and also check availability for your school! If you

Learning and fun at The National Reptile Zoo

fancy giving the kids a day out, you can always come see us and all the reptiles here at the Zoo – just ask about our Discovery Walk Tours or even our virtual Zoo Zoom sessions!

We can even host a specific workshop for your class right here in the Zoo! Conservation through

Education has always been our motto, and we look forward to sharing that passion with everyone.

Thousands of customers switching to St. Canice’s Credit Union as banks exit market

L-R: Ciarán Byrne, Laura Kiely, Marie Barron, Leah Kenrick, Aoife McCardle, Ciara Swan, Alannah Fitzpatrick

St. Canice’s Credit Union recently launched a campaign to encourage people to switch to them for their current account services.

THOUSANDS of customers across Kilkenny City and county have switched their current accounts to St. Canice’s Credit Union in response to banks exiting the Irish market.

St. Canice’s CU’s ongoing campaign to encourage people to switch to them for their current account services has been a great success. The comparison website bonkers. ie, enables people to see for themselves the great savings that they will make switching to St. Canice’s Credit Union compared to the main pillar banks. The cost for a current account with AIB per month is €7.15, BOI is €6.00 and An

Post is €6.30 * compared to St. Canice’s Credit Union which is €4.00 per month and free for students aged 18-25 or anyone over the age of 66 years old.

Members can apply online or in any of their 9 branches and can also avail of services like overdrafts and direct debit facilities.

Credit unions have expanded their offerings over the years and now offer a range of services such as current accounts and mortgages up to €350,000.

Carmel Butler, CEO of St. Canice’s Credit Union said they are delighted to see people make the switch to them. “We are delighted that people are seeing the value that credit unions can offer and that they are making the switch.”

“Credit unions remain at the heart of communities all over Ireland and each credit union

is involved with giving back locally between sponsorship and charity. With KBC gone and Ulster Bank about to go, we are delighted to welcome new members and we look forward to welcoming even more over the coming months,” she added.

The Irish League of Credit Unions said that nationwide around 50,000 people have now switched their current accounts from banks to credit unions.

The current account at St. Canice’s Credit Union is also compatible with Apple Pay, Google Pay and Fitbit Pay and offer a globally accepted Mastercard Debit Card. *Source correct as at 06/09/2022 https://www. bonkers.ie/compare-currentaccounts/your-results/

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

25

EDUCATION - Create your future

26

EDUCATION - Create your future

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

27

EDUCATION - Create your future

The Irish Defence Forces You can be more, more thanyoueverdreamed, you can be at the edge of your seat, be overseas, be playing sports, be qualified in a trade or skill, the person any employer wants right away, be a betterstrongerperson, whatever you want to be, BE MORE with the Irish Defence Forces.

Interested in any of the following?

• Infantry • Peacekeeping • Maritime Security • Heavy Vehicles • Equine Groom • Mechanic • Air Craft Technician • International Soccer • Adventure Racing • Furthering your Education • Artillery • Air Ambulance Service • Explosive Ordnance Disposal • Engineer • Carpenter • Chef • Electrician • Boxing • Physical Fitness • Making friends for Life The Irish Defence Forces offers all of this and more.

The Irish Defence Forces are recruiting nowforGeneralService for our Army and Naval Service along with a wide range of Direct Entry options. Scan the QR code to visit our careers page for more information on how you can join the Irish Defence Forces.

Learn Tai Chi – The Art of Balance

Most people are aware that practicing Tai Chi regularly helps you to improve your overall physical health, strength, and balance. However, doing Tai Chi for stress reduction is highly beneficial for your mental health as well. In fact, many aspects of mental health are interlinked with physiological processes.

Tai Chi can be an effective stress reducer, as it combines movement with mindfulness and can be a powerful way to promote health in both of these areas. Here’s how Tai Chi stress relief works.

How Does Tai Chi Help Reduce Stress?

Tai Chi is safe and effective exercise because of low-impact physical activities that don’t put strain on the joints. It helps to promote stress reduction

with the use of smooth, flowing movements, stretches, and attention to the following: • Mental focus • Breathing • Coordination • Relaxation Meditation is also an important part of Tai Chi, and many studies have shown that even brief sessions (25 minutes) of mindfulness meditation can reduce psychological strain. Participating in Tai Chi also reduces inflammatory markers, such as cortisol, that the body releases in response to stressors. This essentially helps to minimize the impacts of psychological tension on the body.

The mental health benefits of reducing stress with Tai Chi combined with a healthy lifestyle and regular practice can help to reduce anxiety and

depression as well as lower blood pressure.

Tai Chi can also improve mental clarity and brain elasticity, particularly in seniors.

Tai Chi can even help you achieve a higher quality of sleep, especially if you’re an older adult whose sleep is frequently disrupted during the night. However, getting enough sleep is important for people of all ages, because sleep loss and deprivation are known to negatively impact memory, judgment, and mood.

If you would like to learn more about Tai Chi and its benefits, Kilkenny Club will host Free Talk and Demo on the 14th of September in the Kilkenny School Project, Waterford Road at 6.15 pm. New 10 week course for beginners starts September 21st. All are welcome!

28

EDUCATION - Create your future

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

29

kilkennyobserver.ie

News

South East set to be our rambling capital The south-east aims to become Ireland’s rambling capital amid ambitious plans to unite three of the country’s most popular greenway walking and cycling routes.

Waterford and Tipperary councils are now examining proposals to connect the hugely popular Wa-

terford Greenway with the Suir Blueway, while the new Cork Greenway is expected to be opened by late 2022/ early 2023.

It will also be the focus of discussions as to a future linkage to the Waterford and Tipperary walking routes.

Estimates indicate that a linked walking and cycling

route across Cork, Waterford, Tipperary and Wexford could boast more than 1.5 million users each year.

A public consultation has now been launched about linking the Waterford Greenway with the Tipperary/ Suir Blueway.

The 46km Waterford route is one of the most successful

walking and cycling routes ever developed in Ireland and has been credited with a massive tourism increase across Waterford.

It is now estimated that more than 250,000 people use the route annually.

Developed along the old Waterford-Dungarvan railway line, it has become

enormously popular thanks to its coastal views and attractions including railway tunnels and viaducts as well as its proximity to famous beaches and historic attractions.

Now, Waterford City and County Council are working with Tipperary County Council about linking the

BioPharma ‘strategy’ needed for €1.2t. grow BioPharmaChem Ireland and Irish Medtech Association, the Ibec groups that represent the sectors, have launched a joint Budget 2023 submission advocating for the Government to develop a national health technology and life sciences strategy led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, with the appropriate resources appointed within the department to manage its implementation.

Ibec Head of Sectors, and Director of Medtech and Engineering, Dr Sinead Keogh said: “In Ireland, the biopharma, medtech, and digital health sectors in Ireland are renowned for attracting international investment with 700+ companies operating here across the country, employing 84,000 people directly, and making a global impact with exports in excess of €105 billion. The life sciences sector alone is expected to reach €730 billion by 2025, with the digital health segment estimated to grow at over 17.4% between 2021 and 2027 to €426 billion.”

That’s a collective €1.15 trillion.

Dr Keogh said: “We need a national strategy and forum to bring further coordination across the whole ecosystem to really realise the potential here. In Ibec we have already mapped out 200 organisations working in digital health across our world-class ecosystem.”

“Cross-industry convergence is on the rise as businesses partner using their unique specialities to leverage opportunities for innovation and growth. To sustain our hard-won competitiveness and get ahead of global game changers spanning, changing de-

mands in healthcare, new technologies, and socio-political shift, we need the right industrial policies,” she said.

Dr Kepgh said that, while Europe’s healthtech industry was growing, it’s not growing as fast as in Asia and the US and Ireland risked losing out if we can’t keep pace. In Europe where the population was fragmented and the start-up ecosystem more decentralised as a whole, regulation was one of the biggest barriers for emerging healthtechs.

“That is what we are calling for a national health technology and life sciences strategy that ensures we adopt a cluster-based approach to policy. Greater coordination of state funded resources is needed to drive innovation, support effective partnerships, and foster collaboration to achieve our potential and overcome challenges.”

BioPharmaChem Ireland Director Matt Moran said: “The biopharma industry has evolved and Ireland is one of the leading global hubs for the development, manufacturing and supply of medicines and their ingredients. Ireland remains the location of choice for new and cutting edge biopharmachem molecules. However, the Irish industry here needs to stay at the cutting edge through embracing new advanced therapeutics.

“To keep pace with the international business trends, and the increasing complexity of the health innovation ecosystem we need to adapt. While manufacturing sites in Ireland continue to win projects and deliver in a challenging environment, we cannot compete as a lowcost manufacturing economy.”

Greenway and Blueway routes between Carrick-onSuir and Kilmeaden.

The public consultation will operate between August 31 and October 7 - and members of the public are encouraged to make submissions, recommendations and comments about the proposal.

Stir fry: Ciaran Gallagher, Bord Bia Director South East Asia and Minister McConalogue at Ryan’s Grocery, Singapore

It’s Irish beef, and Singapore noodles Irish beef and lamb will appear on supermarket shelves in Singapore for the first time, following its launch in Singapore, as part of a Government-led trade mission.

Boutique food retailer and butchery Ryan’s Grocery will initially stck Irish beef and lamb at their two locations in Singapore. This is the first phase of a two-phase rollout through their distribution arm, Alternative Selection, which will create a direct supply route for Irish beef and lamb to Singapore’s top restaurants.

Alternative Selection already carries a range

of Irish brands including Glenisk, Ballymaloe and Burren Smokehouse, and will now also stock Burren Smokehouse organic salmon and Glenisk organic yoghurt in Ryan’s Grocery at this time.

Speaking at the launch during the Singapore leg of the trade mission, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD said: “It’s a testament to Irish farmers that the discerning team at Ryan’s Grocery has chosen Irish beef and lamb to add to their premium portfolio of certified supplier farms. I also acknowledge the great work of Bord

Bia in establishing and maintaining valuable commercial relationships with key stakeholders in the region.

“It is also wonderful to see that quality Irish organic foods are finding new and exciting markets.”

Ryan’s Grocery is the retail face of Alternative Selection, a Singaporebased wholesaler founded by husband and wife team Sebastian Chia and Wendy Foo. The team specialises in allergen and preservative free speciality foods including grass-fed and organic meats.

Bord Bia’s interim CEO,

Michael Murphy commented: “Total Irish exports to Singapore were €36 million in 2021.

“While the market is small in value and volume terms, as an influential gateway market to the entire region, increasing the visibility of Irish meat on shelves is an important step forward for Irish beef exports.”

Ciaran Gallagher, Bord Bia’s South East Asia Director said: “Working in tandem with Irish suppliers, Bord Bia has developed a strong relationship with the team at Alternative Selection, driven by our understanding of their sourcing needs.”

Ryanair pulls out of Athens for winter Ryanair has announced it will close its base in Athens for the winter. The airline blamed the airport’s ‘dysfunctional’ charging regime in a statement.

“Athens Airport is a prime

example of how the Greek government and German high-cost ownership fail to deliver. Athens International Airport is managed by German operator AviAlliance which owns 40% of the air-

port, with the Greek government holding a 55% stake and the remaining 5% in private hands.” Ryanair said in statement.

It is believed that it will close on October 29, the day

before the airline shifts to winter schedules. However, it’ll still serve Athens in the off-season using non-based aircraft.

Ryanair opened a base in Athens in April 2014.

30

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny

We at The Kilkenny Observer were delighted to team up with TJ Reid Health & Fitness to run a competition to win a year’s free membership to their gym.

Observer

COMPETITION WINNER

Thank you to all who entered the draw, we had a huge response and a big congratulations to Claire Kealy, Redeen, Kilmanagh, Co. Kilkenny, the lucky winner.

Claire was thrilled to be announced as the winner, she told The Kilkenny Observer that it was her first time to ever win anything.

Claire was presented with the yearly membership prize by Daniel McDaid, Manager of TJ Reid Health & Fitness.

Thank you to Daniel and continued success to TJ Reid Health & Fitness from all at The Kilkenny Observer.

TJ Reid Health & Fitness Club recently celebrated its 5th birthday and it’s been quite the year for one of Kilkenny’s leading Health & Fitness Clubs Opening up last June again after lockdown, the club has experienced one of its busiest years to date, with over 1000 members enjoying a state of the art facility and some of the most experienced and friendly staff in the business.

The club did not stand still when it reopened though. The club has invested over 150K on a new strength and conditioning, and spin room for members to enjoy.

The two former studios have been combined into the new Fit Zone studio which hosts a large selection of classes weekly.

In fact, the club hosts around 40 classes a week ranging

Daniel McDaid, Manager of TJ Reid Health & Fitness, Claire Kealy, winner of the year’s free membership for TJ Reid Health & Fitness and Faith O’Neill, Features and Advertising Consultant with The Kilkenny Observer. Photo by Jack Moore

from the very popular spin classes to the in-house designed concept classes, which have proven to be our most popular class to date.

The past year has also seen the club achieve the highest standard possible in the prestigious Ireland Active’s ‘National Quality Standard Awards’. The award recognises achievements across a number of areas including; health and safety, customer satisfaction and human resources, with the club achieving the Outstanding Award for their efforts.

Most recently the club has launched their ‘TJ Reid Online’ platform.

Clients can now avail of some of the best fitness and nutrition advice the industry has to offer in the comfort of your own home. From fitness programs and plans, to nutrition advice, the online platform plat has everything you could possibly want to help increase your fitness fit levels in your own home.

For more details on some of the services and facilities on offer at TJ Reid Health & Fitness email info@reidfitness.ie or call (056) 444 9015.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

31

Advertisement

At a meeting of Kilkenny County Board the following managerial appointments were ratified

Brian Dowling has been formally ratified for his 4th year term as Senior Manager: his record speaks for itself having won two All-Irelands in the last 3 years having narrowly missed out on one when he was a coach back in 2019. The O Loughlin Gaels clubman will keep the same backroom team that helped him guide the Seniors to All-Ireland glory in August this year.

Seamus Kelly has been ratified as the new Intermediate manager: Seamus has man-

aged underage teams with Kilkenny in the past while also having a stint as the Intermediate coach back in 2015.

The Mount Leinster Rangers clubman guided DCU to Ashbourne cup glory this year and had many Kilkenny girls on the team. Seamus will also take up a selectors role with Brian Dowling’s Senior team and give some continuity to both panels next year.

Mike Wall has been ratified as Minor manager for 2023.

The two time winning Minor

manager (2015 & 2021) lost out to Galway in this years AllIreland semi final. Mike brings a wealth of experience with him to the role having won the Intermediate All-Ireland in 2016 as manager as well as his two minor victories. His backroom team will be announced at a later date.

County Board Chairperson Theresa Aylward is delighted with the appointments and wishes all the managers and backroom teams the very best of luck for 2023

32

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

Feature

Kilkenny military history brought to life on Scallan Tour When it comes to military history, you would travel a long distance to meet anyone with the knowledge of retired army man Larry Scallan.

In recent weeks Larry’s Military History Walking Tours took to the streets of Kilkenny for Heritage Week.

OPERATION HUMPTY DUMPTY The walking tours took patrons from the Castle entrance into the Butler House gardens where there is part of Nelsons Pillar in the gardens.

At 1.30 am on the morning of March 8th, 1966, an explosion rocked Dublin’s O’Connell Street. The Irish Republican army had blown up Nelson’s pillar in an operation known as Humpty Dumpty.

Its bombing was timed to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1916 rising. How they arrived in Kilkenny is still a matter of much debate.

However it seems that admiration for the stone carver’s skill is what brought

in 1884 cut short his professional career. He went on the run and escaped to France where he remained for nine years.

In 1857 he returned to Ireland at a time when the Republican movement was at a low ebb, and, by his optimism and energy, he held the membership together and injected new life and progressiveness to their endeavours. On St. Patrick’s day, 1858 he founded the Irish Republican Brotherhood and soon merged it into the small revolutionary groups which were in existence.

them to the home of Irish craft and design.

BLACK MILL STREET RESIDENT The walk headed down the parade to hear the history of the founding of the Irish Republican Brotherhood

by James Stephens to the creation of the Irish

Volunteers in early 1914 and the Irish Nationalist Volunteers.

James Stephens was reared in Blackmill Street in Kilkenny. A Civil engineer by profession, he was only twenty four when the failure of William Smith O’Briens attempted insurrection

THE FRIARY STREET AMBUSH : 1921 The walk continued up Friary St., where the story of the Friary St. Ambush happened in 1921 and some of the key Kilkenny figures during the War of Independence and Civil War was relayed.

On February 21st, 1921, three man lost their lives in what has become known as ‘The Friary Street Ambush’

­

Two of those were members of the local IRA. The plaque which is positioned at the junction of Pennyfeather lane and Friary Street reads as follows.

‘At this spot, Capt. Thomas Hennessy and Michael Dermody (NCO), two brave soldiers of The Irish Republican army, gave their lives in the cause of Irish Freedom on February 21st, 1921, during the War of Independence.

To perpetuate their memories, this plaque was erected by the members of the 1st Battalion Kilkenny Brigade I.R.A.” The third person to die was a local Council worker called Thomas Dullard, who was an innocent bystander.

WOODGATE WAS YOUNGEST IRISH CASUALTY A stop at the Thomas Woodgate Memorial was next on the route with the tragic story of the youngest Irish casualty of WW1 remembered.

The Woodgate story and its amazing background is possibly one of the sculptures that attracts most attention in Kilkenny city.

The Thomas Woodgate sculpture, which is situated outside The Kilkenny Courthouse at the Market Yard was constructed by Kilkenny Company Stapleton Engineering and the story behind the monument is intriguing.

A boy of 14, killed in the final weeks of World War I, is commemorated with this public sculpture in Kilkenny.

Thomas Woodgate duped recruiting officers by claiming he was 18 and enlisted in the Royal Air Force on September 19, 1918.

He left his home in Mill Street in Callan, Co Kilkenny, to begin a journey to join his training squadron in Egypt. He sailed on the RMS Leinster steamship from Dún Laoghaire, then known as Kingstown, on October 10.

However, shortly after leaving the harbour, a

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

33

kilkennyobserver.ie

Feature

German submarine attacked the ship with torpedoes and sank it.

The Irish boy was one of 569 men, women and children who lost their lives in the attack. Thomas’s tombstone in the military cemetery in Grangegorman in Dublin stated he was 18.

His true age was revealed a century later when the Kilkenny Great War Memorial Committee was organising a public memorial for the 829 who lost their lives in the war who were from Co Kilkenny.

OVER THREE THOUSAND MEN AND WOMEN FROM KILKENNY The penultimate stop was to the WW1 memorial where Larry spoke about the tragic loss to families in Kilkenny during WW1.

Today, we have a glorious memorial in Kilkenny to those who died in WW1.

A fitting tribute to man and women from Kilkenny city and County who partook in what can only be described

as a horrible time in our history. However, horrible and all as it was, it must and should be remembered.

Tribute to those committee members who instigated the idea of a memorial and who put in such long and arduous hours of work to make the dream become a reality.

While it is impossible to be definitive about actual numbers, it is on

the public record that over 3,300 Kilkenny women and men participated in many battlefields and parts of the world on land and at sea during WW1. Of the 3,300 we know that at least 830 died; 5 nurses and 825 soldiers, sailors, airmen clergy and munitions workers.

All these Kilkenny people are now commemorated on fitting memorials on the

banks of the river Nore at the Peace Park and at Mac Donagh Railway station in Kilkenny City The final stop was to the Museum in James Stephens Barracks, a first for many on the tour. It is always a highlight for many to see examples of weapons, medals and artefacts pertaining to the military history of Kilkenny.

­

34

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

Advertisement

Poet of the People launches new collection…

BY JOHN FITZGERALD

Fennelly’s arty café in Callan was the launch pad for a new collection of zany, wide-ranging and life-affirming poetry that has become the talk of the town.

Peter Brabazon’s poems have an appeal that extends beyond the usual literary circles. He’s one of those rare creatures, a poet of the people…more of a strolling player and roving bard than the studious grumpy type that one associates with the muse.

A native of County Kildare, he studied literature at UCD before moving to Callan where he has lived for thirtythree years.

He’s been composing poetry on and off since he arrived in the historic Town of the Ructions.

After retiring from his post at Larch he found more time for poetry.

His latest collection, titled 40 more poems, follows on from his widely acclaimed 2006

book containing his first forty compositions.

Peter draws inspiration mainly from personal experience, encompassing all of life’s ups and downs. Anything can act as a spur: An unlit fire, a double wooly jumper, an overcast sky, a small mercy or random kindness, watching an old movie, casting his eye on a flower or weed while in reflective mood, or seeing a bird flutter past.

He enjoys belting out a song too and singing can release new ideas or insights from his subconscious.

Nothing is off limits. The smallest dab on life’s canvass can spawn another lyrical foray: Whatever the joyous or sorrowful emotion or occasion, trigger image, or recollected place in time or space he can apply his bountiful word brush to it.

He resists the tendency to veer off into the incomprehensible or indecipherable, as some poets do: Hence his popularity. His poems are euphonic and accessible, and almost any of them could double as songs. Small wonder that Peter features prominently in the Tuesday night musical session at Hourigan’s of Bridge Street.

He doesn’t confine himself to firsthand perception. In his ”found” poems, as he calls them, he ventures outside his circle of experience; addressing subjects as diverse as the downside of wind turbines (they shred birds as well as

generating energy) and the lamentable downgrading of Pluto to the status of a dwarf planet.

It may be five billion K from the sun, but for Peter it’s as relevant an issue as the havoc that his two beloved dogs wrought on the world of literature when they ripped into his library.

I liked how in one poem he adapted Shakespeare’s King Lear to a zippy modern setting, managing in a few lines to give the story a startling new relevance for the 21st century.

He has a new “take” on the myth of Sisyphus: for him, a poet’s unending literary quest is the stone being rolled back up the hill.

Peter availed of the bleak and oppressive Covid lockdown to re-focus his creative energies.

He devotes a poem to the subject titled Le Tour de Farce. In an athletic feat of the imagination he cycles to victory. But it’s hollow…without accolades or crowds or the girls to peck him on the cheek.

The collection has an intriguing and useful “notes” section at the end. This sheds further light on the process by which he transferred all those beguiling mind-images onto the pages of this wonderful little book.

40 More Poems is on sale at The Book Centre, High Street, Kilkenny, Khan’s of James’s Street, and Super Valu, Callan.

Price E8.99.

-John Fitzgerald

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

35

Recruitment

36

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

Food & Drink

Dine Me Come

With

Penang prawn and pineapple curry Prep: 25 mins Cook: 40 mins Serves:8 (with other dishes)

Rustle up this fragrant one-pot curry with other dishes to create a Malaysian feast for eight, or make it your centrepiece by doubling the prawns.

Ingredients For the toasted coconut • 100g fresh coconut flesh • 2 tsp sunflower oil For the curry • thumb-sized piece ginger , peeled • 6 garlic cloves , peeled • 1 ½ tbsp mild curry powder • 100ml sunflower oil • 7 curry leaves • 1 cinnamon stick • 1 star anise • 3 cardamom pods • 6 cloves • 6 shallots , thinly sliced lengthways • 3 tbsp tamarind paste • 1 pineapple , peeled, cored and cut into chunks • 1 tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar • 400ml can full-fat thick coconut milk • 24 large raw king prawns , peeled • handful coriander leaves and cooked white or brown rice, to serve

Method STEP 1 Finely grate the coconut, then toast slowly in a wok, stirring until evenly dark brown (it will start to smell very strong, but it will work a treat). While it’s still warm, pound to a paste with the sunflower oil using a pestle and mortar. Set aside.

Even better chilli con carne

STEP 2 Finely grate or pound the ginger and garlic together using a pestle and mortar. Make a loose curry paste by adding 75ml water to the curry powder. Heat the oil in the wok until it’s just starting to smoke, then throw in the curry leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom pods and cloves and cook for 1 min until fragrant.

Prep: 25 mins Cook: 3 hrs Serves: 8 Reinvent this classic comfort food with our one-pan version that is enriched with peanut butter, espresso powder and dark chocolate. You won’t look back.

Ingredients • 2 dried ancho chillies • 2 tsp black peppercorns • 2 tbsp cumin seeds • 2 tbsp coriander seeds • 2 tsp smoked paprika • 1 tbsp dried oregano • 3 tbsp vegetable oil • 1 ½kg braising steak, cut into 4cm cubes – meat from the brisket, short rib, blade or chuck steak are all good • 2 onions, finely chopped • 6 garlic cloves, minced • 2 tbsp tomato purée • 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter • ½ tsp instant espresso powder • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar • 1l beef or chicken stock • 2 bay leaves

STEP 3 Add the shallots and ginger and garlic paste, cook for around 7 mins until softened and starting to brown, then add the curry powder paste. This is the most important part of making the curry. Ideally, cook over a very low heat and wait until the oil separates and bubbles over the paste, around 10-12 mins. Scrape the bottom of the pan occasionally to remove the crust.

• small piece of cinnamon stick • 2 tbsp semolina, polenta or Mexican masa flour • 25g dark chocolate (70-80% cocoa solids) • 400g can kidney beans, drained but not rinsed (optional) Method STEP 1 Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Over a high heat, toast the whole chillies on all sides until you can smell them cooking, then remove and set aside. Keep the pan on the heat and toast the peppercorns, cumin seeds and coriander seeds until they just start to change colour, then grind to a powder using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Mix with the smoked paprika and oregano (this is a standard Tex-Mex seasoning), then set aside.

STEP 2 Return the casserole to the heat, add half the oil and heat until shimmering.

Fry the beef in batches, adding more oil if you need to, until it’s browned on all sides, then set aside. Fry the onions in the pan over a low heat for about 8 mins

STEP 4 When the oil has come to the top, add the tamarind paste, pineapple and sugar. Pour in the coconut milk.

When the mixture starts boiling, add the prawns and return to the boil, then stir through the toasted coconut.

Season the curry with salt, scatter over the coriander and serve with rice.

until soft and golden, then add the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Working fast, add the meat and juices, the spice mix, tomato purée, peanut butter and coffee to the pan and cook for 2-3 mins, stirring to coat the meat until everything is thick and gloopy, then pour in the vinegar and stock.

STEP 3 Add the toasted chillies back into the casserole, along with the bay leaves, cinnamon and some salt. Bring to a simmer and stir well, then cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 3hrs, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender but not falling apart. Take the casserole out of the oven, put back on the stove and remove the lid. Simmer the sauce for 5 mins, then stir in the semolina flour and simmer for 2-3 mins more. Finely grate over the chocolate, stir through with the beans and simmer for a minute more to heat through. Fish out the chillies, then leave everything to rest for at least 15 mins.

STEP 4 Bring the pan to the table. Serve with bowls of accompaniments and the chilli paste (see tip below) to add heat.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

37

kilkennyobserver.ie

5

The most erotic movie dominating the charts

Advertisement TV & Streaming

to stream right now on Netflix

This dark comedy miniseries from 2018 stars Emma Stone and Jonah Hill as two strangers, Annie and Owen, who sign up for a mysterious pharmaceutical trial (because that’s a good idea) that induces wild, often distressing dreams. Entrenched in dazzlingly crafted visuals, Maniac is a multilayered dive into the subconscious. Dark and unpredictable, with a surprising touch of the warm sentimental stuff.

A show (2017-2019) inspired by the true story of the first pro female wrestling syndicate in the ‘80s. Starring Alison Brie, Glow’s purely fun comedy, packed with eccentric female characters, teams campiness with underdog triumph and soars. Season 3 progresses deeper into the lives of its diverse ensemble, shifting the series to Las Vegas. A fourth and final season was in the works, but sadly production fell victim to the pandemic and Netflix canceled the show.

Despite being critically viewed, 365 Days was a big hit for Netflix. With a dicey plot, it received an intense backlash as critics said that the plot glorified rape culture and Stockholm syndrome. However, considering that the film became a one-of-a-kind sensation and was definitely deemed profitable for both the creators and Netflix, a second part was released earlier this year on August 19. This Polish erotic thriller sequel to 365 Days: This Day, The Next 365 Days is based on the third edition of the trilogy by Blanka Lipi ska.

In this volume of the film franchise, we see Laura (Anna-Maria Sieklucka) and Massimo’s (Michele Mor-

rone) (pictured above) relationship struggle as they try to work through unresolved issues relating to feelings of jealousy and lack of trust.

When it comes to the cast, we see the original couple reprise their roles whilst Simone Susinna, who was introduced in 365 Days: This Day as Massimo’s rival, Marcelo ‘Nacho’ Matos, returns to try his luck at winning back Massimo’s love.

Whilst trying to avoid too many spoilers, we can safely conclude that the plot for the third part of the 365s concludes the love story.

Now onto the exposition.

Being a wife to Don Massimo Torricelli, who is known to be one of the most dangerous Mafia heads in Sicily,

Laura is often at risk. Not only that she becomes an easy target to his enemies, but she is also often hanging in line when it comes to the Mafia head making serious decisions for their relationship. Her life has become nothing less than a rollercoaster.

From the last volume, we know how Massimo is angered by the death of his brother, however, Laura survives her gunshot — in fact, it was not mentioned more than a few times throughout the film. The movie’s exposition entails how the couple is rather going through a rough patch in their relationship. To try to get back to normalcy Laura decides to restart her career in fashion

and as she begins to finally get going, Nacho arrives to cause more confusion in her life. Within the first two weeks of release, the film shot up to the top third most watched film on Netflix and has continued to maintain its position.

The real question remains whether Laura gets back into an abusive relationship with Massimo or whether she decides to continue on this journey with his rival, Nacho. Does Massimo find out what Laura has been up to?

Does she really get to decide, or will she sway the way the wind blows? Or does she choose to move away from the world of mafias and set sail with the wind beneath her own wings?

The oldest story in the book Netflix’s first Danish-language film, Loving Adults, just landed on the streamer, looks to have come storming right out of the gate.

The movie, which is the No.1 non-English Netflix film worldwide at the moment.

That’s based on Netflix’s latest global Top 10 figures, which show that Loving Adults (from director Barbara Rothenborg) garnered 17.4 million hours of viewing time worldwide during the seven-day period that ended on August 28.

And here’s the even more impressive part: In its first week of release, the movie — about a married couple who seem to have it all, until a betrayal of sorts — hit the streamer’s Top 10 films list in a whopping 55 countries during its first week of release.

At the centre of the Loving Adults story are the characters of Christian (Dar Salim) and Leonora (Sonja Richter). They have a son — and, seemingly, the perfect life together. What’s more,

their son has just been given a clean bill of health after fighting a long-term illness.

In other words, the future for everyone seems to be looking bright.

That is, until Leonora sees her husband in the company of a younger woman. She’s an architect named Xenia, and Christian is with her at a party held by his company.

The movie thus starts to feel like one of the oldest stories in the book. Except, that is, for the fact that Leonara makes a decision right there

on the spot. The woman who gave up her career for love decides that she’s not going to be the woman left behind.

“To me, Loving Adults is a dark and twisted, thrilling yet sexy film about what terrible things we men and women can end up doing to each other, if pushed too far,” Barbara Rothenborg says in Netflix’s press material for the movie. “It’s about the very thin line between love and hate — and how jealousy and bitterness can bring out the worst in all of us.”

This provocatively titled show (2017-2021) delivers a timely look at modern race relations through the eyes of a different character each episode. Following several Black students at Winchester, an Ivy League institution, Dear White People manages to blend its social commentary with a sharp sense of humour. With its fourth and final season now in the books, this remains a powerful eye-opener.

If you like your dark British humour, look no further than The End Of The F***ing World (20172019). Psychopath James (Alex Lawther) comes up with a plan to kill Alyssa (Jessica Barden) while on the run from their lousy parents. But as they soar across the open road and commit a couple of violent crimes, their callous hearts soften and they develop feelings for one another. Surprising, fast-paced and surreal, both seasons of this deadpan teenager of a show, with its headphones pumping the best sad ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s doo-wop, will blow you away.

Before she electrified everyone with the word-for- word perfect Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge wrote a six-part comedy that showcased the early stages of her astonishing talent. Crashing (2016) follows six 20-somethings living in a disused hospital, casually observing the strict rules in exchange for cheap rent. The oddball characters subvert expectations wherever hilariously possible, with Waller-Bridge dropping in as the ukulele-playing Lulu. Not only disrupting the Friends setup, she gets herself into occasionally jaw-droppingly dark situations.

38

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

Feature

Kilkenny’s Holy Wells

BY JOHN FITZGERALD

St John’s well acted as a magnet for disaffected peasants during the Tithe War of the 1830s. The priests, with a few honourable exceptions, sided with the establishment and discouraged protesters from congregating at the well.

Bishop Thomas Kinsella (in office 1829-1845) really put the ecclesiastic boot in. The Government’s Coercion Bill had already clamped down on bonfires at Patterns and other traditions associated with holy wells. In the 1840s, the bishop succeeded in almost closing down the fun and games at Johnswell.

In his history of Kilkenny, John Hogan refers to the suppression of the Pattern at the well, and alludes to an event that may have proved the last straw for the Church: the murder of “a tinker man by a tinker woman” at the well.

The travelling man was minding his own business, doing the rounds of the well and saying his prayers when the woman, who had a griev-

ance against him, flung a large stone wrapped in her stocking at him. He fell to the ground.

She then finished him off.

John Banim, the famed 19th century Kilkenny novelist, lamented the end of the great patterns. He recalled “the notes of the bagpipes and the tickling incentive of the fiddle bow, the public road enveloped in dust, brisk badinage, a tremendous rumpus, girls yelling, the twack-twack above all other sounds as a young man wielded his cudgel.”

In the latter part of the 19th century, St. John’s well reclaimed its ancient status as a place of devout pilgrimage. Masses and processions became all the rage as pious Catholics prayed at the well, did the

rounds, Novenas, and sought cures for a vast range of ailments.

Throughout the 20th century, Johnswell continued to draw the pilgrims and, in more recent times, the tour tourists. The spring is still reputed to have curative powers.

When you contem contemplate its wa calm wa-

ters, a fragment of an ancient verse honouring the well may come back to you. It concerns a blind girl who prayed for a cure at the hallowed site: I hear but tone of warning bell For holy priest or nun; On earth God’s face I’ll never see, Nor Mary, nor St. John.

Yet, Mother, could I see thy smile Before we part below, Or watch the silvery moon and stars

Where Slaney’s ripples flow…

Ballyouskill Another Lady well, at Ballyouskill in North Kilkenny is equally scenic and attractive.

The Ballylalackin hills loom in the distance. The well is about 200 yards inside our county boundary, though locals extend a warm welcome to their neighbours up the road in Laois who visit the well and aid the task of preserving this important site.

A Pattern Day used to be

held here on August 15th annually until the custom died out, owing to clerical disapproval.

If you visit the well, have a look too at the nearby ruin of Rosconnell Church, destroyed

by Cromwell’s forces in 1650.

The ruin is close to Rosconnell Bridge on the Owveg River. On the day I entered the grounds of the former place of worship, Larry Cummins of Castlemarket, Portlaoise was cutting the grass in the old churchyard.

He told me that a FASbacked group had worked with great skill and dedication to ensure that this part of the county’s heritage was preserved. The stonework on the church interior was impeccable and a tribute to the men involved in the scheme, he observed.

Larry sadly died since. In his final years he underwent a spiritual transformation.

He became a healer and addresed many public functions throughout Ireland on the meaning of life and his direct experience of a world beyond this one.

Pictures show: 1) the well at Ballyouskill, near the Laois border. And 2) the late Larry Cummins.

To be continued...

The budget and our seniors It may be a few weeks earlier this year but it is time for the dreaded Budget. Yes in the not so distant past, we were all pondering how much will be added to the Pint or the pack of 20 Major!

Now, it is a question of, can we afford to have the happy and comfortable retirement we deserve.

Budget 2022 is an opportunity for the Irish Government to show serious commitment to older people I often hear some commentators say “Older people should be happy with the benefits they get annually.”

The counter argument to that is “Budgets 2020 and 2021 saw no increase in the State Pension, which caused significant concern to older people” Currently, there is much Government discussion and debate on the future of pensions in Ireland and the fact that successive Governments have kicked the Pension time bomb down the road and of course the “ We share your pain, We are all in this

together”. However, recent discussions on the third tax rate saw the Party of Opposition introduce it just above their own TD income level which makes you wonder is all their calls for the’ hard pressed middle class’, the ‘single parents’ and ‘social welfare recipients’ just a great PR spin? While the opposition want retirement at 65, the main government parties split their differences and decided on 66 years as the retirement age. But if there is a change of Government what do you

think will happen? That is right, the party of opposition will gravitate to the Centre as that is what keeps you in power and the lap of luxury only an OAP can dream of.

Women have been adversely affected by changes to the pension over the last number of years, and their work as carers has not always been accounted for come retirement. Will the Powers that be conduct a report into establishing gender equality in pensions and valuing caring work.?

The Government’s 20182023 Roadmap for Pensions Reform sets out a target of the State Pension being approximately 34/35% of average earnings a week. We have already established that if you only have €295 per week that is the poverty line. However, the state pension is €253. So, we are starting from a deficit of €42 to bring us up to what’s considered the minimum required to stay out of poverty.

Now we come to the Cost of heating our Homes as we see the cost of fuel rise like a space rocket maybe we should wish upon a star for support this winter.

The challenge of tackling climate change is a serious issue, but we must ensure that there is a Just Transition towards a carbon neutral society for older people.

In Budget 2021, carbon tax increased from €26 per tonne to €33.50 per tonne. For older people, who are on fixed incomes, changes in the cost of fuel can have a significantly negative impact on their static budgets. Being locked into private transport needs and living in poor BER rated housing can prevent many older people from being able

to reduce their carbon usage to lower their costs. A multipronged approach must be taken to protect older people on fixed incomes and support them towards transitioning away from carbon dependency.

Under the Programme for Government agreement, carbon tax set to increase by a further €7.50 per tonne in the forthcoming budget. This increase will require further increases in weekly Fuel Allowance and a review of eligibility criteria for receipt thereof. Currently over 500,000 people are in receipt of the State Pension yet only approximately 175,000 are eligible for fuel allowance.

As carbon taxes increase, an immediate review of the eligibility criteria is required to ensure that no older people are left struggling financially.

Many older people are living in older homes which are not energy efficient and require fossil fuels to ensure acceptable levels of heating in the home. Retrofitting of energy inefficient homes must be a priority for helping older people escape fossil fuel dependency, reduce their home costs, and help

them play their part in tackling climate change. We welcome the Government’s commitment to retrofit 500,000 homes by 2030, through state investment and development of green loan schemes. However, 80% of seniors say that they did not plan to retrofit their homes with 87% stating they had no plan to avail of a loan scheme for retrofitting. This is due to worries about taking on a loan during retirement in order to retrofit their houses “I need to retrofit my home but it is too expensive to do. I don’t want a loan at my age.

A grant would suffice” “Cannot afford to get loans at 70 plus years – it is not feasible” The Government must consult with older people on the feasibility of green loan schemes for retrofitting for people living in retirement and look into other options such as grant schemes that would not lock older people into long term repayments There is so much we could talk about this week and next week we will look at other areas of concern for our seniors, God be with the days of the 10p on a packet of 20 and 5p on the pint of porter

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

39

kilkennyobserver.ie

Community & GAA Notes

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

We have an online option now available through the Klubfunder App. This allows people to put their numbers into the App, play for a number of weeks at a time and it automatically renews your credits when they run out. We are still running with 3 numbers out of 30 and it’s now €2 per line with minimum jackpot of €1000.

We will still do some manual ticket sales each week but we would appreciate it if as many people as possible could download the Klubfunder App (link to follow) and register for Clara Lotto with their mobile number and email address.

Some people have credits from before Covid and these can be easily linked to your account after registration on the app.We will announce some workshops at Clara Hall and Clara GAA pitch over the next few weeks to assist anyone with the new technology. We also hope to do some door to door visits to help promote the Lotto and explain the new system.

Our first draw will take place on Tuesday 13th September at 8pm. First Jackpot €5,000.Please try to register on the App as soon as possible to help everything to run smoothly. Thanks again for your continued support in this very important fundraiser for both the Parish and the GAA club. The best of luck to all our supporters in the first draw.

Please see Link below to download the Klubfunder App. Its available to download from the Apple and Google Play store.

Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/klubfunder.com/ id1506174556 Google - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com. klubfunder BRIDGE CLUB Clara Bridge Club has been in existence for the last 20 years. They play on Monday nights in Connolly’s of Dunbell from September to May. It starts at 7.30pm and finishes at 10.30pm. The club would welcome all new and old members for a sociable game of Bridge. They will recommence on Monday Sept. 12th in conjunction with their AGM which was postponed from May.

POWER PACKED The Clara U13 hurlers turned in a power packed performance on Friday evening at home to Glenmore in the first round of the Roinn C championship. Although Glenmore jumped into an early five point lead once the Clara lads settled the opposition had no answer to their movement, teamwork and appetite for work.

Their talisman Padraic Meany opened their account with a point from play and a couple of minutes later he played a terrific one two with his brother Mícheál before the latter found the net. A lovely point by Rory Treacy then tied the game.

Glenmore then took the lead for the last time in the match with a free but it was short lived as Padraic Meany fired over three points in a row, the first a monster score from 70 yards.

Aidan O Connell then got in on the act before Padraic again gave the Clara boys a 1-7 to 1-4 half time lead.

When Padraic Meany went on a scintillating run before crashing an unstoppable shot just under the crossbar at the start of the second half and then tacked on a free to stretch the lead to seven it looked like this game might be decided early.

But Glenmore had other ideas and responded with a goal of their own. Two Padraic Meany frees sandwiched around a real peach of a point by Robert Coogan restored the 7 point advantage but Glenmore came again with three points of their own. Every time they did this however the Clara boys hit back and this time it was another Padraic Meany goal after yet another run that did the damage.

Two more Glenmore points were followed by another inevitable Clara goal, this one by Mícheál Meany and when Glenmore answered with a pointed free the Meany brothers, Aidan O Connell and Dara Leamy from a free rattled off four quick fire points to seal the deal. 4-16 to 2-9 was how it finished.

The Meany brothers were at the peak of their powers for this game and accounted for 4-11 between them. They had able cronies in Rory Treacy, Aaron Carrigan and Aidan O Connell in attack and in Dara Leamy at midfield. Central defenders Liam Treacy and Sam Corr were the best of a teak tough defence but in truth there were stars all over the field in this Clara victory.

Team - Rory Bowden Mullen, Matthew Cooke, Liam Treacy, Oliver Burke. Robert Coogan 0-1, Sam Corr, Sam Lawlor.

Padraic Meany 2-10, 0-6f, Dara Leamy 0-1f. Aaron Carrigan, Aidan O Connell 0-2, Rory Treacy 0-1. Ciarán Gibbons, Mícheál Meany 2-1, Michael O Keeffe. Subs used James McDonald, Liam O Callaghan, Jim Carrigan, Jack Byrne (inj.)

MINORS MAKE QUARTERS Clara’s minor hurlers made the short trip to neighbours Gowran on Monday of last week to face league finalists Young

Irelands in knockout Roinn A championship hurling. The last time these sides had met six weeks beforehand the Gowran lads had triumphed by 17 points 6-14 to 0-15. However the Clara lads knew that they hadn’t done themselves justice on that occasion and worked really hard in the interim to bridge the gap. A heavy defeat to James Stephens in the League final may have dented Gowran confidence because they appeared a little flat in this fixture, but this is not to take in any way from an outstanding performance by the Clara boys. To a man they produced a top drawer display of steel and determination and never let up from minute one to minute 64.

Conor Hoyne began the game with two pointed frees but Gowran struck back with two of their own, one from a free.

Then a massive puck out from Cian Kelly was caught by Rory Glynn inside the opposition ‘45 and inside his immediate opponent. Rory made ground, drew a defender and slipped a handpass inside to Sean Carrigan. Sean’s shot for goal was parried by the Gowran goalkeeper but Rory was on hand to bury the rebound. Gowran responded with two Ben Phelan frees but with Harry Boyle doing a terrific man marking job on county minor Ben Phelan and Tommy Delaney keeping serious tabs on Ben’s brother Cian the chances for the home team were becoming very limited. At the other end Clara were creating all kinds of scoring opportunities and from there to the half time break they ran off seven points in a row - three frees by Conor Hoyne, two in a row from Sean Carrigan (created brilliantly by off the ball runs by Joe Power) and one each by Luke Lawlor and Rory Glynn. Half time couldn’t arrive quick enough for Gowran and they retired 1-9 to 0-4 in arrears.

Rory Glynn started the ball rolling for Clara in the second half with a well struck point but shortly afterwards Gowran gave themselves hope with a brilliant individual goal by Cian Phelan. For probably the only time in the game, he got inside Tommy Delaney, latched onto a breaking ball, made significant headway and buried a shot across Cian Kenny. Clara’s response was swift, with first Rory Glynn from play and then Conor Hoyne from a free settling nerves. However Gowran struck again, this time with a Thomas Langton goal that was quickly followed by a Ben Phelan pointed free that cut the margin to just four points.

The next score was going to be crucial and it turned out to be a second Clara goal. A route one high ball into the danger area was knocked down to himself by Rory Glynn and the sliotar bounced kindly for him to pull and steer it past an advancing Tim Brennan in the Gowran goal. Sean Carrigan added a trademark catch, turn and strike point and two Conor Hoyne frees had Clara ten points clear with time running out. Gowran to their credit never stopped trying and Thomas Langton was on hand to belt home a late consolation goal for them to leave the final score 2-15 to 3-5 in favour of the visitors. Clara showed a great appetite for battle here and there were star performances all over the field. The foundation of their victory was an outstanding defensive display where joint captain Ben Crow was sublime, Zach Lawlor and Philip Carrigan were first to almost every ball and joint captain Ben Murphy was ideally suited to the sweeper role that was facilitated by Gowran withdrawing a corner forward. We’ve already mentioned the self sacrificing jobs that Harry Boyle and Tommy Delaney did for the team and both were outstanding in their roles while Cian Kelly’s shotstopping, puckouts and organisational skills were second to none.

Man mountain Davy Barcoe and Conor Hoyne really shone against three Gowran midfielders, and their task was really helped by the shifts put in by half forwards Joe Power, the hard running Ned Langton and workaholic Luke Lawlor. Rory Glynn and Sean Carrigan scored 2-6 from play between them and along with corner forward Eoin Corr they ensured that no ball came out easy. Versatile substitute Hugh Kelly brought a real dash to proceedings when introduced and won frees and balls that he had no right to win just from sheer honesty of endeavour. This was a great victory which qualifies Clara for an away quarter final to Erin’s Own, Castlecomer on Sat. 10th September at 11.00am.

Team - Cian Kelly, Ben Crow, Zach Lawlor, Philip Carrigan.

Tommy Delaney, Harry Boyle, Ben Murphy. Conor Hoyne 0-8f, David Barcoe. Joe Power, Ned Langton, Luke Lawlor 0-1. Rory Glynn 2-3, Sean Carrigan 0-3, Eoin Corr. Sub used Hugh Kelly.

JUNIOR LOSS The Clara Juniors travelled to picturesque Inistioge on Tuesday of last week to take on the locals in their final league game. Both teams entered the contest on four points and whoever was to win would be lifted up to mid table. Clara faced a stiff breeze in the first half and hurled really well to only trail 0-11 to 0-9 at the break. Five Joe Connolly frees, three from play by an in form Rory O Keeffe and a real peach of a point from Ciarán Prendergast had made up the Clara tally but they had lost Ciarán to injury midway through the half. They also lost full back stalwart Mick McDonald to injury shortly before the break.

What had been a really strong breeze for the first 30 minutes completely disappeared during the 15 minute interval and the Rower hit the ground running in the second half with three points on the trot. Joe Connolly replied with a free but then Sean Bolger goaled for the home team and the lead was out to seven. Joe Connolly converted another free but the Rower

had their dander up by now and reeled off another four points in a row to build up an unassailable lead. The injuries kept mounting for Clara and they lost midfielder Stephen Quinlan and wing forward Brian Prendergast during this second half period also. Both had been hurling well and the losses of four big players just proved too much to bear. Clara tried hard and four further points by Joe Connolly (2), Rory O Keeffe and a monster strike by Killian Phelan prevented total obliteration but Inistioge still ran out 1-24 to 0-15 deserving winners. Clara manager David Mulrooney and his selector Mick Barcoe will rue their luck on a night that started out so promising but Murphy’s law prevailed and anything that could go wrong went wrong.

Team - Jason Barcoe, Evan Whearty, Mick McDonald, Brandon Ryan. James Dowling, Tom Ryan, Alan Coleman. Stephen Quinlan, Rory O Keeffe 0-4. Brian Prendergast, Joe Connolly 0-9, 0-8f, Bill Cody. Dara Glynn, Ciarán Prendergast 0-1, Killian Phelan 0-1. Subs used Conor Booth, Jack Carrigan, Noelie O Brien, Nick O Keeffe.

SENIOR HURLING Clara ensured a direct passage to a quarter final on Sunday in Jenkinstown by beating Lisdowney 1-29 to 1-19. This gave them second place on the table, bettered only by Tullaroan on scoring difference. As well as the 1-29 scored Clara had 14 wides and dropped 5 short into the goalie’s hands so they could also have caught Tullaroan in that regard. However winning the game was the main objective and the Clara men did this impressively.

Despite playing into a stiff breeze Clara dominated the early exchanges but incredibly Lisdowney found themselves 0-7 to 0-3 ahead after 14 minutes, mainly down to wayward shooting by the Clara men. A puckout strategy that went horribly wrong for a period of time gave Lisdowney some simple opportunities at this juncture too. Then a Liam Ryan point was followed by a fine individual Chris Bolger goal and this seemed to give the Clara lads the confidence fillip that was needed. The scores began to come thick and fast, and from many sources. Although playing with only five forwards, Clara reached the break three points ahead, and all five forwards had scored from play, as well as midfielder Martin O Connell and half back John Murphy. 1-14 to 0-14 it was at the interval.

Lisdowney began the second half with a pointed free but Clara rattled off the next 10 points in a row to put this game to bed early. The scores again came from all over the field, but because of the help of the strong wind, they were mostly from distance. Conor O Shea and Shane Staunton joined the scoring party, and later again Matt Kenny joined in with two monster strikes of his own. It was a solid performance by Clara and gives them two weeks to get ready for one of the first round winners. Their backs were mainly good here but more precision will be needed for puckouts as the opposition improves. Midfield was on top after being troubled early by Niall Brennan, and the half forwards scored freely. The two man full forward line worked extremely hard, with Jason Byrne drifting in often to provide more penetration. Overall a decent display with former county star Lester Ryan to come back into the reckoning for a quarter final place.

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

John Murphy 0-2, Matt Kenny 0-2, Shane Staunton 0-1. David Langton, Conor O Shea 0-1. Martin O Connell 0-2, Liam Ryan 0-6, Paul Cody 0-4. Dara Glynn 0-1, Chris Bolger 1-1, Jason Byrne 0-9, 0-6f. Subs used Conor Cody, Paddy Ryan, Rory O Keeffe, Evan Whearty.

MINOR CAMOGIE The Minor B Camogie championship quarter final finished.

Danesfort 5-11 Clara 2-11.

A very young Clara minor camogie team featuring 9 U16s put up a great display against Danesfort in the quarter final of the championship in Danesfort on Wednesday night. Like last year we were very unlucky with a couple of girls missing through injury. Clara scored some great team points in the first half but went in at half behind by 7 points on a 4-03 to 0-08 scoreline.

They came out fighting in the second half and got the deficit back to 3 points on a couple of occasions. However despite putting in a great effort right to the final whistle they were beaten in the end by nine points. Well done to the girls for putting up such a strong showing in the face of adversity. Well done also to team manager David Shortall and his selector Joe Casey for the time and effort invested all year.

Team - Ava Kenny, Sarah Dunne, Rachel Whelan 0-1, Claire Murphy. Rachel Brickell, Laoise Nolan 0-2, Alva Power. Pia Langton 0-0-1, Emma Corr 0-2. Jessica Brennan, Lucy Boyd 1-4, Niamh Brickell 0-01. Aisling Hayes, Katie Agar, Rachel Lakes 1-0.

SENIOR CAMOGIE The Clara senior girls continued in winning form in Tullaroan on Sunday morning by beating the hosts 4-9 to 2-11. This result enabled them to top the group and progress directly to a quarter final in two weeks time.

After Siobhán Curtis had opened the scoring Tullaroan equalised with a free. Keara Ryan regained the lead but a purple spell by Tullaroan saw them surge into a three point lead. Aisling Curtis stopped the rot with a point but a Tullaroan free saw them go three up again. But from there to the interval the Clara girls really knuckled down to work. First Keara Ryan

tied the game with a goal, then a Mary O Connell point moved Clara ahead and on the stroke of half time a Margaret O Connell goal gave Clara a 2-4 to 0-6 lead, and was a real psychological boost before the short whistle.

Tullaroan cut the gap with an early second half point but then two points in a row by Keara Ryan, followed by a goal by the same player, gave Clara an 8 point lead. Tullaroan needed a reprieve and they got it in the shape of a Miriam Walsh penalty goal, despite Aoife Glynn getting a frustrating touch on it. Two more Tullaroan points were countered by two Mary O Connell frees. Tullaroan reduced the deficit to four again but a very important goal by Siobhán Curtis gave Clara some breathing space.

Tullaroan aren’t known for giving up and they didn’t here. A cracking goal by Noelle Maher was followed by a Miriam Walsh point that cut the gap to three but Mary O Connell tacked on the insurance point from a free just before the end. Clara march on to the quarter finals but nobody will want to meet Tullaroan in the first round either.

Team - Aoife Glynn, Gráinne Glynn, Rachel Whelan, Katie Ryan. Margaret Kehoe, Laoise Nolan, Tamsin English. Rebecca Nolan, Aisling Curtis 0-1. Grace Barcoe, Siobhán Curtis 1-1, Mary O Connell 0-4, 0-3f. Keara Ryan 2-3, Margaret O Connell 1-0, Niamh Ward. Sub used Emma Corr.

LOTTO There was no winner of this week’s club lotto (Aug 30th).

Numbers drawn were, 3, 12, 24, 25, Bonus 27. Next week’s Jackpot will be €11,800 (Sept 6th). Play now www.oloughlingaels.com/lotto Promotors Draw. 1. Joe Malone. 2. May Larkin c/o Moxie Doran. 3. Michael Butler c/o Mick Nolan. 4. Madison Cody c/o Mary Cody. 5. Jim c/o Michael Dreelan. 6. Gabriel Maher c/o JJ Cullen. 7. Paula White c/o Neil Lot. 8. Ann Brennan c/o Online.

9. Tadhg Crowley c/o Online. 10. Paddy Lennon c/o Online.

Thank you for your continued support.

U10s CLAIM TOP SPOT Well done to our u10s who won the Ballyhale Shamrocks Aylward Cup after negotiating two group games to beat Ballycallan in a quarter final, Bennettsbridge in the semi final and Rower Inistioge in the Final. Brilliant days hurling - thanks to everyone at Shamrocks GAA Club . Lovely hurling TEAM NEWS At the end of the league campaign our senior hurlers after claiming three victories are pitted against Mullinavat in Rd 1 of the Senior Hurling Championship on the weekend of Sept 17th.

The Intermediate girls had a good win over Glenmore on Sunday last and they now will play a home 1st Rd championship this coming weekend. Fixture details will be posted on the

O’Loughlin Gaels u10s - Aylward Cup Winners

Elizabeth Wall of The Man’s Shop, High Street at the O’Loughlin Gaels Race Night recently making a presentation to one of our winners. Frank Walls has been a great sponsor of O’Loughlin Gaels GAA and a long-time friend.

40

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

Community & GAA Notes club pages.

The intermediate hurlers play their final round match v Fenians in Ballyragget on Saturday and a win there will secure status for 2023 and a 1st championship fixture in two weeks time Our Minor boys had a good win in Piltown in Rd 1 of the championship and head to Tom Ryall Park on Saturday morning to take in Graigue/Ballycallan in the Qtr Final. That’s followed by the u13s in their first rd at 1pm in St. John’s Park.

The Minor Girls successfully negotiated their championship qtr final with a win over Black & Whites after extra time and they now await a semi final date in a months time.

The u16s Girls await their qtr final pairing to be played in two weeks while our u14s were beaten by the narrowest of margins by James Stephens in the Championship Qtr final at the Kells Rd. They now wait two weeks to see who they face in a shield semi-final at the end of the month.

Busy times requires lots of supporters. This is what it’s all about. Support your club teams.

Thanks to sponsors Pat Carroll’s, Newpark Eurosoar and MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre for their continued support.

KILKENNY CAMOGIE. The best of luck to the three O’Loughlin’s girls, Ena, Iveta and Síofra who head to Mallow on Sunday with Kilkenny Amber for the U15s National Development Blitz. The girls will face Cork, Limerick, Tipp Galway and Waterford in what is the highlight of the camogie development year. Well done girls.

FEILE LACHTAIN 2022 The final lecture in the MQC Series takes place this week. The history of the 12th century shrine of St. Lachtain’s Arm will be outlined by Dr. Griffin Murray of UCC on Friday, September 9th at 7.00 p.m. in St. Lachtain’s Church of Ireland. Admission is free. Please note the earlier starting time of 7.00 p.m.

Next week the MQC Concerts begin with a performance by acoustic guitarist Will Killeen in Ionad Lachtain on Friday, September 16th.

Meanwhile local man Mike Cormack’s book of 21st century photographs was launched recently at Ionad lachtain and is now on sale TRIP Freshford day care centre are organising a bus to Holycross Abbey on Saturday next 10th September for the anointing of the sick ceremony at 2pm. The bus will leave the GAA grounds at 12 noon and the group will get a meal in Holycross afterwards before returning home. If you are interested in travelling please contact any of the following: Ann Burke on 0862030224, Marie O’Connor on 0862547439 or Paddy Butler on 0876367667 DAY CARE The Day care centre will recommence on Wednesday 14th September in the GAA Centre at 2pm. New members are most welcome SCHOOLS REOPEN St.Lachtains National school reopened last week after the summer holidays with many little boys and girls starting school for the first time. Also all secondary schools in the area reopened last week with the first years making the big move from National school to secondary education.

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

EXAM RESULTS Congrats and well done to all the students who received their Leaving Certificate results last week. Many of the students who attend city schools and Colaiste Mhurie, Johnstown got the points they needed for their choice of courses in Third level colleges and are wished the very best in their next stage of education.

GAA St.Lachtains intermediate hurlers face into the last round of league championship action on Saturday next when they face Danesfort in Tom Ryall Park Kilmanagh with the throw in is at 4.00pm This follows their good win in their last game when they came out victorious over neighbours Fenians of Johnstown. All support would be greatly appreciated and everyone is encouraged to wear their black and amber club colours in support.

SYMPATHY Sincere sympathy is extended to AnnMarie Grey of Sart Freshford on the recent death of her mother Mairead Power, late of Woodsgift.

SOCCER The soccer season has now begun and the schoolboys section is also set to resume. Freshford Town Junior side were drawn against River Rangers in the Pat Maher Shield where they came out the wrong side of a 3-0 scoreline.

The annual Colin McGree Tournament took place recently at Woodview with a large number of kids staking part. This tournament is run each year in memory of Colin who died at

the age of 17 and who was a talented young soccer player. (full report next week) SPLIT THE POT The weekly lucky winner of last weeks split the pot draw was Carmel Burke, who won the sum of €91. The draw takes place each Wednesday. Tickets are just €2 and the winner gets half of the takings. The draw is held each Wednesday and boxes and envelopes can be found in Kavanaghs Bar, Mace, O’Shea’s corner shop, Girls& Guys Hairdressers, Oasis Creche, Freshford Creamery, Freshford Butchers and Prague House.

Big thanks for all your support.

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

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

Mass Cards Special printed parish cards are available at the Parish Office or from Annette at Tulla Church signed by Monsignor Kennedy.

You can contact the Parish office on 056 8832843 or by email – freshfordd@ossory.ie LOOP CAFE The Committee of the Loop Café project ran a very susccessful cabaret in Kavanaghs recently with Elvis Tribute performing.

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 the fund raiser and all who have donated over the past months.

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

HELP FOR AL L Are you struggling with anxiety or depression or finding life difficult or feeling isolated at this time GROW is there to help you.

Their Mental Health support Groups are free and confidential and open to all no referral or booking is needed. For more information on same you can contact Mary on 087 284342 If you can’t cope and need support text HELLO to 50808.

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

KILMOGANNY BRIDGE CLUB The bridge results for 31/08/2022: 1 Rita Townsend and Jackie Kenneally. 2 Gerry FitzGerald and Emer Wallace. Bridge is every Wednesday night at 7.30pm in St. Eoghan’s Centre, Kilmoganny. All welcome.

LOCAL LOTTO Local Lotto Winning Numbers: for August 29th - 9 , 28 ,31 .No Winner. Winners of Draw for 5 x € 30. Ciaran ( Anne Hickey ), Pamela Dawson ( Malachy Hogan ), Lorraine Walsh ( Marie Kelly ), Seamus Kelly ( Mary Heffernan ),Jack & Jim ( Jimmy McCormack ) Jackpot next week\September 5th € 2,050.

Venue Dunphy’s, Kilmoganny 9pm All Welcome TRACTOR RUN The Mooncoin Vintage Club will be holding a tractor run in aid of St. Josephs Supported Care Home, Kilmoganny on Sunday the 11th of September. Registration from 11am at the Piltown GAA show grounds, leaving for Kilmoganny at 12.30pm. Refreshments, music and a raffle will be held after at Dunphy’s pub, Kilmoganny. All tractors, cars and bikes are welcome. Any queries please telephone Ned Delahunty on 086-4048243.

DRIOCHEAD FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE CALLAN Knit/ Crochet and Natter, every Friday in Droichead Family Resource Centre from 10.00am-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. Free Conversational English Classes return to Droichead FRC on Wednesday 14th September 6.30pm-8.30pm and; Thursday 15th September 9.30am11.30am. For more information contact Carmel on (083) 2098069 or familysupport@droicheadfrc.ie.

DEVELOPMENT OFFICER/UKRAINIAN SUPPORT WORKER Kilkenny Volunteer Centre is recruiting a Development Officer / Ukrainian Support Worker. 14 week fixed term contract for 14 hours per week.The role will involve supporting the

Ukrainian community and other new communities to engage in rewarding volunteering activities in Kilkenny and liaising with local non-profit organisations to help develop inclusive volunteering roles. Candidates must be fluent in English and Ukrainian/Russian and have experience in community services and volunteering. Visit https://volunteerkilkenny.ie for more info.

GIVING LIGHT AND HOPE Teac Tom ‘Giving light and hope’ walk on Sunday 11th September. Teac Tom’s annual ‘Giving light and Hope’ walk will be held in Castletown, Co Laois on Sunday 11th September. This walk is to remember our loved ones family and friends that we lost to suicide. It is a lovely opportunity to meet other people and feel the support. For more information contact thethomashayestrust@gmail.com WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY/CONNECT CAFE World Suicide Prevention Day on Saturday September 10th is fast approaching and this year’s theme is “Creating Hope Through Action”. The HSE Regional Suicide Resource Office in partnership with Mental Health Ireland in the South East will deliver an online information session on 7th September at 4pm on how to host a Connect Café in your community alongside the key messages for World Suicide Prevention Day. A Connect Café can be held at any time of the year and in any community. It is a simple and fun way of strengthen relationships and to build new connections. For more information contact 051 874013/sarah.hearne@hse.ie.

KILKENNY CITY COMMUNITY GATHERINGS FOR OLDER PEOPLE Kilkenny Age friendly Older Peoples Council are inviting older people for a gathering in the Orchard House on 7th September 2022 and in the Hoban Hotel on 9th September 2022 from 9.15am to 12.30pm. They would like to hear about your needs and interests. See flyers above. For expressions of interest call Betty or Mary on 086 3715757 or 086 1942174.

EMERALDS GAA CLUB Mega Bingo: Every Sunday, 6pm at Urlingford GAA pitch.

Gates open at 5pm. Single books and one sheet €10; Double books and two sheets €15. Extra jackpot sheet €3 or two for €5.

Please support.

EMERALDS URLINGFORD AND GRAINE LOTTO August 29th prize fund was: €9,300. Jackpot: €7,300. Numbers drawn: 2, 10, 22, 28, bonus no 27. No winner and no match 3 winner. Five lucky dips of €20 each: Larry Dollard, Shem Murphy, Ber Troy, Bríd Doyle, Jimmy Tone. Promoters prize: J. Tynan. New draw took place on Monday, September 5th in the Clubrooms. Results next week.

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

BTEI Healthcare Course QQI Level 5 - Begins September 2022: We are currently taking names for the Healthcare QQI Level 5 programme starting September 2022. Please contact us if you are interested in completing this course.

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 and teens, aged 12+.

General Counselling: Bereavement, stress, anxiety and depression.

Other Counselling Services available: Drug, substance and 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.

URLINGFORD ARMS SPLIT THE POT This week’s winner of Split the Pot was Rita Hurley who won €416. Congrats Rita!

Tickets €2 on sale in participating businesses in town, with proceeds this week going to Emeralds Camogie Club, thanks to everyone for their support.

URLINGFORD / GRAINE DEFIBRILLATOR GROUP In case of emergency, call: 085 2726396.

URLINGFORD NEWS Anyone wishing to submit news items, club events, announcements etc can do so by emailing urlingfordnotes@gmail.com.

If you have any photos you wish to include, please forward them to the email address.

GOWRAN PARK GOLF Junior and Senior Scratch Cups will take place on Sunday, 24th July.

GOWRAN EARLY YEARS AND AFTER SCHOOL SERVICE

Service has now resumed for the school year.

YOUNG IRELANDS FAMILY FUN DAY A HUGE SUCCESS The Young Irelands Family Fun Day held in Gowran GAA Grounds last Saturday was a huge success with a wide range of activities throughout the day, featuring the Final of the hugely successful running of the inaugural Young Irelands Rounders Tournament.

The day began with Family Fun Games and that was followed by the U12 and U14 Camogie medal presentation with guest of honour Angela Downey before The Rounders Final took place. The Rounders Final between Team Steeples and Team Scart was an enthralling battle in which Team Steeples won 26-24.

Batting first, Team Steeples produced a very strong opening quarter and they built up a 15-point lead with Willie Hennessy and Team Captain Michael Maher batting superbly aided greatly by the strong running of Aoife Byrne, Louise Maher and Lisa Roche who contributed handsomely to their dominance.

Team Scart was slow to start in the Second Quarter and they had only 3 points on the board midway through the Quarter, however, The Scart contingent began to accelerate, and they rallied to finish strong as they only trailed by 4 points at the interval - 15-11 - with Brother and Sister Eoin and Bronagh O’Neill along with Niall and Liam Walsh all producing strong performances to lead the charge.

Team Steeples enjoyed a strong Third Quarter, and they added another 11 points to lead 26-11 with one of the youngsters on the Team Ollie Maher playing a starring role. That 15-point advantage left Team Scart with a tall order of a task to try and retrieve the situation, but they gave it everything in pursuit of trying to achieve the impossible.Again, Team Scart’s best efforts came throughout the Second Half of the Quarter as Eoin O’Neill, Shane Simpson, and The Farrells Jayne, Ciara and Emma performed heroically but ultimately in vain as they ran out of time at the full-time whistle.

It was a superb end to a Superb Tournament as Michael Maher became the first winning Captain of the Young Irelands Rounders Tournament.

Team Steeples: William Hennessy, Egan Brennan, Willie Hennessy, Ollie Maher, Michael Maher (Captain), Adie Maher, Carl Marlborough, Aoife Byrne, Con Brennan, Louise Maher, Lisa Roche, Aoife Brennan Team Scart: Cormac Farrell, Jayne Farrell, Tom Doheny, Eoin O’Neill, Pat Doheny, Michael Doheny, Ciara Farrell, Bronagh O’Neill, Emma Farrell, Niall Walsh (Captain), Tara Doheny, Diarmuid O’Neill, Liam Walsh, Shane Simpson, Before The Rounders Final started, there was a Pre-Match Parade with Young Irelands Stalwart Paddy Treacy Grand Marshall, and he was accompanied by two of his Grandchildren Padraig and Roisin.Also, the remaining 14 Teams that competed in The Rounders were represented by Flag Carriers that enhanced the occasion greatly.

The Field Pitchers on the day were Melissa Kelly along with the three All-Ireland Senior Medal winners Steffi and Tiffanie Fitzgerald and Ciara O’Keeffe, while The BBQ Tent was busy throughout the day with Melissa on duty along with Liam Walsh, Margaret Comerford and Cora Carter.

Huge thanks and credit to The Young Irelands Healthy Club Committee including Olive Comerford, Joe Loughrey, Melissa Kelly, Cora Carter and others for their sterling work in organizing this inaugural Rounders Tournament.

It was a Superb Success.

JULIE STRIKES HAT-TRICK AS SENIORS HANG ON IN NERVY FINISH Michael Lyng Motors Senior League Round 3 Young Irelands Gowran 3-11. Barrow Rangers 2-12 U-16 Inter-County Player Julie Lennon scored 3-1 as The Young Irelands Senior Camogie Team held out after a nervy finish to make it three wins from three in the Senior League in Gowran last Sunday Morning. It was a superb contest where the Teams were level at 0-8 apiece at half-time and only 4 wides were registered throughout the whole game (2 each for both Teams), Young Irelands led 0-6 to 0-3 by the 17th minute with Steffi Fitzgerald, Grace O’Donnell, and Julie Lennon all on target. Last year’s Intermediate Champions Barrow Rangers displayed great character and resilience throughout, and they replied with three unanswered points between the 19th and 21st minutes to restore parity. 0-6 each.

The always dangerous Grace O’Donnell flashed a goal chance wide of goal in the 23rd minute - 1st Wide of game - and two minutes later the same player was fouled twice that allowed Steffi Fitzgerald to convert the resulting free. 0-7 to 0-6. Steffi added a ‘45 either side of Barrow Rangers points as the Teams went in level at the interval.

Barrow Rangers struck a brilliant goal in the 33rd minute to go four points up (1-9 to 0-8), but Young Irelands began to turn the screw as a hat-trick of goals from Julie Lennon between the 35th and 48th minutes gave them a 3-10 to 1-9 lead. Julie’s first goal in the 35th minute came from a long-range delivery

by Ciara O’Keeffe that found Grace O’Donnell at an acute angle. Grace set-up Julie who expertly applied the finishing touch. Grace and Julie combined again for her Second goal in the 44th minute when she displayed sublime majestic skill to squeeze her shot into the net from an acute angle after her initial shot was blocked. The hat-trick was complete four minutes later when Steffi Fitzgerald’s long-range delivery was flicked clear by the Barrow Rangers goalkeeper and once again Julie was on hand to apply the finishing touch. 3-10 to 1-9.

It appeared to be game over, but Barrow Rangers fought tena-

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

41

kilkennyobserver.ie

Community & GAA Notes ciously to the end. After Roisin Breen pointed a free in the 50th minute, Young Irelands goalkeeper Hannah Brennan blocked a close range free at the expense of a ‘45 that was pointed 3-10 to 1-11 - before Barrow Rangers added a Second goal in the 53rd minute. 3-10 to 2-11.

A minute later last year’s Intermediate Champions hit the post much to Young Irelands relief, before Roisin Breen pointed a free in the 58th minute to narrow the gap to the minimum.

3-10 to 2-12. However, The Gowran Girls dug deep during those closing few minutes and Steffi Fitzgerald pointed a ‘45 to conclude the scoring for a relieving and priceless victory.

Defensively, they came under a lot of pressure during that final quarter but Mia Murphy and Maedbh O’Neill were leading performers, and they were outstanding throughout, while Julie Lennon and Grace O’Donnell led the way in attack with Steffi Fitzgerald keeping the scoreboard ticking over both from play and frees.

Barrow Rangers more than proved themselves to be worthy opponents last Sunday Morning and they proved they can compete at the top following a most enjoyable and entertaining contest.

MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT IN JUNIORS LOSING TO THOMASTOWN There was a major disappointment for the Young Irelands Juniors who lost out 0-18 to 2-5 against Thomastown in the County Semi-Final last Saturday in Bennettsbridge in a game where Thomastown were always in control.

Thomastown built up a 0-5 to 0-0 lead after 7 minutes and despite a Young Irelands goal in the 10th minute, they maintained a grip and by half-time they had extended their advantage as they led 0-12 to 1-1.

By the midway point of the Second Half, the lead was stretched further as they now led 0-16 to 1-3.

The Gowran Men had a Second goal late in the match, but their cause wasn’t helped by the dismissals of two of their players.

However, there was no disputing Thomastown’s superior dominance as they strolled to an easy victory.

4 GOAL EILISH LEADS U-14 GIRLS TO SEMIS U-14 Roinn C Camogie Semi-Final. Young Irelands Gowran 5-4.

St. Annes 1-3 It took them a while to get going, but in the end the Young Irelands U-14s impressively marched towards a County SemiFinal as ace forward Eilish Keating led the way with 4-2 from play. The first half was a struggle and despite leading 1-1 to 0-3 at half-time, they endured a lot of nervy moments as they survived three goal chances by St. Annes, with goalkeeper Aoife Brennan producing heroics by coming to the rescue on each occasion. Eilish Keating opened the scoring with a point from play in the first minute and after St. Annes levelled with a point moments later, there was no score until the St. Annes girls pointed again in the 12th minute to take the lead (0-2 to 0-1).

Young Irelands were finding their opponents offering very stubborn resistance, but they did manage to manufacture a goal in the 17th minute. Aoife Brennan blocked a certain St. Annes goal, and the ball was worked the length of the field with Lucy Coomey centrally involved before Eilish Keating was on hand to finish expertly. 1-1 to 0-2. St. Annes replied with a point in the 25th minute to complete a low scoring First-Half.

The Johnstown/Gilroy girls got a well-deserved goal that their first-half performance merited within two minutes of the start of the Second Half to regain the lead (1-3 to 1-1), but the Gowran girls began to dominate afterwards.

Eilish Keating and Lucy Coomey added points in the 37th and 42nd minutes respectively to restore parity (1-3 each), before Young Irelands 2nd goal arrived in the 43rd minute. Eilish and the hardworking Aimee Byrne combined to set up Caoimhe Fitzgerald who displayed great determination to apply the finishing touch. 2-3 to 1-3.

Caoimhe’s goal was thoroughly deserved for her exceptional performance and trojan work ethic and she was a shining light particularly throughout the first half when they were finding it difficult to make headway. That goal gave them the impetus to drive on further and Eilish Keating grabbed further goals in the 50th, 53rd and 59th minutes as they ran out resounding winners.

Most central to their Second-Half dominance was the vast improved work ethic with Caoimhe Fitzgerald leading the way.

The tireless Lucy Coomey and Katie Comerford worked exceptionally hard and gave very strong Second-Half performances with Aimee Byrne and Holly Drennan providing valuable assistance around the middle third area. Aoife Brennan, Caoimhe Drennan and Bronagh O’Neill were magnificent with Eimear Brennan solid at Centre-Back.

Young Irelands are in Semi-Final action on Saturday Evening away to Rower-Inistioge in Inistioge from 6pm.

Unfortunately, disappointment for the Young Irelands Minors who were well beat 5-16 to 3-3 by John Lockes of Callan also in the Minor Championship.

PS: It was such a lovely and sporting gesture for both the Young Irelands and St. Annes Players to line-up and shake hands after the end of the game. An appreciative touch DOUBLE DISAPPOINTMENT FOR MINOR TEAMS There was double disappointment for the Young Irelands Minor Teams as both the Minor A and B Teams suffered heavy

defeats. The Young Irelands A Team lost 2-15 to 3-5 against Clara while the B Team were beaten 5-22 to 4-13 against Emeralds.

Hopes were high that the Young Irelands A Team would bounce back to winning ways after a heavy defeat in the League Final against James Stephens, particularly having easily defeated Clara by 17 points (6-14 to 0-15), but unfortunately hopes were dashed on a disappointing night.

Playing with greater focus and determination, Clara led 1-9 to 0-4 at half-time as Ben Phelan was denied a goal chance late in the first half. Michael Keating grabbed a goal early in the Second Half to narrow the gap (1-10 to 1-4), but Young Irelands didn’t push on from there and they failed to score for the next 11 minutes as Clara added two further points. 1-12 to 1-4. The Gowran Boys were awarded a lifeline with a brilliantly constructed goal in the 43rd minute (1-12 to 2-4) and after Ben Phelan pointed a free moments later to narrow the gap, the comeback was on. However, Clara effectively put paid to that notion with their Second goal in the 48th minute. 2-12 to 2-5. They added three further points to extend the lead further (2-15 to 2-5) before the Gowran Boys grabbed a late consolation goal to put a better reflection on the scoreboard.

Meanwhile, the Young Irelands Minor B Team matched Emeralds for the majority of the Second Half as goals from Jake Byrne and a Luke O’Donnell free gave them the lead having trailed by 5 points prior to that. However, the Emeralds Boys finished the half strongly with two goals as they suddenly led 3-9 to 2-6 at half-time and they began to take control on into the Second Half. Emeralds added 1-5 without reply in the early minutes of the restart to put the game beyond Young Irelands reach and they maintained control afterwards. The Gowran Boys added two goals, but Emeralds were too good on the night and deservedly march onto the next round.

CRUCIAL GAME FOR INTERMEDIATES Following on from the disappointment of losing to Conahy Shamrocks in Round 4, The Young Irelands Intermediates have a crucial game this coming Saturday Afternoon against Dunnamaggin in Bennettsbridge from 3pm. Dunnamaggin suffered a heavy defeat against Carrickshock, so The Gowran Men will be aware of an expected backlash. Victory for Young Irelands on Saturday will guarantee safety ahead of the upcoming knockout Championship so there is a huge incentive at stake.

U15 HURLING It’s a busy 24 hours ahead for the Young Irelands U-15 Juvenile Teams with both the A and B Teams in action.

The A Team is away to James Stephens at 6.30pm on the Kells Road this evening (Wednesday) in the first round, while The B Team are home to John Lockes of Callan at the same time tomorrow evening (Thursday) in the Quarter-Final.

The B Team were victorious in winning the League competition.

U13 HURLING The U-13,13-A-Side Team had a comprehensive 8-6 to 2-4 win against James Stephens in the Quarter-Final in Gowran last Saturday and now have a Semi-Final clash to look forward to.

The U-13 A Team is in Championship Quarter-Final action themselves next Sunday Morning at 11am against John Lockes of Callan who defeated Dicksboro 2-8 to 1-6 last weekend.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS FOOTBALL The Primary Schools Football competition got underway and Gowran National School are in action away to St. Canice.

CLUB LOTTO Dicksboro GAA LOTTO Results 1st September. Nos: 3 5 14 24.

Jackpot: €4100 Not Won Draw Prizes – €50: Adrian Keogh c/o online. €25 each Patricia Dalton c/o D Dalton €25 each Patricia Brennan c/o Ned Buggy. €25 each AMJFCCE c/o Ann Tynan Co op draw ticket Kieran Ryan c/o T Hackett. Promotors prize Jim Murphy New weeks draw €4250. Thank you for your continued support ST CANICES CU SENIOR LEAGUE In the final round of the St Canices Credit Union Senior Hurling League Dicksboro took on old neighbours James Stephens in Nowlan Park Saturday last. Dicksboro the victors on a scoreline of 2-12 to 0-14. We now proceed to the Shield Final in 2 weeks. Well done to all.

In the JJ Kavanagh and Sons Junior E League Semi Final our lads just came up short on the evening to a good Conahy Shamrocks team. Hard luck lads and best of luck to Conahy in the Final.

SENIOR CLUB CAMOGIE In the Michael Lyng Motors Hyundai Championship, Dicksboro Ladies had another strong team performance against Piltown in Piltown winning 3-18 to 1-8. Well done girls.

DENIS PHILPOTT TOURNAMENT 2022 The Denis Philpott Tournament took place on Saturday in Palmerstown welcoming teams from Kilkenny, Kildare and Wexford. Dicksboro defeated Naas to win the Cup Final while Tullaroan won the Shield Final with victory over Mooncoin.

Displaying the Denis Philpott cup

The Denis Philpott Tournament Cup Final Winners Dicksboro

The Denis Philpott Tournament Shield Final Winners - Tullaroan Thanks to all the teams and mentors for taking part in this tournament and to all who helped out on the day to make this event so successful.

PALMERSTOWN CLUBHOUSE Dicksboro Clubhouse Bar is opened every Thursday from 8.30pm. Thursday nights is Lotto Draw and Cards Night. All are welcome out for a social drink, a chat and if there is interest, a beginners card table,we would be delighted to see you out to the club for a chat. We have a selection of non-alcoholic beers, barista coffee also available so come along and enjoy.

MASS TIMES Aghaviller Parish: Hugginstown Church: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday and Friday at 9.30a.m. Vigil, Saturday 10th. at 8.00p.m. Sunday 11th. at 10.00a.m.

Stoneyford Church:Wednesday 7th. at 7.00p.m. Vigil, Saturday 10th. at 6.30p.m.

Friday 9th. Feast of St. Ciaran PRAY FOR Joseph Murphy, Thomastown and Stoneyford; who died during the week.

ROTA Rota for next week-end: 10th and 11th. September 2022 (Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time).

Readers. Stoneyford: Saturday 6.30p.m. Sheila Lennon. Hugginstown: Saturday 8.00p.m. Deirdre Rohan. Sunday 10.00a.m.

Noreen Kenneally.

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

LOTTO Aghaviller Parish and Carrickshock G. A. A. Draw: Monday 29th. August 2022. Numbers: 25; 21; 29; 27. No Winner First 3 Numbers Drawn: No Jackpot Winner: 5 x €30.00 Winners: Liz Susic, Kilkenny: Angela and Jamie Barron, Romansvalley.

Lochlan Burke, Thomastown; Gerry Comerford, Mullinbeg; Ellana and Michael c/o James Irish. 3 x €15.00 (Sellers): Teresa Fitzgerald; James Irish; Pauline Doyle.

Next Draw on Monday 12th. September 2022. Please submit returns by 8.30p.m. Draw at 9.00p.m. Next week: Match 3: €500.00; (First 3 Numbers Drawn) Jackpot: €5,100.00. (4 Numbers in any order) ST’ MARY’S CATHEDRAL RESTORATION FUND DRAW The first draw for St. Mary’s Cathedral Restoration Fund 2022/2023 year is due to take place on Wednesday 28th.

September 2022. The draw year 2022/20223 will run from September 2022 to August 2023. Draw will be held at 8.00p.m on the last Wednesday of each month. Tickets are available at the Parish House, Hugginstown: Telephone contact 056 776 8693. All Tickets to be entered by Monday 26th. September if you wish to be part of the First Draw on Wednesday 28th. Subscription €10.00 per month: Prize Money €5,000.00 per month.

Roman Catholic Diocese and Parishes of Ossory - Registered Charity No. 20015831 STONEYFORD ACTIVE RETIREMENT GROUP SARG is a very active, vibrant group of retirees who participate in a range of activities. Following the summer break, our monthly meeting is on Wednesday, 7th. September at 2.30p.m. in the Community Centre. We also hold a number of

regular activities in the Community Centre at 2.30p.m. on 8th. and 22nd. September (and every second Thursday throughout the year). We play cards (25’s) (€5). Short Mat Bowling resumes on 14th. September at 10.30a.m. (€3). Also on the 14th. the Fit Club with Seamus Nugent resumes at 7.00p.m. (€7).

At 11.30a.m. on 15th. and 29th. September (and every second Thursday throughout the year), we play 10 Pin Bowling in K Bowl in McDonagh Junction, Kilkenny (€7, which includes refreshments). Throughout the year, depending on interest, other activities/classes are arranged. If you are interested in participating in any of our activities, just turn up at the appropriate time.

ST JOSEPHS HOME St. Josephs Home, Kilmoganny is looking for a part cook to work 2 days per week and to cover holidays when required.

Knowledge on cooking desirable but training will be given on how to prepare meals. Please contact Nurse Manager, Lisa Prendergast on 051-648091 or send your CV to sjhome15@ gmail.com.

KILKENNY BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT Kilkenny Bereavement Support is running a Training Course for Volunteers commencing on Friday 16th. September and running for 30 hours over a 5 week period. They have 3 places available on this course. The course will take place in Villa Maria, Talbot’s Inch, Kilkenny. If interested, please phone 056 775 6538 or visit their website www.kilkennybereavementsupport.com for an application form. Closing date: Sept 5th.

STUDY THEOLOGY ONLINE The Priory Institute provides Online Theology Courses to degree level. Attend Saturday lectures in Tallaght or from the comfort of your own home. Register before September 13th.

Find out more on our website, prioryinstitute.com. Click to see a 2 minute introductory film.

STONEY TEXT ALERT Subscriptions for 2022/2023 year are now due. At only €10.00 this is a valuable and proven service. You can still pay your subscription by placing €10.00 and your name and mobile number in an envelope and dropping it into Willie’s Shop or Malzard’s Bar. You can also pay directly to our bank account.

AIB, Kilkenny. BIC: AIBKIE2D. IBAN: IE26 AIBK 9331 9854 7180 95 referencing both your Name and Mobile Number. Go to Stoneyford Text Alert on Facebook for further information.

Tuesday 30th August saw the qualifiers for the Glens Trophy which will be played at Birr Golf Club on October 6th. Representing Callan Golf Club will be Berna Walsh/Breda Walsh and L.C. Anne Croke/Maria Gorey. We wish them all the best RESULTS 9 Hole. Ann Hickey 21pts c/b. Helen Tuite 21pts c/b. Mary Croke 21pts Thursday Senior Ladies 12Hole saw some great scoring in super conditions 1st Mary Barry 32pts. 2nd Jean Grace 30pts. 3rd Breda Walsh 29 pts c/b. 4th Miriam Fennelly 29. 5th Catherine Gibbons 28.

Thursday next the senior Ladies will head to Waterford Castle for what is sure to be a very enjoyable day.

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

42

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

Hurling matters

Sport

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

This year’s St. Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling League Final will see Bennettsbridge face-off against Ken Coogan’s Tullaroan next week, after both sides topped their respective groups after five rounds of games.

Bennettsbridge finished the group stages unbeaten, following a hard-fought 4-point win over winless Graigue-Ballycallan, in what proved to be one of the Bridge’s more difficult assignments during this season’s league campaign. Placed-ball specialist Nicky Cleere was in good form again, and kept the scoreboard ticking over. The Blanchfield’s along with Sean Morrissey notched scores to ensure there was no surprise in Dunnamaggin.

Meanwhile in Callan, Tullaroan produced a remarkable display to record an eye-catching victory over Shamrocks Ballyhale, and in doing so ensured they finished top of Group A to qualify for the league final showdown with Bennettsbridge next week.

That outcome appeared highly unlikely after the opening period, when Pat Hoban’s charges raced into what seemed to be an unassailable eight-point lead.

Brian Cody (2), Adrian Mullen (2) and veteran TJ Reid (1-2) had Shamrocks 1-6 to 0-1 ahead with just under 11 minutes of action at John Locke Park. Tullaroan’s only score in the opening period came from a nice point by John Walton, one of three fine scores from play.

As ever with the Sash, there would be a major contribution from the Walsh Clan. It would be the youngest of the family, Shane that drove his side on and got them back into contention. The Ballyhale defence struggled to cope with the half-forward as Tullaroan managed to defy the elements and go into the interval all square, 0-14 to 1-11.

After their bright start, Ballyhale became more dependent on TJ getting the scores, while their opponents had more hands at the ready, John Walton and Mossy Keoghan notching scores to edge them ahead. Despite a second major for the Shamrocks via Brian Cody, Tullaroan stood firm, containing the threat of Eoin Cody while keeping the umpires busy raising white flags as they marched to a 6-point win.

Clara qualified for the Shield final, where they will meet Dicksboro, courtesy of a 10-point win over Lisdowney in Jenkinstown. Lisdowney will need to put in decent shift against James Stephens, if they are to avoid a relegation decider against the losers of Erins Own and Graigue-Ballycallan.

Mullinavat made it three wins on the bounce with a well-deserved 3-point victory over Erins Own in Gowran. A 12-point haul shared between John Walsh and Ger Malone was the platform on which the ‘Vat secured the points from the round five clash with the Castlecomer men.

O’Loughlin Gaels made it 3 wins from five when they defeated Glenmore by three points in Thomastown.

Eoin Wall top-scored for Andy Comerford’s men, hitting an impressive 2-3, while county men Paddy Deegan and Huw Lawlor notch 5-points between them. Glenmore also looked lively in attack, with Ian Byrne notching 1-10 and Liam Hennessey hitting 0-5.

Glenmore will know that they will need to tighten up at the back when the face holders Shamrocks Ballyhale in the first round of the championship next week. O’Loughlin’s will face the in-form Vegas Boys in what promises to be quite a test for last season’s beaten finalists.

Bridge to meet Tullaroan in senior league final Bennettsbridge maintain perfect record as the Sash beat Ballyhale to make decider

City slickers put on good fayre as Dicksboro win by 4!

Dicksboro 2-12 James Stephens 0-14 Dicksboro will meet the challenge of Clara in the Shield Final next week after having emerged victorious in their final group game with The Village at UPMC Nowlan Park last weekend. A Bill Sheehan brace of majors proved the difference in an entertaining encounter at headquarters.

Joe Sheehan rises above Luke Murphy to make a fine catch

Matthew Ruth driving out challenged by Timmy Clifford

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

43

kilkennyobserver.ie

Hurling matters

Eoin guilfoyle attempts to deflect the ball past Darragh Holohan watched by Alan Phelan

Michael Walsh’s men got off to a flying start, thanks to the first of Sheehan’s double coming in the first minute of play.

Andy Gaffney thought he had raised a second green flag moments later, but his effort was ruled out following a foul in the build-up. James Stephens got the score board moving thanks to a placed ball from Eoin Guilfoyle but the Palmerstown outfit struck two in a row, thanks to a couple of points from Gaffney.

The placed ball scoring run was broken when Mark Nolan and defender Alan Phelan fired over points to further cement their superiority. To the Village’s credit, they dug in and scores from County star Cian Kenny, Tadhg O’Dwyer and the hard-working Luke Scanlon closed the gap on the ‘Boro.

James Stephens suffered a major blow when the lively Sheehan bagged his second major of the day and Dicksboro tagged on another couple of points before the short whistle to go into the break 5-points to the good.

The Village started the second period with more of a spring in their step, with Luke Scanlon really catching the eye while notching some nice scores. There was a little lull in proceedings, before Dicksboro lifted things again and going into the final quarter they held a 3-point lead. Deadball specialist Guilfoyle kept plugging away, slotting frees to keep the game interesting, but a final flurry from the ‘Boro including further scores from U20 County man Timmy Clifford and goal scorer Sheehan saw the maroon’s home by 4-points.

Final score at UPMC Nowlan Park, Dicksboro 2-14, James Stephens 0-14.

A disappointing league campaign for The Village, who will need to re-group before facing Lisdowney in a match that double’s up as a relegation semi-final and 1st round championship encounter.

Dicksboro will look to build on their solid league form when they meet Clara in the shield final next week, and will look to the likes of Bill Sheehan, Timmy Clifford to continue their good scoring form.

St. Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling League Group A ROUND 5

Tullaroan 0-28 Shamrocks Ballyhale 2-16 Clara 1-29 Lisdowney 1-19 Mullinavat 1-18 Erins Own 2-12

St. Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling League Group B ROUND 5

Dicksboro 2-12 James Stephens 0-14 Bennettsbridge 0-17 Graigue Ballycallan 0-13 O’Loughlin Gaels 3-16 Glenmore 1-19

WHAT’S UP NEXT Senior league final Bennettsbridge v Tullaroan Senior shield final Clara v Dicksboro First round championship Ballyhale Shamrocks v Glenmore Mullinavat v O’Loughlin Gaels Relegation semi-finals & Championship Round 1 James Stephens v Lisdowney Erin’s Own v Graigue Ballycallan

Niall Delaney in possesion scanning for options

44

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 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 09 September 2022

45

kilkennyobserver.ie

Classifieds Motors

FOR SALE 04 Toyota Avensis D-4D – Diesel Two Wheel car trailer Four Wheel car trailer Contact 087 2604742

FULL TIME WORK AVAILABLE Plasterer & plasterer’s labourer required for full time work.

Kilkenny/Carlow Area Contact 087 6431684

Place your advert here Call 056 7771463

ROOMS TO RENT Rooms to rent in a country house Price reasonable Contact 086 8327095

Tutor Required

Interview preparation skills Fair price for a weekly basis Kilkenny/Callan area Text Miriam: 087 619 5051

Call 056 7771463 for all your classified advertisements

46

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

News

Planning Memoriams/Miracle notices prayers

Planning notices KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL We, Edwina and Brian Hayes intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for Planning permission : (a) Proposed part two storey/part single storey extension to the side and rear of existing dwelling, renovations to existing dwelling, proposed attic storage, proposed additional hard standing for addition car parking space to front garden, landscaping and all associated site works at 25 Father Albert Place, Kilkenny. (b) Retention sought for existing garage/store in rear garden. (c) Demolition of existing single storey extension and garage.

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 9.00 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. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission. Signed: Nextgen Design, www.ngdb.ie.

KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL I, Dermot Fennelly intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for Retention Planning Permission to retain existing garage to the side of dwelling house and log store to the side of existing detached garage and all associated site development works at 76 Richview, Castlecomer Road, Kilkenny.

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

KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL I, Kieran Neville intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for planning permission for a Proposed Single storey extension to the rear of existing dwelling, Renovations, upgrading of wastewater treatment tank and percolation area, stormwater soakaways, landscaping and all associated site works at Ballylowra, Knocktopher, Co. 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 9.00 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. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission. Signed: Nextgen Design, www.ngdb.ie.

KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL I, Micheal Moloney wish to apply to the above authority on behalf of Eimear O’ Shea and Brian Gallery for permission consequent on the grant of outline planning permission Ref: 21/1061 for a dwelling, garage, entrance onto laneway, wastewater system, borehole, soakpits and all other associated site works at Seskin, Windgap, Co. 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.

KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL We, David O Sullivan and Julie Dowd intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for planning permission for a Proposed new two storey dwelling, proposed vehicular entrance, proposed garage, driveway, borewell, wastewater treatment system with percolation area, stormwater soakaways, landscaping and all associated site works at Coolnacrutta, Johnstown, Co. 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 9.00 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. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission. Signed: Nextgen Design, www.ngdb.ie.

KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL Planning Permission is sought for change of use of existing residential dwelling to veterinary clinic to include single storey extension to the rear and 2-storey extension to the side and front to include residential apartment on the first floor. Alterations to the existing residential structure, foul water connection to the public sewer on the Waterford Road, car parking, widened road entrance, boundary treatment, signage, landscaping including all ancillary and associated works at Birchfield, Waterford Road, Kilkenny The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Department, Kilkenny County Council, County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny, during its public opening hours 9 a.m.- 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the planning application. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission.

Applicant: Village Veterinary KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL I, John Staunton intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for Retention Planning Permission to retain 1. Extension to the rear of existing dwelling house and alterations to existing dwelling house (previously granted Planning Permission 01/59) 2. Domestic garage and home office 3. Amendments to site boundaries and all associated site development works at Ballyoscail, Attanagh, Co. 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.

TO PUBLISH PLANNING APPLICATION, CONTACT US: Call to our office at: Unit 7 Friary Street Telephone: 056 7771463/086 2395370 Email: sales@kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022

47

kilkennyobserver.ie

Memoriams / Miracle Prayers

A prayer to the Blessed Virgin

(never known to fail).

O most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful vine, Splendour of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, O Star of the sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother. O Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to grant my request.

(Please state request). There are none that can withstand your power. O show me herein you are my Mother. I place this cause in your hands (three times). Thank you for your mercy towards me and mine. Amen.

This prayer must be said for three days and after this the request will be granted. This prayer must be published immediately. P.K.

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. P.L.

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.P.L.

The Miracle Prayer

The Miracle Prayer

St. Anthony 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. C.W.

The Miracle Prayer

Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.

This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).

Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.

Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted.

Never been known to fail.

Must promise publication of prayer.M.M.

The Miracle Prayer

O Holy St. Anthony gentlest of Saints, your love for God and charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers.

Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me (request).

O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms.

The gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.

Amen M.R.

The Miracle Prayer

Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.

This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).

Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.

Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted.

Never been known to fail.

Must promise publication of prayer. M.R.

The Miracle Prayer

Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.

This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).

Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.

Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted.

Never been known to fail.

Must promise publication of prayer. S.M.

48

Advertisement

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 09 September 2022