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The Kilkenny

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Friday 12 March 2021

St Patricks Day So, who was the real St Patrick?  See page 14

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On Your Travels New page to plan post-Covid hols  See page 46

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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EVERY FRIDAY

The Kilkenny

Observer Schools fear as data shows 12% of Covid cases are kids FEARS are growing over a full return to schools as new figures show one in eight of all Covid-19 cases in Ireland were children and teenagers under 18 within the year of the pandemic. With primary schools set for a full return next week, experts are warning that children should be outdoors as much as possible. New figures show the impact of the spread of Covid-19 on schoolchildren. More than 13,000 secondary school-age children, as well as over 10,000 primary school-age children, have been diagnosed with Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. Almost 6,000 under the age of four have been infected. Of those aged 0-18, more than 400 have been hospitalised but fewer than five have died. The figures were supplied by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre to the Irish Independent. Meanwhile, nearly 30% of Barnardos’ staff say most or all children they work with have not been able to engage “whatsoever” with remote learning, with many teenagers finding it “very difficult to get out of bed or engage in any online learning”. As the daily figures show Covid not dissipating anytime soon pressure is mounting on the Government to go on a solo run and source vaccines elsewhere to speed up the rollout. It emerged that the country will receive 1.1 million doses instead of the expected 1.24 million in the first three months of the year. The HSE delivered the blow to the Dáil’s Health Committee. CEO Paul Reid said around 175,000 vaccines were expected to arrive here at the end of this month and delays meant the 1.2 million target would not be EVERY FRIDAY

reached until the first week of April. Mr Reid said between delays in supply and changes to the sequencing and prioritisation of who gets which shot, the HSE has changed its operating plan up to 17 times since the programme began at the start of the year. The makers of the Covid-19 vaccines will continue to disappoint with smaller or stalled deliveries in the coming months and targets will need to be rewritten. Some people who were expecting the jab will be left waiting for longer. Vaccine manufacturers are facing unprecedented demand from countries which have advance purchase orders for deliveries. This has created suspicion that some countries are being favoured over others. Finally, there has been an increase in the number of Kilkenny residents travelling further than 10km from their homes during the lockdown. The latest Staying Local Indicator (SLI) issued by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveals 59.1% of Kilkenny residents did not travel further than 10km at any point during the week ending February. This was a drop of 0.6% (59.7%) recorded the previous week. Although moving in the wrong direction, Kilkenny’s drop is the second-lowest in the country with just Offaly seeing a smaller decrease in people outing the current restrictions (0.2% decrease). It was the fourth SLI report in a row that indicated a drop in Kilkenny residents’ adherence to the lockdown restrictions, yet another indication people’s patience with the current restrictions is wearing thin.

The Kilkenny

Observer 1 GARDEN ROW, TOP OF WILLIAM STREET, KILKENNY, CO. KILKENNY R95 X95A

Cartoon Saloon eyeing a Bafta

Evanne brings more than cupla focal to our online festival KILKENNY’S first virtual St Patrick’s Day celebrations will be hosted by Kilkenny native and RTÉ sports and news presenter Evanne Ní Chuilinn. The city’s traditional weekend will move to the virtual highway and feature concerts, arts events, and environmental projects. There will be a virtual parade featuring Kilkenny’s citizens and diaspora as well as celebrating the current stars of animation, the Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated Cartoon Saloon along with their musical collaborators, Kila. Evanne said she was honoured, “I am delighted to be presenting this wonderful day’s activities. Kilkenny always pulls out the stops but what they have achieved this year is stunning, given the circumstances.” Festival Manager Marian Flannery and Chairperson Councillor Joe Malone said that the festival were delighted to be working with Evanne: “She has been a consummate professional in recent weeks,” they said.

Kilkenny’s Cartoon Saloon have been nominated for a British Academy Film Awards (Bafta) for their animated feature Wolfwalkers (pictured). Irish stars Barry Keoghan and Niamh Algar (pictured)are also among the nominees. See Page 6

New mobile MRI for St Luke’s The A mobile MRI service at St Luke’s should be up and running by Monday, March 15, according to the HSE. A new permanent MRI departmentis being built and is due to come on stream in December 2021.

Mothers Day There are mums, moms, mams and mammies, not to mention Mummy, yummy or not, The Ma or the Old Dear... we pay tribute to them all... See Page 20

Art deadline

Green for go: Evanne Ní Chuilínn, presenter of the St Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny which you can watch live on www.stpatricks festivalkilkenny.com

New university likely for January THE long-awaited university for the South East is increasingly likely for next January, following News that application for the Technological University of the South East (TUSE) will be lodged on April 28, at last.

The proposed university, based on a merger of Waterford Institute of Technology IT and IT Carlow, will have campuses in Waterford, Carlow and Wexford. The project has been hit by a series of delays, not least ten-

sions between the two institutes, but it advanced considerably in recent months. There was confirmation at a meeting of Oireachtas members from the area that a January start-up was feasible.

Teachers, whose pupils take part in the Texaco Children’s Art Competition, are reminded that the closing date for entries is Wednesday, March 24.

INSIDE

News......................................... P3-35 Fact Of The Matter......................P4 Clair Whitty...................................P4 Kathleen Funchion......................P8 Bianca Rallis................................P14 Covid Update...............................P16 Gerry Cody..................................P18 Eoin Everard...............................P22 Science & Wellbeing.................P28 Lockdown Streaming................P38 Travel & Leisure.........................P46

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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Opinion

Fact Of The Matter PAUL HOPKINS

Lessons learnt in the time of coronavirus IT is a year since the coronavirus came to live among us, wreaking havoc worldwide. In the beginning we believed it was just a temporary glitch, a short pause in the going-around of the world, in the commerce of everyday life. A year on, the temporary hiatus has taken on a more indefinite duration, with a future that’s difficult to discern. The vaccines offer great hope but the coronavirus is here to stay, in one guise or other, endemic rather than pandemic. And, as life goes on, no doubt distant cousins of Covid-19 will come calling. Since that plague of locusts in biblical Egypt, and further back, pathogens and plagues have played us humans. But we have learnt to live with them; with bubonic, bilharzia, polio, measles and chicken pox, Asian and swine flus, TB and diptheria, Aids and malaria and, to a lesser degree, ebola and other

evil enzymes that lurk beneath. The world as global village, increased migration and ease and speed of access and — yes — climate change all play their part in stirring the infectious stew. To go forward now, the new normal will of necessity be asking more of us all, more of me. If the past 12 months have taught me anything, it has taught me that I am living in a more uncertain, fragile and interdependent world. That I, that we, are not the centre of the universe. That Nature — its aberrations too — shows itself in strange and mysterious ways, too often without warning or concern for mere mortals. But I have learnt other things this past 12 months. Much of what I have learnt about myself is pretty frivolous. I can now wear the same shirt two days in a row and am not above the occasional day spent in sweat pants, and days with a beard and my growing head of hair

not being unflattering. I can watch again all 20-odd seasons of Law & Order SVU, all again of Downton Abbey and, 20 years on, rediscover Jack Nicholson’s greatest acting in As Good As It Gets without feeling guilty. The lockdowns have given me a free pass to be frivolous. Less frivolous has been the year spent re-reading, rediscovering my books; John Banville and William Trevor and Somerset Maugham and David Sedaris and falling in love with Sally Rooney. Wonderful, too, rediscovering music, from The Clash to Chopin, the Pogues to Puccini, and all genres in between. Thing is, I’ve learnt, if I were to do nothing else for the rest of my days, not eat nor sleep, not nothing, there is not enough time left to me to listen just once more to all 600,000 titles in my music collection. Collecting things, like music, matters not at the end of the day. Stuff and its accumulation

don’t make you any greater, any happier. What does in the final analysis matter, and what I have missed so much the past year, is human interaction — the smile, the gesture, the touch, the idle conversation. But I have learnt, too, the friends that were not so much friends as mere ‘hail fellow, well met’ sorts; that real friends, good neighbours, those who stepped up to the mark in this testing time, are few — and precious. Precious too have been the year-long video conversations with my (grown-up) children, feeling again that unbreakable bond; hearing my eldest grandchild say for the first time, Grandad I love you, and welcoming my second granddaughter into the world. I’ve learnt that the pandemic has shown how we need to pay much more attention to our health system, to fund it propxerly, to properly acknowledge

The new normal will of necessity be asking more of us all, more of me...

”

those on the frontline in pay and conditions. That we need to overhaul the archaic Leaving Cert as means of measuring the great potential of our young people who have, perhaps, paid the greatest price in the pandemic in the undermining of their sense of self. I’ve learnt I have missed the freedom of travel, the wonderful anonymity of taking off on my own. I’ve learnt that disease discriminates; against the poor, against those not enabled. Mostly, I’ve learnt that the fragility of my world is intertwined with its interdependence. When a virus discovered in China can upend my life in Ireland, its abstract character abruptly disappears. The world beyond my world no longer something more thought about than lived. A worldwide pandemic laying bare our interwoven lives shows so succinctly why we need each other...

The health benefits of taking Vitamin D CLAIR WHITTY

BY now most of you will have heard the mounting research showing the benefits of Vitamin D supplementation to help protect against respiratory infections and boosting immune response to them. But what else is it Vitamin D good for, how long should you take it, and how much do you need to take? Vitamin D deficiency is associated with muscle pain or weakness, as well as bone and joint pain. Long term health issues associated with deficiencies include bone disease and diabetes type 1. If you take calcium tablets vitamin D will be one of the nutrients required for its absorption. It’s important for healthy teeth and gums. Vitamin D is important for mood, hormonal balance, and for cardiovascular health. There’s plenty of reasons to top up on your vitamin D. Most of you take vitamin D in the winter and stop in the summer. This year,

however, is an exception to that. In my opinion with everything that’s going on I think it will be no harm to stay on vitamin D for another few months. Unless we get loads of sun and you get out into it every day for a few minutes. The big question is how much to take. Most medical experts are suggesting 25mcg which is 1,000iu. Irish people are often low or deficient in vitamin D so you may need a higher dose

than that. You might be surprised how much you are already getting. Do you take multi vitamins, fish oils, or bone formulas? How much butter, oily fish, cheese, fortified foods, and cereal do you eat? Of course, the best source is the sun, but we rarely get enough sunshine or expose enough skin to create the Vitamin D we need. There are many vitamin D supplements to choose from. BetterYou Vitamin D is in a simple, easy to use, oral spray. No big pills. Each bottle lasts 100 days. Most importantly, when sprayed onto the inside of your cheek the oral spray goes directly into the blood stream. You’ll find BetterYou vitamin D that’s suitable for infants, children, adults, and one suitable for vegans too. Call in to see us at Market Cross Shopping Centre and have a chat with us so that we can help you make healthy choices for you and your family. Email: info@ naturalhealthstore.ie Phone: 056 7764538

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

News

€4.5m PhD bursaries ‘a game changer’ for region THE two institutes of the Technological University of South East Ireland (TUSEI) consortium have announced details of a €4.5million PhD scholarship initiative described as “a game changer for research in the South East” and a key element in the development process towards TUSEI. Institute of Technology Carlow and Waterford Institute of Technology are to collaborate on a funded programme of 48 PhD scholarships that will see both institutes attract and mentor leading national and international academics in areas such as artificial intelligence, applied engineering and bio-environmental science with the objective of transforming the number of PhD graduates and research and development output in the region. The initiative effectively combines the research arms of WIT and IT Carlow, reflecting the future scope and opportunities the new technological university will bring to the south east. The scholarships have been designed to encapsulate the requirements of impactful research across a broad spectrum of disciplines and industries, with programmes in such areas as applied engineering, artificial intelligence, bio-environmental science, education and technology, and health and rehabilitation. An initial pilot scheme will provide funding for 14 PhD scholarships with each awardee supervised by a senior academic from IT Carlow and WIT, reflecting the initiative’s crossinstitutional nature. Each scholarship is valued at €94,000 over the four year period representing a total fund

of €784,000. It is anticipated that the pilot scheme will be followed by a further 34 scholarships across both institutes between now and the proposed TUSEI designation day (January 1st, 2022). Speaking about the initiative, Vice-President for Research, Innovation & Graduate Studies at WIT, Dr Mark White said: “TUSEI will transform access to education and research. The culture of innovation stems from interdisciplinarity, the breaking down of traditional academic and research silos to address the needs of society, identifying problems that need solutions as well as opportunities to address quality of life issues. “We will continue to focus and develop our research strengths whilst constantly building capacity, competence and capability in new and evolving fields of research through scholarships initiatives such as these.” Mr Declan Doyle, Vice-President for Development & Research, Institute of Technology Carlow, said: “This collaborative PhD scholarship initiative with WIT is a game changer for research in the south-east region. We intend to attract the best postgraduate students from within and outside Ireland, leading to outstanding research output from the South East. “TUSEI will transform the entire region and this initiative is the start of what one can expect from the new technological university when, as just one example, its research capacities come together for the benefit of economic and societal advancement.” * Further information on the PhD scholarship initiative can be found at www.tusei.ie

ur own Cartoon Saloon O is in line for a Bafta KILKENNY”S Cartoon Saloon have been nominated for a British Academy Film Awards (Bafta) for their animated feature Wolfwalkers (pictured). Irish stars Barry Keoghan and Niamh Algar (pictured)are also among the nominees. Calm With Horses stars Algar and Keoghan are nominated in the Best Supporting Actress and Actor categories, respectively, for their performances in the Irish crime thriller, which was filmed between Galway and Clare. The movie is also shortlisted for Outstanding British Film and Best Casting. Adapted from a story in Irish author Colin Barrett’s Young Skins collection, Calm With Horses included Dublin company Element Pictures among its producers. And after missing out on a Golden Globe earlier this month, Wolfwalkers, from Kilkenny’s Cartoon Saloon and Luxembourg’s Melusine Productions, is shortlisted for Best

Animated Film. Irish star Aisling Bea and Enola Holmes star Susan Wokoma announced the nominees on Tuesday afternoon in London after BAFTA chair Krishnendu Majumdar opened the live stream. Nomadland and Rocks lead the nominations for the 2021 ceremony, with seven nominations apiece. The Father, Mank, Minari and Promising Young Women followed closely behind — all scoring six nods each. The Dig and The Mauritanian both received five nominations. A n o t h e r R o u n d , Calm With Horses, Ju d a s And

The Black Messiah, News Of The World and Sound of Metal got four. Chadwick Boseman has received a posthumous Bafta nomination for his performance as an ambitious trumpeter in

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. For the first time in BAFTA history four women have made it into the best director category — in sharp contrast to last year when there were no women up for best director or best film. There is also a much more diverse list of nominees in the main acting categories, following a diversity push following criticism of 2020’s all-white performer shortlists. This year’s ceremony will be broadcast virtually from London’s Royal Albert Hall on the weekend of April 10 and 11.

Water upgrade saves 900,000 litres a day UPGRADE works during the pandemic have saved enough water to supply a further 2,500 houses a day. More than 900,000 litres of water a day are now being saved in Kilkenny through the work of Irish Water’s Leakage Reduction Programme, performed in conjunction with the local authority’s water

pressure management project. Works in the last year by the agencies resulted in disruptions in the water supply to 18,000 homes across the county. But the man leading the project insists the end results have been well worth it. Irish Water programme lead Joe Carroll said: “Many people

will believe that reducing leakage is only about replacing old pipes or xing bursts. However, managing pressure on the water network is another key aspect to reducing leakage and providing a more stable and reliable water supply to our customers. “Kilkenny city is fed from Troyswood Water Treatment

Plant. The main issue was that an outdated pressure regulation valve was causing major pressure issues across the water supply network. “The high pressures were causing bursts and unplanned water supply outages for the local community, high levels of leakage and repair costs. The works completed over

three weeks at Troyswood involved replacing the old valve with a modern pressure regulation valve,” Mr Carroll said. The completion of works on the water systems will now allow the existing infrastructure to serve possible new developments in the city. Mr Carroll said: “There were potentially a wide range of

customers impacted by the interruption to water supply. 18,000 properties in total including homes and businesses. “We understood this was hugely inconvenient with Covid-19 requirements in place, but these works were vital to the security of the water supply for Kilkenny.”

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

News

Rural broadband in Kilkenny BY: DEPUTY KATHLEEN FUNCHION SINN FEIN TD FOR KILKENNY CARLOW IN May 2019, the Government announced the NBP detailing how rural Ireland would be connected to high-speed broadband over the next six-seven years. In November of that year, it signed a contract with National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to plan, develop and operate a fibrebased broadband service within an Intervention Area including up to 544,000 homes, farms, schools and businesses. In November 2020 NBI informed of their plans to technically and commercially assess the plans to accelerate the NBP. This included consideration of the ESB network where possible. In January the Remote Working Strategy was published by the Tánaiste. Actions included, “the provision of high-speed broadband to all parts of Ireland”, and “Mapping and investing in a network of remote working hubs

across Ireland”. The Government has committed to accelerating the NBP to be delivered in four-five years. There have already been delays to the rollout of the NBP with Covid and NBI have been working to mitigate these where possible, they can’t be any further delays. Sinn Fein believe that these difficulties could be easily solved with streamlined approach by Government. We are very aware that problems occur during operations. One of the difficulties is the fact that fresh planning has to be continually lodged. If that planning is with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, it could take four to eight weeks. If it is with the local authority, it could be anywhere from two days to eight weeks. That is not good enough and it is holding the whole roll out up. There are 48,616 premises in Kilkenny 18,300 are in the intervention area, representing 38% of the county NBI carry out the work in three phases, survey, design & build – surveying is underway and planned in townlands in Kilken-

ny, but the network build isn’t in progress in Kilkenny. You can view the exact townlands at https://nbi.ie/rollout-plan/ Within the Deployment Areas with surveying underway the anticipated connection date is between July-December 2022. In the interim until the NBP is rolled out, the Government have announced Broadband Connection Points (or BCPs), public locations selected to receive highspeed connectivity. In Kilkenny there’s 6 BCPs live as of 26th January - Kilkenny have all 6 BCPS connected, there is scope for Local Authority’s to make further applications. The Government are exploring the use of BCPs as educational settings, as locations for eHealth services and as locations for the creative arts. These will be covered under the additional €5 million has been allocated to the Town and Village Renewal Scheme for the development of remote working facilities at hubs and BCPs. But there’s still no an-

nouncement on details for these remote working hubs. Separately, people can enter their Eircode on the NBI website, it will tell them whether they’re in the intervention area. If they are it will usually say whether surveying is in progress or give the anticipated date for connection. There has been talk in the Transport and Communications Committee in terms of interim solutions for the households in rural areas who won’t be connected until the four-fiveyear mark. These discussion are still to take place and Sinn Fein are pushing for the Committee use its influence to bring about interim measures for rural areas that are in the immediate need of broadband coverage. Beartas ríomhphoist an Oireachtais agus séanadh. oireachtas.ie/ga/emailpolicy/ Oireachtas email policy and disclaimer. oireachtas.ie/en/ email-policy/

Let’s plan locally for your holiday

LOCAL tourism bodies are hoping to entice domestic ‘staycationers’ back to Kilkenny City and county., as the rollout of the vaccine gains pace, despite teething problems with supply. Kilkenny Tourism has launched #More to Explore, a multi-pronged campaign highlighting Kilkenny’s many unique tourism attractions,

from outdoors activities and authentic experiences to family, couple, and group fun orientated get-aways. The campaign focuses on Kilkenny’s outdoors from Castlecomer’s Discovery Park to the Dunmore Caves; the county’s history in the Medieval Mile to Jerpoint and Kells Abbeys; to the amazing foods and poduce, arts, culture,

trails, tracks and gardens all on offer in the county. As we look forward to a relaxation of restrictions, Kilkenny hotels are already receiving many bookings from ‘staycationers’ from across the country. Local hotels have reported a surge in bookings pver the past month as people from all corners of the country plan their domestic summer

getaway. Kilkenny Tourism Chairperson Ciaran Conroy said: “This is an exciting time for the county as we prepare to re-open for tourists. “Kick-starting tourism and all its elements has been a high priority for Kilkenny Tourism and we have been pro-actively working with our partners and members to ensure that we

meet visitors expectations for fun outdoor and authentic experienced based holidays this summer. “This campaign is set to demonstrate that Kilkenny has plenty to offer for families; couples; groups of friends in search of outdoor adventure and we look forward to welcoming visitors back shortly,” Mr Conroy said.

Barrow Walkways action ‘needed’ A LOCAL businessman has demanded to know why the River Barrow can not attract some of the funding that is aiding other amenities in Kilkenny and Carlow. Martin O’Brien of The Mullacháin in St Mullins said that last week money was announced for walkways across both counties – with bigger projects including the Greenway through South Kilkenny. Waterways Ireland’s plans for an upgraded Blueway along the Barrow were scuppered and Martin O’Brien that, while that must be accepted, “surely something could still be done to everyone’s benefit”. He told KCLR: “It was turned down because it’s an area of special conservation, which is fair enough, but I think there’s the other side of it: it’s time that the council got together with Waterways Ireland.”

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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Countdown to Cheltenham

The Greatest Show

on Turf

The countdown is on to Cheltenham 2021 and excitement can start to build for national hunt racing fans from all over the world

Paul Townend

Al Boum

BY EDDIE SCALLY

In truth real racing fans have had one eye on Cheltenham since possibly last October, trainers on the other hand had both eyes on it since the curtain drew on 2020s festival. Having a runner at Cheltenham is a great achievement for any owner but to have a winner, well that’s the dream. Cheltenham is correctly referred to as the Olympics of jumps racing where the best of the best head to the Cotswolds each year to take on each other at racings blue ribband event. Over the past number of years, the Irish dominance at

this festival must feel like a kick in the guts to the British racing fraternity who can only look on in astonishment at both the quality & quantity of top-class Irish runners. Gone are the days when the Irish were saved by “Galmoy” in 1988, the only Irish winner that year. Now we are spoilt with double figures an almost expected given annually at the festival, in 2020 we had 17 winners. This remarkable dominance didn’t happen overnight it is the culmination of world class breeding operations, top class point to point handlers, brilliant racecourses, the best trainers, the best jockeys, and hugely supportive owners. Credit must also go to the powers that be in HRI for keeping Irish prizemoney at higher levels than those across the water

thus making it more lucrative to keep Rachel Henry De Bromhead W P Mullins your horse Blackmore in training the best equine will probably and ceremony in Ireland and just athletes in the world. even miss queuing for as they can fit into plot your raids on the UK for It’s harder to find winners at toilets and wrestling our way the racing shows. We will still their big festival meetings. Cheltenham than your stanto the bar for much needed hear the great back stories as Cheltenham is much more dard fixture but somehow a hydration. What we will to how this horse was found than just racing, its social, 4/1 winner at Cheltenham most certainly not miss is the and today became a star. it’s fun, its fiercely competifeels like it pays more than action on track which will Heroes will still be made in tive between the Irish & UK a 4/1 winner anywhere else. be beamed into our homes 2021 so just sit back and enjoy trained runners and it’s a The badge of honour to say with no doubt as much pomp the action from home !!! showcase for all that’s won“I backed that winner of the derful in racing. supreme novice hurdle” just On a normal non covid year carries far more weight than Cheltenham would welcome any other meeting, everynorth of 250,000 one’s a racing expert for that 4 people over days & also the 4 days to it can feel like everyone is marvel at “related” to someone in the industry that week, hence the “this tip is rock solid brigade” When the flag falls to start the Supreme Novices Hurdle on Monkfish Tuesday March 16th it won’t be greeted by the famous Chelten ham roar with this season’s festival DAY 1 being raced behind closed 1.20pm – Appreciate It DAY 4 doors, some might say a year 1.55pm – Energumene 1.20pm – Zanahiyr too late !!! For the racing fan 3.05pm – Epatante 3.05pm – Al Boum that attends this will be a (pictured) Cheltenham like no other, we DAY 2 will miss the social 1.20pm - Bob Olinger BANKER BET - aspect, the craic, 4.15pm – Entoucas Acca the banter with our 4.50pm – Kilcruit Monkfish – Wednesday British rivals, we Chacun Pour Soi DAY 3 Wednesday 2.30 – Allaho Al Boum - Friday 3.40 – A Wave Of the Sea Elimay - Friday

>>> TIPS

Envoi Allen

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

News

Transition Year tipping point for teen drinkers THE transition between second year and third year is a tipping point for second-level students to start drinking alcohol, while almost 40% of third-years who drink have already done so to the point of being sick, having an accident, or becoming involved in physical violence. The findings are included in a three-year longitudinal study carried out by Maynooth University (MU) and which also shows that 44% of third-years referred to “tolerant” parental views regarding alcohol, versus 17% who said they had not started drinking because of concerns over their parents’ reaction. The researchers from MU carried out the independent longitudinal evaluation of Drinkaware’s Junior Cycle Alco-

hol Education Programme (JC AEP), which is currently open to students in 134 schools around the country. It found that 40% of students prior to delivery of the AEP — and when typically aged 13 — reported that they had, at some stage, taken alcohol, whether as a few sips or as a full drink. However, the report said this should be interpreted with caution because ‘drinking’ and the ‘age of the first drink’ are often defined in different ways. The research tracked 350 Junior Cycle students from 19 schools across the country as they moved from first to third year between 2018 and 2020. According to the study, approximately 60% of students indicated that they had never drunk alcohol through first and

second year, but this dropped sharply by 17% as students went from second year to third year. It also found that 57% of thirdyear students had first consumed alcohol either in their own or someone else’s home, with most saying they did so with little difficulty. Just one in four said they got into trouble with their parents for drinking, and 9% indicated their parents do not like to see them drinking. The level of intoxication among third-years who drink was also higher. The study showed that 38% of participating students who drink had already experienced one or more negative effects of alcohol consumption, such as physical fights, arguments, accidents/ injury, and/or feeling physically sick or vomiting.

€2m to protect monuments The Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, TD, has launched the 2021 Community Monuments Fund which will invest €2 million in the protection

and promotion of archaeological heritage. The €2 million allocation is an increase of 75% on last year’s funding. The grants available under the Community Monu-

ments Fund (CMF) can help custodians and owners of archaeological monuments to safeguard them into the future for the benefit of local communities and the public.

Getting out of black and white thinking ANDREW MCDONALD HYPNOTHERAPIST

IT looks like we’re going to remain in lockdown until May. Stress levels which are already through the roof are going to continue climbing. Living a heavily restricted existence is not easy for anybody. It’s worse again for people suffering with anxiety or depression. However, as we explored in my previous column, there are things we can do to help ourselves feel better. Here we are going to look at another pragmatic and effective activity to raise your mood. Anybody who feels anxious or depressed will be familiar with the concept of black and white thinking. This is when have a distorted view of the reality of our situations. I’m not talking about hallucinating but simply the habit of perceiving everything in the extremes of black and white, total success and complete failure. Most people live pretty mundane lives, and yes I include myself in that. A bit of drama every so often but for the most part we don’t eek out soap operatic existences. The peculiar thing about anxiety and depression is that

they actually make our days far more dramatic than they really are. Let’s look at a simple example; you are studying for an exam and are targetting an A. After the test, you get the result and it’s a B. Your anxious or depressed mind perceives this as a disaster. Is that a realistic interpretation of what has happened? What about all those other people who got Bs, or even those who got Cs? Have they also failed? Rational thinking would suggest not. Imagine another scenario. You’re going for a promotion. You don’t get it. Has your world fallen apart? If you’re suffering with anxiety or depression, the chances are you feel like it has. The reality is though that you still have a job, a roof over your head and food in your stomach. I recently read the following post on Facebook: “the job you hate is the dream of the unemployed, the home you want to move from is the fantasy of the homeless and your family and friends who irritate you are the utopia of the lonely”. A pragmatic and effective activity when you feel yourself wrapped up in a circle of “complete success or total failure” is to think of your concern. Then on a piece of paper, sketch out three circles side-by-side. In the first circle, note

down the absolute worst case scenario. In the third circle, write the best situation you can think of related to that worry. In the second circle (and it is important that you do the second circle last), scribe the mid-point between those two extremes. So for example, say I was fretting about paying an electricity bill. In the first circle I write “I won’t be able to pay and they will cut off my electricity”. In the third circle I write “I will win the lottery and have so much money I won’t need to worry about anything ever again”. In the second circle I write “the electricity bill takes a chunk of my money but I will have the finances to pay it”. Then I look for evidence to prove each situation. For example, “I have always been able to pay the electricity bill before”. Once this is all done, quiz yourself on which scenario is most likely. Using this technique you will be able to judge for yourself what is most likely to happen and back it up with proof. Have a go and see does it give you relief from black and white thinking!l. Andrew McDonald, Hypnotherapist www.kilkennytherapy.com 089 972 2991

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

News Covid-19 Kilkenny Business Update:

Romanian entrepreneurship during the pandemic BY BIANCA RALLIS

Holy St Patrick, there’s a pair of them in it... BY PAUL HOPKINS

WELL, faith and begorrah, but as millions of people around the world may well don the shamrock and silly hat, but, thanks to the coronvirus, will mot be able to march in parades and drink green pints of the black stuff, the man they are remembering this March 17 is by all accounts a composite of two people — Patrick and Palladius. Patrick is remembered because he left two documented accounts of his time in Ireland — the famous Confession of St Patrick and the lesser-known Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus. “He left these documents so he could be talked about, whereas the other missionaries did not,” says Carmel McCaffrey, author of In Search of Ancient Ireland. Back in Britain, he was told in another dream to go back to Ireland to spread the Gospels.

It was 433 AD before he arrived back, by which time Palladius was here a good two years. Patrick’s work is now the stuff of legend but he does not merit a mention in correspondence in 613 AD between Pope Boniface IV and the Irish missionary Columbanus who celebrates only Palladius for bringing Christianity to Ireland. In fact, Patrick is not officially recognised as a saint by the Catholic Church with some historians joking that he most likely became a Christian for the tax breaks! As for the shamrock as a metaphor for the Trinity, well that is mere speculation and as for the snakes there were never any in Ireland, unless you allude to some of those up in the Dail! The ‘other’ Patrick, Palladium, was, according to one chronicler, sent by Pope Celestine in 431 AD as the first bishop to Ireland’s Christians. His appointment was most likely not as a missionary to convert the Irish but as an administrator to an already fledgling Christian community. Church buildings firmly associated with Palladius include those at the Hill of Tara and at

Dunshaughlin in Co Meath but there is no evidence he ever set foot in Connacht or Ulster. Patrick, on the other hand, is recorded as tending his sheep while a slave at Slemish in Co Antrim. Much of Patrick’s Confession concern charges made against the one-time slave by early fellow Christians. What these charges were he does not say explicitly but it is believed by some historians that he was accused of financial impropriety and of having obtained his bishopric in Ireland with personal gain in mind, in the days when you could buy such favours. It was a paper entitled The Two Patricks published in 1942 by historian TF O’Rahilly that caused controversy by consolidating the contention that there had been two Patricks and that what we now know of St Patrick was in part a conscious effort to blend the two into one ‘saintly’ personality. Also, most historians now contend that Patrick the slave was not actually active in Ireland until towards the end of the 5th Century. That Patrick is said to be buried at Down Cathedral in (what is today) Downpatrick, alongside St Brigid and St Columba, although this has never been proven. The St Patrick Visitor Centre there is the only permanent exhibition centre in the world dedicated to the man we believe we celebrate on March 17. Reckoned to have been born most likely in Wales, in 387 AD, Patrick, a Romanised Celt, joined the church as a young boy. Legend has it that he was taken prisoner at 16 by Irish raiders. Brought to Ireland, he was forced to work as a shepherd. According to his Confession, he turned to religion to find solace and was told in a dream to run for the coast and make his escape. The final resting place of Palladius is unknown.

ON March 3rd the Irish Times, in its business section, mentioned that the unemployment rate hit 24.8% in February 2021(Central Statistics Office indicate that 596,668 people may have been out of work in February) as the State and much of its economy remained under lockdown. The restrictions have also pushed many businesses, namely the hospitality and services sectors, to the brink of extinction. If we look a few months back, last year on November 17, breakingnews.ie came out with an article “Irish businesses worst affected in Europe by Covid-19 restrictions,” which mentioned that “according to Retail Ireland, who published their November Retail Monitor, level 5 restrictions imposed again in the very beginning of October had a major impact on businesses as footfall in Irish retail has fallen more than anywhere else in Europe.” The biggest hope the government had at that point was the plan to move to a new country back to Level 3 restrictions starting with December, and for many businesses to be allowed to reopen. Unfortunately, at the time, to be optimistic, the government couldn’t see the big storm coming fast; so fast that even Christmas wasn’t saved! The Central Bank of Ireland and ESRI are predicting that going back to around 5% of unemployment rate “will be talking about 2023 at this stage if not 2024,” said the ESRI’s Kieran McQuinn. As we are all in the same boat during these pandemic times, the Romanians who are running businesses in Kilkenny City are facing the same hardships. We asked few of them how they are managing during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Stefan Cadare, the owner of The House of Pretzels in Market Cross Shopping Centre, started his business in Kilkenny eleven years ago. Although at the beginning he faced many challenges, with small steps his business became a successful one. In 2019 he was able to afford 7-8 employees, he extend-

ed the menu, and everything was looking great. But where is he now after one year of Covid-19 Pandemic? Comparing with 2019, he mentions his business turnover has fallen 40-50% in 2020 and unfortunately 2021 didn’t come with big hopes; returning to Level 5 restrictions, this time with the closing of schools, and students being a large part of his customer b a s e , pushed his business to the worst, with his turnover falling 80% comparing with the same period of time in 2019. He can barely afford to keep 3 employees, which is only possible thanks to the Employment Wage Subsiding Scheme that the government is providing. He has done his best to support his own busines in order to adapt to the Covid-19 restrictions, offering his customers online ordering and delivery services. For his wife, the owner of Powder Blue permanent make-up clinic in Kilkenny, things went even worse as her business services were closed to customers due to Covid-19 restrictions. Florin Sima is the owner of one of my favorite places in Kilkenny. The cozy little tapas restaurant Grapevine, located in the heart of Kilkenny City, which for many years has been a successful business. However, things changed dramatically for him in March 2020. Firstly, as is true for many other businesses, the level 5 restrictions imposed by the government for so many months was the first reason for his economical collapse. Secondly, as his unique restaurant characteristic depends heavily on tourists, international travelling restrictions were another important factor that hurt his business. Comparing with 2019, Florin says his turnover has fallen 95%. As he struggles to pay his high bills, it is impossible for him to keep his restaurant open for take away and delivery more than 3 days per week, during the weekend, and is left with only 2 employees, the kitchen staff. Kilkenny Salt Therapy, owned by Oana Oana, is offering drug free treatment (provided by Adina Dascalescu, certified halo therapist) against asthma, COPD, bronchitis, allergies and skin conditions in a therapeutic environment, harnessing the potent natural healing forces of salt, with proven positive effects on wellbeing.

Oana started the business in 2017 and the reviews posted on the site www.kilkennysaltherapy.ie proves the quality of the customer service this place is offering. Under Pandemic restrictions, she was also forced to find new solutions to keep her business running as much as possible, investing about 10,000 euro in 2020. She moved part of her business o n l i n e, p r o viding online shopping where people can buy different 100% natural drug-free products that can be used safely at home for salt therapy treatment. The forms and payment for the salt therapy session can be done online, reducing, as much as possible, physical interactions for the safety of the customers. With very strict Covid-19 regulations she cannot manage the same number of customers she had before, as only one customer per session is allowed in the salt therapy room. Comparing with 2019, her business turnover has fallen 70%. Likewise, the garage businesses are not managing too well with the Covid-19 restrictions. Adinel Neculai, owner of Speed Garage Kilkenny, said his turnover has fallen 50-60% comparing with 2019. The travelling restrictions on Level 5, he believes, is one of the reasons why people don’t bring their car to the garage as often, as well as the lack of money due to so many people losing their jobs. We are facing times in which each and every penny counts! As we know, several supports are available to help businesses owners during Covid-19 pandemic. The businesses mentioned in this article were entitled for the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (as their turnover has fallen by more than 30%), as well as the Waiving of Commercial Rates until the 30th of June, 2021. No matter how dark the sky looks now, the Romanian businesses owners in Kilkenny are trying to stay focused on the full half of the cup rather than the empty half, hoping for good days to come. They would like to say a big THANK YOU to all their customers for their support during these hard times that we are all facing! This article is supported by the Romanian Twighlight Community Group Contact: kclw.ro@twighlight.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

Covid update The WHO is working with agencies including the IATA and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to develop standards for digital vaccination cards. It added that its position on health passes will “evolve as evidence about existing and new Covid-19 vaccines is updated.”

How a vaccine passport may free us to travel again WE would all love a holiday. Indeed, we could do with one. Our thoughts are turning to far-away places with strange sounding names. The sun and the sea and hazy days. As vaccination rollouts gather pace around the world, attention is now turning to vaccines of another kind: vaccine passports. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced the launch of its new digital travel pass as “the way forward” in resuming quarantine-free international travel. The app, which is being tested by 30 carriers, will allow governments and airlines to collect, access and share encrypted information related to passengers’ Covid-19 test and vaccination status prior to travel. The International Chamber of Commerce and the World Economic Forum have created similar apps — ICC AOKpass and CommonPass — to allow travellers to document their medical status electronically. Countries such as Denmark and Sweden are launching their own health passports, and even tech giants are looking to get in on the act. What are digital health passports and will they see us return to the skies this year? Also known as a digital health pass, a vaccine passport is digital documentation that an individual has been vaccinated against a virus, in this case Covid. Stored on a phone or digital wallet, the data is typically presented as a QR code and also can show if a person has tested negative for a virus. Such documentation is not unprecedented. For decades, people have had to show physical ‘yellow cards’ as proof of vaccination against diseases like cholera, yellow fever and rubella when traveling to certain countries.

However, this marks the first time that the industry has rallied behind an electronic alternative designed to improve verifiability and circumvent some of the hold-ups caused by paper counterparts. “Just imagine the scene if 180,000 people present a piece of paper that needs to be checked and validated,” said Mike Tansey, a managing director at Accenture, referencing the pre-Covid number of daily passengers at Singapore’s Changi Airport. Will we need digital health passports to travel? Tansey, who leads Accenture’s APAC travel and hospitality division, has been working with some major airlines on their digital health pass strategies, including three in the US and

several across Asia- Pacific and Europe. He told CNBC’s Global Traveler that those plans have “accelerated” since the vaccine rollout, and for him, the need for such passes is clear. “The obvious answer is yes, we do,” said Tansey, when asked if we would need digital health passes to resume travel. He called debates a ‘red herring’. “Governments may not say that you have to have one, but the implications of not will be so ridiculous that travel won’t be worth it,” he said, referring to extensive testing and “draconian” quarantines. What are the security concerns? Tansey is not alone. Other experts agree digital health

passports may be the quickest and most effective way of resuming international travel. Jase Ramsey, professor of management in Florida Gulf Coast University’s Lutgert College of Business, agreed the probability of adoption was “very high”. But he noted that concerns around security and personal data may leave consumers less willing to adopt digital health passes than their physical alternatives. “As with any app that stores health records, there will be privacy and fraud concerns,” said Ramsey. Accredify is one Singaporebased document accreditation firm whose technology is being used under the Singapore government’s mandated pre-travel Covid-19 health screenings. It claims that the appeal of digital

‘A vaccine passport is digital documentation that an individual has been vaccinated against a virus, in this case Covid...’

accreditation systems — such as its own, which is based on the blockchain — is that they are tamper-proof and therefore unable to be falsified. “Medical documents stored privately and securely on the app are accessible only to users, giving them the decision of who to share their medical records with and when,” a spokesperson said via email. Resistance from travellers may be overstated. A recent study from travel news site The Vacationer found that 73.6% of those surveyed say they would use a Covid health passport or app so airlines and border authorities can check their vaccination status and test results. What are the challenges for health passports? The success of digital health passports will hinge on the effectiveness of vaccines. Little is known about whether vaccines prevent the spread of Covid, though research is underway. The World Health Organization has urged caution toward health passes, telling authorities and travel operators not to introduce proof of vaccination as a condition for international travel. “This is because the efficacy of vaccines in preventing transmission is not yet clear, and global vaccine supply is limited,” a WHO spokesperson said. Coordinating the various existing and pending vaccine passports on the market, and ensuring users’ certifications are linked to verified and approved medical facilities, will prove a major challenge. “In order for vaccine passports to be an internationally practical tool, there will need to be a standardised platform that crosses all boundaries — such as the current passport system,” said Dr. Harry Severance, assistant professor at Duke University School of Medicine.

What about the social implications? Then, of course, there are the social, legal and political ramifications of a system based on inequitable global access to vaccines and technology. Approximately 3.6 billion people globally cannot access the internet, according to the WHO, and more than 1.1 billion cannot officially prove their identity. For many, paper passes will remain essential. “People from different countries, regions or communities may not have access to vaccines or Covid-19 testing,” said Dr. Sharona Hoffman, a bioethics professor at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine, noting that low-income countries may not receive vaccinations until 2023 or beyond. “A policy that prevents them from traveling or obtaining other services because of that could be discriminatory and exacerbate socioeconomic disparities.” Such systems could also set a precedent among other groups similarly eager to reopen, such as restaurants and events venues. Indeed, Israel has already created a “green passport” to give vaccinated citizens access to public venues. “As one community moves in this direction, many, many more will follow. As such decisions roll across the country, you may find that vaccine ‘carding’ is becoming a standard,” said Severance. What might this mean for the future of travel? Ultimately, the resumption of international travel will depend as much on countries’ willingness to reopen as it does on the travel verification technology in place. In Asia-Pacific, where borders largely remain closed to tourists, governments may tend toward bilateral agreements, or “travel bubbles,” with select neighbors before opening up more broadly, said Accenture’s Tansey. “The reality ... is we’re still six months away from any meaningful air travel,” he said. “It’s only going to be agreements with one or two places at a time.” Still, with much of the technology in place, and with society moving toward an ever-more digitiSed future, developments made today in digital health passports could leave the travel industry — and society — better prepared for any potential turbulence ahead. “If we evolve to an internationally recognised system of health passports (or) monitoring etc., that will be one facet of a downstream preparedness system that will possibly allow us to survive an upcoming pandemic, that may have worse dynamics than Covid-19,” said Severance.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

News

The man from the Outer Hebrides, Micheál o’ Muircheartaigh and The Stripy Men GAA commentator Micheal O’ Muircheartaigh

IT’S a slow summer day in Cornwall in the 1980s and Benjamin Neesham is fiddling with the medium wave dial on his radio in search of some sort of diversion. The airwaves crackle and the room he’s sitting in is suddenly filled with the mellifluous tones of Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh commentating on a hurling match with typical verve. Neesham has no idea what the sport being described even is, but he knows he likes the sound of it. Ó Muircheartaigh’s poetic depiction of the action being regularly punctuated by explosions of noise from an animated crowd made his mind’s eye grow wide with fascination. He found himself rooting for a team with the exotic name of ‘Kilkenny’ that sounded like they were straining every sinew to turn what had seemed certain defeat into an unlikely victory. A SPORTING WONDERLAND He didn’t know it then, but Neesham was descending down a rabbit hole that twisted and turned and ultimately opened up a sporting wonderland he has happily inhabited ever since. He might be now living on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides off the north coast of Scotland, but Neesham is very much plugged in to all things Kilkenny hurling. Such is his knowledge on the subject, that when Nickey Brennan is looking for the answer to a tricky Kilkenny hurling related question on his Community Radio Kilkenny City show, he now expects a text from ‘his man in Scotland’ to come to the rescue. A FONT OF KNOWLEDGE Former President of the GAA, Brennan, won five All-Irelands with Kilkenny in his playing days and managed them too for a spell in the 1990s, so when he describes Neesham as a font of knowledge on all things to do with Kilkenny hurling it’s about as good an imprimatur as you can get. Neesham admits that when he tries to talk hurling to most of

his fellow islanders in the Outer Hebrides they tend to look at him a little funnily and wonder why he can’t be interested in soccer like a normal person. But, the way he looks it, having a passion for a distant sport is hardly makes him that unusual. “You have so many people in Ireland who wear Liverpool and Manchester United tops and so on and I suppose I’m just doing the reverse and following Kilkenny hurling from over here,” Neesham told GAA.ie. “When I heard Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh commentating that day I just became hooked from that moment on. “Kilkenny were playing in that match and although they lost I immediately became enamoured with their refusal to give in. “It was that irrepressible spirit that captured my heart and I’ve followed them ever since.

particular became more like an obsession when work brought him to live on the Isle of Lewis in 2004. Now living around a thousand miles from family and friends, following the fortunes of a Kilkenny team in their pomp under Brian Cody was a source of comfort he was happy to sup from. “It really brought brightness to those autumn and winter days looking back on fantastic AllIreland wins such as the destruction of the Deise in 2008 and the four in a row in 2009 when I honestly didn’t think we were going to win and was a bag of nerves when Henry stood over that penalty,” says Neesham. “I’m still not sure that was a 100 per cent a penalty, but we’ll take it! Martin Comerford getting the goal that day to seal the victory was absolutely tremendous. “Then, in 2011, coming back after the bitter disappointment of THE 2010 when TipSUNDAY perary stopped GAME the drive, to “Sh o r t l y have the after lischaracter to tening come back to that the followmatch, ing year Channel and win 4 started the chambroadpionship castagain was ing ‘The probably Sunday the sweetest Game’ in one of all. Author of The Stripy Men, England. “Once I Joe Cody (RIP) “So I got moved here to actually see I would tune in the matches every Sunday afterand I was immedinoon to RTE broadcastately captivated with the ing Sunday Sport and follow skill, the commitment and the what was happening, not just desire. The complete drive and with Kilkenny, but with the rest determination and the way that of the Championship and all the players were prepared to put other competitions. their bodies on the line for the “I didn’t have as many distracparish or county.” tions in terms of other things Benjamin first discovered going on and that became the hurling when he accidentally highlight of my week, listening found a broadcast of RTE Gaelic to the Gaelic Games reaction. I Games Commentator, Michéal loved RTE anyway, aside from O Muircheartaigh, commentatthe sports. ing on a match. “I’d always be listening to Gay Neesham’s growing interest in Byrne, Pat Kenny. I’d know far hurling and Kilkenny hurling in more about what was happen-

Former GAA president Nickey Brennan

ing in Dáil Éireann than I would in Westminster. Sport was additional to my general like of Ireland.” Benjamin Neesham rates Kilkenny’s 2011 All-Ireland Final win over Tipperary as one of their most satisfying. Neesham wasn’t just interested in following the current-day fortunes of Kilkenny hurling, he also devoted more and more time into delving deep into the history of hurling in the county and beyond. He has collected the matchday programme of every AllIreland Final that Kilkenny have won going back to 1963, every League Final going back to 2005, and also has an extensive library of Kilkenny hurling lore. “It’s absolutely fascinating the way hurling evolved going back to the foundation of the championship and the Gaelic Athletic Association itself in 1884 and everything that’s happened since then,” he says. THE STRIPY MEN “Once I became a Kilkenny supporter I wanted to read all about their history so I got Joe Cody’s book ‘The Stripy Men’ which takes you back through the history of Kilkenny back in the day when counties would play under the banner of the club champions and that sort of thing. “I then grew fascinated then by the Mooncoin teams of the early 1900s and ‘Droog’ Walsh and the Doyles and these sorts of players. That then linked in with the history of other counties so I started reading about the great

He might be now living on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides off the north coast of Scotland, but Benjami Neesham is very much plugged in to all things Kilkenny hurling

Tipperary team of the 1950s and 1960s with Hell’s Kitchen and the history of great players like Mick Mackey and Christy Ring, obviously.” When it comes to hurling and Kilkenny hurling in particular, Neesham has one major box still to tick – watch a game live. Up until now he has made do with watching or listening to matches from a distance, with the nearest he’s come to the real thing a flying visit to Kilkenny city that included a tour of Nowlan Park courtesy of Nickey Brennan. DREAM IS TO SEE KILKENNY MATCH “I’d love to see a Kilkenny match, but usually travel to Ireland in the autumn so I’ll probably see a club match before I see a county game,” he says. “I have an interest in the Bennettsbridge club so you can tell I’m not a glory-seeker! “I’d love to see a club championship match in the near future if things return to anything like normality by September or October this year.” In the mean-time, he’ll keep a close eye on proceedings from his outpost in the Outer Hebrides, though he’s not all that optimistic that Kilkenny will return to the top of the hurling pile in 2021. “2019 gave me hope, beating the reigning champions as we did and beating Cork in a epic quarter-final,” he says.

“I’m sure we’d have lost to Tipp in the All-Ireland Final even if Richie Hogan hadn’t been sent off. I know we dominated the beginning of the game but Tipp had gone in front by the time Hogan was dismissed. “His departure extended the winning margin, but I felt Tipperary would have been the better team regardless. “There was a lot of excitement then at the start of last season because so many teams seemed to have a realistic chance of winning the Liam MacCarthy Cup, but 2020 was a real disappointment in the end for Kilkenny. ALARM BELLS WERE RINGING “The fact we squandered a 15point half-time lead against Dublin. Ok, we still crawled over the line but alarm bells were ringing after that. “We won the Leinster Final but Galway were clearly the better team until we somehow managed to pull it out of the bag. “And then the second-half collapse against Waterford was just so disappointing because it was similar to what happened against Dublin. It would concern me how easily Waterford just ran through us. “I think we’re probably a bit down the pecking order with Limerick being at number one followed by Galway and Tipp. “So although we were semi-finalists in 2020, I realistically can’t see us being in the top four in the country this year. “But you absolutely never know what Kilkenny are capable of so you can’t write them off, here’s hoping.” Regardless how the 2021 hurling season goes, one thing is for sure. Benjamin Neesham will be tuning in. When contacted by The Kilkenny Observer newspaper, Mr Neesham said he was humbled to think his story had travelled so far and that he looked forward to receiving a copy of the paper. (With thanks to Benjamin Neeshman, Nickey Brennan, John Harrinton and GAA.ie )

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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Opinion

Fact Of The Matter 2 PAUL HOPKINS

When mothers come in many guises MY maternal grandmother died when my Mother was just five so she never had a lifetime to know her. When I was born, the first of three, and work took my Father away a lot, my paternal grandmother came to call for an afternoon of china-cupped tea and cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off. My Mother was thrilled to have another woman, a motherlike figure, visit, at what was an anxious time, what with a new baby and my Father away. When she was leaving my dear Mother said to her: “Please come any time. Don’t wait to be invited.’’ To which my grandmother replied: “Listen here, I raised eight — I am not about to rear a ninth.’’ And from that day ‘til the day she died 26 years later the Old Bat never once darkened our door again. It goes without saying that my late Mother did a wonderful job rearing me and my two siblings.

The very epitome of good nurturing. Mothers come in all shapes and sizes and a few with degrees of ‘old batdom’. There are professional, or homemaker ones in broad terms or fashionable, pious, simple, strict, soft, conservative, modern and, nowadays, cool mothers in personal terms. There are mums, moms, mams and mammies, not to mention Mummy, yummy or not, The Ma or the Old Dear. And, of course, there are famous ones, Celebrity Moms. Like Angelina Jolie who once travelled the world, adopting children to give them — and who are we to judge?— a better chance in life, like she is giving to her now six children. Ditto Madonna. Or Sharon Osbourne — long- suffering wife of Ozzy and mother of Jack, Kelly, and a third child who doesn’t appear in the Osbournes, thank God for small mercies. And let’s

not mention the Kardashians, please... And then there are the fictional mothers like Mother Goose and Old Mother Hubbard. And there’s Mother Nature and Mother Earth, not forgetting Marge Simpson, mother to Bart, or the late (and controversial) Mother Theresa. Or who remembers Roseanne? She who always moaned to Dan that “the kids are still here” even though we all knew that, underneath that lazy, uncaring exterior, she would die for Darlene, Becky and DJ. And what about Whistler’s Mother — who was she when she was at home? Then there’s Mother Ireland, Mother Macree and Al Jolson’s Mammy, my late Father’s party piece. (Note to self: was he paying inverted homage to the Old Bat, or recognising the selfless role of my Mother?). And there’s Single Mothers and Mothers-in-Law — but let’s not

It’s a good cop for Acting Super Ciara A KILKENNY woman who once worked as a waitress in a four-star hotel in London is now rising to the challenges faced by a Tipperary Garda district. Acting Garda Superintendent Ciara Lee, who has clocked up 24 years experience with the force, is from Tullogher and is responsible for the Tipperary Town Garda District,. She previously worked as a waitress in a four-star hotel in London for four years before following her sister’s footsteps and joining An Garda Síochána. “It was some change [going from being a waitress to a garda], but I got great experience in customer service, diversity and dealing with people from all walks of life in London, which has really stood to me,” she told Kilkenny People. After completing her training at the Garda College, Superintendent Lee was stationed in Coolock in North Dublin, which came as something of a culture shock. “Coming from the countryside, I was initially taken aback

by the difficult situations and the families I worked with. That this is how things were for some people, compared to my innocent childhood,” she said. She then served in Midleton and Cobh in County Cork, before representing the force on the European Union Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a crime advisor. Upon her return, she specialised in the investigation of sexual crimes. “Working overseas in Bosnia and Herzegovina was a particularly proud moment for me,” she says.

“And cases where we successfully prosecuted sex offenders in the Central Criminal Court for vulnerable women and young girls that needed a voice or who were afraid to come forward and make complaints because they felt nobody would believe them. Just seeing them get justice and closure [was very important to me],” she said. She returned to Tipperary to provide training to students and probationers at the Garda College in 2014, before being stationed at Tipperary Town Garda Station in 2019.

go there (see Old Bat reference). My own Mother was none of the things that mark the celebrity in that she never wrote a book nor composed a song, nor won a Nobel Prize nor made a movie nor had her name in lights, nor caused an international stir. My Mother was so ordinary that she was, dare I say, extra ordinary. That’s it — my Mother was an Extraordinary Mother. Like all good mothers are, unquestioning and unflinching in their love for their children. And of course ‘grown’ “don’t mean nothing to a mother’’, as the novelist Toni Morrison put it in her award-winning book Beloved. “A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What’s that suppose to mean? In my heart it don’t mean a thing,’’ wrote Morrison. My own three ‘children’ now long ‘grown’ into confident and competent young adults are testimony to the love their Mother bestowed on them and there

Listen, she said, I raised eight — and I am not about to rear a ninth ...

”

exists between them a bond that is inalienable to me and which I can never hope to be part of. But I guess that comes with the Father territory. The late and wonderful

Seamus Heaney once said his Father was notably sparing of talk but his Mother “notably ready to speak out’’, a circumstance which the poet believed to have been fundamental to the “quarrel with himself” out of which his poetry arises. I like to think the novelist Washington Irving had it succinctly when he wrote: “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavour by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.’’ But let’s leave the last lines to Oscar Wilde: “All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his.’’

€130m to aid Arts in pandemic THE Arts Council has announced a €130 million investment across Ireland in 2021 as artists and organisations struggle to recover from the pandemic. Announcing its key Strategic Funding round, the Council said it would invest €46.1 million in 105 key arts organisations across the country, among them Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, the Irish Chamber Orchestra in Limerick, Macnas in Galway, Cork Midsummer

Festival, Waterford’s Spraoi and Teaċ Daṁsa in Kerry. A further €7.8 million will fund 43 arts centres in every region of the country, from An Grianán in Donegal and Garage Theatre in Monaghan to Dunamaise Arts Centre in Laois, Glór in Clare, and the West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen. The council said that in addition in the weeks ahead, it would award around €10.7 million to arts organisations through its Arts Grant

Funding programme; €2 million in smaller festivals in almost every county from its Festivals Investment Scheme; and a range of other supports for arts organisations struggling to survive the Covid-19 pandemic. For individual artists there will be some €10.5 million in bursaries; €5.6 million through a new Agility Award; as well increased funding for commissions and projects.

McGuinness calls for tougher moves against the Davy 16 THE Chairman of the Oireachtas Finance Committee, TD John McGuinness, has said tough action should now be taken against the Davy scandal people, noting: “Davy has been fined €4.1 million, it is now important to turn to the 16 people involved. I think they should be named. The Carlow Kilkenny deputy said: “The bank should take whatever ap-

propriate action is necessary against the 16 and they should account for themselves; what role did they play, who instigated this and what transpired in the course of this so that at the end they profited by this.” Davy stockbrokers have made an “unreserved and unequivocal apology” ahead of the Oireachtas finance committee to discuss the matter. In a letter to the commit-

tee, interim CEO Bernard Byrne pledged to restore public trust and ensure there was no repeat of the saga. The Central Bank has called for it to be given more powers to make individuals accountable. The Central Bank fined Davy €4.1 million last week, after 16 of the broker’s own staff were involved in wrongful trading practices in 2014.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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Caution urged for deposit holders as Covid bites deep THE farming, food and agribusiness professional services firm ifac is advising Kilkenny deposit holders to review their options as Covid restrictions have significantly dampened spending habits. According to Martin Glennon, head of financial planning at ifac, household deposits surged by €14bn in 2020. The Central Bank reports that they are now at record highs of €125bn due to the pandemic. The news for deposit holders has not been good. • State savings products, such as Savings Certificates and the National Solidarity Savings Bonds, have seen significant reductions in interest rates. • Prize Bonds receive no interest but instead are involved in a draw. The prize pool has been hit, with the twice-a-year €1m top prize being reduced to four €250,000 top prizes. • Ulster Bank plans to exit Ireland, leaving customers wondering what to do in an everdecreasing market.

• Bank of Ireland has announced the closure of branches and has widened the range of customer deposits where negative interest rates apply. • Credit Unions are being charged negative interest rates by banks and therefore have imposed savings caps on deposit accounts. • Interest rates between 0.0% to 0.05% are common on many accounts. Said Mr Glennon: “Holding money for the ‘rainy day’ or emergency makes sense. How much you hold depends on your personal preference. As a guideline, we recommend at least three months’ income. “You also need to able to access funds for planned expenditure such as changing your car, home improvements, a wedding or college fees — an expenditure that you know will come up in the next two to four years. “The priority is access, not growth, so do not fret too much about the interest rates,” he said.

On what to do with any remaining balance, Mr Glennon said the priority should be to repay debt. “Start with the credit cards. With interest rates ranging from 17% to 23%, it makes sense to clear these. “Personal loans incur interest rates of 6.5% to 8.5%, so they are worth a look also. The same applies to the mortgage. Does it make sense to clear down all or a portion of this loan?” In regards to investing he said you should explore growth opportunities for the deposit money that you do not plan, or want, to spend in the short/medium term. “When assessing your investment options, it is important to get the correct balance between the growth you want and the level of risk you are comfortable taking. Beating inflation and maintaining the real value of your funds is one of the main goals.” Regardless of your circumstances, Mr Glennon said it made sense to shop around for the best deals.

To change your behaviour, change your environment EOIN EVERARD

EVERY habit is initiated by a cue, and we are more likely to notice cues that stand out. Ever wonder why they put chocolate bars by a check out in a shop? Well it is because they know that your environment will shape your behaviour. Seeing a chocolate bar will make you want a chocolate bar. We can use this information for good and not bad if we shape our own environment. Unfortunately, the environments where we live, and work often make it easy to not do certain actions because there is no obvious cue to trigger the behaviour. It’s easy to not to foam roll if you don’t have it handy. It’s easy to not read a book when the bookshelf is in the corner of the guest room. It’s easy to not take your vitamins when they are out of sight in a press that you never use. When the cues that spark a habit are subtle or hidden, they are easy to ignore. When they are like

that chocolate bar in our face we can remember them easily! Thankfully, there is good news in this respect. You don’t have to be the victim of your environment. You can also be the architect of it. Here are a few ways you can redesign your environment and make the cues for your preferred habits more obvious: If you want to remember to take your medication or supplements each night, put your bottle directly next to the tap on the bathroom counter. If you want to foam roll or hockey ball your glutes keep the hockey ball by your bed so you remember to do it. I have hockey balls in my bedside locker and in my sitting room and the same for a foam roller so it is easy to remember! Leave your water bottle beside the kitchen sink so it is easy to fill. Have water in bottles in your car. Chop up lemons to put into your water so they are in sight. Leave your mat laid out or in a place easy to use for Pilates so you have a space that is easy to set up. If you want to make a habit a big part of your life, make

the cue a big part of your environment. The most persistent behaviours usually have multiple cues. Consider how many different ways a smoker could be prompted to pull out a cigarette: driving in the car, seeing a friend smoke, feeling stressed at work, and so on. The same strategy can be employed for good habits. By sprinkling triggers throughout your surroundings, you increase the odds that you’ll think about your habit throughout the day. Make sure the best choice is the most obvious one. Making a better decision is easy and natural when the cues for good habits are right in front of you. Environment design is powerful not only because it influences how we engage with the world but also because we rarely do it. Most people live in a world others have created for them. But you can alter the spaces where you live and work to increase your exposure to positive cues and reduce your exposure to negative ones. Environment design allows you to take back control and become the architect of your life. Be the designer of your world, and not merely the consumer of it.

On yer bikes, kids, for St Patrick’s Day! CYCLE Kilkenny is calling for school children to green their journey to school for St Patrick’s Day While 320,000 children across the country have already made the return to school, many more households in Kilkenny are preparing for the eagerly awaited return of third and sixth class students on March 15th Cycle Kilkenny members are encouraging families to green their journey to school and to walk, cycle or scoot school journeys where possible. A spokesperson

said: “Why not bling your bike to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, during the week of the 15th to the 19th, and upload your photo to @CycleKilkenny and @stpatrickskk on facebook, Instagram or twitter and tag #Kilkennyingreen. Also, be sure to watch the first ever ‘virtual’ Kilkenny St Patrick’s Parade on March 17th on www. stpatricksfestivalkilkenny. com. You might spot some familiar faces!” Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr. Andrew McGuinness, said: “This is a wonderful initiative

by Cycle Kilkenny and our St Patrick’s Festival #kilkennyingreen campaign as children return to school. I urge all parents to get involved and look forward to seeing Kilkenny schools awash with green as our children return to school life as we know it.” Speaking in advance of the initiative, Colette Byrne, Chief Executive Officer of Kilkenny County Council said: “In our Development plan, safe routes to schools will be a priority, we want children in Kilkenny to be able to travel to school independently.”

How Dipetane works Dipetane uniquely addresses and solves the fundamental problem existing in standard combustion, which is that the valuable carbon remains unburnt. Irish scientists are the first and only scientists worldwide who have discovered how to enable the existing fixed oxygen to gain proper access to burn the valuable carbon much more completely compared to standard combustion. Injector Protection Dipetane protects costly injectors and valve stems from the EC 90% cut in sulphur, the sulphur had been acting as a lubricant for Injectors and valve stems. Dipetane’s full burning of the carbon leaves no hard unburnt carbon grating in the system and combined with it’s built in lubricant greatly increases lubrication thereby protecting injectors and valve stems. DPF’s-Diesel Par ticle Filters Minimising regeneration, minimising fuel usage and protecting DPF’s is very efficient As mentioned above protecting DPF’s

through the use of Dipetane is critical and very cost-effective. Dipetane treated fuel’s unique ability to burn the carbon more completely, compared to all standard fuels means that much less un-burnt carbon enters the DPF and therefore the regeneration occurs less often. In some 6.8 Litre engines Dipetane’s use has extended the regeneration from 70 hours out to over 200 hours. This is a substantial fuel saving and protects the DPF from the very high ‘revs involved in the regeneration process. Up to 10% fuel sav ings Dipetane’s independent Scientific Chassis Dynamometer and Boiler Tests under controlled conditions show up to 10% fuel savings. Mix rate for Dipetane is always 1:200. 1 Litre treats 200 Litre’s Diesel, Petrol, Kerosene, Heavy Oil. It does not change the ‘spec of the fuel. It is not an ‘additive’, being 100% hydrocarbon.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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Blow for broadband plans for a better service as new mast bid is turned down A NATIONAL telecommunications and broadband provider’s plans to upgrade their services in county Kilkenny have been dealt a blow after the local authority knocked back plans for a new mast. Eircom Limited had applied to Kilkenny County Council to build a 15 metre-high free-standing communications structure at Archers Field, just beside Kilmaganny Village. The local council had asked for conrmation from Eircom on whether they had explored other sites in the area, and whether the mast would be able to provide a 5G service. Eircom responded, telling the council there were no other suit-

able sites in the area and that although the new mast could provide a 5G service, there were no plans to do so as yet. On examining the planning application, which included the provision of associated antennae, communication dishes, ground equipment and all associated site development, the council decided to refuse permission to Eircom for the new mast structure. They were given four weeks to appeal the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála. Kilkenny County Council is the facilitator of the National Broadband Plan rollout for County Kilkenny and will work with the winning tenderer to facilitate the roll out of broadband.

Business honour for the Coeliac Society THE Coeliac Society of Ireland has achieved a Business All-Star Accreditation from the All-Ireland Business Foundation, a national body which accredits best-in-class Irish business organisations. This is an outstanding achievement for the charity, which recog-

nises their hard work and dedication to their members. The Business All-Star accredited companies are defined as; progressive, indigenous Irish businesses which meet the highest standards of verified performance, trust and customer-centricity.

Michael puts his fine ceramics of local landscapes on line CERAMIC landscape artist Michael Holden has launched a new website to promote his work. Following a long career in the ceramics industry in Kilkenny, Michael recently set up his own business, fulfilling a lifelong ambition. Michael is an artist who has developed his own unique style, blending painting and ceramics to produce works that are both

traditional and contemporary. His painting is inspired by the landscapes around the picturesque village of Inistioge, Co. Kilkenny where he has lived all his life. He has produced a range of bespoke products that will allow the beauty of his native place to be appreciated by people in Ireland and across the world. His speciality is painting landscapes on ceramic

tiles which are then fired in a kiln to make the final product. “It’s great to get the website operational,” said Michael. “Demand for the tiles has been so strong that it’s been hard to find time to focus on it. It will give me the opportunity to demonstrate my work all over the world.” Michael would like to thank Terry Bannon Graphic Design,

Inistioge, who designed and built the website. He also wishes to acknowledge the grant aid he received for the website from Kilkenny LEADER Partnership and The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. The website can be visited at www.michael-holden-ceramic-artist.com

Friendly faces here to help! WHITES PHARMACY Kilkenny was established in 1953 by Michael and Kathleen White, who were both pharmacists. The pharmacy has remained a family affair with their son Kieran White running the business and providing an essential service to the public for many years. We pride ourselves on our friendly and efficient service. We are always here to offer help and support especially during these stressful and difficult times. Our door is always open and we are the first port of call when someone is sick or needs advice. March 2020 brought many challenges to our business. We had to adapt the way we ran the pharmacy to ensure both customers and staff were protected. We have invested in

glass protection screens. These have given our customers more confidence and security that they are being cared for in a safe environment. Prescriptions are now emailed in from GPs, which was one of the few positive outcomes from this pandemic. Many other countries had this in place years before Covid was around. It is good to see some things move on. During Covid times, Kieran and his staff have offered free delivery to their customers. Kieran has now seen every part of Kilkenny county! No distance is too far for him to travel to! We have been very fortunate to have such lovely customers. Throughout the past year, we have seen so much patience and kindness from so many

people. We would like to thank each and every one of them. With Mother’s Day approaching, we offer some lovely gifts and hampers. Every mum deserves a little treat, this year in particular. We can tailor the hampers to suit all needs and budgets. Our cosmetic range includes Lancome, Clarins, Dr Hauschka, La Roche Posay, Cerave, Blank Canvas and a large range of false tans. You can call into the pharmacy or phone in

your order and we can arrange for delivery to your door. We are currently running a Lancome Gift with Purchase promotion. If you buy two products, one being skincare, you can avail of a free gift. We offer a huge array of high quality vitamins and minerals from the Lamberts range, which has proved very popular particularly this past year. The importance of Vitamin D has been well highlighted in

the media and has proven benefits in the fight against Covid symptoms. Vitamin C and Zinc is also recommended as an immune system booster. We are the only stockists of Lamberts in Kilkenny and have all the essential vitamins and minerals for all ailments. We have just launched our new website WWW.WHITESPHARMACYKILKENNY.COM, where you can shop online for all your front of shop and cosmetic needs. We also have a facebook and Instagram page, where people can keep and eye on our

latest offers @WHITESPHARMACYKILKENNY. Once the vaccination programme is rolled out in pharmacies, we are ready to get involved. Our staff are fully trained up to give the Covid vaccines and the flu vaccines for the 21/22 season ahead. Whites Pharmacy is open Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm. Our phone no is 056-7721328 and email address is whitespharmacykilkenny@ gmail.com

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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Seamus Walsh RIP

Seamus Walsh stands at the spot In Deerpark, where miners stopped to pray before entering the pit.

The news of the death of Seamus Walsh spread quickly around the north Kilkenny town of Castlecomer and indeed the county of Kilkenny. A poet, tour guide, historian and promoter of The Comer mines, he was certainly one in a million. Heritage week 2019. Seamus Walsh stands in front of the now blocked entrance to The Deerpark mines

BY: GERRY CODY Coal Mining runs deep in the Castlecomer Community, and there was no better man to tell the story than ex Miner Seamus Walsh. Seamus, from Castlecomer (formally of the Old-road Moneenroe) which is the heart of the coal mining area of Leinster. His family also worked in the mines, including his Father, brothers PJ & Liam and two of his brothers in law Danny Shallow and John Delaney. Coalmining, as he said himself “was the backbone of the economy in Castlecomer.” Seamus was also a wonderful supporter of the Castlecomer Discovery Park, and following his death, they gave a lovely tribute to their friend. “Today we say goodbye to our very dear friend Seamus Walsh, a passionate advocate for keeping our mining heritage alive, he was also a dedicated and hardworking board member of the Discovery Park. Seamus was the epitome of a Renaissance man, a gifted story teller and writer, a poet, a musician and singer. He made it one of his life’s ambitions to make sure the stories of the miners were kept alive. His books “In the Shadow of the Mines” and “Coal in the Blood” will provide a window

into the lives of coalminers for future generations to come, a wonderful gift. “And yes I was proud to be a miner And to be a miner’s son, And I’m proud to sing their praises And I’ll sing them ‘till I’m done. And I’ll keep a light a- shining In the tunnel dark and deep, And when people talk of mining It is of your deeds they’ll speak” Seamus Walsh. He was instrumental in making the dream of having a coal mining museum in Castlecomer a reality. He gathered artefacts and information, as well as being one of the leading fundraisers and advocates of the project. Nearly this same time last year, Seamus was invited by 3CEA energy agency to speak at their Strategic Energy Transition launch which was held at the Park. The theme was clean sustainable energy, and Seamus had the undivided attention of every person attending, he was the voice of the men who spent their lives underground. He had a way of capturing attention, and he did it that day in his usual style. Of course, we are so thankful for the years of volunteer service that he gave

Castlecomer mines in the early days

to the park, he was a member of the Discovery Park Board for many years. He attended meetings and gave of his time so generously. Another event he cared deeply about was the annual National Heritage Week tour of the Deerpark Mine. Each summer he would take people to visit the mine and paint a vivid picture of a day working at the mines. As usual people were hanging on every word, he brought you back in time and could put you in the shoes of those miners.

Castlecomer has lost one of its best sons today, but thanks to his talents and passion we have so much to remember him and keep his spirit with us. “The Miner’s are a lonely few That remains upon this land Their work and toil is over now It’s time for the promised land” Taken from “Lonely Days Past” by Seamus Walsh “Poems from the Pit” Most importantly he was a kind hearted gentleman.

HERITAGE WEEK 2019

In 2019, I travelled with Seamus from the Discovery Park to the once bustling site of the Deerpark mines. These are my memories of the day. “The town of Castlecomer has to be recognised as one of the nicest in the South East. As I made my way from the Discovery Park to the Deerpark mines this morning, the sun shone, and the surrounding areas of Clough, Deerpark and Moneenroe, looked wild and

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Seamus Walsh picture with Michael Conway at The Hole in the Wall

SEAMUS WALSH WAS A MAN WHO SAW THE BIGGER PICTURE MICHAEL CONWAY

John Delaney and Seamus Walsh at The Deerpark Mines

Remembering miners and their wives at Deerpark

rich. To be fair, it had everything going for it. Hay was being baled. The sun turned the fields from green to gold. Cattle were content as they welcomed back some normality in the weather and chewed their way through the fields. Deerpark is of course where the coalmines were situated and although I had the comfort of travelling by car, I wondered about the boys and men who walked the two miles, day and night in all kinds of weather to spend eight to ten hours in the darkness of the mines. No more than myself, if you were not down the mines, you cannot understand what it meant. End of. However attending a talk, given by former miner and lifelong promoter of the mines, Seamus Walsh, gave an amazing insight into the life and times of a ‘Comer Miner.

CHILDREN DOWN THE MINES

I was shocked to the point of sickness when Mr Walsh described young children from the age of fourteen travelling over 300 yards down under the ground to work an eight hour shift. My mind wandered back to the twelve children trapped in the mines in Thailand and the worldwide reaction in June 2018. We heard of workers emerging from

The one time ambulance station, had its own ambulance, doctor and nurse on site, so frequent were the accidents

their daily shift bent over and covered in dirt and coal dust. Old coal sacks were thrown over their shoulders in an attempt to keep out the cold.

DEERPARK HAD ITS OWN AMBULANCE STATION

A lot of the time the work space was in an area that was five feet high and maybe three feet wide. And smaller. Think about that. Think of the air circulating. Or lack of. Think of the coal dust. Think of the possibility of the roof collapsing- a fear in the minds of every miner, every day. Think of the daily battle trying to mind your few sandwiches so that the multitude of rats that ran amok alongside the workers, wouldn’t eat them. Think of the fact that the mine had its own ambulance, ambulance station, doctor and nurse, so frequent were the accidents. Then think of the word Pneumoconiosis. If like me, the word is new to you, check your dictionary.

A SPECIAL BOND OF FRIENDSHIP

Apart from the misery, one cannot but mention the camaraderie of the miners. Also the fact that at that time, with the population of ‘Comer at 1,200, 600 worked at the mines.

Boys and men had a wonderful bond of friendship. Perhaps if you grew up in the family of miners you might be able to accept that life. Perhaps it was a passage from childhood to manhood and to bring home the weekly wage and like other men, to put your wage on the table was important. Or the badge of honour to have the black dust engrained in your skin as you danced a half set with a girl in the local hall in Moneenroe. From boy to man? An incredible story so richly told by Seamus Walsh. This is a part of our history that must not be forgotten. It is of huge importance. The death of Seamus Walsh will be felt for many a year. That he has left behind a wonderful legacy is something we must be eternally grateful for. We think especially at this time of his wife Chrissie and his family: Joe, Miriam, Paula, Christine, Noelle and Majella, grandchildren, extended family and friends. Seamus published two books on the mines: ‘In the shadow of the mines’ and ‘Coal in the blood’. Both books will provide a window into the lives of coalminers for future generations to come.

OR many people in the Kilkenny and surrounding area, the performance by Seamus Walsh and Colm Gray at ‘The Hole In The Wall’ venue , where they told stories and sang songs about the mines, was their introduction to the history of the Castlecomer coalmines. Proprietor of ‘The Hole In The Wall,’ Michael Conway, spoke to ‘The Kilkenny Observer’ newspaper about the loss of a great historian and good friend. Michael remembers Seamus Walsh with great fondness. “For me, the loss of Seamus Walsh has been a turning point in life. A marker of time. An awakening to the march of time and the hard decisions that nature is making for each and every one of us. In losing Seamus, we have lost a key historian from a county that is awash with preserved history. Seamus Walsh was a man of vision. A man before his time. A man who could see the big picture even though his lens, in some ways, might have been but a small camera? The picture of coal mining that we have for the Deerpark and other mines of the Leinster Coalfield will be, forever, linked to Seamus Walsh. A man of an almost saintly humility, it nonetheless happened that he had been chosen somehow by fate to be the voice that would distil the story of ‘Comer into a narrative that would play out for decades to come. His CV in respect of Castlecomer is unrivalled. Sure, like many others, he went down mines aged fourteen. And, like his many colleagues, his father and others before him, he chipped away at the coalface. And survived. But he saw a need to battle for his worker friends regarding industrial disease compensation - and duly did. He saw the importance of the mining exhibition at the Discovery Park and made it happen. And then he figured on the role of publications to catalogue the story of the mining and the unique and almost Hollywood-epic nature of Nicholas Boran’s trip to Stalin’s Russia for 3 cold months at the end of 1930. I was given copies of books, tapes and videos by miners on starting to consult on heart disease here in Kilkenny from 1999. They sat in a drawer for over a decade. Thanks to the rescue and restoration of ‘Hole in the Wall’ as an artistic outlet, Colm Gray and I met Seamus in the Discovery Park in 2013. It was a meeting of minds. His wife Chrissie tells of how he returned home that evening a happy man,because another method to tell the Deerpark story had surfaced. Seamus would soon bravely go on stage to be a narrator, to recite his poems and to hear songs influenced by his tales sung by Breege Phelan, Colm Egan and Emmet Conefery. ‘So Deep Within the Shadows of the Mines’ was the title for a sungstory combining his words and featuring the song ‘So Deep Within’ penned, crafted and performed in his honour by Breege Phelan and myself. Seamus Walsh and his legacy in the north of the county he loved will last forever in narrative, books, poetry and song. He dreamed about the story making the silver screen. He, himself, had featured in documentaries down the years. Should anyone ever chose to tell the story of ‘Comer, the unassuming touch of genius that Seamus Walsh displayed will feature. Seamus’s enthusiasm, drive and warmth of personality has washed off on us all and we carry it with us so deep within as we battle along - missing our friend and colleague so dearly.” Michael Conway

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

Science & Wellbeing

We drink 1.4 billion cups of a coffee a day. That’s good!

GLOBALLY, we drink about 1.4 billion cups of coffee a day, according to the Intern national Coffee Organisation (ICO). This might explain why you rely so heavily on your cuppa every morning or why you stop at one of many coffee shops for a take-out only when out walking in these pandemic times. In our latest edition we cautioned against drinking coffee when pregnant but the black stuff has many benefits for the rest of us. How does your morning coffee really impact your brain? Most importantly, are there certain times of the day where your latte-caffeine boost is better for your health? Caffeine, the main stimulant in coffee, works on a chemical level to give you a boost of energy. However, caffeine is structurally similar to another chemical naturally created in the body, called adenosine, which makes you tired. Some substances imitate natural neurotransmitters and can take their place in receptors. For example, morphine

can bind to the receptors in the brain meant for your endorphins (which is a natural kind of ‘morphine’ produced by your brain). Similar to how morphine binds to endorphin receptors, the caffeine in your morning coffee binds to your brain’s adenosine receptors, preventing the biochemical from making you tired. Caffeine also builds your adrenaline supply which increases your heart rate and allows blood to pump faster. At the same time, caffeine prevents dopamine from being reabsorbed into your system, which allows it to linger in the brain for a longer amount of time, causing you to feel it’s positive effects (such as happiness) for a longer amount of time. Within the first 10 minutes, the caffeine enters your bloodstream and is pumped throughout your body, causing an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. Up to 20 minutes after intake, caffeine binds to the adenosine receptors, neutralising fatigue.

Dopamine levels increase and linger, which provides the drinker with an alert and focused feeling. Within 30 minutes, your adrenal glands shift into high gear and begin producing more hormones. During this time your vision may become sharper due to your pupils dilating. Within 40 minutes, your body begins producing more serotonin, which improves the neuron function within your spinal cord and this leads to improved coordination and muscle strength. After four hours, your metabolism increases, which is why you burn energy faster. Your body begins to break down stored fats during this time. Within six hours, the liquid coffee has gone through your system and you will likely feel the urge to pee, during which time approximately half the caffeine you consumed is expelled. Of course, with anything caffeinated, moderation is key. When consumed in excess,

caffeine can cause anxiety, heart palpitations, and sleeping problems. According to Consumer Reports, up to 400mg of caffeine a day (which equals two to four eight-ounce cups) can be part of a healthy diet. However anything over 600mg a day is too much. What are the health benefits of coffee? Despite what you may have been told, there are several ways your daily caffeine intake is good for you. Not only can coffee improve your energy levels, but it can cause your brain to function at optimal levels, making you smarter. Some other health benefits of coffee include: Boosting your metabolism; improving your physical performance; helping you with your nutrient intake (the vitamins B2, B3, B5, manganese, and potassium are all found in coffee); lowering your risk of developing type 2 diabetes; helping fight depression symptoms and make you happier; and providing a source of antioxidants

We all began our lives out in space LIFE on Earth may have begun in space, according to a new study from Japanese researchers. The study confirms the possibility of panspermia, that is the possible spread of life throughout the universe via microbes that attach themselves to space bodies. The scientists showed that bacteria on the outside of the International Space Station can survive in space for years, according to a report by Big Think. The team also concluded that the ‘Deinococcus radiodurans’ bacteria used in the experiment could even make the journey from Earth to Mars, hinting at the likelihood of our own extraterrestrial beginnings. To understand how bacteria can withstand the harshness of space, scientists sent Deinococcal cell clumps to the International Space Station. Once there, the specimen, around just one mm. in diameter, was attached to the outside of the station on aluminium plates. During the course of three years, bacteria samples were sent back from space to Earth for further study. What the researchers found is that, while the outer layer of the clumps was killed off by the strong UV radiation, layers on the inside survived. They were essentially protected by the dead bacteria in the outer layer. Once in a lab, they were able to fix damage to their DNA and even grow further. The researchers estimate such bacteria could survive in space for up to eight years. Akihiko Yamagishi from

Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences in Japan, who was involved in the study, said that their work proved that bacteria could not only survive in space but might also be the way life spreads throughout the universe, through panspermia. “If bacteria can survive in space, [they] may be transferred from one planet to another,” explained Yamagishi to New Scientist. “We don’t know where life emerged. If life emerged on Earth, it may [have been] transferred to Mars. Alternatively, if life emerged on Mars, it may [have been] transferred to Earth ... meaning that we are the offspring of Martian life.” In its early days, Earth was constantly bombarded by meteorites, and was also hit by a Mars-sized planet called Theia, which likely resulted in the formation of our moon. This happened about 4.5 billion years ago and life started to sprout about 4 billion years ago. Is there a connection between all the collisions and our existence? Considering the slow pace of evolution, the relatively fast appearance of life after the Earth cooled off point to panspermia being a possible explanation. Another implication of panspermia – if we started out as microbes from another planet, why wouldn’t there be more life throughout the universe, originated in a similar fashion? If you follow this logic, there’s a good chance cosmic life is abundant.

We are not alone... the truth is out there MAYBE you think one Earth is enough. But what if there were billions? Researchers make a new estimate that the number of Earth-like planets in our Milky Way galaxy can reach us high as six billion. Astronomers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) analysed data from NASA’s Kepler mission to reach the stunning conclusion. The information on 200,000 stars was gathered by the Kepler planet- hunting spacecraft from 2009 to 2018. The criteria used by the scientists for selecting such a planet maintained it had to be rocky, about the same size as Earth, and orbiting a star like our Sun. This planet also had to be in the habitable zone of its star, where the conditions would be just right to potentially allow for water and life. According toe science online site The Big Think, UBC researcher Michelle Kunimoto,

who co-authored the new study, and previously discovered 17 new planets (‘exoplanets’) outside our Solar System, said their calculations “place an upper limit of 0.18 Earthlike planets per G-type star.” In other words, that’s about five planets for each Sun. The study’s co-author, UBC astronomer Jaymie Matthews, put this from another perspective, explaining that “Our Milky Way has as many as 400 billion stars, with seven percent of them being G-type. That means less than six billion stars may have Earthlike planets in our Galaxy.” While the scientists came up with an impressive number of possible Earths, this likely doesn’t mean that’s how many such planets there are and if they would have life like ours. But this new estimate definitely expands the possibility that similar planets are out there.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

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Fallons Pharmacy MEDICAL SERVICES We dispense all prescriptions, including all Government schemes. Prescriptions can be ordered in person, over the phone, by fax or email. A private consultation area is available if you would like to discuss any issue with the pharmacist in private. We can provide a weekly dispensing service to patients who need more careful monitoring of their medical needs. We can provide and fill weekly dispensing packs for patients who have difficulties organising and remembering their medical needs. We can facilitate drop off or delivery If you have difficulty collecting your medicines during normal opening hours. We will provide COVID vaccination under the HSE Covid vaccination campaign. COVID-19 INFORMATION continue to provide services We throughout the COVID 19 crisis. Some of the services which customers may find useful include: Fax or email of prescriptions from doctors. ALL AND COLLECT – C patients and customers can order prescriptions and other needs by phone, pay over the phone using a credit / debit card, and collect their needs whenever convenient.

VIRTUAL SHOPPING – Customers can browse the full range of products in the pharmacy using our online shop available on our Website or Facebook page and order by Phone, Pay Online or use our Click and Collect option. DELIVERY – Especially for our vulnerable, cocooning patients and those with a positive Covid test or awaiting a result, we can arrange delivery of any patient needs. The full range of products and services are still available at Fallons Pharmacy, and most products are available for public browsing and product selection. Staff members are available to answer any queries, or to offer any product not on display in public areas. OTHER SERVICES WE OFFER Digital Photo Kiosk. Passport Photographs - including EU and US standard photographs for all ages including babies. We can provide visa and passport photos for over 60 countries worldwide. Physical photos or images suitable for online applications can be supplied. AGENTS We are agents for Uriage Thermal Water skincare and GOSH cosmetics.

We stock elastic and compression stockings, suitable for varicose veins and long distance travel. Patients can be measured by our staff in the private consultation area. URIAGE: The Uriage Thermal Water, a unique Water Born in the heart of the French Alps, the Uriage Thermal Water has flowed for 75 years through the rocks. As the seasons pass by, it gets enriched with minerals and trace elements. Uriage Thermal Water, the protective force of the French Alps in a spray bottle Packaged directly at the source to preserve its multiple benefits, the Uriage Thermal Water Spray is essential to every beauty routine, every day, for everyone. DERMATOLOGY • Irritated skin • Dermatosis • Eczema, redness • Eyelid dermatosis • Sun erythema • Post dermo-cosmetic procedure • Etc. EVERYDAY • Hydration • Fixes make-up • After-shave • Radiance • After sport

Michael Coogan, aged 9, took up a challenge to run 80km in 30 days in aid of the homeless. He raised an incredible 860.00 euro's for Focus Ireland. He is from Meadow way in Kilkenny city and attends St. Johns Senior school in Ballybough Street.

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Jim Fallon is the owner and pharmacist, he has in excess of 25 years experience as a pharmacist, he graduated from Aston University in Birmingham, England. Jim is originally from Westmeath and now lives in Kilmoganny, County Kilkenny. Prior to opening Fallons pharmacy he was employed by several large pharmacy chains and decided to open his own business as he felt he could offer a more personal service to his patients. Brenda Morris the qualified assistant Pharmacist has worked in pharmacy on John Street for more than 20 years,

she is from Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow. Michelle Nugent, a Kilkenny native, is a a pharmacy technician. Michelle has almost 20 years experience in retail. Chloe Byrne is from Castlecomer. Chloe is a pharmacy technican and has recently completed the IT Carlow pharmacy technician course.

Brenda, Michelle, Chloe and Jim are full trained in over the counter medicines, if you have a cough, cold or any other ailment ask them to diagnose your ills and suggest the ideal remedy.

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“If you still want to marry me after this lockdown, I know you really must love me!” As lockdown locations go, you couldn’t really get much better than An Rinn in the heart of the beautiful Gaeltacht na nDéise, according to Ros na Rún actor, Elaine O’Hara. A proud Kilkenny woman by birth, she now finds herself living with her fiancé Cian in the beautiful Rinn Ó gCuanach, Co. Phort Láirge.

ELAINE O’ Hara plays the devious Emma in TG4’s drama series Ros na Rún

Cian O Conchuir and Elaine O’Hara. Wedding day plans

‘Prior to March 2020, my life seemed to be spent on the road. Having spent years working as a primary school teacher, I now divide my time between acting and teaching. Weeks consist of filming in Galway, along with substitute teaching work in Kilkenny, Carlow or Waterford. Elaine, although now living in the beautiful Rinn Ó gCuanach in the heart of Gaeltacht na nDéise, Co. Waterford, is a proud Kilkenny woman by birth. Never was that more in evidence than

this year’s hurling semi-final clash where her ‘new home’ took on her ‘home home’ – needless to say, the Kilkenny flag was flying in earnest down in An Rinn that day! A Thomastown native, her love of hurling is deep rooted. Both sides of her family have strong hurling connections. Her father, Dick, earned 3 AllIreland senior medals hurling for Kilkenny in the seventies and eighties. Her mother, Helena, from Mullinavat originally, is a grand-niece of the Doyle brothers of Mooncoin – Dick, Eddie and Mick - whose hurling exploits with Kilkenny earned them 18 All-Ireland medals collectively between them. While Elaine herself hasn’t played any G.A.A. in a long time, she loves nothing more than watching it! The

televised matches during this pandemic were one of the big life-lines for so many people and brought so much joy into people’s homes at a time when they needed it the most. So when the first lockdown hit, life became much less hectic. With Ros na Rún wrapped since the end of February and primary schools closed since March 12th, daily life changed pace completely. Cian, a physiotherapist, was also out of work so we had more time together than ever before. ‘If you still want to marry me after this lockdown, I know you really must love me!’ was a regular refrain in our house and luckily, it must be love as, despite having to reschedule our wedding due to COVID, it’s full steam ahead for our new date this

summer! Living in West Waterford means we have plenty of beautiful mountains and beaches nearby. When we were allowed to travel within our county, we did many hikes around the area; my favourite being our sun-rise hike to the top of Coumshingaun in the Comeragh Mountains. However, even when the 2 km restrictions came in, we were still spoiled for choice with beautiful walks and beaches around An Rinn. Like many people, escapism was often the key to getting through the low days. It was often easier to immerse yourself in the lives of other people with alternative realities than deal with our own reality. My TV choices would depend on my mood on any given day...

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Above: Sunrise hike up to Coumshingaun in the Comeragh Mountains for Elaine Below: Elaine O’Hara pictured with Cathy Lawler in Steel Magnolias which was staged at The Watergate theatre Kilkenny

Elaine O’Hara at the beautiful secluded beach at Faill a’ Stáicín, An Rinn

Normal People, The Queen’s Gambit, Schitt’s Creek, Sex Education, The Last Kingdom… the list is varied and endless! Keeping my own acting muscles flexing was also good for the mind and soul. Becoming a different character in a different reality...what better escapism can you get than that?! The online casting network Fishpond started the ‘Fishpond Monologue Challenge’. A different monologue focusing on a different emotion is posted regularly and actors can submit selftapes for each monologue. Once Ros na Rún wraps in the coming days, I’ll look forward to sinking my teeth back into these! Elaine’s love of acting is also deep rooted. However, having first graced the stage as

Eliza Doolittle in her 4th year musical My Fair Lady in St. Brigid’s College, Callan, she then didn’t tread the boards again for nearly ten years. However, she joined Kilkenny Musical Society for their 2010 production of Oliver! and was hooked thereafter! She has made lifelong friends and many happy memories of wonderful shows with K.M.S. such as Michael Collins, and The Pirates of Penzance to name but a few. She loved taking part in Steel Magnolias and On Golden Pond with Watergate Productions and spent many a happy night rehearsing for various one-act plays and productions such as The Elephant Man, The Web and A Seduction of Chaos with K.A.T.S. The idea of possibly acting

professionally came in 2016 when she got the opportunity to take part in the workshop of a new musical ‘Find Your Way Home’ under local director, Christine Scarry. This musical was performed in the Civic Theatre, Tallaght and later brought to Albany, Boston and New York. She loved every minute of it and it was this experience that inspired her to take a

leap of faith and see where it takes her. She took a careerbreak from teaching, moved to Dublin and completed a three month acting course ‘The Applied Art of Acting’ with David Scott. She was lucky enough to audition for Ros na Rún shortly after and the rest, as they say, is history! Cian and his family own ‘Sólás na Mara’ – a seaweed bathhouse and wellness centre here in An Rinn. In between lockdowns, Sólás na Mara was very busy so I often could be found getting the seaweed baths ready for clients or helping out in the coffee-dock. Not sure if my lattés and cappuccinos are quite up to scratch yet though… a bit more practice might be needed! Our local community running group ‘Céim ar Chéim’ has also helped to keep the mind and body going during this pandemic. With COVID restrictions in place, we’ve now gone virtual! While I will never be a runner, the fact that I’m managing to run 5km – something I never thought I would be able to do – is one of the little silver linings of this pandemic. It was so wonderful to start back filming on Ros na Rún in August. While life on set has been very different with all the COVID protocols, the camaraderie and banter between everyone remains the same. Everyone has worked so hard all season to keep each other safe and it’s a credit to all involved that we are now only days away from finishing a whole season of Ros na Rún in spite of a global pandemic. In this case, the saying ‘Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine’ feels very apt.’

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News Coco Teehan Roche with Maia, Djuna and David Arias

Richie Guilfoyle All pics: Danny Lahart

Robert Doyle and Richie Cullen

t u o Ab Out &

WITH

y n n a D rt Laha

Clive Barnes Grace Power

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The Lengendary Vincent Quan

Grace, Anabel and Eve Touhy

Eddie Byrne, Nick Brennan and Willie Byrne

Hugh Dorian with John and Ray Kavanagh

Frank Marshall

Andy Stafeckis Brendan Farrell

Olivia Phelan and Mark Stapleton

Billy and James Wyse

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Migration to Integration WHEN the decision is made to leave your home country it is a life changing moment. The worries that you carry with you about your parents, how will the cope without their son or daughter, how will their lifelong friends who remain behind grow and develop without you. Dagmara Szlesinger left the small town of Chelmno near Torun. A 13th century city with many medieval monuments including 6 churches, City Walls and gates drawing similarities to Kilkenny. It is the place where Saint Valentine Relics are kept, so it is also referred to as the ‘City of Lovers’. During her childhood Poland was still a communist country. Despite the regime it was a childhood

of fun and adventure. The biggest draw back was the iron Curtain. This prevented travel and the experiences one should have to see the world. At the age of 25 the decision was made to migrate to Ireland. Kilkenny was her first stop and with work in the Ormonde Hotel for the summer she became part of the Polish diaspora in Ireland’s Medieval Capital. The locals welcomed her into their community as she learned the Irish culture and English with her new Friends. Worries of been away from family and friends soon diminished. With the advancement in technology home is just a ‘facetime call’ away. For 12 years she continued

to work in the hospitality sector of the economy. Then came the decision to pursue what was always natural to her and with a background in animal welfare set her on the road to become a fully qualified dog behavioural Instructor. With qualifications in Dog training, behaviourist, fitness and Kynotherapist she fulfilled her dream. Since 2009 she has been developing her Goodog dog training academy in the ‘City of the Cats’! to be Ireland’s Leading Dog Training centre. Migration to integration is now a topic on the minds of all our Public Representatives. Dagmara gave her views on how to develop Twilight Community

Group’s programme of migration to integration. The Group’s programme also Plans for programmes with 7 counties in Bosnia Herzegovina, Covid depended, later in the 2021. “As a Pole I often wonder what our diaspora needs in Kilkenny. I believe we need a Culture Community Centre, A place to meet to chat, watch a movie, exchange experiences and help newcomers to acclimatise and integrate in to our local communities. As for me? Kilkenny is now my forever home.

Dagmara Szlesinger

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

Lockdown streaming

5 to stream about horror cults FOR your lockdow n streaming, here are five movies and series about cults. Some are real-life stories. Others are only based on real stories. And a few are pure fiction, but certainly feel real. Either way, you won’ t be able to look away.

1. MIDSOMMAR

Will Smith in top form as he hits Netflix

What can been said about Ari Aster’s classic Midsommar (2019) that hasn’t already been said? Florence Pugh shines as Dani, a young woman in grief who visits a Swedish commune under the pretence of a fun summer celebration. We’ll save you from any spoilers. Str eam on Amazon Prime.

2. WICKERMAN Not to be confused with the 2006 Nicolas Cage version, the 1973 British movie has been named one of the great horror movies of all time, telling the a story of a sergeant sent to investigate a disappearance on a remote island. The island’s inhabitants turn out to be religious cult members with a violent streak. Also on Amazon Prime.

3. WILD, WILD COUNTRY In 1981, cult leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh set out to create a utopian-like community in Oregon. After confrontations with locals and state officials, its members attempted major criminal acts to sway an election, all based on a very real story. On Netflix .

4. WACO Based on the true story of the 1993 FBI siege of a Branch Davidian cult in Texas, Waco depicts the 51-day standoff in six episodes and the series of events which led to a tragic fire that killed 76 people. On Amazon Prime.

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE The 2011 thriller isn’t based on a true story of a cult, though the filmmakers were clearly inspired by real-life cult leaders. Starring Elizabeth Olsen, the movie follows a woman’s return home after being part of an abusive cult. This one too is on Amazon Prime.

ACTOR Will Smith is about as big an action star as has ever hit the big screen. He’s been part of many blockbusters down the years and will go down, easily, as one of the most talented and recognisable stars we’ll ever see come out of Hollywood. And he has a run of movies that always deserve a rewatch. One of those films has hit Netflix this month. I Am Legend. Get ready for a vampire takeover. I Am Legend stars Smith and is based on the Richard Matheson book of the same

name. The concept is relatively simple though no less scary. Basically, a wonder drug has been developed that is reported to have the ability to completely cure cancer. Sounds great until there are some, well, side effects. The main one is that it causes a worldwide pandemic that wipes out 90% of the population and turns basically everyone left into a nocturnal vampire. Smith plays Dr Robert Neville, one of the lead military scientists who’d been in charge of containing the virus

but is now one of the only normal humans left in the world. Smith is living alone in an abandoned and post- apocalyptic New York City, spending his days with his trusty dog Sam. They go about their now-normal routine of collecting supplies, hunting the new wildlife in the city, trying to retain a bit of normalcy, and also trapping vampires to study. Because along with surviving, Neville is also trying to find a cure for the disease. This ends up being one of

the truly great performances for Will Smith. Almost all of the movie is spent with him alone on-screen. There are flashbacks of course to his old life prior to the virus (though not many) and some other things do crop up. But for the most part, this movie is 100% Smith. He maintains an external dialogue to Sam, goes about his routine and drives nearly every piece of action and plot. It’s a huge lift for the actor considering the flick is nearly all on his shoulders. He handles the job very well.

YouTube to cater for older children IT seems YouTube has realided that YouTube Kids is too limiting for older children while at the same time fullblown YouTube access is too much for young teenagers to handle, so it’s introducing a third option for parents. Supervised accounts are launching for tweens (ages 10-14) and teens. As James Beser, Director of Product Management, Kids and Family at YouTube,

says: “We’ve heard from parents and older children that tweens and teens have different needs, which weren’t being fully met by our products. “As children grow up, they have insatiable curiosity and need to gain independence and find new ways to learn, create, and belong,” he told PC Mag. Working with parents and experts, YouTube developed the supervised account con-

cept, which will offer threetier content settings: Explore, Explore More, and Most of YouTube. The general guidance is that Explore is for the 9+ age group, Explore More is for 13+, and Most of YouTube offers access to everything except age-restricted content and sensitive topics deemed only appropriate for older teens. This new, progressive approach will allow parents to

step up from YouTube Kids and through the three levels of a supervised account as they see fit before removing the restrictions completely as their children become young adults. For now, the supervised account is being offered in an early beta for families under the age of consent. Feedback will help refine the features before expanding it to a wider audience.

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Memoriams / Miracle Prayers

The Miracle Prayer

DEATH NOTICE CANTWELL, MATTHEW Cleland, Lanarkshire, Scotland and late of St. Francis Tce., Kilkenny Following a short illness Deeply regretted by his son Gerard, daughter Patricia, son-in-law Derek, grandchildren Sorcha, Kiera and Conor, brothers Seán and Pat, sisters Anna, Phyl and Joan, sistersin-law, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his wife Helen, son Stephen, sister Maura, brothers Anthony and Tom. Matthew’s funeral Mass will take place on Thursday March 11th @1pm at St’ Mary’s Church, Cleland. May he Rest in Peace

BIDDY WALSH 2ND ANNIVERSARY With loving thoughts of Biddy, late of 14 St. Joseph’s Road, Kilkenny whose 2nd anniversary occurs on March 21st 2021. No words we write could ever say How much we miss you everyday Life goes on, we know that’s true But we can’t get over losing you Sometimes we laugh Some days we cry Remembering you And the things we used to do From your loving sisters Mary, Maggie and Jacks.

DIXIE COMERFORD 3RD ANNIVERSARY In loving memory of Dixie, late of 1 Pococke Lower, Johnswell Road, Kilkenny whose anniversary occurs on March 13th.

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

We think of you in silence, We talk about you too, We have such lovely memories, But we wish we still had you. We travel to your resting place, Flowers we place with care, But no one knows the heartache, As we turn and leave you there. Will those who think of Dixie today A little prayer to Jesus say Loved and remembered always by Tess and family.

The Miracle Prayer

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The Miracle Prayer

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021

Travel & Leisure

Why Portugal should be on your post-Covid holiday list SPAIN has always been a favourite for Irish travellers — and with good reason. But part of the Iberian peninsula also belongs to Portugal, a neighbouring country often overlooked in favour of its popular Spanish popular sister. Although Portugal is slowly emerging as a holiday hotspot, you may still find parts of the country tourist-free, and it’s extremely affordable for those on a budget. Plus, Portugal has everything a holiday-maker could ever dream of, like sandy beaches, hiking trails, cultural landmarks, cities full of art, architecture, lively nightlife, exotic islands, hidden villages, night sky starlight reserves, surfing spots and even pilgrimage routes. Here are four good reasons why Portugal why needs to be on your shortlist of post-pandemic vacation destinations. 1. It’s affordable Portugal is one of western Europe’s most affordable destinations. You can enjoy a nice meal out for a low price, dining on fresh seafood with wine for €12 a person (or less) in many spots within the country. Beer and wine prices are just a few euros per pint/glass, and you can easily. In most cases, you’ll pay much less for a night in a fancy hotel in Portugal than you would for a hotel of the same standard in other European countries such Germany, France or Scotland., or, indeed Ireland. 2. The variety of landscapes Looking for that perfect summer beach trip? Portugal’s western and southern coast features some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe. Those wanting to combine a Lisbon city break with beach time are in luck as there are plenty of pristine beaches to choose from around the capital city, such as Cascais, Guincho or Ribeira do Cavalo (this one is reachable only by boat or hiking). The southern Algarve coast features golden sand beach after beach, separated only by towering sea cliffs. Even northern cities like Porto have sandy beaches. And

Portugal also has some of the best surfing spots in Europe, such as Peniche and Nazaré. If you prefer shady woods or cooler mountains to sunny sands, you’re in luck. Portugal’s highest mountain range, the Serra do Estrela, features summer hiking, walking, kayaking and winter skiing. The Serra da Lousã range is home to the famous schist villages, protected tiny towns where all the buildings are made from a unique type of slate rock. For those who are in the mood for a pilgrimage, Portugal has its own version of Spain’s of Camino

de Santiago: Camino Portugués, or the Portuguese Way. And those who prefer a seaside pilgrimage can do the Portugues coastal walk, while religious devotees can hike to the sacred town of Fátima — the place where the Virgin Mary reportedly appeared to children in 1917. 3. Delicious wine The most popular wine region in Portugal is the Douro Valley. Considered a Unesco World Heritage Site, the region weaves around the Douro river, covered with hilly, terraced vines and sprawling his-

Solo travellers are more intelligent

torical quintas (wine estates). Visitors heading to Porto will And the Douro Valley an easy add-on to their city break. Minho, also near Porto, is another special wine region known for producing Portugal’s delicious Vinho Verde, or green wine. But it’s actually not green, just a young wine, and some varieties feature a light sparkle. One of the most underrated wine regions in Portugal is Alentejo, a short drive from both Lisbon and the Algarve coast. The hot, dry region produces mainly red wines. For those that don’t want to stray

too far from the capital, there are plenty of spots just north of Lisbon along the coast. The most famous are the Alenquer and Bucelas areas. 4. The cityscapes: Lisbon and Porto Although we’ve briefy touched on Lisbon and Porto, we haven’t really explained what makes each of the cities so special — besides the fact that they’re some of Europe’s most affordable areas. Lisbon’s varying neighbourhoods offer ample opportunities for exploring. You can wander the cobbled hills

of the Alfama area, stepping back in time to explore the iconic Sao Jorge castle. Just a few minutes on the famous 28 tram will take you down to the Baixa neighbourhood, where you can dine or sip cocktails in chic restaurants and hip bars. Further aAeld, the Belem area’s sea breeze will cool you down while you discover the 16th-century Belem Tower overlooking the ocean. And don’t forget to indulge in the famous Portuguese tart pastries at the famous Antiga Confeitaria de Belém — they produce over 20,000 per day!

IF you prefer traveling alone to going around with a big group, it might be because you’re smart. According to a study from the British Psychological Society, intelligent people are more likely to experience “lower life satisfaction with more frequent socialiSation with friends”. Using data from a long-term survey of 15,000 people, aged 18 to 28, psychologists determined that those who lived in cities were generally less happy than those who lived in rural areas and people tended to report higher life satisfaction when they saw their friends more often. The study justified this finding with the ‘Savanna Theory of Happiness’. They compared more rural living to how ancestors once traveled in close-knit, smaller tribes. Basically the lifestyles of huntergatherer tribes have formed the evolutionary foundation for what makes people happy now. So for the average person, living in a smaller town and actively socialising with friends is key to happiness. However, just the opposite was true for a highly intelligent person. One psychologist contended that smarter people are probably off doing some nobler work. If they’re trying to cure cancer or create a great work of art, taking time out of their full-time work to catch up with acquaintances could actually take away from their feeling of worth, which is crucial for happiness, according to psychologists who study the phenomenon. However, the study begs a few questions: Are those who live in cities unhappy before they live there or are unhappy people drawn to the urban lifestyle? And are people intelligent because they socialise less or do they socialise less because they’re more intelligent? Maybe it’s time to book a solo trip to a secluded place to mull over the answers.

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News Planning notices

Planning notices KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL I, Donal Fogarty intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for Retention Planning Permission to retain existing sunroom to the side of existing dwelling house and all associated site development works at Grange Upper, Gowran, 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 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, Catherine & Philip Tallon intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for planning permission for a Proposed new storey and a half side extension with a storey and a half link corridor, proposed second storey rear extension, Proposed single storey rear kitchen extension, Proposed single storey vehicular garage, connection to proposed storm water soakaways, connection to existing foul water treatment system and associated site works at Fuineog Ard, Haggard, Kells, Co. Kilkenny, R95PD95. 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 & Build Ltd (info@ngdb.ie).

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 12 March 2021