It hasn’t gone away... inflation. The cost-of-living crisis is set to escalate even further in the next month with the price of pint going up again, by about 12c, and the cost of a stamp set to increase by yet another 10c.
Runaway inflation and increased transport costs due to the energy crisis are being blamed for the increases.
An Post is raising the price of a postage stamp for a standard
letter from €1.25 to €1.35 on February 1 — a 25c increase in the space of a year — with the increase described as “necessary to cover rising costs and ensure service continuity”.
The increase is the second such in the cost of a basic stamp since March 1 last year, when national stamps went up in price by 15 cent to €1.25. However, the cost of a 10-stamp booklet of stamps will remain at €1.30 per stamp
The average price spent on an engagement ring for Kilkenny couples in love and planning to tie the knot is €3,300, according to a survey by specialists Bespoke Diamonds.
The three most expensive rings sold last year by Bespoke were:
1. Over €60,000 – Couple in Cavan
A Bespoke designed engagement ring featuring a natural round brilliant diamond, a hidden halo to accentuate the sparkle and side stones on an 18k yellow gold band.
2. Approx €52,000 – Couple from Cork All about the stone – a large natural oval diamond on an 18k yellow gold band.
3. Approx €47,000 – Dublin from Dublin A bespoke designed three stone engagement ring with a 2 carrot natural centre stone and a complementing stone on each side. See also Wedding Belles, Page 4
and a 100-stamp roll will cost €1.25 a stamp.
Garrett Bridgeman, MD of An Post Commerce, said the new prices reflected the escalating cost of transportation, fuel and energy while the volume of letters being posted continued to fall.
“There has been very significant input cost inflation across our business, most particularly in fuel at 25% this past year, and energy at more
than 60%,” Mr Bridgeman said.
“We have made every effort to minimise the necessary price increases by spreading them across our products and services while working to ensure top-quality, sustainable services for all customers, regardless of where they live,” he said.
Meanwhile Diageo — supplier of Guinness and Smirnoff Vodka — is also increasing
its prices to publicans, with the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) warning the increase will most likely have to be passed on to customers.
Diageo announced it would be increasing the price of its popular draught beer range — including Guinness and Carlsberg — by 12c a pint or €10.56 per 50-litre keg from February 1. The hike also affects Smithwicks, Harp Lager, Rockshore and Hop House 13.
Hospitals have become a breeding ground for outbreaks of Covid-19 and flu, as swamped emergency departments struggle to cope with record overcrowding. It comes as the first case of a new Covid-19 variant — XBB.1.5, an offshoot of Omicron — has been detected here. The strain is being tracked in several countries amid concerns it is highly contagious and better at getting around vaccines.
See Flu Jab, Page 6
Prince Harry’s headline-grabbing memoir, Spare, has become the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever.
The 416-page book, packed with explosive allegations about Britain’s royal family and fascinating insights about their private lives, sold 400,000 hardback, e-book and audio format copies in its first day.
Larry Finlay, managing director of publisher Transworld Penguin Random House, said: “As far aswe know, the only books to have sold more in their first day are those starring Harry (Potter).”
Marianne Heron, Page 12
The price of the average threebed semi in Co Kilkenny is expected to fall by 3% in the next 12 months, according to a survey by Real Estate Alliance.
Two leading venues in Co Kilkenny are among those being celebrated as the best of the Irish wedding industry, as judged by popular wedding venue platform SaveMyDay.ie.
The SaveMyDay.ie 2022 Awards showcase the best Irish wedding venues and special places and spaces available for hire for wedding receptions, parties and ceremonies ranging from intimate to larger weddings across a
number of awards categories. These awards recognise the top venues in Ireland for their excellence, high quality and unique offerings that make those special days truly special.
Two Kilkenny venues have been announced as finalists in the national wedding venue awards. They are Ballyhale’s Mountain View and its 120 acres of countryside in six award categories and Kilken-
ny city’s popular Langtons Hotel in two categories.
Mountain View are finalists in the following six categories of the SaveMyDay.ie Irish Wedding Venue Awards:
• Best alternative wedding venue
• Best ceremony wedding venue
• Best exclusive wedding venue
• Best festival wedding venue
• Best restaurant for a wed-
• Best sustainable wedding venue
Langtons Hotel Kilkenny are finalists in the following awards categories:
• Best alternative wedding venue
• Best boutique hotel wedding venue
Shell Holden, wedding expert and co-owner of SaveMyDay. ie, told The Kilkenny Observer: “Both Mountain View and
Langtons Hotel were crowned winners in last year’s annual SaveMyDay.ie Irish Wedding Venue Awards, Mountain View as Ireland’s Best Exclusive Wedding Venue and Langtons Hotel as Ireland’s Best Large Hotel Wedding Venue.”
This year’s winners will be selected by a panel of SaveMyDay.ie Judges and announced in February. See also Page 4
Three-bed semi-detached homes in the county now cost an average of €262,500, up 9% on the December 2021 average of €240,000, the REA Average House Price Index shows.
Special Report, Page 14
History continues to unfold at South East Technological University this January with the final series of conferring ceremonies for the class of 2021/22 taking place on the Carlow and Waterford campuses. More than 2,000 will be confered this week..
Full story, Page 23
e beautiful Lyrath Estate, located on the doorstep of Kilkenny, will host their exclusive Wedding Showcase on Sunday, January 15 from 2pm to 5pm. is beautiful event is the ideal time for the couple-to-be, or for mothers, daughters, bridesmaids, and friends to sample everything that is on o er at Lyrath Estate from room décor, cuisine, and makeup tips as well as the opportunity to meet the Lyrath Estate Wedding Team, Gill, Orla and Natasha.
roughout the afternoon the team will be on hand to o er private consultations and give expert advice on how couples should prepare for their magical day. Guests can also use the afternoon as the perfect opportunity to view the estate’s luxury banqueting suites and guest rooms.
It is important that all elements of a couple’s big day are looked after and there will be various handpicked wedding partners there at the showcase to o er their invaluable advice including award-winning make-up artist Anita Conroy who will share her secrets on how the bride can look and feel beautiful on her big day. Finesse Weddings
the award-winning cake artist from 2Nice2Slice, Pauline O’Shea. Photographers, Darren Maher, Anthony Kane, and Niamh Johnson of Wedding Tails will be on hand to give you some ‘picture perfect’ ideas.
Marriage Celebrant Noelle Cody will also be there to chat to you about your ceremony and of course there are lots of places to celebrate your nuptials at Lyrath Estate including the manicured gardens or the historic Manor House.
If you are planning your great post wedding escape, then Martina Hayden of e Travel Counsellors can make bring your honeymoon dreams to life!
Lyrath Estate is the perfect location for your big day with picturesque surroundings, beautiful exteriors, and superb food all set at one glorious 170-acre private estate. e team of wedding experts are dedicated to bringing their guests vision to life ensuring their forever begins at Lyrath Estate.
To book your private consultation, contact the Lyrath Wedding Team at weddings@lyrath.com or call them on 056-7705845.
* For more see www.lyrath. com
Debit and credit card spending in December 2022 rose by 5% overall when compared to November’s outlay, as consumers embraced the Christmas rush., according to the Bank of Ireland.
Social spending during December increased by 10% month-on-month, with retail spend also spiking by 10% in the same period. It was a positive month across business
sectors, with a yearly jump of 18% in spending compared to December 2021.
Houses nationwide lled up with tasty treats in December as bakery spending rose by 33%, whilst barber shops experienced a boost as men got themselves groomed for the holiday season – with outlay rising by 32%. Conversely, with many people ill in December, spending in phar-
e HSE has announced that walk-in u vaccination clinics for children aged two to 17 years will be stood up from this week in community vaccination centres across the country. is is in response to rising numbers of both u cases in children as well as the signi cant number of children who have been hospitalised with u this winter.
A number of community vaccination centres across the country are now o ering walk-in u vaccination clinics for all children aged two to 17, including in Kilkenny. No appointment is necessary and the vaccine is free of charge.
e full schedule of clinics is available on www.hse. ie. e vaccine is also available from participating GPs and pharmacists.
Parents can nd details on pharmacies o ering vaccinations in their area using the pharmacy nder tool.
e children’s free nasal u vaccine will be available up until Monday, January 23. After this date, only children with medical conditions which put them at risk of serious illness from u will be able to get a vaccine.
e HSE is encouraging parents to avail of this opportunity to vaccinate their children against u as u continues to spread and is likely to continue circulating further for a number of weeks.
Dr Aparna Keegan, specialist in Public Health Medicine, HSE National Immunisation O ce, said: “Flu is a serious illness that can be dangerous in children too. We are seeing rising cases of u in the community so we are encouraging parents of children aged two to 17 to get their children vaccinated to protect them while there is still time.
“ e nasal spray u vaccine is a very safe and e ective vaccine and helps your child’s immune system produce antibodies that ght infection. It cannot give your child the u. If your child has had the u vaccine and they come into contact with u virus, these antibodies will help them ght the u and reduce the risk of getting sick or needing to go to hospital,” she said.
* For further information go to www.hse.ie/ u or call HSELive on 1800 700 700
Turn2Me, a national mental health charity, has stated it is expected that ‘Blue Monday’ will bring an increase in stress and anxiety levels. ‘Blue Monday’, on January 16, falls on the third Monday of January, and is believed to be particularly stressful due to the combination of post-Christmas blues, the gloomy weather and many people being in ‘the red’ with credit card bills or stretching their December paycheque.
Turn2Me has said that many may also feel demotivated if they have already broken their post-Christmas healthy diet or New Year’s resolutions.
“We expect to see a lot of people engaging with our free
mental health services on Blue Monday,” Fiona O’Malley, CEO of Turn2Me, said. “It can be a stressful and anxious time for many people. ere are lots of ways to improve these levels of stress and anxiety like practising self-care, reducing alcohol intake, being around nature, meeting a friend for a walk or a cup of co ee, journaling, yoga and getting enough sleep.
“Turn2Me o ers up to six free counselling sessions to every adult in Ireland and unlimited support groups on anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship issues.”
* To sign up for any of these free mental health services, go to Turn2Me.ie
macies increased by 42%, while those who couldn’t be tempted out to socialise decided to curl up reading at home, with spending in bookstores up 29%.
Pub spending rose signicantly by 28% last month, with daily World Cup matches and Christmas parties providing people with even more incentive to meet friends and colleagues. Monthly restau-
rant spending went up by 9% in December (+41% versus December 2021), while outlay on fast food rose by 3%. Notably, Bank of Ireland card spending in Qatar rose by 40% during December, as the lure of watching footballers like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe at the World Cup attracted fans to the Dohabased football extravaganza.
Across the counties De-
cember spending rose, with Cavan shoppers leading the way with a monthly 9% spending hike. Consumers in Kilkenny and Carlow (+8%), Monaghan (+8%), Sligo (+7%) and Tipperary (+7%) all splashed out last month, with people in Longford being the most circumspect with their spending – the county only recording a 1% rise.
Commenting on December’s spending data, Jilly Clarkin, Head of Customer Journeys & SME Markets at Bank of Ireland, said: “Yearly spending rises on both clothing (+15%) and groceries (+13%) for December are strong indicators that the festive period was busier for businesses nationwide than in 2021, and it’s always nice to end the year on a high.”
Local Pet shop and pet care experts, Petmania Kilkenny, are o ering new and rst-time puppy owners free Puppy Care Classes for the many households across Kilkenny that have welcomed new four-legged friends to their family in the past few weeks.
Suitable for the entire family, the next class will take place this Saturday, January 14, at Petmania Kilkenny, Kilkenny Retail and Business Park. Petowners can register online at www.petmania.ie/
puppy-care-class.
Over the festive season, many welcomed a new furry friend into their homes. While it is always exciting to get to know a new pup, this period of time can also prove challenging for many, who can struggle to properly settle their new family member into the home.
is is why the expert in-store team at Petmania Kilkenny are reminding puppy parents to register to take part in this free Puppy Care class. ese classes
will cover everything new pet-owners need to know about their new charges, with the range of topics including diet and nutrition, grooming, house training, parasite control, exercise and play, socialisation, and most importantly, basic behaviour training.
What’s more, not only will pet-owners gain this invaluable information which will greatly improve the life of both them and their furry friend, they will also walk away with a free gift bag, worth over €30.
No need to worry about keeping notes either, as each class attendee can also join Petmania’s FREE Puppy Club. Members of the club have access to knowledge on all aspects of a pup’s health, diet, training, and grooming needs, making it perfect for those pet-owners who wish to continue to nourish their puppy’s growth and development beyond their oneo in-person class.
For more information contact molly@purcellmasterson.com
Kilkenny’s Watergate eatre is among 42 organisations that will bene t from Arts Council funding of €9,486,140 which will be distribute across the country.
Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, said: ‘ e infrastructure of arts centres, jointly supported with local government, is essential in enabling people of all ages and backgrounds in every part of
the country to experience the very best of the arts. It is also essential in providing resources to artists in the development of their work. In addition, we are delighted to increase our support to Ealaín na Gaeltachta which supports arts audiences and artists in Gaeltacht regions in partnership with Údarás na Gaeltachta.”
e purpose of the funding is to invest in and sup-
port the infrastructure of Arts centres required to sustain and develop the arts in Ireland. Arts centres support the creation, presentation and mediation of the arts across a range of art forms and practices. ey support professional, collaborative, voluntary and amateur arts practice.
e Arts Council currently provides programming and
revenue supports to over fty Arts Centres throughout the country. A key part of the Arts Council strategy, Making Great Art Work, is to invest in public engagement. is funding, along with the Arts Councils #LiveIs campaign, which launched at the end of 2022, looks at continuing to have audiences return in ever-greater numbers to live arts performances.
When you’ve bitten off more than you can chew...
Looking at the world right now, it would not take a genius to predict how 2023 might unfold for the now eight billion of us. is time last year — and although the signs were there — who would have thought that within weeks Russia would invade Ukraine, leading to an energy supply crisis and contributing to, with other factors, rampant in ation? Or that the Russian invaders would prove an inept and murderous lot?
is year is likely another year of uncertainty, with economic and geopolitical turmoil casting a long shadow. We can expect intermittent disruptions with fuel shortages and continued economic inertia. As the onslaught on Ukraine continues will an increasingly desperate Putin resort to nuclear options and what would be the West’s response? e jury
is still out on this but, su ce to say, we have not been as close to nuclear confrontation since the Sixties and the Bay of Pigs asco.
As consumers in a consumerist world, constant upgrading and change makes us feel good. Many people already replace their smartphone every time a new model is released. Modern manufacturing works on the principle of ‘product obsolescence’ and, in a very real way, many of us actually conspire in the non-durability of the products we buy, simply because we’re happy to constantly upgrade.
Our world will keep changing at a quickening pace simply because we have the tools and capacity to keep things changing and because there are increasingly more of us involved in this accelerated change.
AI and robotics will change
our world dramatically this year.
Covid has brought about change, too. Since the pandemic, public spaces, transportation and, for most, even our homes have been through the ultimate spring cleaning. Diligent, clean practices are now an essential element of our daily routines and crucial to combating the threat of future outbreaks, with China posing problems. And a highly immune-evasive omicron XBB.1.5 variant is quickly becoming dominant in the US and parts of Europe.
e pandemic fallout, however, is contributing to cleaning our planet too, with the UN this year likely to deliver a plan to reduce emissions caused by global transport. at’s said, there are still huge issues regarding climate. (We Irish use more plastic packaging than other
EU members — 1.12 million tonnes in 2020). is year will see pressure on our Government to put its promises into practice and reverse delayed action and missed targets.
So to transport, where business travel has gone from a high-status activity to an unnecessary evil. In 2020, air travel represented one of the largest industries in the world. Yet, Covid forced people to cut back travelling by plane. As dreadful and debilitating as it was — still perhaps is — the coronavirus taught us that, yes, we can accomplish tasks together even though we are apart, and spurred us to take the rst steps on the long journey to work together no matter where we are.
Remote working is the new buzz word. And, with the incredible speed in technology advancement, business travel this year may well virtually
stop. And who needs all that airport chaos, anyway?
Instead visual rooms, better than Zoom, will provide us with a ‘physical’ presence together. Even, online hugs may well be ‘felt’, I would venture.
is year will see 80% of people in the West have a digital presence online, with 90% having a supercomputer in our pocket.
e opportunity of multisensory virtual interaction has opened an overwhelming new frontier. Today, we attend virtual and holographic concerts from the safety of our homes. Dare I suggest we have stepped into a world where we have realised we could very easily live inside the machine. Our homes will be that machine.
is year we can expect big leaps in the elds of medicine and genetics, with increasingly more breakthroughs in
cancer immunotherapy and, likely, a big breakthrough in treating Alzheimer’s disease. In the last six months scientists are using new tools to help develop new drugs and vaccines.
We will see increasing famine and diseases in Africa, further political divisiveness globally and increasing human migration. Keep, too, an eye on North Korea.
In Ireland, and elsewhere, an increasingly ageing population will put further pressure on an already challenged and seemingly broken health system and on pensions.
Homelessness is not about to vanish overnight. And the lack of housing, and the inability of many to a ord ramped-up rents, let alone get up on the mortgage ladder, will see us, sadly, lose many of our best and brightest to emigration.
A new lifetime loan product for people aged over 60 who have an energy efficient home – or are planning to invest in achieving one –has been launched by Spry Finance.
The Green Lifetime Loan is designed to make it easier for señor citizens to retrofit their home and save money on their heating and electricity bills, while living more sustainably.
It is available to people
aged over 60 whose home has a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B3 or better. It is also available to those whose home has a lower rating, so long as they commit to undertaking works to achieve B3 certification within 12 months of the loan being agreed or commit to spending 50% of their loan on qualifying home energy efficiency improvements in that time frame whether or not they achieve a B3 rating.
The Green Lifetime Loan carries an interest rate of 6.25% – a reduction of 0.2% from the current standard Spry Finance lifetime loan rate of 6.45% – which equates to a saving of €7,716 over 15 years for the average Spry Finance customer with a €100,000 lifetime loan.
David Brady, Director of Business Development for Spry Finance, said Spry Finance was rolling out the Green Lifetime Loan to
meet demand from an age demographic, the over-60s, which was under-served by traditional financial institutions, yet has a proven interest in home improvements and addressing the issue of energy conservation.
“We know from talking to our own customers that home improvements are high on their list of reasons for taking out a lifetime loan,” Mr Brady said. “We also know, from indepen -
dent consumer research, that the over-55s believe themselves to be living more sustainably than their younger counterparts do (16–54-year-olds).
“We don’t see any reason why the over-60s should be excluded from green loans.
Our new Green Lifetime Loan makes it easier and more cost-effective for our customers to take advantage of the grants that are available to upgrade the BER of
their home. It also rewards those who have already done so.
“It’s the same customerfocused service and the same loan raised against the value of the property – with a choice of whether to make repayments or not. The only difference is that it costs less in recognition of the fact that it’s about making a home more energy-efficient and therefore more environmentally friendly," he said.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has said 77 Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation in 2022, an increase of 31% on the 59 that
were served in 2021. The increase in Enforcement Orders follows almost a full year of normal food business operations following the lifting of remaining COVID-19 restrictions.
More than 1,100 school students have gathered at Dublin’s RDS for the 59th BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE). The prestigious event, which showcases research and innovation in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), will be in person this year for the first time since 2020, following two successful virtual exhibitions.
President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins officially opened the 2023 exhibition at a special ceremony for the students, teachers, and exhibition partners. The ceremony was streamed live on
the BTYSTE website and on Facebook Live .
President Higgins said: “May I offer my best wishes and good luck to all of the students participating in this year’s BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, and may I pay a special tribute to all those teachers and parents who have been such an essential source of encouragement as well as all those who have played a role in organising this year’s event. What a great time it is to be a young scientist – challenging, yes, but so potentially fulfilling to know that the choices you make will have effects that are important, not just for
your own time but for the very possibility of life in its diverse forms, on our vulnerable planet.
"May I suggest to all of you that as a young scientist, you will be at your best, achieve the greatest fulfilment for yourself and others, when you locate your contribution within a commitment to be concerned and contributing global citizens,” he said.
Organised by BT Ireland, the exhibition has become one of the leading school STEM exhibitions in Europe, attracting over 100,000 student participants since the first event in 1965.
Shay Walsh, Managing
Director, BT Ireland, said: “During our 23 years as custodian, I am always amazed by the high calibre of the projects on show, addressing some of the major challenges our world is currently facing. I wish the students the best of luck this week, and hope they take brilliant memories from this unique exhibition."
At the heart of the exhibition were the 550 projects from 212 schools which span the categories of Technology; Biological and Ecological Sciences; Social and Behavioural Sciences; and Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences.
Carbon sequestration is the process of locking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the soil and keeping it there. Ireland is 65% grassland, and farmers across the island are planting and conserving hedgerows and trees to maximise the sequestration process. Measuring quantities sequestered, to establish baselines and assess the e ect they could have on Ireland’s total emission gures is challenging.
Across a sample of 100 Irish farms, e VistaMilk SFI Research Centre, and Teagasc
(the Agriculture and Food Development Authority), have been carrying out the most comprehensive study of carbon sequestration ever undertaken in Ireland. ey are working under the auspices of the National Agricultural Soil Carbon Observatory (NASCO) and the aim is to establish an accurate base line for the current carbon absorption rates across many di erent Irish soil types and land usages.
co-funded by Dairy Research Ireland, said: “ is work is essential as we currently do not have accurate gures for carbon sequestration in Ireland, but they could be understated. Our work will help establish a baseline and, using predictive modelling, suggest to farmers courses of action to increase carbon uptake on their land.
deliver results. We’re using soil sampling, eld comparisons, farmer contributions (through the Bord Bia ‘Carbon Navigator’), observation data from drones and from satellites in space.
Gary Lanigan, Principal Research O cer and leader of the VistaMilk project
Professor“It’s not easy – there’s hundreds of tonnes of background carbon in the soil and we’re measuring changes of one or two tonnes, but a combination of methods is helping
“Probably the most important weapon in our arsenal, however, are carbon towers capable of measuring really small changes in the amount of carbon in the air 10 times a second. In fact, our set up is the densest distribution of carbon towers in Europe and we are measuring methane as well,” he told e Kilkenny Observer.
“I want my father and my brother back,” Prince Harry says in an ITV interview with Tom Bradby to publicise his explosive memoir “Spare’. e Duke of Sussex seems completely unconscious of the irony of his plea, given that the revelations in his latest broadside at the British monarchy are likely to sour relations with his family, especially his brother William, permanently.
‘Spare’, compiled for the Prince by Hollywood ghost writer JR Moehringer and just published, doesn’t spare any of the kind of lurid story lines beloved of soap scriptwriters. ere is sibling rivalry which erupts into violence, Harry’s torrid loss of virginity, his drug taking and a wicked stepmother. Also his tale builds on a back story stretching
back through four troubled generations of royals.
e revelations are strong stu compared with the Harry’s previous tell-andsell portrayal of events in the six-part Net ix’s series aired last December.
e incident in leaks about the book (spoiler alert!) which has grabbed the headlines is the altercation between Harry and the Prince of Wales in 2019 at Kensington Palace over Harry’s marriage to Meghan Markle whom William says is “di cult, rude and abrasive”. When Harry accuses him of parroting the media’s line on her, William’s temper ares and Harry alleges he was knocked to the ground by his brother landing on a dog bowl and injuring his back.
So whatism could readily a ect this 416-page book’s
readers? After all how many lose their virginity in less than romantic circumstances (Harry lost his to an older woman behind a busy pub).? How many experiment with drugs as teenagers (Harry took cocaine aged 17 “to make me feel di erent, that was my main goal. To feel, to be di erent”)? Brothers ght don’t they? And the sibling rivalry is as old as the biblical story of Cain and Able.
However, this violent incident involved the future monarch and William’s concerns about Meghan proved to be a foresight of history grimly repeating itself, given the 1936 abdication of Edward VIII in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson and the couple’s departure from royal life.
e book claims that
both William and Harry begged their father not to marry Camilla, now Queen consort to Charles III. is is hardly surprising given Camilla’s part in the unhappy marriage where Diana revealed in a gripping 1995 BBC TV interview with Martin Bashir that “there were three of us in the marriage, so it was a bit crowded”. Apparently Camilla had been cynically instrumental in choosing Diana as a virgin bride for her royal lover.
Some of the small revelations leave the deepest cuts, like Harry’s claim that after his birth Charles said to Diana, e ectively dismissing her: “Your job is done now I have an heir and a spare.” He also tells that Charles still carries around his favourite teddy bear and spills the beans about his
futile plea at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral: ”Boys, don’t make my nal years misery.”
What, you might ask, is Harry’s purpose in all this? Is there an element of revenge or is it an attempt to shake up the monarchy in the hope of reform? It has been Harry’s contention that members of his family planted stories about him and Meghan. Tired of being exploited by the media he feels that he has been able to turn the tables and tell his story his way. But isn’t the boot still on the other foot as TV, the press and publishers milk his revelations?
Harry has found a highly pro table way to make a living now that he has been cut o from support by the Royal family; the Sussexes are now reported to be
worth about €60m. thanks to books, lms and other productions. But how many more times can he tell the same story that may cost him his family?
“I want a family not an institution and one that attempts to reconcile,” he says in the ITV interview.
Harry believes that the British monarchy will survive but it should be remembered that it has done so at great personal cost for some individuals involved in the institution, including the loss of his mother Princess Diana.
Whether Harry attends his father’s coronation in May remains to be seen. ”A great deal can happen between now and then,” is Harry’s comment. If he does his family must be steeling themselves for further revelations.
CLAIR WHITTY
e mock exams are just around the corner both junior cycle and leaving cert exams are starting on 26th January. You might be feeling the pressure now that the exams are so close.
Some of you will take them in your stride and be nice and calm about them. While some of you will be so relaxed that your parents will be worried that you won’t have studied enough and won’t get the grades. ey could be stressing more than you are. Many of you will be feeling stressed and anxious. But everyone is di erent and will face exams in different ways. I always love the challenge of exams and the excitement of seeing how I did when the results came out. ese days I just can’t remember the content but I still feel the buzz of an exam when I have one.
If on the other hand you are one of the people who does stress and worry about the exams here are some tips to help you
relax. Aim to get to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every day. Try to eat regular meals, three main meals, breakfast, dinner, and tea. Avoid the high ca eine drinks, keep processed foods to a minimum especially ones high in sugar. Remember to drink water as having enough water will help with concentration and energy levels too. Your brain needs omega oils, especially omega 3 from sh, aim to eat oily sh three times a week, or take a supplement if you don’t eat sh. Herbal teas like Pukka
Relaxation or Salus Haus Lemon Balm are great to help you relax.
Essential oils can help too, choose Lavender for relaxation, or a mix of Lavender with Bergamot to lift your mood. Choose Atlantic Aromatics Study Blend for a mix to help you focus.
Regards supplements, my favourites are ones I have spoken about before. Revive Mastermind is a powerful super supplement that contains 11 active ingredients that are formulated to support brain, cognitive and psychological function, and mental performance. It was formulated for people looking to support optimum brain health. It’s suitable from 16 years old.
For anxiety and poor sleep, I like Higher Nature Balance for Nerves, the amount of people that nd it helpful is amazing.
Best of luck in your mock exams. Shop online at www. naturalhealthstore. ie where you’ll be able to take a look at these brands.
Natural Health Store, Market Cross Shopping Centre Phone: 056 7764538
Email: info@naturalhealthstore.ie
e price of the average threebed semi in Co Kilkenny is expected to fall by 3% in the next 12 months, according to a survey by Real Estate Alliance.
ree-bed semi-detached homes in the county now cost an average of €262,500, up 9% on the December 2021 average of €240,000, the REA Average House Price Index shows.
However, house prices in the county were static in the last quarter of the year as rising interest rates and cost of living increases combined to dampen the market.
REA agents believe that they will remain static in the city and contract by 3% in county areas in 2023.
e survey concentrates on the actual sale price of Ireland’s typical stock home, the three-bed semi, giving an up-to-date picture of the second-hand property market in towns and cities countrywide.
First time buyers made up 35% of the market in Q4 2022, with 40% of sales coming from outside the county.
e price of the average three-bed semi in Kilkenny City is unchanged at €310,000, with time taken to sell remaining at four weeks.
“Supply is still low, and interest rates rising will have some impact on con dence, however the feeling is that prices will remain level in 2023,” said Michael Boyd of REA Boyd’s, Kilkenny.
Callan prices have remained at €215,000 this quarter, with time taken to sell rising from ve to seven weeks.
“ e number of viewings has dropped o signi cantly,” said Robbie Grace of REA Grace, Callan.
e actual selling price of a three-bedroomed semidetached house across the country rose by 0.36% over the past three months to €291,667 – representing an annual increase of 8%.
However, house prices in Dublin have fallen slightly by
-0.34% in the same period, as mortgage interest rate rises and cost of living increases stem the stream of potential homeowners.
REA agents throughout the country expect prices to rise by just under 3% on average in the next 12 months.
e property market is expected to enjoy a calmer 2023 as mortgage interest rate rises and cost of living increases a ect buying ability, according to the nationwide survey.
e majority of REA members feel that the scheduled changes to the Planning Acts will have little e ect on market supply in 2023, due to the time lag between legislation and enactment.
In Dublin city, which is currently experiencing small price drops in certain areas, agents anticipate modest increases of 3.6% across the year.
is comes o the back of a 2022 which saw average house prices rise by 8% nationally and 5% in the capital – with feverish early year increases slowing down in the autumn and winter.
e country’s large towns experienced 10% growth last year, with 1.2% in thenal quarter, and REA agents say that this will continue throughout next year, albeit at a slower pace, with growth of 3% predicted.
Meanwhile, Orla McMor-
row, deputy chief executive at DNG Group, says of the market on a national level: “I believe that the market will remain robust next year, but the level of price growth will continue to moderate both in Dublin and nationwide, with low single-digit house price growth anticipated for the year ahead.
“ e Irish economy remains well placed to weather the current headwinds of rising interest rates and in ation, which bodes well for the property market. A slowdown in the rate of price appreciation is widely expected, however,” she told the Irish Times.
“We anticipate demand in the new-homes market will
be underpinned in 2023 by the extension of the help-tobuy scheme until the end of 2024, and the new rst-home shared-equity scheme.
“In addition, the recent changes to the macroprudential lending rules issued by the Central Bank, which take e ect in January, are signi cant, as they increase the loan-to-income limits for rst-time buyers to four times income and increase the loan-to-value limits for second-time buyers to 90% from 80%. As a result, we fully expect the number of residential transactions will exceed 2022 levels by 5-7%, “ she said.
David Cantwell, director at
Hooke & MacDonald, told the Irish Times: “ e owner-occupier market should continue to be strong in the year ahead, with rst-time buyers particularly active in the spring as they take advantage of the new mortgage rules. People will be prepared to travel further to acquire good-quality houses as a consequence of the changed working environment.
“ ere will be a good level of second-hand rental properties coming to the sale market as small investors accelerate their exodus from the sector on account of the tax structure and ongoing increases in regulation,” he said.
Aperee Living, one of Kilkenny’s leading nursing home operators, and throughout Ireland, has announced the appointment of Henry Burrows as new Group CEO and Executive Director.
Aperee Living has 10 nursing homes across Kilkenny, Waterford, Cork, Kerry, and Galway, and is on target to complete a new 100-bed nursing home in Glanmire, Cork.
e company has further plans to develop a 100-bed nursing home and 20 independent living units in Rochestown. ere are also plans for further expansion of the Aperee Living brand in the months and years ahead under the existing ownership structure.
Henry Burrows brings with him a wealth of experience, having spent 18 years in the nursing home sector. He was
most recently a Consultant to the Group CEO of the Bon Secours Health System, advising on strategy, particularly nursing home strategy.
Mr Burrows was previously CEO of Araglen and Bríd-
haven Nursing Homes where he led the company through COVID-19 and the subsequent sale of Brídhaven (Ireland’s largest private nursing home).
Director of Aperee LivingDavid O’Shea said: “We are hugely excited that we have been able to appoint Henry Burrows, as he not only brings us this skill set and knowledge, but he also has an excellent reputation and
brings a high level of professionalism, industry expertise and proven ability within the nursing home sector.
“With Henry at the helm, we rmly believe that we will grow Aperee Living from a mid-sized operator into one of Ireland’s largest operators. at new journey begins with the completion of our 100-bed nursing home in Glanmire, Cork.”
Speaking on his appointment Mr Burrows said: “I am honoured to have been appointed as Aperee’s Group CEO and Executive Director. It is a privilege to be part of an organisation that delivers high quality care to residents. I am keen to look at innovative solutions to deliver care to residents into the future as the needs of residents’ change, to develop the most talented professionals into leaders and to
improve the communities in which Aperee nursing homes operate.
“I want to strengthen Aperee’s position as an organisation led by a purpose, that is to make a positive, meaningful impact. I will do my best to serve the residents, families, and sta by helping enable our leaders and people to ful l their passion to make a di erence in the care of the older person,” he said.
Mr Burrows’ experience also included co-owning BRÓD Healthcare Management and Consultancy, a company specialising in nursing home consultancy. He also held several highpro le positions in the Middle East, working for the prestigious King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital and members of the Saudi Arabian Royal Family.
So, after last week’s article hopefully you have dealt with all the unwanted gifts from under the tree and have made a few euros into the bargain. Don’t stop there. Keep up the momentum.
Decide that January 2023 is the date you will begin decluttering your finances. Review your spending habits and deal with the bad ones. Get a handle on your debts and save money. Pull together your bank statements and analyse your income and expenditure. making sure you know where your hard-earned cash is going and look for savings.
Small changes can make big savings. Some banks have apps that make this extra easy but if not there are many on line apps that will give vivid pictures of your spending habits.
Here are several pointers courtesy of Switcher.ie to make a financial fresh start in 2023.
Start with a hard look at your income and outgoings. List all your bills, subscriptions, debts, insurance, and other regular expenses. Be honest with yourself and highlight areas you can change, then decide to tackle it.
Check your credit score. The higher your credit rating, the better your chances of getting a mortgage, car or personal loan. Your credit report will help you spot any problems. This can be done on line and the average turn around is approximately 10 days from the date all the required identification document has been submitted. Go to centralregister.ie to start. Tackle your debts. It’s easy to overspend at
Christmas, so it’s crucial you have a plan to pay back what you owe. Expensive interest charges can add to your bottom line, so check if you can save by taking out a balance transfer credit card which gives you extra time to repay debt or better still if you have funds in a non or lowearning savings account think about just paying the debt off in full immediately.
Review your energy consumption costs. Energy bills take a sizeable bite from any household budget, so it’s worth looking at ways to cut down energy use at home and how you can cut your costs by switching your supplier. You could save up to €383 by simply switching to a different gas & electricity tariff. Compare cover on your
insurances - home and car cover for example. Insurers can take advantage of our reluctance to review our policies and automatically review them especially if we are paying premiums on monthly basis. Use com -
parison sites to search and switch to a better value insurer or better still use a competent broker.
Review your mortgage. If you’re on a standard variable rate mortgage, chances are you’re paying more than you need to. Talk to your mortgage provider or a broker about changing to a fixed-rate deal to take the guesswork out of your mortgage payments.
Subscriptions: How much are you forking out for multiple TV streaming and digital entertainment sites.? If you contact your provider regarding current expenditure there is nearly a guaranteed that you will save money. Some services offer family plans which could save money if there’s more than one person in your household.
Clarke, Commercial Director of Switcher.ie, says: “Many people feel the squeeze in January after splashing out in the run-up to Christmas. With spiralling inflation and exploding energy costs, it’s more important than ever to face financial reality, break free of bad spending habits and make positive changes.”
While wielding your financial knife start a savings account be it ever so small as over time it will build. Looking further into the future review your pension and if you don’t have one in place now is the time to start. It’s important for people to know that small changes can mean big savings and it’s less painful than you think.
john@ellisfinancial.ie 086 8362622
ere’s no telling how exactly 2023 will play out. But if recent years are any indication, developments that have been decades in the making could nally start to take o . After all, scientists did just manage to bombard hydrogen with lasers long enough to create some mystical fusion energy. at said, here’s ve likely breakthroughs for this year:
1. Space: the nal frontiers
Just as in 2022, space magnates are still shooting for the Moon. But before SpaceX can take on lunar landings, it needs to send Starship on its rst orbital test ight. Chris Impey, a professor of astronomy at the University of Arizona, thinks that this is the year. SpaceX “will have its rst successful orbital ight of the Starship, a game-changing rocket in the e ort to get astronauts to the Moon and Mars within a decade,” he says. While it may be a few years before people step foot on the Moon again, unmanned commercial landers could touch down within a few months.
In December, the Japanese rm ispace launched a lunar lander that’s scheduled to touch down in March. If things work out, ispace will become the rst private company to land on the Moon — that is, if it isn’t beaten by landers from the U.S.-based companies Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines, which are slated to arrive around the same time.
Wind farms are going to be big news this year. Also,we can also expect a huge win for nuclear energy. e nuclear waste company Posiva will begin operating the world’s rst storage facility for nuclear fuel in Olkiluoto, an island o Finland. e facility will hold up to around 7,000 tons of radioactive uranium, which will be put into copper canisters and buried over 1,300 feet underground. Fortunately for the people living above, the waste
will sit guarded for millennia.
Cheaper options like the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV could make electric cars available to broader swathes of the population. is year will usher in more a ordable EVs, allowing a bigger chunk of the population to drive sustainably. For example, General Motors is rolling out cheaper models that run for around €30,000, expanding the choices for drivers on a budget. Tesla’s least expensive o ering, the Model 3, starts at around €46,990 — while it’s currently one the best-selling electric cars.
If you don’t feel like driving, it may soon get easier to hail
an autonomous car. In 2023, Uber plans to launch a fully driverless service, and GM’s robotaxi division (which now operates in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Austin) aims to enter a “large number of markets”.
Cars aren’t the only mode of transportation to ditch drivers. Autonomous semi- trucks could surge ahead in 2023 and, soon enough, forever change the way we get our merchandise.
4. A new-look virtual reality Companies will likely start to market VR and AR headsets for uses beyond gaming, like working from home and exercising. Meta
If 2022 was the year of Metaverse fails, 2023 could herald its comeback — and improvements in VR and AR tech as a whole.
“I believe we will see virtual reality technology’s continued re nement,” says Christopher Ball, an assistant professor of augmented and virtual reality at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
e Meta Quest 3 headset will be announced later this year, and it will likely be more a ordable than the Meta Quest Pro. But the new Quest could pack some advanced features now found exclusively in the Meta Quest Pro, according to Ball.
Christopher Ball also predicts that virtual reality com-
panies may focus less on gaming and ramp up promotion of other uses to consumers, like working from home, exercising, and socialising. For example, the recent partnership between Meta and Microsoft will bring Once 365 apps to VR. And Meta is currently trying to buy Within, a VR company with a popular exercise app called Supernatural.
Come autumn Apple will o er augmented reality products. r the next decade.
5 .A biotech breakthrough After the miraculous success of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines from BioNTech and other pharmaceutical giants, scientists have doubled down on developing more mRNA
jabs to protect against a range of potentially deadly diseases.
In 2023, BioNTech plans to begin human trials for shots against tuberculosis, malaria, and genital herpes, as reported by Nature.
Another buzzy technology could make inroads this year.
e Swiss-American biotechnology company CRISPR erapeutics could make history by receiving the rstever regulatory approval for a CRISPR gene-editing therapy in Europe. CRISPR erapeutics is seeking American FDA approval for a treatment for two genetic blood diseases — sickle cell disease and beta thalassaemia. If all goes well, it could even hit the market in the coming months.
A new study published in the journal Cancer Discovery shows that vaccination with what are called senescent cells signi cantly reduces the development of tumours in melanoma and pancreatic cancer.
Cancer cells have a series of features that allow the immune system to identify and attack them. However, these same cells create an environment that blocks immune cells and protects the tumour. is means that immune cells cannot reach the cancer cells to remove them.
e scienti c community has been working for years to increase the e ectiveness of the immune system against cancer by using vaccines based on dead tumour cells.
Scientists in Barcelona, led by researcher Dr Manuel Serrano, and Dr Federico Pietrocola, who is now at the Karolinska Institutet,
in Sweden, have studied how inducing senescence in cancer cells improves the e ectiveness of the immune response to a greater degree than the dead cancer cells.
After vaccinating healthy mice with senescent cancer cells and then stimulating the formation of tumours, the researchers observed that the animals did not
develop cancer or that the number that do is signi cantly reduced. ey also analysed the e cacy of vaccination in animals that had already developed tumours.
In this setting, although the results were more moderate due to the protective barrier of the tumour, improvements were also observed.
“Our results indicate that senescent cells are a preferred option when it comes to stimulating the immune system against cancer, and they pave the way to considering vaccination with these cells as a possible therapy,” explains Dr Serrano, head of the Cellular Plasticity and Disease lab at IRB Barcelona.
Senescence literally means the process of growing old. In biology, senescence is a process by which a cell ages and permanently stops dividing but does not die.
Over time, large numbers of old (or senescent) cells can build up in tissues throughout the body. ese cells remain active and can release harmful substances that may cause in ammation and
damage to nearby healthy cells. Senescence may play a role in the development of cancer and other diseases.
e researchers tested the technique in animal models of melanoma, a type of cancer characterised by high activation of the immune system, and also in pancreatic cancer models, which present strong barriers against immune cells. Prophylactic vaccination therapy with senescent cancer cells was e ective against both types of tumours. ey also complemented the study with tumour samples from cancer patients and con rmed that human cancer cells also have a greater capacity to activate the immune system when they are previously rendered senescent.
e group is now studying the combined e cacy of vaccination with senescent cells and immunotherapy treatments.
If you’re looking to live e White Lotus dream for a few days but don’t necessarily feel like dealing with the tourism surge or sky-high prices, consider these less trendy — though equally alluring — stand-ins that deliver a taste of the sweet life.
1. Sardinia, Italy
e second largest island in the Mediterranean is second to none when it comes to scenic landscapes. It’s a true charmer with ceruleum tides, more than 1,240 miles of coastline, sandy beaches — a rarity in the region — mountainous hiking trails and Bronze Age stone ruins shrouded in mystery.
After spending the day exploring, travellers can unwind at a really nice hotel with a pool and spa that might even give the ctional White Lotus a run for its money.
2. Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy
Nestled in Golfo Paradiso, a tiny stretch of northern Italy’s Ligurian coastline, Santa Margherita Ligure is favoured by Genoa locals looking for a carefree coastal escape — though it still ies under the radar of most international tourists who ock to the nearby celeb sweetheart of Porto no. is means travellers get to catch rays at the beach clubs, savour authentic Ligurian cuisine, sip negronis and local wine at the bars and comb the racks at the stylish boutiques away from the crowds.
On the heel of Italy’s boot sits the low-key region of Puglia. Its stock has risen in recent years with tales of its relaxed vibe, stunning scenery and ancient architecture being espoused by in uencers. But the reality is that even with its social media buzz, the maze-like hilltop village of Alberobello still retains an o -the-beaten-path charm with cobblestone paths and traditional domed trullo houses that makes it a fairytale
1. Take a stroll along the River Seine Tours available non the River Sine allow you to see the city from a di erent perspective. e river is lined with beautiful bridges and parks, and there are many boat trips available along the Seine River, which ows through the heart of Paris. e river is lined with beautiful bridges and parks.
alternative to the typical Italian tourist route.
A hidden gem on Italy’s southern Adriatic coast, the quiet port town of Monopoli looks photoshopped with its sandy coves, narrow winding alleys, ancient churches — notably the Baroque Monopoli Cathedral— and shing boats oating in the photogenic harbour. Hungry? Head to one of the cozy trattorias or authentic pizzerias. It’s sort of impossible to believe that
a place this naturally pretty, tasty and interesting isn’t overrun with tourists. (It’s probably because all the holiday goers are snapping photos in nearby Polignano a Mare).
5.
Located on the Istrian peninsula, Rovinj was actually part of Italy from the end of WW1 until 1947. at stretch of time left an indelible mark on the Croatian shing port and coastal resort town.
e food, attractions —
including the pebble beaches and hilltop Church of St Euphemia — and just general vibe feels very on-brand for its boot-shaped neighbour. Restaurants along cobbled lanes serve handmade pasta, pizza and fresh-caught sh. For an experience you won’t soon forget, book a sunset cruise.
6.
e second most populous Adriatic island, Kor ula sits just o the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. ere are sandy
beaches, attractive little villages to check out, fragrant pine forests, olive groves and verdant vineyards that grow local varietals you’d be hard pressed to nd anywhere else such as Pošip. So, you can live out your own White Lotusinspired wine-tasting fantasy (though, ideally less drunk and awkward). Don’t leave without sampling homemade traditional tubular-shaped pasta called žrnovski makaruni.
7. Crete, Greece
Gothic architecture and was the setting for Victor Hugo’s famous novel, ‘ e Hunchback of Notre Dame’. Visitors can tour the inside of the cathedral and climb to the top of the towers for panoramic views of the city.
PS: Notre Dame is currently closed and scheduled to reopen in 2024.
e largest and most populous island in Greece, Crete has all the Mediterranean air of Sicily but with a Greek spin. You’ll nd plenty of vineyards for wine tasting, fragrant olive groves, authentic tavernas that serve local dishes, plus ancient archaeological sites such as the Minoan palaces of Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and Zakros. It’s also home to some spectacular beaches. Be sure to explore the quaint towns and buzzing cities. And carve out some time to hit the museums and monasteries.
Marche Aux Puces
You can browse through the stalls and nd everything from antique furniture to to nd unique and vintage items and accessories.
6. Montmartre e Montmartre neighbourhood is another must-see for anyone visiting Paris.
2.
With more than 35,000 works of art on display, there’s something for everyone at the e Louvre. It is also home to a collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts and Greek and Roman sculptures.
3. Notre Dame Cathedral Notre Dame Cathedral is a must, a masterpiece of
4. Visit the Palace of Versailles e palace is located just outside of Paris and was once the residence of the royal family. e palace and its gardens are considered some of the most beautiful in the French royal family. ey are a must-see for anyone interested in French Baroque architecture.
5. Go shopping g at the
7. Tour Paris in a vintage Citroen 2CV
Your guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you around the city, with photo stops at some of the city’s most iconic sites, including the Ei el Tower, the Pantheon, the Latin Quarter, and Montmartre. A professional guide/driver will show you the way in this private tour for you and your group.
Around the middle of December most years my wife almost always says to me, over a cup of tea at the kitchen table or maybe a G&T in some cosy hostelry: “Gerry Moran, what am I going to get you for Christmas?”
To which I usually reply: “Peace and happiness and a surprise.”
But not this December. This year I had an answer at the ready: “I’d like a shirt, please.” She says: “Really?”, somewhat taken aback by my prompt, and definite, response. “Really,” I echo.
“Any shirt in particular?” she inquires. As it happens, I tell her, there’s a lovely pink, check shirt in the window of Frank Walls, the Man’s Shop, that I’ve been admiring the last few days and that will go nicely with
my navy jacket. And that was more or less the end of the conversation.
Come Christmas morning I open my presents and find, surprise, surprise, a pink, check shirt (among other gifts I hasten to add).”Ah, it’s lovely,” I say, “Thank you so much.”
She says: “Don’t mention it. Even though you did mention it — the shirt that is.”
I check (pun intended) the shirt for size, spot on, but there’s a problem. “Now I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, darling (actually I didn’t say darling, I’m not a ‘darling’ sort of fellow, if you know what I mean) but, Kate, it’s not the pink, check shirt I was admiring.”
“It is.”
“It’s not.”
“‘Gerry, it is.”
“Oh no, it’s not.”
“Oh, yes it is.” (and it is Pantomime season after all).
“It is.”
“It isn’t.”
And this was turning into a bit of a pantomime now. “Gerry I went into Frank Walls and asked specifically for the pink, check shirt in the window and this is what I was given.”
“You were given the wrong shirt.”
“I was not.”
“You were. The shirt I was admiring has a totally different check pattern.”
And now our children, and their partners, are listening in amusement to this rather surreal exchange as we exchange presents this Christmas morning, all calm, all quiet.’But not quite. Which is when we cop ourselves on
and park the shirt conundrum.
Come Stephen’s Day, and having devoured the last of the turkey (always enjoy it more the day after for some reason) we hop in the car and make a beeline for, where else, but Frank Walls to try and resolve the mystery of the pink, check shirt.
“There,” says my good missus, standing in front of Frank Walls’ window and pointing: “There’s your pink, check shirt.”
“ Oh, no it’s not.”
“Oh, yes it is.”(oh, not again, says you).
“Oh no it’s not because it’s not the right window,” I calmly say. “What? she says.
“My pink, check shirt is in the other window.”
Over we go to the other window and there, lo and
behold, is another pink, check shirt! The pink, check shirt that I had been admiring, the one with a different check pattern entirely. What are the chances, we thought, two pink, check shirts but in different windows. And we laughed.
“So, are you going to change it?” my wife wonders.
“I am not?”
“And why not?”
“Because I very much like the one in the other window, the one you got me. Furthermore, I might get a column out of it all, which I may well call: ‘The Mystery of the Pink, Check Shirt.’
“Agatha Christie would have got a novel out it,” my wife smiles.
“I’m not Agatha Christie; I’m just a columnist with a
penchant for pink, check shirts.”
“Good man, Gerry,” my wife chuckles and, mystery solved, we head off, arm-inarm, down to Syd Harkin’s for two hot ports.
And the epilogue to this ‘case’, in case you haven’t seen it coming, and I guess most of you have (Agatha Christie, best-selling novelist of all time most certainly would have) I now have two pink, check shirts!
PS: Scientists have created a shirt that can send a distress signal if the wearer falls down. The shirt, designed with elderly people in mind, has a built-in sensor that sends a signal to a family member’s mobile phone or to an email address in case of a fall or tumble. Wonder if it comes in a pink check?
Arts Act Grants 2023
Who is eligible to apply:
1. Groups and Organisations promoting the Arts
2. Individual Artists – all art forms - to enable them to pursue their practice, to develop within their chosen discipline and deliver projects.
An application for a grant may be made under one of the above categories only. Groups and individuals can only make one application for an Arts Act Grants annually.
2023
Kilkenny County Councils
Arts O ce in partnership with the Tyrone Guthrie Centre is now o ering its annual residency opportunity for a practitioner in any art form currently based in Kilkenny to spend two weeks at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre artists’ workplace, Annaghmakerrig, Co Monaghan.
e aim of the Residency is
to assist and encourage both established and emerging practitioners, in giving them an opportunity to work intensively on a project alongside others in a very unique environment.
Closing date for receipt of completed applications for all of the aforementioned grants and bursaries is no
later than 4pm on Monday 30th January.
Application forms, guidelines and criteria for all above may be obtained from: https://kilkennyartso ce.ie/ artsactgrantguidelines/ or by contacting: Deirdre Southey, Arts O ce, Kilkenny County Council T: 056 779 4547 E: deirdre. southey@kilkennycoco.ie
Rudy Giuliani has been subpoenaed, with Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team asking the former Mayor of New York to turn over records to a federal grand jury as part of an investigation into former president Donald Trump’s fundraising following the 2020 election.
e subpoena, which was sent more than a month ago and has not been previously reported, requests documents from Giuliani about payments he received around the 2020 election, when Giuliani led numerous lawsuits on Trump’s behalf contesting the election results.
Prosecutors have also subpoenaed other witnesses who are close to Trump, asking speci cally for documents related to disbursements from the Save America PAC, Trump’s primary fundraising operation set up shortly after the 2020 election, according to sources.
Taken together, the subpoenas demonstrate prosecutors’ growing interest in following the money after the 2020 election as part of their sweeping criminal probe around Trump’s efforts to overturn his loss of the presidency.
Save America was part of broader fundraising e orts by Trump and the Republican Party that raised more than $250 million after the election. Since then, the political action committee has compensated several lawyers who now represent Trump and his allies in January 6-related investigations.
e subpoenas to other witnesses in addition to Giuliani were sent in late December, according to sources.
e information the prosecutors seek is still being collected, the sources said. With Giuliani, the investigators have prioritised getting nancial information from him, one person said.
e inquiry to Giuliani came from David Rody, a former top prosecutor in New York who specialises in criminal gang and conspiracy cases and is assisting Smith with examining a broader criminal conspiracy after the election, according some sources.
In response to being informed of CNN’s reporting on Giuliani’s subpoena and asked for a statement, Ted Goodman, his adviser, said: “ e mayor is unaware of the speci c claims by this so-called ‘anonymous source,’ and therefore is not in position to respond.”
A spokesman for the special counsel’s o ce declined to comment.
A representative for Trump has not responded to a request for comment.
CNN previously reported the Justice Department in September subpoenaed witnesses for nancial details about the Save Amer-
ica PAC, and that a portion of Smith’s o ce would dig into possible nancial and campaign contribution crimes. e Giuliani subpoena and other December subpoenas represent a new round of inquiry, now from Smith’s o ce, which took shape over the Christmas holiday.
After the election, Trump and the Republican National Committee raked in millions of dollars as they told supporters the election was being stolen, marketing the fundraising e ort as election defence. At the time, some o cials working on the
fundraising e ort knew that Joe Biden’s electoral win was legitimate, despite Trump’s insistence it was fraudulent, the House Select Committee found in its own investigation.
Smith’s o ce hasn’t brought any charges. Federal prosecutors in New York previously investigated Giuliani for activities in Ukraine during the Trump presidency. While that led to prosecutors accessing his electronic devices, they declined to charge him with any crime.
Giuliani is likely to be a central gure in any investiga-
tion of Trump’s close political circles after the election. After serving as Trump’s private attorney during the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, the former chief federal prosecutor and mayor of Manhattan was heavily involved in Trump’s attempts to claim electoral victory. He unsuccessfully argued a case before a federal judge in Pennsylvania –where Trump sought to throw out the popular vote – and connected with state lawmakers as he tried to convince them of election fraud.
In the weeks after the 2020 election, Giuliani also held freewheeling press conferences, repeating allegations that he never could prove.
A Trump campaign attorney told the January 6 committee that Giuliani had asked to be paid $20,000 a day for his postelection work for Trump. e campaign declined to pay him that, according to election and House select committee public records.
Subpoenas issued last year to a wide swath of Trump- connected witnesses also asked questions about the Save
Russia will either become a failed state or break up within the next decade, according to 46% of top foreign policy experts in a new survey released by the Atlantic Council think tank.
e study also showed that 21% of the experts consider Russia the most likely nation to become a failed state by 2033, more than twice higher than the next most common choice, Afghanistan (10%).
In addition, 40% of respondents expect Russia to break up internally within 10 years due to revolution, civil war, political disintegration, or some other reason.
European experts are particularly pessimistic about the same scenario, with 49% expecting it, while only 36% of American experts see it as likely.
For the survey, the Atlantic Council spoke with 167 ex-
perts, from academic, nonpro t, governmental, and consultancy backgrounds.
Western o cials are convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has
been weakened by the war in Ukraine, with the Pentagon calling it a “massive strategic failure,” according to the Business Insider.
A UK Government source told e Times of London that Moscow, due to the war, could need up to three decades to rebuild the nation’s economic and military strength.
“Ukraine clearly highlights the possibility of internal problems for Russia, and the possibility that the war itself might have boomerang e ects for not only its leadership but for the country as a whole,” Atlantic Council deputy director of foresight Peter Engelke told e Financial Times.
e experts surveyed also expect other major global developments, with 70% agreeing with a statement that China could invade Taiwan within the next decade.
America PAC, including how its funds were used in 2020 and early 2021, and about Giuliani, as CNN previously reported.
Giuliani hasn’t personally received distributions directly from the PAC, according to campaign nance records. Yet his company, Giuliani Partners, was paid $63,400 for travel reimbursement by Trump’s campaign committee in midDecember 2020. Giuliani’s New York-based security company also received a $76,500 payment from another Trumpbacked entity, the Make America Great Again PAC, for travel expenses, in early February 2021, according to the records. In addition to the nancial inquiry, Smith’s o ce is also pursuing possible criminal cases around the Trump campaign’s use of fake electors in battleground states and the pressure on Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election’s result. In all of those schemes, Giuliani was a central player.
In his House select committee testimony, Giuliani explained that his team working with Trump pivoted to focus on state legislatures that could block the election result after his attempts failed in the courts. e New York state bar suspended him from practicing law because of his 2020 election e orts, and he’s also facing an attorney discipline proceeding in Washington, DC.
He declined to answer some questions the House asked about his work for Trump after the election, citing attorney con dentiality. Giuliani could try to make similar claims in the federal investigation, though the Justice Department has legal mechanisms in which it can try to overcome witness refusals to answer questions.
Jim Ryan of Coolagh, outside Callan- better known as the Poet Ryan- composed a lengthy poem in honour of the rst tractor to see service in Coolagh, near Callan.
e arrival in wartime of the famous tractor shook the district, some would say quite literally, to its foundations.
Jim was something of a Strolling Player. Wherever he worked or visited, he entertained people of all ages through his vocal and poetic gifts.
Born in 1912 in omastown, Jim was the son of a coachman. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Callan, where they lived for a while in Mill Street. Jim had little basic education and from an early age worked for farmers in areas around Callan such as Kilminick, Ballytobin, and Coolagh.
ough he toiled as a labourer, Jim’s mind soaked up the traditions and cultural idiosyncrasies peculiar to each district he frequented. He had an uncanny knack for listening to people and then
re-cycling the yarns and stories he heard to others, with hilarious e ects.
It was at the threshings and other highspirited community gatherings that Jim found his gift for telling stories in song and verse.
Without ever transcribing anything on paper, Jim devised lengthy poems and ballads that he either recited or sang, or maybe both, at resides or in the elds at hay saving or threshing time. His fame spread and he became known as “ e Poet Ryan.”
Jim, unfortunately, took his compositions entirely for granted, reciting or singing them for the merriment and edi cation of others but never making a penny from his creative work. All of his poems would have been lost to us but for the integrity and foresight of one of his Callan buddies, Johnny Maher, who carefully wrote down some of them.
Jim met his future wife in Ballytobin and they had ten children. In the early 1950s, he and his wife settled in
Bauntha. e grounds of their home became renowned far and wide as a gardener’s dream-come-true, with passers-by stopping in their tracks to admire Jim’s impeccably tended hedges and lavish ower displays.
Jim retired as a farm labourer in 1973, when he and his wife travelled to live with her family in Bournemouth. He never really settled into what struck him as an alien and unfamiliar environment…understandably after a lifetime spent in a close-knit
rural community. He longed for the old country and his health declined. He died in 1975, after just two years in England.
Apart from his poetry, Jim was a deeply humorous and pleasantly mischievous character, and one of his more audacious pranks is recounted my chapter on religion in the Callan district.
Luckily, one of his poems that survived thanks to Johnny Maher is Dwyer’s Tractor, and no serious or comic lookback at Emergency days in
this locality would, I think, be complete without the inclusion of this poetic “cracker.”
Jim captured vividly the impact of the rst tractor ever to roll into Coolagh, a tranquil patch of rural County Kilkenny to whose inhabitants this labour saving godsend to the farmers was a phenomenon; a miracle of technology that heralded a the advent of a new era in agriculture.
Tim Dwyer was the local man who purchased the sturdy iron-wheeled Fordson. He converted a disused lorry into a large and somewhat cumbersome trailer and he
was also the proud owner of a plough.
e arrival of his tractor in Coolagh sparked enormous curiosity, a little initial confusion, and even some fear.
Nothing like it had ever been seen before in the locality. Nor had the locals heard anything like the sound- or the racket- it made. e poem aptly hints at the problems occasioned by fuel rationing and the typically o beat or innovative measures taken to overcome them.
e nal two verses especially were sung aloud in all the Callan pubs:
They got the tractor working
And they filled it up with oil.
Says Brett “Now you can go and root
For Leahy’s down in Kyle”. Next morning bright and early, Between four and five ’o clock, All the neighbours in Coolagh, Were awakened by a shock.
The men they were all frightened And the women were in dread.
They swore t’was one of Hitler’s planes That was flying overhead. Dawson he took out his watch, And said “it’s just gone five, They’re bombing Coolaghmore tonight As sure am I’m alive.”
(Extract from my book Are We Invaded Yet?)
On December 24th, word spread around Kilkenny city and county of the death of Allen Larkin.
A former employee of Smithwick’s Brewery, Alan was a very well-known and liked man, with a particular passion for GAA, and a special devotion to his club James Stephens.
e following is a report sent to e Kilkenny Observer by James Stephens GAA club.
On Christmas Eve members of James Stephens GAA club were saddened to hear of the sudden death of former club o cer, Allen Larkin, Cootes Lane, Kilkenny after a prolonged illness.
A stalwart club supporter Allen served as club registrar and committee member for a long number of years.
Coming from the extended Larkin hurling dynasty, Allen, from an early age, was steeped in the hurling tradition of the James Stephens club.
Allen’s father, Ned was a member of 1955 Kilkenny junior championship winning team, scoring 1-01 in the nal against Knocktopher.
Allen’s son, Eoin, continued in the family tradition reaching new heights winning eight AllIreland senior hurling medals, two G.A.A. All-Star Awards in 2008 & ‘09 as well as “Hurler of the Year” and G.P.A ‘s, choice as “ Hurler of the Year” also in
2008. All of which was a source of great pride to his father, Allen.
His outstanding performances for James Stephens when winning three Kilkenny senior hurling titles, two Leinster and an All-Ireland club title in 2005 were received with equal acclaim by the family and friends.
In his youth Allen was a member of St. Patrick’s Brass & Reed Band and had been retired some years from his employment in Smithwick’s Brewery.
Allen will be sadly missed by wife, Veronica, his family, Kim, Eoin, Anthony and Allen. Our sympathies are also extended to his sisters, Maureen, Tess, and Mary, his former wife, Lucy and his many close friends and neighbours on Patrick’s Street and Coote’s Lane.
As a mark of respect a large gathering of club o cers, players, and club members from across the generations provided a guard of honour for Allen’s funeral procession from his home to St.Patrick’s church on St.Stephen’s Day.
In a nice tribute following Requiem Mass, the funeral procession, led by the club banner bearers, stalled at Coote’s Lane to hear a selection of Allen’s favourite festive hymns played by former colleagues in St. Patrick’s Brass & Reed Band before proceeding to his nal resting place in Foulkstown cemetery.
“ Air dheis Dei go raibh a anam dilis”.
( James Stephens GAA club)Sourcing suitable care for an elderly relative is a challenge that many families face at some stage. ere are many di erent options out there such as nursing homes and private visiting care agencies. Families are increasingly looking at live-in care as a solution that brings many advantages to both the family and the carer.
care, if required. ey can work around the hours that the family has from the HSE in terms of HSE Home Support. All placements come with a 3 week trial period.
e service starts from around €510 per week with accommodation and food provided for the carer and a placement fee is paid to ALHomecare for setting up the placement in the rst place. You can claim tax relief of up to 40% on the cost of homecare, if your relative is incapacitated.
ences, garda checks, legal status, training and past experiences were supplied to us which meant we were con dent in employing this carer and welcoming her into our home.
A ordable Live-in Homecare (or ALHomecare) has been placing live-in carers all over Ireland for 9 years. ey have capable, competent and caring live-in carers ready to start new placements in the coming weeks. All carers are carefully selected, garda vet ted, reference checked, and provided with ongoing training and support.
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One of ALHomecare’s clients, Aoife Martin, needed care for her mother. Aoife wrote the following about her experience of the ALHomecare
reas-
housekeepcom-
e carer lives in the client’s home and works up to 8 hours per day, 6 days per week. e carer is there at night for the client’s comfort and reas surance, and by day, they do housekeep ing, prepare meals, keep com pany and provide personal
service: AL suf
“For almost two years now my family has availed of ALHomecare services. An excellent carer was sourced for my mother who suffers from dementia. All of her refer-
Over the two years, she became part of our family and there is no way my mother could have lived in her own house during this time if it wasn’t for this carer. I had many enquiries as to how to become an employer for ALHomecare and I found Tom and his team available and ready with advice and tips for embarking on this new model of care that really bridges the gap between casual care and a nursing home model. e charges and cost were upfront, nothing was hidden and Tom and his team were supportive and guiding throughout.
I have no hesitation recommending ALHomecare and they deserve to go from strength to strength for their vision in providing a unique model of a ordable care to Irish people. ank you.”
To nd out more about ALHomecare, visit www. alhomecare.ie or call Tom Quinlan, Owner and Manager on 087 744 0729.
Parcel Connect, Ireland’s largest Pick-Up & Drop-Off (PUDO) and Returns network, with over 1,300 collect, return, and send points around Ireland, is delighted to announce a new partnership with Applegreen, one of Ireland’s leading roadside retailers, with operations in the UK and the US.
In addition to the extensive Parcel Connect network, consumers in Kilkenny and
across Ireland can now drop into their local Applegreen store, when returning items purchased online from many of the largest Domestic and International retailers including: ASOS, Boohoo, Life Style Sports, Oxendales, Very, and Zalando, that have chosen Parcel Connect as a returns partner. Irish consumers can also collect their parcels from their local Applegreen
All-island whiskey exports topped €1bn for the rst time last year, according to o cial gures gathered by the Irish Whiskey Association which indicate that more than 15 million cases were sold abroad last year from Ireland and Northern Ireland.
“Breaking the €1bn barrier is a really substantial milestone,” said William Lavelle, director of the Irish Whiskey Association.
“Market diversi cation has been critical. Irish whiskey has become kind of the whiskey du jour among millennials and Gen Zs. And Irish whiskey has been doing much better at the higher price points.”
e €1bn gure relates to export value, rather than retail sales. e latter can be in ated due to taxes and retailer margins.
Around 96pc of Irish whiskey is exported, mainly to the US, which accounted for 41.1pc of sales in 2021, with Europe second at 26.2pc.
e loss of Russia, which had been Ireland’s third-largest market until last year, and its fastest-growing, will leave a hole in sales, Mr Lavelle admitted.
But he said surging exports to new markets such as China, India and Nigeria will make up for any losses, while an expected EU-Australia free trade deal will boost growth
in future Exports to Ukraine, Ireland’s eighth-largest market in 2021, resumed in part late last year.
Ryan Stapleton, global sales manager at Powerscourt Distillery - which began production in 2018 - said South Korea has been a surprise success story for the Wicklow upstart.
e EU signed a trade deal with the south-east Asian nation a decade ago.
“ ere’s a real interest in the Korean market for stepping out of their comfort zone,” he said. “ ere is a curiousness about the world.”
He said EU free trade deals have given Powerscourt an “advantage” by removing tari s in foreign markets. “ e tax we would have spent, we have been able to put that back into supporting production and investing more.”
William Lavelle is worried trade tensions with the US over green subsidies and tax breaks in its in ation reduction act could spill over into a tit-for-tat tari war in 2023.
Irish whiskey escaped the US tari net in 2018-19, when the EU and US were ghting over subsidies to aircraft and steel manufacturing, something which extended to cover other areas. Kerrygold and Bailey’s were also caught in the cross re.
store, from retailers offering ‘Click & Collect’ and signed up to Parcel Connect’s collection service.
Danny Hughes, Fastway CEO, and Parcel Connect Co-Founder told The Kilkenny Observer:: “We’re delighted to welcome Applegreen to our Parcel Connect network, which complements Applegreen’s market-leading offering. Both Parcel Connect and
Applegreen are strong Irish brands, where local communities, and sustainability informs all aspects of the business. Our partnership with Applegreen is a perfect match.
“As e-commerce continues to accelerate, there is an ever-increasing demand from consumers and retailers for a market-leading simple and convenient returns and collection solu -
tion, and this is exactly what Parcel Connect offers. Add to this, our commitment to enhance our services and choice to both retailers and consumers, and in line with our commitment to our social and environmental responsibilities, I’m excited to share that in January we will be launching Label-Less returns – a more environmentally sustainable returns solution.”
Deborah Howell, Head of Trading, Applegreen Ireland, said: “Having the option to return a package on their daily trip to their local Applegreen store makes the returns process that much easier. Similarly, the click and collect option allows our customers to receive their packages at their local Applegreen, meaning they can be more flexible around delivery times.”
History continues to unfold at South East Technological University this January with the nal series of conferring ceremonies for the class of 2021/22 taking place on the Carlow and Waterford campuses.
More than 2,000 graduates will be conferred this week with awards in a range of disciplines, from technology, business and engineering to the arts, humanities and science bringing the total number of graduates in SETU’s rst year to a remarkable gure of 4,733. A total of 163 Kilkenny graduates will be conferred at these ceremonies.
Graduates will receive awards ranging from level 6 to level 10, showcasing the valuable opportunity SETU o ers learners to progress
from certi cate to doctoral level at any stage of their career.
e January ceremonies will see the award of 31 doctorates to graduates across both campuses and the largest annual military graduation in the State from a higher education institution, with over 220 o cers and enlisted personnel being awarded SETU quali cations.
Speaking at the ceremonies, Prof, Veronica Campbell, President of SETU. acknowledged and celebrated the evolving nature of how and when our learners access education. “At SETU we promote lifelong learning and our students join us from diverse walks of life and through di erent access pathways. While some of you came to college
straight from school, others joined higher education later in life.
“Regardless of how you entered this institution, you are all leaving with a university level quali cation that will allow you to pursue the next stage of your career with the appropriate skills, the ability to continue to learn and as individuals, prepared and ready for the workplace,” she said.
Looking to the future, Prof Campbell’s address also gave graduates and guests a sense of the global ambition of the south east’s new university. “We are a multicampus university and that brings great opportunities for synergies and new ideas. We aspire to be a leading European University, invested in our region and working for our region.
“We will continue the strong ethos of supporting access to higher education and in having in-place enablers to ensure that our students reach their academic potential. We will expand our research and innovation activities and engage regionally, nationally and internationally to drive regional economic, cultural and social prosperity.”
Prof Campbell concluded by reminding graduates that they held a very special place in SETU’s history, being the rst graduates of South East Technological University. “Your names are among the rst signed into the SETU graduates roll book. Generations of graduates will follow you in ceremonies like this but you are the pioneers.”
Seán Kelly MEP and Leader of Fine Gael in the European Parliament, has welcomed the “positive mood music” on a possible EU-UK agreement on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
“An agreement on the sharing of customs data is a signi cant breakthrough in the negotiations, I am cautiously
optimistic that a deal can be reached on the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol,”said MEP Kelly as First Vice-Chair of the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly.
e Ireland South MEP was speaking to e Kilkenny Observer from Brussels, following a joint announcement
from Commission Vice-President, Maroš Šef ovi , and UK foreign secretary James Cleverly, that a way forward had been agreed on data sharing related to goods traveling from Britain to Northern Ireland.
“While this may seem like a technical point, once the EU is granted adequate access to
UK customs databases, it can make a facts-based assessment on the risk of goods being smuggled into the Single Market via Northern Ireland.
“On foot of this, the EU may be in a position to grant greater exibilities in the implementation of the Protocol, once we can be sure that the risks to the integrity of the Sin-
gle Market are low,” he said.
“It must be understood that the global trading environment is becoming increasingly fraught and the EU has a legitimate interest in protecting its Single Market. In addition, if the EU did not require any checks in the Irish Sea, it could leave itself open to legal challenges from other compa-
nies that feel their competitors in Northern Ireland have an unfair competitive advantage.”
If a joint solution could be reached on the Protocol, the next challenge would be selling any agreement between the EU and UK negotiators to Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, he said.
Yep, worse. With the wind and the full weight of the big swells and rollers now directly in our rear, and the narrowing inlet being pressure-pumped by the three thousand miles of Indian Ocean between Jurien and Mauritius, the scene rapidly turned into a real rocky horror show.
e Dutchie’s boat, being lighter, started catching up on us. We fell into a huge nasty trough, and the
towed boat was suddenly poised over the top of us! It came rocketing down the wall of water, heading for our stern - and rudder and prop!
Just in time, Riggsy found a few extra revs in the Cat, and we barrelled up on a big wave that was going away from us. en the rope was pulling through the last wave, and there was no sign of Dutchy. Were we pulling his canoe into the back of the wave?
I jerked my head round to see how far we had to go to clear the narrowsand when I looked back again - there was Dutchy - and he screaming as his “ship” plunged down on
top of us! So was I.
I grabbed the hand-axe, thinking of making a run to cut the bloody thing adrift, but Culver snatched it from me.
Riggsy again got something we never knew about from the Cat, and the towed craft smashed down again, missing our tail by inches.
By now everyoneexcept Ted Riggs - was sure we were dead men. Everything was now out of our hands and control. All of our lives depended on the old skipper. Somehow, he found the skill to keep our boat out from under the ducking and diving boat that was so obviously trying to destroy us all.
I was screaming curses at the terri ed clown..
Jim Culver had his weight thrown against Ted Riggs, jamming him so he couldn’t be ung or torn away from the wheel.
And Gary Snook was standing, glued to the mast, staring unbelievingly as time and again our “old man” snatched precious life from the gaping maw of Davy bloody Jones, by dodging the knife-like prow that was trying so hard to send us all down. en, suddenly, we were through. e waves collapsed from being monstrous to just being very big and abnormal, and we were into Jurien
Bay. Sweet Jurien Bay.
I don’t quite remember if we tied up to moorings, or got to the jetty, or did we beach the boats. I truly don’t. It’s nearly fty years ago now.
Whatever we did, or however we terminated our heart-stopper of a Good Samaritan act, I forget that part of it completely.
What I do remember is Rednose coming up to Ted Riggs on the beach, tears streaming down his face, after such a close call.
I watched the bastard who had nearly killed us all. As I said - I knew him. Not personally - but by reputation.
Now he was blubbering
to Riggsy: “Tedttomorrow I vill ha for you vun peeg crate of Fissky! Scottitch Fissky! For dis vunderfull crew - fe cases ho beers! Yu har great menz! Tanx! Tanx!”
e next day, we were all outside Ted’s beach shack, repairing pots and soaking ropes.
Dutchy drove past in his Land Rover.
He didn’t even look at us.
Nor did his deckie.
Ned E
Disclaimer e opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not re ect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of e Kilkenny Observer.
We, at e Kilkenny Observer are delighted to kick o 2023 with part four of the trials of ctional character Debbie Brennan, created by Presentation secondary student Keela Ayres.
e Kilkenny Observer – supporting new writing in Kilkenny
BY: KEELA AYRES
For the last few months
Debbie had tried to convince herself that her life had been some elaborate dream. Only it was one that she couldn’t wake up from. It still seemed ridiculous to say out loud let alone believe. Seventeen year olds are a lot of things but they’re not drug dealers. But despite what people may say, she did not fall into that life without good reason.
It started out as a once o job. Drop o the package, don’t get caught and get paid. It was laughably simple. at’s where it should’ve ended. e Boss knew exactly how to reel her in like everyone else on his team, with the promise of easy money. e rst handful of deliveries went smoothly. As long as she found the address of the customer, she could walk away with a guaranteed wad in her pocket. It wasn’t until she was forced to travel across town into the deep hours of night that she truly realised the dangers of her new job.
e incident that should’ve driven her to quit was when one ungrateful customer let his thoughts ring clear through a black eye after she delivered less than what he was promised. It wouldn’t be the last time she would face violence during a delivery either. ey didn’t care about how old the mule was, but rather what they brought in the package they desperately craved for. Her main worry then was fooling her mother, who she managed to fool
into believing she had gotten a job, which was met with unexpected delight. It would be the only reasonable explanation to her late hours and increasing eyebags. It was the deceiving smile she paraded around in school and home that drained her the most. Up until this week’s events, she had become masterful in balancing her double life. e only surprise was her not being caught out sooner. It was a secret relief telling the group that day, it proved she didn’t have to carry around that bearing weight anymore.
She had always been a private person. She never felt it necessary to share every passing thought or feeling she had. Her head was her own private domain over which she ruled but it was one she could never escape.
She also never admitted to the group the real reason for not cracking sooner. Debbie loved Harriet, Marky, Frances and James as if they were her own family but deep down, she always had the inkling feeling that she was merely the object of pity.
ere was a painfully obvious economic divide between her and them. Her mother worked a “full-time dead-end job” to keep a crumbling roof above them while her friends lived freely in their cosy family sets. She was aware of the things people in their year had said about her and her ‘scru of a mother’. Insecurity eventually gnawed away at her, leading her to believe that even though she was a part of the group, she would never be able to t in with them. It was why despite knowing
the e ects of being a mule, it never stopped the gleeful wave that lled her every time she was paid. It made every minute worth it knowing not only was her mother free of nancial burden but the worry of sticking out also began to fade. Over time though it became bigger than just making extra money. She was putting her life at risk.
It wouldn’t take long for everything to spiral downward as the dream she worked endlessly for was broken as easily as it was made.
She was hit with a sinking guilt one night of a delivery when she noticed a child’s swing set in the garden of a regular customer. By fuelling this stranger’s addiction, she was inevitably responsible for the pain and deception that followed as a result. She couldn’t bear to even look in
the mirror as she saw a face she no longer recognised. She wanted out. So, the day of the hurling match, Debbie tried to chance her way out of another delivery only to nd the Boss had already beaten her to the school gate.
No matter how hard she tried, her mind still couldn’t escape his car. e sound his head made after she slammed it into the windscreen, the piercing wail he let out as a jagged crack crept up the glass. e burn of the blade piercing her skin before clambering out the door. How his threats still echoed around her head. “Your life is in my hands and I can take it away from you.”
To get out of that world, your only option was in a co n. But Debbie decided she would ght to be the exception.
“Taking a backseat behind the chaos and a back track to the reason behind it all, we take a deep dive into the mind of Debbie Brennan and how she ended up being a drug mule at only seventeen.”
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Serves: 6
For a sophisticated, healthy and speedy supper, fry sea bass llets for a few minutes with ginger, garlic, chilli and spring onions.
Ingredients
• 6 x sea bass llets, about 140g/5oz each, skin on and scaled
• about 3 tbsp sun ower oil
• large knob of ginger, peeled and shredded into matchsticks
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 fat, fresh red chillies deseeded and thinly shredded
• bunch spring onion, shredded long-ways
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
Method
STEP 1
Season 6 sea bass llets with salt and pepper, then slash the skin 3 times.
STEP 2
Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add 1 tbsp sun ower oil.
STEP 3
Once hot, fry the sea bass llets, skin-side down, for 5 mins or until the skin is very crisp and golden.
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Take the stress out of entertaining by getting ahead on your party nibbles. e lling in these pork lettuce cups can be frozen for up to two months.
Ingredients
•1 tbsp vegetable oil
•1 shallot, thinly sliced
•1 lemongrass stalk, nely chopped
•4 garlic cloves, grated
•1 birds-eye chilli, nely chopped
•500g pork mince
•1 tbsp sh sauce
•1 tsp dark brown soft sugar
•2 limes, juiced
•2 Little Gem lettuces, leaves separated
•thinly sliced spring onions, shredded carrots,
e sh will be almost cooked through.
STEP 4
Turn over, cook for another 30 seconds - 1 minute, then transfer to a serving plate and keep warm. You’ll need to fry the sea bass
llets in 2 batches.
STEP 5 Heat 2 tbsp sun ower oil, then fry the large knob of peeled ginger, cut into matchsticks, 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 3 thinly shredded red chillies for about 2
mins until golden.
STEP 6 Take o the heat and toss in the bunch of shredded spring onions. Splash the sh with 1 tbsp soy sauce and spoon over the contents of the pan.
Prep: 5 mins Serves: 1
Our aromatic, zesty lime and basil juice couldn’t be easier to make – you can whip up this refreshing drink in minutes. Get your greens and a dash of elder ower sweetness.
Ingredients
• 70ml chilled apple and elder ower juice
• 50g baby spinach
• 20g basil leaves
• 6cm piece of cucumber (about 100g), chopped
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
Method STEP 1
Put the fruit, mint and ice in a large jug. Pour in the juice, stir and top up with lemonade.
nely chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves, to serve
Method
STEP 1
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the shallot, lemongrass, garlic and chilli for 3 mins until fragrant. Add the pork
mince and stir-fry for about 10 mins more until the pork is cooked through and browned. Add the sh sauce, sugar and lime juice, and cook for a couple more minutes until the pork is coated in the mixture. To freeze, leave to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer bag, seal and lay at in the freezer (so the mince
stays in a thin layer). Will keep for up to two months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before using. Reheat in a dry frying pan over a low heat until piping hot.
STEP 2
Divide the pork mince between the lettuce leaves and garnish with the spring onions, carrots and herbs, then serve.
Prep: 5 mins Serves: 1
e easiest, tastiest way to pack in the protein. Shake up your morning with this delicious, creamy drink you can make in minutes.
Ingredients
• 1 banana
• 170g fat-free Greek yogurt (we used Total)
• 150ml unsweetened soya milk
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 25g cooked quinoa
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
Method STEP 1
Blend all the ingredients together until smooth, pour into a glass and serve immediately.
Line of Duty star Martin Compston has talked about being set on re for a scene in his new show, e Rig.
e new series, which streams on Amazon Prime Video, follows a crew on an oil rig in the North Sea, with a mysterious fog rolling in and cutting o communications with the mainland.
Martin, best known for his role as Steve Arnott in Line of Duty, spoke to GQ about his role in the supernatural thriller, and referenced a scene in which things got heated – literally!
“It was one of my more interesting days at work. A lot of the time as actors we’re sitting around drinking tea so I like to get a bit physical when I can,” he told GQ. “At rst, I thought it was amazing, I was on re and I couldn’t feel a thing and then all of a sudden it’s getting a wee bit hot.
“[ at] was apparently not supposed to happen but I kept going because nobody said cut,” he continued. “You just assume everything is going to be okay. As soon as they realised something was up,
they came over with the blankets and re extinguishers. I was alright, my back got a bit of a tan, but what other job in the world would you be able to do that?”
Starring alongside Compston in e Rig is Emily Hampshire, Iain Glen and Mark Bonnar, with the rst season consisting of six episodes; the series was created and written by David MacPherson.
Martin recently teased the possibility of a seventh season for Line of Duty, revealing that he had sat
down with co-stars and creator Jed Mercurio about further episodes.
“Me, Jed, Vicky [McClure] and Adrian [Dunbar] had a sit-down and a big conversation last year just to see if we all honestly wanted to go again,” he explained.
“It is de nitely on the table. at talk was in April and from then nothing’s changed. All we’ve said is that we’d be up for doing one more at some point but none of us have signed on.”
e Rig is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Just days after rumours that Wednesday, the Addams Family teen series might leave the streamer for its rival, Amazon Prime Video, Net ix nally gave a second season renewal to the series January 6, con rming that it would air “only on Net ix”.
Since its eight-episode rst season premiered on November 23, Wednesday has been touted by Net ix as one of its all-time most successful series, breaking a variety of records for English-language shows, at least. (Squid Game still reigns supreme overall). In spite of this blazing success at the streamer, there was some speculation that Net ix waiting over a month
to renew the show was due to issues with the production company MGM, which was acquired by Amazon in a deal last spring, and that the series might potentially move to Prime Video. A source at MGM told IndieWire that the deal between MGM and Net ix to produce the series was set before the Amazon acquisition, and thus would not be a ected.
Based on e Addams
Family cartoons created by Charles Addams, Wednesday stars Jenna Ortega as the titular character, the daughter of the famously macabre family and a teenage girl with a deadpan disposition and love of violence.
e series sees Wednesday shipped o to Nevermore Academy, where she makes new friends, develops psychic abilities, and investigates a string of murders around the town of Jericho, Vermont.
Ortega is joined in the cast by Gwendoline Christie, Jamie McShane, Percy Hynes White, Hunter Doohan, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Naomi J Ogawa, Moosa Mostafa, Georgie Farmer, Riki Lindhome, and Christina Ricci, whose portrayal of Wednesday in the 1991 and 1993 Addams Family lms helped de ne the character’s iconic personality and look. e show also features Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis
Guzmán, Fred Armisen, and Isaac Ordonez in recurring roles as the other Addams Family members.
Since its release, Wednesday received mixed reviews, with many critics praising Ortega’s portrayal of the character but criticising the writing as derivative of other teen shows.
In his review, IndieWire TV critic Ben Travers wrote: “When it comes to the macabre, Wednesday (and, more so, ‘Wednesday’) is all talk and little action — a well-rounded character hammered into the rectangular icon on your Net ix home screen, by an algorithm built to conform.”
Having seen Glass Onion, I can say it doesn’t take a sleuth as smart as Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to understand why Net ix ordered a pair of sequels to Rian Johnson’s Knives Out. In this instalment from 2022, Blanc has been summoned to an island by a rich tech mogul Miles Bron (Edward Norton), who seems part Elon Musk and part Elizabeth Holmes, to be a guest for a fantastically-faked murder mystery. Glass Onion is one of the best Net ix movies in ages.
Chief Paul Anderson (Tom Cruise) is doing what he believes is the right thing, and something many of us would believe is shockingly wrong: arresting people for crimes that have not yet been committed. Such is the business of the Precrime Unit that ascertains future crimes, and stops them before they’re committed. Unfortunately, Anderson himself is the latest culprit — for the murder of a man he does not know.
Minority Report (20020 was an instant classic when it debuted two decades ago. It’s also proof that Philip K. Dick stories are perfect for big-budget adaptations.
e eight wise guys of Reservoir Dogs(1992) are the last humans you’d want to betray. But someone made the wrong move to turn snitch, and now they’re all stuck in the middle of the aftermath of a diamond heist gone wrong. One of the most beloved and acclaimed directorial debuts in recent memory, Quentin Tarantino’s rst movie crackles with fantastic banter from its rst scene. Reservoir Dogs is a heist movie without the heist — and that’s the point. Without showing us who did what and what went wrong, we’re just as clueless as they are — and reading the body language and mannerisms of these addled maniacs is too much fun.
e same Parenthood that was adapted into a successful 2010 TV series, this 1989 lm, from director Ron Howard, features Steve Martin at his best, having a hard time dealing with family. It only helps that Parenthood’s collected a fantastic cast for Martin to work with, including Dianne Wiest, Mary Steenburgen, Rick Moranis, Joaquin Phoenix and Keanu Reeves.
Gil Buckman (Martin) doesn’t have a single low-maintenance family member, though his father (Jason Robards) actually proves helpful in calming him down. A strong message of constantly learning through your life — every parent is also a kid — is the through-line for this loving ensemble lm.
While this tale from 1976 of a no-name boxer from Philly who will punch high above his paygrade is fairly predictable, Rocky’s all about the titular performance from Sylvester Stallone.
Rocky should not be this good of a movie, it’s rooted in more cliched than any sports lm outside of Rudy. But it’s still proof that the right talent can elevate the material.
Lotto Results. Tuesday 3rd January. Numbers: 1, 6, 27. No Winner. Next weeks Jackpot is €1300. Lucky Dip winners - €30 each to Kathleen Culleton, Joanne O Connell, Mairead Kehoe, Paul Cody, Laurence Foley. Well done to all, thanks for playing and for your support.
GAA Membership 2023 is now open. Thanks to those who have completed this to date. Please log in to Foireann at www. Foireann.ie or down load the Foireann App to confirm your details and pay by credit/ debit card.
Membership rates are the same as last year and can be viewed on the website www.clara.kilkenny.gaa.ie. Please note ALL Players and Coaches must have membership paid before taking part in Club/County training sessions/games.
If experiencing problems please contact Club Registrar, Brian Kennedy 086 7355856 or registrar.clara@gmail.com
Clara Walk and Talk and Couch To 5k. Are you interested in getting more active? As part of Ireland Lights Up/ Irish Life Every Step Counts, a Get Walking Hour and Couch To 5k will start next week. All welcome, all levels of fitness & all ages.
First night Wed 11th Jan, 7.30 to 8.30, therea er Monday nights 7.30 to 8.30. Enquires to Anne Marie Shortall 086 8419585.
Download the Irish Life Every Step Counts app mylife. irishlife.ie and register your steps for Clara GAA Club, we could win a prize!
Kilkenny began life in the post Brian Cody era on Sunday in Callan with a hard earned 2-19 to 0-21 win over O aly. Well done to Paul Cody who was on the match day squad.
There was no winner of this week’s club lotto (Jan 3rd 2023). Numbers drawn were 1, 2, 3, 5, Bonus 27. Next week’s top prize will be €15,400 (Jan 10). Play now at www.oloughlingaels.com/lotto
Promotors Draw.1. Chris Goulding c/o Dan O’Driscoll. 2. Breda C/o Michael Dreeling 3. Sadie Fitzgerald. 4.Francis Burke c/o Dinny Tyrrell. 5.Tanya Cody. 6.Steph O’Neill c/o G Buckley. 7.Ann O’Driscoll c/o Dan O’Driscoll. 8. Chris McGrath c/o Online. 9. John Cla ey c/o Online. 10. Theresa Flanagan c/o Online
Thank you for your continued support. www.perfectoprint.ie
TOWNLANDS OF NEWPARK LOWER AND UPPER HERITAGE GROUPWe invite like-minded individuals to join our small Heritage Group, as part of a Pilot Project to establish the heritage of the area. The area extends from Green’s Bridge in the West to the Pococke River in the east and from Greens Hill/Castlecomer Road in the north to the Hebron Road in the South. Please contact Donie Butler at 087-315 6359 or doniebutler48@gmail.com if you are interested. A public meeting will be called in mid January.
Well done to Huw Lawlor, Conor Heary Mikey Butler and Paddy Deegan all lining out in Sunday’s Walsh Cup first round win over O aly. We wish new O icial Kilkenny GAA manager Derek Lyng and his team well going forward. Lovely hurling
All the preparations are being made and O’Loughlin Gaels are looking for members to renew their membership and set up your new membership account. Download the GAA membership app “Foireann” and access O’Loughlin Gaels GAA or Camogie for your details. Please note that family membership includes for hurling and camogie. Any queries please contact club registrar’s Niamh Carroll (Hurling) 087 640 0078 OR Joan Galwey (Camogie) 086 812 2000
O’Loughlin Gaels Juvenile club are seeking expressions of interest from club members who will enroll in a course for a Certificate in Strength and Conditioning through SETU Carlow. It is a 10 credit level 7 course which starts on Tues 17 January for 12 weeks. Tuesday sessions are on-line and Thursdays will be in college. A registration contribution will be provided to successful applicants who will then run S and C programmes for our juvenile members for the coming years. Please contact Sheamie Cummins 086 8912918 (Juvenile Chairperson) or Aidan Fogarty 086 8266583 (Youth Strategy Group) if you are interested in doing this course before Tues 10th January
U6/U8
Starting at 2pm every Saturday for the next 6 weeks.
ALL WELCOME
MINDFULNESS CLASSES FOR CHILDREN
Mind-full Classes for 8 to 12 Years old starting Monday February 13th, 5:30pm to 6:30pm at the Irish Girl Guides Den. Contact Sarah at 0838704995 or email to mindfulness.sarah@gmail.com
Mega Bingo: Every Sunday, 4pm at Urlingford GAA pitch. Gates open at 3pm. Single books and one sheet €10; Double books and two sheets €15. Extra jackpot sheet €3 or two for €5. Please support.
EMERALDS URLINGFORD AND GRAINE LOTTO
January 3rd prize fund was: €11,100. Jackpot: €9,100. Numbers drawn: 1, 6, 13, 17, bonus no 3. No winner and two match 3 winners: Katie Doheny and B Lanigan.
Five lucky dips of €20 each: M. Quinlan, BG Neary, Cian Maher, Norma Bergin, Nellie Lacey.
Promoters prize: Butlers.Next draw takes place on Monday, January 16th in the Clubrooms. Results next week.
LTI Pathway to Employment course QQI Level 4: LTI is recruiting for the new programme in the Centre.
If anyone is interested in completing this full-time course, please contact us for an expression of interest form. More details can be found on our website www.
millfrcurlingford.com
Defibrillator: Please note that there is a defibrillator located in the Mill Family Resource Centre if and when it may be required.
Senior Alert: If you need to apply for a Personal Alarm, please contact Sue or Josephine.
Counselling Services: Our low cost counselling services, includes one-to-one, family and teens, aged 12+. General Counselling: Bereavement, stress, anxiety and depression. Other counselling services available: Drug, substance and gambling addictions. Play therapy is now also available. Please contact Sue for more information or to make an appointment.
Appeal for Clothes Donations: Any clothes donations would be appreciated in aid of our counselling services. Donations can be le into the Centre, please call before dropping o .
Contact number for the Centre 056 8838466.
Set Dancing will be in Urlingford Community Centre, every Tuesday at 8.30pm.
Dancing to live music with Danny Webster. Sets called by Paddy Martin. Come along for a great night of dancing!
URLINGFORD ARMS SPLIT THE POT
This week’s winner of Split the Pot is Ger Hayde who will receive €558. Congrats Ger!
Tickets €2 on sale in participating businesses in town, with proceeds this week going to Clomantagh Squash Club, thanks to everyone for their support.
Supervised study take place in Graine Hall every Saturday from 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm. Cost: €5 half day, €8 full day. For enquiries, please contact Siobhan 087 2601490.
URLINGFORD / GRAINE DEFIBRILLATOR GROUP
In case of emergency, call: 085 2726396.
URLINGFORD NEWS
Anyone wishing to submit news items, club events, announcements etc can do so by emailing urlingfordnotes@gmail.com. If you have any photos you wish to include, please forward them to the email address.
The people of Freshford were saddened last week to hear of the death of Liam Dalton late of Blackrock Dublin. Liam was a member of the Dalton family Clashacrow, Freshford and was widely known and respected in the area. In his mid seventies he had been unwell for some time but never the less his passing caused widespread sorrow. He was predeceased by his son Robert and daughter in law Pamela. Although he lived in Dublin for decades he was a regular visitor back to Freshford up to recent years. Funeral mass took place on Monday last in the Church of the Guardians Angels, Newtownpark Avenue followed by burial in Deans grange Cemetery. He is mourned by his wife Eileen, his sons Brian, Mark, Lee and Emmett, daughter Gemma, son in law, daughters in law, grandchildren, great grandchildren, brother, sisters, brothers in law, sisters in law, nieces, nephews and extended family to whom deepest sympathy is extended.
GAELIC FOOTBALL
U6 and u8s Gaelic Football for New and Existing members, contact Stephen on 086 199 3711 for details.
Kilkenny Road, Freshford on the recent death of her father Michael Mooney late of Ballyhurley, Ogonnelloe, Co Clare. Funeral mass took place in St.Moluas Church, Ogonnelloe, followed by burial in the New Cemetery Ogonnelloe SQUASH
Freshford Squash Club held a very successful Christmas draw and the Club wish to thank all prize Sponsors, the Club members, Mace/Inver Freshford and everyone who continue to support their Club. The following were the lucky winners ; 1st prize – Ml. Burke, Kilkenny, 2nd prize – Niamh Kennedy, 3rd Prize – Martin Doyle, 4th prize – Taylor Walsh , 5th Prize Liz Keally, 6th prize – Brendan Murphy, 7th prize – Niall Kenny and 8th prize – Jackie Kavanagh. CAFE
The new Community at Buncrussia Street opened just before Christmas and had a busy period over Christmas and to date. The Loop Café is serving some beautiful homemade food. The Café which is run on a voluntary basis is open Tuesday to Saturday each week from 10am to 4pm, so why not go along for a co ee or a snack and meet your friends for a chat as well as supporting the new venture GAA
Local St. Lachtains player Darren Brennan was in goal for the Kilkenny Senior Hurlers on Sunday last when they defeated O aly at Callan. St. Lachtains GAA club AGM was due to be held before Christmas was due to take place at the weekend at the Clubrooms.
The Club held a very successful Christmas fundraising draw and they thank all the sponsor’s and those who supported the ra le.
The following were some of the lucky winners in the draw; 1st prize; Betty O’Connor, Clashacrow, 2nd prize – PaddyWhite, Inch, 3rd prize – Noel Bergin, 4thprize – John O’Flynn, 5th prize – Dick Walsh 6th Prize – Olive Randall 7th Prize– Ethan Hayes, 8th prize- Niamh Kennedy and 9th prize – Johnny McCarthy
The Freshford and District Darts League is now back in full action a er a break over the Christmas period and continues each Friday night and Sunday evenings.
All junior games and schoolboys games in the KDL was postponed since before Christmas Freshford Town Junior side were back in action last weekend and had a well-deserved win over St.John’s in their league game coming out winners on a 2-1 scoreline. The goals coming from Shane Donnelly and Jordan Burke.
The death occurred last week of Mrs. Frances Gray late of Ballyroe, Freshford. The deceased who was formerly from Threecastles was aged 90. She was a quiet and good living lady and well known and respected in the locality. Her funeral mass took place on Saturdy last in Tulla Church followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. She is mourned by her husband Fossie, her sons John and Leonard, daughter Rosaleen, grandchildren, daughters in law, her twin sister Eileen and sisters, Mary Teresa, Sr.Margaret and Ann, sister in law, nephews nieces and extended family to whom deepest sympathy is extended.
Mass is held in the Parish Church each Wednesday morning at 9.30am and on Sunday morning at 11am. wiith Mass in Tulla church on Saturday evenings at 7.30pm.
The parish newsletter is available on their website every week and also on the website you are free to pay your dues and make donations or any other contributions and you can find out more about it on the website or feel free to contact in the Parish O ice. Please note community notices for the parish newsletter should be le in or emailed to the Parish O ice by 11am on Thursdays. Parish o ice hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9am to 1pm. Mass Cards
Special printed parish cards are available at the Parish O ice or from Annette at Tulla Church signed by Monsignor Kennedy. You can contact the Parish o ice on 056 8832843 or by email – freshfordd@ossory.ie. Contact Mongr Kieron Kennedy on that number or on 087 25235 21
Are you struggling with anxiety or depression or finding life di icult or feeling isolated at this time GROW is there to help you. Their Mental Health support Groups are free and confidential and open to all no referral or booking is needed. For more information on same you can contact Mary on 087 28434 2 If you can’t cope and need support text HELLO to 50808
confidential support relating to domestic violencecall them on 1850 424244 (24/7) or on 056 7771404 or email into@amberwomensrefuge.ie.
LOCAL LOTTO
Results - Winning Numbers for December 27th 2022 : 1,22,29 No Winner. Winners of Draw for 5 x € 30 Shane Cahill ( Mags Cahill ),Nora Murphy ( Jimmy McCormack ),Kathleen Power (Pauline Walsh ),Pamela Walsh ( Pauline Walsh ) Ned Kirwan ( Kathleen Kirwan ) Winning Numbers for January 2nd 2023: 4, 5, 15. No Winner. Winners of Draw for 5 x € 30. Ann Brennan ( Jimmy Mccormack ),Joe Sheridan ( Joe Sheridan ),Sara Doherty ( Joan Phelan ), Kathleen Power ( Pauine Walsh ), Kells Handball Club ( Kells Handball Club ) Jackpot January 10th € 4,750.
Lotto Syndicate December Winners Andrew Fitzpatrick, Frankie Hughes €100 each.John and Gavin O’Kee e, Seaghan O Neill,Larry Costello, Jamie McLoughlin €50 each. Winnings from the last 3 years will be distributed over the next two weeks. Happy New Year to all our members and thank you for your continued support.
KILMOGANNY
Christmas Prizes 7/12/22 1st Mary Comerford and Rita Houlihan BG Nellie Lahart and Elizabeth Lanigan 2nd Catherine Burke and Helan Lanigan 3rd Josie O’Gorman and Philip Brennan 4th Gerry FitzGerald and Emer Wallace
The bridge results for 4/1/2023: 1st Betty Cuddihy and Margaret Grace 2nd Michael and Jean Grace 3rd Margaret Dunne and Teresa Leahy. Bridge is every Wednesday night at 7.30pm in St. Eoghan’s Centre, Kilmoganny. All welcome.
Kilkenny Recreation and Sports Partnership present a10-week programme of Chair Based Exercises each Monday morning at 9.30am in Droichead Family Resource Centre, Callan. Cost for this 10-week programme is €20. This programme is a gentle exercise programme with plenty of chat and we welcome all older adults and adults with additional needs. The programme starts on 16th January until 27th March excluding February 6th. For anybody who needs help with booking call Seamus on 087 3567884 or email seamus@krsp.ie. The link to register online is https:// krspcallancbejanuary2023.eventbrite.ie
DROICHEAD FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE Food Bank available in Droichead FRC, The Old CBS, West Street, Callan R95V380- take what you need. Selection of foods and personal care products available. Deliveries also available, private and confidential service for more info contact Carmel (083) 2098069 or familysupport@droicheadfrc.ie .
Inclusive Pilates with Shane Whelan, a 10 week programme to improve core strength, flexibility and mobility begins in Droichead FRC on Wednesday 25th January from 11.30am-1pm. The programme costs €40 and for more info or to book contact Carmel (083) 2098069 or familysupport@droicheadfrc.ie.
Knit/ Crochet and Natter returns to Droichead FRC on Friday 13th January from 10am-12pm. A tutor will be on hand to show new skills and classes are open to all beginners/improvers/ advanced. €2 per class to cover the cost of tea and co ee and sewers and fans of other yarn cra s are also welcome. For more info or to book contact Carmel (083) 2098069 or familysupport@droicheadfrc.ie .
Early bird tickets are still available for this year’s Go s Thyestes Chase meeting which takes place on Thursday January 26th. https://www.gowranpark.ie/ racing/buy-tickets/ GOWRAN ON THE MOVE
Gowran on the move Draws are back for of 2023 don’t forget to get your envelopes.
Young Irelands is once again participating in this year’s step challenge. Please join and help out club in the e ort to win an O’Neills voucher up to €2,500. The aim is to collectively walk or run the equivalent of a circuit of Ireland, approximately 4,000kms to be entered to the draw. Steps are tracked on your activity tracker and added to our collective team total so you can add distance in your own time and place.
To join up :
Download the MyLife by Irish Life App. Go to the ‘social’ tab at the bottom of the screen
Bon voyage and best wishes are extended to Natasha Phelan, Woodview and her boyfriend Shane Fitzpatrick who le last week for Australia. They are wished the very best of luck in their quest down under.
Sincere sympathy is extended to Ms. Claire Ryan,
SAMARITAN - Whatever you’re going through a Samaritan will face it with you – available 24 hours a day 365 days a year – Freephone 1161Alone is available for older people who need support and you can call them on 0818 222024 (8am to 8pm)
AMBER KILKENNY WOMENS REFUGE – is available for
Choose ‘challenges’. Choose ‘Leinster GAA - Every Step Counts 2023’. Select ‘Join’ and ‘Young Irelands’
Don’t forget to sync your trackers in the ‘track’ tab so your steps are recorded.
The club will be running Ireland Lights Up separately at the end of the month on Monday evenings from 30th January - watch this space for details.
Dicksboro GAA Club Lotto Results 5th January. Nos: 7 27 29 32. Jackpot: €6650 Not Won
Draw Prizes – €50: Canice Kelly c/o Paddy Maher. €25 each Trish McGarry c/o Jimmy McGarry. €25 each Billy Deegan c/o P & J Cody. €25 each Joe Dwyer c/o Jim Murphy
Hurlers Co Op Ann Brett c/o Online. Promotors prize Joe Phelan. New weeks draw €6800 Thank you for your continued support.
The Dicksboro Calender 2023 is still available to purchase any Thursday night in the Clubhouse. You can also purchase online see ClubZap for more details.
Our Club Dinner Dance is being held Saturday 14th January in Langton’s House Hotel. Join us with MC Kieran Cuddihy where we will be celebrating the success of our Camogie Snr Champions 2021, u22 Camogie Champions 2021 and our u19 Hurling Champions 2022. We will also have a special presentation to the 1993 Senior Hurling Champions 30 years on !!! We look forward to seeing you all on the night. Purchase your ticket through any committee member or on our ClubZap.
The Dicksboro u13s, u15s and u17s were presented their Co Final medals at a function in a packed out Clubhouse in Palmerstown Friday 30th December. Congrats to all the players, Management and Mentors of all three Groups.
Congratulations to our own Cillian Buckley who captained Kilkenny in their opener against O aly in a crowded Callan along with his Boro team mates Bill Sheehan, Niall Rowe, Padraig Moylan, Timmy Cli ord and Evan Cody. Well done lads.
Lorraine Mullins, Kilkenny and Joseph Dillon, Great Oak, chose St. Molua’s Church, Killaloe for their day of days, namely their Wedding Day. Fr. Liam Taylor, P.P. celebrated the nuptial mas. Lorraine’s bridesmaid was Ciara Walton and Joseph’s brother Michael was best man. The four excited flower girls Anna Walton, Sophie Mulcahy, Mia Mulcahy and Eimear Walton looked fabulous in their beautiful outfits. Mary Dillon and Margaret Mullins, mothers of Lorraine and Joseph, presented the bread and wine to Fr. Liam for consecration a er the ceremony Lorraine, Joseph, their families and guests continued the celebration of their wedding in Newpark Hotel. Best wishes are expressed to the happy couple for many years of peace and happiness.
The death of Tommy Hennessy which occurred unexpectedly at his home at Pottlerath, Kilmanagh on Christmas Day has caused great shock and sadness not alone to his family but to the whole parish community. Tom was a postman for forty years and undoubtedly his courteous and friendly disposition endeared him to all who knew him. The attendance on both occasions of his funeral certainly bore witness to the popularity which Tom enjoyed. His requiem
mass was celebrated by Fr. Liam Taylor, P.P, in Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Kilmanagh. The Aluna Choir sang appropriate hymns during the mass. Tom’s burial took place in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Ballykee e. He is predeceased by his parents Thomas and Anne, sister Mary, brothers Liam, Haulie and Seamus. Sympathy is expressed to his sisters Lily and Brigid, brothers John, Christy, Eamon, Stephen and Paddy, brother in law, sisters in law, nieces, nephews and many friends. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
The death has occurred recently of Ronnie Larkin, late of Ballykee e, Kilmanagh and Wicklow. He will be remembered best for being the author of “The Road to Knockeenbawn”. This book proved to be very popular and many people, if not all, in the parish and the many people both our relatives and friends who live in other lands procured a copy which brought memories of bygone days. Our sympathy is expressed to his wife Elizabeth, relatives and friends.
Sunday 8th January. Junior Division 3 Emerald Tiles League. Newpark 4 River Rangers B 2 A close opening 20 minutes with nothing between the two sides. Newpark got a penalty putting them 1 up a er a good spell for Rangers. Soon a er we were caught by a long ball clearance, looping over the goalkeeper to make it 2-0. We battled away and kept ourselves in the game. Newpark, who were very di icult to break down, were passing well and getting chances to increase their lead and just before the break got a free kick just outside the box which was hit well for their 3rd goal. Rangers started well in the second half and created a few chances but we got caught on the break with Newpark scoring their 4th goal. Rangers never gave up and got their reward with a penalty of their own slotted away by Arron McEvoy. A few minutes later we pulled back another a er good pressing play with Jake O’Brien converting. With the score now 4-2 we stayed playing and showing great character and spirit, the lads deserve great credit for their e ort . Something to build on and are improving every game for a team that have only been put together a couple of months.
Team: Kieran Co ey, Aaron McEvoy, Charlie Cleere, Billy O’Neill, Cathal Dermody, Jack Fitzpatrick, Derek Hally, Martin Doheny, Dean O’Brien, Ben Hayes, Jake O’Brien, Willie O’Neill, Peter Murphy, Ciaran Dowling.
Saturday 7th January. Under 19 League Division 1A. East End United 4 River Rangers 1 A slow start saw East End go ahead early in the game but we got back into it a er half an hour with a fine strike from Aaron McEvoy from outside the box, score 1-1 with 35 min gone. Just before hal ime East End got a penalty which was converted giving them a lead 2-1 at the break.
Second half was a good old tussle and plenty of strong tackling from both sides. Two converted free kicks really killed River Rangers’ e ort to get back into it and we struggled to get near the goal. A good performance on a heavy pitch. The final score did not reflect the game as we proved we are well capable of competing in this league.
Team: Eoin Egan, Aiden Cahill, Charlie Cleere, Billy O’Neill, Patrick Foley, Billy Dowling, Aaron McEvoy, Ryan Cody, Jake O’Brien, Ryan Corcoran, Dean O’Brien, Pat Purcell, Dylan Teehan, James Casey, Michael Harrison.
Sunday 8th January Junior Division 2 League. Tullaroan 1 River Rangers A 1
RIVER RANGERS FIXTURES
Saturday 14th January
Under 13 League Division 1. Evergreen Ath v River Rangers in Evergreen, Kells Road
Under 15 St Canice’s Credit Union Division 1A. Callan United v River Rangers in Callan, Fair Green at 14:00.
Sunday 15th January
Junior Division 2 League. River Rangers A v Thomastown United B in Clonard Park at 11:00
Junior Division 3 Emerald Tiles League. River Rangers B v Evergreen 46 in Clonard Park at 14:00
Anyone wishing to submit news items, events, announcements etc. can do so by email only to elanigan18@gmail.com. If you have any photos that you would like included, please send as an attachment.
14th. at 6.30p.m.;
Months Mind Mass. Mick Kelly, Castlemorris, Mass in Hugginstown Church on Saturday 14th. at 8.00p.m. Anniversary Mass next weekend. May O’Shea, Croan: Mass in Hugginstown Church on Sunday 15th. at 10.00a.m.
Rota for next week-end. 14th. and 15th. January 2023. (Second Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Readers. Stoneyford. Saturday 6.30p.m. Sheila Lennon. Hugginstown: Saturday 8.00p.m. John Barron. Sunday 10.00a.m. Mary Carroll.
Eucharistic Ministers. Stoneyford. Saturday 6.30p.m. Natalia Smolen. Hugginstown: Saturday 8.00p.m. Mary Murphy. Sunday 10.00a.m. Kay Power.
Note. New Rota for Stoneyford Church is now available is Stoneyford Sacristy.Please collect.
Fr. Niall Coll will be ordained Bishop of Ossory on Sunday 22nd. January 2023 at 3.00p.m. in St Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny.
Diocesan Designated Liaison Person. Ms. Kathleen Sherry Tel: 087 100 0232. Aghaviller Parish Representatives are: Teresa Broderick and Carmel O’Toole
CHRISTMAS OFFERING
Many thanks for your very generous contributions for the Christmas O erings and for your support throughout the past year. Roman Catholic Diocese and Parishes of Ossory – Registered Charity No. 20015831
LOTTO
Lotto. Aghaviller Parish and Carrickshock G. A. A. Draw. Monday 2nd. January 2023. Numbers: 16; 07; 30; 25. No Winner First 3 Numbers Drawn. No Jackpot Winner: 5 x €30.00 Winners. Willie Hanlon, Paulstown. Ciara Ryan, Ballyhale. Angela Barron, Romansvalley. James Kenneally, Catstown. Canavan’s, c/o Fred Malzard. 3 x €15.00 (Sellers). Mary Raggett. Walshe’s Shop. James Irish.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION DATES 2023
For Stoneyford School on Sunday 14th. May in Stoneyford Church at 11.00a.m.
For Monroe/Newmarket Schools on Sunday 21st. May in Hugginstown Church at 11.00am
Many thanks to all the Children; Parents; Teachers; Musicians; Choirs; Readers; Eucharistic Ministers; Servers and others who prepared the Christmas Masses: and to all who cleaned and decorated the Churches in the Parish for the Christmas Season and throughout the year. Thanks to all who erected the Cribs; donated flowers and Christmas trees etc. A sincere thank you and appreciation to all.
(To donate directly.)
For Aghaviller Parish Funds: Use IBAN: IE74 AIBK 9330 9000 0610 47 (BIC: AIBKIE2D)
For the support of Clergy: Use IBAN: IE19 AIBK 9330 9000 0561 20 (BIC: AIBKIE2D).
All Parish Property and Accounts are registered under the (Diocese of Ossory, Reg. Charity No. 20015831)
ALHOMECARE
ALHomecare
ALHomecare is in business for 9 years, they work with hundreds of families and have nearly 300 carers working nationwide. It is a safe and a ordable alternative to nursing homes and private visiting carers, which they are aware are in serious short supply especially at this time of the year with cold and wintery weather. 6,000 people who have been approved for funded home care from the HSE have had to be put on a waiting list because of a shortage of carers. ALHomecare is an option as they know that choosing the right care for your relative is a very important decision. You naturally want the best quality care at an a ordable price. They understand that homecare can be very expensive and can put a lot of stress and worry on individuals and their families. They aim to provide you with the highest quality homecare at an a ordable price. Contact Tom 087 744 0729 or Eileen 087 991 6791 who will be happy to chat anytime.
MASS
Hugginstown: Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 9.30a.m. No Mass Tuesday and Thursday Vigil - Saturday 14th. at 8.00p.m. Sunday 15th. at 10.00a.m.
Stoneyford. No Mass on Wednesday. Vigil - Saturday
Carrickshock G.A.A. wishes all a happy New Year and invites you to their Annual General Meeting in Hugginstown Community Centre on Friday 20th. January at 7.30p.m. Nomination Papers are available from secretary.carrickshock.kilkenny@gaa.ie. Carrickshock G.A.A. and Carrickshock Camogie Clubs are hosting a joint Dinner Dance on Saturday 11th. February. More details to follow.
Kilkenny hurlers recorded their first win under new bainisteoir Derek Lyng as they defeated a gallant Offaly side by 4-points in Callan last weekend.
Emeralds club man Lyng’s first senior selection saw an experimental blend of youth and experience take to the pitch at John Locke Park and get the Walsh Cup campaign off to a winning start. In total six players earned their first stripes in the senior panel and gave the manager plenty to think about. Dicksboro’s Cillian Buckley was selected as captain and his experience was vital on the pitch.
An absolutely first class freetaking performance from U20 All-Ireland winner Billy Drennan was key to helping secure a maiden victory for the ‘post-Cody’ side. The Galmoy man was in top form and made the most of his first opportunity in the senior ranks.
Goals win games, and the Cats two majors from Glenmore’s Ian Byrne and Conahy Shamrocks Tom Phelan went a long way to securing maximum points.
Galmoy’s Billy Drennan started the game brightly and registered the first two Kilkenny scores of the day from the placed ball. Indeed, the opening five scores of the game all came from frees with the home side taking a one-point lead on 8 minutes after Thomastown’s John Donnelly popped over a free. The first score from open play came from wing-back Conor Heary and this was followed by two on the bounce from dangerman Drennan as the Cats led by 4-points with eleven on the clock.
A nice point from play by Offaly’s Cillian Kiely followed, but then the home side registered the first of their two majors on the day.
Another of the U20 squad from last season, Ian Byrne saw his shot escape the clutches of Offaly keeper, Shinrone’s Eamonn Cleary and drop into the net. Small margins, big gains.
Two more points from play by Kilkenny, courtesy of Drennan and late inclusion Bill Sheehan saw the Noresiders move into what appeared to be a commanding 8-point lead, but to their credit Offaly rallied and got themselves back into the contest thanks to points from Kiely and Belmont’s David Nally (2) which temporarily reduced the deficit to five points.
Lisdowney’s Niall Brennan
replaced mid elder Peter McDonald before further points from John Donnelly and Sheehan pushed the Kilkenny lead out to seven with some 27 minutes played. Just minutes later with half an hour played a second change by the home side saw Tom Phelan replace Emmet Landy in the forward line.
e visitors outscored the cats four points to one in the remaining minutes of the opening period as the teams reached the interval on a score line of Kilkenny 1-11, O aly 0-10.
When play resumed, e Faithful County hit the opening 3-points of the second period, all via the accurate free-taking of Kilcormac/Killoughey’s Cillian Kiely as he moved to 0-10 for the day. e O aly comeback was brie y halted when rst-half sub Niall Brennan struck over a ne point to get the home side going in the second half.
Johnny Kelly’s side drew level by the 44th minute, that man Kiely with another quality placed ball, and an exquisite score from Ross Ravenhill.
Billy Drennan then sent over a brace of frees, much to the delight of the home support to give his side a 2-point lead. Manager Lyng then made a quadruple change
with Alan Murphy, Timmy Cli ord, Mikey Butler and Padraig Walsh replacing Ian Byrne, David Blanch eld, Niall Mullins and Des Dunne respectively.
O aly brought the game back to a 1-point score, thanks to a good score from Charlie Mitchell as U20 All-Ireland winning captain Padraic Moylan entered the fray with some 18 minutes played in the second half. e next four points were shared as subs Alan Murphy and Timmy Cli ord go on the score board for the hosts while Kiely and Brian Duignan replied for the visitors.
e second green ag of the day was then raised with 22 minutes gone in the second period.
O’Loughlin’s Paddy Deegan sent in a ne oated pass which Conahy’s Tom Phelan collected before dispatching a hard low shot across the keeper to the net. Again, O aly showed ght and struck over a few more scores, which will have pleased their manager and supporters.
Fittingly, Billy Drennan sent over the last couple of scores for Derek Lyng’s side as he capped a memorable debut on home soil. When the long whistle sounded, the score board in John Locke Park read, Kilkenny 2-19, O aly 0-21.
Scorers for Kilkenny: B Drennan (0-9, 0-5 frees, 0-1 65); I Byrne, T Phelan (1-0 each); J Donnelly, B Sheehan, N Brennan (0-2 each); C Heary, P Moylan, A Murphy, T Cli ord (0-1 each).
Scorers for O aly: C Kiely (013, 0-11 frees); D Nally (0-4, 0-2 frees); J Murphy, R Ravenhill, C Mitchell, B Duignan (0-1 each).
KILKENNY: D Brennan; N Rowe, H Lawlor, N Mullins; C Heary, C Buckley, D Dunne; D Blanch eld, P McDonald; E Landy, J Donnelly, P Deegan; I Byrne, B Drennan, B Sheehan. Subs: P Moylan, P Walsh, E Cody, N Brennan, A Murphy, M Butler, T Cli ord.
OFFALY: E Cleary; P Cantwell, C Burke, J Nally; D King, J Sampson, K Sampson; R Ravenhill, P Delaney; D Nally, C Kelly; J Screeney; B Duignan, P Clancy, J Murphy. Subs: S Corcoran, O Kelly, D Maher, S Dooley, A Cleary, J Clancy, J Keenaghan. Referee: C Daly (Kildare).
The Derek Lyng era started with exactly the result that we all wanted. Offaly proved game challengers and you could certainly see the progression made under the stewardship of Ballyhale man Michael Fennelly who passed the reigns to Johnny Kelly at the end of last season.
It was great to see some of the U20 All-Ireland winning panel in senior action last week. Billy Drennan has excelled at all levels of hurling (and handball!) to date, and the step-up to senior action didn’t appear to faze the Galmoy man. Drennan looked every inch a Kilkenny player in Callan. He was brilliant from the placed-ball and had a lively opening period overall. We’ll definitely see more of Billy as the season progresses.
Getting ten players on the score sheet will also have been very encouraging for the new manager and getting to cast his eye of his first senior panel in competitive action will no doubt have given him much food for thought.
I thought Tom Phelan took his goal really well, he did exactly the same last season in this competition!
The manager alluded to players tiring a little during the game and perhaps a little inconsistancy during the win over Offaly, but as he mentioned, it’s all about building a competitive panel for the National League campaign.
This weekend we have a little road trip to Rathdowney to face Willie Maher’s Laois. The former Bennettsbridge manager also got off to a winning start when the O’Moore County surprisingly got the better of Darragh Eagan’s Wexford.
Tomas ‘Mossy’ Keyes will take a bit of watching next week. Along with Jordan Walshe and lively newcomer James Duggan, Willie appears to have re-energized the County following his appointment. Maher has also encouraged some hurlers to return to the county scene, while he still has the likes of Stephen ‘Picky’ Maher to come back in. experienced heads PJ Scully & Ross King started on the bench last week, and both could play a more
role this weekend.
This fixture could possibly be a little more physical than the opening round game with
management will no doubt have this in mind when selecting their starting XV.
It is certainly exciting times on Noreside. Like the air, things feel fresh. Let’s build on
a mouth-watering
and the
Significant Further Information/Revised Plans.
We, Carrickshock GAA intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for planning permission for a Proposed new all-weather synthetic playing pitch with perimeter fencing, netting, walls and flood lighting, proposed two storey extension to existing community hall, proposed demolition of existing wall ball area, proposed walking track with associated flood lighting, proposed new wastewater treatment tank and percolation area, stormwater soakaways, landscaping and all associated site works at Hugginstown, Co. Kilkenny. Ref. No. of the application: 22448.
Significant Further Information/Revised Plans (including changes to site boundary & decommissioning of existing treatment tank/percolation area to a newly proposed new wastewater treatment tank and percolation area) has/have been furnished to the Planning Authority in respect of this proposed development, and is available for inspection or purchase at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the Offices of the Planning Authority during its public opening hours of 9:00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. A submission or observation in relation to the further information or revised plans may be made in writing to the Planning Authority within a period of 2 weeks from the date of receipt of the revised public notices. A submission or observation must be accompanied by the prescribed fee of €20, except in the case of a person or body who has already made a submission or observation and such submission or observation 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.
O Holy St. Anthony gentlest of Saints, your love for God and charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers.
Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me (request).
O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms. The gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.
Amen M.M.
Grateful thanks to St. Martha for favour received.
Light a candle and say this prayer every Tuesday for 9 Tuesdays
Never known to fail
(Promise Publication)
Saint Martha, I resort to thy aid and protection.
As proof of my a ection and faith, I o er thee this light, which I shall burn every Tuesday.
Comfort me in all my di culties and through the great favours thou didst enjoy when the Savior was lodged in thy house, intercede for my family, that we be provided for in our necessities. I ask of thee, Saint Martha, to overcome all di culties as thou didst overcome the dragon which thou hadst at thy feet.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(Mention your request here…)
Saint Martha, pray for us.
Say 1: Our Father… Say 1: Hail Mary… Say 1: Glory Be…
This miraculous Saint grants your wish before 9 Tuesdays, no matter how di cult. C.D
Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.
This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).
Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.
Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted. Never been known to fail.
Must promise publication of prayer.M.R.
Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.
This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).
Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.
Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted. Never been known to fail. Must promise publication of prayer.C.G.
Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.
This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).
Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen. Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted. Never been known to fail.
Must promise publication of prayer.S.G.
Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.
This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).
Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.
Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted. Never been known to fail.
Must promise publication of prayer.S.M.
Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.
This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).
Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.
Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted. Never been known to fail.
Must promise publication of prayer.T.C.
Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.
This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).
Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.
Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted. Never been known to fail.
Must promise publication of prayer.S.M.
Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.
This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).
Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen. Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted. Never been known to fail.
Must promise publication of prayer.P.OG.
Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.
This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).
Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.
Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted. Never been known to fail.
Must promise publication of prayer.A.S.
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.F.C.
(never known to fail).
O most beautiful ower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful vine, Splendour of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, O Star of the sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother. O Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to grant my request. (Please state request). There are none that can withstand your power. O show me herein you are my Mother. I place this cause in your hands (three times). Thank you for your mercy towards me and mine. Amen.
This prayer must be said for three days and after this the request will be granted. This prayer must be published immediately. M.B
