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Picture Special................P24

The Walsh family
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The Butler family and Billy O’Neill The O’Neill family
The Maloney family THe Neradie family The Kenny family







The Butler family
New poems
IN 2019, ‘ e Kilkenny Involvement Centre’ published a book of poems with the wonderful title ‘Poems from a Kilkenny Laneway’. e ninety page publication features forty poems with contributions from members at the centre as well as work from Kilkenny’s wider writing community.
In conjunction with e Involvement Centre, e Kilkenny Observer newspaper will reproduce these poems over the coming weeks. e Kilkenny Observer is delighted to promote this project and we hope you enjoy the poems.
Week eleven sees poems from John Sheahan, Andrew Small and Isobel Ní ighearnáin *We are delighted to feature a poem by John Sheahan who launched the poetry book. John was a member of e Dubliners Ballad group.
Timescape

When time was young and plentiful I squandered it on hop, skip and jump And dallied in every byway. Now I move with measured pace, Pursuing punctuality; Timing tasks in microseconds; Saving precious minutes in a bank of time. One day, when clocks have stopped And the banker has absconded, I’ll arrive, neither late nor early, But dead on time.

John Sheahan




Solas an Earraigh (Spring Light)
Lying within it holds me in its grasp. My winter wait in light, in silence, is over. My resurrection has begun. Hands into earth, head searching, I emerge, gentle, silent. Shadows break the dawn, morning mist hangs over my head. My grasp releases and beauty unfolds. Fragrance lls the air. I am with bowed head, penitent to spring sunlight.
Andrew Small


Mo Chreideamh
Is duine mé Duine casta, dúnárasach Duine le croí, Ach dúirt siad liom nach bhfuil sin ceart Gur caith dh mé guí. Ar an Dia,ar an Mac, chun an Diabhal a imeacht, Ó m’anam,a bhfuil gránna, Níl,nach grá, ach gránna,ùafásach, mícheart, Homaighnéasach. A scread siad i m’aghaidh le deora i mo shúile, dúirt mé,ar a laghad, Is féidir liom buachaill a thabhairt abhaile, chuig an mháthair A béal ag magadh, nach cailín ceart mé,tada Is feidir liom a dhéanamh. Ná bíodh focal as do bhéal” A dúirt an sagart liom, Ach tá an lá sin fós ann, An lá a bhriseadh mo chroí, Síos ar mo ghlúine,ag guí, Chuig an Dia nach néisteann Do sna páistí a seineann Ceol gan ainm. Ghuí me go nach mbuailfeadh An Máthair mo chroí bocht briste, Ach anois tá gach rud scriosta. Toisc gur labhair mé mo chreideamh, Ní creideamh an séipéal Nó creideamh mo chlann shaol. Ach creideamh mo chroí. Mo chroí bocht,briste Mo chroí gránna,úafásach, mìcheart Agus Homaighnéasach.
John Sheahan


ObserverThe Kilkenny


Fashion


Style & Fitness



All a girl could want this
Autumn



GOODS of Kilkenny are delighted to announce that Whistles is now open on their 1st Floor

WHISTLES is a shopping destination for the busy, dynamic woman and have timeless pieces with an intelligent sense of design. Understated yet cool, throw on but never throw away – this is real life fashion.
Goods have also opened an Accessory department on their ground oor featuring Handbags, Purses, Jewellery, Hosiery and Gift idea’s adding variety to their ever-expanding Cosmetic department. Here you will nd new brands such as INKY, INDEED, Embryolisse and hot o the press new releases from SOSU and LUNA by Lisa.
Across their existing Departments
Autumn is well and truly the in season. Lots of new Shoes and
Boots in the
Shoe Suite and the most beautiful Kids coats all available in their basement. Plenty of cosy Nightwear has arrived in their Lingerie
Department on the 2nd Floor along with a whole new range from Beaumont and Via Appia in their Gardeur Department. Choice on the ground oor have moved across the store to a larger area and have added a new leisurewear brand ART.
Express Beauty, o ering reading, Waxing, Massage, Nails, Make Up, Piercing, Braiding is now available for a walk-in service and you have the convenience of booking your appointment on-line with your favourite therapist on @goods.ie. At Goods they say, rst and foremost, nd the beauty that you carry within you and let Express Beauty @ Goods do the rest!
Shop this wonderful store 24hours a day on goods.ie.
hot o the press new releases from SOSU and LUNA by Lisa.
Across their existing Departments
Autumn is well and truly the in season. Lots of new Shoes and
Boots in the
Shoe Suite and the most beauti ful Kids coats all available in their basement. Plenty of cosy Nightwear has arrived in their Lingerie
Department on the 2nd Floor along with a whole new range from Beaumont and Via Appia in their Gardeur



Fashion, Style &Fitness
MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre

IT’S that time of year again…a new season means time to transition our wardrobes as we change from summer to autumn. Find all the newest fashion trends at MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre to help you switch up your wardrobe.
If you’re still holding on to a little bit of summer this beautiful brown oral dress from River Island combined with a longline denim jacket and beanie hat makes for the perfect autumnal out t. Or add a pop of colour to your autumn wardrobe with a vibrant, patterned dress from Carraig Donn.
For a trendier look, pair these fab trousers from H&M with black boots and an oversized knit top to complete the ensemble. For a more casual look swap out the boots for a pair of trainers from Skechers.
No autumn wardrobe is complete without a coat and Regatta’s lightweight soft shell is ideal as the weather starts to cool down, but don’t worry if you like to feel that bit warmer as they have a range of quilted coats in store too.
A new season doesn’t have to be all about changing your wardrobe, perhaps a space in your home needs a little refresh too. TK Maxx have an amazing selection of homewares to choose from to create that perfect cosy autumnal feel. Once you’ve nished redecorating make sure to light a nice autumn scented candle to relax and enjoy your new revitalised space.
For more autumn inspiration make sure to follow MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre on Facebook and Instagram.

*All prices correct at time of print

Hello Autumn!



t Carraig Donn €39.95 u River Island Denim Jacket €135, Dress €6, Hat €18








t Regatta €40 H&M €19.99 u
H&M €29.99 u
q Skechers q Skechers €80 €80

q H&M q H&M €39.99 €39.99
TK Maxx €26.99 u
TK Maxx €79.99 u



National Fitness Day 2021



On ursday 23rd September T.J. Reid’s Health & Fitness club will be taking part in the Ireland Active National Fitness Day celebration



WE will be running classes throughout the day where members will be invited to bring along a friend to experience the very best that Kilkenny has to o er in Health & Fitness.
Our experienced and friendly sta will be on hand throughout the day to meet & greet everyone o ering our advice on all your health & tness needs.
We are delighted to be celebrating National Fitness day 2021, it has been a long road to re-opening for everyone and we are very excited to be able to welcome our members and guests back through our doors again.
We have been very busy over the past while adding to our Fitness facilities, in late 2020 we added our new strength and conditioning area to the gym, but we were unable to properly let our members experience this as we were closed very shortly after completing the €70k investment in the area.
Our Gym oor has now been extended to over 15000 sq ft o ering plenty of space and equipment for everyone, from treadmills to, cross trainers and the world famous Concept two rower and ski’erg’s our cardio areas has something for everyone and enough equipment to cater for everyone. 2021 has seen us continue our investment in the facility, this time we have improved our studios adding in a new dedicated spin studio o ering the very best in lighting and sound to bring our members the very best spin experience possible.
Our two previous studios have now been combined into one large studio and we are just nishing o a fantastic lighting and sound experience in this space also. We are very excited to be bringing the very best in classes to our members and we know they will love the new classes we have in store for the autumn.
We have devised a brand new program of classes for our members and we are looking forward to welcoming our members back into our studios over the next few weeks and months.
T.j. Reid’s also has a team of experienced and friendly Personal trainers at your disposal, we would encourage everyone to try this service. Our team of personal trainers are among the very best in the country and we are delighted to have them as part of the T.J. Reid team. To speak to a personal trainer please email pt@ reid tness.ie.
To Contact T.J. Reids Health & Fitness club call us on 056- 4449015 or email us at info@ reid tness.ie
Community Footcare... what I can do for you!
IM a fully quali ed and insured Foot Health Practitioner, holding a diploma in Foot Health Care from the Same Institute UK. As a Foot Health Practitioner I specialise in the care and maintenance of your feet and I deal with all sorts of foot issues including Corns, Callus(Hard Skin), Heel Fissures, Ingrowing nail problems, Fungal Nails, thickened nails, Athletes foot and Verrucas.
Continued Professional Development (CPD’s) are an Important part of refreshing my skills and keeping up with new treatment options and techniques. I have a special Interest in both the Diabetic foot and the elderly foot.
Most people bene t from foot care maintenance to keep their feet healthy and pain free. Our feet go through a lot and it is important to care for them from birth and throughout each phase of your life, whether you are a tness fanatic, a busy professional or enjoying retirement.
While foot problems are very common and a ect people of all ages, being elderly, overweight or diabetic increases problems and also the need for a footcare routine. Also impractical or ill tting footwear can also lead to feet being neglected and not maintained.
I accommodate with home visits and will now be o ering a clinic setting also. I assure all my patients they will be dealt with in a kind, understanding and con dential manner. Please feel free to contact me anytime with any queries via phone 0874139475, email catdon80@ gmail.com or Facebook.





e bene ts of a hot cup
ANDREW MCDONALD HYPNOTHERAPIST
WRITE a list of stereotypically Irish things and it’s guaranteed “a cup of tea” features prominently. In recent years this has changed with coffee becoming more popular. Almost 60% of Irish adults drink the bean-based beverage at least once a day with about a third consuming several cups on a daily basis. Tea is still the clear winner though with Ireland’s population downing four to six mugs of the leaf infusion every 24 hours.
There aren’t many situations where a cup of tea isn’t a perfect accompaniment. Whether sitting down to chat, grabbing a quick break at work, working through a difficult issue with friends or family, tea is there as a crutch. Well, except for oddballs like me who actually don’t like the stuff (give me coffee or yerba mate – more of that later) but I’m very much in the minority.
There are several reasons why tea is good for both body and mind which help explain why it has such an important role to play in daily life. It hydrates the body and none of us can function properly without taking sufficient liquid. Secondly, it’s a good source of anti-oxidants which can help to prevent heart disease. Tea, the green variety at least, is also known to protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s. It can help to lower the stress hormone cortisol and guard against depression. Some scientists suggest it is also anti-carcinogenic.
Coffee does many of these things too including preventing fatigue and depressed mood. It also helps the body ward off diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer. Furthermore, coffee leaves you feeling energised and, perhaps by virtue of that fact, helps burn fat.
It’s no wonder then that Ireland is so keen on cups of tea and coffee. The actual action of consuming a warm drink is in itself soothing, particularly given we’re not blessed with the greatest weather in the world. Additionally, there are all the other positive health benefits.
Comforting drinks don’t stop there though. Obviously there are the old cold remedies of hot whiskey for adults and warm blackcurrant for children. However, Irish people are also opening up to other beverages enjoyed in parts of the world which have, until recently, had less influence on our dietary habits.
Japanese matcha’s popularity is growing quickly. It’s a powdered green tea, in form a bit like instant coffee though the similarity ends there, matcha being much healthier and more natural. Yerba mate is probably a bit behind matcha in terms of becoming a go-to drink for many people in Ireland. However, health stores are catching onto it and it is extremely popular in South America. Both drinks are known for helping mental health as well as being powerful dietary aids in addition to providing many other mental and physical health benefits.
Whatever you choose to put in your cup, you’re sure to be helping boost your overall wellness in both mind and body! Another reason to put on the kettle!





Prima Materia marks a time when we are ready to review, renew and rebuild


Kilkenny Arts O ce is delighted to announce Prima Materia, a solo exhibition of work by Irish installation artist Helen Mac Mahon

Community Group



‘Together we can prevent fraud’ says Murty

fortunately, they are fraudsters waiting around every corner.
Social media and our text services are no strangers to scammers who perfect the ‘trade’ to look like professional associations and defraud us of our hard-earned cash and savings.
Today we are going to discuss such fraud schemes. is week you may have received a text message(s) claiming that a parcel is waiting for you to collect. e message, which comes from an Irish mobile number and a link to a website to claim the package, is part of a new wave of phishing scams. Gardaí are calling on people to remain vigilant against these messages. e link on the message will, when opened, ask for a payment for delivery of the item. is allows the scammers to take large sums of money from your account.
If you receive a text message like this, do not open the link. If you are awaiting delivery of a package and you receive one of these messages, do no open the link and instead go back to your original order and contact the supplier/deliverer directly. • Free Trial Products: Social media sites are often used to lure people into signing up for free trials on products. ese scams usually involve the participant signing up for a free trial of a product which is often not genuine instructing them to provide their payment card details upfront. e victim then becomes tied into a xed period contract unbeknownst to them and have provided their payment card details to an unknown individual.
• SOS or HELP Messages:
is scam involves social media account holders receiving messages from persons in their “friends” or “contacts” list saying that they are in trouble in a foreign country and need help. is message usually requests that they transfer money to an account in a foreign country. e content of the messages varies but popular ones tell the story that the person has been arrested and needs money for bail or that they have fallen ill and need money for hospital treatment. ese scams are also perpetrated by email.

• Clickbait: is is a post on social media which is worded in a way to attract the users’ attention and persuade them to click on the link to nd out more.
Often times these links are to bogus websites which seek to compromise your personal or security data.
PRIMA MATERIA WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FROM 17TH SEPT 10TH OCT.
Prima Materia has been curated and designed to be viewed through the gallery windows and online. is exhibition sees work being exhibited in 76-77 John Street Lower, Online at kilkennyartso ce. ie and on Instagram @ kilkennyartso ce. e past 18 months have seen our world rocked to its core. Contrary to what our senses would have us believe, the world we inhabit is not solid or xed but exists in a state of perpetual creation. Institutions, structures, and supports that once seemed unassailable have crumbled in the face of an invisible enemy. Prima Materia, the name given by alchemists to the formless substance that is the essence of the beginnings of all things, is a primordial chaos existing in a state between energy and matter containing all possibilities. Carl Jung believed it to be the unconscious mind. Prima Materia, therefore, seems a tting metaphor at a time we nd ourselves poised at a point of in nite potential, ready to review, renew or rebuild our inner and outer worlds.
Mac Mahon’s art practice is concerned primarily with the phenomena of light, movement, perception, and space. e work strives to observe and reveal the ecosystem that exists between the viewer and these intangible elements that exist in a perpetual state of transformation. Changes occurring in each element have a perceptible impact on the others, revealing previously overlooked properties and characteristics.
Prima Materia is the second installment in a three-part curatorial project that explores the shifting of perspectives in three chapters: Past, Present, and Future. Positioning othered voices to the fore and providing new lenses with which to view our world, each exhibition will focus on an artist or artists whose work teases out alternative histories, hidden narratives, and speculative futures. is exhibition is part of Kilkenny County Council Arts O ce’s ‘Emerging Curator in Residence Programme’. is programme is enabling Aoife Banks to gain direct experience in the eld of curating exhibitions for the Arts O ce in Kilkenny. is opportunity provides Aoife with the platform to further develop her career, expand her artistic and creative networks, and avail of a mentoring programme with curator Eamonn Maxwell.

in order to obtain the payment card details of victims and steal money from their bank accounts. ese sites look genuine and often o er discounts to attract victims. It is only when the victim does not receive their goods that they become suspicious but at this stage their payment card details have been compromised.
Crime Prevention Advice
• Never send money to a third party unless you can trust their bona des. • Be wary of unsolicited contacts or where the contact appears to be based in other jurisdictions. • Be wary when the avenues for contacting the other party are limited. • Push for direct answers and if responses are vague disengage immediately. • Never give personal, nancial or security information to persons who are unknown to you. • If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. • Do your research and accept nothing as fact until you have satis ed yourself that it is genuine. We hope this article is of bene t to you, if you are unsure, worried you may have been defrauded of your money? Always contact your local Garda station on 0567722222.