Travel & Leisure

from Kilkenny Observer 17th September 2021

Food & Drink

Discover Bali Island of the Gods

LOOKING for a slice of paradise? Bali is exactly that. Whether you come to relax, explore or party ‘til dawn, the ‘Island of the Gods’ has no end of beaches, nature reserves and landmarks to discover. From the idyllic stretches of golden coastline to the picturesque mountains, volcanoes and hillside temples, there’s always more to explore.

With its dramatic shoreline and scenic shing ports, Bali’s coast is full of postcard-perfect spots to visit. e wide, sandy beaches are naturally a big draw, as are the crystal-clear waters – ideal for spotting the island’s exotic marine life.

Jimbaran is a quaint shing village located south of Kuta. Its breath-taking white beaches are the perfect place to while away a few hours with a book. Be sure to test the delicious local sh dishes.

Despite its popularity with tourists, Bali has some of the most undisturbed natural beauty spots and historic temples in Indonesia. From water gardens to places of worship, these landmarks are the perfect escape from the shore when the sun’s at its highest.

Discover Bali’s local blend of Hinduism and animism at Pura Geger, a cli top temple perched over the ocean in Nusa Dua. As you go inside, take a moment to stop and admire the intricately carved gate guardians and gilt detailing over the doorways.

Tirta Gangga is a peaceful water garden in an enchanting former royal palace. Its pools meander through mini pagodas, fountains, pavilions and statues. Don’t forget to try the stepping stone pool.

While away an hour studying the ceiling of the Hall of Justice at Klungkung temple. Its unique frescoes, painted in the local wayang style, depict di erent punishments in the afterlife – a warning for convicts as they came to hear their sentences. e iconic Tanah Lot temple, situated on an island near Kuta and devoted to the sea god Dewa Baruna, is a must-see. Catch the sunset from here for a great photo op. If you’re visiting during the day, don’t miss the local markets to pick up presents and souvenirs. e awe-inspiring Besakih Temple sits 1,000 metres above sea level on the hillsides of Mount Agung. It’s the largest religious site on the island – actually a complex consisting of 23 temples and pavilions, built on six levels. Parts of the site date back over 2,000 years and it’s now the centre of Balinese Hinduism.

GETTING THERE…

• Abbey Travel o er a package from Dublin to Bali

Denpasar International including: • Seven nights at Lumbung Sari Cottages & Spa in

Ubud, Bali (bed & breakfast) • Room service • Transport to and from airport • Massage • Bike rental • Swimming pool * €977 per person

PLEASE NOTE: Price may vary and travel is pandemic dependent.

Top 5 travel apps for a well-planned holiday

IF you love to travel, you know how chaotic planning and taking a trip can be. at’s where a great travel app can help you get organised. Here are some of the best travel apps to help you plan your next adventure.

01 KAYAK

Award-winning travel app Kayak allows you to search for ights, hotels, and car rentals. e clean interface gives you a full list of possible options, including reduced hacker fares, where you book outgoing and returning ights with two separate airlines.

02 PACKPOINT

A delight for anyone who hates packing, PackPoint tells you exactly what to bring. First, enter where you’re going, when, and for how long. Choose business or leisure, then select the types of activities you’ll be doing.

03 GOOGLE MAPS

Google Maps is great for finding your way around in your city or anywhere in the world. Get the best route with automatic rerouting based on live traffic updates and road closures.

04 XE CURRENCY

is currency converter and money-transfer tool allows you to determine exchange rates quickly and easily. Type an amount in one denomination and see the results in as many other denominations as you want.

05 ITRANSLATE

Use this app to type or speak your sentence, and get the translation in your chosen language. A handy expand feature lets you display the result on your full screen to show to locals you’re trying to communicate with.

How to buy a home in 2021

A Romanian couple’s journey to buy their rst home in Kilkenny, Ireland

BUYING a house should be exciting, but during a Pandemic, things can go downhill. Our journey started a few years ago when we decided that we would love to have our own place to call Home.

It was just a thought, a dream, if you will. But after the baby came, back in 2019 we knew we had to ght to make our dream come true. Just when we thought we were close to raise the 10% and apply for a mortgage, Covid 19 Pandemic started. I can remember it well, because Icame back from maternity leave the exact Monday the Pandemic started.

We had so many mixed feelings about everything; having a small baby in the house, I was working from home, and my husband, just like half of the country was at home on Covid 19 payments. It was stressful and hard, because I can say I had 2 babies. My husband was not used to being at home all day, and a 7 month old who needed constant attention. I’ll be honest and say it felt like I had 3 full time jobs.

What initially was thought to be a 3 week situation, ended up to be months of lockdown and not leaving your house for more than 5 km distance.

Our dream of owning a house seemed to be impossible.

Fast forward to March 2021 we approached a bank and spoke with the Mortgage agent to start the process of applying for a loan.

If you intend to get a mortgage, most of the banks will ask for:

• 10% deposit • Last 3 payslips for you and your partner/spouse • Utility bills and ID

We were lucky to have the mortgage approved in principle in a week. Hurray!!!! And our dream was nearly a reality but not yet and check next week’s edition and we will tell you what came next

Community Group From migration to integration

WRITTEN BY NATALIA CAULFIELD FOR TWILIGHT COMMUNITY GROUP 085 1229664

LAST week we gave you a brief overview of the Programme the Twilight Community Group and partners from Migration to Integration international Erasmus + project. is week we wish to give you a more detailed insight into the activities involved for our partners

Over several afternoon sessions, the groups teamed up and worked on traditional sports games from their respective countries. A wide range of games were demonstrated, some familiar and some that caused hilarious confusion. e aim of this activity was to compile a manual of di erent sports games that could be used to play with children from migrant camps and in our work when we return home. Using sport as a tool, participants were encouraged to develop simple instructions that could be communicated non-verbally. Having completed several interesting workshops earlier in the week that served to enhance our non-verbal communication skills, we learned how meeting people from other nationalities can pose many di erent communication challenges, the main one being a language barrier but there are also many cultural di erences that need to be respected.

In our national teams we discussed the realities of the migrant situation in each of our countries and presented our ndings to the group. Our partner teams from Malta, Turkey, Portugal, Serbia, Italy and Lithuania spoke about the realities of the crisis in their counties. ere are both wonderful initiatives happening and heart-breaking situations but one of the main takeaways was that here in Ireland, we are extremely sheltered from the realities of the movement of people across a continent that is home to three quarters of a billion people. ere is no better way to learn about nationalities that di er from our own than with a special evening dedicated to culture, food, drink and music etc. We had a wonderful time sampling tasty treats from each country and learning about their cultural history during Intercultural Night. Some highlights included feasting on delicious hazelnuts that travelled from one participants grandmothers garden in Italy, learning a traditional Turkish dance and delighting in a traditional Serbian alcoholic drink called Rakija. Team Ireland presented an exciting slideshow that highlighted all of our best bits. Following that, we had a demonstration of hurling tricks by Mursaleen, our honorary Kilkenny man for the day and a video showing the myriad of skills involved. e participants loved to learn about the fastest eld game in the world and some even tried their hand at a few tricks! We gave them some Jameson and Baileys to sample too, sure it’d be rude not to!

We had a presentation on the Bosnia and Herzegovina Balkan migrant route from the course leader and he gave an extremely insightful lesson on the history of the area and how it has ended up as a migration bottle neck. We then worked in our teams to focus on how we can disseminate the information learned in our own respective countries when we return home. We have had many great ideas relating to Twilight Community Group so watch this space!

In next week’s edition Natalia Caul eld tells us of a trip to a Migrant Camp.

New ‘green’ car share more than doubles

THE share of new electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles out of all new registrations in the rst eight months of the year has more than doubled when compared with the same period of 2020, the latest gures from the Central Statistics O ce show.

Electric and hybrid cars continue to grow in popularity. Just over a quarter (25.5%) of all new cars licensed in the rst eight months of the year were electric and hybrid cars, compared with 15.3% of new cars licensed in the rst eight months of 2020.

When electric and hybrid cars that both plug in and do not are combined, the number of new electric and hybrid cars licensed in the rst eight months was 105.4% greater than in the same period in 2020.

Electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles alone constituted 14.9% of all new cars licensed for the rst time in the rst eight months compared to 6.6% in the rst eight months of 2020.

In August, 8,563 new private cars were licensed in Ireland, compared with 7,360 in August 2020, which was an increase of 16.3%. is compared with 7,202 new private cars licensed in August 2019.

Volkswagen (1,088) was the most popular make of new private car licensed followed by Hyundai (849), Toyota (830), Kia (708) and Skoda (672). Together these ve makes represented almost half (48.4%) of all new private cars licensed in August.

In the rst eight months of the year, 34.4% of all new private cars licensed were diesel, compared with 43.4% in the same period for 2020. Some 81.3% were in the A/B CO2 emissions bands.

Beef farmers need access to China market

PRESIDENT of IFAC, Ireland’s farming, food and agribusiness specialist professional services rm, said the decision by the Brazilian authorities to stop exports to China presents a huge opportunity for our beef sector.

Tim Cullinan, IFAC President said: “ e Taoiseach Micheál Martin, the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue and the Government must now redouble their efforts to secure an immediate return of Irish beef to the Chinese market.

“We should be making the most of this decision by Brazil. It’s a chance to gain a foothold in a market where demand is growing for quality food,” he said.

Brazil exported nearly 400,000 tonnes of beef to China in the rst six months of this year, underlining the scale of the market that exists there.

IFA Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said the Chinese market for Irish beef for the rst six months of 2020 had grown in value by over 60% to €22.5m, compared to the previous year. is is a clear indication of the strength of demand and potential for Irish beef exports.

“ ere’s huge demand for beef in China. It’s critical that Irish farmers who produce to the most exacting standards in the world are in a position to avail of this,” he said. e Livestock Chairman said the Government can not let the opportunity pass and must immediately secure the return of access for Irish beef to this strong and growing market.

In May, it was announced that Ireland had attained of cial status from the OIE of negligible risk status for BSE.

If you need any further support, speak to your nancial advisor or contact ifac’s team of specialist advisors who are available to help you plan for your future. Visit www.ifac.ie or call 01-4277400.

Shine a light on homelessness

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan (right) with Dave Kirwan, CEO of Bord Gáis Energy

FOCUS Ireland and Bord Gáis Energy are appealing to business leaders, companies, employees and individuals to sleep out for one night in October to help raise funds for vital homelessness services.

As a result of the Covid-19 impact across Ireland, people experiencing homelessness are more vulnerable than ever before. In 2021, Focus Ireland’s Shine a Light Night campaign, supported by Bord Gáis Energy, is aiming to raise €1.5 million to support people experiencing homelessness. is year’s event will take place on Friday, October 15, and it is open to everyone to get involved by joining virtual and in-person sleep out events across the country to give one night in solidarity with those experiencing homelessness in Ireland. ere are 930 homeless families in Ireland. 2,129 are children.

With your support, Focus Ireland can move a family out of homelessness into a secure home of their own. e charity reaches families who are facing critical situations early to help prevent them from becoming homeless. ey also o er long term solutions to people experiencing homelessness to ensure they do not reenter homelessness.

Sign up now on shinealight.focusireland.ie or call 01 881 5900. Give just one night to change a lifetime.

Safety concerns for permanent Market Yard seating

A KILKENNY publican has warned of safety issues if permanent Market Yard outdoor seating isn’t properly managed.

JD Flynn from the nearby Kytelers Inn told KCLR.FM that Kilkenny County Council must manage the area closely

Fáilte Ireland announced €650,000 in funding earlier this week to make the outdoor dining area permanent and weather proof.

Almost €200,000 was also announced for Tullow Street in Carlow and Main Street in Borris to upgrade the amenities that were put in when indoor dining at local pubs and restaurants was restricted during the pandemic.

JD Flynn from the nearby Kytelers Inn says it was such a welcome move when introduced at Market Yard by Kilkenny County Council.

But he says it’s now taking business from local pubs and could cause problems in the future. ” ey’re taking drink from o -licenses and setting up camp on the tables and enjoying the nightlife that would have been in a pub or nightclub. ”But they’re doing it right there in the Market Yard and it’s having a consequence on the cleanliness of the area and also the safety of the area as well. ere is a consequence to this funding...this area needs to be managed.”

Field and place names in and around Bonnettstown

With thanks to Cois Ceim and the Saturday Walkers group

Ardboy: Ard Bui A yellow eminence

Bonnettstown: Baile Bhoineis, Bonneys homestead. It was anciently called Cronog, a little hill or slope. Bonnettstown Hall was built in 1737 by Samuel Matthews. Anne Cu e, the wife of Samuel Matthews was an aunt of the rst Lord Desart. A castle in ruins in the stable yard belonged to Robert Shee in 1539, but was Ormonde property previously. ere were two raths and a raithin and the name of the passing stream is the Cloichrean, meaning the stony stream. Fields are Caitheanmh siar, Cuilin a little angle. Pairc an Tobar eld of the well, and Scairt a thicket.

Booleyshea: Buaile Ui Sheadghdha, O Shea’s Booley, O’Shea’s Dairy. e O’Shea or Shee family originated in Co. Kerry gured in civic a airs in Kilkenny city. ey were recorded as one of the ten civic families of Kilkenny. e Booleyshea ruined castle stands beside the Cloran stream. One eld is referred as Pairc na Pise the eld of the peas or vetches.

Cappagh: Ceappagh na gCaorach, the Sheep Plot, Ceappagh means a tillage plot of land on a dry hill side. ere is a slugaise, slugaire, a swallow on the Cloran stream.

Cloranshea: Cloichrean Ui Sheaghdha, O’Shea stony place. e ruined castle adjoins the Rafter homestead which has been the home of the family for over300 years. ere is a raithin here and elds are Ban Ard the high eld, Bawn na Coille, meaning wood bawn, Cro beag a small enclosure, glean na gabhair the goats eld, Gort na muc the pigs eld, Gort an sionnac, the foxes eld. Gort an Bhaile the site of an old village. Pairc na gcaapaillini little eld of the ponies. Riasc a sedgy eld, Tigh faille, house of the slope. Gold was found in the castle about 300 hundred ago. A little boy was playing in the castle and found a Sovereign and ran to show it to his father. It is said a shovelful of sovereigns were found.

Dunningstown: Baile Ui Dhuinin meaning Duinnings homestead. e castle hill probably indicates the site of a former castle. Aoibhdhearc meaning a pleasant view. Gort na ngiollai the servants eld, Mullan an null meaning the apple tree hill. Pairc na sceithe, eld of the whitethorn.

Dreelingstown: Baile Ui Dhraoileain, O’Drellings homestead. An old road runs through the town land called Closheen meaning Cloichrin, a little stoney road. Gort an Tobair the well eld. Garrai Lochlainn Loughlins garden. e Breagha river rises here in the high lands to join the Nore in Kilkenny.

Ballydunne: Baile donn, a place of brown soil. Fields here the Beithin meaning the burnt land. Caitheamh siar (causheer) meaning a throwback. at is a eld left fallow for a season after being reclaimed by digging. Clias bui, a yellow trench. Cul dearg a red soil angle. e Faiche a sporting green.

Holdensrath: is was also known as Fowlings rath. e Fowlings held these lands until 1544. e family changed their name to Howling later to Holden. e entire property was forfeited in 1653 to two Cromwellians, Overington Blunden and omas Evans. e ruins of the castle stand close to the quarry which was operated by Hearnes of Waterford for church and monmental stone work.

Kingsland: Fearann Ui Chiogna, Lacken: Leicean also Lackenalonty meaning a hilly slope, there was a castle in the castle eld. e base of Grace’s cross known anciently Cros Eamon de Gras is by the road side at Whites gate. It is recorded that the cross was erected to the memory of Edmond Grace of Courtstown and Catherine Archer, a newly married couple where Edmond was killed by his wife’s former suitor. New town: Baile Nua meaning a new land division. Cuilin a little angle. Kylenaboul Coill na bPoll wood of the hollows. In a eld named Old Gardens are the remains of a church and church yard long destroyed. Bally nan castle in this townland belonged to the Selingers or St. Ledgers. Poll an tSughaidhe is a slugaise or swallow hole on the Clochog stream rising in the Northern hills which disappears completely underground in Castle Blunden townland.

Palmerstown: Baile Almaire, Palmers homestead. e name could also translate Baile an phalmaire, meaning the pilgrim’s homestead.

“Our faith does not need to be limited to some sacred location”

- Bishop All pix: Danny Lahart

IT had all the appearances of an ordinary ursday night on the Hebron road in Kilkenny.

G.A.A. stewards lined the gates at the entrance to ‘Árdán de Grás’ stand at Nowlan Park.

One would be forgiven in thinking that there was a club match ready for throw in.

Mind you with the number of ‘maor’ bibs in view you would be equally forgiven in believing that big numbers were expected.

In fact, ursday September the 9th was a special occasion for the two thousand plus people in attendance.

Nowlan Park was the venue for the Con rmation of almost four hundred children from Kilkenny city schools.

Children and their families will no doubt look back on this wonderful night as a very rare and special occasion when Bishop Denis Nulty and priests from the four Kilkenny city parishes welcomed the Two thousand stong attendance.

Speaking prior to the Con rmation, Denis Nulty, Apostolic Administrator of Ossory, spoke of his delight at being able to come together in a safe environment to celebrate their faith and the faith of those for whom this was a very special moment.

“Our faith is not, and should not be, limited to the Church or some other ‘sacred’ location”, said the Bishop.

e Bishop also said that he believed that by having the Con rmation at UPMC Nowlan Park, that they could speak in a very special way to the children. “It is”, the bishop continued, “not only a very special occasion for the children to remember, but also, we hope that it will be a teaching that will leave an impression”.

Denis Nulty thanked the Kilkenny G.A.A. for their support and also the priests from the four parish.

He paid a special word of thanks to the principals and teachers of the city schools, who in spite of the pandemic and in the midst of an extraordinary year of education, had done so much to support and help the children on their journey to this celebration.

“Most importantly, I want to thank the children and their parents and guardians for the work and preparation they have put in to this celebration”, concluded the Bishop.

Music on the evening was provided by James Rice with some beautiful singing by Orla Phelan.

Readers on the night were Michelle Ní Bhuachalla, and David Ryan. e sacrament of Con rmation was performed by Bishop Denis Nulty, Fr Richard Scriven, Fr Jim Murphy, Fr Tom Norris, Fr Lorcan Moran, Fr Dan Carroll, Fr Raymond Dempsey, Fr Peter Muldowney, Fr Willie Purcell, Fr Dermot Ryan.

Participating schools included: Saint Canice’s National school, Saint John’s Senior National School, Johnswell National School, Kilkenny Model School, CBS Primary School, Presentation Primary School, Gaelscoil Osraí, Kilkenny School Project, Saint John of God National School, Saint Patrick’s De La Salle National School,

Muldowney, Fr Willie Purcell, Fr Participating schools included: Gaelscoil Osraí, Kilkenny School