Kilkenny Observer 18th February 2022 by Kilkenny Observer

EVERY FRIDAY

The Kilkenny

Observer FREE EDITION

Friday 18 February 2022

Driven Demented Poor sleep linked to Alzheimer’s  See page 18

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Global Ambition Best places in the world you can visit  See pages 19

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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EVERY FRIDAY

The Kilkenny

Observer Spike in burglaries

THERE has been a 22% increase in non-aggravated burglaries in the South East in recent months, according to new Garda figures. The are with predominant spike includes counties Kilkenny, Carlow, Wicklow and Wexford. There has also been a big increase in such often cos in Westmeath, Meath, Kildare, Laois and Offaly. Figures, obtained by the Irish Independent reveal a jump in the number of non-aggravated burglaries over November, De-

cember and January, compared to the previous three months. Senior sources say that Gardaí are “very concerned” that burglary figures are going up to prepandemic levels. Laois/Offaly suffered the most, with a 142% rise in this period. There was a drop in these counties last month, with 36 crimes of this type, compared to 41 and 46 in the previous two months. “This area has been hit very hard, particularly by gangs trav-

elling from Dublin and utilising the motorway to get in and out quickly, often targeting a number of mostly unoccupied houses on the same day,” a senior source said. Sources say Gardaí have identified at least three highpowered cars being used by the crime gangs. They suspect members of at least four interlinked familybased crime gangs based in south and west Dublin have been responsible for many

of the crimes but stressed local criminals in each county are suspected of also being involved in many burglaries. “The information is that the Dublin gangs are very forensically aware and have been using bleach to wipe down the vehicles they travel in and the homes they target to destroy evidence such as DNA,” the source said. “There have been some significant arrests over recent months but these gangs are still very active.”

In the Carlow/Kilkenny division, there has been an 18% burglary increase, with 18 in January, 13 in December and 21 in November. The Wexford/Wicklow Garda division has actually bucked the trend, with significant decreases. Wicklow saw a 22% decrease in burglaries in the three months, with 18 recorded in January, 14 in December and 21 in November. Local Gardai are advising extra vigilance.

Laws The €140m cheese factory proposed for Co Kilkenny can go ahead following a Supreme Court decision dismissing an appeal against the development by An Taisce. The court upheld the High Court’s decision granting of permission for the factory at Belview.

INSIDE Paul Hopkins............. P8

of the placenta linked to Covid-19 infection. In more than three-quarters of cases, the placenta was severely damaged and unable to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the growing baby, according to the study published in the journal Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine.

Observer UNIT 7, FRIARY STREET, KILKENNY, R95 VHY7

Calls to loosen mortgage rules

Glanbia plant is given green light

Covid link to stillbirths study The Kilkenny

Full story, Page 15 Comment, Page 8

John Ellis, Page 16

Kilkenny Paralympian Mary Fitzgerald has been announced as this year’s Grand Marshall for the 2022 Kilkenny City St Patrick’s Day Parade. Previous Grand Marshalls have included Vicky Phelan (2019), Bobby Kerr (2018), and Cartoon Saloon Oscar nominated Producers/Directors Tomm Moore and Paul Young (2015). Mary will lead the parade through Kilkenny City on Thursday March 17 at 1.30pm. The parade is the central event in a six-day jammed-packed festival of events for St Patrick’s Festival as it returns to the streets after a two-year break. The Callan native is a Paralympic athlete who competes in shot put, as well as javelin and discus. Competing since 2010, Mary’s international achievements include winning three gold medals. See also Page 21

EVERY FRIDAY

More child and adolescent mental health services in the South East area have come in for sharp criticism for a lack of engagement with troubled children in their care.

The Central Bank is coming under increasing pressure to loosen its mortgage rules from the banks and the Government. And, according to a recent Red C poll on behalf of bonkers.ie, it appears the public wants change too.

It’s Grand Marshall Mary...

FINDINGS first made by Irish scientists about a link between Covid-19 infection in pregnant women and stillbirth have been confirmed by a global study. The study looked at 68 perinatal deaths in Ireland and 11 other countries and found 65 were caused by inflammation

Child health services rap

The babies examined for the study were either stillborn or died within seven days of being born. All the mothers were unvaccinated and had been infected with coronavirus while pregnant. Meanwhile, Pfizer is looking at a potential three-dose vaccine for children aged six

months to four years. The additional data is due in early April and an application for approval could then be made to the FDA in the United States and the EU’s European Medicines Agency. Elsewhere, the incidence of Covid-19 is still nearly four times higher in some coun-

Marianne Heron.....P12 John Ellis .................P16 Health & Science....P18 Travel & Leisure.....P19

ties than in others as recovery from the worst of the Omicron wave remains uneven. Figures for the first week of February show Co. Carlow was one of the worst hit counties – with an incidence of 1,112.1 per 100,000.

Gerry Cody ...........26-27

Covid update, Page 14

Sport .................... P40-47

Picture Special .. P28-29 Food & Drink ..........P32 TV & Streaming .....P33

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GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE TEAM

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News

Will it be toast with that? B&Bs turn 50 UP to three-quarters of Irish B&B owners have expressed their confidence in how the industry will perform during 2022. While the majority are optimistic about the year ahead, there remains concern that international visitor numbers will not return to normal levels until at least 2023. B&B Ireland, the national organisation for Bed and Breakfast operators on the island of Ireland, has surveyed its members as it marks its 50th anniversary. The organisation is responsible for bringing half a million tourists a year into the B&B sector through its global promotion of the Irish B&B experience. The survey found that 77% of hosts are feeling either confident or very confident about business for the year ahead. The majority of hosts believe it will be 2023 or 2024 before we see the full return of international visitors; however, 74% expect to be busier in 2022 than in 2021. One-third of B&B owners are also opting to extend their season and open for longer as a result. B&B Ireland has members across the country including a strong presence in Northern Ireland. It also provides support to B&Bs to operate their business and lobbies on behalf of its members.

Helena Healy, CEO of B&B Ireland, said the future of the organisation is bright and is encouraging more hosts to become members: “It has been a challenging two years for all B&B operators. We believe that there will be a significant recovery in 2022 and that sentiment is shared by the majority of our members who are feeling confident about the year ahead. Thankfully there is still huge demand for the authentic Irish B&B experience from the international market and at home.” The organisation began in 1972 as the Town and Country Homes Association. In 2010 it amalgamated with Irish Farm House Holidays and was renamed B&B Ireland. As part of its 50th anniversary, B&B Ireland is celebrating what makes Irish B&Bs unique. It is also shining a spotlight on Bed and Breakfasts that are in operation for 50 years or more. Failte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly joined B&B Ireland to celebrate the organisation’s 50th anniversary. “Staying in a B&B is a special experience that allows visitors to immerse themselves in Irish life and culture. B&B Ireland and its members across the country are renowned for their hospitality and qualityassured high standards and are an integral part of the Irish tourism industry.”

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

News Opinion

The Fact Of The Matter PAUL HOPKINS

Health saga: a dedicated mind shift is called for Our story last week that up to 8,000 children and adolescents are awaiting psychological assessment paints a disturbing picture of our health care system. Indeed, there would be none who would disagree with Taoiseach Micheál Martin describing a review of the care of more than 1,300 children at the HSE-run South Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service as “very, very serious” and “unacceptable”. That the report’s finding that 46 children suffered “significant harm” and “demands a fundamental review” across the country. Our Special Report this week on Page 15 only worsens matters. The Taoiseach told the Dáil the report was a “damning indictment of the service” provided under CAMHS. That was on the very same day Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and un-

der-fire Department of Health Secretary General Robert Watt jetted out to Dubai to attend a health expo as controversy continues over the latter’s €295,000 salary. Mind you, not as exorbitant as HSE boss Paul Reid’s €420,000. A lack of resources does not necessarily seem to be the crux of the matter. When ‘A Vision for Change’ was published in 2006 on the future for psychiatric services, the number of CAMHS teams was 40 and there were six inpatient beds for child and adolescent patients. Now there are 73 teams and some 70 beds, with more to come at the long-waited-for National Paediatric Hospital and very specialised beds in the mental health service in Portrane, Co. Dublin. That said, one could argue that our national mental health budget for last year was just 5.1% of the total health budget,

with just 1% allocated to children’s mental health. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends 12%, while our long-awaited proposed Sláintecare recommends 10%. The UK spends 13% of their budget on mental health. The Government need to increase spending to 10% by 2024, according to lobbyists Mental Health Reform. Those working in mental health in Ireland are the lowest in numbers compared to other countries affiliated to the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Currently, that number is 30% short of what is needed to run mental health hospitals and clinics efficiently. And remember it is a junior practitioner at the centre of the South Kerry saga. Staff shortages result in long waiting lists, lack of precise therapies, and negative effects

on treatment and continuity of care. Investment now in more psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and peer support is needed. Investment, too, in primary care would improve access to psychology services, counselling, and social workers, with early intervention playing a critical role in reducing more serious mental health challenges. This time last year there were more than 2,700 children and teens on a waiting list for CAMHS. As South Kerry has shown only horrifically too well, poor access to primary care psychological services can result in inappropriate referrals to CAMHS, where resources are stretched and totally inadequate. Mental Health Reform, also, says there are significant gaps in advocacy supports for people

with mental health difficulties. National advocacy services need to be funded in hospitals, prisons, residences and in the community. As the Kerry cases show, a stand-alone practitioner — and a junior one at that — with a huge waiting list and little or no support is not an attractive scenario for recruitment. There is, too, the fear of being a lone soldier in a culture of litigation. The clinical aspect is the easy bit; navigating the system, the ‘mess’ with no proper service in place, is hugely unattractive. There was a time once in Ireland when one’s mental health was not talked about. He or she was a bit ‘different’, ‘odd’ even. Now, we thankfully do talk about it. But talk is not enough. Action is needed. Before the two-year pandemic lockdown, one in three of Third level students in Ireland was suffering “extreme levels of

anxiety” and had had a formal diagnosis of a “mental health difficulty” at some point in their life, says a survey by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). The survey found that 38.4% of students suffer extreme levels of anxiety, 29.9% depression and 17.3% from stress. Almost a third, 32.2%, have had a formal diagnosis. Those young people and others have had a hard time of it with two years of pandemic anxiety and uncertainty. Their mental health could well be the ‘silent pandemic’. We must reach out and show our children and our young people that their problems, however daunting they might seem, are not insurmountable. We seem to have lost our way somehow. A dedicated mind shift is called for, else we risk repeating the sins of the past. See also Page 15

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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News

Sports ace Carey ‘a fraudster’ KILKENNY businesswoman and former Irish sports star Catriona Carey has been convicted of theft and fraud after forging a cheque from a hairdresser who had hired her as his accountant. Ms Carey, who played hockey for Ireland and camogie for her home county, was found guilty of altering the details of

a cheque for €6,948 and cashing it. An RTÉ Investigates documentary has revealed details of her conviction and has focused on her business dealings, accusing her of scamming people struggling to make mortgage payments out of thousands of euros through a scheme that offered to buy debt from lenders at a discount.

Between February 7 and 9, 2018, she had changed a cheque which had been made out to the Collector General by instead making it payable to herself. The cheque was then cashed at a Bank of Ireland branch in Parliament Street, Kilkenny. She was later charged under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act and received

an eight-month suspended sentence. Ms Carey trained as an accountant and is director and owner of a company called Careysfort Asset Estates Ltd, which is registered in England. The RTÉ report revealed she came up with a scheme which she claimed would help those in financial distress by clearing their debt

and enabling them to stay in their homes. Ms Carey wanted a deposit up front, asking clients for between 10% and 30% of the proposed new loan. They borrowed the money from family and credit unions, thinking this would bring an end to their financial woes. Ms Carey told prospective clients that Careysfort As-

Killer of fiance is deported from Oz A WEXFORD woman who killed her fiancé during a row at a house in Sydney is to be released from prison and deported from Australia. Cathrina ‘Tina’ Cahill, from Co Wexford, was sentenced to eight years in jail for stabbing David Walsh in the neck in February 2017. She pleaded guilty to manslaughter based on substantial impairment due to an abnormality of the mind. The judge who sentenced her described her relationship with Walsh as “volatile” and involving aggression on both sides. In an interview from jail in 2017, Cahill said she was upset about being in prison, but added: “I have to serve some penalty for what I did. “I can’t really remember what happened. Of course I regret it, I’m still shocked, I loved him.” She was sentenced to eight years in prison but she was eligible for parole after serving five years. A spokesperson for the State Parole Authority in New South Wales told the Irish Independent her parole has been granted and she “will be removed from Australia immediately upon her release from custody on February 17 and deported”. A pre-release report assessed her as having a “lowrisk of reoffending”. On the night of February 17, 2017, the couple had been socialising with a number of friends before a row broke out, with neighbours reporting loud noises coming from their property. The fatal incident occurred when Mr Walsh launched an unprovoked attack on a man who had been invited back to their house in Padstow, Sydney, by Cahill and two other female housemates after they met him at a pub.

set Estates would buy their debt from their lender at a discount and then the outstanding balance would be written off as a bad debt. Careysfort would then provide a new loan with lower monthly repayments to the clients and make its profit from the interest rate. However, many of the deals have yet to materialise.

AT A GLANCE

Tulsa review is ‘a milestone’

Cahir Castle Europe’s top movie site HISTORIC Cahir Castle, which has stood proudly for more than 700 years on its rocky island over the River Suir and is managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW), has won the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) Location Award 2021.

€10,000 apprentice prize from Screwfix LEADING omnichannel retailer, Screwfix, has opened its annual ‘Screwfix Trade Apprentice’ competition to the Irish market for the second year running on with entries being accepted online until the February 20 at www.Screwfix.ie/sfta. Screwfix, which trades online at Screwfix.ie, has more than 17 stores in Ireland. The winner will receive a career-boosting accolade and a €10,000 prize bundle from Screwfix.

Nominated by Screen Ireland as the location for The Green Knight, Cahir Castle won by public vote against four other shortlisted European film locations in Norway (Dune), Spain (The Crown), Croatia (Murina) and Germany (The Queen’s Gambit).

The award was announced at the Berlinale’s European Film Market on Tuesday night (15.02.2022). One of Ireland’s largest and best-preserved historic castles, Cahir Castle has captured the imagination of multiple filmmakers over the

past decades. In David Lowery’s 2021 film – a fantasy retelling of the famous medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – the 13thcentury fortress features as the Camelot of Arthurian legend, a role it has starred in before in the 1981 film Excalibur.

Safe Ireland welcomes violence victim agency THE Government’s decision to establish a new statutory agency with responsibility for ‘Domestic Sexual and GenderBased Violence’ (DSGBV) has been welcomed by Safe Ireland. Safe Ireland said it was hopeful this new body was indicative of a new paradigm for responding to violence against women. CEO Mary McDermott said: “A dedicated agency with responsibility for DSGBV is a major step towards achieving the structural reform necessary to address the continued and growing problem of violence against women. Our hope is that it will have sufficient reach and power to truly effect an integrated cross-

departmental response in the short-term, and ultimately eliminate violence against women into the future. “To achieve this, it must be adequately resourced to do this work effectively. It will be crucial therefore that the governing legislation which will empower the new agency is sufficiently comprehensive to ensure that a long-term whole-of-government response can be deployed which will address the socio-political drivers of DSGBV and remove all structural impediments to change,” she said. Responding to reservations expressed as to the suitability of the Department of Justice as lead ministry, with over-

sight from the Department of An Taoiseach, Ms McDermott said: “Safe Ireland in cohort with many other women’s organisations has long advocated for a dedicated ministry for women’s affairs and we continue to support that mission. In the meantime, however, we consider the decision to assign DSGBV to the portfolio of one minister as opposed to two (which has been the position until now) as a progressive move in the that direction.” She said traditional frameworks of responding to violence against women have been weighted in favour of measures which hold perpetrators to account.

The publication of Tusla’s Review of Accommodation for victims of domestic violence marks a significant milestone in the integrated planning for supports and services for victims across the country. The review maps existing accommodation provision in Ireland, in the context of current capacity, international standards and the lived experiences of victims and the frontline services that support them. It concludes that there needs to be state planned funding of additional family units, safe homes and support services across the country to meet the needs of women, men and children that are victims of abuse.

Exports good despite Brexit Neither the pandemic nor Brexit dented Irish goods exports last year, with firms relying more on the EU and Northern Ireland and less on Britain. Goods exports topped €165bn last year, the highest value ever recorded, up more than €3bn, or 2%, on 2020 levels, the Central Statistics Office said. Medical and pharmaceutical products made up almost 40% (€62bn) of total exports.

€16.98m. for roads upgrade A total of €16.98m. has been announced for the maintenance and improvement of regional and local roads throughout Kilkenny for 2022. This is in addition to the earlier allocation of €3m from the National Transport Authority. The increase of 8% in Restoration Grant to €9,032,500, additional €355,000 for climate adaptation works and maintaining the restoration maintenance grant at €2,488,500 are particularly welcomed.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Festival of Marital Arts in Kilkenny THIS coming Sunday the 20th of February a festival of Martial Arts is taking place at O’Loughlin Gaels organized by Song Moo Kwan Ireland members led by Kilkenny Taekwondo Club. This festival is based on the aura of the strongest knight that ever lived who built the Castle in Kilkenny and many towns in the South East of Ireland. He lived in Ireland about 10 years

of his eventful life. This festival is dedicated to honour the life of chivalry and loyalty he lived and to promote Martial arts as one aspect of Kilkenny’s activities . It will be held at the winter Midterm of every year. This year there will be demonstrations of Kick boxing, Taekwondo, Aikido and the art of swordsmanship. While it went online in 2021 this year it is running as a

hybrid. The organisers hope that by 2023 this event will become a major attraction to the city and attract participations from all over the world. It is family oriented and would be suitable for children to watch. Hope to see you all on Sunday. The event starts at 9:30 am. Guy Jones Grand Master of Taekwondo will be reached at 087-8090088 for more details or via Facebook and Instagram.

Language-learning the fun way ANDREW MCDONALD HYPNOTHERAPIST

BELIEVE it or not, there are easier ways to learn a language than the rotelike repetition of stock phrases in your chosen lingua. An activity all too reminiscent of the classroom for many. Learning a new tongue can, should, be fun, enjoyable and, if not easy, much less difficult than first imagined. Maybe the biggest tip anyone embarking on the journey of picking up a new lingua can be given is to know your reasoning. If you are at liberty to choose whatever tongue you like, opt for the one which you feel most passionate about. In other words, the language which fits in with whatever culture you have a love for or the place you like visiting most. Perhaps you have great interest in French cinema, German opera, Russian literature, Italian football, Chinese history, anything. Sorry if some of those seem a little stereotypi-

cal but the point is, find whatever gets your pulse racing and go with it. That way, not only do you have a clear motivation to keep going, but, once you get to grips a little with the tongue, you have a way to learn through doing something you enjoy. For example, listening to music, watching a film or reading sports news. Duolingo is a handy little app. OK, it’s unlikely to get you fluent enough to hold full, stimulating conversations but it’s great for practising words and phrases and, given it’s phone-based, you pretty much always have it with you. It has short lessons, tests and even more advanced features such as stories and language-learning podcasts. There are some excellent sets of books accompanied with audio available. One of the best has to be the Hugo In 3 Months series. Typically consisting of twelve to thirteen indepth self-study lessons, it has enough to take you from the very first steps to having the confidence to start using your chosen lingua in a variety of

settings. There are other options out there if Hugo doesn’t float your boat. As an example, people who prefer to learn using aural-only material can do worse than seeking out the Michel Thomas edition for their target tongue. Ask in a bookstore or your local library for the language-learning resources and see what works for you. At the end of the day, nothing beats practice with native speakers. If it’s French you want to learn, there’s a good chance Alliance Française has something going on in your area as it has a network of centres around the country. Equivalents like the Goethe-Institut (German), Instituto Cervantes (Spanish) and others have bases in Dublin which may be able to help you. You may even find a local group which meets on a more informal basis. As explored last week, language learning brings more benefits than simply picking up new phrases. It has the ability to change your life for the better in so many different ways. Make it your objective for 2022!

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

Opinion

How now we have a new class in Ireland AS I SEE IT MARIANNE HERON

At first when I came to live in the South I used to think that the 26 counties were a classfree society. It didn’t matter where you went to school, how much money you had or what your accent was as long as you were good craic. Naïve perhaps, maybe I was basing my social observations on the carry-on in pubs where humour was a great leveller. But having lived previously with sectarianism in the Six Counties and in England with its omnipresent class system might explain my innocence. In England accents were a giveaway, dividing working from middle class and these from the upper-class lot: the kind who inherited their furniture and their homes and the aspiring uppers who had to buy both. In the North which foot you kicked with was the dividing factor and surnames and addresses were a giveaway. Having started life across the water I had the wrong accent for Unionists who may love the Union Jack but don’t love the English. Coming to live here where I no longer had to worry

about other folk’s accents or my own was relaxing. It took time before I got know about the nuanced divisions here. There’s always a them and us wherever you go. Here distinguishing factors like GAA versus rugby and cricket, the allegiances of pro and antiTreaty, Dubs v culchies, are fading. But now in the time of Covid I think new varia-

tions of them and us have emerged. There is the us who have obeyed the Covid regulations, going without social contact, celebrations and unable even to stay at the bedsides of departing loved ones and the them who flout the rules, often the very them who have set the rules for us. It’s the inherent unfairness

and the whiff of privilege which raise hackles and inflame opinion. It has given rise to a kind of Valley of the Squinting Windows where we judge rule breakers in the court of public opinion: be they broadcasters together for a maskless photograph, civil servants momentarily sharing a glass of fizzy wine or soldiers at an outdoor barbeque.

This month another them and us has been spotlighted courtesy of Judge Mary Fahy when she dismissed the charges against the organisers and hoteliers involved in Golfgate on the grounds that there was no evidence for the charges. Judge Fahy then commented on the fallout from Golfgate which cost some top people their jobs.

About those attending, she said: “They were all responsible people who would not have gone to a dinner unless they felt comfortable and unless the organisers had not put in place all that was required to make it safe.” And there we have it there is a class of person — Judge Fahy among them — lawyers, judges, politicians, broadcasters, EU Commissioners and the like who form an elite group of ‘responsible people’. Funny that, thinking back over past scandals and known misdeeds I am not so sure that those high office are always shining examples of probity. And where does that leave the rest of us normal people? Maybe there should be a another class for irresponsible folk like myself. ----------------------------------Is anyone else suffering from PCSD (Post Covid Stress Disorder) Although restrictions have been lifted I am finding it quite hard to return to the world after over two years of isolation. And I am not alone? I notice for instance that around 70 men’s sheds — the very places to prevent isolation — are in danger of not reopening. It’s time to start emerging from that isolation, wearing our masks of course and using our cop on.

Are you recovering after Illness? CLAIR WHITTY

ARE you recovering from viral illness? Exhaustion, respiratory problems, aches and pains, cognitive function, and lowered immunity are symptoms of long Covid19. I have a couple of articles recently about tiredness so I won’t address that here. To support immunity the main supplements I think of are vitamin D, C, Zinc, and Echinacea. One Nutrition Revive and Go Immunity is a new one to us at the shop. It contains highly absorbable forms of vitamin C and Zinc in one formula. I like it because the vitamin C is made from a patented formula called Pureway C which is bound to a plant-based fat. This helps the vitamin C to get to the cells where it’s needed without being destroyed. It’s also retained in the cells for longer than other forms of vitamin C. It’s shown in clinical studies to be 223% more absorbable than ascorbic acid. Zinc Citrate is the ideal form to support the immune system. It comes in a one a day capsule and is gentle on the stomach.

I would stay on vitamin D, if you have been on it for the past two years it might be good to take a small break or at least make sure that you take Magnesium too. One of our favourite supplements is Better You Vitamin D3 Oral Spray. It’s easy to use, you simply spray onto the inside of your cheek where it will go straight to your blood stream. If you have a lingering cough, you could consider Irish Botanica Botanical Syrup a syrup that we get great results with. It contains mullein, a herb many of you are looking for as well as plantain, white horehound, and vitamin C. Mullein may be helpful for congestion and chesty coughs. NAC is something everyone is talking about, Davina Dowling Nutritional Therapist explains why; “Traditionally, NAC known for its role in the detoxification system in the body. It is a special

amino acid that dramatically increases glutathione which is needed to support the liver in helping to remove toxins. In terms of its use for Covid 19 purposes, NAC is a powerful antioxidant which reduces inflammatory proteins released due to the virus as well as promoting healthy lung tissue and thinning mucus. It is recommended to take 500mg twice a day.” Magnesium is a good option for aching muscles, either in supplement form, or external products like BetterYou Magnesium Spray that can be sprayed onto the skin. Magnesium is supportive for energy and lung health too. This will combine well with the Oral Better You Vitamin D spray. One Nutrition CoQ10, B vitamins, Omega oils, and healthy gut bacteria may help sluggish cognitive function. Everyone is different, please feel free to ring me or call the shop for more information. Natural Health Store, Market Cross Shopping Centre, Kilkenny Phone: 056 7764538 Email: info@ naturalhealthstore.ie Shop online: www. naturalhealthstore.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

Covid Update

AS of February 17 last, there have now 421,623,431 documented cases of Covid-19, with 5,894221 confirmed deaths. If you haven’t been diagnosed with Covid-19 by now, it might feel like you’re one of the lucky few. Or maybe, just maybe, you already had Covid and didn’t realise it because your symptoms were so mild. (This might have made any Covid-19 booster side effects worth it!) If you have felt a little ‘off’ in recent months but didn’t know quite what was going on, here are 14 silent signs that you may have been infected with Covid-19 — and what you can do about it now. 1.You’ve got natural antibodies Specifically, antibodies to nucleocapsid protein only appear if you have recovered from Covid-19, while vaccines and natural infection produce an antibody to spike proteins. If you are positive for antibodies to the spike protein and negative for antibodies to nucleocapsid protein, you have been vaccinated, but not exposed. If you are positive for both, you have had Covid-19 and you may or may not have been vaccinated. There is still a lot research is discovering more about antibodies, including how long they last and what level is considered most protective or for how long. 2. You were a little run down a while back Unlike earlier variants, Omicron symptoms tend to be mild in people who are fully vaccinated. Some people may not have had any noticeable symptoms. If you didn’t feel sick enough to consider getting tested, you could have had Covid-19 and recovered without an official diagnosis. 3. Your fever and cough weren’t the flu You had a fever for days, a hacking cough, and were exhausted. It could have been Covid-19, what with that flu season and the Covid-19 pandemic overlapping. This year, doctors are seeing

12 signs you mayalready have had Covid-19 cases of flurona. There is so much overlap with colds or flu and coronavirus symptoms, which is why testing for Covid-19 has been so emphasised. 4. You lost your sense of smell or taste You’ve heard this: loss of sense of smell or taste is a hallmark of Covid-19 infection with earlier variants. What you may not know is that these symptoms are not a slam dunk by any stretch. Many will develop loss of smell from Covid-19, a new study predicts. The findings appear in the journals JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery. 5. Your hair is falling out in clumps If you’re noticing hair loss, it could be due to a past infection with Covid-19. This phenomenon is known as telogen effluvium and occurs when physical or psychological stress causes hair roots to be pushed into a resting state prematurely. The good news is

that your hair will likely come back as hair follicles aren’t permanently damaged with telogen effluvium as shedding can continue up to six months, and full recovery can take up to 18 months because hair grows back so slowly. 6. You’ve got hives Post-Covid-19 hives are a phenomenon health professional have observed. Also, viral exanthems, which is a skin rash that is often related to a viral infection after Covid-19. These seem to be more common in children than adults and can even occur if you didn’t have any noticeable Covid symptoms. These hives and rashes usually resolve on their own with judicious use of moisturiser or topical steroids, if the itch is particularly bothersome. 7. Your loved ones were infected If Covid-19 passed through your house taking no prisoners except you, it’s possible you

were infected and didn’t realise it. Many people who are infected with this virus have mild or no symptoms, and Omicron reportedly produces even milder symptoms than other variants— especially among people who are vaccinated or boosted. You just didn’t test at the right time. Home antigen tests aren’t that sensitive either, so you may have received a false negative. 8. Your toes were a mess Covid toes are marked by purple or red, itchy wounds. Skin manifestations, particularly of the toes, could be something that makes people who weren’t tested look back and say: “Was that Covid-19?” However, toes with this appearance aren’t a sure sign of Covid-19, as there could be other causes. If you are concerned, talk to your doctor. 9. Your stomach was acting up Covid-19 is a respiratory

illness, but not everyone coughs or gets short of breath. For some, diarrhea may be the first and only sign of infection. If you have digestive symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting and were in contact with individuals infected with Covid-19, you should have a higher index of suspicion. 10. You woke up with pink eye Pink eye infection, or conjunctivitis, may be a sign of coronavirus, but this is very rare, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. If you develop pink eye, don’t panic. Call your ophthalmologist to let them know and follow their instructions for care. 11.You’ve got dry mouth Is your dry mouth a symptom of Covid-19? Maybe. As many as 40% of people with Covid-19 may experience symptoms of dry mouth during or after the illness, according to a study in the Journal of

Dental Research. And now research in the journal Nature Medicine provides clues as to how Covid-19 affects the mouth and saliva. British researchers from Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, and other organisations in the US and UK identified the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor, or ACE2 receptor, in cells of the salivary glands and tissues lining the mouth. This is the protein that SARS-CoV-2 locks into for entry into the body. They also found that the virus can multiply in the cells of your salivary glands. 12. Everything smells nasty Some people recovering from Covid-19 report that they constantly smell smoke, garbage, or even skunk-like odours that aren’t really there. These phantom smells tend to become more common over time, with latest figures suggesting that about 25% of people experienced these otherwise unexplainable smells soon after diagnosis.

Booster shots wane after four months, says new study BOOSTER shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines lose substantial effectiveness after about four months, according to a study published by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to a report in the Washington Post, researchers found the booster shots remained highly effective against moderate and severe covid-19 for about two months after a third dose.

But their effectiveness declined substantially after four months, suggesting the need for additional boosters, the study said. The vaccine was 91% effective in preventing a vaccinated person from being hospitalised during the two months after a booster shot, the study found, which helped keep vaccinated populations out of hospital during the Omicron surge. But after four months, protection fell to 78%.

Protection faded more in preventing trips to emergency departments, falling from 87% in the first two months to 66% after four months. After more than five months, vaccine effectiveness fell to roughly 31%, but researchers noted that estimate was imprecise because little data were available for that group. Waning protection after a third jab reinforces the importance of considering additional doses to

sustain or improve protection against Covid-19-associated visits to emergency departments and urgent care and hospitalisations, the study said. The CDC said the study shows that a third dose of mRNA vaccine continues to offer high levels of protection against severe disease. “Boosters are safe and effective, and CDC continues to recommend everyone five and older remain up to date,” said the CDC.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Special Reports A NUMBER of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in the South East area have come in for sharp criticism for a lack of engagement with troubled children in care, according to a new report on childcare law proceedings. In one recent case, a CAMHS team failed to complete an assessment of a child for two years despite directions to do so from a judge, according to news sources. In a separate case, a court heard a “deeply troubled” teenager was deemed not to be of sufficiently high priority to be placed on a CAMHS waiting list, even though she was self-harming. The lapses are outlined in a new report by the Child Law Project, which reports on cases involving orders under the Child Care Act. Under the act, children can be placed in the care of Tusla, the child and family agency, where there is a serious risk to their health or welfare. Quite often a multi-agency response is required to help such children. This can frequently involve the help of HSE CAMHS teams, of which there are 72 nationwide. The criticisms outlined in the Child Law Project report come at a time when the spotlight is very much on the operation and resourcing of CAMHS services. A review of cases in South Kerry published last month found shocking deficiencies, with hundreds of children having received risky care and proof of significant harm to 46

Child mental health: sharp rap for South East services service users. The review highlighted the over-medication of children without proper diagnosis and major failings in supervision and governance.

Inspector of mental health services Dr Susan Finnerty is to conduct an independent review of the provision of CAMHS services in the wake of the South Kerry findings.

Child Law Project chief executive Dr Maria Corbett said its latest report detailed how some CAMHS and HSE disability services were sharply criticised in the courts for the

way they responded to referrals and requests to assess and help children in care. “Despite acknowledgement of the need for interagency cooperation, cases involving child protection, mental health and disability continue to result in situations where children slip through the cracks,” she said. In one recent case, a district court in a rural town granted a full-care order for a 15-yearold boy. The teenager, who was diagnosed 10 years earlier with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, was detained following assaults on and threats to care staff, and damage to property in a residential unit. The court heard that since he had come into care two years earlier, and despite directions from the judge and the efforts of Tusla, CAMHS had so far failed to complete an assessment of him. This had hindered the work of professionals dealing with the boy and Tusla had been unable to source a cognitive assessor or a tutor for him. The case also highlighted a lack of residential care placement for troubled children. In another case, a judge in an unnamed court directed the immediate assessment of a deeply troubled child who had been deemed by CAMHS not to be of sufficiently high priority to be placed on their waiting list. The girl had experienced a “chaotic, unpredictable home life” and was self-harming, depressed and deeply affected by trauma in her earlier child-

hood as a result of domestic violence, neglect and abandonment. The court heard CAMHS had suggested another service called Jigsaw. In a statement seen by The Kilkenny Observer, Tusla notes the publication of the HIQA inspection report for Child Protection and Welfare Services and Foster Care Services in the Dublin South West/Kildare/ West Wicklow Area. This was a risk-based inspection to assess progress made following a previous inspection in December 2020. At that time, despite efforts to recruit social workers, vacancy levels were impacting on compliance with national standards. In this most recent inspection, eight standards were assessed, of which two standards were found to be substantially compliant, five standards were found to be moderately noncompliant, and one standard was found to be non-compliant major. The key issues that were followed up in this inspection related to the effectiveness of the leadership, governance and management of the service, adherence to national policies and standards, monitoring of services, and the timeliness of child protection and welfare services for children and families. Overall, the inspection found that significant progress has been achieved in many of these areas and that further actions are progressing to address areas that remain challenging. Comment, Page 8

Benefits of changes to Fair Deal Scheme to Kilkenny farms IFAC, Ireland’s farming, food and agribusiness specialist professional services firm, is advising Kilkenny familyowned farms and businesses to be aware of a recent beneficial change to the Fair Deal Scheme. What is changing? Under the Nursing Home Support Scheme (commonly known as the Fair Deal Scheme), State assistance is available to supplement the cost of nursing home care for eligible individuals. The individual pays a weekly contribution towards the cost of their care and the State covers any shortfall that may be due to the nursing home. The support available under the scheme is means-tested. In assessing an individual’s means, the capital value of their principal private residence is only included for the first three years of their time in care. However, until recently, productive assets such as farms and businesses did not qualify for this socalled ‘thee year cap’ unless the farmer or business owner had suffered a sudden illness or disability that required nursing home care. Now an amendment to the Fair Deal Scheme legislation, effective from October 2021, means that after three years when calculating the cost

of a person’s nursing home care, the value of familyowned farms and businesses will no longer be taken into account. This is subject to satisfying certain conditions: • You must apply to the HSE to appoint a family successor who will commit to running your farm or business for at least six years. • Your farm or business must have been actively run by you, your partner or your proposed family successor

for at least three out of the last five years. • The successor must be 18 years of age or older and must be either your partner, your relative or a relative of your partner. Applications to have the farm or business included in the three-year cap must be made using the HSE Fair Deal application form. If an individual has been in care for two years and a successor is identified in Year 3, the previous two years in care will be taken into account.

Selling the family home In another change to the Fair Deal Scheme, the threeyear cap now also applies to proceeds from the sale of an individual’s principal primary residence. This means that where a nursing home resident’s family home is sold, the proceeds are not be included in the financial assessment for the scheme once three years have passed. How contribution is calculated? A financial assessment is

carried out to work out what the individual’s contribution to their nursing home care will be. Note that the financial assessment takes into account any assets that an individual has gifted away in the five years before applying for the Fair Deal Scheme. Where an individual’s assessed weekly contribution is greater than the cost of care they do not qualify for financial support. Therefore applicants to the Fair Deal Scheme with substantial assets or incomes are unlikely to qualify for financial support. Individuals who qualify for the Fair Deal Scheme contribute 80% of their assessable income annually, plus a maximum of 7.5% of the value of their assets, investments and savings which is now capped at three years. The first €36,000 of an individual’s assets or €72,000 in the case of a couple is not counted in the financial assessment. Where one individual from a couple avails of the scheme, their contribution is 40% of the assessable income and 3.75% of assets. The State contributes the balance. How to apply There are two steps to the Fair Deal Scheme application process — a care needs

assessment and a financial assessment. Depending on the outcome of these assessments, there are then two types of support: State support is where the HSE pays any balance due to the nursing home care provider after your weekly contribution to the cost of your care. If you own assets, you can choose to apply for a Nursing Home Loan which will allow your weekly contribution to be collected from your estate after your death. When applying for this loan, you must provide written consent to having a charging order registered against your asset. Tax relief You can claim Income Tax relief on your weekly contribution towards nursing home expenses even if you are supported by the Fair Deal Scheme. This means that the portion of your income that is taxable at your highest rate of tax is reduced. Individuals aged over 65 are exempt from Income Tax on the first €18,000 of income (single/widowed) or €36,000 (married/civil partnership). If you are in doubt about whether you are eligible for the Fair Deal Scheme, or have questions about the recent changes, contact your local ifac office for assistance.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

Your Money

Pressure on to ease mortgage loan rules BY JOHN ELLIS FINANCIAL ADVISOR

THE Central Bank is coming under increasing pressure to loosen its mortgage rules from the Banks and the Government. And, according to a recent RED C poll on behalf of bonkers.ie, it appears the public wants change too. The poll shows there is strong support for a loosening of the Central Bank’s mortgage lending rules to make it easier for people to get a mortgage. Bank lending rules state that the maximum mortgage available to a borrower(s) is 3.5 times of income. A first-time buyer borrower must have a deposit of at least 10% while a second time buyer or movers must have at least 20% of the purchase price. (However, a very limited number of exceptions to the rules are allowed each year.) The rules were brought in to ensure financial institution lend in a more prudent and sensible manner. Prior to the 2008 financial crash banks gave 100% + mortgages. Customers were allowed to borrow against the equity of

their properties including the family home to purchase properties all over the world! Then On March 17, 2008, stock markets around the world tumbled, including Dublin’s ISEQ index, contributing to the Irish banking crisis with the collapse in asset

prices, an economic recession, and the near failure of the banking system. The global crisis did aggravate matters in Ireland but the banking crisis was largely self-inflicted according to a study published in the Journal of Financial Regulation and

Compliance. It stemmed from the collapse of the domestic property sector and subsequent contraction in national output. The collapse was due to the risk management practices of the Irish banks and the failure of the financial regulator to

supervise these practices effectively. Due to pressure from many sources last week the Central Bank announced that its mortgage lending rules are to remain the same for at least another year but they are currently undertaking a more indepth review of the rules . They invited online feedback from the public and interested parties earlier this year and will review the RedC poll research with interest; a nationally representative sample of just over 1,000 adults (+18) in the Republic of Ireland during November. It showed that 64% of people say they are in favour of mortgage seekers being allowed borrow more than 3.5 times their income, provided they can demonstrate their ability to repay. This compares to 18% who say they are against allowing people borrow more. A further 13% said they neither agreed nor disagreed while 5% expressed no opinion. At 70%, those aged between 35 and 44 were most likely to say that the Central Bank’s loan-to-income rule should be relaxed. The research also showed strong support for a lessening of the deposit requirement while 53% of people agree that the minimum deposit requirement of 10% for first-time buyers is too high

and should be lowered. This compares to 27% who disagree with any change to the measure. And, in a separate question, 41% of people said there should be no deposit requirement at all, provided mortgage seekers can demonstrate the ability to repay their mortgage. Commenting on the research, Daragh Cassidy, Head of Communications at bonkers.ie says: ““No one wants a return to the reckless lending of the past. However, the current rules, while well intentioned, would appear to be helping contribute to a dysfunctional housing market…. as people can’t get a mortgage of sufficient size or save up the deposit. “However, we need to be careful about what we wish for. Given the limited supply of housing at the moment, any loosening of credit rules without a corresponding increase in the level of housing output, could simply lead to an increase in property prices.” This feedback and the online input will help inform the Central Bank’s decision on whether the rules should be tweaked more substantially in the future. A decision is expected this time next year. John@ellisfinancial.ie 086 8362633

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Teac Tom

Teac Tom: Post-pandemic challenges for young people’s mental health Teac Tom has been supporting people’s mental health in the community of Kilkenny since 2014. One of the key groups that avail of our therapeutic support are young people. To facilitate them we provide play therapy to children and adolescent therapy, using specifically trained psychotherapists, to teenagers. Increase in Under-18s The last two years have had an incredible impact on the lives of young people. Teac Tom has seen a continuous increase in the number of 13-18 year olds entering therapy; in the last two years alone that number has doubled. The main reason for this group contacting our service was due to anxiety about friendships and school disruptions during the lockdown. The breakdown of regular contact with the structure of school, induced feelings of worry or fear for many. Young people depend on this structure to give them certainty as they move through the stages of physical and emotional development during adolescence. The feeling of not fitting in, not being smart enough, not being good enough or being picked on were the commonly reported issues from our clients. These fears prevented them from going to school, meeting friends, and participating in activities. Parents became very worried and tried to help – but as we all know, teenagers often find it difficult to speak to their parents about these things. Trying to make sense of what was happening while at the same time trying to move back to normality, led to distress for parents, teenagers, and children.

How Teac Tom can help Teac Tom provides a safe space for families to come and get support to help alleviate distress. The lockdown was not normal, arriving for young people at a period of life where huge change happens in a relatively short space of time. It is important to understand that responding with fear, anxiety, worry and anger to an abnormal situation is a normal reaction for many young people. At an age when teenagers are fighting to make sense of themselves, and the structures around them to fit in, therapy can help guide a person safely through those difficult years. Most importantly the therapist is outside the family and provides a safe space for the young person to talk more freely. Without these accessible supports the mind can become stressed and self-doubt can creep in. Unfortunately, being human causes you to

doubt things, and when you are not interacting with your friends, teachers, and other interests you can begin to doubt yourself. Doubt causes fear, that results in anxiety. Teac Tom helps teenagers uncover their individual difficulties and communicate their needs to parents, while also helping build strategies to instil courage to face these fears. Early intervention and working with the whole family in talk therapy has been proven to be a huge support and sees young people moving out of anxiety and back to the journey of self-discovery. Access to services, therapists and space is essential for this early intervention. At Teac Tom, we pride ourselves on being accessible in a timely manner to those who need us. Steps to Availing of our Services 1. To avail of the service the parent books an initial appointment

where we meet with both the young person and the parent. 2. At this appointment we discuss how the therapy works, how often it takes place and limits to confidentiality. 3. With parental consent the young person engages with the therapist on a one-to-one basis for their first session of counselling. This will happen within two weeks of the initial appointment. 4. Over time the young person and therapist feedback to the parent what the issues may be and possible solutions of how we can work together to resolve it. 5. As always, our service is free for those who need to avail of it. If clients can do so, we ask that they make a donation to help us cover our counselling costs. Teac Tom does not offer a diagnosis of mental health condition or a medical intervention, but we can work in conjunction with a GP, schools and other professionals to help facilitate a wrap-around service for the young person. To support this work with adolescents we offer a Community Engagement Programme where we visit schools and do talks to groups of students around their mental health. Community Engagement Programme Working with schools, sports and youth clubs, we strive to reach out to young people in the community to provide early intervention and education on mental health. When the need arises, we are there to provide crisis support in the event

of a suicide. Our team can deliver a talk that has a simple but effective approach. CEO and founder of Teac Tom, Angela Hayes shares her deeply personal and tragic story of dealing with suicide; first her husband and then her son, 9 years later. This powerful story leads to a discussion around mental health and in particular the importance of talking and sharing a problem. This discussion is facilitated by a trained counsellor who is on hand to answer any queries that may arise. An important element of the Community Engagement Programme is the de-stigmatising of mental health issues – particularly important in a school environment where bullying, low self-esteem and exclusion can happen. To date we have had extensive and very positive feedback from teaching staff as well as those who have participated in these talks. Our goal is to have a positive impact on the mental health of our community now and into the future. By addressing problems in childhood and adolescence we will ensure that the transition into adulthood is managed effectively. If our young people learn to address their mental health needs in the same way they address their physical needs, then they can progress through the hard stages of life with positive mental health. If you would like any further information on our Community Engagement Programme, counselling services or to book an appointment, please get in touch with our team. thethomashayestrust@gmail.com / 056 7796592 / Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @teactom

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Science & Wellbeing CIRCADIAN rhythms are the daily rhythms of bodily functions which are tied to our natural body clock, respond to light exposure, and govern our sleep-wake cycles. Poor sleep habits can throw circadian rhythms out of whack (ageing and stress also don’t help) and patchy sleep would mean less time for immune cells to cleanse the brain of waste products that build up throughout the day. Long before Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed, oncetrusty proteins start to knot together in the brain in a process that may be hastened by poor sleep. Now, scientists have uncovered a possible mechanism linking disruptions in circadian rhythms and the buildup of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease, by studying the rhythmic operation of immune cells and finding the molecular ‘timers’ that control them. Sleep disturbances starting years before any symptoms emerge have been linked to a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, and more severe symptoms. It’s long been thought that over time, clumps of misfolded proteins – including one called amyloid-beta – accumulate in the brain to cause Alzheimer’s disease, which is a neurological condition marked by memory loss and slow cognitive decline. Daily fluctuations in levels of amyloid-beta have been noted in the cerebrospinal fluid of healthy adults, but these oscillations appear to be disrupted with age, the largest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. However, making the direct connection between circadian rhythms and the activity of immune cells tasked with cleaning up amyloid proteins has eluded scientists thus far. In this new study, researchers led by biological scientist Jennifer Hurley of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the US studied immune cells called macrophages, which are known to migrate into the RESEARCHERS at the University of Copenhagen have found several hundred different chemical substances in tap water stored in reusable plastic bottles. Several of these substances are potentially harmful to human health. There is a need for better regulation and manufacturing standards for manufacturers, according to the chemists behind the study. Several of these substances are potentially harmful to human health. There is a need for better regulation and manufacturing standards for manufacturers, according to the chemists behind the study. “We were taken aback by the large amount of chemical substances we found in water after 24 hours in the bottles. There were hundreds of substances in the water—including substances never before found in plastic, as well as substances that are potentially harmful to health. After a dishwasher

The growing link between poor sleep and Alzheimer’s

brain in late-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Macrophages are scavengers that gobble up waste products, faulty proteins, and defunct cells to prevent toxic damage. In lab-grown cell cultures observed under a microscope, these immune cells – derived from genetically modified mice with altered circadian clocks – went about cleaning up fluorescentlytagged amyloid-beta proteins

on a daily cycle. As levels of cell-surface proteins called ‘heparans’ went up, the clearance of amyloid-beta proteins slowed. But the immune cells promptly lost their rhythm when their circadian clock was disturbed, suggesting cell-surface heparans, and the protein-eating immune cells they regulate, fall under circadian control. “These data highlight that circadian regulation in im-

mune cells may play a role in the intricate relationship between the circadian clock and Alzheimer’s disease,” the team writes in their paper. Past research has found that just one night of bad sleep causes an increase in amyloid-beta proteins, and a week of sleepless nights leads to a build-up of another protein called tau, too. Chronic sleep problems could therefore spell trouble. Whether circadian clock

disruptions are a causative factor or physiological consequence of Alzheimer’s disease is still unclear, though. Keep in mind this study, which aimed to dissect possible mechanisms linking circadian clock disruptions and Alzheimer’s disease proteins, used immune cells sampled from the bone marrow of genetically modified mice as a proxy for what happens in humans. “With regard to the nature

of the circadian disruption that occurs in AD, there is much still to be understood,” behavioural neuroscientist Andrew Coogan of the University of Ireland and colleagues wrote in a 2013 review, which still rings true. It’s worth remembering, too, that amyloid proteins are not the whole story in Alzheimer’s disease. Tangles of tau proteins are the other prime suspects which have come into focus in the wake of disappointing clinical trials and mounting evidence against amyloid-beta (A ) as the main culprit of disease. “Though targeting A as a therapeutic strategy has met limited success, A accumulation is still regarded as a crucial step in AD pathogenesis,” Hurley and colleagues write. However, other recent research suggests amyloid proteins are actually latecomers to the disease rather than an early trigger, and poor sleep isn’t the only risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. That said, pinpointing a possible mechanism that goes some way to explaining how disruptions in circadian rhythms may perturb the clearance of amyloid proteins in the brain is a good step. In a roundabout way, this work supports other lines of research looking at so-called chronotherapies, which are interventions that aim to improve people’s sleep cycles. Understanding the circadian timing of immune cells may also have implications for other disorders that like Alzheimer’s disease are linked to inflammation, including depression. “Understanding how our circadian rhythms can regulate cell-surface heparan levels to control the build-up of amyloid-beta may lead to the development of chronotherapeutics that alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease as well as other inflammatory diseases,” Hurley says. * The study was published in PLOS Genetics.

ronmental sciences. Christensen and fellow researcher Selina Tisler detected

more than 400 different substances from the bottle plastic and over 3,500 substances derived from dishwasher soap. A large portion of these are unknown substances that the researchers have yet to identify. But even among the identified chemicals, the toxicity of at least 70% remains unknown. Photo-initiators are among the toxic substances in the water which worry the researchers. These are known to have potentially harmful effects on health in organisms, such as being endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. Furthermore, the researchers found a variety of plastic softeners, antioxidants, and release agents used in the manufacture of the plastic, as well as Diethyltoluamide (DEET), commonly known as the active substance in mosquito spray. In their experiments, the researchers mimicked the ways

in which many people typically use plastic drink bottles. People often drink water that has been kept in bottles for several hours. The researchers left ordinary tap water in both new and used drinking bottles for 24 hours, both before and after machine washing, as well as after the bottles had been in the dishwasher and rinsed thoroughly in tap water. The researchers suspect that bottle manufacturers only add a small proportion of the substances found intentionally. The majority have inadvertently occurred either during the production process or during use, where substances may have been converted from other substances. This includes the presence of the mosquito repellent DEET, where the researchers hypothesise that as one of the plastic softeners degrades, it converts into DEET.

Plastic bottles release hundreds of chemicals substances in water

cycle, there were several thousand,” says Jan H. Christensen, professor of environmental

analytical chemistry at the University of Copenhagen’s department of plant and envi-

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Travel & Leisure PART 1 -------1. PETRA, JORDAN Our list begins with Petra, Jordan. This ancient city is located in a narrow gorge and was built by the Nabataeans more than 2,000 years ago. This historic place became an important stop on the caravan route between Africa and Arabia. Petra was largely abandoned after a major earthquake in 363 CE. However, shepherds used the ruins for shelter for centuries afterwards. Petra is carved into the side of a cliff and most of it is still hidden underground. The only entrance is through a narrow gorge, called the Siq, which opens onto the city’s main square, or piazza. Petra was designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1985. It’s now one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Middle East. Many movies have been shot at Petra including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Mummy Returns and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. 2. MACHU PICCHU, PERU Next up is Machu Picchu, Peru. This Inca city was built around 1500 AD and abandoned just over 100 years later. The site remained unknown to the western world until 1911 when it was discovered by the explorer Hiram Bingham III. It is estimated that there were more than 140 structures at one point in time. These buildings were constructed using dry-stone walls, with no mortar. Although the purpose of this Inca citadel is unknown, some believe that it was a ceremonial site or the estate of the Inca emperor Pachacuti. Machu Picchu is a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. 3. THE COLOSSEUM, ROME The Colosseum is one of the

Stonehenge is an ancient stone circle located in Wiltshire, England. It’s one of the most mysterious and popular tourist destinations in the United Kingdom. There are two prehistoric stone circles surrounded by chalk pits known as Aubrey holes. The stones are thought to have been brought here from Wales and Cornwall. The stone circles are thought to have been erected between 3000-2000 BC and their purpose is still unknown to this day. It is thought that astronomical rituals may have taken place here.

The best places in the world to visit most iconic historical places in the world. This ancient Roman amphitheatre was completed in 80 AD and is a marvel of engineering. This structure was commissioned by Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD and took over a decade to complete. The Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and other public spectacles. It is estimated that over 500,000 people lost their lives in the Colosseum. Today, it is a popular tourist destination and one of Rome’s most iconic landmarks. 4. ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA Angkor Wat is an ancient temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia that dates back to the 12th century. It was built as a Hindu temple

The 5 best museums in Paris

6. THE TAJ MAHAL, INDIA The Taj Mahal is an ancient mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Emperor Shah Jahan between 1632-1649 to honour his wife Mumtaz Mahal after her death from childbirth. The elaborate mausoleum was constructed using white marble and precious stones such as jade, sapphire and turquoise. It’s considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and a must-see for any traveller visiting India.

OF GIZA, EGYPT The Pyramids of Giza are some of the oldest and most famous monuments in the world. These ancient Egyptian pyramids were probably built in the 26th century BC. They were part of a funerary complex and were constructed as tombs for three pharaohs: Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. The Great Pyramid of Giza (also known as the Great Pyramid) is the largest and oldest of these pyramids. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one still standing. There are many mysteries surrounding this structure, such as how the ancient Egyptians were able to move such large stones and how they managed to build the pyramids so precisely.

7. THE PYRAMIDS

8. STONEHENGE, ENGLAND

1. THE EIFFEL TOWER The Eiffel Tower is very well known and is the most visited monument in the world with it being the first structure in the world to pass the 200 and 300-meter height mark at 324 meters tall, but this was beaten in 1930. The tower has more than seven million visitors a year with three levels for visitors to explore along with restaurants on the first and second floor. In total, there are 1665 steps from the bottom to the top of the tower but visitors will usually climb the first 600 on the first and second floor and then take a lift to the last floor, which will take around 30-45 minutes.

overwhelmed by the idea of trying to see everything in the museum in one visit. The best way to visit the @museelouvre for the first time is to book a guided tour through the museum’s website. The Louvre’s experts are trained to guide you through the museum’s most impressive spaces, giving you fascinating insight into the history of the palace and showing you its famous artworks, including the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo. Book the guided tour “Welcome to the Louvre” online at: Louvre.fr. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am. Price: €12.

art in Europe. It includes everything such as paintings and sculptures as well as graffiti and videos. The site offers visitor exhibitions, concerts, and performances which are spread over 4 floors. Children can head over to the Little Palais which includes special activities for them. There are two restaurants here, including Tokyo Eat. There are also two gardens, educational activities, and a book shop.

2. LOUVRE MUSEUM It is estimated that it would take a person at least 100 days to see all the works of art in the Louvre Museum! For those who haven’t been there yet, don’t feel

3. PALAIS DE TOKYO The Palais de Tokyo was built in 1937 and is dedicated to Art and Technology in Modern Life and is currently the largest centre for contemporary

dedicated to Vishnu. The site later became a Buddhist temple, but today it is visited by people from all over the world regardless of their religion. Angkor Wat is considered to be one of the most impressive religious monuments in the world and is a must-see for anyone visiting Southeast Asia. 5. THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA The Great Wall of China is an ancient defensive barrier that spans over 13,000 miles. It’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in China and a must-see for anyone visiting Asia. This series of fortifications was built to protect the northern border of China from invaders. It was constructed in several phases during the Qin dynasty (221 BC to 206 BC) and rebuilt

during the Ming dynasty. The wall has been designated one of Unesco’s World Heritage sites since 1987. You can visit this historical site by taking a guided tour or walking around on your own.

4. MUSEE RODIN Auguste Rodin was a French Sculptor and was considered the founder of modern sculpture. In the heart of Paris, only a few steps away from the Eiffel tower is the Musee Rodin, which is an 18th-century mansion and sculpture garden which holds sculptures by Rodin. Surrounded by peaceful and romantic French-style gardens which are a must-

9. THE GREAT SPHINX OF GIZA, EGYPT The Great Sphinx of Giza is an ancient statue that was built between 2500 BC and 2400 BC. It’s located near Cairo in Egypt and is one of the oldest known monumental sculptures from antiquity. The massive structure stands 73 metres high and is thought to have been built for Pharaoh Khafre. Based on a mythological creature, it was carved from one giant piece of stone. 10. THE FORBIDDEN CITY, BEIJING The Forbidden City was the Imperial Palace of the Chinese emperors from 1420 to 1912. It’s located in central Beijing and is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. There are 980 buildings and over 8,000 rooms, making it the largest palace complex in the world. In fact, this colossal structure is spread over 7.75 million square feet. This is one of the best preserved wooden buildings in the world, and a must-see for anyone visiting China. As access was barred to most citizens, it was named The Forbidden City. However, it is now a museum and you can visit with a tour guide or explore on your own. PART 2 NEXT WEEK

see. The gardens are planted with trees and shrubs and visitors should expect to spend one to two hours here. 5. MUSEE GREVIN The Musee Grevin is almost like Madame Tussauds, it is a wax museum, featuring over 500 life-like wax figures representing the world’s best-known celebrities especially ones from France. These include athletes, politicians, singers, and actors such as Christiano Ronaldo and Melanie Cruz. The visit starts in the hall of mirrors and then further along the decorations in the museum takes its visitors to a beautiful sanctuary. In each room, visitors will get to see some of the most important events of the 20th century and tour the country’s history since the middle ages. The museum is open on weekends from 9:30 am to 7 pm.

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Feature

Repair and Restoration of the Lady Chapel

Vincent O Brien working on the window

OPENED in 1857, Saint Mary’s cathedral is undergoing some renovations. Work began in the James’ Street church just before Christmas. The primary work currently is preparation for and installation of a new altar and ambo in the sanctuary. At the same time, the two side chapels – The Lady Chapel and the Chapel of St Joseph – are being cleaned and restored. Initially, all the mosaics

of these chapels are being cleaned – literally being washed down. These mosaics date to the work of Bishop Collier in the early 1930s.

Paul and Vincent O’Brien natives of Durrow, who have carried out most of the paint work at St Mary’s Cathedral for a number of years

Over the years a build-up of dust and smoke have clung to the mosaic, and all have now been cleaned. Repair to the windows has also been necessary. While the windows themselves are in good condition (repair work to the lead in these windows was done in 2011) the reliefs and paintwork needed repair. The reliefs and mouldings have now been cleaned and repainted and ‘gold leaf’ applied to the decorative designs. The altar in the Lady Chapel is original to 1857. St Joseph’s Chapel was erected by Bishop Brownrigg in the 1890s. The marble background (the Reredos) in both altars will be re-erected. Each chapel will be lit with new lighting. This work complements the beautiful centre apse of the Cathedral which was cleaned earlier and has been much admired by parishioners, pilgrims, and visitors alike.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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St. Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny announces Grand Marshall Paralympian Mary Fitzgerald St. Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny are delighted to announce that this year’s Grand Marshall for the 2022 City St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be Kilkenny Paralympian Mary Fitzgerald. Previous Grand Marshall’s of the Kilkenny Parade have included Vicky Phelan (2019), Bobby Kerr (2018), and Cartoon Saloon Oscar nominated Producers/Directors Tomm Moore and Paul Young (2015). Mary will lead the St. Patrick’s Day Parade through Kilkenny City on Thursday 17th of March at 1.30pm. The Parade is the central event in a 6-day jammed-packed festival of events for St. Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny as it returns to the streets after a 2-year break. Cllr Joe Malone Festival Committee Chairman said “We are delighted to have Mary lead the Parade this year. Last year was a mammoth year for Irish sport with Paralympians and Olympians seeing success in Tokyo. Mary is a proud Kilkenny woman who has already achieved

Stay fit, stay young with yoga

Thinking of taking up Yoga this year? Apart from building mental resilience, Yoga is also a great exercise system, tried and tested over thousands of years. Start with Good Bones Yoga is a weight bearing exercise with most of the poses holding your body weight up, in often challenging relationships with gravity. These types of balancing movements are excellent for building bone density, strength and stability. No class is ever the same and brings refreshing challenges. Flexibility and Balance Overly tight muscles occur because we often train in an extremely focused manner, and in sports like running or cycling…performing the same leg actions over and over again. This leads to a shortening of certain

so much in the field of Para Athletics. We’re excited to cheer her on during this year’s Parade and to continue supporting her

in her sporting career”. Mary, who hails from Callan Co. Kilkenny, is a Paralympic athlete who competes in shot

muscles, and through Yoga we introduce lengthening, and opposing movements to keep muscles supple and strong. Without this, tight muscles get tight and weak muscles get weaker. Balances are great for improving the functioning of the hip stabilisers which is particularly good for runners, walkers, hurlers, golfers etc

but our spine is what really shows our age. However, our appearance is only secondary. Our posture affects the health of every system of the body. A healthy spine is essential for the life-sustaining action of the central nervous system, providing a canal for the spinal cord, allowing it to innervate the internal organs and muscles of the body unimpeded.

Rounding of the spine All non-wearing forms of exercise are good but Yoga is unique in its capacity to prevent and reverse the most conspicuous sign of ageing, one that can’t be disguised or transformed cosmetically, the shortening and rounding of the spine. We can spend a fortune on face creams

Trish Hayden, has been teaching Sports Stretch Yoga and 50+ Yoga in Kilkenny and the Watershed for the past 10 years. New classes start in February. For details, phone 086-3895507, or Facebook YogaToGo with Trish Hayden

put, as well as javelin and discus. Competing since 2010, Mary’s international achievements include winning three gold medals at the 2019 IWAS World Games in Sharjah, UAE, a bronze medal at the 2021 European Para Athletics Championships in Poland and competing at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai. In 2021, she realised a dream by competing at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in Japan. In tough conditions, Mary finished 6th overall in a very impressive Paralympic debut, and she says this is “only the beginning”. Mary is a member of Gowran Athletic Club in Co. Kilkenny and studies Occupational Therapy at University College Cork. Based in the village of Gowran, Gowran Athletics Club competes in a wide variety of events including track and field. They have members ranging from 6 to 70+ and work towards every athlete reaching their full potential, whether an amateur or a Paralympian! The club welcome any new members who want to give athletics a go. Speaking about being Grand Marshall of the St. Patrick’s Festival Parade Kilkenny, Mary said “It’s an honour to be asked

to be Grand Marshall of this year’s Parade. I have had an exciting few years, but I’m already working towards the next Paralympics in Paris in 2024. It’s exciting to see women’s sport and indeed disability sport going from strength to strength in Ireland, from a participationfocused level all the way up to elite. Para Athletics has been a huge part of my life from a young age and it has given me so many opportunities”. Marian Flannery Festival Director “We’re so thrilled to have Mary as this year’s Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Kilkenny is such a sporting County and Mary has already achieved so much. The Parade is a central part of the festivities here in Kilkenny and we expect 20,000 people on the streets watching the Parade and cheering on Mary as she leads it out. This year’s festival is our biggest one yet with 6 days of events and entertainment around the City and County. We’re relishing the world being open again and weplan to celebrate it”. David Denieffe secretary from Gowran AC (previously coach to Mary) athletics said; “I’m delighted to see Mary being recognised in this way. She

works so hard and is a great club member. She’s a wonderful ambassador for our club and athletics in Kilkenny and for Para Athletics nationally, and despite only getting started, Mary is already inspiring the next generation of athletes. She’s brilliant! The whole club will be out supporting her on St. Patrick’s day and cheering her on!” The St. Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny will take place from the 15th - 20th of March 2022. After an extensive virtual event last year, the Kilkenny St. Patrick’s festival is returning to the streets of Kilkenny. The focal point of the festival, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, will take place on Thursday 17th March 2022 at 1.30pm in Kilkenny City taking the route of John Street, Rose Inn Street, The Parade, High Street and ending in the Market Yard. Mary will lead the Parade alongside some special guests. Spectators can expect pageantry, music, community and lots of fun and creativity at this year’s festival. More information about St. Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny and this year’s programme can be found at www.stpatricksfestivalkilkenny.com or on Facebook at @ StPatricksDayKilkenny

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Cancer kids ‘need EU access’ IRELAND South MEP Deirdre Clune has marked International Childhood Cancer Day by calling for improved healthcare measures to help patients across the EU. The Fine Gael MEP is a member of the EU Special Committee on Beating Can-

cer which is behind plans for better access to treatment across member states, which are being discussed at the European Parliament today. Every year more than 35,0000 children are diagnosed with cancer in Europe, while around 170 children

and teenagers under the age of 16 receive a diagnosis in Ireland. Young people are often diagnosed with rare types of the disease which may require highly specialised care. Ms Clune said: “It is best for Europe to adopt a common approach to support the

diagnosis and treatment of childhood and rare cancers. This means patients can access the care they need regardless of where they live. “To allow for better mobility of highly specialised treatment, expertise and equipment, the current

Cross-border Healthcare Directive must be strengthened, she told The Kilkenny Observer. “We want it to be easier for patients, doctors and healthcare professionals to access information about treatment in other member states and

have equal access to innovative cancer medications. “We would also like to see resources allocated to help the development of multicentre clinical trials, especially for cancers with reduced treatment options,” the Ireland South MEP said.

Our local SuperValu in friendly eco move

Giving those with needs a hand up to get the job done SOS Kilkenny has been awarded funding through the Dormant Accounts Fund for Work4Life. Work4Life is a specialist employment service that will guide adults with intellectual disabilities and autism on their path to paid employment. Work4Life is looking for businesses and organisations who value and promote diversity in the workplace to partner with them and offer opportunities for paid employment, work experience or job tasters to job seekers we support.

A spokesperson told The Kilkenny Observer: “Employing a person with an intellectual disability or autism makes business sense for an organisation and their staff team. Bank of Ireland employs three people supported by SOS Kilkenny, one of whom is Conor Tobin. Conor works for eight hours a week offering administrative support to Bank of Ireland team leaders.” When asked if employing a person with an intellectual disability or autism has had a positive impact in Bank

of Ireland and on the staff team, Jennifer Murphy of Bank of Ireland, explained: “Having Conor as part of our team over the past six years has been a fantastic experience and we look forward to working with him into the future. Conor is dedicated and diligent in his work, conscientious and thorough in his attitude and he delivers brilliant results for the team. We have developed an excellent relationship and our team has gained invaluable experience in communicating

more effectively, coaching and mentoring and enhancing our people management skills. “Conor has a great ability to lift our mood and give us a boost when we need it – a skill which is extremely valued – and we are privileged to have him on our team. As an organisation, one of our values is to enable our colleagues to thrive, and working alongside Conor really emphasises this.” Employing a person with a disability or autism can have a significant, positive impact

on staff morale and motivation. It will enhance your reputation with both your employees and your customers. It will give your staff the opportunity to improve their communication and mentoring skills and it will add an enthusiastic, skilled person to your team at the times you need it the most. If you would like to request an employer information pack or discuss offering an opportunity to a jobseeker we support, please contact employment@soskilkenny. com or on 087-6353895.

The Model School for unique book project A KILKENNY school is taking part in a childhood reading initiative from Enterprise RentA-Car and Children’s Books Ireland. The initiative will see more than 1,900 copies of Why the Moon Travels by Oein DeBhairduin donated to children at 64 schools across Ireland and was marked by an event in Tralee attended by Minister for Education Norma

Foley. In Kilkenny, The Model School will take part. The donation is part of Enterprise’s ROAD (Respect, Opportunity, Achievement and Diversity) Forward programme, which is a $55 million global initiative funded by Enterprise’s philanthropic arm, the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, to promote early childhood development,

youth health and wellness, and career and college preparation. Through the ROAD Forward initiative, more than 1,900 sixth class pupils from across Ireland will receive their own copy of Why the Moon Travels, a collection of folk tales rooted in the oral tradition of the Irish Traveller community collected by Oein DeBhairdu-

in and beautifully illustrated by Leanne McDonagh. Students in Kilkenny are among the first pupils to receive copies of the book through the programme at a special event attended by Minister Foley. Enterprise Holdings first announced its ROAD Forward programme in November 2020 through its philanthropic arm, the Enterprise Holdings

Foundation. The $55 million, global initiative focuses on promoting Respect, Opportunity, Achievement and Diversity (ROAD) for youth and families by addressing three areas in need of urgent attention: early childhood development, youth health and wellness, and career and college preparation. See also Page 24

CAULFIELD’S SuperValu Loughboy and Market Square SuperValu, Kilkenny have introduced circular economy solutions launching a bespoke refill station of Tru Eco range of eco-friendly household cleaning and laundry products made in Ireland. The Tru Eco range of products is made from plant-based and biodegradable ingredients and each bottle is made from 100% recycled plastic, creating a circular economy product that is reusable, recyclable, and refillable. The range includes an all-purpose cleaner, washing-up liquid, non-bio laundry detergent, and fabric conditioner. SuperValu shoppers can now bring their empty bottles of Tru Eco household cleaning and laundry products to refill in-store at a cheaper cost. By refilling, people can reduce their environmental footprint, minimise plastic waste, lower carbon emissions, and save money. John Burke, Caulfields Loughboy SuperValu Manager, told The Kilkenny Observer: “We are delighted to offer our customers an Irish-made Tru Eco Refill Station, a simple refill solution for household cleaning and laundry products that will save them money and protect the environment. The refill station is easy to use, and we see an uptake from our customers. We make every effort to bring great choice and value to our customers and to create a greener community.” The SuperValu stores aim to make refilling mainstream to minimise plastic waste. Russell Walsh, Joint Managing Director, VivaGreen said: “Our Tru Eco range is for those who are mindful about the environmental and health impacts of cleaning products, and who are seeking a safer and kinder way to clean their homes. By buying our products, consumers are supporting a local, eco-friendly, Irish business, and reducing their plastic waste footprint, environmental impact as well as lowering carbon emissions.” *For more information and its full range of eco products visit vivagreen.ie or join the conversation on Instagram @ vivagreen.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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News The Rose of Tralee International Festival returns with a flourish as it heralds an inspiring new era & formally announces

The Search for the 2022 Rose of Tralee THE iconic Rose of Tralee International Festival emerged from a 2-year hiatus over the weekend with a real flourish, as it formally announced inspiring plans for an exciting new era and officially launched “The Search for the 2022 Rose of Tralee”. Anthony O`Gara, the Executive Chair of the Festival, revealed an exciting plan for the festival to become more accessible at community level with a vision to support voluntary fundraising efforts. Additionally, the relaxed entry requirements were reinforced, making it easier to become a Rose of Tralee, whilst supporting the all-inclusive and diverse nature of the Festival. (See Editor`s notes for Entry Criteria) Lyn Moloney, Kilkenny Rose Co Ordinator commented “We at the Kilkenny Rose Centre are inviting all interested girls between 18 and 29 years old to reach out and put themselves forward to enter this year’s Kilkenny Rose selection... As a new initiative we inviting GAA, Camogie Clubs, Societies and local communities to partner with the Kilkenny Rose Centre and participate in local events and in return the Kilkenny Rose Centre will make a generous contribution

to the local community or organisation involved . We are delighted to have MacDonagh Junction as lead sponsor of the Kilkenny Rose again this year along with Colin Ahearn GM, Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel where our Kilkenny Rose 2022 will take place on April

23rd.” For Further details please contact the Kilkenny Rose Co Ordinator of Lyn Moloney on 083 4631611 or Kilkennyroseoftralee on all social media platforms. The 2022 Rose of Tralee International Festival will

take place from August 19th – August 23rd. The Festival team are presently planning a host of amazing events that traditionally take place in Tralee town during this period, inclusive of lights, parades, family entertainment, street performance and much more. All Festival details will be revealed in the near future on www.theroseoftralee.ie. Anthony O`Gara – The Executive Chair of the Festival commented “The Rose of Tralee International Festival is strongly associated with great Irish women, Irish people and local communities globally. Today, I am delighted to announce that this legacy will continue, as we reveal our inspiring plans for the future. Celebrating our Irish Culture, and the positive contribution that Irish people make at home and abroad is a real privilege and we are most grateful for the incredible support we have received over the last 8 decades. As we look to the future, it is our goal to support the fundraising efforts of local Irish communities and to continue to showcase the incredible contribution of great Irish women globally” Applications to enter the 2022 Rose of Tralee are now officially open. Visit. www.therosetralee. ie for details.

Entry Criteria – Rose of Tralee International Festival 2022

of Tralee Selection. Be available for Rose Selection events and if selected be available for International Festival events.

Taking onboard the feedback of the Irish Diaspora - the Rose of Tralee Festival are delighted to announce the New Revised Entry Criteria as follows: Applicants can include

5) ENTRY FEE: An entrant sponsorship fee of €300 was required for entrants based in Ireland. This is now reduced to €200. Your local Rose Centre will give you more details. Contact your local International Centre directly for their sponsorship details.

1) AGE: 18 years of age by January 1st, 2022, and will not have reached your 30th birthday on or prior to September 1st, 2022. 2) STATUS: Single / Married or anyone identifying as female is welcome to enter. 3) IRISH DESCENT: Be an Irish citizen or of Irish origin by virtue of one of your ancestors having been born in Ireland. For applicants residing outside the island of Ireland - be living in the region you wish to represent for a minimum of one year and recommend that if selected as the Rose that you will remain resident in this region for the following 12 months 4) HISTORY: Never have previously represented any Centre as a Rose in the Regional Festival or International Rose

NOTE: For applicants residing outside the island of Ireland - be living in the region you wish to represent for a minimum of one year and recommend that if selected as the Rose that you will remain resident in this region for the following 12 months.

We are delighted to be sponsoring this years Kilkenny Rose again, the spirit of the Rose contest aligns with our ethos of celebrating women and supporting our local community. We look forward to meeting some of the contestants and of course our young Rosebuds in the weeks ahead. Marion Acreman

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

News

The new business strategy for the future NEW research published by Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, shows that 60% of companies in Ireland have increased their attention on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives in their organisation, compared with 12 months ago. The findings come as part of Ibec’s annual CEO Survey, capturing the perspectives and predictions of CEOs on

the major business issues. Responding to a series of questions on the year ahead and beyond, the findings provide key insights from business leaders on what they believe the business landscape will look like in 2022 and what this means for business planning. Commenting on the ESG findings, Ibec CEO Danny McCoy said: “Over the last num-

ber of years there has been a growing movement among Ibec members, and indeed business globally, to consider the impact of their operations, not just in terms of maximising returns but in generating returns in a way which balances economic, environmental, social and governance goals. “From the survey findings, we can see the initial efforts in this movement. Within 65%

of organisations there is work underway on the prioritisation of ESG across the business, 53% were engaged in preparing for ESG reporting and 53% in developing activities to manage organisations energy use,” he said. “In addition, 47% of companies stated that employee health and wellbeing is fully embedded within their organisation. Communication on

Bank issues warning on new style of fraud THE Bank of Ireland is advising businesses to be on increased alert against fraudsters during the current period of change, as many companies reopen their workplaces and employees adapt to new hybrid work practices. Bank of Ireland has recorded a marked increase in reported cases of ‘invoice redirection’ in the weeks since Government work from home advice was lifted, as fraudsters have used this period of change to capitalise on vulnerability. Invoice redirection fraud is where fraudsters pretend to be a supplier or service provider in order to trick employees into changing bank account payee details. A common tactic is to tell the business that their bank account details have changed and for all payments to be sent to a new account, controlled by the fraudster. What to look out for: • Fraudsters may write to a company’s finance or payments department either on forged headed paper or by email, pretending to be a supplier. • Typically, they will say that their account details have changed. • The payee account may be located either in Ireland or overseas. • The fraudster may ask an employee to send a pending payment to the new account or to ensure that all future payments are sent to the new account. Edel McDermott, Head of Fraud at Bank of Ireland, told The Kilkenny Observer: “We know that fraudsters thrive in periods of change or uncertainty for business, where attention may be focused on other priorities. While the winding down of pandemic restrictions

and the return to workplaces is positive news, after two years of remote working, this period will bring considerable change to many companies. Companies and their suppliers may be working in different ways, with team changes or the introduction of new processes and procedures. “Business email fraud at any time has the potential to have a devastating impact on business. Training staff on the warning signs and verbally checking requests with a known contact will help safeguard business against avoidable losses. We are urging businesses not to drop their guard against email scams.”

Bank of Ireland’s advice to business: • Be skeptical of urgent requests that do not follow typical company procedures and policies. • Establish a documented internal process for requesting and authorising all payments. • Consider how your business issues and accepts payment instructions. Email is NOT considered a secure means of communication unless encrypted. • Always verify that the email is from the real sender before making any payment. • Under no circumstances should contact details contained in the email or attachments be relied upon to verify the request. • Notify the Bank immediately if you receive a suspicious email relating to payments or if you think you have been the victim of fraud. • Visit /security-zone/protectyour-business/ for examples of business fraud and for advice on how to protect your business. * See also www.fraudsmart.ie.

employer values to employees (39%), activities to support local community (37%) and activities to support employee diversity and inclusion (35%) are other key areas where significant work has already been completed,” Mr McCoy told The Kilkenny Observer. “While much work remains, these are encouraging early signs and we look forward to working closely with business

to further strengthen and develop their ESG ambitions.” Mr McCoy said the top five key challenges identified by CEOs were: • Availability of specific skills/ talent (60%) • Input cost inflation (56%) • Labour cost pressures (52%) • Maintaining profit margins (50%) • Supply chain disruption (39%)

Discover the magic between the overs LIBRARIES throughout Kilkenny are taking part in Ireland Reads a campaign to get the whole country reading this month in the lead up to a national day of reading on Friday, February 25. Irish libraries have teamed up with publishers, booksellers, authors and others for the campaign, which is part of the government’s Healthy Ireland programme and aims to celebrate reading and all the benefits it can have for wellbeing and enjoyment. The campaign is asking everyone to ‘squeeze in a read’ on Ireland Reads Day, Friday, February 25. The pledge to read can be made at www.irelandreads. ie where you can also see

how much time has been pledged by the Irish public so far and sign up for reading reminders. The website also offers book recommendations suited to a person’s interests and the time they have available. There are more than 1,500 recommendations from librarians all around the country for all interests and reading levels. Campaign partners and libraries all over the country will be running ‘Ireland Reads’ initiatives and events throughout February in the build up to Friday, February 25. Among the events are: • Staff Recommended Reads Podcast Join library staff Majella and Karyn, as they discuss

staff recommendations on our new podcast series. This will be at 8pm on Facebook and on kilkennylibrary.ie • Bibliotherapy and Poetry therapy with Geraldine Campbell Geraldine will give a short introduction to bibliotherapy and poetry therapy, explaining how these can be used for a therapeutic effect. This will take place 9pm on Facebook and at kilkennylibrary.ie • Storytimes, crafts, and book recommendations for children These will be available online. • Design your own bookmark We will have specially printed bookmarks avail-

able in each of our libraries for children to pick up and design and colour. As part of the Little Libraries initiative, bookmarks will be sent out to all participating Early Learning centres in Kilkenny. “We hope Kilkenny readers of all ages will join readers all over Ireland by reading for pure enjoyment on Ireland Reads Day”, said County Librarian, Josephine Coyne. “So sign up, take the pledge on Irelandreads.ie and enjoy some guilt free reading time for yourself and the family!” * Find out more and take the pledge by going to www.irelandreads.ie or visiting Kilkennylibrary.ie for more information and updates.

Wexford couple staying ‘at home’ in Ukraine TWO Irish citizens have said they will remain in their “home of Ukraine” despite Department of Foreign Affairs instructions to leave, as threats of a Russian invasion loom heavily. Paul Niland and Bradley Stafford from Wexford have stated their plans to stay in Ukraine, where they have both lived for some time, despite the security update to Irish citizens asking they “depart immediately… due to the increased threat of military activity”. Mr Stafford, a photographer, is

married to a Ukrainian woman and has moved from their home in Kiev 300km away to stay with his mother-in-law in the city of Lina. “At the end of the day, this is my home. This is my wife’s home,” Mr Stafford told the Irish Independent. Mr Stafford, who is married to Anastasiia, said he found out about the alert for Irish citizens to leave Ukraine during a phone call with his sister. “She just called me out of the blue and said: ‘Have you heard

the news?’ And at that point I hadn’t,” Mr Stafford said. “I was out with my wife having a meal and then I checked my email and there had been an email come in from the (Irish) Embassy, saying that they updated their travel status to the country and furthermore, they were advising all citizens to leave as soon as possible, by any means. “For the time being, we’re staying put. “We actually left Kiev about a week ago. We’ve come to my

mother-in-law’s house in a small city known as Lina. “We took the decision to leave about a week ago, because my wife was getting very worried about reports she was reading in the news about the potential for conflict in and around the Kiev area, which had been almost unimaginable.” Mr Stafford told RTÉ Radio 1 that people in Ukraine “are a lot more worried” currently than they had been in recent weeks and months about the prospect of a Russian invasion.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Feature

Lake Productions presented the hilarious Mark Doherty play ‘Trad’ in Cleeres Theatre with the cast of Joe Murray, Derek Dooley and Mike Kelly.

Michael Hayes in a scene from ‘After Sarah Miles’ by Michael Hiliard Mulcahy which was directed by Mary Cradock at Cleeres Theatre.

Founding member of Lake Productions Emily Kelly (left) pictured with Brid McEvoy who launched the company in 2018

Lake Productions take plunge with the Kings of Kilburn FOUNDED in 2018, Lake Productions are currently rehearsing for a production of Jimmy Murphy’s play ‘The Kings of the Kilburn High Road’ This show was first staged by the Red Kettle Theatre company at Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford in 2000 It is fair to say that it was received with great acclaim,

and still has that artistic punch twenty years later. Lake productions has already built an attractive CV of work which includes stage shows, radio plays and the production of two wonderful poetry books in conjunction with The Involvement Centre and The Recovery College. Pre-Covid, the company

produced ‘Trad’ by Mark Doherty and ‘After Sarah Miles’ by Michael Hiliard Mulcahy. Artistic director of Lake Productions Emily Kelly said that although rehearsal were just kicking off, the power of the play is already evident. According to Emily, the play is very special, dealing

as it does with emigration from Ireland and to an extent the lost Irish. This play tells the story of a group of middle aged Irishmen. The men had moved over to England, dreaming of making their fortunes . Now as older men, they toast the death of an old friend. They rethink their

decisions that brought them to England as they think of home. Secrets unfold and consequences ensue as the day goes on. The Kings of the Kilburn High road opens at The Concert hall in Thomastown in March for six performances and the cast includes Michael Hayes, Eoghan Fingleton,

Cast members of ‘Intercultural Miscellany’, a show produced by Lake Productions and staged at St Canace’s Hall.

Cast members of ‘War of the Worlds’, a radio play produced in conjunction with Community radio, Kilkenny city, directed by Mary Cradock , and staged at The Set Theatre.

Alan Grant , Declan Taylor and Derek Dooley. Backstage crew includes Clare Gibbs as Stage manager, Siobhán Hegarty (set), and Brendan McGuire (Lighting). The play is directed by Ger Cody The production will run at The Concert Hall in Thomastown from March 17.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Feature

Poet Martha Woodcock (centre) with Edward Hayden, who launched the poetry book and publisher Angela Keogh (The Harvest Press)

New book of poetry from Martha Woodcock

“SPEAK, only if it improves on the silence.” So said Mahatma Ghandi .The words rang clear as a group of fifty plus gathered at The Kilkenny Book centre for the launch of Martha Woodcocks poetry book ‘We say we will’. The book of poems is a first collection from Martha which takes us on a journey through the everyday, the exotic, the lifechanging and the heart breaking. Her work has a deep integrity and the poems are filled with an honesty and directness that makes them immediately familiar, yet deeply personal It is a first collection of poems from Martha, and one would surmise that more is to follow. According to former member of the Dubliner’s singing group John

Sheahan who contributed a cover note, “Martha is a gifted and wellcrafted story teller, who lures you into her word pictures, until you become enthralled as a fireside listener.” A SPECIAL NIGHT FOR MARTHA Speaking at the launch, publisher Angela Keogh from The Harvest Press expressed delight at the opportunity to actually attend a launch. “With all that has happened over the last two years it is wonderful to see things returning to some normality”, said Angela. Angela, who along with her husband John Mac Kenna , run the independent publishing company ‘The Harvest Press’, said it was a delight to work with Martha, and to witness the publication finally sit on the bookshop shelf was very special. She congratulated all who

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Feature The Bockety World of Henry & Bucket by Sarah Argent Paul Curley and John Currivan

Arthur Drohan, John Cleere and Phyl Cleere attending the launch of Martha Woodcock’s poetry book at The Kilkenny Book Centre

contributed to the book, reserving a special word of praise for the Kilkenny Arts office, who she described as being ‘on top of their game’. Angela thanked Yvonne and her staff at the Book Centre for their continued support and dedication to the promotion of all things literary. In conclusion, Angela said they were thrilled to work with Martha as publishers, and congratulated her on her first book of poetry. HONOURED TO PERFORM THE LAUNCH The fifty page book was launched by chef and radio personality Edward Hayden. Edward said that he felt honoured to be part of what he described as ‘a powerful’

collection of poetry. “A sense of family and authenticity oozes from the book that makes you feel all the richer for reading it”, continued Mr Hayden. Poet and playwright Rita Ann Higgins contributed a note to the books cover and described Martha Woodcock as an evoker. According to the Galway writer, Martha pays attention to the things we forget and commented that in the poems we find an endless watcher and listener. LOVE IN THE ROOM When Martha stood to speak, she was greeted by a warm and heartfelt round of applause. There was, without doubt, love in the room. Martha thanked her

publishers ‘The Harvest Press’ for sharing the publishing journey with her. She recalled the background to some of her poems, paying special tribute to her late mother Kathy in her poem ‘Not so grand out’ and to her siblings in ‘Sisters’. The author also remembered friends Gemma McGurr and Ann Burke, both of whom have passed on. The launch was attended by Martha’s family, and a host of friends and neighbours. The book is dedicated to Martha’s parents Kathy and Paddy and to her sister Kathleen. Available at The Kilkenny Book Centre and on line from www.theharvest press.

THE SPORTS JACKET Holding his right hand when he took his last breath I had no idea that it was so near the end, but the nodding of the kindest nurse that I have ever met told the story, with no words at all. The night before, she painted a picture of how it might be And I already knew that people would say that ‘he was a great age.’ After the last of the morphine there was about an hour where he sounded like he was going to get better. He told the grandchildren to ‘keep hurling and keep up the sport’. Last week, I found the sports jacket he was wearing just before he went into hospital, just before he died. Almost musty in the wardrobe. I took it off the hanger and wrapped it around me. I could smell him again. And it felt good. I closed my eyes, wrapped my knuckles tightly around the jacket. I saw his smile And my own smile returned to my face

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

Picture special Seamus and Stevie Mulrooney

Karen and Marie Wall The Burke family

Paul Molloy, Jimmy Leahy and Eric O’Keefe

t u o b A nny Out &

WITH

Da t Lahar

Davy Doyle and Nnatasha Browne

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Picture special

Johnny McEvoy and Marian Devlin

Ann Morrissey, Siobhan Shelly,Susan Leahy, Sharon Rossiter and Mary Blanchfield

Catherine and Karen Murphy withDebbie and Amber Hayes

Owen Dowle and Morgan McEnroe

Orlaith Byrne. Megan Hearne, Ivy Hearne and Sheena Byrne

Kevin, Anthony, Polly and Zoe Browne

Jason Cummins, Becca Fox, Leah Dowling and Bekka Whearty

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Feature WEEK TWO Kilkenny is home to the most famous cats in the world. For over two hundred years, people everywhere have heard of the fierce Kilkenny Cats. They are part of our history; part of our DNA. They reflect Kilkenny in all its glorious past, its developing present and exciting future. In week two, local author Donal Cadogan and illustrator Gemma Aloisi share their unique view of Kilkenny’s history and culture, as seen and told by its magnificent and ever-present Kilkenny Cats. This week we meet Kenny, Norman and Cissie These are taken from their recent illustrated children’s book We are Kilkenny Cats!

Kilkenny tales, as told by Kenny, Norman and Cissie KENNY A SAINTLY CAT’ IN the 5th Century a holy man called Patrick came to Ireland. He brought with him a bible and Christianity. There is no record of him bringing a cat. He rid Ireland of snakes. If he had a cat, he might have cleared out the mice as well. Soon many people had joined him in his work to spread the story of Christianity. One of his earliest followers was a young man called Canice. When he grew up he became a priest and wandered through the country looking for people to convert. To protect him, he brought a cat called Kenny. Like his master, Kenny was also holy. He was a holy terror to mice. Canice founded a monastery north of where County Kilkenny is today. Many people went to hear him tell the stories from the Bible. When he had enough followers, he moved on, leaving some behind to spread his good news. To protect them he left Kenny, his cat. Canice went to Scotland where the people called him Kenneth, probably after his cat. The people built many churches to God, as Canice had told them. They named many of these after holy people. One of the biggest was on a hill by the River Nore and they called it after him. It was known in Irish as Cill Channaigh or the Church of Canice. Over the many years since, Cill Channaigh became Kilkenny in English. The people built a very tall round tower beside the church.

On top of this they put a bell and when it rang, people heard it for miles around and came to pray. The church is now a cathedral and the tower still stands there and since my ancestor Kenny went to cat heaven there have been many more cathedral cats to follow him and to grow my family tree. NORMAN  A WARRIOR CAT In the year 1169 King Henry II of England sent some of his Norman knights to Ireland to fight for the King of Leinster, who was being bullied by some of his neighbours. The knights were strong and fearless and wore metal armour. Soon they had

defeated many of the Irish kings. The leader of the knights was a man called Richard de Clare or Strongbow. With him fought his cat, Norman, named after the knights. One day Strongbow came to a hill beside the river Nore near the cathedral of St Canice and he decided to build a wooden fort there. Strongbow and Norman made a great fighting team and after a few years they had conquered much of the East coast of Ireland. Unlike Norman however, Strongbow had only one life and his ended in 1175. Norman moved in with his master’s daughter Isabella, to protect her. Many years later, when

Norman’s nine lives were used and his kittens were grown cats, each also called Norman, Isabella married. She and her husband decided that a huge stone castle should be built on the hill that Strongbow had chosen for his wooden fort. It had high walls with four mighty towers, one at each corner. It was high above the river, and could watch for an attack by water. It was also beside the main road from the south and could stop an attack by land. It was so strong that no one ever managed to capture it. More than 800 years later, the castle still stands on the hill in Kilkenny but, sadly, no cats or

Normans live there anymore. CISSIE  A FAT CAT Once Ireland was known as the Island of Saints and Scholars. Some of the holy men and women became hermits and others gathered into large schools to learn the Bible. Having some holy men nearby was useful to the kings and lords, both Irish and Norman. This way they could let God know they were sorry for all the fighting and killing they had carried out, so that they would be sure of a place in Heaven when they died. Around the time the Normans came, Domnall, the King of Ossory, decided to build a big

monastery in the middle of his lands and fill it with monks. He picked Jerpoint, near Thomastown, by a river crossing almost half way between Kilkenny and Waterford. He invited the Cistercian order of monks to move in and offered them large areas of land as a bonus. These monks were hard workers, as well as being holy. They rose every morning at 2am to start the day. On their lands they grew oats, wheat and barley. The grains were stored in huge granaries, which attracted armies of mice. Thus the monks needed help. They offered the post of Chief Mouse Catcher to my ancestor Cissie. She was famous for her patience in waiting for graineating mice. With her sharp eyes and claws, the monks grew rich on the grain they stored and she grew big on mice. The monks stayed in Jerpoint for 300 years. Cissie had many kittens, who had many more, and on and on, and this army of Cissies were needed as the monks got more land. Then in 1541, Henry VIII, the King of England, threw all the monks out by the roadside and took their lands and buildings for himself. We never found out where all the cats ended up but, as the lands still grew the crops, cats were needed to keep the mice in their place, so the cats stayed as protectors of the barns for many more years. ‘We are Kilkenny Cats’ is available in Kilkenny bookshops

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News

Ceramics studio is potty about teaching pottery POTTERY is an ancient art form that is enjoying a surge in popularity and the newly opened Clay Rooms ceramics studio in the heart of Kilkenny city offers the opportunity to explore the endless possibilities of this medium in a fun and friendly environment. Established by Liselott Olofsson, Niamh Synnott and Aisling McElwain, Clay Rooms opened its doors on January 8. The spacious studio at Colliers Lane, is equipped with seven potters’ wheels and other top-of-the-range equipment.

Thursdays and has also attended many craft and pottery markets in Ireland and Scotland. She is co-founder of the Potters Market that takes place on the Parade during Kilkenny Arts Week Niamh is an artist with 25 years experience teaching art and ceramics in many different settings from primary to third level. She graduated from NCAD in 1999 with a Bachelors Degree in Craft Design specialising in Ceramics. Niamh sells her pottery at various craft and pottery markets across the country and regularly exhibits her work in Dublin. Liselott is a ceramic artist and studied ceramics in NCAD, Dublin. She has been teaching for the past 16 years and enjoys working with clay. ceHer ce ramic work focuses on form and materials. In 2018, Liselott spent three months in China where ceramshe learnt ceram ics from master crafts people. She enjoys

EXPERT SKILLS With over 40 years ceramics experience between them, the tutors offer expert technical support in teaching and learning. Aisling studied ceramics in the Ceramics Skills and Design Course at Grennan Mill Craft School in Thomastown, from 2014 – 2016. After graduating, she set up her ceramics business in Kilkenny City and, in 2018, won the Image Interiors Design Award for Best Tableware. She has exhibited her work in various exhibitions and galleries around Ireland and the UK. Aisling sells her pottery at the Farmers Market on The Parade in the city on

experimenting with different firing techniques such as Raku. COURSES The talented team aim to create a community of makers from curious beginners to trained practitioners by offering a range of courses to suit all levels. They want to share their passion by introducing children and adults to throwing and handbuilding with lots of hands-on practical experiences. Course participants will also develop other skills such as decorating and glazing their own work. The courses on offer on the potters wheel include six weekday and evening classes, three- hour taster classes and two day weekend courses, among others. Also on offer are a large variety of handbuilding courses ranging from planters to teapots. Handbuilding is a slower and more meditative process using hands, fingers and simple tools to make pinch, coil and slab-built forms. During the mid-term break, they are running children’s introductory courses for ages 4-7 and 8-12. To book and find out more about these and other available courses, visit www.clayroomskilkenny.ie

Community Group

Are we there yet?

THE last few weeks we have been encouraging that we should all get out and about again. On Saturday I decided to do the opposite to what our political figures of all

persuasion employ of ‘Do what I say but not as I do’. That’s right I said get out and about and that is exactly what I did! Now last Saturday was a

little bit blustery but, nothing my new warm coat couldn’t handle. So on with the cat the caip agus bata siúil and those nice leather gloves the better half got me for the

Christmas just gone. I decided to park the car up just across from John’s Church in the carpark outside MacDonagh Junction rather than the multi store carpark as I felt I’d see more and might even meet one or two others hopefully out and about. To be honest I was surprised with the Buzz about the John Street area as a few red dragons were on the prowl. Not as many as pre pandemic years but a few hardy souls as it was the weekend of the Six Nations opener between Ireland and Wales at the Aviva Stadium just a short trip up the M7 in Dublin, but, what really struck me was the number of families that were strolling on both sides of the streets. As I passed what we used to know as ‘Top Lawlor’s, now JDs and a Barbers, A Take way! that serves Street food! What’s that? Yah have to eat it while on the street with your hands? How things have changed, I always thought that was the Pudding suppers we got further down the hill from the ‘Blue Door’. When it was open that is, as it only served the public when the notion took them to or maybe a few bob was needed. Word would not be long spreading on the grapevine ‘Delaney’s are open’. I couldn’t help to notice how what was once a common

sight some few years back the ‘Corner Boys’ chatting about the GAA matches that were to come and those that had gone at O Gorman’s adeptly called ‘The Corner House’ were absent. Then I began to see what can only be said, a sight to warm your heart like a nice little gemmy, no water please, the granny and granddad parade. Yes, it was the grand parents with their long-lost friends and their grandchildren. For the months of the pandemic we were deprived those long cuddly hugs. Holding their tiny little hands in ours. Having them in and about our feet, tripping us up! or just sitting quietly as we watched re run after re run of Home alone or Shrek 7 or 8 the sequel. I watched quietly as the proud grandparents held their grandchild’s hand as they skipped and jumped all the way to their destination. I watch a Family of three generations made their way to the K Bowl and had fun as they tried to teach each other an American import of how to roll that ball down the lane to hit ten little bottles or skittles. Easy I thought till it was my turn! “We can get the beginners side walls for you if you want granddad?” Shessss! before herself sees my pathetic attempts as she still believes I can do every-

thing, well almost, or so she tells me. Once all the games in the arcade had been sampled it was time for some lunch. Now I was thinking maybe a nice bit a steak and two veg and home to the armchair for the rugby. But, the boss for the day the grandson had other ideas and who was I to argue on this unique day. He decided it was his choice so good old chips and burgers in the ‘The Rockets’ around the corner. As I sat there, I notice we were not the only intergenerational diners. The family day outs are back. How grateful we all are to be able to once again spend time with the sons and daughters of our sons and daughters. How we were deprived of these wonderful days during the past twelve months. How great it is to see us all out and about. With the good weather to come, trips to the seaside. The ‘Kilkenny Observer’ being slapped down from your face as they take your glasses off to see what they are like to look through, with that silly lovable grin. And when you think it is time to have a quick cuppa or rest, the cries of “Are we there yet ? are we there yet?” are ringing out Are things getting back to normal? Well I think they are when it comes to holding our grandchildren close again.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

Food & Drink

Dine Me Come

With

Cosmopolitan cocktail

Lipsmackingly sweet and sour, the Cosmopolitan cocktail of vodka, cranberry, orange liqueur and citrus is a good-time in a glass. Perfect for a party. Ingredients • 45ml lemon vodka • 15ml triple sec • 30ml cranberry juice • 10ml lime juice • ice

Healthy lasagne

For the garnish • orange zest, or a lime wedge on the rim of the glass.

Prep: 15 mins Cook: 1 hr and 15 mins Serves: 4

Method STEP 1 Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Enjoy our lighter version of the family classic – lasagne. It has bags of flavour, but comes in at under 500 calories a portion, as well as packing in four of your five-a-day. Ingredients • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 large onion (250g), finely chopped • 320g carrots, finely chopped • 2 celery sticks (140g), finely chopped • 2 bay leaves • 500g 5% beef mince • 3 large garlic cloves, finely grated • 400g can chopped tomatoes • 2 tbsp tomato purée • 1½ tsp vegetable bouillon powder • 400ml semi-skimmed milk • 30g wholemeal flour • generous pinch of nutmeg • 6 sheets wholemeal lasagne (125g) • 25g finely grated parmesan

Method STEP 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion, carrots, celery and one of the bay leaves for 8-10 mins until the veg softens and is starting to turn golden. Add the mince and garlic, and stir-fry until the beef browns, about 5 mins. Tip in the tomatoes and a canful of water, the tomato purée and bouillon, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20 mins, removing the lid after 10 mins to reduce the mixture slightly.

STEP 2 To make the garnish: hold a 3cm round piece of orange zest about 10cm above your cosmo and very carefully wave it over a lit match or lighter flame. Bend the outer edge of the zest in towards the flame so that the orange oils are released, then drop the zest into your drink.

Peach & rose fizz

A simple chilled Prosecco cocktail made with fresh juice and rosewater. Make the most of those gooseberries you’ve been growing and turn them into gooseberry gin. Drink neat, with tonic, or mix with sparkling water and mint.

STEP 2 Meanwhile, pour the milk into a medium pan with the flour and whisk over a low heat until the mixture is lump-free. Add the second bay leaf and a good pinch of nutmeg, and continue to cook, whisking, for 8-10 mins until thick. STEP 3 Remove the bay from the mince and white

sauce, and discard. Spoon a third of the mince into the base of a 19 x 24cm baking dish and top with two lasagne sheets. Spoon over half of the remaining mince, then top with two more lasagne sheets, the rest of the mince and the remaining lasagne sheets. Spoon over the white sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 40 mins until bubbling and golden.

Smoky cod, broccoli & orzo bake Enjoy this easy, speedy cod, broccoli and orzo traybake on busy weeknights. It’s healthy and low in fat, and since it’s a traybake, there’s minimal washingup! Ingredients • ½ tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle • 1 onion, chopped • 1 tsp smoked paprika, plus a pinch • ½-1 tbsp chipotle paste • 200g long-stem broccoli • 400ml hot vegetable stock • 150g orzo • ½ small bunch of dill, chopped • ½ small bunch of parsley, chopped • 50g frozen peas • 2 sustainable skinless cod fillets • 4 tbsp fat-free yogurt

Ingredients • 500ml peach juice, chilled • ½ tsp rosewater • 750ml bottle prosecco , chilled Method STEP 1 Mix the peach juice and rose water in a jug. Divide between 8 Champagne flutes or cocktail glasses, then top up with Prosecco. Serve immediately.

French Martini

Method STEP 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a deep ovenproof frying pan, and fry the onion for 5 mins until tender. Add the paprika, chipotle paste, broccoli and stock. Stir in the orzo, and transfer to the oven for 10 mins.

Mix up this flamboyant martini with Chambord liqueur. You can also customise the cocktail by using vanilla vodka, or by adding a splash of champagne or prosecco.

STEP 2 Stir in half the herbs and the peas, and nestle the fish into the orzo. Sprinkle over a pinch of paprika and drizzle with oil, then season. Cook for 8-10 mins until the fish is cooked and the orzo is tender. Mix the remaining herbs with the yogurt. Loosen with a little water if needed, then serve with the orzo and fish.

Ingredients • 40ml vodka • 20ml Chambord liqueur • 60ml pressed pineapple juice • pineapple wedge, to serve

Make the most of those gooseberries you’ve been growing and turn them into gooseberry gin. Drink neat, with tonic, or mix with sparkling water and mint.

Method STEP 1 Shake the vodka, Chambord and pineapple juice with ice really hard until the pineapple juice froths up a bit, then strain into the glass. Garnish with the pineapple wedge.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Advertisement TV & Streaming

In From The Cold is gem among a genre

movies to watch now on Netflix

Andrew Garfield takes the spotlight for this biographical musical drama about Jonathan Larson, the late composer behind Rent and Tick, Tick... Boom! The movie, helmed by LinManuel Miranda in his directorial debut, follows Larson’s career and the time pressure he feels to leave a lasting impression. With joy-inducing music, a meaningful narrative about the creative process and a passionate performance from Garfield as Larson, Tick, Tick... Boom! is a graceful and feel-good tribute.

THE Netflix spy thriller In From The Cold stands out in a crowded genre for plenty of good reasons, not the least of which is its willingness to give audiences a badass, butt-kicking protagonist who also happens to be a single mother in her 40s simply trying to be a good parent to her teenage daughter. At a time when Hollywood’s big-screen spy game often relies on older men and young women free from the shackles of typical adult responsibilities, In From The Cold has lead character Jenny Franklin juggling an angsty teen, a looming divorce, and a nonexistent social life long before her hidden past as a Soviet secret agent comes back to haunt her. As if that wasn’t enough to handle, she also has a superhuman — but medically risky — ability to shape-shift she’ll need to tap into to stop a terrorist group’s sinister plans, too.

Sure, it might seem farfetched, but most working parents will probably find a lot in common with the extreme level of multitasking required of Jenny, a character portrayed by Margarita Levieva (pictured) across the show’s eight-episode first season. Whether Jenny’s fighting her way through a cadre of lethal assassins or counselLing her daughter through the latest teenage drama, Levieva’s performance grounds the role in something refreshingly familiar despite all of the high-stakes espionage and sci-fi twists of the surrounding story. “There are so many aspects of Jenny that were so exciting for me to play,” Levieva told Digital Trends of what initially attracted her to the role. “There’s obviously the mother, and there is also this kickass spy who’s still alive and who’s still hungry for that. As women, and as

human beings, part of life sometimes is forgetting or putting away certain parts of ourselves and saying that part no longer exists. But Jenny eventually realiSes she’s still hungry for that part of her life, and [as the story goes on] she understands, ‘Wait, I can do this better than I ever did it before, even though I’m terrified of it.’” Series creator and writer Adam Glass indicated that the decision to put a woman in her 40s — and a mother, for that matter — at the heart of the story was, in some ways, a refutation of Hollywood norms when it comes to leading ladies and the sort of characters they typically portray. “We live in a society where women seemingly have an expiration date on them, and [with In From The Cold] we’re saying that’s bullshit,” he told Digital Trends. “They’re only getting better and stronger with age.

[Jenny] is a seasoned woman who has lived a life and has had all of these experiences, and now has to come back into this world she thought she left behind.” “[Jenny] has a great line in the pilot that I love, when they set her up to seduce someone, and she doesn’t think she can do it, saying, ‘I have cracked nipples and a C-section scar,’” continued Glass. “Her handler responds, ‘You’re giving too much credit to men,’ and she says, ‘I’m not talking about men. I’m talking about me, and who I am, and what I’ve been through. I’m a mother.’ You don’t see that in spy shows. She has a daughter and she’s working on that relationship like millions of other mothers out there trying to do. These are the things that make the show stand out.” Season 1 of In From The Cold is available now on Netflix.

More Tolkien coming to Amazon THE next big Tolkien project on the horizon after the highly anticipated Amazon Prime series is an anime movie. The Lord of the Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim will be released on April 12, 2024. War Of The Rohirrim was first announced in June last year, and will focus on Helm Hammerhand, the ninth King of Rohan. The movie is set in JRR Tolkien’s Middle-earth uni-

verse, and will go into the history of Helm’s Deep, the famous site of the later Battle of the Hornburg during the War of the Ring, shown in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers movie. Animation work began last year, with the voice cast to be announced “imminently.” The movie is being made by New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation. Philippa Boyens, who worked on

the Lord of the Rings trilogy 20 years ago with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, is serving as executive producer, and it’s being made by Kenji Kamiyama, the director behind Ghost in the Shell. “I’m in awe of the creative talent who have come together to bring this epic, heart-pounding story to life, from the mastery of Kenji Kamiyama to a truly stellar cast,” Boyens said. “I cannot wait to share this adventure

with fans of cinema everywhere.” The announcement follows the release of the first trailer for Amazon Prime’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power TV series. The Rings of Power is scheduled to premiere on Amazon Prime on September 2 and will explore the 20 rings Sauron made for the races of men, dwarves and elves, along with the one ring for himself.

This fine British drama excavates a whole lot of buried treasure with a distinguished cast in Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James and Johnny Flynn. It’s based on the true events around the 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo, yielding a priceless trove of Anglo-Saxon artifacts hidden in a burial ship. Romantic, intellectual and moving, The Dig is a full sweep of elegance.

The Boys In The Band sets a new stage for an ensemble cast who all performed the classic play-by-thesame-name’s 2018 Broadway revival. Among them, Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto and Matt Bomer. The movie brings new perspectives to a birthday party celebrated by a group of gay men in 1968 New York City. The party takes an unexpected turn when a visitor from the host’s past calls in. With a cast that knows how to play off each other and compelling themes such as self-loathing and internalised homophobia, The Boys In The Band is a thought-provoking, engaging drama.

A black-and-white David Fincher tale about the unsung screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz who helped Orson Welles write Citizen Kane. Step back into Old Hollywood, with beautiful cinematography and take in the behind-the-scenes of how studio systems functioned in a different time. Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried are among the exceptional cast of this biographical drama filled with the lightness and darkness of its hero’s life.

An Aaron Sorkin drama based on a true story? The Trial Of The Chicago 7 lives up to its pedigree, following the real-life trial of a group of antiVietnam War protestors charged with conspiracy to incite riots. With a stellar ensemble cast, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen and Yahya AbdulMateen II, The Trial Of The Chicago 7 is both topical and full of compelling theatrical energy.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Much More Than Words THIS WEEK, in our look at the recently published book of poetry and prose by The Kilkenny Involvement Centre and The Recovery College, we feature work from Kathleen Phelan, Nuala Roche and Joan Ryan

If ever a book deserved the award for ‘The Perfect Title’ surely that accolade must go to a new compilation of poetry Much More Than Words. Indeed its very title describes comprehensively the diversity of the treasures to be discovered within its covers. This volume of carefully crafted poems, interspersed with prose and enhanced with well-chosen

Kathleen Phelan

images, is the second collection produced by The Involvement Centre Kilkenny and the first in a joint venture with The Recovery College. The Kilkenny Observer Newspaper is delighted to promote the work of The Involvement Centre and The Recovery College, and so, will publish a selection of their work over the coming months.

Nuala Roche

‘Much More Than Words’ can be purchased at the following Kilkenny outlets: Bargain Books, The Butterslip Khans Bookshop, James’ Street & The Book Centre, High Street. Price: €10

Joan Ryan

Pandemic

One-on-One Performances

A Garden Concert

I seldom sleep These nights. When I do my dreams Take me To a plantation. I am picking cotton For the mask That will cover my face. And stifle my cries. My fingers Are tough now, Cheating the bolls That have raped my skin. But still Destroying my soul. I shuffle out of bed Chained between Wakefulness and sleep. I was bred for slavery. I open the drawer, A puppet’s mouth, Filled with masks. Arch enemy of Covid. I Have Lost Control. I choose the one With the fleur-de-lis. Pretty flowers. Hot branding irons. In the mirror It looks menacing Like a most awful grimace. I think too much Or so I am told. But this virus is real. I am alone. And I am old.

2010: a stranger cradles my bare feet into a water basin. Kneeling, he washes, dries and oils them. I assent to his offer to kiss my naked soles. 2017: in the watch-tower the viol player performs one-on-one, within my arm’s reach. Outside in the sun garrulous ticket-holders are hushed. Shhhh. 2020: we wait in turn. One. One. The Tholsel bells toll the hours, announcing our longing to be sardined into gigs, crammed against one another, dizzily reaching through hot bodies to press a cheek, or a palm to the wall; a prayer of thanks.

There was a concert for the birds Sitting on a stone in the farthest corner of her friend’s garden As far away as possible from human ears To avoid ‘disturbing’ To avoid any judgement whatsoever She took out her whistle and started her concert for the birds They didn’t pay any entrance fee They were already present (Well then, neither did she ask their permission) And to be honest they didn’t pay much attention one way or another Kept singing their own songs Sounds notes screeches chirping Yet, they hung around Flitting from branch to branch Dropping down Flying up It felt as if she were joining their already existing moving concert there was a harmony, of sorts Or at very least, absence of discord And freedom of expression Even joy and laughter When she hit some ‘unexpected’ notes Or lost the thread of the music momentarily No bird seemed to mind And she saw that it was good And it was good.

Kathleen Phelan

Nuala Roche

Joan Ryan

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

Recruitment

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

Recruitment

kilkennyobserver.ie

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

Community & GAA Notes

Kilkenny GAA clubs and Community news ATHLETICS Pia Langton of Clara, representing Kilkenny City Harriers, delivered a stunning winning performance in the U16 800m indoors final at the Leinster championships held in Athlone on Sunday week last. Pia is a daughter of Eddie and Niamh. Great achievement Pia! HANDBALL Well done to Rory Glynn of Clara who had a comfortable Leinster semi final win in the U17 four wall championships in O Loughlins on Saturday. Rory, who plays his handball for O Loughlins, was more familiar with the court, and was never really troubled by his Laois opponent Jack Dunphy. He now goes on to meet a Wexford man in the final. Good luck with that Rory. CONGRATULATIONS - LOTTO WINNER There was a WINNER to this week’s Club Lotto. Congratulations to Peggy O’Keefe and Sue Jordan. C/o Promotor Brian Murphy. Numbers Drawn were 7, 14, 22, 24 Bonus 7 Next Week’s Big Prize will be €6,000. Play now at www. oloughlingaels.com/lotto Thank You for your continued Support SCOR NA NOG 2022 If you’re U17, can sing, can dance or can tell a story, then why not represent O’Loughlin Gaels at this year’s Official Kilkenny GAA Scór na nÓg. Contact Brian at 087 9984853 for all the info. Be on the O’Loughlins Team MEMBERSHIP Membership Renewal for O’Loughlin Gaels GAA and O’Loughlin Gaels Camogie is now live and online at www.oloughlingaels.com/membership Log in for all the details and options to pay. Installments are also available. Players need to be registered prior to any return to training which is all happening very soon. So do it now. Hon the Loughs! SOCIAL DANCE CLASSES Every Tuesday Night from 8pm to 9:30pm there will be Social Dance Classes held at Johnswell Community Hall. Learn to waltz, foxtrot, quickstep and much more in a fun, social and relaxing way. Contact Yvonne at 0872448535 for more details 2022 SEASON Lots of preparations are being made in the meeting rooms at St. Johns Park to ensure a busy season ahead for our playing Gaels. GAA, Camogie and Handball are busy making plans and organising volunteers. If you want to get involved put your hand up and volunteer ,just contact any committee member or existing coach and they’ll point you in the right direction. Playing numbers at St. Johns Park are increasing every year and help is needed in coaching, first aid, sponsorship, fundraising, stewarding, maintenance, grounds keeping and team mentors. Over the coming months there’ll be plenty of training sessions, tournament blitz, league, championships at all ages, Easter Camp, Summer Camp, School’s day and social events - so every offer of help will be accepted. Gaeil Uí Lochlainn Abú EMERALDS GAA CLUB 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 February 7th prize fund was: €6,500. Jackpot: €4,500. Numbers drawn: 9, 17, 27, 28, bonus no 1. No winner and two match three winners: Thomas Kavanagh and Helena Guilfoyle. Promoters prize: J. Tynan. Five lucky dips of €20 each: Nellie Lacey, B.H.L.M, Pat Peters, Anna Mockler Ryan, B. Joyce. Next draw takes place on Monday, February 14th in the Clubrooms. Results next week. MILL FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE LTI Pathway to Employment course QQI Level 4: LTI is recruiting for the new programme 2022. If anyone is interested in completing this full-time course, please contact the Centre for an expression of interest form. BTEI Healthcare Course QQI Level 5: Healthcare QQI Level 5 course places available for new programme starting September 2022. If interested in completing this course you can contact the Centre. Senior Alert: If you need to apply for a Personal Alarm, please contact Sue or Josephine in the Centre. Counselling Services: Our low cost Counselling Services, includes One-to-One, Family & Teens, aged

12 plus.General Counselling: Bereavement, stress, anxiety and depression. Other Counselling Services available: Drug, substance and gambling addiction. Please contact Sue in the Centre for more information or to make an appointment. Appeal for Clothes Donations .Any clothes donations would be appreciated in aid of the Centre’s counselling services. Donations can be left into the Centre, please call before dropping off. Art Classes: Free Art Classes beginning soon, please contact the Centre if interested in taking part. Contact number for the Centre 056 8838466. URLINGFORD ARMS SPLIT THE POT This week’s winner of Split the Pot was Therese Healy who won €461.Congrats Therese! Tickets €2 on sale in participating businesses in town and is in aid of Urlingford National School Parents’ Association for next week’s draw. Be in it to win it!! 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. MARY BURKE RIP The people of Freshford and surrounds were saddened last week to learn of the passing of a popular local lady Mary Burke late of Woodview, Freshford. Although she had been unwell for a time her passing caused widespread sorrow and regret. In her early 70s Mary was well known and respected in the village. Formerly from Paulstown, Mary and her husband Michael have lived in Freshford for the past 40 plus years and reared four sons. A true lady, gentle and inoffensive, kind and good living, that was Mary. A devoted wife, mother and grandmother Mary was friendly and kind to everyone whom she met. She loved bingo over the years and the trips with the Day Care Centre to Donegal, Killarney and several other places. She will be dearly missed by her family, neighbours and friends. Her remains were removed to St.Lachtains Church on Friday evening last. A guard of honour from the local GAA Club Soccer Club and Gun Club flanked the hearse on the way to the church. Funeral mass took place on Saturday morning followed by burial in St.Lachtains Cemetery. She is deeply mourned by her husband Michael, sons Gerard, Paul, David and Fergus, her six grandchildren, her sisters, brothers, sisters in law, brothers in law, nephews, nieces and extended family and friends to whom sincere sympathy is extended. CAMOGIE This week, St. Lachtain’s Camogie Club enjoyed a celebratory evening with the presentation of medals to our 2021 U14 Shield winners and U15 Féile Division B winners. A huge thank you to G&O Masonry who sponsored gearbags for the U14 panel. Thanks to Mags Kavanagh Hickey who presented the awards, and to all who helped in any way to make the evening so enjoyable for everyone. Well done to all of our players, who make the club so proud. Roll on 2022. St Lachtain’s Camogie Club Registration for the

coming 2022 season is now open. Registration is online via Foireann. https://www.foireann.ie/. For any new members that may be unsure of how to navigate the system please don’t hesitate to contact Emma Hickey (Registrar) (086) 1930214 for any assistance. They Look forward to seeing you all back on the pitch over the coming weeks! BIRTHDAY BOY Special birthday wishes go out to local lad Cathal O’Leary of Nuenna Court who celebrated his 21st birthday last week. Cathal who is an ardent member of St.Lachtains GAA hurling teams since his schoolboys days and also of Freshford Town soccer club celebrated at a party with family and friends in Kavanaghs bar on Saturday night last. PLAYGROUND The Freshford Playground Committee got some good news recently with the announcement that Planning Permission has been granted for the long awaited village playground. This will be a great addition to Freshford and Great credit goes to the Committee and their hard work in this project. SOCCER Freshford Town Junior side had another good win on Sunday last when they defeated one of the table toppers River Rangers on a 3-1 scoreline. In the schoolboys section, recently the U15 boys were beaten by Dean Celtic on a 4-1 scoreline with Cian Donnelly getting the Freshford goal.The training sessions for U8s started back recently and will continue each Saturday morning from 12noon to 1pm at the Sportfield at Woodview. All boys from 5 to 8 years old are welcome so go along and join up. CLOTHES COLLECTION Freshford Town Soccer Club are organising a Clothes collection. Bags can be dropped off at the Clubrooms on this Wednesday 16th February from 7 -9pm. You can donate all clean unwanted clothes, bed linen, towels, curtains, shoes, bags, belts and soft toys. If you cannot make any of these times you can contact any of the Committee members. DEATH Sympathy is extended to the family of the late Michael Hurley late of Ballycarron Threeecastles who died last week. The deceased who was in his 90s was widely known and respected in the area. Funeral mass took place in Jenkinstown Church followed by burial in Tulla Cemetery. MACRA NA FEIRME Macra na Feirme are looking to establish a new club in the Freshford area. Macra na Feirme is an organisation for young people between the ages of 17 and 35 who are interested in getting involved in sports, travel drama, debating or just want to meet new people and have some fun. To be a member of Macra you must join a Macra club in your area. This will open the door to new fiends and new activities. There are hundreds of clubs across Ireland bursting with activity who always welcome a new face. For more information please contact Training and Development Officer – Michael Wall on 0868359891 or email him at mwall@ macra.ie GAA Two of St.Lachtains hurlers were part of the Kilkenny Senior Hurling side which were defeated by Tipperary on Sunday last. James Maher and Darren Brennan

Back Row (L to R): Megan Dermody, Edel Martin, Mary Bolger, Ava Dermody, Katelyn O’Connor, Emma Daly, Caitlin Dermody, Tara Kenny Landers, Grace Cleere. Middle row (L to R): Katie Burke, Ciara Maher, Abbi Whitty, Caoimhe Hickey, Sarah Hickey, Emma O’Connor, Caoimhe Nolan, Saoirse Hickey, Ciara Hickey, Isabel Carroll. Front Row (L to R): Kate Dalton, Mia Phelan, Emma Dalton, Beth Keoghan, Michelle Killeen, Ruby Campion, Aoibhinn McCarthy, Keelin Walsh Not pictured: Laura Ryan, Ellie Roche, Allie Gibbons, Nessa Gibbons.

were both on the subs bench. AGM St Lachtains Gaa club held their AGM recently at the Clubrooms with a good attendance. The following officers were elected, President; Fr. Pat Comerford Vice Presidents; J.Dermody, P Butler Clashacrow, Tom Hayes and Paddy Butler Cooleshall. Chairman; John Fitzpatrick, Vice Chairman – K.Dalton, Secretary – S.Killelen, Ass.Secretary – P.Donnelly, TreasurerB.Kavanagh , Ass.Treasurer- JP Kavanagh,PRO – B.Quinn/S.Donnelly, Co Board Rep. – P.White, Irish Officer – L Kennedy Player Rep- P Campion/P Killeen The Clubs shop is open and 2022 range is soon to be uploaded onto the O’Neills club shop. Details can be found on St.Lachtains Social media pages or by O’Neills sportswear and searching for St.Lachtains GAA. PARISH NEWS Attendance at indoor settings are now back to full capacity and attendance at Mass almost back to normal Mass 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 8pm. Some Safety measures remain in place which includes wearing of masks, sanitising and you have the option to be seated without any seating restrictions in the top section of the church or with seating restrictions. This year is the 1400 year celebration of St.Lachtain and there are lots of events being planned in our church and village and there will be more info closer to the time. The restoration of the Stations of the Cross in the Church continues with ten now completed and just four more to go. In order to continue the work you are invited to sponsor one of the stations maybe with your family or a group of your friends. The sponsors will be included in a special roll of honour displayed in the church as a lasting legacy. For further information re same you are asked to please contact Monsignor Kennedy NOTICE The parish newsletter is available on their website every week and also on the website you are free to pay your dues and make donations or any other contributions and you can find out more about it on the website or feel free to contact Jennifer in the Parish Office. Please note community notices for the parish newsletter should be left in or emailed to the Parish Office by 11am on Thursdays. MASS CARDS Special printed parish cards are available at the Parish Office or from Annette at Tulla Church signed by Monsignor Kennedy. You can contact the Parish office on 056 8832843 or by email – freshfordd@ossory.ie. Contact Mongr Kieron Kennedy COMMUNITY ALERT Freshford/Threecastles Community alert group remind you again that the annual text alert scheme membership is now due. It cost just 10euro per phone number and you can pay membership to any committee member. If unsure or for more information please call Jacinta on 0877658671 or Anna on 0858277965. New members are always very welcome and the group wish to thank you all for your continued support. With winter here and the dark evenings and nights you are reminded to take care of yourself and take care of your elderly neighbours or friends. PILGRIMAGE Pilgrimage to Lourdes will be held from 9th to 13th May 2022. Staying at the four star Hotel Astrid. The trip costs €645 pps (single room supplement payable). Accompanied by spiritual director. Includes return direct flights from Dublin to Tarbes, coach transfers, breakfast, lunch and dinner each day, full religious programme, services of a Marian pilgrimage guide, mass daily and spiritual activities, all taxes and travel insurance. For more details contact C.Flynn on 089 4638769. HELP FOR ALL Are you struggling with anxiety or depression or finding life difficult or feeling isolated at this time GROW is there to help you. Their Mental Health support Groups are free and confidential and open to all no referral or booking is needed. For more information on same you can contact Mary on 087 284342. If you can’t cope and need support text HELLO to 50808. SAMARITAN - Whatever you’re going through a Samaritan will face it with you – available 24 hours a day 365 days a year – Freephone 1161. Alone 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

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

Community & GAA Notes confidential support relating to domestic violence, call them on 1850 424244 (24/7) or on 056 7771404 or email into@amberwomensrefuge.ie. LOCAL LOTTO Local Lotto Results for Draw 7th February 2022. Winning numbers : 4.9.17. No Winner. Winners of Draw for 5 x € 30. Ella Moore (Townsends). A and T Paice (Cis Ryan), Jimmy Kehoe (Jimmy Kehoe),Sarah Davis (Anne Hickey), Philip Tallon (Malachy Hogan). Jackpot for next week February 14th is €5,500. Draw takes place in Delaney’s Kells at 9pm. All welcome. DUNNA DASH Dunna Dash is BACK on Sunday March 6th. Dunna Dash isn’t just for runners, it’s the perfect chance to get on your walking shoes, grab a friend and get out the door for a stroll or power walk around our scenic Dunnamaggin loop!! Registration at St Leonards NS at 11am. Adults €10, Children €5, Families €20. Prizes for first male, female and juvenile. This year will see the return of the “Kiddies 1km Dash”, for school children from 3rd class down and will start at 11.45am. All children will receive a medal for this event. The main Dunna Dash will start at 12 noon. Refreshments afterwards in the school. DUNNAMAGGIN DEVELOPMENT GROUP Dunnamaggin Development Group are delighted to see the return of our Fortnightly Community Gatherings in The Old School. The first one took place last Sunday February 13th and it was wonderful to welcome everyone back after almost two years. The next intergenerational gathering that consists of tea and coffee and a chat with friends and neighbours for the adults and a children’s corner with juice and crayons and colouring books will take place on Sunday 27th. Looking forward to seeing you all then. The monthly markets will return to Madge’s Garden in April and continue until December. Our AGM will take place on Sunday March 13th as part of that week’s Community Gathering. The Vision for Dunnamaggin is being completed and will be launched soon. DUNNAMAGGIN LADIES FOOTHBALL CLUB Dunnamaggin Ladies Football Club: LIDL STAMP REWARDS FOR LGFA CLUBS are back!!! Please support Dunnamaggin LGFC when shopping in Lidl. WINDGAP CAMOGIE Congratulations to Kilkenny camogie Minors who have qualified for a quarter-final spot at least after a 0-15 to 0-10 win over Clare on Sunday in the Tesco Ireland Minor A Championship. The referee deemed the pitch in Fr McNamara Park unplayable before throw in so the game had to be moved to Killmaley. Well done to Nathania Jackson and Ali Kennedy on the panel. Congratulations also to DCU and especially to our club player Gillian Costello in their comprehensive win over UCD in the third level camogie Ashbourne Cup Final DCU: 1-14 UCD: 0-5. FIRST RESPONDER COURSE Certified Community First Responder Course! The Voluntary emergency services group are holding a Community First Responder training day delivered by Kilkenny Civil Defence, Order of Malta and The Irish Red Cross.The following topics will be covered. Adult and Child CPR and using a Defibrillator. Basic life support of victims of Heart Attack, Cardiac Arrest and Choking. Recognising signs of a stroke.Numbers are limited so please email: kilkennycivildefence@gmail.com with your name/ group and contact details to secure a place by 21st February The proceeds are going to the upkeep of Kilkenny City Defibrillators. SAINT CHRISTOPHER’S CANCER CARE TRANSPORT SERVICES This is a service offered to people from Kilkenny/ Waterford and Tipperary We are a non for profit patient transport service run by volunteers from all of the Emergency Services to support members of the community who have a cancer diagnosis and need extra help to get to essential appointments and for patients on their final journey home. The facebook link is @christopherscommunity. Contact details for the service are saintchristophersts@gmail.com LIVING WELL Living well programme 2022 - bookings now open!Living Well is a free group Self-Management programme for adults living with long-term health conditions or caring for someone with a long-term health condition. The programme runs online for six weeks. A key part of Living Well is setting goals that you want to achieve. Each week you learn how to reach these goals by making an action plan. You also get support from the group to problem solve. The programme for people in County Kilkenny starts on Saturday 19 February 2022

If you are interested in taking part in this programme or would like more information, please call Catriona Renwick 087 2939881 or email catriona.renwick@ hse.ie CONSULTATION MEETINGS Healthy rivers and catchments benefit biodiversity, climate and communities and this is your chance to have a say. The Local Authority Waters Programme will host a series of online consultation meetings which will provide you with information on the water quality in Kilkenny’s rivers, with time for discussion on local issues. The Kilkenny sessions will take place on Tuesday 22nd February @ 7.30pm for the Kilkenny, Thomastown, Castlecomer and Callan areas Further details/registration at https://lawaters.ie/rbmp-publicmeetings-2022/ or contact your local Community Water Officer Ann Phelan at aphelan@lawaters.ie or LAWPRO Head Office at 052 616 6237. GOWRAN BINGO Bingo in Gowran Parish Hall on Thursday’s at 8.30pm. Jackpot €700 in 42 calls GOWRAN PARK Red Mills Day takes place on Saturday, 19th February. Ticket registration is now live at gowranpark.ie/racing. MOLLY’S TEAROOM Molly’s Tea Room has a selection of party food available for catering for your special events. Call 056 772 6718 if you would like to place an order. GOWRAN AND DUNGARVAN COMMUNITY ALERTS The annual subscriptions for the Gowan and Dungarvan Community Alerts are due by end of February. €10 per mobile number. How to Join/Pay: If you were a subscriber in 2021 you can pay online at www.communityalerts.ie. If you’d prefer to pay ‘offline’ or if you are new to this group and want to join just take a dedicated envelope from Pat Hennessey’s Garage or Billy Carroll’s Pharmacy, complete it and drop it back to either locations. Feel free to take an extra envelope for a neighbour you feel, might like to join the community alerts group. GOWRAN AC Gowran AC sent a juvenile team of 32 athletes to compete at the Leinster indoor championships in Athlone. By the end of the two days, Gowran had 25 top 5 finishes in the Leinster championship, which is an excellent club result. Congratulations to all the athletes and everyone involved. Gowran came away with two 1st, five 2nd, four 3rd, nine 4th, and six 5th. Eleven athletes now progress through to the All-Irelands next Month. 60M Sprint: Rachel Duff (U13G) finished 2nd (8.52 seconds) in what was a Kilkenny 1,2,3. She won her heat and her semi-final. Odhran Prendergast (U14B) also finished 2nd (8.26 seconds) and won his heat en-route. Darragh Carroll (U13B) got through his heat and semi-final, and finished 5th in the final. Gowran had 12 other fast athletes competing in the short 60M sprint, Emily O`Keeffe (U12G), Laura Beatty (U12G), Oren Denieffe (U12B), Eimear Cottrell (U13G), Lucy Cunningham (U13G), Kate Hayden (U14G), Charlie Ryan (U15B), Rachel Gardiner (U16G), and Chloe Lynch (U16G). Long Jump: Aoibhlinn Steger (U14G) came 1st, winning by 2cm in a field of 35 athletes. Darragh Carroll (U13B) finished 2nd with a 4.1M jump. Odhran Prendergast (U14B) was 5th, Ailbhe Steger (U15G) 7th, Evan Ryan (U13B) 8th, all made it through to their respective final jump offs. Gowran had lots of other super jumpers competing, Lucy Cunningham (U13G), Grace Roberts (U13G), Eimear Cottrell (U13G), Aaron Carrigan (U12B), MJ Carroll (U12B), Aidan Corrigan (U12B), David Carroll (U12B), Oren Denieffe (U12B), and Joe Hayes (U14B). 60M Hurdles: Aaron Carrigan (U12B) was 2nd in heats, and 3rd in the final, narrowly pipping MJ Carroll (U12B) who was 1st in heats, and 4th in final. Tomas Carroll (U14B) was 2nd in heats, and 3rd in the final. In the U13 Boys, Gowran had 3 athletes that qualified through the heats to the final – Evan Ryan finished 2nd in heats, and 5th in the final, Dara Leamy finished 4th in heats, and 6th in the final, Michael O`Keeffe was 3rd in the heats, and 8th in the final. Gowran also had some future stars hurdling, Emily O`Keeffe (U12G), Heidi Ryan (U12G), Kate Hayden (U14G), Ceola Leamy (U15G). Pole Vault: Ceola Leamy (U15G) was 1st after clearing 6 height increases. James Kelsey (U15B) finished 3rd. Chloe Lynch (U16G) finished 2nd. 600M: Aaron Carrigan won his heat by a significant margin, and finished 2nd in the final, he was later disqualified on a harsh technicality, but ran superbly. Darragh Carroll (U13B) finished 3rd in heats, and 4th in final improving his time by 5 seconds. MJ Carroll

finished 2nd in the heats, and 7th in final. Gowran had many other middle distance stars of the future running, Emily O`Keeffe (U12G), Heidi Ryan (U12G), David Carroll, (U12B), Aidan Corrigan (U12B), Daisy Coomey (U13G), and Orlaith Carroll (U13G). High Jump: Ailbhe Steger was 3rd (U15G), while Joe Hayes and Tómas Carroll shared 4th (U14B), while James Kelsey (U15B) set a new PB in coming 4th also. Orlaith Carroll (U13G) finished 5th as did Dara Leamy (U13B). Gowran had 4 other vertical jumpers competing, Daisy Coomey (U13G), Aoibhlinn Steger (U14G), Ceola Leamy (U15G), and Chloe Lynch (U16G). 200M Sprint: Darragh Dunne (U16B) finished 2nd in heats, and a close 4th in the final. Rachel Gardiner ran well and finished 6th in heats. Shot Put: Rachel Gardiner (U16G) came 2nd, a mere 0.03M from 1st place, and a long distance clear of the rest. Heidi Ryan finished 4th (U12G), Anna Kelsey 8th (U13G), Evan Ryan 4th (U13B), Dara Leamy 6th (U13B), Aoibhlinn Steger 7th (U14G), Ailbhe Steger 5th (U15G), Noah Denieffe 4th (U15B), Charlie Ryan 6th (U15B) all made it through to their respective final group throw offs. Gowran had other powerful throwers competing, Oren Denieffe (U12B), David Carroll (U12B), Orlaith Carroll (U13G), Daisy Coomey (U13G), and Joe Hayes (U14B). 800M: Tomas Carroll (U14B) was 3rd in heats, and finished 12th in final. Cillian Dunne (U19B) finished 4th in the final. Gowran also had Kate Hayden (U14G), and James Kelsey (U15B) running the 4 lap event. Best of luck to the 11 Athletes that qualified for the indoor All-Irelands next month – Rachel Duff, Aoibhlinn Steger, Ceola Leamy, Ailbhe Steger, Rachel Gardiner, Chloe Lynch, Aaron Carrigan, Tómas Carroll. Darragh Carroll, Odhran Prendergast, James Kelsey. THE KILKENNY COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL The festival is back this year in Gowran Park, and it will take place on Sunday 3rd July featuring a host of top-class Country Singers. Performing on the day will be Mike Denver, Cliona Hagan, Robert Mizzell, Trudi Lalor, Jimmy and Claudia Buckley with backing band The Conquerors. Tickets now on Sale and for further information, check out kilkennycountrymusicfestival. ie or email kkcountrymusic@gmail.com SEAN NOS WORKSHOP The dancing workshop will take place with Laura Ganley on March 6th from 2pm to 4pm at Ionad Dara, Goresbridge. Entry is €10. For more information, please contact Majella on 086 354 3539. YOUNG IRELAND’S GAA Following on from the recent AGM, a Club Meeting took place in Young Irelands GAA Grounds in Gowran last Friday Night Week (4th February) to finalise Officers and Management Teams ahead of the 2022 Season. Christine Carey is the new Secretary, and she has taken over from long serving Secretary Eddie Power who has stepped down, while Niall Walsh has filled the position of Treasurer and he has taken over from Patrick Farrell who has stepped down after 10 years. Thanks to Eddie and Patrick for their superb work over the years and wishing them all the very best. The Officers for 2022 are as follows:Chairperson: Denis Quinlan. Vice-Chairman: Ciaran Phelan Secretary: Christine Carey. Assistant Secretary: Bridie Comerford. Registrar: Mary Holden Treasurer: Niall Walsh. Assistant Treasurer: Billy Carroll. PRO: Michael O’Leary. Health and Wellbeing Officer: Joe Loughrey. Children’s Officer: Michael Walsh. Health and Safety Officer: Liam Walsh County Board Delegate: Joe Kavanagh. Team Management 2022 are as follows. Intermediate: Tom Coogan, Shane Lanigan, Ollie Carter, Joe Langton . Junior A: Tom Drennan (Manager), Martin Carter, Christy Delaney GAA ROUND UP Mikey Carey started at Wing-Back and played the full match as Kilkenny lost out narrowly by a point to Tipperary(1-19 to 1-18) in Round 2 of the National League in Semple Stadium, Thurles last Sunday. Mikey scored a point and hurled extremely well in general as he continues to establish himself as a regular in the Kilkenny starting team. His Dad DJ is Coach of IT Carlow who plaed University of Limerick in the Semi-Finals of the Fitzgibbon Cup (Thursday) at 7.30pm. The Carlow College got their revenge on UCC from the 2020 Final when winning last week’s Quarter-Final clash 1-17 to 0-14. Meanwhile, there was Heartbreak for former Young Irelands Hurler James Fitzgerald, who was part of the Ballyhale Shamrocks Management Team that lost out to a last gasp Ballygunner goal with the last puck of the game in last Saturday’s All-Ireland Senior Club Final.

Congratulations to Emer Phelan and Emer Stynes

CLUB LOTTO LOTTO Results February 11th. Nos:6–3 – 27– 26. Jackpot: €7,750 – not won Draw Prizes – €50: Ber Long c/o P & J Cody . €25 each Catherine Peters c/o Online €25 each T McGrath c/o Gina Gaule. €25 each Gordon Dowd c/o Online Co op draw ticket Pat Carroll c/o Online Promotors prize Joe Phelan . New weeks draw 7,900 17th of feb 2022 CLUB HOUSE Dicksboro Clubhouse Bar is reopened. Thursday from 8.30pm and every Thursday going forward. Thursday nights is Lotto Draw and Cards Night. All are welcome out for a social drink, a chat and if there is interest, a beginners cards table. We are offering a particular welcome to all of our senior citizens members, it’s been a difficult past two years and we would be delighted to see you out to the club for a chat. We have a selection of non-alcoholic beers, barista coffee and all the usuals. We look forward to seeing you all CLUB REGISTER 2022 We are delighted to announce that Registration for Dicksboro GAA and Camogie Club for 2022 is now open. There are a number of ways for existing and new members to register with the club. Click on the link below ( For existing members enter your e mail address to retrieve all details from last year’s registration process ). Go to the membership page on Clubs App and sign up, https://dicksborogaa.com/membership_signup DICKSBORO DEVELOPMENT 2022 We are delighted to get the news today that we have been awarded €59k in Sports Capital Grant Funding. This is a very generous grant and along with our earmarked development funds will support the further upgrading of our pitches, walkways and lighting in Palmerstown. Thanks to development chairman Sean Moore for all his hard work on this. ASHBOURNE CUP Congrats to DCU on winning the Ashbourne Cup. Four Boro girls started the final and helped DCU to their first ever Ashbourne title. Well done Caoimhe Dowling, Ciara Phelan, Ciara O’Shea and Jane Cass FR. MEAGHAIR CUP Congrats to UCC on winning the Fr Meaghair Cup. Two Boro girls were part of the panel. Congrats to Emer Phelan and Emer Stynes.

Well done Caoimhe Dowling, Ciara Phelan, Ciara O’Shea & Jane Cass

We welcome all GAA Club and Community notes for publication in The Kilkenny Observer email to sales@kilkennyobserver.ie

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

Hurling matters

Sport BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

AIB All-Ireland Club Hurling Championship final Ballygunner 2-17 Shamrocks 1-19

Croke Park, Saturday February 12th 2022

Shamrocks Ballyhale’s quest for a ninth Tommy Moore Cup and a 3rd on the bounce were shot-down in dramatic fashion in injury time, as Waterford’s Ballygunner snatched victory from almost certain defeat at Croke Park last Saturday. Substitute Harry Ruddle, smashed a shot from some 25 metres, that cruelly beat Dean Mason and nestled in the Shamrocks net deep into injury time. It was to be the final act of a pulsating final, as Wexford whistler, James Owens blew for full time as the Ballyhale players, mentors and supporters were shocked to their core at the Deise late, late show. Ballyhale took the lead in the first minute thanks to a free from TJ Reid, out on the right side of Croker, after the semi-final hero himself was fouled. The Gunners responded within a minute through a fine point from Mikey Mahony under the Hogan Stand. Captain, Colin Fennelly then picked up the ball and headed straight for goal. The No.14 was fouled but Shamrocks played on with the advantage and when Joe Cuddihy took possession, his shot went wide. Referee Owens, brought the play back for the foul, and TJ popped it over to give his side the lead again after 3 minutes. A well-worked sideline cut saw the sliotar arrive with Mikey Mahony and he duly split the posts to level things up. Again, the current Tommy Moore Cup holders responded. More industrious foraging from Fennelly saw Adrian Mullen take the ball, cut inside his marker and slot over for a nice score. The first impact of the in-form Dessie Hutchinson was next up. The lively attacker evaded marker Darren Mullen and full-back Joey Holden before firing over a good point. The same player then took possession near the end line on the right-hand side before playing a lovely cross-field pass to Billy O’Keefe who took the point, much to the delight of the Waterford faithful in the stands. Then the Deise side moved the ball around patiently, before finding Kevin Mahony who rifled over the bar to put his side two points clear after 16 minutes. Ballygunner were looking hungry, they appeared to be first to all breaking balls, and were hunting down their more illustrious opponents, and forcing turnovers all over the Croke Park pitch. The only thing that was hurting the challengers was the number of wides being registered. The Kilkenny side pulled one back shortly afterwards, when midfielder Patrick Mullen struck over a fine long-range point. The next score was also to be a Shamrocks one. The ball was passed to wing-back Evan Shefflin, who struck over a monstrous score from his own ‘65. The next passage of play saw the unusually quiet Eoin Cody take the ball before racing clear of his marker and showing good skill before striking over a quality point. Darren Mullen then found his way into the referee’s notebook, following a high challenge

Shamrocks GUNNED down in injury time drama Ballyhale’s historic bid denied by Deise champions All pix: Danny Lahart

Adrian & TJ go for the high catch

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Hurling matters

n Dessie Hutchinson scores a goal

Harry the hero Harry Ruddle

Pauric Mahony attemps a shot at goal

on Dessie Hutchinson on 21 minutes. The Gunners free-taking specialist, Pauric Mahony scored from the placed ball to deadlock the sides again. Then followed a really embarrassing moment. As several players tried to win possession of the ball, Ballygunner midfielder Paddy Leavey emerged with the sliotar before appearing to have been ‘taken out’ by a sniper on the roof of Croker. It was one of the most theatrical dives ever seen during any game of hurling. Not nice to see, and hopefully his team mates and mentors will have a quiet word in the player’s ear. Eoin Cody then looked to threaten the Deise side’s goal again, but his effort was cleared behind for a ‘65, which TJ Reid slotted over to edge his side ahead. Evan Shefflin then took possession from the puckout before slipping the ball to TJ who fired over a magnificent score from half-way, which was roundly cheered by the travelling Shamrocks supporters. IT Carlow student, Eoin Cody then laid-off a nice pass to the supporting Brian Cody, who slotted over a fine score to extend the Ballyhale lead to 3 points. Brian Butler then came to the Leinster Champions rescue, when he managed to block a fierce effort from Billy O’Keefe, which would certainly have troubled Dean Mason. Darragh Corcoran and Kevin Mahony then had their names taken by the referee, following some ‘handbags’ TJ makes a spectacular catch

CONTINUED....

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Hurling matters

Sport

Evan Shefflin pulls one out of the air

... CONTINUED

as they got acquainted with each other. The very impressive Evan Shefflin then played a lovely ball towards Adrian Mullen who took a great catch, before being fouled just around the ’D’. TJ stepped forward and popped over the placed ball to move Ballyhale 4 ahead. Gunners’ midfielder Conor Sheahan then fired a nice pass into Dessie Hutchinson, who made no mistake to take the last score of the opening period and leave his side three points behind at the break, 0-7 to 0-10. Darragh O’Sullivan will no doubt have been unhappy at the number of opportunities that his side missed in the first half, but he will have been impressed by their battling and the hunger shown. James O’Connor made a change to his team during the interval, with Eoin Reid coming in for Conor Walsh. This move saw Brian Cody drop into the engine room to support Paddy Mullen. Shamrocks were quick off the mark in the second half as well. ‘Rio’ found his brother TJ who fired over a cracking point from out on the left. The Waterford side opened their account in the second period when an incisive run by Dessie Hutchinson saw the ball played to Mikey Mahony who popped the ball over. The Noresiders were then dealt a blow, when what appeared to be a hamstring injury saw Brian Butler leave the field to be replaced by Kevin Mullen after just 2 minutes of the second half. Patrick Mullen then conceded a free which the Ballygunner No.15, Pauric Mahony duly drilled over. Dessie Hutchinson’s movement and pace was causing problems for the Ballyhale defence, and the former soccer star created a chance for Billy O’Keefe, who took full advantage and pointed. More battling saw Colin Fennelly win possession before striking over a really good point from the left side to leave his charges 2 points ahead. Referee Owens who was letting the game flow nicely, then awarded the Gunners another softish free, which Pauric Mahony dispatched with ease. Pauric would repeat the feat moments later, after Patrick Mullen was carded for fouling the placed ball ace on 39 minutes. Joe Cuddihy then took a superb high catch before being halted illegally. This gave TJ the chance to add to his tally, and he obliged. Cuddihy then hit one of the game’s best scores after a good advantage by ref Owens, to put Shamrocks two ahead. Then just 2 minutes later, Colin Fennelly emerged from a posse of players and bared down on the Gunners goal. The captain then batted the ball goal wards, only for net minder Stephen O’Keefe to produce a stunning save to deny him. The Sliotar rebounded to the on-running Eoin Reid who rifled it to the Ballygunner net. Shamrocks lead by 5, 0-12 to 1-14 with 43 minutes on the clock. Evan Shefflin was then harshly adjudged to have over carried, when the decision could have quite easily gone the defender’s way. Pauric Mahony slotted the free over to reduce the champions lead to 4. The No.15 was then fouled, and fired over the resulting free. TJ Reid who was getting through a mountain of work, then produced some good play, before passing to wing-back Darragh Corcoran, who struck over a mighty score from distance. The Waterford supporters were then

Dessie Hutchinson beats Darren Mullen in the air before scoring Ballygunners first goal

David Blanchfield in control

Evan Shefflin clears his lines

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Hurling matters Harry Ruddle scores the goal that broke Shamrocks hearts

Colin fennelly races towards goal

Eoin Cody tries to escape the clutches of Ian Kenny

brought to their feet when Dessie Hutchinson took a long delivery nicely and sprinted away from Darren Mullen, before firing past Dean Mason to raise a green flag. The gap was now down to the minimum. Shamrocks regrouped and tagged on another point, thanks to Adrian Mullen who fired over from ‘45 out. Another fantastic catch, this time from TJ Reid saw the imperious attacker make space before slotting the ball between the posts. Richie Reid, who along with TJ and Evan Shefflin were strong performers on the day, read the play well and made a great interception before bursting forward and pointing from distance to put the Shamrocks 4 up in the 55th minute. The Waterford side’s main threat from open play, Dessie Hutchinson was proving to be a real menace to the Noresiders. Once again, he got on the ball and fired over to keep his side in touch. The gap was further reduced shortly after, when Kevin Mahony got the better in a tussle with Kevin Mullen, before pointing. Ballygunner were then given another free, this time on their own ‘65. The sublime Pauric Mahony, who had missed a couple earlier in the game, took on the responsibility and rifled the free right over the ‘black spot’ to leave just the minimum between the finalists. One of Shamrocks outstanding performers on the day, Evan Shefflin, again proved accurate from distance when he splits the posts to push the holders two ahead in the 2nd minute of the three additional minutes signaled. The Ballyhale supporters were jubilant, and preparing to celebrate an historic victory, in this their club’s 50th anniversary. The

score board read 1-17 to 1-19 in favour of Shamrocks Ballyhale. Darragh O’Sullivan’s men weren’t quite done yet. As the ball bobbled about on their own ‘65, the impressive Ian Kenny picked the ball up and found Paddy Leavey, who played a pass to Peter Hogan. The wing-forward looked up and passed to substitute Harry Ruddle on the Ballyhale ‘65. The No.17 continued his drive forward, and despite the best efforts of Darragh Corcoran, Ruddle raced in the ‘D’ before unleashing a shot from some outside the ‘21 that appeared to weave past several players and beat the diving Dean Mason tight at his right-hand post. Dean sprung to his feet to restart play, but Wexford referee Owens blew for full-time. The score board now read Ballygunner 2-17, Shamrocks Ballyhale 1-19. Ballygunner, the new AIB AllIreland Club Hurling Champions. Ballygunner Scorers: Pauric Mahony (07, 0-7f), Dessie Hutchinson (1-3), Harry Ruddle (1-0), Mikey Mahony (0-3), Billy O’Keeffe (0-2), Kevin Mahony (0-2). Ballyhale Shamrocks Scorers: TJ Reid (0-8, 0-4f, 0-1 ‘65), Eoin Reid (1-0), Evan Shefflin (0-2), Adrian Mullen (0-2), Richie Reid (0-1), Darragh Corcoran (0-1), Patrick Mullen (0-1), Brian Cody (0-1), Colin Fennelly (0-1), Eoin Cody (0-1), Joseph Cuddihy (0-1). Ballygunner- Stephen O’Keeffe; Ian Kenny, Barry Coughlan, Tadhg Foley; Shane O’Sullivan, Philip Mahony, Ronan Power; Conor Sheahan, Paddy Leavey; Dessie Hutchinson, Mikey Mahony, Peter Hogan; Billy O’Keeffe, Kevin Mahony, Pauric Mahony. Subs: Cormac Power for O’Keeffe 46 mins, Harry Ruddle for Sheahan 53 mins. Shamrocks- Dean Mason; Darren Mullen, Joey Holden, Brian Butler; Evan Shefflin, Richie Reid, Darragh Corcoran; Conor Walsh, Patrick Mullen; Adrian Mullen, TJ Reid, Brian Cody; Joey Cuddihy, Colin Fennelly, Eoin Cody. Subs: Eoin Reid for Walsh h-t, Kevin Mullen for Butler 33 mins. Referee- James Owens (Wexford) Ballyhale bainisteoir bemoans final seconds Speaking to the assembled media after seeing his side come up just short against his old side, the Shamrocks bainisteoir was clearly shell-shocked and finding the result hard to believe. “I told the players during the week that over the last two years I can definitely say that I have felt like a Shamrocks man,” O’Connor said with the emotion etched on his face. “They mean a lot to me, to be honest with you… CONTINUED....

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

Hurling matters

>> SHERRY SAYS... Where to start. Firstly, let me say that I am not a Kilkenny native. I’m from the North of Ireland. When Harry Ruddle’s speculative shot left his hurl and found its way to the Ballyhale net, my heart sank. I felt a huge sense of loss, an overwhelming feeling of shock, and wasn’t even aware of the Ballygunner celebrations taking place on the Croke Park turf. As bainisteoir James O’Connor said afterwards Ballygunner had “out-Balllyhaled, Ballyhale”. Before I get to my thoughts on the game, the players, the protagonists, I need to get something off my chest, that might cause some controversy. Kilkenny is a proud hurling county. While the big ball doesn’t feature much in the minds of the hurling mad Gaels on Norseside, I’m sure many would remember Tyrone’s Sean Cavanagh’s last ditch cynical tackle on Monaghan’s Conor McManus in the All-Ireland QuarterFinal tie at Croke Park. This tackle effectively was the reason the ‘black card’ was introduced in Gaelic Football. My ‘Ulster’ cynicism came out in buckets as that final roll of the dice from the Waterford and Munster champions developed. Should Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen have sandwiched Ian Kenny? Should Patrick Mullen have wrapped up Paddy Leavey? Should Darragh Corcoran have tripped or dragged down goal-scorer to be Harry Ruddle? In hurling, the answer is undoubtedly no. The game is played in a certain spirit. This spirit, coupled with the heart-breaking finish that Ballyhale suffered last Saturday, and the wild exuberant scenes of celebrations that followed for the Ballygunner contingent, is why hurling is regarded by many as one of the greatest games in the world, if not the greatest. Ok. Back to the match. This final lived up to its billing. The two best teams in club hurling on the Island of Ireland. Supporters making much noise on the seats of Croker. A game that swung many ways, and kept you glued till the end. We’ll start with Ballygunner. The Darragh O’Sullivan managed side became the first Desie side to claim an All-Ireland club title. Comhghairdeas Ballygunner. Their domination within their county has now paid off as they claim the ultimate prize in club hurling. Naturally, substitute Harry Ruddle will grab the headlines for his late, late, late heroics, 63.09 on the clock when the sliotar hit the net. For me, Ballygunner had two or three other outstanding performers in Croke Park. Dessie Hutchinson. This fella is a huge talent. His return from soccer across the water, instrumental in his club’s climb to reach the summit. Dessie scored 1-3 and was a complete pain in the proverbial to the Shamrocks’ defence, particularly to Darren Mullen who was yellow carded in the 21st minute as he attempted to halt one of Hutchinson’s many menacing runs towards Dean Mason’s goal. Next up for the new All-Ireland champions, full-back, Barry Coughlan. The big man was immense at the back, especially in the 2nd half. Alongside Coughlan in the last line of defence, Ian Kenny. the No.2’s marking job on Eoin Cody was seriously impressive. Had you have told me before the game that the twice crowned Young Hurler of the Year would only register 0-1 in the final, I wouldn’t have believed you. Eoin tried to influence matters on numerous occasions, but Kenny was like a ‘second skin’ and Eoin was struggling to shed this nuisance. Shamrocks Ballyhale. I like many I’d say, woke last Saturday morning thinking that two things would happen later that day – Ballyhale would claim their 9th Tommy Moore Cup and third on the trot, and that my club’s big rival in Down, Kilcoo would win their first Andy Merrigan Cup. By 7pm Saturday night, if you had told me only 1 of those things would happen, I would have gone with Ballyhale. While Ballygunner’s short passing game and hunger was causing problems for Shamrocks in the first half, I felt James O’Connor’s side’s more economical scoring return would see them home and dry. TJ Reid was his usual self, unerringly accurate from the placed ball, while his points from play were exquisite. His brothers also had great performances. Rio, a great finish for his sides major, while Richie’s reading of the game was on-point. Evan Shefflin to me, was Shamrocks stand-out performer. Evan defended well and his ability to break up attacks and drive forward, or deliver quality balls into the attack are crucial to the way his side like to play. Alas, the historic day that we thought lay ahead, wasn’t to be. A huge thanks to James O’Connor and this Shamrocks bunch for their phenomenal efforts over the last 12 months. No doubt, many of you will grace Croker again with the club, and hopefully in the black and amber before the summer’s done. Comhghairdeas Ballygunner. Enjoy this amazing achievement.

Gunners team celebrate

Captains Philip Mahony & Barry Coughlan lift the cup

... CONTINUED

“The last two years have been very special for me. I’ve made some great friends up there and Kilkenny people, in general, have been great during the two years I’ve been there. It’s has been an unbelievable experience for me. It’s something I won’t forget for a long, long time. Hopefully, I will be a better manager and coach because of it.”

The Lismore club man felt his team had been the better side for the most part before substitute Harry Ruddle’s winning goal. “Look, we’ve been at the right side of these for the last two years but still when you’re in the 63rd minute and it’s the last play out there, you just think that it’s going to go your way again and when that ball cut inside and beat Dean, I was just heartbroken.” When he got it and turned,

he struck it, look, it could have gone an inch outside the post as inside. It gave Dean no chance inside in the goal. Look, I suppose we’ve been doing that during the year. I was delighted that the two best teams in the country were there today. I thought it was a fantastic game, even on the sideline. I’ll go home and watch it tonight, I’m sure I’ll be crying looking at it. “That’s championship hurling. That’s All-Ireland

final day. You get one crack at it, great when they go over. Devastating when they don’t. Look overall I’m very proud of the lads the way they played. They gave it everything. We said today we’d leave everything outside on the field and I think we did.” As a Deise native, as well as a good friend of his opposite number Darragh O’Sullivan, he hopes the victory can propel the county. “I was

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

kilkennyobserver.ie

Hurling matters Shamrocks Ratings Sherry Says MOTM - Evan Shefflin

1. Dean Mason – solid game, beaten by Ruddle’s late strike - 7 17. Brian Butler – was going well until forced off injured, great block to prevent goal – 7 3. Joey Holden – appeared to struggle especially in 1st half. Change of boots helped - 6 2. Darren Mullen – given toughest job of marking Dessie Hutchinson - 6 5. Evan Shefflin – outstanding throughout, energetic display, great scores as well – 9 6. Richie Reid – reading of the game excellent. Swept up lots of loose ball, lovely point - 8 7. Darragh Corcoran – battled throughout – got his customary point - 7 23. Conor Walsh – struggled to impact the game, big stage nerve possibly - 6 9. Patrick Mullen – gave his all, battled hard and took a lovely point - 7 10. Adrian Mullen – industrious all over the pitch, not afforded space & time, couple of good points - 7 11. TJ Reid – accurate as always, lovely points from play too, didn’t deserve the end result - 8 21. Joseph Cuddihy – Like Adrian and Eoin, was finding it hard to ply his normal trade, one nice point - 7 12. Brian Cody – dogged as ever, ref was keen to blow him up for fouls. Scored a lovely point - 7 14. Colin Fennelly – captain battled hard, took a nice point, nearly had a goal - 7 15. Eoin Cody – scored 0-1, tried hard to make things happen, but was well marshaled by Ian Kenny - 6 Kevin Mullen for Brian Butler (33) - had his hands full with the Mahony clan - 7 Eoin Reid for Conor Walsh (HT) - great follow up play to goal, set up TJ for nice point - 8

Ballyhale seek new bainisteoir Harry Ruddle hugs his manager Darragh O’Sullivan

inside with the Ballygunner fellas there and look I’ve been on the wrong side of results with them for a long time. They’re the benchmark of Waterford hurling. At the end of the day, I’m a Waterford man. I’m delighted for Darragh, he’s a good friend of mine going back over 20 years now. I’m sure they’ll be celebrating in Waterford tonight. “When you get your club team up there winning club

All-Irelands, it really drives on the county. I think this will be a big plus for Waterford.” Sure, look what it has been doing for Kilkenny over the last, 10, 15 years, 20 years. I think this will be a big plus for Waterford. Just to get out there to win an All-Ireland is something we’ve been struggling with for a long, long time. If you can do it at club level, there’s no reason why you can’t do it at intercounty level.”

Above: Phillip Mahony & Darragh O’Sullivan celebrate Right: Captain’s Coughlan & Fennelly after the whistle

Ballyhale Shamrocks are expected to be on the look-out of a new manager after James O’Connor reportedly decided to step away after two seasons in charge. Sources close to the Waterford native, say he told the players in the changing rooms, after their last gasp All-Ireland final defeat to Ballygunner in Croke Park. The Lismore club man took the reins from Henry Shefflin, after Ballyhale collected back-to-back AllIrelands in 2020. O’Connor steered the illustrious Kilkenny club to successive county titles and a Leinster championship win over Clare’s Clough/Ballacolla, with hopes of a ninth All-Ireland dashed in dramatic circumstances by the Gunners last Saturday. It was a second All-Ireland final heartbreak for O’Connor, who was bainisteoir of Fr O’Neill’s from Cork when they lost out by a point to Padraig Walsh’s Tullaroan in Croker, two years ago in the intermediate final following an enthralling contest. Many names will no doubt find their way into the hat for this much sought-after position in club hurling. Adh Mor to James O’Connor, in whatever lies ahead for the affable Lismore man.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 18 February 2022

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Hurling matters

Sport Allianz National Hurling League Division 1B Tipperary 1-19 Kilkenny 1-18 Semple Stadium, Thurles, Sunday February 13th 2022

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

TIPPERARy edged their great rivals Kilkenny by 1 point, following an exciting encounter in Semple Stadium last Sunday. Jason Forde’s tenth score of the day, a free deep into stoppage time, proved the difference between two sides clearly fighting to find their identity and find a way to compete at the ‘Limerick level’. On this showing, both sides still have plenty to work on and improve on, if they are to mount a credible championship challenge as the year goes on. The first half especially did little to stir the large crowd in attendance, as sloppy play, coupled with poor shooting ensured that there was no championship feel to this game between these fierce opponents. Playing with a very strong wind in the 1st half, The Premier County registered the first score in the sixth minute, Jason Forde slotting over a free. The same player notched the next two points, one from another placed ball, the second a mighty fine score over the shoulder from play on 10 minutes. Brian Cody’s men opened their account at the fourth time of asking through Thomastown’s John Donnelly 12th minute point. Tipp’s net minder, Brian Hogan then struck over a longrange free, highlighting the serious wind advantage that his side had. The home crowd warmed their hands in appreciation of the strike by the Lorrha Dorrha club man. Bennettsbridge defender, David Blanchfield then found some space and took the opportunity to fire over a lovely point on 16 minutes. Tullaroan’s Padraig Walsh, who has been deployed on the opposition’s ‘40 in the league campaign to date, then rifled over the best score to date, as the Kilkenny travelling faithful found their voices. The next two scores came from the home side, as Jake Morris and Barry Heffernan added to Colm Bonnar’s side’s tally. Then on 21 minutes, Young Ireland’s Mikey Carey charged forward and split the posts with a quality effort, to reduce the host’s lead to two points, 0-6 to 0-4. The home side then hit four unanswered points, with thanks to Ger Browne, Michael Breen, Thurles Sarsfields Denis Maher and that man Jason Forde, who struck another hefty score from his own half as Tipp seemed to be finding some sort of rhythm, to lead 0-10 to 0-4 after 30 minutes. This scoring burst from Tipp seemed to awaken the cats, as they went on to score the next four on the bounce, with Conahy Shamrocks Tom Phelan getting the first of the three, and his sides first score in some 9 minutes. John Donnelly then pointed from a placed ball, before action man

Tipp topple Cats in Thurles thriller Injury time free gives home side the points

Billy Ryan show skill and poise

Padraig Walsh emerged from a ruck, before bursting clear and slotting over a confidence boosting score at the Killinan End of Semple Stadium. Then on 36 minutes, John Donnelly popped over a free to leave his side just two behind. Eire Og’s Barry Heffernan then hit his second fine point of the day, as it

looked like the home side would take a 3-point lead into the interval. Deep into first half stoppage time, Glenmore netminder, Eoin Murphy’s short puckout went straight to Denis Maher, who reacted sharply to lay the ball off to the on-running Jake Morris, who made straight for goal. The Nenagh Éire Óg attacker produced a lovely

skillful, one-handed finish to beat the disappointed Kilkenny No.1, and leave the score at the short whistle, Tipp 1-11 Kilkenny 0-8. When play resumed in the second period, Cody’s charges had that significant wind advantage with them. They needed to get the score board ticking over, and the first score of the

second half came from the Cats’ free taker, John Donnelly on 38 minutes. The ever-reliable Jason Forde then replied for the Premier County with a placed ball of his own. Cian Kenny, who was operating in the engine room, then struck over a lovely score from distance, before The Sash’s Padraig Walsh notched

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Hurling matters Tadhg O’Dwyer fires home his goal!

Mossy Keoghan applies the pressure

Get back here!

minutes, as manager Bonnar sent on their vastly experienced captain Ronan Maher, who pointed within three minutes of taking to the pitch. Jason Forde then hit 3 points in a row, as the host’s looked to be back in control, as the weather also appeared to be turning in their favour. Tipp had now hit five without reply. Kilkenny then went on the attack in search of a revitalising score. A long ball from the Cats defence caused a little panic in the Tipp defence. The Ball was taken in by Billy Ryan, who cut in from the right and despite being fouled by his marker, he managed to give a superb hand pass to James Stephens club man Tadgh O’Dwyer, who took the sliotar and rifled the shot under Tipp keeper Hogan. Was another come back now on the cards as the Cats only trailed by 2 points with 62 minutes on the clock. Padraig Walsh then increased his personal tally to 4 points, before Tipp’s top scorer, Forde hit his fourth point from play to the raucous cheers of the home crowd. Tullogher-Rosbercon’s Walter Walsh then hit 2 scores back-to-back in the 65th & 69th minute to level the game, as it appeared that the spoils would indeed be shared in Thurles. However, Jason Forde had other ideas. His tenth score of the day, this time from a free, edged Tipp ahead deep into stoppage time. Time was not to be Kilkenny’s friend, as Galway whistler Liam Gordon brought

play to a close, on a score line of Tipp 1-19, Kilkenny 1-18, as the home supporters celebrated the win with shouts of “Tipp, Tipp, Tipp” Tipperary Scorers: Jason Forde 0-10 (0-5f), Jake Morris 1-2, Barry Heffernan 0-2, Brian Hogan (0-1f), Michael Breen, Ger Browne, Denis Maher, Ronan Maher 0-1 each. Kilkenny Scorers: John Donnelly 0-5 (0-5f), Padraig Walsh 0-4, Tadhg O’Dwyer 1-0, Walter Walsh 0-2, Martin Keoghan, David Blanchfield, Mikey Carey, Niall Brassil, Cian Kenny, Paddy Deegan, Tom Phelan 0-1 each. TEAMS: TIPPERARY – Brian Hogan, C Barrett, J Quigley, C Morgan, D Quirke, S Kennedy, B Heffernan, A Flynn, M Breen, D McCormack, J Forde, G Browne, M Kehoe, D Maher, J Morris. Subs: P Cadell for Breen (45 mins), R Maher for Browne (51 mins), S Callanan for D Maher (56 mins), P Flynn for Kehoe (67 mins), C Stakelum for McCormack (70 mins). KILKENNY – E Murphy, M Butler, H Lawlor, E Cody, M Carey, N Brassil, D Blanchfield, C Kenny, P Deegan, R Leahy, P Walsh, T Phelan, B Ryan, M Keoghan, J Donnelly. Subs: T Walsh for Cody (3 mins), W Walsh for Phelan (46 mins), T O’Dwyer for Leahy (57 mins), J Walsh for Donnelly (58 mins). REF – Liam Gordon (Galway)

>> SHERRY SAYS...

his 3rd point of the day. Not to be outdone by his club mate Kenny, The Village’s Niall Brassil then pointed with 45 minutes on the clock, as the visiting Gaels made their presence felt in Thurles, as there was just one score between these arch rivals.

O’Loughlin’s Paddy Deegan then hit a fine point as the Cats ate away at the Tipp lead. There was a definite lifting of the tempo by Cody’s Cats in the second period, and they were making use of the elements also. Tullaroan’s Mossy Keoghan

then got in on the scoring act, as he pointed to leave his side trailing by the minimum. The Tipp crowd were shifting a little more uncomfortably in their seats as they feared the worst. Kilkenny then registered their sixth score without reply, as John Donnelly silenced

the home support. The score board now read, 1-12 to 0-15. The Cats had wiped out their opponent’s half-time lead by the 49th minute. The home side needed to shake themselves and Goal scorer Jake Morris then got Tipp’s first score in some 10

So that’s it folks. Tipperary are this years........Oh sorry, that’s right, last Sunday’s game was round two of the Allianz National League. No Silverware. Darn. Colm Bonnar’s men took the points (that’s all that was on offer!) in this exciting league encounter in Thurles. Liam McCarthy is never won in February. Both teams have players to come back into their respective camps, and this will undoubtedly add to the squad depths, as we build towards the business end of the season, yes, that’s right, championship hurling. Brian Cody will have been given plenty of food for thought, following his side’s up and down display in Thurles. Standout performers for the Cats were Padraig Walsh, who hit 4 lovely points. Huw Lawlor was given MOTM by many pundits, and had a great game. Cian Kenny showed promising signs, while the entire half-back line all got on the score board. Billy Ryan had a key role in many scores, including the major for Tadhg O’Dwyer, which breathed much life into the Kilkenny display. Factor in the return of the Ballyhale contingent, and we’ll be grand. Next up for Cody’s Cats will be the visit of ‘Cheddar’ Plunkett’s Laois. Points to be gained in this encounter.

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Planning Memoriams/Miracle notices prayers

Planning notices KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL We, Amanda Dawson & Eoin Burke intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for Planning Permission to raise the roof height of existing extension to accommodate two bedrooms and a bathroom at first floor and convert existing bedroom on the ground floor to a kitchen/dining/living area with utility, install a tertiary treatment system and infiltration/treatment area and all associated site development works at Reisk, Kilmanagh, Co. Kilkenny. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Department, Kilkenny County Council, County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny, during its public opening hours 9.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the planning application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the Planning Authority in making a decision on the application. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission. KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL I, Niamh O’ Brien intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for Planning Permission to build a dry store farm shed, septic tank and percolation area, private bore well and all associated site development works at Gowran Road, Bennettsbridge, Co. Kilkenny. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Department, Kilkenny County Council, County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny, during its public opening hours 9.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the planning application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the Planning Authority in making a decision on the application. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission. KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL I, Aoife Lyons intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for Planning Permission to build an extension to the side and rear of existing dwelling house, upgrade existing effluent treatment system and all associated site development works at Gragara, Jenkinstown, Co. Kilkenny. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Department, Kilkenny County Council, County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny, during its public opening hours 9.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the planning application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the Planning Authority in making a decision on the application. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission. KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL We, Neal & Lorraine Prendergast intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for planning permission for a Proposed new part single storey & part two storey dwelling, proposed vehicular entrance, proposed garage, driveway, borewell, wastewater treatment system with percolation area, stormwater soakaways, landscaping and all associated site works at Higginstown, Co. Kilkenny. The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Department, Kilkenny County Council, County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny, during its public opening hours 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. - 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the planning application. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission. Signed: Nextgen Design, www.ngdb.ie.

KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL Ned Conway is applying to Kilkenny County Council for retention permission for slatted underground slurry storage tank and concrete yard and permission for the construction of an animal house over the slatted tank and all associated site works at Listerlin, Tullogher, Co. Kilkenny. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Department, Kilkenny County Council, County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny, during its public opening hours 9.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the planning application and such 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. Signed: Ned Conway

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Memoriams / Miracle Prayers

Young IrishROCHE Film TEASY Makers on the set of 5TH ANNIVERSARY the National Youth Film school 2019 MAY SHE REST IN PEACE

Young Irish Film NORAH GARGAN Makers on the set of 11TH ANNIVERSARY the National Youth Film school of 2019 In loving memory Norah Gargan,

In loving memory of our dear sister Teasy, late of Tullabrim, Johnswell, Kilkenny who died on 15th February 2017.

In Memory of a wonderful Mam

It broke our hearts to lose you But you did not go alone For part of us went with you The day God called you home You left us beautiful memories Your love is still our guide And although we cannot see you You are always at our side

late of 4 Parnell Street, Kilkenny who died on 18th February 2011

On this very special day We’ll shed a silent tear And think of you, as usual And wish you were still here Because although days like this Aren’t supposed to be so sad They’re always a reminder Of the happy times we had And just how much we miss you For your heart was kind and true And when we needed someone We could always count on you You were one in a million And we know that we were blessed To have you as a Mam For you simply were the best.

Young Irish Film JOHANNA AND JOHN POWER Makers on the set of 13TH AND 60TH ANNIVERSARY the National Youth Filmmemories school 2019 Cherished of our parents Johanna and John late of 5 Dean Cavanagh Place, Kilkenny

Your resting place we visit And put flowers there with care But no one knows the pain As we turn and leave you there Your memory is our keepsake With which we never part God has you in his keeping We have you in our hearts Missed and loved so much your loving sons Martin and James daughter Rose and extended family

The Miracle Prayer

Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours. This time I ask you this special one (mention favour). Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen. Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted. Never been known to fail. Must promise publication of prayer. B.N

Miss you Mam From your loving family

Young Irish Film Makers on the set of the National Youth Film school 2019

ROBERT (BOB) CODY 4TH ANNIVERSARY In loving memory of Robert Cody, late of Drakelands Middle, Kilkenny who passed away on 18th February 2018.

Also remembering her Mam and Dad Our family chain is broken And nothing seems the same But as God calls us one by one The chain will link again Sadly missed by her sisters and brothers

Quickly and sadly came the call Without farewell you left us all A sudden call from God on high You had no chance to say goodbye Without farewell you fell asleep But memories of you we’ll always keep Sadly missed by your loving family Masses will be offered.

The Miracle Prayer

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Memoriams / Miracle Prayers

The Miracle Prayer

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Kilkenny Observer 18th February 2022

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