Kilkenny Observer 20 March 2026

We’re on the road to L

Kilkenny ranks 11th in line waiting to take driving test

In 2025, the national learner driver backlog rose to between 83,000 and 100,000 applicants, with some waiting up to 20 weeks for a test. New research from 123.ie insurance has revealed the best counties in Ireland for learner drivers.

Kilkenny ranked 12th overall, scoring 451 out of 600.

The study analysed the lat-

How green was our rally

The boys and girls from O’Loughlin Gaels came out in green as they rallied to take part in the Saint Patrick’s Day parade in Kilkenny City. A great day was had by all.

Meanwhile, Urlingford NS win Overall Best Float at Urlingford St Patrick’s Day Parade. The successful float was made up of members of 4th to 6th Class, representing the Schools Cumann na mBunscoil Roinn B Gaelic Football Champions and the Cumann na mBunscoil Roinn B Camogie Champions.

est data from the Road Safety Authority and Central Statistics Office, including test centres, tests delivered, pass rates, waiting times, fatal collisions and penalty points in 2025. Each county was scored out of 600 to show where learners have the best chance of getting their full driving licence.

Top counties for learner driv-

ers include:

• Longford

• Leitrim

• Cavan

• Roscommon

• Sligo

Longford has been named the best county in Ireland for learner drivers, with a top score of 585.3. It recorded a strong 58% pass rate, an average waiting time of just five

weeks, and, importantly, no fatal collisions in 2025.

Leitrim takes second place with a strong score of 573.8.

Learners wait an average of just four weeks for a test, helping them book and sit their test sooner. The county recorded a 54% pass rate and only one fatal collision.

Cavan ranks third with a strong score of 559.6. Learner

drivers benefit from a short four-week waiting time, and with more than 3,500 tests delivered in 2025, there are plenty of opportunities to get on the road and sit the test.

The county has a 51% pass rate.

Roscommon ranks fourth with a strong score of 545.1.

The county recorded a solid 54% pass rate. While five fatal

Trump down, and may yet be out

Ireland and the US should continue to work together to “build a better world” that is “free, secure and at peace”, the Taoiseach said during his visit with President Trump in the White House on St Patrick’s Day. The two leaders met for 40 minutes of which Trump babbled on for 34 of them –about Iran, Israel, NATO and the EU and ‘darn windmills”, by which he meant wind generators.

Speaking before presenting a traditional bowl of shamrock to Trump, the Taoiseach said the ceremony was a “uniquely special moment” as a “symbol of friendship” between Ireland and the US. Martin, whom Mr Trump described as a “very dear friend”, said: “The relationship between the United States and Ireland is deep and enduring. “It will always be special. We are in each other’s DNA. In the founding ideals of our

states and the values which secured our sovereignty.

“It is hard to imagine the United States without the contribution of the Irish and Ireland without the friendship of the United States,” he said.

He managed too to make his points directly about the illegal mandate of the war on Iran and about the political health of Europe, Meanwhile, with polls showing a continual sharp fall in

his popularity, a growing political debate has emerged in Washington after some senators argued that Trump may be unfit to serve, prompting discussions about the possibility of invoking the TwentyFifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The amendment outlines procedures that could allow the vice president and a majority of the cabinet to declare a president unable to carry out the duties of the office.

While the measure has rarely been used for such purposes, the conversation has intensified broader discussions about constitutional safeguards, presidential accountability, and the responsibilities of elected leaders.

Political analysts note that invoking the 25th Amendment is an extremely complex and rare process, requiring significant support within the administration and potentially Congress.

collisions were recorded last year, 7,263 drivers had penalty points, the sixth lowest in the country.

Rounding out the top five is Sligo, with a strong score of 534.4. Learners benefit from a short four-week waiting time, a 51% pass rate, and just one fatal collision recorded in 2025, the second lowest in the country.

We must guard workers’ rights, says Funchion

Sinn Féin MEP for Ireland South, Kathleen Funchion, has said there can be “no roll back on the hard-won rights of workers”. Funchion was speaking during a meeting of the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly between the European Parliament and members of Westminster.

“I believe we need to put the focus on the cost-of-living crisis which is exacerbating the situation for workers and families across Ireland and the EU.

“My fear is that when we have debates on how best to harness the full potential of our economies, there is a tendency to fall into a conversation around deregulation.

“While cutting unnecessary administrative burdens is something we can support, this must not come at the expense of workers’ rights across the EU,” she said.

Road deaths are still climbing

The news comes like an electric shock for me as another car crash adds to the growing toll of road fatalities. It’s a grim score – with 30 deaths already after just two and a half months this year, despite the Road Safety Authority’s aim to reduce road deaths.

Marianne

Heron Page 12

Sixty years of breast friends Miscarriage extra care at maternity hospital

Kilkenny members recently attended the La Leche League Annual Conference in Dublin which celebrated 60 years of helping and supporting breastfeeding mothers in Ireland.

International speaker Dr Nils Bergman spoke on ‘skin-toskin’ contact, which was the theme for National Breastfeeding Week. Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill closed the conference.

La Leche League Kilkenny Leader Joy Harper said:

“I enjoyed meeting up with other La Leche Leaders in Ireland and seeing so many happy breastfed babies.

“I was fortunate to spend the weekend among so many wonderful mums, couples, and their beautiful children as we celebrated 60 years of La Leche League providing what I believe is essential breastfeeding support in Ireland.”

“Each speaker filled the packed rooms with warmth, reassurance, and a wealth of vital information for parents navigating life with babies and young children in today’s world,” Harper said.

Fianna Fáil TD for North Tipperary and North West Kilkenny Ryan O’Meara has called on the Minister for Health to improve care facilities for women experiencing a miscarriage in University Maternity Hospital, Limerick.

Following contact from a number of concerned constituents, Deputy O’Meara raised a series of Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Health, emphasising the need for a separate assessment unit and off-campus treatment for women experiencing a miscarriage in the maternity hospital.

In response to Deputy O’Meara’s questions, the HSE has confirmed that there are both immediate and longterm improvements underway:

“We explored cyber safety awareness and the challenges that screen time presents for many families with Dr Eithne Ní Longphuirt (Senior Clinical Psychologist, HSE). We also experienced excellent presentations, practical modelling, and audience participation around the importance of skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth.”

need to advocate for the rights of parents and babies during this time.

Dr Nils Bergman (MB ChB MPH, MD), alongside his wife Jill Bergman (Doula), shared powerful insights on the importance of those first crucial moments after birth and the

“It was an inspiring and uplifting weekend, full of learning, connection, and a shared commitment to supporting families,” said Noelle Young, mother of two and primary school teacher.

La Leche League Kilkenny group has been present in the county for 47 years and runs an in-person meeting once a month.

If you are pregnant and interested in breastfeeding, or breastfeeding your baby, bring your baby with you, as you are most welcome to attend. Tod-

dlers are also welcome.

La Leche League of Ireland runs a Zoom meet-up every Thursday from 10.30am–12.30pm. They encourage pregnant mothers to join before they have a baby. They also offer home visits and telephone help and support on 087 274 7876.

Lucy brings healing magic to Kilkenny

“During the first half of 2026, the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU) will be relocated to a different room within University Maternity Hospital Limerick. This will allow patients to be seen in a more private and sensitive environment,” the TD said.

“Funding has been secured for a dedicated, purpose-built ‘wrap-around’ EPAU facility, designed specifically to separate early pregnancy care from the main maternity services. “

I'm Lucy, proud owner of The Nettle Patch, a new Herbal Practice in Kilkenny city. In 2025, I qualified as a Master Medical Herbalist, following four years of study with the Irish School of Herbal Medicine.

My Diploma includes Iridology, Nutrition and Herbal Medicine. Iridology is a technique that I use to help assess the overall health picture of a client and Nutrition is a key component for healing so the diet is looked at in great detail – as has often been quoted “we are what we eat” so this part of

the consultation is very important.

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated and inspired by the natural world, and my interest in the powerful healing properties of the plants around us gradually increased over the years. Understanding the wide range of remedies available to me from the plants in my garden opened a whole new world, empowering me to explore ways of healing without always turning to conventional medicine.

Taking help from the plants around us has

made me so much more appreciative of those referred to as weeds, such as nettles which are a powerhouse of medicinal and nutritional properties. Hedgerows and ditches are now places of magic and every season is exciting as each new plant brings us its own special offerings.

I look forward to serving the people of Kilkenny at The Nettle Patch on the path to health and vitality.

Telephone: 087 6531703

Email: thenpatch@ gmail.com

https://thenettlepatch.ie

Bosom pals: from left, Linda O’Leary, Noelle Young, Kay Browne and Joy Harper of La Leche League Kilkenny

Doors open on rural homes

Just over 5,000 one-off houses were granted planning permission last year, as the Government plans to relax its rules around one-off rural housing.

Figures from the CSO show that 20,615 houses were granted planning permission last year, with the majority in Cork, where 3,132 houses were approved, representing

15.2% of all house permissions.

Other urban areas dominated the numbers, with 1,986 planning permissions granted for houses in Dublin, while the Border, Midlands and Western counties saw fewer new homes.

Just 102 houses were granted planning permission in Leitrim last year, with

Kilkenny’s bite of the

Big Apple

Representatives of Kilkenny County Council, who are in New York for the St Patrick’s Day period, met with senior executives from Tourism Ireland on Friday (13 March). They were briefed on Tourism Ireland’s promotional programme in the US for 2026, which is in full swing right now.

St Patrick’s Day offers a unique opportunity for tourism to Ireland – with this time of year both attracting visitors to Ireland and being important for teeing up bookings for the season ahead through the heightened profile created.

Tourism Ireland in the US is undertaking a major programme of media, travel trade and consumer promotions to capitalise on Ireland’s heightened profile around St Patrick’s Day.

Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Head of North America, said: “The US remains an extremely important market for tourism to Ireland – in terms of revenue and visitor numbers. Visitors tend to stay longer, spend more and tour extensively around our regions.”

Pictured, from left: Tim Butler, Director of Services, Kilkenny County Council; Kirsty Warren, Tourism Ireland; Cllr Fidelis Doherty, Leas Cathaoirleach; Cllr Mary Hilda Cavanagh, Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council; Brittany Gallagher and Sheena O’Connell, both Tourism Ireland; Lar Power, Chief Executive, Kilkenny County Council; and Tourism Minister

170 in Longford and 203 in Carlow.

According to the figures, 5,095 one-off houses were granted planning permission last year, up 3.9pc on 2024.

The figures come just days after Minister for Housing, James Browne, confirmed a major policy shake-up aimed at liberalising rules around one-off homes in rural areas.

The minister said the changes, to be introduced within the next 12 weeks, will be mandatory for all local authorities through a new national planning statement.

Mr Browne said the reforms would help residents who currently found it “almost impossible” to build on their own land due to divergent local authority interpreta-

tions of outdated planning guidelines.

He said the move was intended to preserve country communities by giving people greater freedom to live in their local areas, particularly where family land is available.

Last June, he wrote to councils ordering them to quickly identify land suitable for

housing, a move that could impact farmers with land on the outskirts of towns and villages if it is zoned for development.

Last year, IFA President Francie Gorman said the sons and daughters of farm families, whether they are farming or not, must be able to build houses in their local area.

No sucklers for our carbon scheme production costs

Calls have been made to simplify the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP), as almost 5,000 farmers, nearly one-quarter of all accepted participants, have either been removed from the scheme or withdrawn.

Eoin Ryan, ICSA suckler chair, has said the scheme needs to be streamlined, particularly around dates, deadlines and measures, stating that farmers face “reams and reams of paperwork” to draw down payments.

He said that, when nearly 5,000 farmers were leaving the scheme, “figures alone just emphasise that the scheme wasn’t fit for purpose and its criteria were too high for people to get into the scheme and to stay in it.

“The goalposts kept changing in the scheme after the

us

ball had been thrown in, which was very disconcerting for a lot of people.”

Ryan also criticised the lack of recognition for “top-quality E and U grade continental animals”, arguing that valuable data is being lost as highquality calves are exported.

“There’s no data coming back,” he said.

“There is a top-end loss in real good information, particularly over the last year, where you see every good quality calf leaving the country.”

A Department of Agriculture spokesperson confirmed to the Farming Independent that €3.47m in payments had been recouped from farmers who left or were removed from SCEP, and there was “no expectation” that the scheme would reopen for new applications.

The Fact Of The Matter

Paul

Hopkins

Bullying, and the link to youth suicide

There was a young man in our community who, at 19 years old, took his own life. He wasn’t the first to do so. A hugely popular teenager from a popular family, so it was of little surprise that the whole town shut down and the church was out the door on the day of his funeral.

In the crowd of mourners was a young girl who, like her fellow teens who had come to pay their last respects, was quite taken aback that the whole town should shut down in order to say goodbye to their young friend.

“I’d love a big turnout like this at my funeral,” she was overheard whispering to her friends during the service.

A week later, on a Monday, she booked a table for two at her favourite restaurant for the Wednesday night as a birthday present for her mother. They never had that dinner. On the Tuesday she

committed death by suicide.

But the reality was that she was in no way as wellknown or as popular as the young man had been and so her funeral was a more simple, quietly attended, though nonetheless heartbreakingly sad, affair. It seems to me that, in her efforts to be as popular as her friend had been, she had taken that ultimate, drastic step and showed how, in reality, young people do not fully grasp the utter finality of taking their own lives.

The y fail to see the enormity of the pain for the families and friends left behind.

Death by suicide, particularly among our young people, is still devastating our communities, with the island of Ireland having the fourth highest rate of teen suicide in Europe — after Lithuania, Finland and Estonia.

Figures from the Central

Statistics Office (CSO) show the overall suicide rate is 9.2 per 100,000. The male suicide rate was 14.9 per 100,000 compared to the female suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000.

In men, suicide is more common particularly in those who are 15 to 24 years old, with young women between 15 and 24 having a low risk.

Bullying, sadly, has been cited once too often during a coroner’s inquest into the death by suicide of a young person. A Unicef survey shows that almost half of Ireland’s students aged 13 to 15 report having experienced peer-to-peer violence in and around school. An Everyday Lesson: #ENDviolence in Schools says that peer violence — measured as the number of children who report having been bullied in the last month or having been involved in

a physical fight in the last year — is a pervasive part of young people’s education in Ireland — affecting student learning and well-being.

The Unicef report shows that 44% of students in Ireland aged 13 to 15 report

“Our young people don’t fully grasp the utter finality ...

either being bullied or being involved in physical fights with their peers. This must be addressed as experiencing violence has serious effects on a child’s wellbeing, and in the long-term it can lead to depression, anxiety and even suicide.

Obviously, not every death by suicide is linked to bullying but the connection in too many cases is sadly obvious. A single remark, a single tweet, a single online comment — that is all it takes for a young teen to become so helpless and lost that they take their own life. We may never truly know, nor understand, why people, and young people in particular, choose to die by suicide.

The young think themselves invincible — as we all once did — until they end up another statistic on the mortuary slab. Perhaps it’s an inherent

defence mechanism given us humans as young cubs to get us through life, but that belief about being invincible is often an integral part of youth suicide.

Even in their desperate deed of despondency, some somehow believe that, after they commit suicide and “everyone is sorry” or “the pain has gone away”, they can move on to another day’s ‘drama’, of which there is little shortage in all our lives.

It’s difficult to put an old head on young shoulders but we must at the very least, guard against bullying or the early signs of such, and reach out to our young and show them that their problems, however daunting they might seem right now, are not insurmountable. That it’s okay not to feel okay. That death at such a tender age is never the answer...

Ó hArgáin backs Labour Thrive campaign as we celebrated migrants on St. Patrick’s Day

Ó hArgáin calls for solidarity and leadership as community celebrates contribution of migrants in Kilkenny

• Labour

“Together We Thrive” campaign highlights real stories of people who have chosen to build their lives in Ireland

• Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael failing to counter lies spread by far right actors

Labour’s Councillor Seán Ó hArgáin in Kilkenny City has said that migrants are a vital part of life in Kilkenny and warned that political leaders must confront the spread of misinformation and racism, as Labour launches “Together We Thrive”, a campaign highlighting the contribution migrants make to communities across Ireland.

Cllr. Ó hArgáin said

“As we celebrated our most famous immigrant this week and the immense cultural legacy St. Patrick brought to Ireland, despite effectively being trafficked to our shores, we must reflect on its modern-day message.

Across Kilkenny we see every day how migrants strengthen our communities, our local businesses and our public services. People who have chosen to build their lives in Kilkenny are our neighbours, our colleagues and our friends. They are working in our hospitals and care services, running businesses and contributing enormously to the local economy and community life.

“In Kilkenny, like across the country, sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, retail and childcare would grind to a halt without the contribution of people who have come here to work, study and raise families. The reality is

that without migrants many of the services that people in Kilkenny depend on simply would not function.

“But at the same time we are witnessing a worrying rise in anti migrant sentiment fuelled by misinformation and amplified by far right voices. I have heard from families, who have chosen to make Kilkenny their home, are now facing hostility and racism that has absolutely no place in our community.

“What is most concerning is the silence from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Instead of confronting the lies being spread about migrants, they have allowed misinformation to spread unchecked. Political leadership means standing up for facts and human rights and standing up for the values that define our communities.

“The truth is simple. Migrants contribute enormously to Kilkenny. They enrich our culture, they strengthen our economy and they play a critical role in our public services. The people who come here seeking opportunity and safety deserve respect and solidarity, not division.

“Our community in Kilkenny has always been strongest when we stand together. We should be proud that people from across the world choose to live, work and raise their families here.”

“I’m calling on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to do as they promised and run a public information campaign across the country to challenge racism and misinformation and to recognise the positive role migrants play in communities like Kilkenny.

Babies: you think butter wouldn't melt? Think again!

Some babies are deceiving their parents even before they reach their first birthday, according to an academic study.

Babies are skilled in tactics such as exaggeration, denial, pretending not to hear an adult speak and hiding items, such as their favourite toys, so that others cannot play with them, by the age of three, researchers say.

According to the University of Bristol-led study, about a quarter of children start to understand deception by 10 months, rising to half at 17 months.

Elena Hoicka, a Professor of Education at Bristol and the study's lead author, said: "It was fascinating to uncover how children's understanding and usage of deception evolves

Good news in the post for SMEs in Kilkenny

An Post has announced UK Direct, a groundbreaking new end-to-end parcel delivery and returns service which overcomes post-Brexit barriers to trade and unlocks Britain’s 69 million-strong consumer market for Irish SMEs.

UK Direct gives Kilkenny SMEs a seamless route to the UK market through:

• Innovative technology which bridges the trade gap and accelerates growth by overcoming the obstacles to sending parcels from Ireland to the UK post-Brexit

• Pre-cleared UK customs and three-day e-commerce parcel delivery to the UK via Dublin Port

• End-to-end tracking and an integrated customerfriendly returns service

As Irish small and mediumsized businesses continue to face complexity, cost and considerable delays when shipping to Britain, UK Direct provides seamless innovation to firms wishing to sell, ship and scale up into Britain’s 69 million-strong consumer market. Firms simply register to integrate with the new UK Direct service, a full turnkey solution including advance customs payments and three-day delivery with end-to-end tracking. Between customs charges and the exacting compliance demands of Brexit, selling into Britain has become increasingly difficult for Irish small and medium-sized firms. Despite all the red tape, however, Enterprise Ireland forecasts that 97% of Irish companies want to expand into new markets over the next 12 months and, in their recent pilot programme for potential new exporters, circa two-thirds of participants prioritised the UK as their target market.

An Post worked closely with

from a surprisingly young age and builds in their first years so they become quite adept and cunning 'little liars'."

As part of the study, the parents of more than 750 children under the age of 47 months from Ireland, the UK, the US, Australia and Canada were asked about their child's deception development.

About 130 parents reported

children engaged in 16 deception types before the age of 45 months.

Denial, doing forbidden activities in secret, making an excuse, exaggeration and understatement were among the deceptions used.

Pretending not to understand and pretending not to know something, even if they were actually aware of it, were

common responses when a child was asked to help with a task.

Fabrication by inventing something, pretending not to see something, withholding information and omission were other sneaky skills.

Toddlers also exhibited deceitful behaviour by restructuring responses to keep part of the truth in their answers while

changing other elements. Being vague by leaving out details on purpose and distraction techniques were also a useful deception tool.

Researchers believe the study will be useful for parents and educators, and that it provides insights into how children might learn to deceive in more advanced ways as they get older.

Irish SMEs to understand the full extent of their difficulties in trying to expand their trade with the UK. In designing the new service, and partnering with Royal Mail, An Post is providing SMEs with a bridge directly into the vast UK market, a seamless shopping experience for UK consumers, and a simple, secure system for returns and refunds.

Launching UK Direct, An Post CEO David McRedmond said: “UK-Irish trade is central to Ireland’s economy. This new UK Direct solution reopens that market for businesses facing the challenges posed by Brexit. Ireland’s 400,000+ SMEs are the backbone of this economy, and in building new infrastructure for Ireland, An Post is opening doors to new trade with the UK through a full end-to-end service from one of Ireland’s most trusted companies."

Welcoming the announcement, Kara Owen, British Ambassador to Ireland, said:

“I’m delighted to see this new service come to life through such strong cooperation between An Post and Royal Mail. Businesses on both sides of the Irish Sea want simple, dependable ways to reach their customers, and UK Direct delivers exactly that. What matters most is giving firms the confidence to trade and grow — and that comes from practical, workable solutions like this.

"By making everyday commerce easier, we are strengthening our €2 billion-a-week trading relationship, the economic ties that sustain the UK–Ireland relationship and support communities and customers across both our countries,” the ambassador said.

To learn, email: ukdirect@ anpost.ie

Tara Camogie Club (London) recently celebrated its 40th anniversary with a dinner, speeches and awards at the Clayton Hotel in Chiswick, alongside special guest Brian Molloy, Uachtarán of the Camogie Association.

A large selection of past players attended from over the 40 years and, in particular, founder sisters Majella and Carmel O’Neill, of Thomastown, Kilkenny, who established the club in 1986 from their front room on Lockett Road, Harrow Weald, and trained locally at

John Kerry Keane, the businessman whose sale of the Kilkenny People for over €35m in 2000 set off a flurry of sales across the provincial newspaper sector, has died in his 80s after a long illness.

He took over the People at just 22 following his father's death in 1960. In the next four

Roger Bannister Stadium initially. The club then moved grounds to Tir Chonaill Park, Greenford, in 2000, where it has been since.

Tara has won 22 senior championships, 14 senior leagues, one intermediate championship, five junior championships and five junior leagues, and is the most successful camogie club in London. The club's greatest achievement was in 2011 when they reached the All-Ireland Junior Club Championship Final, but Inagh Kilnamona of Clare

decades, Mr Kerry Keane developed it into a major printing and publishing group, acquiring the Clonmel Nationalist, the Tipperary Star and Wellbrook Press, a specialist colour-magazine printer.

The package caught the eye of Scottish Radio Holdings, then expanding in Ireland. For

were far too strong on the day.

Founding sisters Carmel and Majella were honoured on the night with commemorative mementos by Brian Molloy. Special recognition and a memento were presented to long-term sponsor, Mayo woman Julie O’Neill of Cara Personnel, for jersey and ongoing support since 2000. A standout award went to Sheila Fernandes, a member since 1996 and long-time treasurer, committee stalwart and club photographer, in recognition of

£28.2m (€35.6m), it acquired the Kilkenny People group's substantial premises too, but the sale price was a real eyeopener for other families who owned provincial newspapers.

The Kilkenny People was founded in 1892 by Mr Kerry Keane's grand-uncle, Edward T Keane. On his death in

her decades of service. Sheila was also part of the 40th organising committee alongside Meghan McGuire, Joni Traynor and Rachael Barry. The evening highlighted the club’s player-run model and thanked current and past executive committees, secretaries, managers and trainers for keeping the club thriving. Pennants were presented to a selection in recognition of their outstanding contribution, including Helen Murphy, Glenmore, who is the club's current chair, and Bridget Grennan, Tullogher.

1945, it passed to his nephew Edward, who was then living in Winchester, south-east England, with his young family. His son John was born in 1938. On moving to Ireland, John was educated at CBS Kilkenny, Clongowes, UCD and the King's Inns.

Cow girls: From left, Abby O’Brien and Abbie Bolger from Scoil Aireagail, Ballyhale, Co. Kilkenny, who recently exhibited at the 2026 Certified Irish Angus Schools' Competition at Croke Park. The competition, run in association with processor partners ABP and Kepak, challenged students to rear five Irish Angus calves and learn about the care and attention required to produce quality beef for consumers.

Newpark Hotel Kilkenny celebrates WeddingOnline Award as it marks 60 years of love stories

Kilkenny hotel named Best Wedding Venue in Leinster as it celebrates six decades of hosting unforgettable wedding celebrations.

Newpark Hotel Kilkenny has been named Best Wedding Venue in Leinster at the prestigious weddingsonline Awards, one of Ireland’s most recognised honours for excellence across the wedding industry.

Open to venues and suppliers nationwide, the weddingsonline Awards celebrate businesses that consistently deliver exceptional experiences for couples planning their wedding day. Winners are chosen following a rigorous process involving shortlisting and evaluation by an independent panel of 17 judges who assess venues on the quality of their offering, reputation, innovation and overall customer experience.

For Newpark Hotel, the award arrives at a particularly meaningful moment as the hotel marks its 60th anniversary this year, reflecting six decades of weddings, celebrations and milestones shared within the Kilkenny venue.

on landscaped grounds on the edge of Kilkenny City, Newpark Hotel has built a strong reputation as a wedding destination that combines elegant surroundings with attentive service and experienced coordination.

Couples are guided through the planning process by the hotel’s dedicated wedding team, from their first viewing through to the final moments of their celebration.

The weddingsonline Awards are known for their strong competition, bringing together some of the country’s most respected venues and wedding suppliers. Being recognised among the winners places Newpark Hotel alongside some of Ireland’s most highly regarded names in the industry.

Philip Kelly - Head of Sales, Marketing, Wedding and Events for Newpark Hotel

said the recognition reflects the commitment of the team behind every wedding hosted at the hotel.

“We are absolutely delighted to be named Best Wedding Venue in Leinster at the weddingsonline Awards. This recognition means a great deal to our team, as it reflects the care, dedication and passion that goes into every wedding we are privileged to host. As we celebrate our 60th

anniversary this year, it feels especially meaningful to mark six decades of love stories shared within our hotel.

“Our team works tirelessly to ensure every couple feels supported, relaxed and genuinely celebrated from their very first visit right through to the final farewell. For couples choosing Newpark, this award represents a promise of quality, trust and memorable experiences.”

The strength of that reputation is reflected in feedback from couples themselves. Bride Ciara Dawson, who celebrated her wedding at the hotel last November, praised the team for their compassion and support when her wedding date had to be moved forward due to a family illness. “The kindness and compassion shown will never be forgotten in our house,” she said. “The venue was spectacular and the Christmas decorations were magical. The food was amazing and all our guests

commented on how attentive and professional the staff were.” Bríd O’Dwyer, who celebrated her wedding at the hotel last August said the venue delivered “a more perfect day than we could have imagined,” highlighting the atmosphere, exceptional food and the calm professionalism of the wedding coordination team

Newpark Hotel is also currently shortlisted in several categories at the upcoming Wedding Awards 2026, where public voting contributes to the final results. The nominations include Best Wedding Team, Best Wedding Coordinator/Team in Leinster, Best Wedding Hotel in Leinster, and Best City/Town/ Urban Venue and votes can be cast online at weddingdates. ie/wedding-awards

As the hotel marks its 60th year welcoming guests to Kilkenny, the latest recognition highlights its enduring place in the county’s celebrations, with generations of couples choosing the venue to begin their married life.

For more information about weddings at Newpark Hotel Kilkenny visit www. newparkhotel.com

Set

As I See It Marianne Heron

On a road to nowhere with road deaths

The news comes like an electric shock for me as another car crash adds to the growing toll of road fatalities. It’s a grim score –with 30 deaths already after just two and a half months this year, the latest involving a passenger who died in a single vehicle collision in West Dublin, a report ironically under the heading Road Safety in one newspaper.

The numbers are climbing, despite the Road Safety Authority’s aim to reduce the number of road deaths in the Republic to 72 by 2030, and despite the introduction of lower speed limits designed to reduce the risk of accidents. The figures are going in the opposite direction, though, last year there were 190 deaths; the total for all of Ireland was 247.

The reactions to these tragedies are predictably the same, with local communities numbed by shock and grief over loved ones lost, particularly young lives. And a dis-

proportionate number of the fatalities involve young people aged between 16 -25, especially young men. Since 2019, 20% have involved 16-25 year olds although they only represent 12% of the population, 80% of these were males.

While we don’t have the worst record in Europe, our rate is 35 road deaths per million compared with the European average of 45, (Norway has the lowest rate at 16). Ours is the only rate which is getting worse, so what is pushing up the fatal accident rate? Is it our drivers or our roads?

“Road deaths in Ireland have risen 31% since 2017 while the EU average has fallen by 12%,” says business economist, formerly at Harvard Business School, Sinead O’Sullivan, who launched the Stop Road Deaths this year. “The reason isn’t mysterious. Ireland is one of the only developed countries without a functioning speed camera network,

without mandatory crash investigation and without a single person accountable for delivering its only road safety targets,” Sinead claims.

“We know exactly what works because Norway Sweden and Finland have proved it. Ireland has simply chosen not to do it.”

In fact, Ireland does have 1,901 automated speed enforcement zones, monitored by high visibility vans and also fixed average speed cameras. Gardai also carry out detailed reports on accident scenes. Some areas are more accident prone.

On a county by county basis Fermanagh 12, Mayo 11, Donegal 12 Armagh 16 and Tipperary 13 have the highest number of deaths per capita for their populations, although Dublin 22 has the highest total number due to the size of population. Kilkenny with four is one of the counties with the lowest number.

Fatal accidents are most likely to happen on local and regional roads which are the responsibility of local authorities who look after 94% of Irelands road networks. In theory it should be possible

“Information to allow engineers take action isn’t there...

to pin down local accident blackspots and to look at the causes of fatal crashes but this can’t be done.

“Specific high-risk route data is not publicly available because the RSA stopped sharing collision location data with local authorities in 2020 and all historical data was removed from the mapping system in November 2023. This means Ireland’s road engineers currently cannot see where crashes are happening on the roads they manage,” states the Stop Road Deaths Campaign. In other words, the detailed information which would allow county engineers to take remedial action isn’t there.

The RSA stopped sharing the information due to legal concerns over General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). According to the RSA, driver error is the biggest cause of road accidents in 80% of cases with speed, drink or drug driving, distraction due

to mobile phones and not wearing seat belts as the main contributory factors.

Ireland could take a leaf from Norway’s book where their Vision Zero policy aims to have zero road deaths by 2050. Among the measures to reduce fatalities are median barriers in the centre of roads to prevent head-on collisions, which wouldn’t be possible on many winding minor roads here. There are strict speed and alcohol rules and infrastructure to protect cyclists and pedestrians. Among the Stop Road Deaths’ demands are a statutory Road Safety Commissioner, mandatory black spot redesigns and reversal of enforcement collapse.

Maybe the answer to accident prevention lies in the future with autonomous cars, ruling out driver error and speeding with cars that refuse to budge for intoxicated or mobile using drivers. More power to cars!

Natural approach to reducing cholesterol

Around 80% of heart disease is considered preventable through positive diet and lifestyle choices. While hearing that your cholesterol is high can be worrying, the good news is that simple changes to diet and daily habits can help bring levels back into a healthier range. One of the most helpful steps is reducing saturated fats. Foods such as butter, cheese and too much red meat can contribute to raised cholesterol levels when eaten frequently. Cutting back on sugar is also important, particularly sweet snacks, pastries and sugary drinks. Instead, try adding more fibre-rich foods to your daily routine. Apples, pears and plenty of vegetables are a great place to start. Garlic and herbal teas such as hawthorn are also popular choices for supporting heart health. Soluble fibre plays an especially important role and is found in foods such as oats, barley, beans, lentils, apples and pears. Psyllium is another excellent source. Derived from the husks of Plantago seeds, psyllium forms a gel-like sub-

stance in the digestive tract that can bind with cholesterol and help remove it from the body. It can be mixed with water or added to smoothies, making it an easy way to increase daily fibre intake.

Omega-3 fatty acids are also important for heart health. Ideally these should come from oily fish such as salmon, mackerel or sardines two to three times per week. Omega-3 fats help support cardiovascular health and contribute to a better balance between LDL (“bad”) and HDL (“good”) cholesterol.

Lifestyle factors also play an important role. Reducing alcohol intake, avoiding smoking and including regular moderate exercise can all help support healthy cholesterol levels.

Alongside diet and lifestyle changes, some people find

targeted supplements helpful. Zerochol Cardio Plus combines plant sterols, which help reduce cholesterol absorption in the digestive system, with red yeast rice and CoQ10 to support heart health. When taken regularly as part of a healthy diet, plant sterols have been shown to help lower LDL cholesterol. Many people also combine this approach with a highquality omega-3 supplement such as Eskimo-3, where just one teaspoon daily provides EPA and DHA to support heart health, help maintain healthy triglyceride levels and contribute to overall wellbeing. A combination of diet, lifestyle improvements and nutritional support can make a meaningful difference. Call in for a chat for more information.

CLAIR WHITTY

Marble City Music Festival

This May, Kilkenny’s Marble City Music Festival enters a new phase of artistic ambition with two major orchestral events featuring international violinist Patrick Rafter, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and the Galway-based Luminosa String Orchestra.

Presented in two of Kilkenny’s most historic venues, the concerts mark a significant moment in the festival’s continued growth, strengthening national artistic partnerships while bringing large-

scale orchestral performance to the heart of the city.

The first concert takes place on Friday 8 May at St. Canice’s RC Church, where Patrick Rafter joins forces with Luminosa String Orchestra to perform and direct Antonio Vivaldi’s iconic Four Seasons. One of the most celebrated works in classical music, these vivid and virtuosic concertos remain as electrifying today as they were three centuries ago. Included in the programme is also Elgar’s

magical serenade for strings.

One week later, on Friday 15 May at St. Canice’s Cathedral, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra appears under Rafter’s baton in The Great Romantics, an expansive programme of orchestral favourites. The evening features music from Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, Elgar’s Salut d’Amour and Sospiri, Amy Beach’s Romance, and Rossini’s brilliant Overture to The Barber of Seville.

December, it has already welcomed a distinguished roster of artists including Barry Douglas, Michel Lethiec, Fiachra Garvey, and many others.

The May 2026 programme, bringing two professional orchestras to Kilkenny within one week, represents an important milestone in the festival’s development — reinforcing its ambition to present world-class classical music while positioning Kilkenny as an increasingly vibrant centre for orchestral performance.

The concert forms part of an ongoing artistic collaboration between Patrick Rafter and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, following earlier performances together this season and ahead of a forthcoming recording project planned for release later this year.

Founded in 2023, the Marble City Music Festival has rapidly established itself as an exciting addition to Ireland’s cultural landscape. Now presenting festival editions in both May and

Artistic Director Patrick Rafter commented: “These collaborations reflect the direction in which the festival is moving — bringing Ireland’s finest musicians to Kilkenny and building upon a strong and growing reputation for joy-filled, world-class concerts.”

Tickets & Information

Tickets available at www. marblecitymusicfestival.com

Follow Marble City Music Festival on Instagram and Facebook RTE Concert Orchestra: https://orchestra.rte.ie/ performinggroup/rte-concertorchestra/ Patrick Rafter — www.patrickrafter.com Luminosa Orchestra — www.luminosa.ie

Global talent services firm Morgan McKinley has launched its Ireland 2026 Benefits Guide, a comprehensive national study of how benefits are offered by employers, experienced and valued by employees across the Irish labour market.

• 68% of employees say benefits influence loyalty, yet 38% believe their package is below market.

• Younger and early-career employees are significantly less likely to report having access to pensions and health insurance.

• Hybrid working is now a baseline expectation, now offered by most employers, but significant sector differences remain.

• Just over 2% of employees report access to employersupported childcare.

• Life Sciences, Financial Services, Technology, Legal and Telecommunications sectors lead the market on range of benefits and competitiveness.

• Pensions, bonuses, and health insurance remain the most common benefits.

• The guide draws on 1,222 employer and employee responses across 32+ sectors, all 32 counties, among Irish and multinational organisations representing 600,000 employees.

The findings point to a more mature and more strategic benefits market, but also to a sharper contradiction at its core. While pensions, bonuses and health insurance remain among the most valued and most established benefits, access to some of these core protections is still materially lower for younger and earlycareer employees.

The gap matters at a time when Ireland has an ageing population and when earlier access to private health insurance can have long-term value because of Lifetime Community Rating.

Some 90% of employee respondents report being enrolled in an employersponsored pension scheme. However, the report finds that younger employees are significantly less likely to report access to pensions and health insurance than older groups.

This points to a benefits model that remains strongest for established employees, rather than consistently supporting talent from the earliest stages of employment.

The Morgan McKinley Ireland Benefits Guide shows that benefits continue to play a major role in retention, with 68% of employees saying their benefits package influences their loyalty to their employer. Yet 38% still believe their package is below market standards, highlighting a persistent gap between employer intent and employee experience.

Hybrid working a baseline expectation

Across the wider benefits landscape, the report finds that hybrid working has shifted from a differentiator to a baseline expectation, with

Reaping the rewards of workplace flexibility

While employers say benefits are strong, some employees see a gap

almost one in three employees ranking it among their most important benefits.

Childcare support

At the same time, childcare support from employers remains almost non-existent, with just over 2% of employees reporting access to employersupported childcare, despite persistent cost-of-living pressures on working households. The research also highlights a disconnect between benefits employers say they offer and employees’ lived experience. For several high-value benefits, including protection benefits, learning and development, and enhanced leave, employer-reported provision exceeds employee-reported receipt by up to 40%. This suggests that access, awareness, eligibility, and communication are important factors in the development and administration of employer benefits schemes.

ences, Technology, Legal and Telecommunications emerge as the strongest performers overall, offering the broadest mix of pensions, bonuses, health insurance, hybrid working, and protection benefits.

Life Sciences stands out as one of the most balanced sectors in the market, providing pensions (84%), bonuses (83%), health insurance (86%) and enhanced annual leave (46%), while Financial Services, Technology, Legal and Telecommunications also perform strongly across financial, wellbeing and flexibility supports.

Trayc Keevans, Global FDI Director at Morgan McKinley, said:

“This report shows that the Irish benefits market is no longer defined by how many benefits an employer can list. It is defined by whether those benefits are accessible, understood and aligned with what employees actually value.

“What stands out most is the contradiction. The benefits employees value most for

long-term security, particularly pensions and health insurance, are not always reaching people early enough in their careers. In a market shaped by an ageing population and by Lifetime Community Rating in health insurance, that is a strategic issue for employers, not just a design detail,” said Keevans.

“There is also a clear communication challenge. Many employers believe they are offering competitive benefits, but a substantial share of employees do not experience those benefits in the same way. That gap weakens the return on investment and should prompt organisations to look not only at what is on paper, but at eligibility, visibility, and take-up.

“Hybrid working has effectively become a fundamental expectation in many parts of the market. By contrast, childcare support remains exceptionally underdeveloped. That tells us a lot about where employers have adapted quickly and where the market still has a long way to go.”

Key findings from the 2026 Benefits Guide

• Benefits matter for retention: more than two-thirds of employees say their benefits package plays a significant role in loyalty.

• A clear perception gap remains. Large gaps exist between benefits employers say they offer and what employees say they actually receive. 38% of employees believe their package is below market, despite strong levels of employer confidence.

• Hybrid working is now a baseline expectation rather than a perk.

• Childcare support remains extremely limited and has changed little since 2021.

• Family-friendly benefits show uneven progress, with stronger movement on enhanced maternity pay than on childcare, fertility or adoption supports.

• Cost-of-living supports remain weak relative to longterm financial protections.

• Wellbeing supports are widely offered, but not always visible, trusted or fully utilised by employees.

• Younger employees receive fewer core benefits, particularly pensions and health insurance.

• Benefits reviews are active, but not universal, creating a risk of misalignment with employee needs.

Opinion

Why woman are their own retiring lot Your Money & You

New research from Aviva Life & Pensions Ireland has thrown a spotlight on a stark reality facing many women as they approach retirement. There is a 31% gender pension gap. According to the study of working adults over 50, women are retiring with significantly less saved than men, a shortfall that would require an extra 10 years of work to bridge.

The figures are concerning.

Nearly two-thirds (65% ) of women over 50 have never calculated how many paydays they have left until retirement, compared to 53% of men. More than half (55%) feel anxious at the very thought of retiring. Alarmingly, 58% do not know what their pension is invested in, and 55% have no idea what it is even worth. They are also far less aware of tax reliefs on private pensions (65% unaware v. 44% for men).

Women typically start pension saving later, at an

John Ellis

average age of 35.3 compared to 32.7 for men and are almost twice as likely to begin only at 50 or older. They are more likely to work part-time (23% v. 7% ) and shoulder unpaid caring responsibilities (36% v. 26%). The result is less money going in over fewer years.

Aviva identifies four interconnected areas, in pension savings themselves – knowledge, confidence and professional advice. Only 29% of women feel confident making investment decisions versus 53% of men. Just 61 per cent have seen a financial advisor,

Sinn Féin motion on soaring fuel costs to be debated in the Dáil this week

BY NATASHA NEWSOME DRENNAN TD

Sinn Féin TD Natasha Newsome Drennan has confirmed that Sinn Féin will bring a motion before the Dáil this week demanding urgent action to tackle the soaring cost of home heating oil, petrol and diesel.

The Private Members’ motion, which will be debated on Wednesday, calls on the government to immediately intervene to reduce fuel prices and scrap planned tax increases on home heating oil.

Deputy Newsome Drennan said the debate will give Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael an opportunity to finally act to protect workers and families

facing severe financial pressure.

Deputy Newsome Drennan said:

“Workers and families have been struggling through an unrelenting cost-of-living crisis and the rapid rise in the cost of petrol, diesel and home heating oil is making an already difficult situation far worse.

“Households across Kilkenny and Carlow are under enormous pressure and yet Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael continue to sit on their hands while costs spiral.”

“Record numbers of households are already struggling to pay their energy bills, with hundreds of thousands in arrears and many more on the brink. The number of people at risk of poverty has also increased.

“In that context the

government’s failure to act on soaring fuel costs is simply unacceptable.

“Sinn Féin’s motion calls on the government to scrap planned tax increases on home heating oil, due to take effect on 1 May, and to reduce the cost of petrol, diesel and home heating oil by implementing Sinn Féin’s Mineral Oil

Tax (Emergency Cost of Living Reduction) Bill 2026.

Deputy Newsome Drennan said the debate will allow TDs to decide whether they stand with struggling households or with a government refusing to act.

“Families are being hammered by rising costs. This motion gives the government and every TD an opportunity to back immediate action to bring fuel prices down and provide real relief to households.”

with many believing advice is more geared towards men. As highlighted in The Economist, Nobel laureate Claudia Goldin and newer studies suggest that motherhood and the anticipation of it account for almost the entire gender wage gap. Without the career

interruptions and choices shaped by family planning, women’s earnings trajectories mirror those of men. Yet, for the majority who do have children, the wage penalty explains smaller pensions later.

This is why the incoming EU Pay Transparency Directive is so important. Due for implementation in June 2026, it will force companies to disclose pay by gender. It will ban questions about previous salaries in interviews. And require action plans where unexplained gaps exceed 5%. It promises to tackle the problem at source.

Yet, in Ireland, preparation is lagging. Only 9% of employers have strategies ready, says Mercer, and the Department of Equality has confirmed a phased rollout because full legislation would not be ready. Employers will not face immediate penalties, but business group Ibec is calling for more certainty while unions urge faster action.

This research is a wake-up call rather than ‘a counsel of despair’. Biology and family choices play a significant role, but ignorance and inertia make the problem worse. Women deserve better support from shared parental leave and affordable childcare to straightforward financial education. Aviva’s Women Tackling Finance hub, with its short videos on pensions and investing, shows how simple steps build confidence.

The most powerful step any of us can take is to talk to a financial advisor and start planning now. Greater transparency from employers, combined with personal action, can help close these gaps. A fairer retirement system is not simply good for women. It strengthens families and society as a whole. With fewer paydays ahead, the time to act is today.

john@ellisfinancial.ie 086 8362633

– are we all playing our part?

"When did you last sow a spud?"

St. Patrick’s Day parade

Kilkenny comes “Le C

Tricolour bunting and flags rippled across the city last weekend, setting the scene for another action-filled St Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny, drawing crowds of over 100,000 to Ireland’s Medieval capital.

Run alongside its sister festival, Kilkenny Tradfest, the weekend saw over 100 free gigs in venues throughout Kilkenny, and 80 family-friendly events over Kilkenny County Council’s four-day programme of events.

Parade highlights, floats and community groups

A blustery spring day brought thousands of people to the city centre for this year’s St Patrick’s Parade, which brought together 12 colourful floats and more than 40 walking groups representing the diversity of local community life.

Leading the parade was Grand Marshal George Candler, accompanied by the Army Colour Party and the Ballycallan Fife and Drum Band. Under the 2026 theme ‘Together – Le Chéile’, some 1,500 participants promenaded proudly through Kilkenny’s medieval streets from MacDonagh Junction to the Parade Plaza via John Street, Bateman’s Quay and High Street.

Among the notable performances were the Global Dance Club, an inclusive community dance group inspired by cultures from around the world, including Cuba, Ireland, Uganda, India, Nigeria and South Africa. Coordinated by the Kilkenny Local Authority Integration Team and supported by Creative Ireland.

Celebrating a milestone this year was the Young Irish Film Makers (YIFM), which marked its 35th anniversary. The organisation, which has contributed greatly to filmmaking in Kilkenny, nurturing generations of professional storytellers, showcased large creative props as part of its parade entry.

Community were Traveller children carrying flags and baskets of paper flowers, while others displayed shadow-boxing, hurling, and soccer skills.

Other eye-catching groups included the Nore Valley Farm float, complete with goats and the Easter bunny, alongside the Mooncoinbased Irish language pop-up group and the wonderfully quirky Bashful Dachshund entry, celebrating the ‘sausage-dog’ with a special sculpture by students from Scoil Aireagail.

Kilkenny designer Bridget Ní Dhuinn created striking large-scale puppets representing The Morrigan, a legendary shape-shifting goddess of Irish folklore, as a youthful woman and a snake; just some of her many forms.

Post parade celebrations

The post-parade celebrations continued with The Hit Machine and the enigmatic Jerry Fish on The Festival Stage, Karbunkulis Latvian Dancers, Rhythm Riot, Hakuna Matata acrobats, and street entertainment at the Festival Market.

Speaking at the Parade, Festival Director, Marian Flannery, thanked the Kilkenny County Council and sponsors MacDonagh Junction, Martin Peters Associates, Dunnes Stores, KidCo and Fáilte Ireland for their continued support.

“We are delighted with the success of this year’s St Patrick’s Festival. It’s fantastic to welcome so many people into the city to enjoy the celebrations and experience everything Kilkenny has to offer. The atmosphere throughout the weekend was incredible, with families, visitors and locals all coming together to celebrate Irish culture and heritage le chéile.

Thousands Line the Streets for St Patrick’s Festival Parade in Kilkenny

Two new additions to the parade were the Kilkenny Youth Pride Committee, a group of young creatives from Ossory Youth who helped organise the city’s first Pride Parade in 2025. Their colourful costumes drew inspiration from Irish mythology, featuring characters such as Lugh, Brigid, the Salmon of Knowledge and Danú, all crafted using natural and recycled materials. Firsttime participants from the Kilkenny Traveller

Just as importantly, the festival provides a significant boost to the local economy, supporting businesses across the city and showcasing Kilkenny as a vibrant and welcoming destination. It’s wonderful to see the city so full of life.”

Kilkenny is one of just six locations outside the capital recognised by Fáilte Ireland as an exemplary modern celebration of Irish culture and heritage. St Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny continues to go from strength to strength, bringing communities together and welcoming visitors from across Ireland and around the world. See www. stpatricksfestivalkilkenny. com for highlights.

Photo by Liam Murphy

Photo by Liam Murphy

héile” for

Opinion

We’ve 11 Nobels but Jess takes the Oscar Furthermore Gerry Moran

Question: how many Nobel Prizes have been won by Irish people? I immediately said four – Yeats, Shaw, Beckett and Heaney, our four literary giants. I was wrong. Irish people have won no less than 11 Nobel Prizes, an achievement unsurpassed by any nation of equivalent size!

Following is a brief lowdown on those winners which I present with kind permission of Michael Sloyan who runs a page called Irish Success Stories, created to honour the remarkable achievements of Irish people, and those of Irish descent. Irish Success Stories is a platform to shine a light on the talent, tenacity and trailblazing energy of our people. It begins with poetry. In 1923, William Butler Yeats became the first Irish Nobel laureate, honoured for a body of work that melded myth, nationalism and lyric beauty into something both ancient and urgently modern. Yeats gave Ireland a mirror and dared it to look. His Nobel win arrived just after the

birth of the Irish Free State, apt recognition for a young nation finding its voice.

In 1925, George Bernard Shaw, sharp-tongued Dubliner and theatrical firebrand, won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Shaw’s genius lay in making serious ideas entertaining. In 1938 he won an Oscar for the screenplay of his play Pygmalion which become My Fair Lady and which won eight Oscars in 1965! If Yeats gave Ireland its dream, Shaw made sure it stayed awake.

In 1951, Ireland’s brilliance leapt from the page to the particle. Ernest Walton from Co. Waterford shared the Nobel Prize in Physics for splitting the atom, a scientific first that changed our understanding of matter itself. His achievement placed Irish science firmly among the greats.

Literature returned to centre stage in 1969 with Dubliner, Samuel Beckett. Beckett’s spare, haunting works stripped language to the bone, revealing the absurdity and tenderness

of being human. Waiting for Godot became a global touchstone, and Samuel Beckett, famously private, became one of Ireland’s most influential voices.

If literature shaped the Irish soul, peace shaped its conscience. Seán MacBride was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974. A former revolutionary turned international statesman, MacBride helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and championed global justice. His journey mirrored Ireland’s own evolution, from rebellion to responsibility.

In 1976, the Nobel Peace Prize was shared by two women whose courage emerged from heartbreak. Betty Williams and Mairéad Corrigan Maguire, both from Belfast, responded to tragedy not with vengeance but with vision. Their grassroots peace movement showed the world the moral force of compassion. That same moral clarity returned in 1998 when John Hume and David Trimble

jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize for their roles in the Good Friday Agreement. Hume believed dialogue was stronger than division. Trimble, once seen as an unlikely peace maker, chose compromise over conflict. Together, they helped turn history away from blood shed and towards hope.

In 1995, poetry was once again to the fore with Seamus Heaney’s Nobel Prize for Literature. Heaney’s work carried the music of the land itself, peat-dark and rain-rich, grounded in farms and fields yet touching universal truths. His words made the local luminous and gave dignity to ordinary lives .

Most recently, in 2015, science featured through medicine. William C. Campbell, born in Donegal, shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine for work that transformed the treatment of parasitic diseases. His research has saved millions of lives across the developing world, a reminder that Irish impact brilliant Jesse Buckley.

Choices Shape Your Future

By Judith Ashton

Belated Mother’s Day greeting from Earth’s Storm-Children

We love our mother, she’s yours as well. Her name is Gaia. She was born long ago in the Big Bang and is meant to live forever. She’s the most beautiful being in our solar family. Earth, our mother, Gaia, is a stunning, remarkable beauty, flowing with bountiful water and abundant life. Mercury is her smallest sibling and the closest to the Sun, so, impossible to live there or on Aunt Venus who’s uninhabitably hot. Then there’s Uncle Mars aka Red Planet covered in deserts and volcanoes. (Hopefully a one way a holiday destination for Elon and friends.) Uncle Jupiter is a large gassy giant with a powerful magnetic field, Uncle Saturn has prominent rings and is inhospitable, Uncle Uranus is a massive ice giant, and old Neptune, a distant cousin has highspeed winds.

We have co-existed with them since time began and we all have our separate

orbits and evolutions. Like most families, we are concerned with our nearest and dearest, especially our mother, Gaia, and as her children, we’re raging at you humans who have deliberately poisoned her with so many toxins and created so many big problems for her major organs and systems. We’re her Storm-Children, known to you, by names we hope you’ll remember. Amy, Ali, Bram, Chandra, Dave, Dennis Desmond, Eddie, Emma, Fionnuala, Gerard, Goretti, Hannah, Isla, Janna, Kasia, Lilith, Marty, Nico, Ophelia, Oscar, Patrick, Ruby, Stevie, Tadhg, Violet. We exist because of your actions and will do so until you recognise the need to care for and heal our suffering mother, Gaia. There are lots of us and more are coming to give her a voice, as we unleash our storm furies and frustrations on those

who have devastated her beautiful lands and seas in what you called progress. So much ignorance! Can’t you see that by hurting our mother, you are hurting yours? If our mother dies… yours cannot survive. If ours breathes her last, so does yours.

We warn you when we are coming… some of us are angrier than others. The mildest of us are “Yellow”. Those of us who are simply angry are “Orange” and those of us who are full of fury and rage are “Red”. We all have the power to impact you and mirror the harm you’ve caused our mother. We can blast ferocious, damaging gusts of 190 kms an hour, we can easily uproot forests and cause massive amounts of natural destruction and damage power lines to challenge your lives. We can flood your homes and your lands because you have upset the structured balance of mother’s rivers

and oceans and poisoned them with your carelessness and greed. We will continue to cause chaos and do catastrophic damage to your buildings; there will be more power outages… and so much more that you will not be able to control. We will bring dust and sand

“Heal our mother, or storms will speak again

from the deserts that have been created by climate change and more of you will migrate north where it’s cooler for the moment.

Human arrogance has been mighty. You’ve got away with it for so long. Now you cry and feel sorry for yourselves as you wonder,” Why?”. No wonder you are suffering. No wonder your fertility rates are plummeting. No wonder many of you are falling ill with all kinds of “dis-eases”. Everything mirrors everything. The inner reflects the outer and vice versa and humans caused this reality. What did you expect? How did you think it would end up? How long could you get away with such exploitation? Your greed and avarice got it all wrong and now you are all at war, inside and out, fighting each other like rats in a crowded cage. This, dear humans, is where you find yourselves. As our mother

suffers, so do you all. However, there is still time—our mother’s recovery may be possible if a true commitment to peace and goodwill is embraced. It doesn’t have to be like it is. There are choices. You possess both consciousness and self-awareness. By practicing mindfulness, you may experience healing and miracles. Focus your intentions on respect, peace, love, compassion and empathy for all living things: humanity, soil, animals, plants, and the beauty in your surroundings. Wake up to your greatest potential, it’s not too late.

Our one true mother is Earth. Like all mothers she needs love, peace, protection and healing. Happy Belated Mother’s Day, to all mothers everywhere. Listen to The Beatles: “Let It Be.”

www.judithashton.com

Homes & Gardens

A simple fix for condensation

HOME HACK

One of the most overlooked home maintenance jobs is also one of the handiest: cleaning your kitchen and bathroom extractor fans properly. It is not glamorous, but it can make a real difference. In Irish homes, condensation and damp often build up when moist air is not being cleared quickly enough, and proper extract ventilation in kitchens and wet rooms is an important part of managing that.

The simple hack is to take off the visible cover, vacuum away dust, then wash the cover in warm soapy water. In the kitchen, degrease the fan cover or cooker hood filter as well, because grease and dust together can seriously reduce airflow. Once clean, leave the fan running a little longer after showers or cooking. It is a small job, but it helps the fan do what it is meant to do - clear moisture before it settles on windows, walls and ceilings.

Mulch now before the weeds take off

GARDEN HACK

A classic March gardening hack is also one of the best: mulch early, before spring growth really gets going. As the soil begins to warm, gardening advice for this time of year focuses on preparing beds and borders while conditions are still manageable. The trick is simple. First clear weeds from the border, then spread a layer of garden compost, leaf mould or well-rotted organic matter around plants. Mulching at this stage helps block light to new weeds, keeps moisture in the soil and gives beds a tidier, more finished look. The RHS specifically recommends mulching with compost, leaf mould or composted bark in March for bog garden plants, and the same principle works well more widely across ornamental borders.

It is one of those old reliables that saves work later. Put in half an hour now, and you can cut down weeding for weeks while giving the whole garden a healthier start to the season.

The new cottage garden

GARDEN NOTES

The cottage garden is making a quiet comeback, but this time around it feels a little less formal, a little more relaxed and much better suited to modern life. Rather than aiming for perfectly neat borders and carefully controlled planting, many gardeners are embracing a softer, looser look that still feels colourful and full, but far easier to live with.

At its heart, the cottage garden has always been about abundance. It is a style

packed with flowers, texture and character, where plants spill into one another and the overall effect feels generous rather than rigid. What is changing now is the approach. Today’s version keeps that charm and fullness, but mixes it with a more practical mindset.

In Irish gardens, that means choosing plants that can cope well with our conditions, adding pollinator-friendly varieties, and allowing a space to feel a little more natural. Instead of everything being tightly clipped and highly

Making room for real life

INTERIORS

One of the biggest shifts we’re seeing in interiors right now is the move away from single-purpose rooms and towards flexible, hybrid spaces. Homes are working harder than ever, and many rooms now need to serve more than one function. A spare room might also be a home office, a guest bedroom, a hobby space or simply a quiet corner to relax in at the end of the day.

This change reflects the reality of modern living. With more people balancing work, family life and limited space, there is a growing need for interiors that can adapt quickly and easily. Rather than dedi -

cating an entire room to just one use, homeowners are looking for ways to make every square foot count.

Furniture has a big part to play in that. There is increasing demand for practical, multifunctional pieces that still feel stylish and comfortable. Fold-out beds, hidden storage, modular seating and smart space-saving designs are all becoming more popular, especially in smaller homes or rooms that need to change function throughout the week.

The appeal is simple: people want homes that work for real life. A room should be able to shift from workspace to guest room in minutes, or from family hangout to peaceful re -

managed, there is more appreciation now for movement, softness and a garden that changes gently through the seasons.

This modern take on the cottage garden also suits the way many people want to use their outdoor space. Gardens are no longer just something to be looked at from the kitchen window.

They are places to sit, gather, unwind and enjoy. A looser planting style helps create that feeling. It can make even a small garden seem more inviting, more personal and

less staged. There is also something comforting about this return to a more traditional style, especially when it is adapted for today. It feels familiar, but not old-fashioned. A mix of flowering perennials, herbs, climbing plants and a few well-chosen shrubs can give structure without losing that easy, romantic feel. Perhaps that is the real appeal. The modern cottage garden is not about perfection. It is about creating a space that feels lived in, loved and connected to nature.

treat without too much effort. Flexibility is no longer just a bonus - for many households, it has become essential.

This trend is also shaping how people think about design more generally. Comfort

and practicality are now sitting alongside style, rather than being seen as separate things. The most successful interiors are the ones that feel lived in, useful and easy to adapt as life changes.

Freepik

Kutchenhaus opens first Irish

Ireland’s first showroom from German kitchen brand Kutchenhaus has opened its doors at Unit 2, Parklands Business Centre, Hebron Rd, Kilkenny, R95 KV5D.

Owned and managed by Paula and Liam Holohan, Kutchenhaus Kilkenny is an immersive 3,300 sq. ft. space dedicated to German kitchen innovation and the latest styles, colours and finishes.

On Saturday, 14th March, Paula and Liam Holohan proudly hosted the grand opening of their new showroom. The day began with a lively live broadcast with KCLR radio alongside Edward Hayden, creating a wonderful atmosphere and drawing attention to the special occasion.

Following the broadcast, Paula’s niece and nephews — Paddy Blanchfield, Emma Raggett and Charlie Raggett — officially cut the ribbon, marking the opening with great excitement and applause from those gathered.

Guests were then treated to a fantastic showcase of Irish dancing by the very talented Zahra Khodabacksh and Cristina Suriano, whose performance was warmly received by the crowd. The celebrations continued with live music from

Harry McCahey, adding to the relaxed and festive

guitarist

Emma Cutting the ribbon at the KitchenHaus Outlet

Orla O Neill Elaine O Leary Breda Fahey Louise Lawlor At The KitchenHaus Opening

Sabrina Duggan Sean Raggett and Yvonne Breen at the KitchenHaus Outlet Opening

Paula Holohan Owner with Roger Wallace and Dan LLoyd Kitchenhaus Reps

Mary Rose Fennelly And Martina Mc Grath At The Opening of The Kitchenhaus Outlet

Display at Outlet

Some Of The Displays At Kitchenhaus

Irish showroom in Kilkenny

Maria Raggett with Paddy at the opening

Pauline Holohan Owner with Sharon and Liz Mc NaMara

Michael Hanrahan and Barbara Delaney enjoying the Opening at the KitchenHaus Outlet

Enjoying the Refreshments at the Kitchenhaus Opening

Judy Rhatigan Richard Ryan Anne Marie Henderson Theresa Ryan And Sophie Enjoying the Opening At KitchenHaus

Bill and Anna Enjoying The Opening

Health & Beauty

Still ignored: Irish women in pain

HEALTH

A new study has highlighted the scale of the gender health gap in Ireland, with many women feeling under pressure to hide or downplay health concerns, particularly at work.

Research from Laya Healthcare, part of AXA, found that more than one in three women in Ireland, 36 per cent, have given another reason for taking sick leave in order to avoid professional judgement. A similar number, 35 per cent, said they felt too embarrassed

to raise gender-specific health issues with their manager.

The findings point to an ongoing culture in which many women feel they must minimise pain or discomfort rather than speak openly about their health. According to the research, this can lead not only to distress, but also to disruption in day-to-day life and delays in seeking support.

Two-thirds of women surveyed, 66 per cent, said they self-medicate with painkillers to get through the working day, rather than taking time off or seeking medical advice.

Fitness for real life

FITNESS

When it comes to fitness, one of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking they need to go all in from day one. In reality, the best approach is often the simplest: find a routine that fits into everyday life and stick with it.

For both men and women, regular movement can make a real difference to energy levels, sleep, mood and overall health. That does not have to mean hours in the gym or intense training plans. A brisk walk, a short strength session at home, a swim, a cycle or even 20 minutes of stretching can all play an important part in staying well.

Consistency matters more than perfection. Many people start strong, do too much too soon, and then give up when life gets busy. A more realistic goal is to build movement into the week in a way that feels manageable. Three or four

Dr Sumi Dunne, a GP specialising in women’s health, said the findings reveal “a critical and often invisible layer of the gender health gap”.

She said many women not only fear being dismissed by others, but also begin to question whether their own concerns are serious enough to mention.

Dr Dunne said women should feel encouraged to speak up and seek medical advice, even if a symptom seems minor at first. She added that too often women prioritise others over

themselves, and that better support and earlier conversations are key to improving outcomes.

The research suggests that stigma, workplace pressure and long-standing gender bias continue to shape how women experience and respond to their health concerns in Ireland.

Campaigners and health professionals say closing that gap will depend not only on better services, but also on creating environments where women feel listened to and taken seriously.

sessions

than

not just those looking to build muscle. It can help with balance, posture, bone health and everyday function, especially as we get older. The key is to choose something you actually enjoy. Fit-

Warm your concealer before

applying

BEAUTY HACK

A simple beauty trick that makes a real difference is warming concealer slightly before putting it on. Rather than applying it straight from the tube or wand, dab a small amount onto the back of your hand first and let it sit for a few seconds. The warmth helps soften the product, making it easier to blend and less likely to sit heavily on the skin.

This works especially well under the eyes, where concealer can sometimes look dry, cakey or too obvious. Once it has warmed slightly, tap it on gently with your finger, a brush or a sponge instead of dragging it across the skin. You usually need less product than you think.

It is a small step, but it can give a smoother, more natural finish. Like many good beauty hacks, it is not about buying something new - it is about getting better results from what is already in your makeup bag.

Ready for a workout

ness should not feel like punishment. Whether it is walking with a friend, joining a local class or doing a quick workout at home, the most effective exercise is often the one you will keep doing.

One of the simplest ways to make exercise more likely to happen is to remove as many excuses as possible before the day even starts. Leaving your workout clothes, runners, water bottle or gym bag ready the night before can make a real difference. It sounds small, but it cuts out the decision-making that often gets in the way. When people skip exercise, it is not always because they do not want to do it - often it is because the effort of getting started feels bigger than it should. If everything is already laid out, the barrier is lower and the routine feels easier to follow. This works especially well for morning walks, gym sessions or quick home workouts. It helps turn exercise from something you might do into something that is already part of the day.

Freepik

Freepik

FITNESS

senivpetro

Freepik

Shoot-out at Garryricken

Part one

BY JOHN FITZGERALD

Garryricken House is located just inside the County Kilkenny border, a mile from Poulacapple and about four miles outside Callan. It stands in a tranquil wooded area, a haven of peace where people love to walk and enjoy picnics. Birds chirp, cattle graze contentedly, and rabbits play in the fields around this relic of another age.

Even in our fast moving hi tech world, with traffic never far away, you can relax in this idyllic rural setting. The cars and juggernauts pass nonstop on the main KilkennyClonmel road a mile from the house, but all is calm at the site of the grand old mansion. Thus it has been since the beginning of the centuryexcept for one terrible day in 1921.

At that time, the man-

sion belonged to the Earl of Ossory, though nobody had lived in it for decades. Adjoining it was a smaller house occupied by its fulltime caretaker John Luttrell, and his three young children. About a hundred yards behind the big house was a farm, where John Luttrell’s father, mother, three brothers, and three sisters lived under the one roof.

Two doors in the caretaker’s residence allowed access to the mansion. Behind it was a row of outhouses, fronted by a high wall, and a field that extended towards the wood.

In the early hours of March 12th 1921, six members of the Callan IRA Flying Column sought shelter at the Luttrell farmhouse: Paddy Ryan, Ned Aylward, Jimmy Leahy, Paddy Luttrell, Sean Quinn, and Jim McKenna. The Luttrell family greeted them with warm embraces and handshakes. Paddy Ryan fell into a deep sleep, worn out after days of hectic anti-Crown activity, but his comrades drank tea and played cards.

Owing to lack of space in Luttrell’s house, the IRA men opted to spend the night in the unoccupied mansion. At about 3 A.M., they entered Garryricken House and bedded down. Two Coolagh volunteers, Cody and Kearney, agreed to serve as lookouts while the group slept.

Quinn, Leahy, and Aylward were shown to a room on the mansion’s top floor that the Luttrells had set aside for IRA fugitives. The family had got the word out on the grapevine that the room was there for any patriot on the run.

Jim McKenna and Paddy Luttrell slept on the bottom floor. Though keen supporters of the Flying Column, John Luttrell and his wife in the adjoining house were unaware that any rebels were in the mansion as they had been soundly asleep when they arrived.

Meanwhile, the Tans in Callan had learned of the rebel presence at Garryricken House. British forces in Kilkenny were alerted, and

at 5.30 A.M. a combined police and military force set off in their Crossley Tenders to apprehend or kill the Irish fighters. The Tans were confident: They had the element of surprise, overwhelming numerical superiority, better weapons, as well as having the law and the full might of the empire on their side. They drove to Garryricken whistling “Rule Britannia” and joking about how they would annihilate the “gang of rebel bastards.”

Commanding this force was an RIC District Inspector from Callan, a Kilkennybased British army officer, and a Corporal of the Devonshire Regiment.

Reaching the big house, they decided to exploit the considerable firing cover provided by a sunken ditch that encircled the front of it. Troops and police crept into positions along the ditch, while others moved around to the rear of the mansion.

Fortune seemed to favour the British at this point: One

of the Coolagh lookouts, Cody, had left his post to attend a fair, and the other one, Kearney, was captured by Tans as he searched for firewood near the house. The British now held all the acesor so they thought. With no one to warn them, the rebels appeared doomed to die fighting in a bloody siege-or face the hangman’s rope like Kevin Barry for their defiance of English rule.

RIC Inspector Baynham, the army officer, and the corporal walked up to the caretaker’s house and banged loudly on the door. John Luttrell awoke and looked out his bedroom window to see what the racket was about.

Thinking quickly, he asked his wife Annie to see if any rebels were sleeping in Garryricken House and, if so, to warn them that the Tans were outside.

She immediately ran into the adjoining Mansion; while John went down to open the front door. The Inspector demanded to know if he were

concealing wanted men in his house. The caretaker denied any knowledge of strangers in his home. Ignoring his denial, Baynham and his men produced their guns and rushed past him into the hallway. They forced Luttrell to walk ahead of them up the stairs. He had to play for time to give Annie a chance to alert the rebels and return to the bedroom. Feigning a twisted ankle, he stopped halfway up the stairs, obstructing his unwelcome visitors. Luckily, Annie had got back before the Inspector entered the bedroom. He and his men searched the room and then pushed open the door leading into the mansion.

They found themselves in a long corridor in Garryricken House. The officer and the Corporal tiptoed along the corridor until they reached the door of the room they assumed the rebels might be hiding in. They quietly opened the door, and then charged into the room, shouting “Hands Up!”

Aylward aimed at one of them in the semi-darkness, and fired. A bullet streaked past his own head as he loosed off several shots at the intruders. The Tans retreated into the passageway. Quinn, Leahy, and Aylward threw themselves to the floor and emptied their guns into the opened doorway. Their enemies had run for cover.

Pulling open a shutter on the bedroom window, Aylward saw that the area surrounding the house was crawling with Tans. Judging their position to be almost hopeless, he suggested that they might as well attempt a breakout rather than die inside the house. It seemed to him that they had nothing to lose by trying.

Garryricken House

Ned Aylward

Patrick Luttrell Garryricken

Jim McKenna of Coolagh

Remembering Mick Do

On Saturday last, the Eastern Environs community group planted a tree in Lacken Drive to honour the life and legacy of Mick Dooley, a dedicated activist, neighbour, and friend to many. The ceremony brought together family, neighbours, former work colleagues, representatives of An Garda Síochána, Civil Defence, O' Loughlin Gaels GAA club, local and national politicians, and a wide circle of friends to celebrate Mick's impact, and plant a lasting symbol of his beneficial contribution to Kilkenny city and county.

The tree, a Mountain Ash, was chosen for its strength, resilience, and beauty, reflecting Mick's character and commitment to the community. Just as the tree's roots run deep, Mick's roots in our community ran deep, nourishing and strengthening those around him. He leaves behind a legacy of connection, compassion, and growth. Speakers, including Mayor John Coonan, Leas Cheann Comhairle John McGuinness, neighbour Seamus Foster, and Vice Chair of O'Loughlin Gaels Noel Buckley, shared stories of Mick's tireless work, kindness, and generosity. Following the speeches, Joan Gleeson on behalf of the Eastern Environs group presented Brigid Dooley with a bouquet of flowers as a gesture of sympathy and support to the family.

Local resident Mick Morton performed the ceremonial planting. Mick Dooley's long time friend Padraic Leydon aptly summed up the occasion, telling this newspaper, "The tree planting is a fitting tribute to Mick's life and will stand as a symbol of hope, growth, and community for generations to come." The ceremony concluded with a special blessing by Fr. Paul, after which attendees gathered in O'Loughlin Gaels clubhouse for light refreshments, reminiscing and convivial chat.

Photos: jbsphotos kilkenny

Leas-Cheann Comhairle John McGuinness TD, Garda Mark Nolan, Brigid Dooley, Sergeant Steven Allen, Michelle Colclough Civil Defence, and Mayor John Coonan at Lacken Drive to remember Mick Dooley

Dooley- community activist

Food & Drink

Roast Spring Lamb with Garlic, Rosemary and Baby Potatoes

RECIPE

Irish spring lamb is one of the great pleasures of the season - tender, full of flavour and perfectly suited to simple cooking. This easy roast brings together classic ingredients for a comforting family meal that feels special without being complicated. Serve with seasonal greens for a lovely Sunday lunch or relaxed evening dinner.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1.5kg leg of Irish spring lamb

• 3 cloves garlic, sliced

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

• Salt and black pepper

• 700g baby potatoes

• 1 onion, cut into wedges

• 200ml chicken or lamb stock

• Seasonal greens, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Using a small knife, make a few slits in the lamb and tuck the slices of garlic into them. Rub the lamb all over with olive oil, rosemary, salt and black pepper.

Place the lamb in a roasting tin with the baby potatoes and onion wedges around it. Pour the stock into the base of the tin. Roast for around 1 hour 20 minutes for slightly pink lamb, or a little longer if you prefer it more well done. Baste once or twice during cooking to keep everything moist and full of flavour.

Once cooked, remove the lamb from the oven, cover loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. This helps keep the meat tender and makes carving easier.

While the lamb is resting, return the potatoes and onions to the oven for a few extra minutes if needed, until golden and crisp. Carve the lamb into slices and serve with the roast potatoes, onions and a spoonful of the pan juices.

A side of buttered cabbage, peas or steamed greens works beautifully alongside this dish. Simple, hearty and full of spring character, it is a recipe that makes the most of one of the season’s finest ingredients.

Pride, people and Pub of the Year

HOSPITALITY

HEROES

The Dylan Whiskey Bar was named Pub of the Year for Kilkenny at the recent Irish Restaurant Awards. We asked the team what the award means and what comes next.

KO: What did it mean to you and your team to hear The Dylan Whiskey Bar name announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards?

The Dylan: Even though we couldn’t be there on the night, we were following the live updates and the moment the news reached us was incredibly special. The team puts their heart into the place every single day, so to hear that The Dylan had been named Pub of the Year for Kilkenny filled us with pride. It felt like a real

acknowledgement of the people behind the bar - the staff, the musicians and the regulars who give the venue its character.

KO: For readers who may not know your business yet, what do you think makes your venue stand out in Kilkenny’s hospitality scene?

The Dylan: The Dylan is built around atmosphere and authenticity. We’re known for our whiskey collection, of course, but it’s the combination of a warm welcome, knowledgeable staff and a genuine love of Irish hospitality that sets us apart. Our live-music offering is a huge part of that - we host some of the best local musicians in the business, and the energy they bring gives the bar its unmistakable character. Whether someone comes in

for a quiet dram, a chat at the bar or a night of great music, they get a real Kilkenny experience.

KO: What do you think this award says about the work happening behind the scenes, day to day?

The Dylan: It highlights the consistency and care that goes into every shift. From curating the whiskey shelves to training staff, planning events, booking musicians and keeping the place running smoothly, there’s a lot that guests never see. This award tells us that the effort matters - that the small details, the standards and the pride we take in the craft of hospitality are being noticed.

KO: Looking ahead to the All-Ireland final in May, what would it mean to rep-

In season: wild garlic

INGREDIENT

Few ingredients announce the arrival of spring quite like wild garlic. Found growing in shaded woodlands, along hedgerows and near riverbanks, its broad green leaves and delicate white flowers are a familiar sight at this time of year. For many food lovers, it has become one of the most exciting seasonal ingredients of all - fresh, fragrant and full of flavour. Wild garlic has a gentler, greener taste than the dried or bulb garlic found in the kitchen, making it especially versatile. It brings a bright, savoury note to soups, pes -

tos, butters and breads, and can lift simple dishes with very little effort. Folded through mashed potatoes, stirred into pasta or blended into a dressing, it adds an unmistakable taste of spring. Part of its appeal is the sense of seasonality it brings. Wild garlic is only around for a relatively short window, which makes it feel all the more special. Its arrival encourages us to make the most of what is fresh and local, and to look again at the natural ingredients growing nearby. Foragers and chefs alike value it for that reason - it is both accessible and full of character.

resent Kilkenny on the national stage?

TheDylan: It would be an honour. Kilkenny has an incredible hospitality community, and to stand among the best in the country as its representative would mean the world to us. We’d love to bring the title home, not just for the bar, but for the city and the people who support us year-round. Alongside this award, we’re proud of our long list of National & International Whiskey Accolades, our Snug of the Year title and our role as a founding member of the Kilkenny Whiskey Guild. Together, they reflect our commitment to quality, heritage and creating a truly memorable Irish pub experience as well as keeping Ireland and Kilkenny’s whiskey culture thriving.

There is also something satisfying about its simplicity. A handful of chopped wild garlic can transform everyday cooking, adding freshness and depth with -

out overpowering a dish. It works well with creamy cheeses, potatoes, eggs and roast chicken and it pairs beautifully with other spring produce.

The Dylan Whiskey Bar - Co Kilkenny, Pub of the Year 2026

bublikhaus

What’s On

Remembering Joe Dolan

MUSIC

Fans of one of Ireland’s most loved entertainers can look forward to a special evening of music and memories when Remembering Joe DolanCelebrating the Life of Joe Dolan comes to Hotel Kilkenny on Friday, March 27. The annual show returns following sell-out performances around the country and this year’s tour marks 19 years since Joe Dolan’s death in 2007. His songs still connect with audiences of all ages,

which says a lot about his lasting popularity and his place as one of the b est-known names in Irish show business.

Presented by the Dolan family, the show is both a celebration of Joe’s extraordinary career and a tribute to the joy he brought to audiences over decades. Ben Dolan, who performed with his brother for 47 years, leads the evening, joined by Sandra, Adrian and Ray Dolan, along with singer Karen Carroll and members of Joe’s original backing band. Together, they promise a

heartfelt and high-energy journey through the songs that made Joe a household name.

Audiences can expect a hit-filled set drawing on the rich catalogue that made Joe such a distinctive and popular performer. His much-loved classic You’re Such A Good Looking Woman reached a new audience when it featured in Disney’s Cruella, while his music has also been performed by artists including Robbie Williams, Damon Albarn, Shane MacGowan

and Morrissey, a measure of the respect his work still commands.

Joe Dolan was well known for his charisma, unique voice and his ability to lift a room, summed up in the old saying: “There is no show like a Joe show.” That spirit is at the heart of this production, which promises an evening of nostalgia, sing-along favourites and fond remembrance. For Kilkenny audiences, it should be a warm and uplifting celebration of a true Irish music legend.

Martin Angolo & Friends live

COMEDY

Comedy fans are in for a treat tonight (Friday), when Martin Angolo & Friends take to the stage at the Kilkenny Home Rule Club for a one-night-only stand-up show packed with laughs. A firm favourite with Kilkenny Comedy Club audiences, Martin returns to the city with a handpicked line-up of some of the funniest comedians currently touring the Irish comedy circuit.

Originally from Cork, Martin has become a familiar face at comedy festivals and clubs across Ireland, the UK, Europe and the US. Audiences

may also recognise him from Amazon Prime’s Last One Laughing, while his hugely popular online sketches and stand-up clips have attracted millions of views on Instagram. Known for his sharp delivery, infectious stage presence and brilliantly offbeat observations, he is guaranteed to get the room buzzing. Joining him on the night are Danny Ryan, Breda Hegarty and Chris Watts, making this a comedy line-up with something for everyone. Limerick comedian Danny Ryan is known for his inventive storytelling and quick-fire one-liners. An award-winning act, he has appeared at major

festivals including Electric Picnic, Vodafone Comedy Carnival, Longitude and the Edinburgh Fringe.

Breda Hegarty, who made a huge impression on her Kilkenny Comedy Club debut, has quickly become one of Ireland’s rising comedy stars.

Your picks for this week

TOP SHOWS, BOOKS, MUSIC, GAMES AND MORE - OUR QUICK GUIDE TO WHAT’S WORTH YOUR TIME THIS WEEK

What to Watch: Reminders of Him brings Colleen Hoover’s tear-stained bestseller to the screen as an emotional drama about guilt, motherhood and second chances. Maika Monroe plays Kenna Rowan, a woman leaving prison and trying to rebuild her life while facing grief, judgement and impossible choices. Expect a glossy, heartfelt adaptation that leans into romance and redemption, with enough family tension and yearning to satisfy devoted Hoover fans in cinemas now. IMC Cinema.

What to Read: Dearbhla Mescal’s Finding Joy is a gentle, uplifting companion built around poems, reflections and small daily rituals that encourage readers to slow down and notice beauty in ordinary life. Written in the wake of hardship, including illness and major life change, it offers comfort without sentimentality. Warm, thoughtful and giftable, this is a soothing read for anyone craving perspective, calm and a little light amid the noise of modern living.

What to Stream: Cillian Murphy returns as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, a wartime continuation that swaps the series’ sprawling canvas for a tighter, darker final reckoning. Set against the chaos of World War II, the film draws Tommy back to Birmingham, where family loyalties, political danger and unfinished ghosts collide. For fans, it promises sharp style, high stakes and one more formidable outing for the Shelby legend on screen.

What to Listen To: Beabadoobee’s new release All I Did Was Dream of You, featuring The Marías, is a swooning, hazy single that blends her guitarled melancholy with their lush, dreamy production. It feels both intimate and cinematic, balancing yearning vocals with a darker alt-rock edge. Stylish, moody and instantly replayable, it hints at an exciting new chapter while giving fans a gorgeously atmospheric late-night heartbreak anthem to obsess over and return to often.

Her recent accolades include Best New Act at Bray Comedy Festival 2025. Also on the bill is Chris Watts, widely regarded as one of the most promising young comedians in the country and a regular performer at leading comedy clubs nationwide.

What to Play: MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a striking noir shooter that mixes rubber-hose cartoon visuals with fast, old-school gunplay. You play private eye Jack Pepper, blasting through a black-and-white underworld of mobsters, corruption and chaos. Stylish, inventive and instantly memorable, it looks set to deliver both atmosphere and action in equal measure. It’s coming to PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, for retro mayhem fans.

Wikimedia Commons

Community & GAA Notes

Kilkenny GAA clubs and Community news

CLARA

ATHLETICS

Pia Langton followed up her national senior bronze medal by taking gold at the national junior championships. In winning the U20 1500m title in a personal best time of 4:21.77 Pia also set a new championship record time.

CAMOGIE

Hard luck to Emma Shortall who was on the Kilkenny senior camogie team that lost narrowly to Waterford at the weekend.

WELL DONE DAVID

David Barcoe captained St Kieran’s College to victory in the All-Ireland schools hurling final, lifting the prestigious Croke Cup. Leading from the front, Barcoe played a key role throughout the campaign, showing composure, leadership, and determination. His influence was especially evident in the final, where he helped guide his team through a tight contest before they pulled away late on. As captain, he embodied the tradition and excellence associated with St Kieran’s, marking himself out as a promising talent for the future.

CLUB LOTTO

The Lotto results for 10th March are as follows, the numbers drawn were 9, 17, 30. There was no Jackpot winner. |The following received €30 Lucky Dip, Ciara Dermody, Yvonne Moseley, Tom Foley, Eamon Kealy and Catherine Mulrooney.

O’LOUGHLIN GAELS

TABLE QUIZ

As preparations continue for the Pedal to the Sea, a Table Quiz fundraiser has been organised to back the Pedal to the Sea team in raising funds for new dressing rooms and continued development at St. Johns Park. The quiz will take place on Thursday April 9th at 7pm in Mc Sorley’s Pub in John Street. Raffle and prizes on the night. Teams of 4/5 can register now by contacting Stephen at 086 199 3711. Limited places so book your team now!

FOOTBALL ACTION

The O’Loughlin Gaels footballers played their final league game in the JJ Kavanagh and Son’s Senior Football League on Saturday last when they travelled to play Tullogher Rosbercon. On the day they found the southern side too strong. The Under 14 footballers enjoyed a third successive win in the Kilkenny Vehicle Centre Roinn A League when they defeated Mullinavat in St John’s Park on Saturday last.

CLUB LOTTO

There was no winner of O’Loughlin Gaels club lotto dated March 10th. The numbers drawn were 9, 13, 14 and 22. The bonus number was 24. Play Now at www.oloughlingaels.com Thank you for your continued support.

Winners of the Promotors Draw were, 1. Ann Loy c/o N Loy. 2. Benny Walsh.3. Fran Browne c/o N. Loy. 4. Tanya Cody c/o M Cody.5. Kay Kelly c/o P Cleere. 6. Dinny & Mags c/o JJ Cullen. 7. Geoff Doyle. 8. Martina McGarry c/o Online. 9. Ml Hennebry c/o Online. 10. Barry Delaney c/o Online

CLUB MEMBERSHIP

O’Loughlin Gaels GAA and Camogie Club members are reminded that 2026 membership fees are now due. Payment can be made via the www.foireann. ie website. Follow the guidelines to the O’Loughlin Gaels section where the different membership categories and prices are displayed.

NOTES

If you wish to have any item included in the St. John’s Parish notes please email it to communications.oloughlingaels.kilkenny@gaa.ie

FRESHFORD

NOEL WALSH (RIP)

The people of Freshford and surrounding areas were shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Noel Walsh late of Boherkyle, Freshford. Noel who was aged 50 passed away after a yearlong battle with cancer which he borne so bravely and with such courage. His passing caused widespread sadness and regret amongst all who knew him. He was widely known in the community and further afield especially amongst the squash scene. A devoted husband and father he was a keen sportsman, Noel played hurling and soccer with the local clubs from underage up to adult and

was a keen Squash enthusiast. He played over 40s competitively and travelled far and wide with his son Nathan who is also a talented young squash player. He travelled to all the GAA, soccer and squash games that his sons played in and became involved with them all. He was also a keen darts player and played in the local league over the years. Funeral mass took place in St Lachtains church on Saturday morning last followed by burial in at Lachtains cemetery. He is mourned by his wife Catherine his daughter Serena his sons Jamie and Nathan, his father Danny his mother Stasia, his brothers William, Patrick, Daniel, Trevor, Michael and Enda and also his sister Rachael, brothers in law, sisters in law, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family to whom deepest sympathy is extended

GAA

Congrats to local lad Padraic Donnelly who was part of the Clancy/Cantech team who won the Munster Inter Firms final beating Clare Construction.

St Lachtains junior football side were well beaten by Kilmacow on Sunday afternoon last. The u14 boys beat Tullogher Rosbercon on Sunday last in Tullogher

SYMPATHY

Sympathy is extended to the Dunne family of Tifeaghna on the death last week of Mrs. Monica Dunne. Funeral Mass took place in St Fiacras church Clontubrid, followed by burial in Tifeaghna Cemetery

Sympathy also goes to the family of Michael Dermody Gathabawn, funeral mass took place in Gathabawn church, followed by burial in St. Lachtains cemetery.

SOCCER

Freshford Town junior side lost to Stoneyford on Sunday last on a 3-0 scoreline.

In the underage section the u15 boys beat Freebooters 6-1 with Patrick O’Connor getting 4 goals and D Greene and C Farrell getting one each The u11boys beat Freebooters 4-0 in the quarter final of the Doran plate with goals from R. Geraghty (2) D Bennett and L Phelan.

WORKS

Work is underway at the side pitch at Woodview with ongoing ground works and will continue for some time.

SPLIT THE POT

This month’s split the pot proceeds will go to Nuennna Athletic club. Tickets are just €2 each and can be purchased at any of the local pubs or businesses. So be in to win and please support your local clubs.

PILGRIMAGE

The Ossory pilgrimage to Lourdes will take place 25th to 30th May. 5 nights from €995 per person. All bookings through Joe Walsh tours on 01 2410800 or online at pilgrimage/group-diocesan-pilgrimages or by post to JWT Harcourt Street Dublin 2. Assisted pilgrims should contact Fr O’Connor on 0872517766.

OUTREACH CENTRE

Cois Nore Outreach Centre visits Ballyragget every Wednesday. It’s located at Dr. Hogan’s rooms, The Square from 11am to 1pm. All those seeking cancer support are very welcome. For appointment phone 0874833941

BRIDGE

Freshford Bridge club is held each week in Threecastles Hall 7.30pm. New members are very welcome. Bridge Classes are also being held for anyone interested in learning how to play bridge and you are most welcome to attend these classes. For further information contact Anne Maria on 087 2271136 if you are interested in joining

PARISH NEWS

Mass times for Freshford Tullaroan and Ballycallan. Saturday evening- Killaloe -6pm Tullaroan 730pm. Sunday – Ballycallan 9.30am Freshford 11am. Killaloe, Tulla and Kilmanagh will share the 6pm Mass on a 1, 2, 3 basis. Weekly masses Monday 9.30am Kilmanagh, Tuesday and Friday –Freshford -9.30am and Thursday –Tullaroan at 9.30am. Confirmation will take place in St Lachtains church on Wednesday 22nd April at 11am

RADIO

If you wish to listen to live broadcast of mass on Tuesdays, Fridays or Sundays from Freshford

Church you can tune in to 105fm on your radio.

NEWSLETTER

The parish newsletter is available every week and it is also on the website. Any anniversaries or parish office business or community notices for the parish newsletter can be done by phoning the office during horse of 9.30am to 1.30pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays or by calling to the office during those hours.

MASS CARDS

Mass Cards and Mass Bouquets are available in the Parish office and also from Annette at Tulla.

VISITS

Fr. Mark is happy to visit the sick and if you would like to receive a visit from Fr. Mark, you can contact him by phone or through the parish office.

LOOP CAFE

The Loop Community Café is open Monday to Saturday from 9:30am to 4pm and is a welcoming hub in the village. They’re always happy to see more people on both sides of the counter, so why not drop in to support your local café, meet a friend, enjoy a chat, and savour some delicious homemade food? Along with great refreshments, The Loop hosts a variety of community activities that bring neighbours together. The café is also seeking volunteers to help keep these services thriving. If you’re interested in getting involved, please call 056-883-2650 and ask for Rhiannon.

MABS

The Money Advice and Budgeting service is a free confidential and independent money Management and Advice service. MABS assist people in dealing with their existing debt problems who have difficulty paying a mortgage or those facing legal action because of debt. They also provide information and access to Insolvency services including free Debt Relief Advice under the Personal insolvency options. For more info or for an appointment contact MABS on 0818072610.

JAMES STEPHENS GAA AND CAMOGIE CLUB

5 YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

At last week’s Management Meeting the club’s impressive 5 Year Strategic Plan 2026 -2030 booklet was unveiled by co-ordinator John Grace. Compiled after months of separate meetings with a wide range of club officers, administration, finance and communications officials, hurling and camogie players, parent groups, adult and juvenile coaches the comprehensive report which aims to foster a shared vision for the next 5 years was enthusiastically received by the committee. Over the next short while, a booklet will be distributed to the families of every hurling and camogie member in the club.

COLLEGE CUP FINAL SUCCESS

We send best wishes to the St. Kieran’s College senior hurlers on their success adding another title to the school’s new record of 26 Dr. Croke Cup titles. They defeated Presentation College, Athenry on St. Patrick’s Day in Croke Park, St Kieran’s College 3-19 Presentation College Athenry 2-16. Included on the team were James Stephens players, goalkeeper Cian Dermody, defenders Larry Phelan, Bill McDermott, midfielder Diarmuid Behan and leading scorer Conor McEvoy. Also included on the panel are Conor Heffernan, Rory Glynn and Ruairi Power to complete a strong representation from the James Stephens club. Well, done lads.

CIORCAL CUPLA FOCAL

Tiocfaidh an Ciorcal Comhra - Cupla Focal le cheile aris sa Chlubtheach ar oiche De Ceadaoin, Marta 18 ag 8.30in. Beidh failte roimh gach einne aris agus ta siul agaimh go mbainfigh sibh tairbhe agus sult as an ocaid. Beidh failte an tseachtain seo roimh buachailli agus cailini on gclub ata ag deanamh scrudu beil na hArdteistimeireacha teacht agus labhairt na teanga a chleachtadh mar ullmhu don scrudu.

SCOR QUIZ

Comhghairdeas le foireann Sheamuis Stiophain, Tom O’Shea, Gerry Kirby, Mark Dowling agus P.M.O’Sullivan a bhuaigh trath na gceist i scor sinsir Chill Chainnigh air an seachtain seo chaite. Bhuaigh siad le scor 49/60 i guinne The Emeralds le 47/60. Guimid gach rath orthu i Scor Sinsir Laighin air an Satharn, 28iu Marta i Carnew, Co. Cill

Mhantain

U-14 “A” FOOTBALL

Sunday morning’s U-14 football league fixture in

Pairc Sheamuis Stiophan was played in a strong cross wind making it difficult for the young players on both sides to control the play. A point at the end of a solo run by centre forward J.J. Fogarty in the 8th minute was followed by a drive to the net by the same player following a pass from Ashton Maher sending the home team into a 1-01 to 0-01 lead. Ashton Maher added his own point in the 12th minute. In the 17th minute a mix up in defence allowed the Graigue lads through for a goal but Donal Power countered with a fine point in the 20th minute. Another goal against the run of play in the 24th minute for Ballycallan was immediately balanced with a fine three pointer from Donal Power to leave the score at 2-03 to 2-01 at the 24th minute. On the stroke of half time the lively J.J. Fogarty once again rattled the Graigue net to give James Stephens the advantage at 3-03 to 2-02 at the break. With the wind gusting and James Stephens dominating play the battling Graigue lads broke free to register a green flag score in the 5th minute. Again, it took the influential J.J. Fogarty to respond with a fine strike in the 10th minute to keep the home team in front at 4-03 to 3-02. Despite an abundance of possession, a point by Ashton Maher in the 12th minute proved to be James Stephens final score of the game. Despite being in charge in terms of possession but being unable to add to their score made the Village vulnerable and so it would prove to be as Ballycallan mounted two late attacks as the game entered added time. Under pressure the Village defence conceded frees from which Ballycallan took full advantage registering a point and a goal from a goalmouth melee just before the final whistle to earn a share of the league points at 4-04 each. Over the hour J.J. Fogarty gave a top-class display with solid support from Jamie Butler, Donal Power, Luke Tyrrell, Tommy Ryan and Hugh Bolger in a fixture they must feel they should have claimed the maximum league points.

50 YEARS AGO

On Sunday 14th. March 1976, James Stephens made history in Semple Stadium, Thurles, by being the first Kilkenny and Leinster team to win the All-Ireland senior club hurling championship when defeating a fancied Blackrock (Cork) on a scoreline of James Stephens 2-10, Blackrock 2-04. Interestingly, Donie Collins, who was a member of the Blackrock team, later moved to work and live in Kilkenny and was a member of the James Stephens team that won the clubs second All Ireland title on 16th. May 1982. A club celebration to remember and honour the great achievement of March 1976 is planned for later this year.

LOTTO (An CRANNCHUR)

Na huimhreacha don seachtain seo caite na 6, 9, 22, 25. Ni raibh aon buaiteoir (no winner). Na mionduaiseanna € 40: Eddie Devane, Terri Cantwell, Tess Noonan, Fergal Walsh agus Dolly Walsh. Mar is gnath, go raibh maith agaibh as bhur dtachaiocht. (As always, our thanks to all for your continued support.)

BENNETTSBRIDGE

CRAFTED CAFE NEWS

With First Communions and Confirmations now taking place, the team at Crafted would be delighted to discuss catering arrangements for your child on their special day. Give them a shout to discuss options. The cafe is a great facility in the village and is frequented by various groups from the surrounding area on a regular basis.

CHURCH NEWS

Masses Wednesday and Friday 10.30am. Special mass on Saturday night 7pm CONFIRMATION NEWS

Confirmation Sunday is set for 22nd March at 11am. As the church will be full for confirmation, regular Sunday mass goers who are not involved in the ceremony are advised that a special mass to facilitate them will be held on Saturday 21st March at 7pm.

FIRST COMMUNION PREPARATION MASS

There was a full attendance at the First Communion Preparation Mass on Sunday. Celebrant, Fr Pat Dalton welcomed the children and their parents. The children took part in the liturgy and Offertory Procession. Music throughout was by Billy Molloy and Deirdre O’Brien and the congregation joined in “Hail Glorious St Patrick” at the end.

ART GROUP

The Art Group welcomed a new member last week. Some very productive work is being carried out for the past few weeks under tutor, Julie Moorhouse. Last week Gillian Grattan, Bennettsbridge Film/ Documentary paid a visit and took some pictures of the artists at work. Some interviews were carried out last weekend and a number of young people spoke of their special feelings about living in Bennettsbridge.

RESULTS

LOTTO

The lotto of March 9th produced the following results. There was no winner of the Jackpot. The Numbers drawn were 2, 19, 20, 21. A JACKPOT IS STILL AVAILABLE OF €12,000.00. Meanwhile consolation prizes went to Ann Holden, Castlegarden, Coco and Jelly, c/o Olive Morrin, Sue Doyle, The Ring, Lorna O’Neill, Ballyreddin, Jessie c/o Olive Morrin.

CAMOGIE

Bennettsbridge Camogie Junior team is hosting a Quiz Night in O’Donnells Pub on Friday 27th of March at 8pm. Table of four €20. Raffle prizes, food and music on the night. A good night is promised, and your support will be much appreciated. BORD NA N-OG

There was a special night in the Bennettsbridge Club House on Friday when the Féile Peil na n-Og 2025 received their medals. A huge thanks to Intercounty players David Blanchfield and Eoin Murphy who presented the team with their Féile medals.

GAA

National League: We wish the very best of luck to David Blanchfield and the Kilkenny seniors who play Tipperary in the final national league game in Thurles next Saturday.

Membership 2026: Membership for the coming season is now open and can be paid to any committee member or online via clubspot. For non-playing members the membership remains at 40 euro. Adult players membership is €150, and student players is€100. Early payment would be greatly appreciated as the bills for 2026 start to come in.

College’s hurling and development squads: Eoin Walpole was part of the St Kieran’s College team that played Athenry in the Croke Cup final in

Croke Park on St Patrick’s day. We wish the very best of luck to all ‘Bridge players trying out for the Kilkenny Squads at the moment.

U 14 football: Our under 14 footballers got their season off to a good start with a 2-7 to 1-1 victory last Sunday. Please see the Kilkenny GAA website for the next fixture.

Easter camp: The 2026 Easter Camp will be held from March 30th to April 2nd in the club grounds. Please see the clubs Facebook page for details or contact Cormac Wafer or Enda Morrissey.

Signage Campaign. The Bennettsbridge GAA club Pitch signage campaign is still on-going. Sincere thanks to the business owners who have supported the club so far. If interested, please contact Alan Flynn or Alan Morrissey.

Confirmation 2026: Best wishes to all our young hurlers and camogie players making their confirmation in Bennettsbridge this Sunday. Split the Pot: The next draw takes place tonight at 6 pm in the clubhouse. The draw can also be en-

tered online on the club spot app under fundraising. Thanks again for the support.

KILMANAGH

FRANK (FRANKO) CLEERE

Sincere condolences offered to the Cleere families on the recent death of Franko, formerly of Killeen, Kilmanagh.

BULLSEYE

Well, done to Shane Hogan, Pottlerath who captained Kilkenny Darts to victory in the 2026 All Ireland Shield recently, quite an achievement in a competition comprising an entry of 67 teams. A fitting finale for Shane’s last competition in the Youths grade. We look forward to hearing of his exploits in Adults Darts in the years to come.

CHURCH COMMUNICATION SERVICE

There is a new Church Communication Service for the three parishes of Ballycallan, Tullaroan and Freshford. This is run through WhatsApp. Type the

Mandy Simpson was given the honour of cutting the ribbon at the start of the East End 24 hour Walkaton.

Mandy Simpson pictured with Trish Dowling (East End) at the start of the 24 hour Walkaton.

Féile Peil na n-Og 2025 Medal Presentation In Bennettsbridge.

Community & GAA Notes

following link into your browser to join the service. https://chat.whatsapp.com/CRB2Uaz1lLLI3sv7v3Q 3kf?mode=gi_t.

The service will share mass times, upcoming anniversaries and any changes to masses that may occur due to funerals etc.

EASTER CAMP

The Graigue Ballycallan Camp is back this Easter. Four fun days of activities including: hurling, camogie, football, music, games, arts and lots more for boys and girls aged 5-13 years.

On Wednesday 18th March, there will be a registration evening in Tom Ryall Park from 7pm to 8pm. Contact Darragh Egan on 087 271 64 31 for more information.

TABLE QUIZ

Naomh Aodhan Active Ladies Group will hold a Table Quiz in Ryan’s Pub, Kilmanagh on Friday 20th March at 8:30pm. Table of 4 for €20. Lone quizzers also welcome €5 per entry. A raffle will be held on the night with some great prizes. Gerry Dunne will have his usual eclectic mix of questions. All are welcome.

OLD SCHOOL BOYS

There is a weekly gathering of men, of varying vintage, in Naomh Aodhán Community Centre, Kilmanagh. Join them for a cuppa and a chat, each Friday morning from 10am to 12 noon.

ACTIVE LADIES GROUP

Active Ladies Group meet each Monday evening from 7pm to 9pm in Naomh Aodhan Community Centre, Kilmanagh. If you wish to join the group or need any further details, please contact 086 373 99 83 or come along any Monday evening.

LOTTO RESULTS

Results for 9th March. Numbers drawn were 1; 10; 16; 23. There was no winner. Lucky Dip winners were Ciara Ryan, Sophia Malone and The Power Family. Sellers prizes went to Josie Ronan and James O’Connor. Jackpot next week will be €7200.

SOCCER RESULTS

U17 Schoolboys League, Callan Utd 2, River Rangers 5. U13 Schoolboys League, River Rangers 4, Lions 2. K and DL Div 2, River Rangers 5, St Johns 3

SOCCER FIXTURES

Saturday, March 21st. U18 Schoolboys League, Bridge Utd v River Rangers. U14 Schoolboys League. Clover Utd v River Rangers. Sunday March 22nd. K and DL Div Two: Deen Celtic v River Rangers

KILMANAGH NOTES

Anyone wishing to submit news items, events, announcements etc. can do so by email only to elanigan18@gmail.com. If you have any photos that you would like included, please send as an attachment.

GORESBRIDGE PAULSTOWN

AUCTION SALES (GORESBRIDGE)

The next auction will take place on April 20th. Suitable items are now accepted. Contact Martin on 087 2569496 or email goresbridgeantiques@ gmail.com

BARROW RANGERS

There was no winner of the lotto draw of 10th March.

Barrow Rangers Camogie Club is running the annual Easter Fundraiser to supplement the Club’s finances in Go Fund Me.

BOXING CLUB (PAULSTOWN)

The Club was busy last weekend. There were 17 boxers weighing in for the Leinster Boy/Girl 1-2-3 Championships, which is a great achievement and shows the hard work all are putting in. A big well done to Grace, who boxed in the Irish Final. She came up short on the decision but gave a brilliant performance and represented the club with great pride. Congratulations also to Emma, who won the Senior Colleges title by walkover, a great achievement and well deserved. Well, done to all the boxers, coaches and parents for the continued support.

BRIDGE UNITED

The Easter camp for 4-14 year olds takes place from Tuesday 31st March to Thursday 2nd April. Information: Conor English 085 132 1589. Last week’s draw yielded €20, each, for Pat Lennon, Keith Lennon, Nicola Skelton, Marcus Finnegan, Peter Murphy and Veia Connick. To win a special women’s signed Irish goalkeeper’s jersey for fund raising for this club contact Claire on 085 7453605.

CHELTENHAM

The Closutton bandwagon rolls on. It was another

remarkable day for Willie Mullins and his team, with Paul Townend and Harry Cobden steering home three winners — all of them Grade 1s. That kind of consistency at the very top level does not happen by accident; it speaks to the depth of talent in the yard, the precision of preparation, and the coolness of the jockeys in the big moments. Congratulations to everyone involved in that operation. Congratulations as well to Danny and Willie Mullins on a superb victory in the Arkle at Cheltenham. Another top class performance on the biggest stage, and a reminder of just how deep the talent runs in Closutton. A brilliant win for horse, jockey, and trainer alike. Hewick, the €800-horse who keeps turning up on the biggest stages. Congratulations, also, to Paddy Hanlon and Hewick in their performance at the races.

CHURCH SERVICES/EVENTS

Mass times: Goresbridge, Saturday 7.30pm, Sunday 10am. Paulstown: Sunday 11.30am. Weekday Masses: Goresbridge at 10am on Wednesday; Paulstown, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 10am. Morning prayer (Church of Ireland) at 11.30am this Sunday in Grange Sylvae (Goresbridge).

TALKING THE TALK

Cupla Focal is an Irish language conversation circle that meets every Friday in the Goodly Barrow Cafe. It offers a relaxed, friendly space to practice speaking Irish, build confidence, and connect with others interested in the language, from beginners to fluent speakers, through casual conversation and shared learning.

HORSE SALES

The April 23rd sale will also include National Hunt three-year-old store horses, expanding the offering beyond point-to-pointers. The sale will feature a catalogue of Point-to-Point horses and a select number of three-year-old stores.

MAD HATTERS TEA PARTY (PAULSTOWN)

A Mad Hatters Tea Party will take place at 11am. to 1pm on Saturday 4th April. Entrance: €5 per child with Easter themed games and teas/coffees/treats available to purchase for adults

MEN’S SHED

The next meetings will be on Tuesday 24th March at 11am in in the cabin by the Paulstown Community Hal (R95 NY93). New members welcome.

PASCHAL O’NEILL RIP

The death has taken place of Mr Paschal O’Neill at St. Luke’s Hospital Kilkenny, surrounded by his loving family. Predeceased by his loving wife Lena. Paschal will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by his daughter Breda, son John, grandchildren Niamh, Claire, Conor, Aidan, Niall and Aoife, son-in-law Tom, daughter-in-law Majella, sister Ann, extended family, kind neighbours, and friends.

OLLIE O’NEILL MEMORIAL DAY (PAULSTOWN)

A Remembrance Day will be held on Saturday 4th April to honour Ollie and celebrate his love of boxing, hurling, and community. Events start at 2pm with a Fun Run around ‘Ollie’s Way’. At 5pm there will be a Boxing Tournament in the Boxing Club. All funds raised will go towards the Motor Neurone Disease Association

SCOIL BHRÍDE (GORESBRIDGE)

The Parent’s Association is holding a fund-raising event on Sunday 26th April at the Kilkenny Dog Track. The track opens at 7pm with the first race at 7.30pm. Entrance: €10 per Adult and children are free. All admission tickets are entered into a draw for €100 cash prize. Donations can also be made via GoFundMe. This will be a fun filled night for all the community.

FUND RAISERS

Split the Pot in aid of Goresbridge Rural Development is also online. Simply scan the QR code or go to lottoraiser.ie

The results of the lotto draw for 15 March were: 1 Tommy Wall (€100) 2. Paige Barcoe (€20) and 3. Geraldine Keating (€20).

STROKE SUPPORT

Meetings the both the Kilkenny and the Carlow Stroke Support Groups are open to Stroke survivors and carers. The Carlow meeting takes place every second Friday of the month in St Dympna’s Hospital, Carlow from 2pm to 4pm. For further information text/call Lynda 087 7814697.

ST MARY’S PARISH

OSSORY PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES

The Ossory Pilgrimage to Lourdes will take place from May 25 to May 30, 2026. All bookings should be made through Joe Walsh Tours by telephone 01-2410800, or online www.joewalshtours.ie/pilgrimages/group-diocesan-pilgrimages/ or by post to JWT 89 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2, D02WY88. SPECIAL ASSISTED/SICK SECTION Pilgrims who

would like to travel with the Special Assisted Section should apply to Anna Colleton at a.colleton@ cbskilkenney.ie This special section is accommodated at the Accueil. Acceptance for travel with the special section for the sick is subject to the approval of the Pilgrimage Medical Board. Early booking is advisable as space is limited to one plane load.

DIOCESAN MINISTRY DISCERNMENT PROGRAMME BEGINS

Last October, we launched the Ministry of Catechist in the Diocese of Ossory. The initiative has received a very encouraging response, with more than thirty people from across the diocese applying to take part in a programme of discernment. The first gathering of applicants took place on 4th December 2025, and on Saturday 28 February participants formally began their journey of discernment at St Patrick’s Pastoral Centre, Loughboy. The discernment programme will continue until the summer with monthly gatherings, individual accompaniment, input from guest speakers on topics such as Prayer, Spirituality, Scripture, Teamwork and the Theology of Ministry, as well as a Retreat. At the end of the discernment period, participants will consider whether to apply for the programme of formation offered in collaboration with St Patrick’s College Maynooth. We hope that their response and commitment will encourage many others to follow the same path in the future.

EASTER ENVELOPES

Envelopes are now ready for distribution and can be collected at parish office. Thank you to all who distribute our envelopes. It is much appreciated.

ROTA

Readers Next Weekend 11.00am – K. Meighan, 5.30pm – Sr. Nuala. Eucharistic Ministers 11.00am–F Culleton, B. Dunphy, R. Heffernan: 5.30pm–T. Lawlor, K. Lawlor.

YOUR PARISH SAFEGUARDING REPS

Sr Betty Cagney, Martina Lawlor. Contact: safeguardingstmarys@ossory.ie

LET’S MAKE FRIENDS

Invite your family members to support the Cathedral FRIENDS OF ST MARY’S CATHEDRAL at www. stmaryscathedal.ie/friends.

BALLYRAGGET BALLYOUSKILL

SHE ROSE ABOVE THEM ALL

Katelyn Cummins captured the attention of audiences across the country with a series of consistently impressive performances. Throughout the competition, she demonstrated not only strong technical ability but also remarkable growth, determination, and a genuine connection with both the judges and viewers at home. Her journey was defined by a willingness to embrace challenging choreography and deliver memorable routines across a wide range of dance styles.

Guided by her professional dance partner, Katelyn steadily improved week by week, earning high praise from the judging panel for her musicality, timing, and stage presence. She brought a sense of storytelling and emotion to each performance, which helped her stand out in a highly competitive field. Just as importantly, she built strong public support, which is crucial in securing victory. The final showcased an exceptional standard, but Katelyn rose above the rest with polished, confident performances that impressed both judges and you the voting public. Her victory reflects not just natural talent, but also dedication and perseverance throughout the series.

Winning Dancing with the Stars Ireland is a significant achievement, and Katelyn Cummins’ success is likely to open new opportunities while remaining another standout moment for our Bally Belle.

KILMACOW

TABLE QUIZ

The last table quiz in this season of the monthly series in the Fox’s Den will be held at 8.00pm on Monday, 30th March in aid of the Marian Hall. The cost per table of four is €20. All support welcome.

KILMACOW SPRING CLEAN

The Annual Spring Clean will be held in Kilmacow on Sunday, 19th April. All support will be appreciated.

COIS NORE CHOIR

Mooncoin Parish will host the Cois Nore Choir in aid of Mooncoin Cancer Support Group in the Church of the Assumption at 8.00pm on Friday, 27th March. All welcome.

KILMACOW LOTTO

The winning numbers in last week’s lotto were 3.4, 13 and 16. There was one Match 3 winner.

EASTER SATURDAY DISCO

WLR’s John Keane (The Spin Home) will spin the discs in the Seantí for the disco in aid of the Marian Hall which will be held on Easter Saturday, 4th April. Music from 8.00pm to suit all ages from 18 years upwards. Admission is €5. Door prize. All support welcome.

MULLINAVAT

RAMBLING HOUSE

The Community Centre will host its monthly Rambling House at 8.00pm on Saturday, 21st March. Everyone is welcome to attend an evening of music, song, recitation, stories and dance.

OUR LADY OF LOURDES LOTTO

Our Lady of Lourdes, Rosbercon, will launch its new lotto this Thursday, 19th March. Each week there will be a jackpot prize and, if it is not won, there will be a guaranteed €20 weekly winner. For the first four weeks there will be spot prizes kindly donated by local businesses. Please see the QR Code on the School’s webpage.

AMENITY GRANT

Kilkenny County Council is inviting applications from community groups for projects under its Amenity Grant Scheme ’26. Completed application forms should be returned by Friday, 27th March to Amenity Grant Scheme, Parks Department, Kilkenny County Council, County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny or by e-mail to amenitygrants@kilkennycoco.ie. Please contact Sinéad on 056 779 4441 for further information.

ANNUAL SPRING CLEAN

The annual spring clean of the village and approach roads into Mullinavat and Bigwood will be held, weather permitting, on Saturday, 21st March. Please ring 087 233 6261 for bags, gloves etc and for assistance with larger items. Meet at Centra at 9.00am. The compound will be open from 9.00am to 3.00pm for storage of refuse sacks until collected by Kilkenny County Council. In fact, a number of households made a head start on the clean-up on Saturday last. All offers of help welcome.

SOUTH KILKENNY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The Society will host a lecture by Dr. Ruth Duffy ‘Caring in the Crossfire: Northern Ireland’s Health Services during the Troubles’ in Mullinavat Parish Hall at 8.00pm on Friday, 27th March. Dr Duffy is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen’s University Belfast. Her first monograph, Healthcare and the Troubles, published in September 2024 by Liverpool University Press, received the Donal Murphy Prize for Distinguished First Book 2024 from the American Conference for Irish Studies. Currently she is examining the evolution of medical care within Northern Ireland’s prisons since the establishment of the Northern Ireland Prison Service in 1921. This research investigates how political conflict, institutional culture, and shifting governance structures have shaped the provision and ethics of prison healthcare, with a focus on the principle of healthcare equivalence and the influence of social justice frameworks. This is her second visit to the South Kilkenny Historical Society – in February 2024 Ruth and Dr. Alison Garden, delivered a lecture ‘Acts of Union: Mixed Marriage in Modern Ireland’. Admission for those who are not members of the society is €5.

FERRYBANK

FERRYBANK EASTER EGG HUNT

Ferrybank Neighbourhood Park will host its third annual Easter Egg Hunt for Primary School children accompanied by an adult from 3.00pm on Saturday, 28th March. Registration is required on the link https://bit.ly/4brktaE. The event is organised by the Ferrybank Christian Community Church with the support of Kilkenny County Council.

GREENWAY

Much work has been completed since the start of the year with the North Quay Project Team liaising with Waterford City and County Council to facilitate access from the Greenway onto the Abbey Road. Likewise, the Greenway Team are liaising with Waterford City and County Council to enable the earliest possible opening of the Greenway which is now anticipated for mid to late April.

A consultant has completed the detail design for the road and trailhead on the new link from the Belmont Roundabout to the Abbey Road. Contract documents for construction works will shortly be advertised.

Detailed design is progressing between Curraghmore and Ballyverneen (9km). Landowner liaison is ongoing on issues of accommodation works,

Tom Healy

lay-outs and structures. Other links, Slieverue, Glenmore and Woodstock are at various stages of progress.

CLOVER CENTRE

Kilkenny County Council are currently finalising the Part VIII documentation for the Clover Centre Masterplan. It is anticipated that a formal proposal via the Part VIII planning process will be brought forward in the next few weeks. As part of this process the public will have an opportunity to review the proposal and make observations/comments on same.

Subject to the outcome of the planning process, funding has still to be secured to advance this proposal to detail design and construction stage. Having planning in place will better position Kilkenny County Council to apply for capital funding and given the scale of the proposal it’s highly likely it will have to be delivered on a phased basis.

FERRYBANK SETTLEMENT PLAN

The Material Alterations to the Ferrybank Settlement Plan were put on public display in the Ferrybank Library from 30th January with a four-week period for submissions to 27th February. A report on the submissions will be presented to the meeting of Kilkenny County Council on Monday, 23rd March.

FERRYBANK SHOPPING CENTRE

A date for the Judicial Review has now been officially scheduled, with proceedings set to take place on 11th June. This marks an important step forward in the ongoing process, bringing greater clarity to the timeline surrounding the case. The review is expected to address key legal and planning issues associated with the development, and its outcome could have significant implications for all parties involved. Stakeholders, including local residents, developers, and public authorities, will be closely monitoring the proceedings. As the date approaches, further details may emerge regarding the scope of the hearing and the arguments to be presented before the court.

JOHNSTOWN

CHURCH NEWS

Lenten offerings for the support of the priest are now due. Trocaire envelopes are available in both churches for their Lenten appeal. The money raised this year will help women and their families withstand the severe effects of climate change and build resilience for the next generation in Rwanda.

MS. MARY LANNON

Mary Lannon, Main St. Johnstown and formerly Ballycuddihy died peacefully in St. Luke’s Hospital. Predeceased by her parents Michael and Bridget, sister Kitty, brothers in law Jimmy Lanigan and Pat Holohan, Mary will be sadly missed by her sister Margaret Lanigan, Ballysloe, Co. Tipperary, nephews Eamon, Michael, Jimmy and Martin, their wives Susan, Christine and Rosemary, grandnieces Linzi, Niamh, Mikaela and Muireann, grandnephew Christopher, relatives, neighbours and many friends. Requiem Mass was celebrated in St. Kieran’s Church after which Mary was laid to rest in the adjoining graveyard.

SPA UNITED AFC

Junior league division 1 East End 5 Spa 0, U15 boys league division 2 Callan 1 Spa 3, U13 boys league division 1A Spa 3 Evergreen 2, U13 boys league division 2A Evergreen 0 Spa 0, U11 boys shield Southend 3 Spa 4. Well, done to Ellie, Faye and Sarah who won the Inter League Final in UL with the U14 KDL squad against Waterford League. Ellie lifted the cup as captain on behalf of the squad.

FENIANS H.C.

Club membership is now due. Please log on to Clubforce to register and pay membership fees. Adult fee is € 200 including Piltown Draw, Family fee €240, juvenile, student and OAP are € 50.

SPA DEVELOPMENT/FENIANS LOTTO

The winning numbers were 7,9,13,26. There was no jackpot winner, but there were three match threes Ava and Zoe Power, Mary Garrett and Fertagh Parish.

MILL FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE

The Mill Family Resource Centre continues to provide a wide range of supports, services, and activities for individuals and families within the local community. The Centre is a welcoming and inclusive space, offering opportunities for learning, wellbeing, and social connection for people of all ages. One of the upcoming opportunities available is the Local Training Initiative (L.T.I.) Programme. This free L.T.I. course will be starting soon and includes

Driving Theory and Driving Lessons, providing participants with valuable life skills that can support employment and independence. Anyone interested in applying is encouraged to call into the Centre or make contact directly for further details and application information.

The Centre also offers weekly Maths Grinds, which are currently taking place on-site. These grinds are suitable for students preparing for the Junior Certificate as well as 5th year students and provide additional support to help build confidence and understanding in mathematics. Parents and students seeking more information are invited to contact the Centre for times, availability, and fees. A variety of essential community services are available through the Mill Family Resource Centre. These include the provision of Senior Alert Alarms, which offer peace of mind and safety for older members of the community, as well as clothes donations for those in need. The Centre also facilitates a Youth Club, community allotments, and the Cois Nore Advice Clinic, ensuring access to practical advice and supports close to home. Counselling services are available for both adults and teenagers, offering a confidential and supportive environment. Counselling supports include bereavement counselling, addiction support, and general counselling, helping individuals navigate life’s challenges with professional guidance. In addition, Play Therapy is available for young people aged 4 years and over, providing a child-centred approach to emotional wellbeing and development.

The Centre’s Active Retirement Group meets every Thursday from 2pm to 4pm. This group offers a relaxed and social setting where members can enjoy activities, conversation, and companionship. New members are always welcome, and the group continues to grow as a valued part of the Centre’s weekly programme.

The Youth Club has now returned and takes place every Wednesday from 5pm to 6.30pm. It is open to boys and girls aged 8 to 12 years, and new members are always encouraged to join. The club provides a safe, fun, and supervised space for young people to socialise, take part in activities, and build friendships. For further details, please contact Sue at the Centre.

Community gardening is also supported through the Centre’s allotments, with free beds available in the polytunnels for anyone interested in growing their own produce. The cost is just €15 per year, making it an affordable and rewarding activity. Those interested should get in touch with the Centre.

Finally, there is an open invitation to any men interested in setting up a Men’s Shed in the area. This initiative would provide a valuable social and practical outlet, and anyone interested is asked to contact Sue at the Mill Family Resource Centre on 056 883 8466.

For more information on any of the services or activities available, please contact the Centre directly. You should call in it’s fantastic. The following new courses are starting in September, Part time SNA course, Childcare, Computer QQ1 Level 4 Modules. Office Administration, Payroll QQI level 5. You can contact the centre for further information on these courses.

GORTNAHOE

GLENGOOLE

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Glengoole Wednesday 10am to 1pm, Gortnahoe Thursday 10am to 1pm. The rosary is recited before Mass in Glengoole every Saturday evening.

TROCAIRE BOXES

Trocaire boxes are available in the Church porches. The Trocaire Theme for this year is: “Strength and Honour are her Clothing” and the box features a three-generational family in rural Rwanda. Through their story, we are invited to reflect on the Gospel call to justice, resilience and care for our common home, and to connect faith with action in response to the climate crisis and its impact on vulnerable communities.

CASHEL AND EMLY ARCHDIOCESAN

The pilgrimage to Lourdes will take place from June 12th, (five nights) led by Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly. For information and booking contact Joe Walsh Tours @ 01 2410800. Assisted pilgrims contact Fr Joe Tynan, 087 2225445, New Helpers contact Jacqueline 089 4913351. Email lourdespilgrimage@cashel-emly.ie

DAFFODIL DAY

The Irish Cancer Society Daffodil Day is this Friday March 20th.Volunteers are needed for 2 hours at various stations in shopping centres in Thurles

town. Please contact Bernie on 086 3848898 or Dan on 083 096 2812.

DAFFODIL DAY COFFEE MORNING

On this Thursday 19th March from 10.30am, with a speaker from the Irish Cancer Society, in the MFRC, Glengoole. Topics will include signs and symptoms for early detection, understanding different types of cancer, and practical tips for reducing risk. For more information, contact Louise on 083 207 1368

ARTS GROUP

Expressive Arts Group for Children A fun arts and crafts group encouraging creativity and selfexpression for children. Starting soon on Thursday evenings in Glengoole Hall. For information or to register interest please contact: Chloe – 086 121 6343

COME AND SEE DAY

In Pallottine Centre, Thurles on Sat. 11th April 11, am to 4.30pm (including Eucharist). A day to explore Priesthood, talks, time for prayer and answering your questions. Booking through National Vocations Office. Contact carol.king@vocations.ie

DANCE CLASSES

Dance Classes Step it out with Sally—Learn to Jive, Foxtrot, Waltz, Quickstep and Line Dance. Group lessons, no partner needed. Every Thursday at 8.30pm. €10, pay as you go. Contact Sally 087 7931308

PILATES WITH RUTH

Pilate classes continue in Glengoole Hall every Monday at 6.30pm. €10 pay as you go. To book, message 0872049418, Instagram @pilates_ruth. Bring mat and water.

GORTNAHOE BINGO

Bingo will continue this Saturday evening at 4.00pm with doors opening from 3.00pm and will continue each Saturday evening at the same time. Over €2,660 in prize money on offer including a special €500 game. We had a packed hall at our special St. Patrick’s weekend bingo, and it was great to see some extra people coming from the parish. Added support is always appreciated.

TUESDAY BRIDGE

Bridge is being played each Tuesday night in Gortnahoe Hall at 7.30pm. If you would like to join or find out more information, please contact this number 089 434910.

SPLIT THE POT

Congratulations to Michael Hanrahan, Ardreagh who won €157in the Split the Pot draw last Sunday. Michael bought his Split the Pot in Hogans, Grange. Envelopes are available in Cahill’s Gortnahoe, Hogans Grange, Mary Willie’s, Gortnahoe Hall and any member of the committee, you can also Revolut to 0876777220. Split the Pot for March is in aid of the Prayer Garden beside Gortnahoe church. The draw takes place each Sunday at 12pm in Gortnahoe Hall. Your support would be appreciated.

CONAHY

FOOTBALL

The senior footballers enjoyed a second consecutive win in the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Senior League when they got the better of Glenmore in Jenkinstown on Saturday afternoon last. Some excellent point scoring, particularly in the second half after Glenmore scored a goal to level the game, saw Conahy home on a 0-16 to 1-8 score line. They now look towards the championship, with the opponent and date unknown at the time of writing.

TEAM: Karl Downey, Conor Hennessy, Padraig Gunner, Ciaran Rice, Harry O’Mahoney, Darragh Hennessy, Darragh Horgan, Eoin Cahill, John Kennedy, Sean Brennan, Mark Gunner, Bill Murphy, Paddy Mullan, Brian Rossiter, Billy Mulhall. Subs.: Paul Buggy.

GAA AND CAMOGIE CLUB MEMBERSHIP

2026 Membership for Conahy Shamrocks GAA & Camogie Club is now available to purchase via Clubzap or via the club’s website www.conahyshamrocks.com . The various membership rates are also outlined in both locations. Club members, particularly players, are encouraged to pay membership fees in a timely manner.

GAA DEVELOPMENT DRAW

Club members are also being encouraged to purchase a ticket in the GAA Club Development and support Conahy Shamrocks GAA and Camogie Club. There is a chance of winning some incredible prizes, including a Toyota Corolla Hybrid, cash prizes up to €20,000, weekend packages to the AllIreland Finals or a €2,500 Holiday Voucher. Tickets cost €15 and can be bought from the Clubhouse or via ClubZap.

TABLE QUIZ

A Table Quiz fundraiser in aid of Conahy Sham-

rocks GAA and Camogie Club on Sunday, March 22nd at 5.00 p.m. in the Clubhouse. Tables of 4 cost €20 and a raffle also on the night. It will be a family event with questions for all ages - all support is welcome.

GAA CLUB LOTTO

The numbers drawn in the most recent GAA Lotto draw were 21, 34 and 38. There was no winner of the €4,000 jackpot so the consolation prize winners of €30 each were Billy Mulhall, The Blanchfield Boys, Liam Burke, Bridget Brennan and Mary O’Mahony. The promoter prize winners were Julie Jackman, Teresa Dollard and Helen Cahill. Many thanks to everyone who continues to support the GAA Club Lotto.

CASTLECOMER LIBRARY EVENTS

Afternoon Book Club and Evening Book Club - The next Bookclub meetings will take place on Tuesday, March 31st. An afternoon session will be held at 2.30 p.m., followed by an evening session at 6.30 p.m. New members are always welcome to join for an enjoyable discussion and a chance to share a love of reading with others in the community. Lego Club - The Lego Club continues at the library on Saturday, March 21st from 11.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. Enjoy making Lego with other Lego fans. Each month we will have a different theme/set a new building challenge for the session. This is suitable for 7–12-year-olds.

NEWMARKET HUGGINSTOWN STONEYFORD

ALL SAINTS PASTORAL AREA

Parishes - Aghaviller; Ballyhale; Mullinavat. Priests in the Pastoral Area: Sean O’Connor (Ballyhale)Parish Priest of the three Parishes in the Pastoral Area). Telephone 056 776 6696 or 086 389 5911: Email: rsoc1973@gmail.com. Liam Cassin (Hugginstown). Telephone 087 231 2354: Email: liamcassin@ossory.ie. Liam Barron (Mullinavat). Telephone 087 272 2824: Email: mullinavat@ossory.ie. Peter Hoyne (Newmarket - Retired). Telephone 056 776 8678 or 086 373 8492

MASS TIMES

Hugginstown: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 9.30a.m. Vigil - Saturday at 8.00p.m.; Sunday at 10.00a.m. Stoneyford: VigilSaturday at 6.30p.m.

SAFEGUARDING CONTACTS

Diocesan Designated Liaison Person: Fintan Fanning. Tel: 085 802 1633. Aghaviller Parish Representatives are Deirdre Rohan and Catherina Roche. SERVICE OF HEALING

Service of Healing and Penitential Service will be celebrated in preparation for Easter during Masses on the weekend Saturday 21st. March in Stoneyford and Hugginstown Churches and on Sunday 22nd. March in Hugginstown Church PASTORAL AREA PILGRIMAGE TO KNOCK Fr Sean O Connor will lead the Pilgrimage to Knock on Saturday July 11th. and returning Sunday July 12th. Further details will follow later.

LENTEN STATION COLLECTION: Envelopes for the Lenten Station Contribution are available in the Church. Your contribution is for the support of the priests of the Parish and the Diocese. (To donate directly.) Use IBAN: IE19 AIBK 9330 9000 0561 20 (BIC: AIBKIE2D). All Parish Property and Accounts are registered under the (Diocese of Ossory, Reg. Charity No. 20015831) TRÓCAIRE

Every year during Lent, Trócaire asks for your help to fund lifesaving programmes around the world. Please collect a Trócaire Box which is available in Church Porch. You can contribute Online at www.trocaire.org or By Phone: 1850 408 408. The contents of each and every Trócaire Box, no matter how small, come together to make a significant difference.

OSSORY PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES 2026: Pilgrimage will take place this year from May 25th. to May 30th.Early booking is advisable as space is limited. All bookings should be made through Joe Walsh Tours by calling 01 2410 800 or by post to JWT, 89 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2. Special Assisted/ Sick Pilgrims who would like to travel should apply to Anna Colleton at a.colleton@cbskilkenney.ie. Acceptance for travel with the special section for the sick is subject to the approval of the Pilgrimage Medical Board.

Hurlng matters - Review

Sport

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

Masita All-Ireland PPS Croke Cup Senior A hurling final

Croke Park St Kieran’s College 3-19 Presentation

For a 26th time, St Kieran’s College have been crowned the All-Ireland Senior A colleges champions. The breeding ground for so many of Kilkenny’s hurling fraternity, defeated Presentation College Athenry by 6 points in Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day. This was the illustrious College’s third title in just four years and highlights the great work being done in St Kieran’s to foster the hurling education of those in attendance. While Kieran’s celebrated their Croke Cup success, it was yet again more pain for the Athenry school. This was their fifth defeat in the prestigious decider and the fourth inflicted by the Kilkenny outfit. For large parts of the final, Presentation College hurled well, with a touch more fluidity than the Noresiders, but Brian Dowling’s side were always in the game and their experience and conditioning told as the decider reached its climax. Having claimed a 60th Leinster schools title in early February, you sensed St Kieran’s were confident of breaking their opponent’s hearts once more when push came to shove. The Galway boys settled more quickly, the impressive Ronan Cahalan and Ciarán Leen got early scores for Michael Finn’s charges, but the black and white hooped side struck a major when a tremendous burst up field by Louis Raggett saw Gearóid O’Shea fire to the net to level matters after eight minutes at the Jones’ Road venue.

Galway minor star Cian Hannon, playing in his second consecutive schools cup final struck a lovely green flag raiser of his own but the Marble city side responded by notching four scores on the bounce courtesy of a brace from Conor McEvoy and points from Fionn Mahony and Jake Mullen, the youngest of

St Kieran’s claim Champions

by the 21st minute. The westerners had a purple

Finn’s side led by the bare

bench this season, made

one change at the interval, Brian Hickey replacing Ned Spelman in attack and this change didn’t take long to produce, as Hickey got on the scoresheet having been heavily involved in the opening stages of the second period. Athenry’s Anthony Poniard then showed great skill and balance as blitzed through the Kieran’s defence for a couple of stunning scores. The decider continued in this vein; both finalists landing blows on each other as the games ebbed and flowed with those in

St. Kieran’s David Barcoe lifts the trophy

St. Kieran’s fans celebrate their team winning

Hurling matters - Review

26th national title in Croke Park battle Champions again!

St. Kieran’s celebrate with the trophy

attendance no clearer on which team might claim victory, as the sides were deadlocked on several occasions during the third quarter.

With the game entering the final straight, St Kieran’s upped the ante and took command.

Midfielder Gearoid O’Shea added to more points to his afternoon’s work, Fionn Mahony rifled over as did sub-Dan Carroll as the hooped side showed their nous, but the defining score was about to come.

Having had a great club season with Danesfort, Mahony took a pass out on the left before racing clear of his marker. The No.14 then fired a fierce shot off his left side that hit the net. On the sideline, the management team celebrated the major score; they knew its value was more than three points. St Kieran’s weren’t finished there, another goal followed, from Dan Carroll and to their credit, Presentation College kept plugging away and struck a major of their own

via sub Matthew Cloonan, but when the long whistle sounded, it was victory and a 26th Croke Cup for St Kieran’s College Kilkenny. Full time score in Croke Park: St Kieran’s College 3-19, Presentation College Athenry 2-16.

St Kieran’s College scorers: F Mahony (1-4); G O’Shea (1-3); D Carroll (1-1); C McEvoy (0-4, 1 65, 1 free); J Mullen (0-3, 1 free); B Nevin, C Holohan, B Hickey, D Barcoe (0-1 each).

Presentation College Athenry scorers: C Leen (0-7, 3 frees, 1 65); R Cahalan (0-5); C Hannon, M Cloonan (1-0 each); A Poniard (0-3); I Leen (0-1).

St Kieran’s College: C Dermody; B McEvoy, L Phelan, D Barcoe; B McDermott, L Raggett, B Nevin; D Behan, J Mullen (0-3, 1f); N Spelman, F Mahony, C McEvoy; G O’Shea, C Holohan, E Cahill.

Subs: B Hickey for Spelman h/t, D Carroll for Cahill 49, R McEvoy for

Holohan 57, J Power for C McEvoy 62.

Presentation College, Athenry: C Mannion; É McDonagh, M Lewis, R McGlynn; C Donoghue, R Burke, S Brady; I Leen, A McDonagh; R Cahalan, N McCarthy, C Hannon; C Leen, A Poniard, N Kelly.

Subs: R Murphy for Kelly 40, M Cloonan for McCarthy 45, M Cox for I Leen 57, J Dunleavy for McGlynn 62.

Ref: T Walsh (Waterford)

Sport

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

Allianz Hurling League

Roinn 1A

Tipperary vs Kilkenny

FBD Semple Stadum

Saturday @ 7PM

To describe this season’s National League Campaign as disappointing would probably be an understatement. With just two wins from their five games played, Derek Lyng knows that tomorrow evenings meeting with All-Ireland champions Tipperary is now no longer a potentially defining fixture of the 2026 season for his Kilkenny side. Waterford’s defeat at home to Tipp means they along with Offaly will be playing in Division 1B in 2027. The Emeralds clubman was in attendance at Walsh Park and probably enjoyed his drive home, relief. Yes, we understand that the League is playing while the Championship is for winning, but there is little sign that a successful defence of their Leinster title is guaranteed. Relegation would have been another step backwards for the Cats and would have done little to instill confidence in those chosen to wear the black and amber in the months ahead. Currently the Noresiders sit third bottom in Division 1A, with just Offaly below them. Before the Deise clash with Tipp last Sunday, Kilkenny were the second lowest scorers in their group and the second highest for scores conceded, which equates to the second worst record in 1A. The stats don’t lie. A trip to Tipp wouldn’t be the fixture chosen when maximum points are required on the final day. Thankfully, our boys should be able to play without fear. Liam Cahill’s outfit haven’t been pulling up trees themselves during the

Tipperary on our mind!

Eoin Cody and Jordan Molloy will want to perform in Thurles

Hurling matters - Preview

good, but usually more of the bad and the ugly. Wasteful shooting, poor decision making, a side seemingly at odds with their style of play, well at least to the naked eye, it doesn’t scream Provincial champions or Liam MacCarthy challengers. It might only be March, but in these condensed seasons you need to be up to speed by Easter. Another road trip to Salthill will come round quickly, and our lads can’t afford to be as below par as they were in the recent league fixture.

There has been much said about how Kilkenny are going, by supporters, former players and pundits, but it is only Derek, his management team and panel of players that can change the direction of travel, and this starts in Thurles tomorrow evening. One of the most vocal reactions, following the dismal showing in Pearse Stadium was that of former All-Ireland winning captain Andy Comerford. The O’Loughlin Gaels clubman was less than impressed by what he witnessed in Salthill,

with the lack of leadership on the field and the number of people bending the managers ear on the sideline top of his list. Speaking

continued: “Lads with All-Stars, take them out from under the pillow, stop shining them and throw them to one side. It’s AllIrelands we need. Any of those lads that have All-Stars before, they need to get rid of them, forget about them,”

In relation to selectors, Comerford talked about how hard management is and added: “These lads have to start earning their crust. There are four lads around Derek Lyng. Derek, take a bit of advice. Get rid of them lads away from you,” “The great man (Brian Cody) had three lads sitting on the bench and he called them when he wanted to know something. They came with information. They collated the data sitting on the bench, not coming over and whispering in your ear and constantly in his ear.”

to CRKC, Comerford said that some of the Cats’ big names need to ‘stop shining’ their AllStars and ‘get down to work’. He

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s game, with the jeopardy now removed, those in black and amber should perhaps play with a little bit more freedom. I’d say most players on the panel will know that they need to up the ante and start to deliver for their proud County, and Thurles gives them the opportunity to do this. The Loss of Huw Lawlor and Billy Ryan has been hard, but the Cats have not acquitted themselves well, and this needs to change with the Provincial championship on the horizon. The likes of Eoin Cody and Mossy Keoghan need to rediscover their best form, but they are not alone. Paddy Deegan and Richie Reid are two other experienced players that need to show leadership and drive things on around them. John Donnelly has had limited minutes but should be firing on all cylinders come the return to Salthill. The one shining light in black and amber this season has been Cian Kenny. The Village star has really stood up and delivered for his county. Keeping him fit will be key to navigating what could be a tricky Leinster campaign. David Blanchfield is another that has come back into the fold more recently. The towering Bennettsbridge man has been developing nicely in the stripes, and his aerial ability will be needed as summer approaches. Everyone is still awaiting the return of two quality Cats, captain TJ Reid and his Shamrocks teammate, Adrian Mullen. Yes, this quality duo will bring much to Derek Lyng’s side but won’t be the ‘cure all’ fix for this Kilkenny side, but there is no doubting the boost this will give those around them, especially clubmate Eoin Cody. Will we see either TJ or Adrian tomorrow, possibly not so it will be down to the likes of Liam Moore, Luke Connellan etc. to provide the support to others in attack. Perhaps O’Loughlin’s Luke Hogan might get some minutes in Thurles; the bustling attacker has the ability to cause any defence problems. There’s much work to be done between now and April 18th, for players and management alike, and the supporters across Noreside will have their part to play over the coming weeks and months. Our players need to give their all in the black and amber and in return the Gaels in attendance will give them their support. Let’s tackle Tipp in Thurles and then regroup ahead of a Leinster defence. ‘Hon the Cats.

Could TJ return against Tipp

John Donnelly always puts the shift in

Cian Kenny finds it difficult to get away from the pack

Planning notices

KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL

We, Alison Connolly-Rice and Danny Mooney, intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for Planning permission for: (A)

Proposed single storey & storey and a half, side and rear extension to existing storey and a half style detached dwelling. (B) Proposed single storey detached garage. (C) Alterations to, and enlargement of, existing site and site boundaries. Including all associated site works, at The Old School House, Dunbell Big, Co. Kilkenny, R95 E6TT.

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: Mark Kelly, www.mkelly.ie

KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL

I, Diarmuid Cody intend to apply to Kilkenny County Council for Planning Permission to build an extension to the side and rear of existing dwelling house and all associated site development works at 50 The Paddocks, Kells Road, Kilkenny R95 YKT2. 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 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 Duninga Solar Limited intend to apply for planning permission at Duninga, Goresbridge, Co. Kilkenny for the construction & installation of a 1.5MWp (megawatt peak) solar photovoltaic (PV) energy system comprising ground-mounted solar panels, ESB substation & switchgear building and MV transformer building together with all associated mounting structures, cabling, electrical inverters, isolators, control equipment, security fencing and ancillary works required to connect to the existing electrical and local distribution infrastructure on site. The proposed system will supplement the applicant’s current energy use and the power generated will be for Self-consumption. A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) has been prepared in respect of the proposed development.

This development is covered by the provisions of the Renewable Energy Directive III (Directive (EU) 2023/2413) and it is important to note that the planning application may be subject to section 34D of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. When a notice issues in accordance with section 34D(b), the provisions of article 26A of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 to 2025 shall apply.

The planning application including the Natura Impact Statement 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 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 in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within the period of 5 weeks, beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. Signed; BCM Consulting Engineers, 11 The Crescent, O’Connell Street, Limerick.

KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL

I T & L Mahony am applying to Kilkenny County Council for Planning Permission for the construction of a grain storage shed and all associated site works at Kellsgrange, Kells, Co. Kilkenny.

The application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during Office hours i.e. 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the 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.

MICHAEL PURCELL 2ND ANNIVERSARY

Michael Purcell Ard-Daire, Ferrybank, Co. Kilkenny

Formally Leggettsrath, Dublin Road, Kilkenny. Passed away 20th March 2024

“Memories are like threads of gold they never tarnish or grow old “

Treasured Memories Always Remembered With love by loving partner Helen (Castlecomer)

2nd Anniversary Mass for Mike will be celebrated on Saturday 21st March at 10.30am St John’s Church.

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. M.B.

JOSEPHINE RYAN BIRTHDAY REMEMBRANCE

Birthday remembrance of Josephine, late of Greenfields, Freshford Road, Kilkenny whose birthday occurs at this time.

Today is your birthday In heaven above Our blessings we send On the wings of a dove

Always loved and much missed Anne, Fran, Phil and Richard grandchildren and great grandchildren.

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. S.M.

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. M.G.

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. C.B.

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. M.M.