Kilkenny Observer 21st January 2022

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Friday 21 January 2022

Cosmopolitan living Why we need a Piazza culture here  Marian Heron, page 12

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... And they’re off!

Date announced for Goffs Thyestes Chase  See page 6

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The Kilkenny

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Hopes for an easing soar A MAJOR easing of Covid-19 restrictions is expected to be announced today amid rapidly dwindling case numbers.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) was due to meet yesterday (Thursday), with Government Ministers expecting the public health officials to issue advice on the rolling back of restrictions.

Senior Government sources

told the Irish Examiner it is their expectation that Nphet will approve a new closing time of midnight for all licensed premises, with pubs and restaurants currently required to shut at 8pm.

It is also expected that full capacity will be permitted at outdoor sporting events, which will impact the upcoming Six Nations rugby championships and GAA league

matches.

A relaxation on the numbers allowed to attend indoor entertainment and sporting events is also expected, along with an increase of the current limit of 100 people at weddings and funerals.

Senior sources also said they expect a restart of the move to allow workers to return to the office on a phased basis.

It is expected that any eas-

ing of restrictions will come into force at the end of the month and a Cabinet meeting could be called for Friday to approve the Nphet recommendations.

Government sources have indicated Ministers are satisfied that hospital and intensive care capacity has held firm in the face of surging case numbers over the last four weeks.

Man is charged with murder of Ashling Murphy A 31-YEAR-old man has been charged with the murder of Ashling Murphy.

Jozef Puska, with an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Tullamore, was brought before a special sitting at Tullamore District Court on Wednesday evening.

He was remanded in custody for a week.

Ashling, a 23-year-old national school teacher, was attacked while out running on the Grand Canal at Cappincur in Tullamore, just before 4pm on Wednesday, January 12.

She was laid to rest after a requiem mass on Tuesday.

A large crowd gathered outside the courthouse as Mr Puska was brought in by detectives.

It comes as more than 10,000 cases of Covid-19 were reported in Ireland on Monday, with 6,329 confirmed by PCR test while 4,810 people registered a positive antigen test through the HSE portal.

Pressure remains on the hospital system, with 13 hospitals having no available intensive care unit (ICU) or high dependency unit (HDU) beds.

... And they’re off!

The first three horses home in the race last year might well renew rivalry in the latest renewal of the historic race.

Coko Beach (seen here ridden by Jack Kennedy), Run Wild Fred and Class Conti are among 38 entries for the race which has the Henry de Bromhead-trained Chris’s Dream as its early top-weight Goffs Thyestes Chase will be shown live on RTÉ television from Gowran Park on Thursday, January 27.

There was no reply when charged. The accused was given legal aid and a Slovakian interpreter was appointed for all hearings and consultations going forward.

A statement of means was also handed in and the court heard his primary source of income is disability benefit.

Judge Catherine Staines remanded Mr Puska in custody to appear again at Clover Hill District Court on January 26.

Meanwhile, a second man, who was arrested on Wednesday morning under the provisions of Section 30 Offences Against the State Act 1939, has been released without charge.

Gardaí say a file will be prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

See page 6

EVERY FRIDAY

saving Covid-19 vaccines, as part of the global COVAX initiative. This is the only worldwide effort working to ensure fair access to Covid-19 vaccines. Since March, UNICEF has delivered more than one billion vaccine doses to over 140 countries. The international rollout began in March 2021, and continues to gather pace, with UNICEF now delivering an average of 10 mil-

The Kilkenny

Observer UNIT 7, FRIARY STREET, KILKENNY, R95 VHY7

lion Covid-19 vaccines a day.

Heralding the support of people in Kilkenny, UNICEF Ireland Executive Director Peter Power said the issue of fair global access to vaccines had connected with people in Ireland. “It has been a privilege to witness the generosity from people across Ireland. This Christmas we saw donations from every single county, in-

cluding Kilkenny, and they keep coming. It started out with a simple idea. When you get a vaccine, you can give one to people in some of the world’s poorest countries. The response has been incredible.

People in Ireland understand that we are all in this together, and that there should be fair access to these life-saving vaccines. Ireland’s nationwide to-

tal for donations to UNICEF is now over three million vaccine deliveries. It is remarkable and we are so grateful,” he said.

UNICEF Ireland is urging people and companies in Kilkenny to continue their support for UNICEF’s Covid-19 vaccine campaign by donating today at www.unicef.ie Covid news page 14.

THE Kilkenny Inn Hotel has been put on the market for a price tag of at least €4.8 million.

The Vicar Street hotel is likely to attract a lot of interest from investors as it also has planning permission for a 66-bedroom extension.

The 3-star hotel currently consists of 30 guest bedrooms.

Selling agents Cushman & Wakefield and JLL said the new extension will benefit from access to the newly opened St Francis Bridge, which provides direct access into the city centre.

Green light for new playground KILKENNY County Council has approved plans to build a new playground in Freshford village.

It gave the green light to the Freshford Playground group to construct a new play ground public amenity space, access road, parking, fencing, lighting and landscaping around the new facility.

It also granted the group permission to remove an existing shed and all associated works at the site.

Last March, the council awarded the group funding of €125,000 to progress the community project.

Cash stolen during break-in

Kilkenny’s Covid-19 vaccine donations top 45,000 UNICEF Ireland has revealed that people in Kilkenny donated over 9,000 Covid-19 vaccines to the world’s poorest countries at Christmas. The festive surge in donations brings the county’s total donations to UNICEF Ireland’s Get a Vaccine, Give a Vaccine campaign to 45,000 vaccine deliveries.

UNICEF is leading the procurement and delivery of life-

Kilkenny hotel has €4.8m price tag

GARDI are hunting for four men who broke into a home in Inistioge on Tuesday evening.

A man, who was home when the intruders entered the house at Ballyshane shortly after 7pm, was unharmed in the incident.

They searched the house and fled with a small amount of cash.

Anyone who noticed a suspicious vehicle in the area is asked to contact the local Garda station.

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

Marianne Heron....................P12 John Ellis ................................P16 Out & About ..................... P24-25 Food & Drink .........................P28 TV & Streaming ....................P29 Sport ................................... P32-39

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GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE TEAM

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We’re taking off in the skies again ...

AER LINGUS has revealed data that indicates an increase in consumer confidence in travel since the recent easing of travel restrictions. The information highlights consumer interest in various destinations from city breaks across Europe and the UK, ski trips, sunshine as well as an appetite to travel to the US. The data has been gathered by analysing web searches and conversion rates on the days before the lifting of restrictions and comparing them to the figures on the days after the announcement.

According to the data, firm favourites, Alicante, Lanzarote and Faro were revealed as the destinations of most interest to Irish holiday makers looking to enjoy some sun, sand, and sea. Ski enthusiasts have also been in search of the perfect slope spot with an uplift in searches for Munich and Geneva — 90% and 65% respectively. European city breaks are also on the up with an 81% increase in searches for Venice and a 70% increase in searches for Madrid.

As well as this, Aer Lingus customers are also looking to take shorter trips across the Irish sea to the UK with the number of searches for UK destinations up across the board to cities like Birmingham (69%), London (70%), Glasgow (72%) and Edinburgh (63%). Irish consumers are also keen to travel stateside with searches to US cities such as New York, Boston, and Chicago all up

compared to the days prior to the lifting of restrictions.

Bill Byrne, Director of Global Sales, said: “Without doubt, travel is back for 2022. Following the lifting of travel restrictions for double-vaccinated travellers, we have seen a strong uplift in activity on aerlingus.com. Consumer confidence in travel is returning – it seems that most people are ready for a holiday abroad. With over 2 million seats on sale at AerLingus. com, now is the perfect time to plan a springtime getaway either to Europe or to the United States.”

Aer Lingus January Seat Sale fares to Europe, the UK and North America are valid for travel from 01 February to 31 May 2022. All offers are subject to conditions and availability and all fares include taxes and charges. Book by midnight 18 January 2022. Terms and conditions apply.

Aer Lingus’ market-leading ‘Book with Confidence’ policy allows customers change flights as many times as they like, should plans change, giving customers peace of mind when booking.

To make travel easier, Aer Lingus has partnered with VeriFLY. By downloading the VeriFLY app and uploading Covid-19 related documentation required for their destination, Aer Lingus customers can ensure that all of their Covid-19 related documentation is verified before travel. * For more information, please visit www.aerlingus.com.

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Terrific Goffs Thyestes Chase renewal date set THE first three horses home in the race last year might well renew rivalry in the latest Goffs Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park on Thursday, January 27.

Coko Beach, Run Wild Fred and Class Conti are among 38 entries for the race which

has the Henry de Bromheadtrained Chris’s Dream as its early top-weight. Bidding for a third Goffs Thyestes Chase success, Gordon Elliott has last year’s winner and runner-up on his early team of 10, the most of any trainer.

Smoking Gun and Escaria

Bonus Bank Holiday date remembers all our Covid dead CABINET has given the goahead for an extra Bank Holiday in March and a national commemorative event.

The public holiday will be marked as a day of remembrance and recognition for those who died and worked throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new holiday will be held on the day after St. Patrick’s Day this year but will be at the beginning of February from 2023 onwards.

Ministers have also approved a once off, tax free €1,000 bonus for frontline healthcare work-

Ten could also represent the Cullentra trainer who won the race in 2018 with Monbeg Notorious.

No one has a better record in the race than Willie Mullins and he has a team of six going forward. The champion trainer has won the race on

eight previous occasions and in addition to Class Conti, third last year, Mullins could call upon Brahma Bull, Franco De Port, Munster National winner Ontheropes, Agusta Gold and Stones And Roses.

Joseph O’Brien has put four in the race, Scarlett And

Dove, a Grade 2 and a Grade 3 winner, Top Moon, the fiveyear-old Busselton and his fellow novice Global Equity.

Gowran Park Manager Eddie Scally, said, “We are delighted to see such a strong entry for our Goffs Thyestes Chase, and I have no doubt

that this season’s renewal will be as exciting as ever.

It is wonderful that we can welcome spectators back after last year’s behind closed doors event. Even with a limited capacity we are certain it will be a great day for all in attendance.”

Castlecomer pupils go bananas for fitness

ers who were in Covid exposed clinical settings.

Frontline healthcare workers in nursing homes, porters and cleaners in healthcare settings, hospice workers, student nurses and members of the Defence Forces seconded to healthcare roles will all be eligible.

However, workers in private hospitals are not eligible.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the additional holiday this year would “recognise and say thank you” to volunteers, the Irish people, and to all workers who helped in the fight against Covid-19.

Fit Squad: Hoding water bottles received as part of a ‘fruit-‘n-fitness’ reward presented to them by organisers Fyffes, masked pupils from Firoda National School, Castlecomer salute their success in being recognised for their ‘involvement and inventiveness’ in a competition to find Ireland’s fittest school.

PUPILS at Firoda National School, Castlecomer have had their interest in fitness recognised in a nationwide competition to find Ireland’s fittest school launched recently by Irish Olympians, athletes Phil Healy and David Gillick.

The event, which runs until April next and in which over 500 schools are participating, is the latest phase in a ‘Fit Squad’ schools fitness programme organised by banana distributors Fyffes – initially through a series of school visits and, post-Covid, through a programme of exercises and keep-fit tips

presented online by athletes Healy and Gillick.

26-year-old sprinter Phil Healy comes from Ballineen in Cork and is Ireland’s fastest woman, holding the 100m Irish Record. She competed in the 2020 Olympic Games in the 200m, 400m and mixed relay. It was the first time an Irish Olympic track and field athlete had ever competed in three events.

David Gillick is one of Ireland’s most successful sprinters ever. He won Ireland’s first sprint gold medal in 76 years when winning the European Indoor 400m champion-

ships in 2005. David went on to retain his title in 2009 and became an Olympian in 2008. David is still the fastest man in Ireland over 400m, as he holds both the indoor and outdoor records.

In recognition of their ‘involvement and inventiveness’ in responding to guidelines set out under the programme, pupils at Firoda NS received ‘fruit‘n-fitness’ rewards along with bonus points in a league-style competition from which the eventual winners will emerge.

Created in 2018, Fyffes Fit Squad is a multi award-

winning programme that gets kids active through easy-to-learn and fun-todo exercises.

Before Covid-19, over 20,000 children across the island of Ireland took part in their face-to-face schools programme, and now they are bringing a brand-new campaign to schools all over Ireland.

To be announced in May, the overall successful school will receive sports equipment valued at €5,000, plus a visit from Fit Squad ambassadors, Healy and Gillick. Further details can be viewed online at www.fyffesfitsquad.ie

Kilkenny schools bag trio of prizes at BT Young Scientist 2022 TWO schools from Kilkenny have taken home three prizes from the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) 2022.

St Kieran’s College teacher, David Hennessey took the Stripe Educator of Excellence Award.

And there was double success for TY student Surabhi Gunjur Satish who led the Loreto Secondary project ‘Trash in the Skies: Towards the Prediction of Space Debris in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)’. Her project looked at using mathematical modeling methods

to predict the debris environment in LEO. Assessing if mitigation methods have an effect on debris distribution over time.

Surabhi was awarded a special prize by the Institute of Physics as well as being named as Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Intermediate Individual 1st place.

Speaking to students at the BTYSTE awards ceremony, Minister for Education Norma Foley TD said, “It is both encouraging and heartening to witness the level of creativity and innovation of

this year’s entrants as demonstrated through their meticulously researched and ingenious projects. Each one of you is a credit to yourself, your family, your school and you should be proud of your accomplishments.

“The calibre of entries is a testament to the tenacity and talent of the students behind them, and it is this constant high standard that makes BT Young Scientist one of the longest running, and most successful STEM events in Europe.

“I especially wish to ac-

knowledge your teachers and mentors who also give so generously of their time and expertise to support you on your journey. Thank you all too to your parents and families for their unwavering support.”

Shay Walsh, Managing Director, BT Ireland said, “Congratulations to students across the island of Ireland and to all of our winners who took part in the Exhibition this week and thank you for brightening up a cold January, particularly with Covid-19 continuing to cast a very long shadow.”

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The Fact Of The Matter PAUL HOPKINS

When women in fear live every day with a plan Four years ago when she was 15, Helen’s friend, a year older, enticed her into his house, when his parents were out. After some small talk he pounced on her and attempted to remove her clothing.

Helen, thankfully, managed to fend off her attacker and flee.

Her mother, a lone parent, confronted the boy’s parents in no uncertain terms after her daughter came home in tears, shocked and dishevelled. The attack was not reported. “It would have been his word against mine,” Helen tells me. “Who would they believe?”

Dee is my age. Married in the Seventies, she lived in Paris. “On the Metro, men were exposing themselves.

My friend was stalked for two years. A lot of women were harassed. It was a nightmare.”

Dee has lived on her own since her divorce. Her son and two grandsons live

in London. She is in rural Ireland. “Am I afraid living on my own? Often I am scared to answer the door. Often it is men saying tiles are missing on my roof and they’ll fix it. They see I am an elderly woman on my own and want to take advantage.”

Recently Dee was having her car serviced. “In the garage, the salesman, about 50, was fiddling with his phone. ‘Come ‘ere, look at this,’ he said and pointed his phone at me. ‘What do you think of that, eh?’ He was laughing, this face flushed.

It was pornography on his phone.”

Meadhbh is 38. “Cases like we’ve heard of in the last weeks are a reminder of the collective threat and valid fear women the world over live with. It’s always there, underneath, some days even subconsciously — a quickened pace, an averted gaze, a fake phone call. Anytime

you have a ‘strange’ taxi man you feel it, or get caught in the dark somewhere.

“The worst part is we grow up almost with acceptance, it’s second nature, to always be on your guard,” she tells me. “Stories like Ashling Murphy are a timely reminder how real those threats can be.

“The good men, most men, need to be part of helping change the threat, the culture. It starts with refusing to laugh at stupid jokes; it starts with stamping out cat calling. There’s a long way to go.”

This writer has talked to many other women the past days, in light of the murder of Ashling Murphy at 23. Shockingly, it is the case that, of all the women I asked, all have ‘a plan’. The ‘fear’ is always a low hum beneath the rhythm of their regular life, implanted in early teenage years. Although, statistically,

violent crime is committed on men more than women — 70% to 30% — women are more afraid. “You’re afraid a strange man will attack you,” says Helen who is doing her Leaving Cert this year.

So, women don’t run at night. Women don’t park in an out-of-sight car park.

Women don’t enter a lift already occupied by a single man in an unfamiliar building. Women don’t leave a party without their friends.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre dealt with 13,367 calls in 2020, the latest figures available. Three in four were from females. Of those who disclosed their details, 44.8% said they had been raped, while 33% were victims of childhood sexual abuse.

Almost a quarter of Irish women avoid certain streets for fear of being assaulted or harassed, according to a recent EU study. The study by the EU’s Fundamental Rights

Agency shows 23% of Irish women “deliberately stay away from particular locations often or all the time to reduce the risk of attack”. Ireland’s finding is the second highest among the 27 states after Greece at 29%.

‘Stories like Ashling Murphy are a timely reminder ...

”

The figure is even more pronounced among Irish women aged 16 to 29 with 45% taking such action “to avoid being attacked either physically or verbally”.

A young woman, who reported a rape and is awaiting a trial in the case, says she has a “nightmare” about her choice in underwear being submitted in evidence by the defence. “I am terrified. What are they going to do to me in court?” she says.

“Every day women live with the fear,” says Ella. “It’s not paralysing but it’s omnipresent — whether out walking alone or, when pubs were open, asking a friend to watch your drink while you go to the loo. Women feel like ‘it’s all my fault if something happens to me’.”

Ella turned 21 in December.

She has her whole life ahead of her.

Will she always need ‘a plan’?

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Nearly 1,000 driving arrests over festive period AN Garda Síochána’s Christmas and New Year Road Safety Campaign for 2021 started on Friday, November 26 and ended on Tuesday, January 4, 2022.

The campaign primarily focused on Mandatory Intoxicant Testing i.e. detecting those who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The campaign also focused

on speeding, non-wearing of seatbelts, mobile phone use by drivers, in addition to checking on unaccompanied drivers driving on learner permits.

For 2022, Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman, Roads Policing and Community Engagement Bureau continues to appeal to all road users to prioritise road

safety. “As we enter 2022 our thoughts are with the families of the 134 people who lost their lives on our roads during 2021.

“An Garda Síochána are committed to reducing deaths on our roads in 2022 and are asking all road users to make this their priority too.

While a large majority of the public listen and comply with

road safety advice we want all road users to be safe.”

Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman said, “Over the Christmas period, Gardaí arrested 914 drivers for Driving While Intoxicated, approximately 1 in 5 (21%) drug driving arrests occurred between 6am and 1pm. 35 Drink and Drug Driving incidents occurred on New Year’s Day,

Concerts raise over €5.5k for local charities DURING one of the most challenging years in the music and live events industry, an incredible €5,862 was raised for local charities during the December Sounds concert series held at the magnificent St. Canice’s Cathedral as part of Yulefest Kilkenny.

Concerts were capped at 50% and social distancing was in place. Changes to restrictions in the days leading up to the opening night on December 20 didn’t impact

the support from concert goers who attended one of Kilkenny’s most remarkable venues. Artists were quick to accommodate the earlier curfew, shortened sets and were delighted to be performing the final concert series of the year in Kilkenny.

“An honour and a privilege to be part of December Sounds,” said artist, David Keenan.

Local Kilkenny charities Ciara Lawlor Memorial on behalf of the Irish Wheelchair

Association, Cois Nore, the Aislinn Centre, Chernobyl Kilkenny Outreach Group, Amber Women’s Refuge and the O’Neill Centre benefited from the ticket sales.

Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council Council, Cllr. Fidelis Doherty, commenting on the success of the initiative said, “It was uplifting to hear lovely live music and due to the generosity and goodwill of people, local charities have been able to enhance their various

programmes of works. A big thank you to all involved for organising December Sounds and making it the success it was. After a very difficult year the initiative made Christmas time extra special for the people of Kilkenny.”

The lineup across the three nights included Cormac Begley, John Francis Flynn, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Bird On The Wire, Elise, Seamus Fogarty, Malojian and David Keenan.

“I can’t praise organisers enough for how perfectly ev-

12 of the incidents occurred between 6am-1pm, that’s a poor start to 2022 for some drivers. There were 13,950 speed detections over Christmas, while 1,269 FCN’s were issued to drivers using mobile phones and 525 FCN’s were issued to learner drivers, driving unaccompanied.”

Sam Waide, Chief Executive, RSA said, “I would like Pictured at the cheque presentation, back L-R: Eimear Phelan (Irish Wheelchair association), Director of Services Kilkenny County Council Tim Butler, Event Manager Andrea Keogh, Gary Kehoe (Rollercoaster Records), Mayor of Kilkenny Municipal District, Andrew McGuinness, Bill Cuddihy (Cois Nore) & Eimear Lawlor (Ciara Lawlor Memorial Fund).

Front L-R: Jean Murphy (Amber Women’s Refuge), Arts Officer Mary Butler, Cllr. Fidelis Doherty and Jim Kavanagh (Chernobyl Children Kilkenny).

Photo: Vicky Comerford.

erything was arranged at the December Sounds concerts,” said Mayor of Kilkenny Municipal District, Cllr. Andrew McGuinness, “St. Canice’s Cathedral looked fantastic, the lineup was a real treat and combined with the outstanding sound quality courtesy of Broderick’s Music, Kilkenny, it was the perfect setting. Huge credit to Event Manager, Andrea Keogh and her team, for going above and beyond to deliver events like this for us to enjoy.”

Kilkenny group launched to support LGBTQ+ THE Kilkenny-based Project DAVID (Diversity Awareness Visibility Inclusion Development) has been launched to address a lack of visibility around the LGBTQ+ community in rural Ireland.

While the focal point will be the Kilkenny area, there are plans to branch out across the south-east region with mental health workshops.

The Twilight Community Group, an organisation focused on promoting inclusion,

created the Kilkenny based project to not only raise awareness but also support the LGBTQ+ community in speaking out against issues which may affect them. They are taking numerous approaches towards achieving this, such as hosting intergenerational peer support groups, disseminating information through a digital hub and launching a podcast titled Courageous Conversations.

Across the span of six months, Project DAVID aims to em-

power the LGBTQ+ community in rural Ireland by creating accessible support systems and intergenerational conversations. These mental health workshops and groups were developed through the Twilight Community Group’s collaboration with organisations such as Mental Health Ireland as well as Translife Kilkenny.

Speaking about this new initiative, Project DAVID Team Lead, Karen Hughes, said, “What I’ve learned from talk-

ing to people from the LGBTQ+ community in Kilkenny is that there’s zero visibility and even less awareness of the challenges faced by the community … Ultimately, I want this project to break the stigma around the LGBTQ+ community and make Kilkenny a safe place for people to be themselves without the fear of being ostracised.

“This project is going to put the issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community into the public sphere and create an aware-

ness of them, not only will it create an awareness but it is going to offer support to people in the community.”

Project DAVID are inviting people to take part in their activities. “This could be through doing interviews (podcast style and video) about their experiences of being from the LGBTQ+ community, especially if they are from Kilkenny themselves,” said Karen. “We also need people to be a part of our peer support groups.”

to acknowledge the tremendous enforcement efforts from An Garda Síochána in 2021 and over the Christmas period, in addition to road users behaving safely. However, it is astonishing to see the numbers of those who persist to drink and drug drive, as it significantly increases the risk of a fatal collision.”

Study finds female politicians targeted in Twitter threats OVER 38,000 threats toward politicians were identified in tweets, a new study has found.

There were also 15,842 sexually explicit comments and 77,040 insults. “Toxicity” was identified in 72,552 tweets and “severe toxicity” was found in 26,866 comments.

The research by Dr Ian Richardson found there was no gender divide in the amount of abuse aimed TDs. There was a significantly higher level of abusive messages focused at female councillors and senators than at their male counterparts.

“When accounting for the number of followers a politician has, female Local Councillors received eight times as many abusive tweets per followers compared to their male counterparts, while female Senators received three times as many abusive tweets per followers than their male counterparts,” the report finds.

In his conclusion, Dr Richardson says, “The trend which is of most concern to achieving a truly representative democracy is the level of abuse women in the traditional paths to becoming legislators (local councils and the Seanad) receive compared to men. Considering the number of newspaper articles published regarding abuse towards politicians on social media, it is not a stretch to suggest that this may be a barrier to women entering politics.”

Male politicians serving in Government were found to receive far more abuse on Twitter than men in opposition parties.

Dr Richardson’s research was conducted using publicly available artificial intelligence software combined with computer programming code he wrote himself to determine the level of abuse politicians encountered on Twitter.

His research found the “most prolific abusive accounts”, were affiliated with Sinn Féin, Fine Gael and Independents respectively.

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Opinion

Why we need a piazza culture here AS I SEE IT MARIANNE HERON

This is the time of year, festivities over when holiday brochures normally grab our attention. Those technicolour pictures hold the promise of golden sunshine, azure sea and a cultural shot-in-the-arm offered by somewhere abroad.

Not yet though, given the rampant Omicron.

Sometimes there were things you enjoyed on previous breaks that you tried bringing back with you. But did you ever notice how some things just don’t translate back home?

Take a bottle of ouzo for instance, a cloudy, aromatic glass of the stuff just won’t taste the same as it did on some Greek island. No chance. There are plenty of experiences enjoyed abroad that we have successfully adopted, from tapas to barbeques; travel broadens commercial opportunities as well as the mind.

Some things, though, we just don’t have and thinking back on recent holidays they are things that I really miss. I can reimagine the fabulous squares around grand buildings in France which allow space for pavement cafes, seating, social events and an appreciation of

the buildings themselves. Or I recall generous piazzas in Italy, splendid with fountains, fringed with cafes and used for concerts and performances funded by the taxes collected by the local commune.

Of course, history played a part in making these spaces possible. It helps if you start building your grand cathedral or ministry centuries ago and

sunnier, warmer climates encourage the creation of outdoor spaces too. But here in Ireland we may be a pizza culture now but we don’t have a piazza culture with generous open public spaces. Just think how useful that would be now, given the need during the pandemic, for outdoor socialising and dining to have rather than to being squashed onto narrow

Support for Veganaury CLAIR WHITTY

HAVE you decided to take the 31-day challenge and go vegan for the month of the January? You might be wondering if there are any supplements you should be taking. In the short term you should be OK but if you plan to stick with it for longer then you could run the risk of falling low in calcium, iron, b12, d3, iodine, protein, or essential fatty acids, if you don’t eat a wide variety of foods.

You might be worried about lacking the calcium you would have found in dairy products. You should be ok if you eat a variety of nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, pulses & lentils.

Many plant-based milks are fortified with calcium.

If you’re not eating much of these foods then consider taking a supplement. Talk to us first as it may be better to choose a supplement that contains magnesium and vitamin D too.

Iron is a worry for some because iron found in meat is considered the best source. Iron is also found in soya products,

sea vegetables, green leafy vegetables, fortified breakfast cereal, dried fruit, and some pulses. Consider Floradix Liquid Iron, my favourite iron supplement if you feel you’re not eating enough iron rich foods.

B12 is found in fish, meat, chicken, and dairy products, plant-based sources include nutritional yeast flakes, brewer’s yeast, fortified cereal and plant-base milks, and yeast spreads. Vitamin

B12 helps keep your body’s blood and nerve cells healthy and helps prevent anaemia. There are lots of B12 supplements that we can talk to you about if you need to top up on it.

Essential Fatty Acids usually found in fish are important. You’ll also get them in nuts and seeds, good quality omega oils, grains, and avocados. They’re important for heart health, cognitive function, and mood. If you’re not getting enough Omega 3 Oils then Cleanmarine V-Good is a great place to start as it also contains vitamin D3, B vitamins, iron, folate, selenium, and zinc.

Protein is found in seeds and nuts, tofu, legumes, and grains. It’s important for hair, skin, nails, muscles, and bones. Choose protein powders like rice, soya, or hemp if you need to top up on protein.

Let us know if you have any questions about this as everyone’s needs will be different.

Call into see us at Market Cross Shopping Centre Phone: O56 7764538 Email: info@ naturalhealthstore.ie Shop online: wwwnaturalhealthstore.ie

footpaths in makeshift pavement cafes.

There is plenty of redevelopment and building going on in our cities but is there any requirement to create space — even a little for people? Not a bit of it. And the same applies to the many new apartment blocks, too, which are being constructed right beside noisy roads without breathing space

or trees around them.

Another thing I wish we had more of are food markets. The markets selling local produce with the kind of fantabulous displays of fruit, vegetables, cheese, fish, meat and meat products like terrines and pates that have you reaching for a camera as well as your shopping basket are a weekly or a daily treat in France and Italy.

There’s social element too, friends meet for coffee, aperitifs or lunch around the markets.

I can conjure up mouthwatering visions of the weekly markets which rolled into Italian villages with a designated day for each place where queues formed for delicacies like roast sucking pig stuffed with fennel and open-sided trucks turned into shops selling everything from tablecloths to saucy underwear.

The English market in Cork and a few small pop-up markets apart, there’s very little like that here and yet we are a major food producing country and you can’t really blame supermarkets for taking away potential market trade, there are plenty of supermarkets in France and Italy but local markets still flourish.

The traffic can work the other way too, Irish butter and beef have a proud reputation abroad. But Irish pubs overseas? Now there’s a missed opportunity, at least in my experience. Far from being a home from home of craic, showcase for Irish culture and bar-keeping expertise these are grim places more like to make you disown your Irish roots, stay away and avoid bring foreign friends to show them off as a taste of the welcome they might enjoy if they come to Ireland.

No, pub culture doesn’t export well.

Letting go what you can’t control ANDREW MCDONALD HYPNOTHERAPIST

EVENTS which are bigger than us, that we have no way of controlling, are responsible for a great deal of anxiety. Whether bad news stories, and there are plenty of those, things which are happening to loved ones over which we have no influence, or even details about our own lives which are partly or wholly shaped by other people, all of them can lead to stress. The big question is whether that building up of mental tension is a worthwhile activity.

Of course, it’s not easy to dismiss worries. As human beings, we crave certainty. Things which we have no control over leave us feeling uneasy because we can’t predict the outcome. However, we are also guilty of catastrophising, of building these details of life into such big issues that we can’t see the wood for the trees or that we view what will really, in the end,

turn out to be trivial as something life-changing.

How many of us can remember what we were worrying about five years ago?

One way of dealing with stressful events is to analyse what you can and can’t control. If there is a possibility of doing something to positively influence the outcome, do it.

If there isn’t, all the worrying in the world isn’t going to change anything.

All you’re doing is making yourself miserable.

Sometimes thinking about what could happen is actually worse than the event itself. This, again, is human nature.

By concerning ourselves with things outside our sphere of influence, we start to consider all kinds of possibilities, however unrealistic. Worse still, typically we start to fixate on the ways things could go wrong rather than how they could go right. Have you ever wondered why many newspapers seem full of bad stories? Simply because that’s what captures human imagination. In other words, it’s what sells.

Nobody should ever

claim that preventing ourselves from worrying is easy. In fact, worry in and of itself can sometimes be a positive. It can motivate us to action, to do something to change our situation. However, it can only do that when we are actually able to influence events, otherwise it’s futile.

That said, how can we avoid stressing over things we can’t do anything about? One useful technique is to get a blank piece of paper and write down your stream of thoughts. You don’t need to structure your writing, just let the ideas flow from your brain to the page. What this does is subconsciously send a signal to your mind that you’ve dealt with that particular issue, you’ve taken action. You may never actually do anything tangible about the issue but without you perhaps even realising it, your brain feels you’ve done something. If that’s all you can do, fine, leave it on the paper and get on with something you can alter the outcome of. That is, after all, a better use of your time.

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‘Pre heritage event maintains important links to Kilkenny famine orphan survivors’ ON 27th January at 11am, the team at MacDonagh Junction are hosting the previously postponed Heritage Week talk and are inviting people to join them online for a presentation from Sydney, Australia as we reconnect to the stories of our Orphan Girls.

Eighty-seven of the 4,114 young women who left Ireland between June 1848 and April 1850 during the Irish Famine were from one of the two Kilkenny workhouses: 28 from Callan and 59 from Kilkenny itself. Dr Perry McIntyre will join us from Sydney to give an outline of the background to what has come to be known as the Earl Grey scheme and focus on the lives of a few of the Kilkenny girls in Australia.

Perry has worked as an historian, archivist, and genealogist for over 40 years. She has been a councillor at the Society of Australian Genealogists, the History Council of NSW (President 2005-06), the Royal Australian Historical Society, Australian Catholic Historical Society, the Great Irish Famine Commemoration Committee

- GIFCC (Chair 2012-15; 201820) and her local society, Mosman Historical Society. She has published and spoken widely on immigration. Her PhD on convict family reunion, published as Free Passage by Irish Academic Press in 2010 was republished

by Anchor Books Australia in 2018. She is a director of Anchor Books Australia, formed to make good quality Australian history publically available. In 2020 she resigned from the GIFCC to concentrate on researching the 4,114 young women who emigrated from the workhouses in Ireland during the famine but continues to update the summary life stories of these young women on the GIFCC website: https://irishfaminememorial/ org/ searchable by name and or county.

The Great Irish Famine Commemoration Committee continues to hold an annual event onsite at the Irish Famine Memorial at Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney on the last Sunday in October, the day the Memorial was unveiled in 1999. Details can be found on the above website as the day approaches.

Centre Manager Marion Acreman said “this event gives us the opportunity to continue our heritage and genealogy outreach to the families of the descendants of the young girls forced to leave Kilkenny in search of a better life in Australia during the darkest period in our recent history. Over the last ten years we have made meaningful and lasting connections to the families of some of the 59 girls who spent time in this Workhouse and we look forward to building more connections as a result of our ongoing work around the heritage of the Kilkenny Union Workhouse. The Kilkenny Famine Experience, a free AV tour, which is available daily at MacDonagh Junction has seen almost 8,000 visitors to date and has become a very meaningful part of the recorded famine history of the City.

To register for this Free online event please email info@macdonaghjunction.com Note: Participants who registered for the original Heritage Week event need not reapply as they will be contacted separately with new event invitation.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

News Photo: Bex Arts

Can dogs be trained to sniff out Covid?

BY LINDA GEDDES NOSE and throat swabs have been the go-to method for diagnosing Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

But the latest diagnostic weapon requires no laboratory equipment: just a leash and a pocket of doggie treats.

Dogs have up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, compared to our five million, making them supremely sensitive to scent. Over the past two decades various studies have suggested that they can distinguish between healthy individuals and those with

various types of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and hospital acquired infections such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). One recent study also suggested that dogs could detect asymptomatic malaria infections in children with 73% reliability, by sniffing their used socks.

Various countries are now investigating whether dogs could similarly be used to detect people who are infected with coronavirus, with some early clinical trial data suggesting that they can.

Although dogs are still not as accurate as PCR tests for COVID-19, they have the advantage of speed.

In the case of cancer, scientists have established that changes in certain cellular proteins during tumour growth can trigger chemical reactions in the membranes that surround cells, releas-

ing gaseous compounds that can be detected on people’s breath or in their urine.

However, for coronavirus, and other viral or bacterial infections, it is unclear whether the dogs are detecting the scent of the pathogens themselves, or changes they trigger in our bodies when we are infected.

It takes around eight to ten weeks to train a dog to detect coronavirus. The dogs are initially trained to detect a non-biological target scent, and to indicate when they have found it, using their own unique “tell sign”, eg sitting down or wagging their tail. They are rewarded with an edible treat or toy for correctly indicating a positive sample or correctly ignoring a negative one.

Once they’ve mastered these basic principles, the dogs are trained using clothes or face-coverings

worn by people who had tested positive, and negative for Covid-19.

Gun dog breeds such as Labradors, Golden Retrievers and Spaniels make particularly good medical detection dogs. Not only do they enjoy the “game” element of searching out scents, but they also tend to be temperamentally wellsuited to working with humans in public places.

Two recent studies have suggested that dogs can distinguish between clothes or sweat samples collected from infected and noninfected individuals with a high degree of accuracy. In one study, researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Durham University in the UK, together with the British charity Medical Detection Dogs, found that dogs could rapidly, and non-invasively

detect Covid-19 with up to 94.3% sensitivity – meaning that they would correctly identify 94 out of every 100 infected people. This compares with a sensitivity of 97.2% for PCR tests, and 58-77% for rapid lateral flow tests. The dogs were also 92% correct in identifying negative samples, the research suggested. The study involved 3,921 adults, with odour samples collected from 1,097 infected and 2,031 uninfected individuals.

In the second study, researchers led by Dominique Grandjean at France’s National Veterinary School in Paris found that trained dogs were able to detect the presence of the virus with 97% accuracy, and were 91% correct in identifying negative samples. 335 people and nine trained dogs were involved in the study, with 109 people found to be CO-

VID-19 positive via a subsequent PCR test.

However, neither study has yet been peer-reviewed, and further research is needed to confirm that dogs can achieve the same degree of accuracy when presented with infected humans in real-world settings such as airports, rather than scraps of fabric in laboratory conditions Training dogs takes time, and there would never be enough dogs – or handlers – to screen entire populations. Where they could be more useful is at public transport hubs, such as airports, where they could rapidly screen disembarking passengers – particularly those arriving from high-risk countries – much as trained drugs and explosives sniffer dogs already do.

Article from gavi.org.

Seasonal Covid and flu booster vaccine plan SPEAKING at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Monday, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said his company planned to offer a seasonal booster shot that would cover Covid-19 as well as other respiratory illnesses like flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), reports euronews.com.

“Our goal is to be able to have a single annual booster so that we don’t have compliance issues where people don’t want to get two to three shots a winter, but they get one dose where they get a booster for corona, a booster for flu and RSV,” Bancel said.

But Bancel also suggested

that the issue of vaccine inequality could continue, saying of the estimated 2023 introduction for the combined booster, “I don’t think it will happen in every country”.

Also on Monday, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla suggested that the current wave of Omicron could be the last of the Covid-19 pandemic to

require restrictions on work and social life.

“The most likely scenario is that the virus will continue to circulate for a number of years. It’s a virus that has spread throughout the entire world and it’s very difficult to get rid of it,” he said.

Catching a cold can protect against Covid - but you

should still get a vaccine, say researchers “But I think that with the tools science has given us, this wave will be the last to bring with it these kinds of restrictions”.

In comments to French broadcaster BFMTV, Bourla echoed Moderna boss Bancel’s opinion that annual

Covid-19 vaccinations would be a fact of life for years to come.

“For me, the important thing is to make three doses a complete vaccination, followed by an annual dose, except for immunocompromised people who could receive a booster every four months,” he said.

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Irish consumers are making conscious decisions to buy locally sourced products.

Could you be the next Grow with Aldi winner?

ENTRY for the Grow with Aldi 2022 programme closes today (Friday). The supermarket is looking for business innovators; the bold, the brave, the fearless and the future thinkers who want to get to the next level.

Whether you are an artisan cheese supplier, adventurous chilli chocolate connoisseur or innovative baker, Grow with Aldi could be the programme for you.

Grow with Aldi is a supplier development programme helping the very best small to medium sized Irish suppliers in building their brand. The mentor scheme is undertaken in conjunction with Bord Bia,

and Aldi want to champion those game changing, risk taking creatives and trendsetters that produce top-notch Irish products and make them accessible for all.

Following strong success in recent years, the programme is now entering its fifth year where food and non-food applicants can enter their product in January, face a judging panel in February and if successful, have their product launched in all 149 Aldi stores nationwide in May as part of the Grow with Aldi Specialbuy promotion. The adventure doesn’t stop there as from the Specialbuy bunch, up to six winners will be chosen

and offered further opportunities with Aldi.

This will include mentoring and development through a number of workshops such as Buying Process, Supply Chain Management and Social Media Marketing, followed by a number of individual mentoring sessions with the Aldi Buying team, the Aldi Marketing team and Bord Bia technical experts.

Speaking about the 2022 programme launch, John Curtin, Aldi Ireland Group Buying Director, said, “We are now in year five of the Grow with Aldi programme, supported over 200 Irish producers on this journey and invested over €5.5

million to make these longterm partnerships a reality.

We are inviting producers to enter … and demonstrate their innovation and creativity in product development for an opportunity to win a 12month listing in all 149 stores nationwide. We can’t wait to see what amazing products we discover during this year’s programme.”

In 2021, 117 products from 63 Irish suppliers went on sale as part of the Grow with Aldi Specialbuys events in June and November. Having been highly commended by the judging panel, The Fig Tree restaurant from Kilkenny was one of just six producers

Pictured front row, far right, Thomas Clarke, The Fig Tree, High Street, Kilkenny was picked for the Grow with Aldi 2021 programme.

to secure the opportunity to become a core or seasonal range listing in Aldi stores. Th Fig Tree’s Honey & Cayenne Dressing and Original House Style Dressing launched as an Aldi Specialbuy on September 23, 2021, and is due to return to shelves for a six-month period in April this year.

The other five producers were: Cookie Dó (Tallaght, Co. Dublin), ChanChan (Firhouse, Co. Dublin), Woodfire & Green (Sandyford, Co. Dublin), Vanilla Bean Patisserie (Ballinagh, Co. Cavan) and Blackcastle Farm (Blackcastle, Co. Tipperary).

“Now in its fifth year, the success of Grow with Aldi is

Flexible work to become a reality in 2022 THE right to request a flexible work arrangement is set to become a reality this year for Irish workers as the EU’s Work Life Balance Directive must be implemented by the Government by October this year.

The EU Directive means that employees who are in a caring role such as parents or carers will have the right “to request” flexible work arrangements.

The new EU Directive will only offer employees the right to request flexible work arrangements but employers will not be under an obligation to grant the request.

Karen O’Reilly, founder of Employflex, said the Government now has a chance to lead the way in Europe when it comes to flexible work practices.

“This year the Irish Government must implement this new legislation from the EU on the right for carers

Karen O’Reilly and Helen Walsh of Employflex.

and parents to request flexible work arrangements,” Ms O’Reilly said.

“If the Irish Government went a step further and opened this up to everyone in the workplace, not just carers and parents, this would be a real commitment to changing the flexible work landscape and help Ireland gain competitive advantage in the global war for talent,” she added.

Ms O’Reilly urged the Government to find ways that flexible work arrangements can work for everyone.

“If the pandemic has shown us anything, when it comes to work it is that workers are resilient and new ways of working can work for everyone. Work/ Life balance is so important and employers and employees must work together to ensure this is achievable,” she added.

Employflex is establish-

ing a flexible work friendly database which will include flexible friendly workplaces.

To obtain the accreditation, companies must meet nine out of 10 criteria which will be judged by the company.

“We want to separate the companies that are just paying lip service to their flexible work policy from the companies that are truly embracing a flexible work culture,” said Karen.

“Hybrid and remote work are not the same as flexible work. Flexible work can be small but important gestures such as having an hour off in the morning and afternoon for school drop-offs or having an extended lunch break to care for a loved one.

Flexible work can also be compressed hours, full time with flexibility, annualised hours, job share, term time and part time. We need to ensure Flexible Work is not just a luxury but a right.”

”

a testament to the fantastic quality of food and drink products being created by local Irish suppliers,” said Gillian Willis Bord Bia Small Business manager.

“Recent research from the Bord Bia Thinking House has shown that more and more Irish consumers are making conscious decisions to buy locally sourced products, so having the Grow with Aldi programme support some long-term success stories plays an important role in showcasing the innovative products that we as a small nation can create. Bord Bia is proud to partner with a programme that provides new development and growth opportunities for its suppliers each year.”

Why not inject some ‘Adventure into your Venture’ this year and join the Grow with Aldi programme to utilise new opportunities, connections and take the next step in your business journey.

To register or find out more about the Grow with Aldi programme 2022, visit www.aldi. ie/grow.

Search is on for Texaco young artists 2022 THE search to find the young artists who will excel in this year’s Texaco Children’s Art Competition has begun.

Last year two students from Co. Kilkenny won prizes in the competition, which is now in its 68th year and widely acknowledged as the longest running arts sponsorship in Ireland.

Distinguished past winners include artists Dorothy Cross, Graham Knuttel and Robert Ballagh, fashion designer Paul Costello, broadcasters Thelma Mansfield and Terry Prone, ICTU General Secretary David Begg, novelist Clare Boylan, actress Jean Anne Crowley and musician Ethna Tinney.

The closing date for entries is Monday, 28th February. Judging will take place in April with winners to be announced in May. Details are available at www. texacochildrensart.com or at Texaco service stations throughout the county.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

Your Money

When is a choice not a choice?

BY JOHN ELLIS FINANCIAL ADVISOR

ACCORDING to Active Retirement Ireland, the country’s largest representative body for older people, Christmas – a time of supposedly peacefulness and joy – was for many older people living on the state pension a time of difficult decisions: heating or groceries, gifts for the family or taking part in Christmas social events.

The number of pensioners falling into poverty in 2022 is set to increase as a result of random Government gestures such as the €5 pension increase and the proposed €100 to everyone’s providers on their behalf.

The organisation is encouraging the Government to take action for older people in relation to the rising cost of living. Recently, Maureen Kavanagh, CEO of Active Retirement Ireland, said, “Inflation is currently at an all-time high, and Active Retirement Ireland is concerned that many older people who are already having to stretch their pensions just to cover basic living costs will find themselves having to choose

between essentials in the coming year.

Active Retirement Ireland repeatedly calls on the Government to triple-lock the state pension as the Budget 2022’s pension increase of a flat €5 per week is grossly inadequate and does not sufficiently address the increased cost of living for older people.

Triple lock means guaranteeing either a minimum increase of 2.5% or the rate of inflation in that year, or meet the average earnings growth, whichever is the largest.

The gap between the cost of living and the pension is widening every year, according to Maureen Kavanagh, who said, “By failing to act to protect older people by adequately funding and guaranteeing the state pension to provide income security for a good quality of life, the government continues to show complete disregard for the wellbeing of older people and neglect the core principles of the National Positive Ageing Strategy.”

While we wait for Gov-

ernment to listen and act, what should you be doing to maintain even modest standards of living? Remember when you retire you are getting back at least 50 hours per week in retirement and as you know even when working it’s so easy to spend money when you are bored, tired, anxious or just with nothing much to do.

The Retirement Planning Council of Ireland (RPC) suggest the following: Get organised today, this day! Start thinking about your

finances by establishing new saving and spending habits to overcome common financial mistakes in 2022.

Make a plan. With rising inflation, it’s imperative to keep a close eye on your outgoings. It will allow you to closely monitor income and outgoings to ensure you have a grasp on your financial position.

Budget to the nth degree.

Include coffees, lunches, books and clothes.

Use cash during the first weeks of retirement. Real spending instead of tapping a bank card. This will help you to measure and control your spending. (Currently this advice might not be so easy to follow during the pandemic, as most retailers prefer card and contactless payment methods.

File a tax return. In our last column we warned that people leave many tax reliefs unclaimed. By not making regular tax returns you may miss out on the allowances and credits you are entitled, and Revenue will allow you to claim relief for the past four years.

Make monthly instalment payments. Pay for big ticket items over 12 months such as motor and home insurers. Even TV licence fees can also be paid by monthly instalments if you haven’t yet

qualified for the Household Benefits package. Open a budget account with the local credit union to help with this.

Shop around and ask for discounts. The “Grey Euro” carries a premium! Make the most of it. Many retailers offer discounts to older people, usually on specified days of the week. “Golden Years” discounts are also available from some theatres and cinemas with gyms offering reduced membership prices for daytime hours when other members are at work.

Are you nearing retirement? Then book a course with RPC. The “Planning for Retirement” course will help people 12 to 24 months from retirement by promoting a holistic approach to retirement planning by supporting, informing, and guiding people through practical courses and seminars that talk through the financial and lifestyle changes retirement can bring and help people prepare for the time ahead.

And they provide lifetime support free of charge to people who take part in their courses including access to the Programme Leader and specialist speakers after you have completed a course. john@ellisfinancial.ie 086 8362633.

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Science & Wellbeing

BY DON ARNOLD ALL memory storage devices, from your brain to the RAM in your computer, store information by changing their physical qualities. More than 130 years ago, pioneering neuroscientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal first suggested that the brain stores information by rearranging the connections, or synapses, between neurons.

Since then, neuroscientists have attempted to understand the physical changes associated with memory formation. But visualising and mapping synapses is challenging to do. For one, synapses are very small and tightly packed together.

They’re roughly 10 billion times smaller than the smallest object a standard clinical MRI can visualise. Furthermore, there are approximately one billion synapses in the mouse brains researchers often use to study brain function, and they’re all the same opaque to translucent colour as the tissue surrounding them.

A new imaging technique my colleagues and I developed, however, has allowed us to map synapses during memory formation. We found that the process of forming new memories changes how brain cells are connected to one another.

While some areas of the brain create more connections, others lose them.

Previously, researchers focused on recording the electrical signals produced by neurons. While these studies have confirmed that neurons change their response to particular stimuli after a memory is formed, they couldn’t pinpoint what drives those changes.

To study how the brain physically changes when it forms a new memory, we created 3D maps of the synapses of zebrafish before and after memory formation. We chose zebrafish as our test subjects because they are large enough to have brains that function like those of people, but small and transparent enough to offer a window into the living brain.

To induce a new memory THE man next to you coughs.

You remember it is flu season.

Your throat begins to feel a little itchy, and your body temperature starts to rise. It has only been seconds since the man coughed — far too soon for an infection to cause symptoms. Is it all in your head? Is the brain capable of causing these symptoms on its own?

Psychosomatic illness — a physical illness caused by mental factors, such as memories and emotions — is not a new idea. In fact, it might be one of the oldest medical models. In previous centuries, ‘mental factors’ were described as an individual’s ‘spiritual factors’. Regardless of what you call them, they cause very real ailments: hypertension, chronic pain, impotence, and dermatitis, just to name a few.It may come as no surprise that our brains store memories of past diseases. We are conscious of some of those memories:

Thanks for the memories! ... seriously, though, how does our brain store our memories? in the fish, we used a type of learning process called classical conditioning. This involves exposing an animal to two different types of stimuli simultaneously: a neutral one that doesn’t provoke a reaction and an unpleasant one that the animal tries to avoid. When these two stimuli are paired together enough times, the animal responds to the neutral stimulus as if it were the unpleasant stimulus, indicating that it has made an associative memory tying these stimuli together.

As an unpleasant stimulus,

we gently heated the fish’s head with an infrared laser.

When the fish flicked its tail, we took that as an indication that it wanted to escape. When the fish is then exposed to a neutral stimulus, a light turning on, tail flicking meant that it’s recalling what happened when it previously encountered the unpleasant stimulus.

To create the maps, we genetically engineered zebrafish with neurons that produce fluorescent proteins that bind to synapses and make them visible. We then imaged the

synapses with a custom-built microscope that uses a much lower dose of laser light than standard devices that also use fluorescence to generate images. Because our microscope caused less damage to the neurons, we were able to image the synapses without losing their structure and function.

When we compared the 3D synapse maps before and after memory formation, we found that neurons in one brain region, the anterolateral dorsal pallium, developed new synapses while neurons predomi-

Psychosomatic diseases and the role of memory

nantly in a second region, the anteromedial dorsal pallium, lost synapses. This meant that new neurons were pairing together, while others destroyed their connections. Previous experiments have suggested that the dorsal pallium of fish may be analogous to the amygdala of mammals, where fear memories are stored.

Surprisingly, changes in the strength of existing connections between neurons that occurred with memory formation were small and indistinguishable from changes how miserable the symptoms were, the days spent in bed, the chicken soup. But most of the memories are stored in the subconscious, most notably, the memory of how the immune system responded to the disease. Studies over the last few decades have led scientists to believe that these “memories of immune responses” cause psychosomatic illnesses. Blocking these memories not only alleviates psychosomatic illnesses but ‘real’ illnesses as well, according to a recent study published in the journalCell.In 1974, Robert Ader and Nicholas Cohen accidentally discovered the immune system could be conditioned. They were studying if mice could be conditioned to dislike a taste. They gave mice sweetened water, followed by an injection of a drug that causes nausea. After two months, the mice learned to avoid the sweet water after the initial taste. No surprise there. No

in control fish that did not form new memories. This meant that forming an associative memory involves synapse formation and loss, but not necessarily changes in the strength of existing synapses, as previously thought.

Our new method of observing brain cell function could open the door not just to a deeper understanding of how memory actually works, but also to potential avenues for treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions like PTSD and addiction.

Associative memories tend to be much stronger than other types of memories, such as conscious memories about what you had for lunch yesterday. Associative memories induced by classical conditioning, moreover, are thought to be analogous to traumatic memories that cause PTSD. Otherwise harmless stimuli similar to what someone experienced at the time of the trauma can trigger recall of painful memories. For instance, a bright light or a loud noise could bring back memories of combat.

Our study reveals the role that synaptic connections may play in memory, and could explain why associative memories can last longer and be remembered more vividly than other types of memories.

Currently the most common treatment for PTSD, exposure therapy, involves repeatedly exposing the patient to a harmless but triggering stimulus in order to suppress recall of the traumatic event. In theory, this indirectly remodels the synapses of the brain to make the memory less painful. Although there has been some success with exposure therapy, patients are prone to relapse. This suggests that the underlying memory causing the traumatic response has not been eliminated.

It’s still unknown whether synapse generation and loss actually drive memory formation. * This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. one likes nausea, including mice. But then something unexpected happened: the mice that were forced to continue drinking the sweetened water started to die from infections at an alarming rate.

The drug they used to induce nausea also temporarily suppresses the immune system. The scientists had stopped giving the mice the drug, but even in the absence of the drug, the mice’s immune system was still being suppressed, thus they couldn’t fight simple infections. This meant that when mice tasted sweet water, the brain identified two typical responses: (1) avoid the water, and (2) suppress the immune system.

Ader and Cohen concluded that the brain stores memories of immune responses to stimuli; when it re-encounters those stimuli, the brain tries to replicate the previous immune response all by itself.

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Travel & Leisure CLAIMING some of Europe’s best-preserved Roman monuments, it’s easy to see why the lively city of Nîmes is also known as ‘the French Rome’. And with an enchanting old town and excellent restaurants and shopping, it easily holds up to other, better-known destinations in the South of France — or indeed Italy — as a short-break destination. With its palm trees and golden-stone buildings, there’s a distinctly Mediterranean vibe to Nîmes — located just a couple of hours north west of Marseilles. It’s compact too, making it a breeze to explore on foot.

There are cultural events all year round, as well — the annual highlight being Les Grands Jeux Romains, when hundreds of gladiatorcostumed actors re-enact the bloody battles and fiercely contested races their ancestors experienced.

The epicentre of the city’s Roman past is the 69fthigh, 24,000-seat Roman Amphitheatre of Nîmes. It’s impossible to miss at the heart of the city, and, as the best-preserved arena outside Italy, it’s worth exploring the nooks and crannies behind the main arena where animals, slaves and soldiers would’ve been kept waiting before their battles. Climb to the top tier to see if you can count the peaks of the seven hills that surround the city — another uncanny echo of Rome.

Just next to the arena is the Musée de la Romanité, which opened in 2018, its rippling, white mosaic facade designed to represent the folds in a Roman toga.

Inside, you can admire the millennia-old artefacts, including exquisite mosaic floors, as well as 21stcentury, interactive digital exhibits that bring elements of Roman times to life.

Nearby is the Musée des Cultures Taurines, home to a collection of bull-fighting artefacts, from matador items to an entire exhibit dedicated to legendary matador José Tomas and the historic corrida of 12 September 2012, in which he fought a record-breaking six bulls in the arena. The arena also

Nîmes, the French city packed with Roman history

History is writ large across the southern French city — alongside its Roman relics and ruins are glimpses of a proud textile heritage and trendy, thriving cafe culture, writes Carolyn Boyd hosts the biannual Feria de Nîmes, a Spanish-style bullfighting event held in the city officially since 1952.

If you’re more into music than matadors, then you’ll want to check out the monthlong Nîmes Métropole Jazz Festival, which takes place each autumn.

From the Arena, it’s a short stroll to Nîmes’ old town,

Venice to charge us to visit city

a warren of cobbled lanes that weave between enticing food stores, chic boutiques and sun-drenched squares, such as the Place du Marché, with its Bronze Crocodile and Palm Tree fountain — a sculptural representation of the city’s two emblems.

Take a table outside Pâtisserie Courtois for a coffee and macaron while

watching the daily goings-on in the city. Don’t forget to try calissons: diamond-shaped almond confections that are a speciality of the region — you’ll find some of the best at Pâtisserie Francin, just a few steps from the Musée de la Romanité. Alternatively, tuck into the city’s own speciality, croquants, an orange-flower and almond biscuit best

AN online payment and reservation system is in the works for Venice.

The details are still being finalised, but day-trippers should be prepared to book tickets in advance to enter the city’s historic center.

It seems Venice is finally putting measures in place to curb excessive tourism, an issue that has been plaguing the city for years. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, 25 to 30 million tourists would descend on La Serenissima a year, clogging its narrow streets, polluting the canals, and pushing locals out as historic apartments were given over to short-term rentals.

Once the centre of a wealthy

and powerful maritime republic, Venice’s population has dwindled to around 50,000. The situation was so dire that the UNESCO World Heritage Committee considered putting the city on its list of endangered heritage sites.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro first announced a plan to charge tourists a fee to visit the city in December 2018, but it was put on hold during the pandemic.

Now it seems the city will begin requiring tourists to reserve a ticket in advance starting sometime this year, but the details are still being finalised, including how much tourists will be charged, how it will be enforced, and the exact date of

savoured from city institution Maison Villaret, on Rue de la Madeleine.

Calissons, a traditional sweet from the South of France — you’ll find some of the best at Pâtisserie Francin, just a few steps from the Musée de la Romanité.

Squirrelled away in the backstreets, many of the city’s most elegant buildings have implementation.

“We are working on perfecting a system of obligatory reservations for the city, to discourage daytripping and encourage high-quality, experiential tourism,” Dr Letizia Di Maglie, the secretary of Venice city council said. “Venice is paving the way on a global level for the development of an unprecedented system for offsetting the negative consequences of overtourism.”

Di Maglie confirmed that for tourists staying in hotels and other structures, Venice will be accessible without any limitations and that the city’s goal is to control the flow of visitors from a “smart

striking courtyards hidden behind their gates. These hôtels particuliers (‘hotel’ means ‘mansion’ in this case, rather than lodgings) were built by wealthy textile merchants throughout the centuries. Visit Hôtel de Bernis, with its an extraordinary 15th-century gothic facade and 17thcentury arched courtyard that was inspired by the city’s amphitheatre.

The 18th century also saw Nîmes create one of Europe’s first public gardens, the elegant Jardins de la Fontaine. The park was built around the ancient water source that first drew the Romans to the town, and its centrepiece is the firstcentury Temple of Diana, built close to the source itself. The rest of the gardens’ design is just as ornate as its main attraction sounds: think waterfalls, ponds, sweeping staircases and exotic plants.

There’s plenty more ancient history to discover: towering above the gardens is the Tour Magne, the only remaining part of Nîmes’ ancient Augustan fortifications.

Climb to the top of the 59ft structure and survey the city’s red roofs from on high.

From there, it’s a leisurely wander back to town via the Castellum Divisorium, a Roman water reservoir, and then on to the Maison Carrée, an impeccably preserved second-century Roman temple whose striking form and soaring columns inspired the famous Madeleine Church in Paris.

But when it comes to Roman history, the pièce de la résistance is the Pont du Gard. This astonishing, three-tier aqueduct is half an hour from Nîmes (take the 121 bus) and arches magnificently across the Gard river. It’s well worth the journey for the structure alone but don’t miss the excellent museum, too, full of exhibits that explain how the aqueduct was part of an extraordinary, 2,000-year-old engineering project. *A fuller version of this is published in the January/ February 2022 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK) Follow them on social media control room” using artificial intelligence, which will also help regulate transportation and other services. No word on the (somewhat controversial) use of turnstiles.

Critics of the plan believe that installing turnstiles at the entrances to Venice’s historic center will give visitors the impression that they’re entering an amusement park like Walt Disney World. De Bonis agrees that turnstiles are not the way to go. He suggests a system similar to Italy’s current green pass system instead: Anytime visitors enter a restaurant, museum, or other venue, they would have to show on an app that they have paid the city tax.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

Community Community Group

It’s never too late to start something new

AS one year ends another one starts. As always, we make or New Years’ resolutions, or as I like to call it our to do list for the first week of the new year, but it also the time, regardless of our age or physical well-

ness to look to the future with the optimism as it is never too late to start something new.

Now as we sit at the kitchen table with a cup of your favorite blend of tea, coffee or a nice cup of soup, it is

hard not to notice that there is a stretch in the evenings already. The scientists tell us that our daylight stretches by 2 minutes 8 seconds a day or over 15 minutes per week. As we have peered through that

same window for the past 24 months, now, maybe the time to say “It is time to get back out there” We have by now got the jabs including our ‘Booster’ the big out doors are calling. As

we have long spells of good weather let’s look to what we should consider doing. Walks in the open-air are great not just for our physical health but the boost to it can give to our mental wellness is impossible to measure.

In Kilkenny we are blessed with the public places we have available to explore and I am sure trickier memories from years gone by. Our Castle Park is one of the most beautiful places, not only in Ireland but in Europe. The pathways are always clear and have what is required not just by me, but I am sure others of my age, seating. A nice walk at a suitable pace and then a little rest where we can view all the activities of ‘a day in the park’ where soon the native bird songs will fill the coming spring air as they hustle and bustle to make a nest to raise another brew of chicks.

On the Eastern side of the Town we have ‘The Fen’. This is the only ‘Fen’, or the ‘Bog’ as I called it in my early days, as we played Tarzan of the Jungle exploring the ‘Serengeti of Newpark’, in a European city. With its walk way right around The Fen we can hear and see the native animals as they make themselves ready for the year to come.

Now I have a personal bias not just to Newpark’s Fen

but the most beautiful of woodlands just North of our city, Jenkinstown wood. This incredible Coillte park is just amazing. Maybe a group of our vaccinated peers can take the quick spin out the Castlecomer Road, or as my Dad sometimes referred to as ‘The back Road to Dublin’.

Now when turning left off the ‘Back road to Dublin’ there is a small carpark where you can pull up, sit out on the wonderfully constructed benches from felled Trees and listen to the River Dinan as it cuts it way through the woodlands.

On up the road and over the old bridge you will come to Jenkinstown Church and there you can take a long or short stroll trough the main woodlands of the park. Or, once again sit quietly to listen, watch nature in all its beauty.

So, let us plan a new adventure as we start into a new year. Get out and about.

Be it a long stroll or a short one, or just sit on a park or woodland bench. Take in the beauty of nature. Particular after 24 months of solitude, isolation and the fear of Covid 19 during lockdown. Get out a take a few short steps and a few big deep breaths of clear fresh air because remember ‘It’s Never too late to start something New’.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

News

Major road projects stalled IT’S emerged that two major road projects in the South East are not being funded this year.

The N24 Waterford to Cahir project had been mentioned in the National Development Plan – Project Ireland 2040 last October but Kilkenny County Council – the lead council to the plan – confirmed last week that money

has not been allocated for the works.

The Cork Examiner reports that the news sparked fury at a meeting of councillors, which heard the same fate has struck the 9.5km N25 Waterford to Glenmore road.

The N24 Waterford to Cahir scheme was to be 60km in length, from Junction 10 on the M8, north of Cahir, to the

southern terminal of the M9 motorway, in South Kilkenny. It has a projected cost of €600m-€720m.

Labour councillor with Kilkenny County Council Tomás Breathnach said it made little sense that the council had “signalled” that the consultation process for the N24 Waterford-Cahir was due to get under way this

week, only for the project to be stalled.

Seamus Kavanagh, senior engineer with Kilkenny County Council, told councillors the “lack of funding investment jeopardises” regional priorities agreed by State agencies, and said the council has written to Transport Infrastructure Ireland seeking fresh guidance on

the project.

Councillors urged a similar letter to the Minister for Transport.

Cathaoirleach Pat Dunphy called the news “a hell of a blow” to the region, saying it would impact both on safety and on trade, as traffic has increased as a result of Rosslare Europort’s expansion.

“Lives have been put on

Call for urgent action to tackle homecare crisis SOME 1,561 people in Kilkenny and Carlow are currently waiting for a carer to be allocated to them, despite receiving approval.

Figures released by the HSE to Sinn Féin spokesperson on Disability and Carers Pauline Tully show that almost 5,000 people nationwide are waiting for a carer to be allocated to them.

Sinn Féin TD for Carlow Kilkenny Kathleen Funchion has called on the government to act urgently to ensure carers are available to assist people who need home support, after new figures revealed shocking numbers of people left without much-needed support.

Commenting on the figures, Teachta Funchion said, “Figures released to Sinn Féin by the HSE in response to a parliamentary question expose a growing crisis when it comes to homecarers in Ireland.

“In total, 1,561 people have been approved for a carer in

CHO 5 area, which includes Carlow and Kilkenny , but despite this have not been allocated a carer due to severe shortages. Almost 5,000 people are in this unacceptable situation across the state.

“This is unacceptable. Sinn Féin has been warning for many years now of a looming crisis within the homecare system, as too many people who require homecare aren’t getting the hours that they need. This crisis has spiralled during the pandemic, yet the government has consistently failed to properly plan and put contingencies in place.

“Behind every statistic are real lives and real people who are being let down by the state.

People with disabilities and older people should have every right to lead full, independent lives and receive sufficient support from the state to meet their needs.

“In response to a parliamen-

tary question from Sinn Féin spokesperson on Disability and Carers, Pauline Tully TD, the government acknowledged that ‘factors, such as the contracts of employment on offer and employment terms and conditions being offered are a factor in the recruitment challenges faced by the sector’.

“I am calling on the government to engage with private and community and voluntary homecare providers to incentivise the progression of the terms and conditions they offer their staff and bring them into line with those employed directly by the HSE. “I am also calling on the government to reintroduce priority PCR testing for healthcare staff, including homecare workers, as well as relax the income and working hours limits for parttime homecare workers in receipt of social welfare payments to quickly introduce additional capacity to the homecare sector.

Farmers’ opinions invited for major survey

“This situation is not good enough for people here in Carlow Kilkenny and across the state. The government must stop burying their head in the sand on this issue and finally prioritise people with disabilities to ensure they get the support they deserve.”

Sinn Féin TD for Carlow Kilkenny, Kathleen Funchion.

Record job creation by Enterprise Ireland firms in 2021 NEW figures have revealed a 7% increase in the number of jobs created by Enterprise Ireland-backed firms in the South East region in the past year.

Enterprise Ireland’s end-ofyear statement also revealed that over two-thirds of new jobs backed by the company were created outside of Dublin.

The number of staff employed by Enterprise Ireland (EI) supported companies rose by 11,911 last year, despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is the highest jobs gain ever recorded by clients of the State agency in a single year.

207,894 people now work for companies that are assisted by EI, whose remit is the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets.

However, this is down on the 220,613 recorded last year, because as part of the formu-

lation of its new three-year strategy, EI updated the group of companies it included in its annual employment survey and found some could no longer be classed as clients, reducing the overall number.

In total, 20,342 new jobs were created by EI backed businesses in 2021, but job losses at other firms it supports reduced that net figure down to close to just under 12,000 The gains were made across all the manufacturing and internationally traded service sectors that Enterprise Ireland targets, with particular growth in life sciences where was a 14% boost in employment.

EI backed digital technology firms grew their staffing by 10%, and business services employment rose 12%.

Enterprise Ireland also provided €61.6m in funding to 341 companies that were impacted by Covid-19 last year.

1,048 approved projects also received a total of €14.6m under the Ready for Customs Grant aimed at preparing firms for the impact of Brexit.

“Enterprise Ireland has been working with businesses throughout the country to ensure they can quickly recover from the impact of Covid-19 and continue to adapt to the new trading relationship with the UK,” said EI Chief Executive Leo Clancy.

“It is very important and welcome to see job growth in every key economic sector and every region.”

Enterprise Ireland also launched a new three-year strategy, which aims to create 45,000 new jobs over the next three years.

It plans to increase exports

by EI clients to €30bn through the continued growth of export focused Irish firms across all regions.

The plan also aims to make

Ireland a “world-leading” location to start and scale a business and make Irish firms global leaders in sustainability and climate action.

The aim of Enterprise Ireland is to accelerate the development of Irish enterprises capable of achieving strong positions in global markets resulting in increased national and regional prosperity and purchasing power.

They provide financial support and advice to Irish technology companies, helping them in promoting goods and services to foreign markets.

Commenting on the figures, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar, TD emphasised that over 200,000 people now work in Enterprise Ireland client companies.

“It’s great to see Irish exporting companies performing so strongly last year notwithstanding the disruption to

hold” because of delays to planning permission applications, said Fianna Fáil councillor Eamon Aylward.”

On the N25 hold-up, Glenmore-based Fine Gael councillor Fidelis Doherty said it was especially concerning as “three people have lost their lives on a 100m stretch on the road in recent years”, including last month.

trade caused by Brexit and the pandemic. There was a net increase in employment of almost 12,000,” he said.

“I am particularly pleased that jobs growth occurred in all regions with almost 70% of new jobs growth occurring outside of Dublin and particularly strong growth in the North West and South East.”

Speaking to KCLR96FM, Kilkenny Fine Gael TD, John Paul Phelan, has also welcomed the figures.

“I want to see Kilkenny and the South East region continue to benefit from employment growth and a new Enterprise Ireland plan will be key to that,” he said.

“Enterprise Ireland are very clear that the new strategy will support the Government’s National Economic Plan which has a strong focus on creating more and better jobs, and in ensuring that job creation occurs throughout the country.”

IFAC, the farming, food and agribusiness professional services firm, is encouraging Kilkenny farmers to complete its Farm Survey and have their say about what’s important to them, their families and their farm businesses. The online survey takes approximately four minutes to complete and closes on January 28, 2022. Additionally, all participants who complete ifac’s survey will be entered into a draw for a €500 One4All voucher.

The findings of ifac’s nationwide survey will be published in its Irish Farm Report 2022, which will combine the results of this comprehensive farmer survey (1,700 farmers across the country participated in the survey in 2021) with emerging trends across all sectors.

Ifac’s Irish Farm Report 2021 revealed the true impact of Covid-19 on the farming community, from the accelerated adoption of technology on the farm to the rise in social isolation and loss of community engagement.

Dermot Carey, Partner at ifac’s Kilkenny office said, “Our annual Farm Survey uncovers invaluable insights about farming in Ireland today. The findings help our clients to make well-informed and positive financial decisions, and they inform our business strategy and the products and services our financial experts offer all our Kilkenny clients to support their business goals, from budgeting and succession planning to structure reviews and looking after their farm team.”

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

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Picture special Sheila Foley with her grandaughters the Kelly girls

Noelle and Evelyn Kennedy

Natasha Guilfoyle and Rebekeh Guilfoyle Bulici

Dianne Simms

Tommy Burke and Caitlin Cullen

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

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Picture special

About Out &

WITH

Danny Lahart

Anna McQuaid and Kevin Maguire Ger and Katherine Keogh

Mollie Burke and Aria Cullen

Richard and Jacinta Wall

Philip Comerford

The Dunphy and Power families

Kilkenny artist Davy Holohan

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Feature

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

Donall Mac Amhlaigh – the man behind the Irish Navy

Mac Amhlaigh, as pictured on the cover of his book Schnitzer O’Shea

This week, The Kilkenny Observer teams up with The Saturday Walkers group and we learn about the author of ‘An Irish Navvy-The diary of an exile’ Donall Mac Amhlaigh was born in Galway and grew up there and in Kilkenny.

He left school at fifteen, and worked in various jobs before joining the Irish speaking Regiment of the Army.

When he left the Army in 1951, he emigrated to work as an unskilled labourer in England.

His book, in Irish, covering this experience was translated by the diplomat and writer Valentine Iremonger as ‘An Irish Navvy, The Diary of an Exile’.

This excerpt is an entry for Monday, 12th March 1951, the day he emigrated.

This morning I signed on for the last time and then carried a hundredweight of coal home for my Mother.

I have everything done for her now, the garden planted and cleaned and the old house spruced up a bit on the outside.

I’ll be able to help her a bit more than that from now on when I’ll have a few pence to send to her from England.

I spent the day putting some kind of order into the old box I keep my papers in, and then went around saying goodbye to the neighbours.

Dónall Mac Amhlaigh’s original novel, Deoraithe, was published in 1986

Peter’s wife was very sorry at my going, the creature.

She was kindness itself always and, as for the other people in the district, it would be hard to surpass them.

I’d have liked nothing better than to have visited my relatives and old friends back in Galway but, alas I’ve only enough to get me across the water with a bit to spare.

The old lady kept her courage up wonderfully until the time came for me to set off.

The tears came then.

I didn’t delay too long bidding her good bye.

I hugged her once, grabbed my bag and off with me.

Indeed you would think even the cat knew I was going for she followed me out mewing piteously.

I stood at the head of the boreen to look back at the house, and there I saw my mother with her left hand up to her mouth as was her habit whenever she was worried about something.

Who did I meet then as I was crossing the bridge, but Sonny Cambell. Sonny spent a long time in the British Navy and anyone would think he gets money from the British Government for

sending people over from Ireland to join up.

He’s always running down this country, saying that it’s ridiculous for people to stay here seeing the good wages to be had beyond.

Some of the lads have a bit of devilment with him, rising him and quizzing him about life over there, but I’ve noticed that Sonny himself shows no sign of moving across.

He paused when he saw the bag that I was carrying “are you crossing over”? he enquired.

“I am brother”, I said.

“Good man”, he replied rubbing his hands together. “ it won’t be long till there is nobody left here at all”.

“They are all going. What is there for them here? You’ll never regret it. It won’t be long till I’m crossing over myself. Well good luck to you”.

He shook hands with me and took himself off, as pleased as if I had pressed a half sovereign into his fist.

As I went onto the platform to get on the train, my old dog Toppy was at my heels, however the devil he managed to follow me without me being aware of

him.

He looked so lonely sitting there on the platform that a lump came into my throat as the train pulled out.

I kept my nose to the window until Three Castles, Dunmore, and Ballyfoyle were out of sight.

I sat back then and wasn’t interested in anything else.

There was a good crowd on the boat with me.

The Princess Maud we were on, and my courage came back to me quickly enough once I found myself amongst them.

Before I had been two minutes aboard, who did I meet but the big fellow from Tooreen who had come into Renmore last year to enlist, and a girl from the same place with him.

They were off to London and another girl from round about Oughtereard with them also.

We got together straight away and I didn’t feel at all lonely while I was with them.

The Irish of the girl from Oughterard wasn’t as good as the Irish the other two spoke but there was nothing wrong with her apart from that.

I met many people from those parts who hadn’t any

Irish at all.

We only had time for a drop of tea when the boat started moving and before we knew where we were, we were edging away from the quay.

I got well to the back of the boat to have a good gander at Ireland and the bright lights North there of Dun Laoire, and suddenly I felt lonely all over again.

I started thinking about the old house with the pots of tea we’d drink before going to bed and my heart felt like a solid black mass inside my breast.

I didn’t leave the place until the last light had sunk out of sight. Only then did I go looking for the other three.

I stood on John Bull’s territory for the first time in my life on Tuesday morning when I got off the Irish Mail at Rugby.

I didn’t count Holyhead for that’s really Welsh and there was as much Welsh spoken there as there was Irish spoken on a fair day in Derrynea.

I lost my friends in the Custom Hall and I never saw them again.

I slept most of the way from there to Rugby and, when I left the train I had a two hour delay before I caught the train to North Hampton.

My heart sank all together then as I stood and, looked around the dirty ugly station.

Everything looked so foreign to me there. Round about six o’clock hundreds started pouring into the station, pallid pasty faces with identical lunch boxes slung from their shoulders.

They were all getting the train for work and their likes were getting off the train at the same time coming for work in Rugby, I suppose.

God save us I murmured to myself as I thought that nobody in Ireland would even be thinking of getting out of their beds for another couple of hours yet.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

Food & Drink

Dine Me Come

With

Pasta with salmon and peas Prep:5 mins Cook:10 mins - 12 mins Makes enough for 2 adults + 2 children

Make this salmon pasta in under 20 minutes for a dinner the whole family can enjoy. Kids will love the fun-shaped pasta while packing in fibre and omega-3.

Ingredients • 240g wholewheat fusilli • knob of butter • 1 large shallot, finely chopped • 140g frozen peas • 2 skinless salmon fillets, cut into chunks • 140g low-fat crème fraîche • ½ low-salt vegetable stock cube • small bunch of chives, snipped

Prep: 20 mins + 11 days Makes 10 litre batch Ingredients • 1.8kg sugar • 18 heads of elderflower • 8 lemons , zested and juiced • 5g sachet dry champagne yeast • You will also need a 2 x 12-litre fermenting bucket (ideally with airlock lid) muslin, sterilised.

Method STEP 1 Fully dissolve the sugar in 4l just-boiled water in a fermenting bucket. Add 6l cold water.

STEP 2 Shake any bugs loose from the elderflower, then strip the florets from the heads with a fork. Let the sugar water cool to 20C and stir in the lemon zest, juice, flowers and yeast. Cover, and leave to ferment out of direct sunlight for six days. If your bucket doesn’t have an airlock lid, gently rest the lid on top of the bucket.

STEP 3 Strain through boiled or sanitised muslin into the second sanitised bucket, leaving the sediment behind.

Leave it to sit for a couple of hours for any last pollen or sediment to settle.

STEP 4 Siphon into sanitised wine or fizzy drink bottles and seal. Leave for five days in a cool dark place. Check the carbonation by lightly opening the lids to vent excess CO2. Keep in fridge if notably vigorous.

If you drop the sugar to 1.6kg, it shouldn’t finish above 8% abv, at 2kg, 10%. Champagne yeast is tolerant up to at least 15%.

Method STEP 1 Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the fusilli according to the pack instructions.

ELDERFLOWER WINE Prep:10 mins 6 weeks fermenting, and up to a few months to clear Makes a 4.5 litre/1 gallon batch

STEP 2 Meanwhile, heat a knob of butter in a saucepan, then add the shallot and cook for 5 mins or until softened.

Ingredients • 25 heads elderflower • 200g sultanas , roughly chopped • 1 lemon , zested and juiced • 1kg sugar • 5g citric acid • 75ml cold black tea • 5g sachet wine yeast • 1 campden tablet

STEP 3 Add the peas, salmon, crème fraîche and 50ml water. Crumble in the stock cube.

STEP 4 Cook for 3-4 mins until cooked through, stir in the chives and some black pepper. Then stir through to coat the pasta. Serve in bowls.

Banana biscuits

Elderflower champagne

Prep:10 mins Cook:15 mins Makes 24 cookies Have a bunch of overripe bananas in the fruit bowl? These soft biscuits are easy for children to make and are perfect for using up browning bananas.

Ingredients • 75g salted butter • 100g light brown muscovado sugar • 1 medium egg • 1 medium ripe banana, mashed • 250g plain flour • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda • 1½ tsp cinnamon • 50g raisins, chocolate chips or pecan nuts (optional) Method STEP 1 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line two baking sheets with baking parchment.

STEP 2 Heat the butter in a small pan on the hob,

or in a heatproof bowl in a microwave on high in 30-second bursts, until melted.

Tip the butter into a mixing bowl if melted on the hob.

STEP 3 Stir the sugar into the melted butter with a wooden spoon, then beat in the egg until smooth. Stir in the mashed banana. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and a pinch of salt into the bowl and mix until it forms a soft dough. Add the raisins, chocolate chips or nuts, if using, and stir well until evenly distributed.

STEP 4 Use a teaspoon to drop small scoops of the mixture onto the prepared trays, spacing them well apart as they’ll spread.

It should make about 24 cookies. Bake for 10-12 mins until they are light brown on the edges and feel dry to the touch.

STEP 5 Leave on the tray for a couple of minutes to set, then lift onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.

Method STEP 1 Read our guides on how to clean brewing equipment and home brewing safety tips before you get started. Trim the elderflower florets off the stems with scissors or a wide-toothed comb into a clean bucket.

STEP 2 Add the sultanas, lemon zest and juice to the bucket. Dissolve the sugar and citric acid in 2l boiling water and pour into the bucket. Cover and leave for 8 hours or overnight to steep.

STEP 3 Add the tea and 2.5l cold water, stir, then sprinkle the yeast over. Cover and leave in a moderate (15-20C) spot, out of the sunlight, to ferment until the foam has died down – this usually takes five days, but could be up to 14.

STEP 4 Transfer into a clean bucket or demijohn, leaving the sediment behind. Top up to 4.5l with cooled boiled water if desired. Cover tightly (a lid with an airlock is recommended). Leave to ferment, this usually takes six weeks (little trails of bubbles are a visual indicator).

STEP 5 When the liquid stops bubbling and clears a little, transfer to a clean bucket, leaving the sediment behind and adding the campden tablet. Leave to clear, which may take a few months, then decant into sterilised bottles. Store in a cool, dark place. The wine will improve for up to 18 months.

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

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Watch this underrated new Netflix film

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One of Marvel’s many properties now at home on the Disney streaming platform is this Captain America spinoff. Hayley Atwell reprises her role as Peggy Carter, a US secret agent during the aftermath of World War II. While the series was canceled after two seasons on ABC, the period thriller received rave reviews from critics and is a must-watch for fans of spy dramas, Marvel, or Captain America.

Unlike some of its more highconcept counterparts, Andi Mack is simply about a girl named Andi Mack who is going to middle school with her friends. The foursome at the centre of the antics are Andi (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) Buffy (Sofia Wylie), Jonah (Asher Angel), and Cyrus. The series made headlines when it became the first Disney Channel show to feature an openly gay character. Cyrus’s coming-out scene is the sweetest thing, and you should go watch it right now.

NETFLIX has a wide range of Original films that have been well-received. In 2021, films like Don’t Look Up, The Power of the Dog, tick, tick... boom!, The Harder They Fall, Malcolm And Marie and more were some of the Netflix Original films that became an instant hit among fans.

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Directed by Valerie Weiss, the 2021 film Mixtape has received a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score and has received critical acclaim from a

host of cinema critics.

However, it has not managed to dominate the Top 10 charts on Netflix, proving yet again how viewers would rather mindlessly watch films like Red Notice instead of good quality content.

Starring Gemma Brooke Allen, Julie Bowen and Nick Thune, the film, which premiered on December 3 last, has been touted as a “nostalgia trip”.

Set in Spokane, Washington, in 1999, the film sees an orphaned middle schooler named Beverly being raised by her grandmother. On the

legendary Y2K eve, Beverly chooses an old mixtape made by her parents. Determined to connect with them by grappling onto their last remnant of memory, she sets out on a mission to find the songs on the tape.

On her journey, she forges unlikely friendships with unusual allies, including Ellen, her idiosyncratic neighbour, the intimidating Nick as well as a cynical record store owner named Anti, who might help her find all the tracks.

In this transformative, feelgood journey of connecting with one’s roots and trying

to find the true meaning of family, Beverly’s journey of self-discovery sees a beautiful and celebratory infusion of innocence, childhood, memories, angst and love.

The cast delivers an incredibly emotional performance that is heightened by the nostalgia of the late 1990s.

While the film has not yet been popular among Netflix viewers who are still watching The Unforgivable, The Witcher and other such chart-toppers, Mixtape has received rave reviews from critics and a 100 per cent rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

A reboot for sci-fi’s Quantum Leap QUANTUM LEAP was one of the best sci-fi shows of the ‘90s, which actually had very little sci-fi in it. The premise: a man from the future Sam Becket (played by Scott Bakula) takes part in a time travel experiment that goes wrong and dooms him to a life of leaping into other people’s lives of the past.

This meant that every episode was different, with the constant being his faithful cigar-smoking hologram companion Al

(played by the brilliant Dean Stockwell).

For those that grew up with it, it was a must watch.It’s been revealed that a pilot is in the works for a Quantum Leap reboot. The co-showrunners have been revealed and they are Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt. Lilien has written for a slew of event TV, including Gotham, Hawaii-50 and the ill-fated Alactraz. Wynbrandt also worked on Gotham and

Alcatraz as a producer.

The good news is that the original creator of the show is also on board, Don Bellisario, as exec producer as is Deborah Pratt who was an exec producer and (most importantly) the calming voice of Ziggy, Al’s communicator.

The cast right now is unknown but it would be great to see Scott Bakula play some part of the show.

The show is set 30 years af-

ter the original series (which makes sense given the finale aired in 1993), with the synopsis as follows: “It’s been 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished.

Now a new team has been assembled to restart the project in the hopes of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it.”

Ross Lynch stars as Austin, an outgoing performer who skyrockets to fame when he sings a song written

by Ally (Laura Marano), the musical other half/best friend/love interest.

Throw in Calum Worthy as Ross’s goofy friend/videographer and our lord and saviour Raini Rodriguez as the group’s manager, and you have the crew.

The Beatles are one of the most successful, iconic, and enduring bands of all time. Well, now Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame is here with a three-part documentary series detailing the recording of the band’s final studio album Let It Be (working title Get Back). The documentary uses footage from a previous documentary about the album and is a doc about a doc about the Beatles. It’s packed with music and delves into what it looks like to have four ultra-successful artists come back together to record an album after they’ve already broken up.

Fascinating.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson’s stunning overview of evolution and scientific advancement is now yours to stream. With episodes focusing on the big bang, light, astronomy, and electromagnetism, viewers get a crash course in the science that surrounds them, supported by all the graphs, images, and videos needed to make the material accessible. Also, the soundtrack, by Alan Silvestri, is breathtaking and worth appreciating in and of itself.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

Community & GAA Notes

Kilkenny GAA clubs and Community news

COUNTY HURLING Well done to Chris Bolger and Conor Phelan who were part of the Kilkenny team that beat Laois in Callan on Sunday in the first round of the Walsh Cup. It was an experimental Kilkenny outfit that took the field and Chris lined out at corner forward while Conor patrolled the sidelines as a selector. All in all it was a pleasing display by the Cats.

HANDBALL Congratulations to Clara’s Rory Glynn who became county U17 40 x 20 singles champion on Sunday after a keenly contested final against Ronan O’Brien of Windgap. Rory, who represents O Loughlins in handball, came through 21-18, 21-15 against a very game opponent who played to the bitter end. Thanks and well done also to Rory’s coach John Morrissey.

GAA St Lachtains Gaa club AGM which was due to be held on Friday the 21st January 2022 @ 7.30 pm has been postponed until further notice due to the present Covid restrictions and will be held at a new date when restrictions are lifted.

All updates on all activities St.Lachtains GAA can be followed on our social media pages both on Facebook and Twitter.

COMMUNITY ALERT Freshford/Threecastles Community alert group remind you that the annual text alert scheme membership is now due. It cost just 10euro per phone number and you can pay membership to any committee member.

If unsure or for more information please call Jacinta on 0877658671 or Anna on 0858277965 . New members are welcome and the group wish to thank you all for your continued support. With winter upon us now and the dark evenings and long nights you are reminded to take care of yourself and take care of your elderly neighbours or friends.

SYMPATHY Sincere sympathy is expressed to Willie and Josephine Bergin and their family of Cooleshall Freshford on the death last weekend of his brother in law Hugh Breen late of Grange. Thurles, Co.Tipperary. Funeral mass took place on Tuesday morning in The Church of the Sacred Heart Gotnahoe followed by private cremation.

Sympathy Is also extended to Brenda Kavanagh Buncrussia Street Freshford and all her family on the death recently of her sister in law Mrs. Ellen Maher late of Brittas Tullaroan. Funeral mass took place on Tuesday morning last in Tullaroan church followed by burial in Tullaroan Cemetery.

RECYCLE CHRISTMAS TREES. Christmas tree recycling drop off point is the same as previous years. The local one is at The Green Freshford and is operational for past week or two.

BABY Congratulations go out to Caoilfhionn Costigan and her partner Sean Corby on

the birth of their baby boy recently Iarlaith Anthony and to the proud local grandparents Tony and Mary Costigan, Cooleshall. The couple are living in Clogh and Sean is one of four Corby brothers who were on the Clogh/ Ballacolla hurling team in the Leinster Club finals recently NEW CROSSING Local residents are happy to see that the new pedestrian crossing at Kilkenny Street in the village is now fully operational making it safer to people to cross the busy street.

PLAYGROUND There was exciting news for Freshford last week with the announcement that Planning Permission has been granted for the long awaited village playground.

SOCCER Freshford Town had a few teams in action at the weekend. The U15 boys had a good win over city side Evergreen coming out deserving 3-1 winners. The goals coming from Noah Scott(2) and Colin McGree The junior side were beaten by Castlewarren Rory Glynn, newly crowned U17 handball county champion, with Windgap’s Ronan O Brien

in their home game on a 3-0 scoreline The training sessions for U8s finished up for the Christmas holidays and will resume shortly. All boys from 5 to 8 years old are welcome,so go along and join up.

RAFFLE The Soccer Club’s Christmas draw for a beautiful hamper was held in Kavanagh’s bar at the New Year and the lucky winner was young Freddie Cullen who was home on holiday from UK for the Christmas.

MACRA na FEIRME Macra na Feirme are looking to establish a new club in the Freshford area. Macra na Feirme is an organisation for young people between the ages of 17 and 35 who are interested in getting involved in sports, travel drama, debating or just want to meet new people and have some fun. To be a member of Macra you must join a Macra club in your area. This will open the door to new fiends and new activities. There are hundreds of clubs across Ireland bursting with activity who always welcome a new face. For more information please contact Training and Development Officer – Michael Wall on

0868359891 or email him at mwall@macra.ie BIRTHDAYS Special birthday wishes go out to local lad Paul Dermody of The Square who had a special birthday recently . Paul celebrated the big 30.

Also belated birthday wishes go out to another local lad Tommie Condon, The Square who also reached the big 30 recently.

ST. VINCENT de PAUL SOCIETY. Thanks to all who contributed to the annual Christmas collection for the St. Vincent de Paul Society recently. Please note that donations can be made anytime in the blue SVP envelopes which each household has received through An Post. These envelopes can be left in the parish collection box in the porch at Freshford Church or in the collection basket at Tulla Church.

DEATH The death took place recently of John Delaney (Jack) late of Kilrush Freshford.

The deceased who was in his 80s had been unwell for some time but nevertheless his death caused widespread regret and sorrow.

A quiet and good living gentleman John was one of three surviving members of the St.Lachtains hurling team of 1959 when he wore the number 7 jersey with pride. The team jersey was place on the coffin at the removal. He was well known and respected in the locality and amongst the greyhound community also. Funeral mass took place in Graine Church followed by burial in the adjoin cemetery. He is mourned by his wife Sadie, daughters Catriona, Annmarie and Bernadette, grandchildren, son in law, brother in law, sisters in law, nephews, nieces and extended family to whom deepest sympathy is extended.

PARISH NEWS Attendance at Masses at present are at 50pc capacity Mass in the Parish Church each Wednesday morning at 9.30am and on Sunday morning at 11am.wiith Mass in Tulla church on Saturday evenings at 8pm. While the obligation to attend Sunday mass is still suspended you are encouraged to return.

Safety measures remain in place which includes wearing of masks, social distancing and hand sanitising and full sanitation of the Church after every celebration The restoration of the Stations of the Cross in the Church continues with ten now completed and just four more to go. In order to continue the work you are invited to sponsor one of the stations maybe with your family or a group of your friends. The sponsors will be included in a special roll of honour displayed in the church as a lasting legacy. For further information re same you are asked to please contact Monsignor Kennedy NOTICES The parish newsletter is available on their website every week and also on the website you are free to pay your dues and make donations or any other contributions and you can find out more about it on the website or feel free to contact Jennifer in the Parish Office.

Please note community notices for the parish newsletter should be left in or emailed

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

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News Community & GAA Notes to the Parish Office by 11am on Thursdays.

MASS CARDS Special printed parish cards are available at the Parish Office or from Annette at Tulla Church signed by Monsignor Kennedy. You can contact the Parish office on 056 8832843 or by email – freshfordd@ossory.ie. Contact Mongr Kieron Kennedy HELP FOR ALL Are you struggling with anxiety or depression or finding life difficult or feeling isolated at this time GROW is there to help you. Their Mental Health support Groups are free and confidential and open to all no referral or booking is needed. For more information on same you can contact Mary on 087 284342 If you can’t cope and need support text HELLO to 50808 SAMARITAN - Whatever you’re going through a Samaritan will face it with you – available 24 hours a day 365 days a year – Freephone 1161Alone is available for older people who need support and you can call them on 0818 222024 (8am to 8pm) AMBER KILKENNY WOMENS REFUGE – is available for confidential support relating to domestic violence - call them on 1850 424244 (24/7) or on 056 7771404 or email into@amberwomensrefuge.ie.

EMERALDS GAA CLUB Mega Bingo: Every Sunday, 4pm at Urlingford GAA pitch. Gates open at 3pm. Single books and one sheet €10; Double books and two sheets €15. Extra jackpot sheet €3 or two for €5. Please support.

EMERALDS URLINGFORD AND GRAINE LOTTO January 10th prize fund was: €6,200.

Jackpot: €4,200.

Numbers drawn: 3, 5, 22 and 30, bonus no 24. No winner and one match three winner: Mary Butler.

Promoters prize: Power’s.Five lucky dips of €20 each: Geraldine Moore, John & Joan Norton, Emma Curran, Kila, Paul Minogue.

Next draw takes place on Monday, January 17th in the Clubrooms. Results next week.

URLINGFORD ON THE MOVE WALKING TRACK Works for the walking track are ongoing in the clubgrounds.Works will be completed shortly and the walkway will be ready to use within the coming weeks.

MILL FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE Free Adult Art Classes in the Centre every Thursday 10am-12pm, from January 20th for six weeks, if interested please contact the Centre.

Safe Pass Course: Being held in the Centre at end of February, few spaces available, please contact the Centre if interested.

BTEI Healthcare Course QQI Level 5: BTEI is currently recruiting for the Health-Care QQI Level 5 course which will be commencing in January 2022. If anyone is interested in completing this course you can contact the Mill FRC on 056 8838466.

LTI Pathway to Employment course QQI Level 4: LTI is recruiting for the new programme 2022. If anyone is interested in completing

this full-time course, please contact the centre for an expression of interest form.

Food Donations: We are now working with “Food Cloud” to ensure that unsold food from supermarkets does not go to waste.

Every week we receive food donations which we distribute in Urlingford and surrounding areas. If you, or anyone you know, would benefit from this, please make contact with the Centre.

Senior Alert: If you need to apply for a Personal Alarm, please contact Sue or Josephine on 056 8838466.

Counselling Services: Our low cost Counselling Services, include One-to-One, Family & Teens, aged 12 plus.

General Counselling: Bereavement, Stress, Anxiety & Depression.

Other Counselling Services available: Drug, Substance & Gambling Addiction.

Please contact Sue for more information or to make an appointment on 056 8838466 Appeal for Clothes Donations: Any clothes donations would be appreciated in aid of the centre’s counselling services. Donations can be left into the Centre. Contact Sue on 056 8838466.

URLINGFORD ARMS SPLIT THE POT Will resume in the coming weeks.

URLINGFORD / GRAINE DEFIBRILLATOR GROUP In case of emergency, call: 085 2726396.

URLINGFORD NEWS Anyone wishing to submit news items, club events, announcements etc can do so by emailing urlingfordnotes@gmail.com. If you have any photos you wish to include, please forward them to the email address.

Local Lotto Draw: for 10th January 2022.

Winning Nos. : 8,11,27. No Winner Winners of Draw for 5 x € 30 Olive Buckley ( Olive Buckley),Flynn ( Kathleen Kirwan )William O Shea ( Townsend’s),Lorraine Walsh ( Marie Kelly ),Eeanor Dunne ( Malachy Hogan ) Jackpot next week January 17th : € 4,900 Venue Delaney’s. Draw at 9pm all welcome.

DUNNAMAGGIN GAA CLUB JUVENILE AGM Please note the Dunnamaggin GAA Club Juvenile AGM will take place Virtually on Friday 28th January 2022 @8pm. Further details to follow. Thank you.

DUNNAMAGGIN GAA LAST MAN STANDING FUNDRAISER Our Dunnamaggin Adult hurlers are running a Last Man Standing Fundraiser for our new Gym and Ball Wall.Want to be in with a chance to win €500?? Kicking off on 21st Jan. It’s very simple to participate,simply pay €10 to the following go fund me page https:// gofund.me/6b3fc256 and contact one of the contacts below or any Adult player and they will forward you the link for the website to submit your selections and the lads will then contact you through What App as the competition progresses.

Victor Costello- 087 7690637, Jack Brett087 9422859, Michael Cody– 085 1168453, Andrew Fitzpatrick - 087 1148941 LOTTO GAA Development Fund Lotto Syndicate January Winners :- €100 James and Mary

Moylan, Paul McEnery. €50 James Kearney, Patricia Wilkins, Olivia and Declan Dunne, Gervase and Fiona O’ Connell.

AMBER’S ONE MILLION STARS IRELAND Amber’s One Million Stars Ireland project celebrated its second birthday recently, announcing that star weavers from Kilkenny and across the country have helped the project reach the significant milestone of 100,000 stars. The inclusive community arts project, which connects communities across Ireland in solidarity against domestic abuse and all forms of violence, was formed in Kilkenny in 2019. Part of the global One Billion Stars project, founded in Australia in 2012 by artist Maryann Talia Pau after the rape and murder of an Irish woman living in Melbourne, the One Million Stars Ireland project was brought to Ireland

by Art Therapist Siobhan McQuillan and Amber Women’s Refuge. Amber is calling on families, businesses and community groups in Kilkenny to weave stars to help them reach the next milestone and to raise awareness. Register as a star weaver at www. onemillionstarsireland.ie to receive a star weaving pack.

SAINT CHRISTOPHER’S CANCER CARE TRANSPORT SERVICES This is a service offered to people from Kilkenny,Waterford and Tipperary We are a not for profit patient transport service run by volunteers from all of the Emergency Services to support members of the community who have a cancer diagnosis and need extra help to get to essential appointments and for patients on their final journey home. The facebook link is @ christopherscommunity. Contact details for the service are saintchristophersts@gmail. com

GOWRAN BAGGIO’S Baggio’s are back in Business every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Call 056 7733464 to order takeaways in advance.

GOWRAN PARK Tickets are nearing limited capacity for the Goffs Thyestes Day taking place on January 27th. Tickets are available at gowranpark.ie GOWRAN AC The 2022 Cross Country Championships Day 1 was held in Dunboyne, Co. Meath at the weekend. The day’s events included Intermediate, Masters, and Juvenile Relays under 12, 14 & 16. Gowran AC had 28 athletes running including 6 teams, with five juvenile teams, and one ladies intermediate team.

Gowran AC brought home two Leinster team medals with the boys U12 and U14 teams coming 3rd.

The ladies intermediate team came home an impressive 6th, with Ruth Kennedy running a brilliant sub, 15-minute 4K to come home in 5th individually.

Gowran Teams and Results: U12- 4X250m Girls - Heidi Ryan, Emily O’Keeffe, Mia Kennedy and Eimear Keating.

3rd place. Boys - Aaron Carrigan, Milo Geraghty, David Carroll and Aidan Corrigan U14 4x500m Girls - Kate Hayden, Orlaith Carroll, Daisy

Coomey & Anna Kelsey.

3rd place - Boys- Tomas Carroll, Conor Carroll, Evan Ryan, Joe Hayes and Darragh Carroll U16 4X500m Boys - Micheal Holland, James Kelsey, Joseph Langton & Charlie Ryan Ladies Intermediate 4Km 6th - Ruth Kennedy (5th), Katie O’Brien (22nd), Helen Horan (43rd) and Orla Clear (44th).

Men’s Intermediate 8Km Johan Muller (37th), David O’Brien (48th) Men’s Masters 65+ 4Km Mick Walsh (18th) Club membership is from January to December and is now due for everyone for 2022. There is an online application form and payment method available. All members to pay by the end of January please. New members are welcome but must be born in 2015 or before. http://www.gowranac.com/ join-us .

In turn, Gowran AC register and pay for all athletes with Athletics Ireland, which covers their insurance, and pay event entry fees etc.. From February, all athletes attending training must be registered. For information about our club, and training times go to www.gowranac.com For info - club merchandise such as singlets can be bought directly from jfsports.ie/ product-category/club-shop/gowran-ac Please note: Non-registered athletes cannot participate in competitions.

CLUB LOTTO Dicksboro GAA Club LOTTO Results January 12th 2022. Nos: 3–4 – 26– 31 Jackpot: €7,150– not won. Draw Prizes – €50: Peggy Kennedy c/o John Kennedy €25 each Marie Gough c/o Declan Gough €25 each Gerladine Carey c/o Brian Fitzpatrick €25 each Ann Foley c/o Joe Phelan. Co Op draw ticket Mary Moore c/o Online Promotors Prize Phil Hogan. Next weeks draw 7,300 18Th of January 2022.

U21 SEMI FINAL A huge congratulations to the Dicksboro U21 Team and Management who faced a very tough battle in Mooncoin versus Mooncoin in the JJ Kavanagh and Sons A Semi Final. Our lads won by the narrowest of margins 1-14 to 1-13 in a nail biting finish. Our lads now place the Shamrocks Ballyhale in the final in the coming weeks.

CAMOGIE SEMI FINAL A huge congratulations to the Dicksboro Senior Camogie Team and Management who had a very tough battle against St Judes in the Leinster Senior Camogie Club Championship Final on Sunday. Our girls showed great character and mental toughness to win out winners 0-10 to 0-08.

Thanks to Jimmy McGarry and his team who helped have Palmerstown in great condition in the last few days. We now play the highly fancied Wexford outfit Oulart in the final.

CONDOLENCES Everybody at the club extends our deepest sympathy to the Slattery Family on the bereavement of Joe Slattery.

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

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

Hurling matters

Sport

Keeper Dean Mason will be hoping to stand firm

AIB ALL-IRELAND CLUB SHC SEMI-FINAL Shamrocks Ballyhale v St Thomas’ (Galway)

Sunday, January 23rd, Semple Stadium, 3.30pm (Live on TG4)

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR

All pix: Danny Lahart

SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

St Patrick’s Day 2019. This same pairing took to the Croke Park turf in the decider, to see which team would be crowned All-Ireland senior club hurling champions.

Colin Fennelly helped himself to 2-4 from play as Henry Shefflin’s charges romped to a 17-point victory over the Connaught champions.

On Sunday, under the guidance of Waterford native, James O’Connor, Shamrocks Ballyhale go in search of a third consecutive final appearance, standing in their way, Galway’s finest, St Thomas’.

With their most complete performance of the season to date, Shamrocks earned their semi-final berth with a comprehensive victory over Laois champions Clough/ Ballacolla. Sunday’s opponents will no doubt have been analyzing this game in preparation for the battle ahead.

Should Ballyhale hit the same level as last time out, I would find it difficult to make a case for any opponent, but Galway hurling is a step or two above that of Laois.

Sunday’s opponents, St Thomas’s, last tasted All-Ireland glory back in 2013, when they defeated Offaly side, Kilcormac-Killoughey by 2-point in their first ever national decider.

Like Shamrocks, St Thomas’ have claimed four consecutive county titles, their latest coming in early December; with a 3-point victory over Clarinbridge at Pearse Stadium. The win meant it continued the side’s remarkable record of never having lost a county final. It was also St Thomas’ sixth title in 10 years, cementing their dominance within Galway hurling.

Kenneth Burke’s side know what it takes to get over the line, and no doubt the astute bainisteoir will have been busy hatching a plan to tackle the threat of the 3-in-a-row seeking All-Ireland club champions.

The Connaught champions look to have been dealt a huge blow, with the loss of influential defender, Shane Cooney, who has reportedly undergone surgery having sustained a serious leg injury during a recent challenge game against NUI Galway.

Many had predicted that Cooney would be handed the job of marking TJ Reid, so it looks likely that bainisteoir Burke will have to shuffle his pack slightly to accommodate the intercounty stars absence. Much of the burden will fall on Shane’s brother and team captain, Conor, who registered 11 points in their county final win, five of those scores coming from play.

The placed-ball specialist has also captained his side to all of their 4-in-a-row county titles.

Galway’s All-Ireland winning captain from their 2017 success, David Burke has been in excellent form, dominating all-comers in the engine room of midfield.

Supporting captain Cooney in attack will be club veterans, James Regan and Darragh Burke, along with the everimproving Oisin Flannery. Each of the aforementioned players hit a brace of points in the victory over Clarinbridge last time out.

It will be interesting to see if Richie Reid picks up the oppositions captain on Sunday, or whether James O’Connor will select another of his defensive stars to shackle the undoubted threat of Conor Cooney.

One of the key features of St Thomas’ county final win, was the number of times they ‘turned-over’ the opposition.

Like Ballyhale, they tend to hunt in packs, not giving their opponents time to settle on the ball. As we have seen with all successful teams, at both club and county level, turnovers are a crucial part of today’s game and punishing the opposition when you do so is vital.

Since securing their third provincial title on the bounce in CONTINUED >>>

Richie Reid clears his lines

Trip to Tipp as Shamroc questcontin Connacht champs next up for

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

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Hurling matters Ronan Corcoran’s battle with David Burke will be crucial

Joey Holden - calm you like - The full-back will have a pivotal role on Sunday

ks nues Ballyhale

There’s no substitute for rest - TJ will be key

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

Hurling matters

Sport

Shamrocks Ballyhale

... CONTINUED

mid-December, one would imagine the much-needed break over the festive period will have helped the aching limbs of the Shamrocks players. Following the victory over Clough/ Ballacolla, bainisteoir James O’Connor revealed that the break was coming at the right time for his side, have had a few players carrying injuries into the Leinster decider.

TJ Reid has been carrying a groin injury since the county final win over O’Loughlin’s, while both Evan Shefflin and captain Colin Fennelly played through the pain barrier last time out. Christmas would have been more rehab and unwind, than mistletoe and wine for the Shamrocks panel!

The gap between games should certainly have helped refocus the mind and revive the body.

There will be big jobs on Sunday for Joey Holden, Evan Shefflin and the rest of the defensive unit. They have shown so far that they can mix it with any opposition, and if things go according to plan for Shamrocks, the likes of Shefflin, Darragh Corcoran and Richie Reid will hope to make the opposition forwards work equally as hard going in the other direction.

The midfield battle as usual will be key in gaining the upper hand. David Burke vs Ronan Corcoran should be an interesting tussle. Also, Brian Cody’s ability to weigh in with a couple of scores could be helpful in keeping the score board ticking over.

The distribution of scores has been one of the most pleasing aspects in Ballyhale’s quest for further glory. Obviously, TJ Reid will be on placed ball duty and that will enable the most to be made of any opposition indiscretions from half-way at the very least. When TJ was withdrawn in the Leinster final, Eoin Cody stepped up and showed that he too can be relied on for scores from frees.

Adrian Mullen has been improving nicely as championship hurling progresses. The hard-working forward isn’t afraid to mix it when the going gets tough, and is a vital cog in this Shamrocks machine. How Mullen dovetails with TJ, Eoin Cody and Colin Fennelly will again be crucial in the Marble City side’s bid to reach another decider.

One man who will be back in contention, is Joe Cuddihy.

The fast-improving attacking star missed the provincial decider due to suspension, following his harsh red card against St Rynaghs. James O’Connor could be tempted to unleash Cuddihy from the start, knowing that he has options on the bench to freshen things up if needed. Eoin Kenneally had a decent game against Clough/Ballacolla and was industrious throughout.

As mentioned, the bench could again prove decisive, and Ballyhale, I believe hold the upper hand in this area. Eoin Reid, Brian Butler, Liam Barron etc... good aces to have in your pack.

Young Hurler of the Year, two years running, Eoin Cody is one player that I am really looking forward to watching again.

The nippy forward star is getting better with every outing.

Pace, movement, skill, judgement – Eoin has all the attributes to keep his Ballyhale side top of the tree for a long time to come.

For now, St Thomas’ pose the immediate threat to the Shamrocks All-Ireland crown. Muster’s Ballygunner or Ulster’s Slaughtneil will face the winners of Sunday’s match.

That’s a matter for another day.

>> SHERRY SAYS...

Semi-finals are for winning. They don’t need to be pretty. They don’t need to be exciting. The only important thing is the result.

We have been treated to decent hurling on the journey so far, also a wee bit of excitement with the extra-time victory over St Rynaghs.

I’d imagine James O’Connor and co. would settle for a routine victory on Sunday, no scares, no injuries, just an uneventful win.

The loss of Shane Cooney to the Galway side is massive.

His role at No.6 has been key to the sustained success of this St Thomas’ side. His brother and captain, Conor will rally his team ahead of Sunday and ensure that they leave all on the Semple Stadium pitch.

Hopefully the Christmas break has helped clear up some of the niggles in the Ballyhale camp.

The quest for a third consecutive Tommy Moore Cup is a now at the penultimate stage.

I see the Shamrocks attack causing problems for the St Thomas’ defence. TJ, Adrian, Eoin, Colin etc.... Let the firepower rain down on the opposition. Let’s make another All-Ireland final. Croker awaits.

Eoin Cody & Darragh Corcoran will look to lead by example

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Hurling matters

Joe Cuddihy could be back in the starting XV

Colin Fennelly scored 2-4 when the sides last met

Eoin Cody escapes his marker as Adrian Mullen looks on

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

Hurling matters

Sport AIB ALL-IRELAND JHC SEMI-FINAL

Mooncoin vs SalthillKnocknacarra (Galway) Sunday, January 23rd, LIT Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, 1:30pm

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR

All pix: Danny Lahart

SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

ALL roads lead to the LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Sunday, as Kilkenny and Leinster junior champions, Mooncoin look to continue their remarkable journey when they face-off against the Connacht kingpins, Salthill-Knocknacarra, Manager Will Coogan knows that Sunday’s challenge will be a lot stiffer than that faced against Offaly side Shamrocks in the provincial decider.

The Galway side have a real talent in their ranks, in exciting attacking star, Donal O’Shea. The son of former Tipperary manager Eamon has been in sensational form. No doubt O’Shea’s form has come onto the radar of new Galway manager Henry Shefflin. Indeed, O’Shea became the first player from the Salthill/Knocknacarra junior club to play senior hurling for Galway in their Walsh Cup victory over an Offaly side managed by Ballyhale’s Michael Fennelly. O’Shea scored 1-9 in that win. The former U20 inter-county forward scored 0-12 in their provincial final victory over Sligo side Easkey last month.

As well as top scoring that day, O’Shea also played a large part in his side’s goal, as it his delivery into the danger zone that was flicked to the net by his captain, Michael O’Donnell.

The captain finished with 1-1 to his name, and was also instrumental in his role at centre-forward.

Diarmuid Ó hAodha’s side like to get off to a fast start, and Mooncoin will need to be quickly out of the traps to ensure the Galway team don’t hit an early purple patch in their bid to reach next month’s final. Along with half-forwards, O’Shea & O’Donnell, Salthill Knocknacarra will look to full-forward Brian Griffin who will welcome an early ball into his area of the pitch.

At midfield, Seanie Joyce has been impressive, and is more than capable of getting on the score board as he showed in the Galway County final against Míchéal Breathnach’s. At the back, Ó hAodha will be hoping his side don’t offer as many goal-scoring opportunities to Mooncoin as they did in their victory last time out. Had Easkey taken at least one more of these, the result may have been different. They will look to vice-captain Brendan Moran and Stephen Piggott to marshal the defence and restrict the supply of ball into Mooncoin’s ‘goal God’ Pa Walsh.

There’s no doubting that Mooncoin’s goal threat is real, and as Pa has shown, he knows where the net is. In his sides Leinster decider, against the Offaly champions, Walsh finished his days’ work with 3-6 to his name, most of which came from play. How Salthill Knocknacarra deal with the threat of Walsh, will be one on the key factors in determining who prevails in Limerick on Sunday.

Mooncoin manager Coogan revealed that Pa Walsh had been struck down with Covid before Christmas, and that the break during that period has probably done him the world of good, allowing him to come back into the fold in time for the Shamrocks win.

The impressive form of Ciaran Quilty has been another plus for the men from the Suir. Quilty is not shy about taking a score either and links the play well from wing-forward. Inside him, you will find Mairtin Gannon who can again exert great influence from No.11. Driving all on from centre-back will be Martin O’Neill, who hit a couple of lovely long-range scores the last day. In defence, Cormac Daly and Shane Walsh will look to keep things tight. Whoever Wille Coogan gives the marking job on Donal O’Shea too will be in for a very tough afternoon, and Mooncoin may need to double up on the rising star.

This is a very young Mooncoin side, with many of them lining out for the club’s U21 side. Whatever happens on Sunday, the future of the club looks extremely bright.

Coogan’s bunch are ready to bloom!

Mooncoin out to prove a thorn in Connacht champ’s side

Ciaran Quilty will look to cause problems on Sunday

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

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Hurling matters Mooncoin pre-match

Mairtin Gannon will look to supply Pa Walsh with quality ball

Martin O’Neill will look to command the defence from centre-back

>> SHERRY SAYS...

Goal getter Pa Walsh

This is bonus territory for Mooncoin. Did they think they the County and Provincial titles would be in the bag when the season started?

Goals have been a huge feature of Wille Coogan’s side this season, and again Pa Walsh will look to spearhead the Kilkenny men’s threat. They might need a few majors to see off the threat from Salthill Knocknacarra.

The Galway side possess one of hurling’s rising stars in Donal O’Shea. His last two U20 inter-county championship campaigns have seen O’Shea register 2-27 & 2-21 for the young tribesmen. That followed on from leading the county’s minors to All-Ireland success in 2018 and culminated with O’Shea being named minor hurler of the year.

Restricting his threat will not be easy, but Mooncoin will give it a go. You just never know - hopefully we will hear the strains of the ‘Rose of Mooncoin’ on Sunday night, again, hopefully in victory.

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Hurling matters

Sport WALSH CUP Kilkenny 1-27 Laois 0-24

Sunday 16th January 2022, John Locke Park, Callan

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR

All pix: Danny Lahart

SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

KILKENNY senior hurlers got their season off to a winning start with a 6-point victory over Laois at John Locke Park, Callan last Sunday.

Seamus ‘Cheddar’ Plunkett will have been left scratching his head as his charges had controlled proceedings for long spells but were left to rue many missed chances at the long whistle.

In the first half alone, Laois registered eleven wides, but somehow still managed to reach the interval one point to the good.

Laois fielded a more experienced side, but they ran out of steam and ideas in the closing period of the game, and no doubt this will be of huge concern to ‘Cheddar’ ahead of their National League campaign which starts early next month with a clash against Tipperary.

The O’Moore county started brightly and raced into an early 3-point lead, thanks to points from the impressive Ross King (2) and Ben Conroy. The home side opened their account, thanks to a point from Tullaroan’s Shane Walsh. Then in the 12th minute, Walsh turned provider as he expertly blocked a pass from Laois defender Liam O’Connell. Windgap’s Emmet Landy raced onto the ball and dispatched his shot past opposition keeper Enda Rowland to the back of the net.

Laois responded with points from King and John Lennon, to leave the sides tied at the first water break, 1-2 to 0-5.

The away side then hit 3 unanswered points when play resumed, the placed ball specialist King with two and an effort from wing-forward Seamus Fitzpatrick, that narrowly missed the net. Wing-back Podge Delaney then fired over a great score, while that man King, notch four further points before the short whistle.

Brian Cody’s experimental side kept pace with the opposition, thanks to scores from Shane Walsh, Colm Prenderville, Niall Brennan, David Blanchfield and Glenmore’s Shane Murphy, to leave the home side trialing by the minimum, 1-9 to 0-13, when Offaly whistler Richie Fitzsimons blew for the interval.

The first few minutes of the second period were largely uneventful, before The Village’s Luke Scanlon fired over a lovely point. ‘Cheddars’ men were keeping the score board ticking over, with net minder Rowland landing two mighty long-range points from the placed ball, while Rathdowney-Errill’s Jack Kelly also registered two fine points.

The Noresiders challenge was being kept on track largely due to the expert free-taking of the Sash’s Shane Walsh who was in ‘TJ like’ mode all afternoon. Laois raised white flags with scores from Paddy Purcell and Stephen Bergin, but the black and amber men then found their groove.

Excellent points from distance from the eye-catching Landy (2) along with fine scores from Scanlon and O’Loughlin’s Conor Heary saw the home side take the

Young guns shoot down Laois Opportunity knocks for ‘new look’ cats side

Chris Bolger tries to escape his marker

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

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Hurling matters Surrounded!

Sean Morrissey

David Blanchfield in control

lead for the first time at the second water break, 1-19 to 0-20. Half-time substitutes, Stephen Donnelly and Robbie Buckley were causing havoc in the Laois defence and both pointed to extend the home side’s lead.

The O’Moore County men tried in vain to keep tabs with the Leinster champions, but couldn’t muster up a goal opportunity, thanks to vigilant defending and good net minding by Lisdowney’s Liam Dunphy.

Further frees from the accurate Walsh and the impressive Robbie Buckley saw the home side 6 points up at the long whistle, 1-27 to 0-24.

Kilkenny Scorers: S Walsh (0-9, 0-6f, 0-1 65), E Landy (1-2), R Buckley (0-3), C Prenderville (0-3), S Donnelly (0-2), S Murphy (0-2), L Scanlon (0-2), S Morrissey (0-1), D Blanchfield (0-1), C Heary (0-1), N Brennan (0-1).

Laois Scorers: R King (0-13, 0-11f), J Kelly (0-3), E Rowland (0-2, 0-2f) S Bergin (0-2), P Purcell (0-1), J Lennon (0-1), B Conroy (0-1), P Delaney (0-1).

KILKENNY: L Dunphy; M Butler, J Burke, N MacMahon; D Blanchfield, C Heary, S Murphy; N Brennan, T Dunne; C Prenderville, E Landy, L Scanlon; C Bolger, S Walsh, S Morrissey.

Subs: D O’Keeffe for MacMahon (h-t), R Buckley for Brennan (h-t), S Donnelly for Bolger (h-t), A Brennan for Dunne (h-t), E O’Shea for Landy (56), C Wallace for Heary (65).

LAOIS: E Rowland; D Conway, S Downey, D Hartnett; P Delaney, L O’Connell, R Mullaney; F Fennell, J Kelly; P Purcell, B Conroy, S Fitzpatrick; J Lennon, M Dowling, R King.

Subs: S Bergin for Lennon (h-t), F Flanagan for Conway (h-t), W Dunphy for Dowling (50), S Maher for Broderick (50), P Dunne for Hartnett (60), A Corby for Fennell (60).

Referee: Richie Fitzsimons (Offaly)

>> SHERRY

The Chase is on!

James Burke

Conor Heary weighs up his options

SAYS...

A 24th campaign for Mr. Brian Cody.

A Walsh Cup fixture in mid-January.

A host of new names in the black & amber. A win. That’s about all you could ask for, given the limited time the James Stephen’s clubman has had to prepare for the pre-season competition.

Taking on a much-more experienced O’Moore County side, the players selected did themselves and their clubs, no harm at all.

Shane Walsh picked up where he left off with the Sash. Give him a chance and he will almost certainly punish the opposition from the placed ball.

Walsh was ably supported in attack

by Windgap’s Emmet Landy, who had a great game, finishing the day with 1-2 to his name. Graigue/ Ballycallan’s Colm Prenderville made his mark too, notching 3 points. The introduction of Thomastown’s Stephen Donnelly and O’Loughlin’s Robbie Buckley added an extra level of menace.

In defence, the entire half-back line raised flags. Glenmore’s Shane Murphy notched a brace, while Bennettsbridge’s David Blanchfield and O’Loughlin’s Conor Heary all got in on the act.

Next up for the cats is a visit to neighbours Wexford tomorrow.

No doubt we may see another experimental line-up. I’d definitely like to see Robbie Buckley get another un-out.

It’s a big year for the County side.

Winning is a good habit to get into, whatever XV are on the pitch.

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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

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News

Planning Memoriams/Miracle notices prayers

Planning notices KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL Planning Permission is sought by Fox Meadow Homes Ltd. to modify existing approved housing development (Kilkenny County Council Planning Reference 21-788, 20-923, 10-10, An Bord Pleanala Planning Reference 10.238383) as follows: a. Change of house types, replacing 22 No. detached houses (1 No. House Type B, 16 No. House Type C, 4 No. House Type F & 1 No. House Type G1) with 30 No. Semi-detached houses.- (16 No. House Type E & 14 No. House Type H), 3 No. detached houses (3 No. House Type E3) and 8 No. Maisonettes (2no. J1 Units, 2 No. J2 Units, 2 No. J3 Units & 2 No. J4 Units) an increase of 19 houses. The proposed amendments are located along Lake View, Canices Road, and Canices and areas of the proposed development. b. Change of house type, replacing 1. No. detached house (1 No. House Type D) with 1 No. detached house (House Type G1) along the Avenue road of the proposed development. c. Altering layout of associated internal site boundaries. d. All associated site developments works.

At Tullaroan Rd. Loughmacask and Lousybush ( Townlands), Kilkenny.

The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Department, Kilkenny County Council, County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny, during its public opening hours 9 a.m.- 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the planning application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the Planning Authority in making a decision on the application. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.

KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL I Aidan Kelly Agricultural Design & Planning Services (085 7466211, www.adps.ie) intends to apply to Kilkenny County Council on behalf of my client Andrew Connolly . Permission to construct (i) Slatted shed with underground effluent tank (ii) silage slab and all associated site works at Ballyhale, Co. Kilkenny.The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Department, Kilkenny County Council, County Hall, John Street, Kilkenny, during its public opening hours 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. - 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the planning application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the Planning Authority in making a decision on the application. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.

TO PUBLISH PLANNING APPLICATION, CONTACT US: Call to our office at: Unit 7 Friary Street Telephone: 056 7771463/086 2395370 Email: sales@kilkennyobserver.ie

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Memoriams / Miracle Prayers

MICHAEL MOORE Young Irish Film Makers on the set of 22ND ANNIVERSARY the National Youth

In lovingFilm memory Michael, late of schoolof 2019 St. Anthony’s College Road, Kilkenny who died on 27th January 2000.

R.I.P God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference Sadly missed by your loving family

The Miracle Prayer

Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.

This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).

Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.

Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted.

Never been known to fail.

Must promise publication of prayer. P.OD

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. H.S

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.K

ANN HAWE 8TH ANNIVERSARY In loving memory of our loving mother and grandmother Ann Hawe who died on 24th January 2014 R.I.P Those special memories of you will always bring a smile.

If only I could have you back for just a little while.

Then we could sit and talk again just like we used to do.

You always meant so very much and always will too.

The fact that you’re no longer here will always cause me pain But you’re forever in my heart until we meet again.

Loved and missed dearly by her daughter Frances, son-in-law Jim, all her loving children, grandchildren, great grandchildren extended family and friends

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

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

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. A.B

The Kilkenny Observer Friday 21 January 2022

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