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The Kilkenny Observer Friday 25 February 2022
kilkennyobserver.ie
News
Judge: ‘Sell cow to feed your kids or go to jail’ A CATTLE dealer with €6,700 in arrears on his child maintenance payments has been told by a judge to “sell a cow or go to jail”. At the Family Law Court, Judge Mary Larkin issued the ultimatum to the father
of the two children at the centre of the arrears dispute. The man told Judge Larkin he has fallen into arrears on his child maintenance payments of €100 a week, which he could not afford.
Judge Larkin said that the court order was made in 2019 concerning the €100 a week. The cattle dealer said: “Back then, I was buying a lot more cattle — with this online, I only have half the work and farmers are do-
ing the sales at home themselves over the phone.” Judge Larkin told him: “You have got to pay up — borrow money or sell stock. Sell a cow or go to jail…the issue is that you’re not doing what you are supposed
to do. It is much easier for me to send you to jail and then I bet the money will turn up in the morning.” Judge Larkin said: “The awful thing about it is that you will stay in jail until it is paid.”
Ex-soldier gets 10 years jail for rape and death threats A KILDARE former soldier has been sent to prison for 10 years for raping a woman on multiple occasions and threatening to kill or cause her serious harm. Niall Kennedy (31) of Standhouse Lawns, Newbridge in Co Kildare, had denied the charges, but was found guilty of 12 counts of rape on 11 different occasions in August 2017. He was also convicted of harassment on multiple occasions between February and August 2017 and of making threats to kill or cause serious harm to the woman, once in June 2017 and twice in August 2017. Gardaí have paid tribute to the woman’s courage in proceeding with the case against Kennedy. Kennedy was found to be a violent, abusive, coercive and controlling man who on numerous occasions raped, sexually demeaned and threatened to kill a young woman between June and August of 2017. He followed her, turned up outside her work, home and when she was with her family and friends or out socialising. He monitored her, insisting she sent photos of her location when she took her grandmother to hospital and to keep her phone on so he could hear everything when she collected a male friend at the airport, and
turned up at the terminal. He also sent an indecent image to the victim’s mother. He called the victim abusive names, physically subdued and demeaned her and forced her into sex acts against her will. When she tried to get away from him, he made so-called “bargains and deals” for sex, which he never kept and threatened to harm her new partner. He followed her to Rathfarnham Garda Station and laughed at her when she said she went to gardaí. “No matter what I did it was never going to be right,” she said, “I could never escape.” The woman said Kennedy had turned her into “a broken person”. She had been “reduced to living in fear”, she said, and was “a shell of her former self.” She said he has had “a very damaging effect” on her relationships and friends.” She also said she found it particularly stressful when he was out on bail because she “feared retaliation.” Kennedy denied the charges but was found guilty by a jury last December. He has shown no remorse, which the victim has described as “hurtful.” However, she said, she is “no longer a victim, but a survivor.”
Phones should be a lot easier to fix, says Clune IRELAND South MEP Deirdre Clune is looking to make it easier for people in Kilkenny to fix their phones. Ms Clune is a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, which is putting forward measures to make portable batteries in appliances easy and safe to remove and replace. A recent Eurobarometer poll found that 77% of consumers would rather repair their devices
than replace them, but the cost of fixing problems is often cited as a major obstacle. MEP Clune said: “This Battery Directive is a good step forward in strengthening consumer’s ‘right to repair’, to help them save money and also to reduce waste. “On a wider scale, the Battery Directive aligns with the proposals outlined in the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan. If adopted, these would require manufacturers to make products more durable and repairable.”
Love and care is all it takes for you to foster a child... THE child and family agency Tulsa has launched its National Fostering Week, its fostering awareness and recruitment campaign. Now in its third year, the campaign focuses on the need to recruit carers for older children in communities across Ireland. A local placement will ensure a young person can maintain important connections with their friends, sports, school, and community, and reach their full potential.Across Ireland 3,984 foster carers currently open their homes to 5,265 children. In Kilkenny, Carlow, and South Tipperary, there are currently 306 children in foster care. Foster carers play a critical role in the child protection system and ultimately a key role in the wellbeing of young people. Kate Duggan, National Director of
Services and Integration, Tusla said: “Tusla foster carers provide a safe, secure and stable home environment for the most vulnerable in our society. Right now, there are children and young people in your community who may need a safe place to live. A local placement will ensure they can maintain connections with their friends, sports, school and community. “If you have been considering fostering, we would urge you to have another think about the positive difference you would make in the life of children and young people in your community,” she said.Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration Roderic O’Gorman TD said: “We all share an ambition for children in care to thrive and to reach their poten-
tial. For most children in care, this is best achieved through foster care and the committed care these children receive from foster carers, in a family setting. Ireland can be proud of the fact that over 90% of all children in care, reside in foster care, a figure that compares favourably with our European neighbours. “I would like to take this opportunity to again recognise and acknowledge the work of foster carers. They have made this achievement possible, through their committed care of these children. I would encourage anyone who is considering becoming a foster carer to contact Tusla on the details provided and to make that first step in improving the wellbeing and happiness of some of our most vulnerable children.”
Tusla Care Leaver, Shannon Joyce said: “I first went into relative foster care with my younger brother and sister when I was seven years old. I stayed with my family until summer 2021. My whole experience of foster care has been a rollercoaster to say the least. I’ve met so many people and heard so many stories throughout the years. I wouldn’t change a thing! I’m so happy that I can take all the experiences I have had and all the lessons I have learned and use them to be the best role model and mentor I can be for the young people I teach. Fostering can be an amazingly positive experience for the carers, and children.” *If it’s something you are feeling drawn to you can learn more about it on fostering.ie
Tradfest is back... and it’s alive, alive-o! KILKENNY TradFest is thrilled to announce its return with live, in-person performances and an extended programme, including a brand new music series of concerts at the stunning Medieval Mile Museum, made possible by the Local Live Public Performance Scheme from and administered by Kilkenny Arts Office. The 2022 invited musicians are so excited to be back performing, and to create the
thrill and energy of live music; so come join us, book your tickets and look forward to the return and magic of live music once again! Special concerts and headline acts of the TradFest programme represent the very best of Irish traditional music and the 2022 line-up includes Paul Brady, The Kilfenora Ceili Band, Iarla Ó Lionáird & Steve Cooney, Máirtín O’Connor Cathal Hayden &
Séamie O’Dowd, Inni-K, Seo Linn, The Bonny men, Kevin Burke & The Goodman Trio, Zoe Conway & John McIntyre, Pip & John Murphy, The Peter Browne Trio, Aoife Scott & Band, George Murphy & The Rising Sons and more! There is an extensive Music Trail in Kilkenny’s finest pubs – such a great way to enjoy a superb array of FREE live music sessions and sing-alongs with everything from trad to
folk and ballads and more besides! The Trail brings the medieval streets of Kilkenny to life as locals and visitors nip in and out to hear great music. Kilkenny TradFest was established in 2013, it is organised by Kilkenny City Vintners sponsored by Bulmers, and is supported by Kilkenny County Council. It takes place alongside the ever expanding and very exciting St Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny each year.
