Some good news for a change as parents and carers are to have new employment rights very soon, with a ‘national right’ of up to five days’ unpaid leave for medical care purposes, either for oneself, family members or dependants. An extension of breastfeeding career breaks from six months to two years, thought to be in line
with international best practice, also takes effect.
Children’s and Equality Minister Roderic O’Gorman is promising research into future supports for workers dealing with menstrual symptoms or who are going through the menopause.
The incoming measures were introduced as part of the Work Life Balance Act, a key pledge of
As members of RTÉ’s executive board and others appear before a special committee of the Government in Leinster House – though not former Director General Dee Forbes (central to the inquiry) who has resigned and cites ‘health issues’ for not going before the committee – one thing is obvious: This inquiry into what has, cliches aside, become a national scandal over alleged ‘secret payments’ to RTÉ broadcaster Ryan Tubridy – and, overall, public outcries over the huge sums, in effect taxpayers’ money, paid to a select few top broadcasters at the State-run RTÉ is not going away anytime soon.
In breaking news, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has called on Ryan Tubridy and his agent, Noel Kelly, to appear before the inquiry.
Our photo shows Seamus Dooley, Irish Secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), arriving at RTÉ HQ at Montrose, Dublin for talks with journalists at the national broadcaster.
Why I Don’t Believe Ryan Tubridy
Will Air On RTÉ Again
Comment: Paul Hopkins Page 14
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, which was signed into law in April.
Mr O’Gorman will take responsibility for them under his role as Equality Minister.
The right to five days’ unpaid leave for medical care purposes, for parents and carers, and an extension of breastfeeding breaks from six months to two years will take effect from next week.
The new care leave comes in addition to existing statutory entitlements to carer’s leave and ‘force majeure’ leave.
Mr O’Gorman also hopes to commence other provisions of the Act, including the right to request flexible working from an employer and the right to request remote working. But this will be “later this year”, according
to sources. The provisions do not provide for any absolute right to such concessions from an employer, being instead merely an entitlement to ask for them.
Mr O’Gorman’s department is set to launch research into future policies for employers on supports for female employees experiencing menstrual and menopause symptoms.
It is expected that the research will get under way later this year, with a view to draft policies being developed in early 2024 that could lead to further time off provisions on medical grounds.
Meanwhile, your ‘must-have every week ‘ Kilkenny Observer has put the ‘bad news’ on Page 6... and Page 26
The priority closing date for new college grant applications is Thursday next, July 6, and any school leaver who either sat their Leaving Certificate this year or deferred a college place is urged to make their application now, local Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan has urged.
“I would encourage students to log on to the SUSI website now and make the priority closing date for new applications which is July 6. If you submit your application on or before this date, you will receive priority assessment.”
The price of the average second-hand three-bed semi in Co Kilkenny has risen to €265,000, up 5% in 12 months from €252,500, while prices have remained unchanged in the past three months, according to a national survey by Real Estate Alliance.
Across the county, the average time taken to sell has risen by two weeks to seven, the Q2 REA Average House Price Index shows.
Agents in the county reported that this quarter, 35% of properties were purchased by first time buyers, with buyers from outside of the county making up 33% of sales. This quarter, agents found that 30% of sales are directly linked to landlords leaving the market.
The price of the average three-bed semi in Kilkenny town this quarter sits at €310,000.
“We are seeing frustration with the operation of the affordable scheme, as it is very cumbersome,” said Michael Boyd of REA Boyd’s, Kilkenny. Callan prices this quarter remain unchanged at €220,000.
“We are seeing a stable market, and this quarter, not much has changed,” said Robbie Grace of REA Grace, Callan.
“There is a lack of properties on the market, and the
increase in interest rates has probably had an impact on prices.”
The REA Average House Price Index concentrates on the actual sale price of Ireland’s typical stock home, the three-bed semi, giving an accurate picture of the secondhand property market in towns and cities countrywide.
The actual selling price of a three-bedroom, semidetached house across the
country rose by 1.3% over the quarter to €297,056 – representing an annual increase of 6.6%.
The price of a three-bed semi in Dublin city has hit €500,000 for the first time, rising by 0.3% in the past three months. They are now 14% ahead of their €431,000 Celtic Tiger peak level, with demand being largely driven by first-time buyers in an otherwise cautious market.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has welcomed meetings in Kilkenny , Carlow and Waterford, with department officials engaging with leaders from the further and higher education, research and innovation sectors on their role in delivering on key Government strategies including regional rebalancing, housing, health, climate and enterprise.
Ireland is the most expensive country in EU with prices in one sector through the roof Alcohol and tobacco prices were 116% higher here than the EU average, while food and non-alcoholic drinks were 15% more and the fourth highest.
See also Pages 6 & 26
Kilkenny City, known for its rich history and vibrant community, is about to embark on an exciting development project that will enhance the safety and well-being of its residents with the news that contracts for the purchase of a new site for a Fire Station for Kilkenny City have been signed subject to planning.
The location for the city’s brand new Fire Station has been confirmed, with a spacious 3-acre site secured at the Kilkenny Business and Retail Park on the Waterford road.
This significant milestone marks a long-awaited achievement for the city, as the need for a new Fire Station has been a top priority for years. The current facility, situated on Goal Road in Kilkenny City, has become increasingly inadequate to meet the demands of a growing population and modern firefighting requirements. The restricted space and tight quarters have hampered essential upgrades and expansions, making it clear that a new location is necessary.
The local authority also envisions the co-location of Kilkenny Civil Defence at this new Fire Station site, reflecting a holistic approach to emergency services and
preparedness. By consolidating these vital services, the community will benefit from streamlined coordination and enhanced emergency response capabilities.
Vice-Chairman of the council John Coonan told The Kilkenny Observer said it was important to acknowledge the commendable efforts of Fire Chief John Collins, his dedicated staff,
and the 14 retained Firefighters who had valiantly served the community from the existing Goal Road location. Despite the challenges posed by the outdated facility, their unwavering commitment to public safety had been exemplary, he said. “As a councillor and ViceChairman of the council, I pledge my continued support for this ambitious
project. I firmly believe in the importance of prioritising the development of a modern and efficient Fire Station that will effectively serve the people of Kilkenny. Our residents deserve nothing less than state-ofthe-art facilities that can adapt to future needs and provide the highest level of emergency response,” he said.
The tender process represented the next crucial step in turning this vision into reality, he said. “With careful consideration and consultation, we aim to select a design consultancy team that shares our commitment to excellence and has the expertise to create a Fire Station that meets the specific requirements of our community.”
In the months and years to come, Kilkenny City would witness the transformation of its firefighting infrastructure, symbolising a collective investment in the safety and well-being of its residents. “As progress unfolds, I encourage the community to stay engaged and supportive, as together we build a safer and more resilient future for all,” Cllr Noonan said.
e battle to bring down in ation is not going to get easier any time soon and, if anything, will be tougher than the last year of constant rate hikes, the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) has warned.
BIS acts as the central bank for central banks and said interest rates may need to stay higher for longer than the public and investors had
hoped for. “Despite the most intensive monetary policy tightening in recent memory, the last leg of the journey to restore price stability will be the hardest,” the Basel-based institution said in its just published annual economic report.
“Interest rates may need to stay higher for longer than the public and investors expect,” it said.
e Government has been warned by the Central Bank not to throw cash at the allegedly “squeezed middle income” people in the next Budget, arguing it could keep in ation high.
Governor Gabriel Makhlouf criticised Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s proposed €1,000 tax cut for middle income earners, unless it was balanced by tax hikes or spending cuts in other areas.
Mr Makhlouf said the plan would be in opposition to Central Bank advice unless it was balanced by tax hikes or spending cuts in other areas. Addressing the Coalition, he said: “If you do nothing but give middle earners €1,000, then you’re almost certainly going to add to aggregate demand. But, of course, you could do other things that counterbalance that. So it would depend, in the end, what you did.”
It was one of a series of alarms sounded by Mr Makhlouf three months before the Budget, as he and his European Central Bank (ECB) colleagues battle to tame prices, asking governments not to add to demand as they try to dampen it.
Spending should not increase beyond the Government’s 5% limit next year, Mr Makhlouf said, though some measures were “more in ationary” than others.
State-backed building projects could push prices higher in the sector, he said, while “supply-side measures” such as planning reforms, are preferable.
“If you’re going to suddenly fuel some particular type of
e BIS also warned that while the world economy seems to have shrugged o a threatened energy crisis last year, the banking system may be especially vulnerable, noting that in the past periods of high in ation have been followed by a banking crisis within three years.
e early part of 2023 has already seen a number of signi cant banks thrown
into crisis, in part as a result of the more volatile interest rate environment, including Silicon Valley Bank in the US and Credit Suisse in Europe, both ultimately folded into rivals through taxpayer supported rescues.
e longer the period of high in ation persists, the bigger and more sustained interest rate rises will be and that means bigger nancial
stability risks, the statement said.
While in ation has fallen from its peak that has been largely due to the unblocking of global supply chains snarled up since Covid, the BIS report said reducing the pace further is likely to be harder, indicating a sustained period of high borrowing costs is on the way.
While interest rates have
been hiked aggressively by the European Central Bank and its major peers, the impact on in ation has been limited to date.
In its analysis, the BIS called on governments to weigh into the e ort to cool economies by hiking taxes and cutting spending. “(Budgetary) consolidation would provide critical support in the in ation ght,” it said.
expenditure, which you may call capital – some construction project – and you’re going to throw loads of money at it, that’s likely to have an in ationary impact,” he said. “It’s pretty challenging. We need to create capacity to build more houses, as opposed to adding fuel to the little capacity that we’ve currently got.”
He said it was “inevitable” that the pension age would have to rise in future as people live longer and costs increase.
“Personally, I think the pension age is an inevitable thing, and it’s really a question of when we do it.”
e Budget will come around the time that ECB leaders gather for their rst post-summer rate-setting meeting, with some angling for more hikes. A quarter-point hike is likely in July, he said, but he wanted to see where in ation and bank lending evolve after that.
“On the evidence that we have at the moment, it does look like, in July, there will be another 25 basis point increase.
“Some colleagues do feel that we’re likely to need further rises in the autumn. I’m just prepared to look at the evidence. I do feel that we’re near the top of the ladder. Some others may feel we’re further down, but we’ll see.”
Mr Makhlouf said governments had a bigger role to play in a high interest rate environment, and warned the Irish Government not to overheat the economy by pumping in more money.
“You’ve got all the dynamics of overheating around,” he said.
With export opportunities for Irish businesses to the Arab world growing year on year and with export gures reaching a new high last year, details of a leading business event for companies in Kilkenny looking beyond the EU to grow and expand their businesses have been announced.
e 2023 Arab-Irish Business Forum will feature speakers from the Arab states alongside business leaders from Ireland who are already doing business there. e event will take place in the Mansion House in Dublin on Wednesday,
September 13. Hundreds of delegates are expected to attend what has become one of the most important events in the calendar for small to medium sized businesses looking for new export or other international business opportunities.
Last year Ireland exported almost €3 billion worth of goods to the Arab states, an increase of 23% on 2021, and the conference will spotlight Irish businesses operating in or exporting to the region, with advice and insight on how businesses can get started or scale up. Hosted by journalist and
broadcaster, Dearbhail McDonald, the conference will cover a wide range of sectors including food & drink, nancial services and ntech, travel and tourism and construction. It will also feature panel discussions with Irish SMEs on their experience of doing business with the Arab world along with keynote speeches from business leaders from a number of Arab countries. Details of the conference were announced on the back of the latest gures from Bord Bia, which highlighted 15%
growth in food and drink exports to the Middle East for the rst three months of 2023 . For the rst quarter of 2023, more than €86.7million worth of Irish food and drinks products departed Ireland for countries across the Middle East. e event is being jointly organised by the Arab-Irish Chamber of Commerce, Bord Bia, Department of Foreign A airs, Enterprise Ireland and Emirates Airline.
* Tickets are available from www.arabirishbusinessforum.ie
e HSE National Ambulance Service (NAS) is inviting people in the South East to apply for student paramedic roles. If you live in the South East and are interested
in working as a Paramedic with the ambulance service then consider submitting an application.
Exciting and rewarding roles being recruited
include Student Paramedics, Intermediate Care Operatives and Emergency Call Takers. Successful candidates will be working with a diverse team who will make you feel
at home. Closing date for applications is Tuesday, July 4.
It was a great time to think about joining as the NAS continues to grow and expand the variety of emer-
gency services o ered in local communities, said Jonathan Lynch, Community Engagement O cer, for the National Ambulance Service (NAS).
“Paramedics play a vital
role in providing emergency care to the community. We are particularly interested in attracting candidates for our student paramedic roles from the South East region.”
When Robert F Kennedy Jr announced his plan to run for president in the Democratic party primaries a month ago, Jim Kessler, a leader of the pro-Biden think tank ird Way, called him a “gad y and a laughingstock” while Democratic consultant Sawyer Hackett brushed him o as “a gnat”. According to a recent CNN poll, support for the son of Robert Kennedy and nephew of the late president, assassinated in Dallas, Texas 60 years ago this coming November, is at 20% among Democrats. One might wonder why the 69-year-old’s campaign is resonating with a decent degree of US voters?
Kennedy Jr’s campaign is rooted in something with arguably great popular appeal – in short, a true crime story. e mysteries and conspiracies that surround the assassinations of President
John F Kennedy, and the presidential hopeful’s father, Robert F Kennedy, are almost full-time American preoccupations for those of my generation. And such preoccupations have been aided and abetted by that mass ‘fake news’ machine we know as QAnon. e cult, for want of a more apt word, has a longstanding obsession with the Kennedy family, one that includes the earnest belief among many that the assassinated president’s son, John F Kennedy Jr, who died in a plane crash in 1999, is actually still alive and living under an assumed identity. Last year, believers got so hung up on this idea that they gathered in Dallas, at the site of JFK’s assassination, believing his dead son was about to nally reappear and announce that he was going to be Trump’s running mate in the 2024 elections! Needless
to say, he didn’t show up.
Kennedy Jr has also recently begun to openly support the claim that the CIA was behind the murder of his uncle and father, something he says he came to only “ ve or six years ago”.
It’s not only the combined power of a dynastic family, violent crime and conspiracy culture that Kennedy is cashing in on. He is also tapping into the American voters’ sense of “real pain and outrage”. A great number of voters are seemingly hurting and, some argue, rightfully angry about powerful corporations controlling their democracy and pro ting from illness and poverty. About endless wars emptying the national co ers – funds for Medicare and social welfare are predicted to run out by 2028 – and killing and maiming their young. About stagnating wages and escalating
costs. is is the world of America right now, as I saw during my three-week sojourn.
Kennedy Jr’s campaign speaks directly to this anger and growing unrest with the American political ‘system’, with its central message about “the corrupt merger between state and corporate power”. When he talks about drug companies controlling the national health agencies and “polluters controlling environmental regulators”, the former lawyer can seem quite persuasive. When he criticises the big companies who “made a killing during Covid, pro teering o the pandemic and using it to crush their rivals”, he is articulating the feelings of many everyday Americans. When he talks about the endless wars that shape US foreign policy, and suggests that the goal in Ukraine should be to end the untold
carnage, he is, again, articulating what so many American are feeling right now. And he speaks to those concerned about climate change when he says: “Environmental protection binds us to our own humanity and to all of creation. When we destroy a species, when we destroy a special place, we’re diminishing our capacity to sense the divine, understand who God is, and what our own potential is as human beings.”
Dare I suggest Kennedy is uent in the language of heartbreak and devastation, of smoke blinding the sun across entire continents – as happened with the Canadian res on New York City during my tenure here – and such outpourings are worthy of consideration. Few else seemingly have such rhetoric. Not Joe Biden. And certainly not Kamala Harris.
Has Robert Kennedy Jr the
power to make him a formidable opponent to Joe Biden in 2024?
Finally, there is the argument that Kennedy is an extreme anti-vaxxer which sparked the comments in my opening paragraph. at said, since announcing his candidacy Kennedy has seemingly backed away from his extreme views about childhood immunisations, which has been the major preoccupation of his organisation, Children’s Health Defence, since well before Covid. Kennedy the other day told e Wall Street Journal: “I’m not leading with the issue because it’s not a primary issue of concern to most Americans.”
Another Kennedy in the White House? Watch this space...
Normal service resumes next week!
In a further vote of con dence for South East Technological University (SETU) and the region, Ireland’s newest university makes a signi cant move forward towards providing pharmacy and veterinary medicine courses as it continues to expand and deepen its programme portfolio.
In 2022, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) established a process to identify opportunities in the higher
education system to build capacity in dentistry, pharmacy, medicine, nursing, and veterinary medicine.
SETU’s proposals to create new programmes in pharmacy and veterinary medicine and expand capacity on its existing nursing courses were included in the capacity building options announced by the Government today.
e Government agreed to advance the proposals with
Kilkenny has emerged as one of the cleanest areas in Ireland along with Mallow, Clonmel and Ennis in a national survey that sees Dublin gaining the unenviable reputation as one of the most littered places in the country.
Dublin city centre came fourth in the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey. Dublin's north inner city came second while Tallaght was seventh.
However, Ballymun was 11th in the survey, showing an improvement on previous years when it had been regarded as a litter blackspot.
Dundalk in Co Louth was the most littered location in the survey and deemed to be "seriously littered”.
According to the survey, "Dublin city centre has deteriorated from moderately littered to littered”.
However, it says that Ballymun has "made progress”.
e nationwide survey shows the majority of Ireland's towns are clean, but two-thirds of city centres are still littered.
e survey is highlighting cleanliness across the country as the peak summer tourist season gets under way.
Conor Horgan, of IBAL, said: "Clearly, tourism is a focus of this annual summer survey and unfortunately the major urban gateways to our towns and countryside –notably Dublin – are falling short of the mark and creating an underwhelming rst impression for visitors.
"As a high-cost destination, tourists to Ireland can expect better.
"It's a fact, too, that the great work being done in our towns is negated by litter in our cities.”
Maynooth ranked top out of 40 towns and cities for being "cleaner than European norms”.
investment to be considered in Budget 2024 and the National Development Plan review.
SETU President Professor Veronica Campbell has warmly welcomed the news saying that this was a real vote of con dence in our newly established university and in our ambitions for the future.
“Veterinary medicine and pharmacy are prestigious courses in high demand and
will attract some of the brightest and best students from the south east, from across the country and from around the world.
“A large team from across SETU were involved in making these applications, but I would particularly like to single out Prof. Peter McLoughlin, Dr David Dowling and Eleanor Kent for their foresight in building knowledge and capac-
ity through the years, putting SETU in a position to be successful in a highly competitive process."
e veterinary medicine application builds on SETU’s strengths in science and land sciences together with a 50-year history of collaborative provision with Teagasc, Kildalton Agricultural College.
e pharmacy submission is supported by SETU’s extensive record of teaching and re-
search in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical science. Both applications for the new programmes were supported by numerous industry stakeholders in the region spanning the agri/food, and equine industries, pharma/ biopharma industries, veterinary and pharmacy practitioners, farming organisations, consultancy agencies and regional and national representatives.
More than 90% of towns surveyed were reported to be clean, compared with just 28% of city areas.
Kilkenny, Mallow, Clonmel and Ennis were also among the cleanest areas in Ireland.
Tralee was found to be "moderately littered”, while Waterford and Galway were once again the only clean cities.
Cork city centre, Mahon, Limerick city and Galvone have all made some progress, according to the survey.
"Cork city and Limerick city were improved, as was Drogheda, which bounced back from being 'seriously littered',” the report found.
An Taisce, which carries out the surveys on behalf of IBAL, found discarded furniture, sleeping bags and blankets o omas Street in Dublin. While a basement on O'Connell Street "wasn't just littered but subject to dumping”, the report noted.
Cork northside's Cathedral Walk was subject to dumping and was "an eyesore for children playing in the school yard directly opposite”.
While PPE littering is down dramatically following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, vaping litter has increased.
Masks only accounted for litter in 7% of areas. Vaping devices accounted for 6% –the rst time vapes have been counted.
Mr Horgan said: " e impact of disposable vapes is twofold. Not only are they single-use plastic, but the lithium battery within them is an especially toxic form of litter.
"Unfortunately, as is our experience with co ee cups, consumers tend to opt for the convenience of the disposable product. In striving for a circular economy, the case for banning them is a strong one.”
e Irish Para Swimming Team has been announced to represent Ireland at the Para Swimming World Championships this summer. Manchester will play host to the 11th edition of the Para Swimming World Championships from July 31 to August 6. e team is made up of four Paralympians and one new Irish para swimmer. Ellen Keane spearheads the team as the seasoned Paralympian with four Paralympic Games under her belt and one more on the horizon.
Speaking about the World Championships, Ms Keane
said: “I’m so excited. e pool that we’re going to be competing in is really fast, it’s a really great pool to race in. It’s a new team that we’re bringing away with some new faces and it’s great to see such a young team. I’m excited to see them compete and support them.”
Paralympic silver medalist Nicole Turner adds to the experience of the team, hoping to qualify for her third Paralympic games this year. Turner, from Laois, has picked up two silver medals on the Para Swimming World Series in both Melbourne and Minneapolis this year.
Limerick native Róisín Ní Riain has had a great start to 2023 tting her training and competition schedule around sitting the leaving cert this summer. After breaking two world records at the Irish Winter Championships in 2022 she set another world record at the Para Swimming World Series in Berlin this May.
Tokyo Paralympian Barry McClements will hope to continue his consistent form from earlier this year at the Para Swimming World Series in Minneapolis. e Down man collected two silver medals in the 100m backstroke and the 100m y.
It will also be an exciting week for Derry’s Dearbhaile Brady as she will be making her major championship debut for Ireland.
Para Swimming Performance Director Dave Malone said: “ Following the success of the team at last year's world championships, we expect an even greater challenge this year and our team have been focusing on performing at a key milestone event towards the Paris Paralympic Games.
"We’re looking forward to Dearbhaile Brady competing at her rst ever major championships for Ireland.”
Two local Kilkenny Eurospar supermarkets have come together this year with Eurospar throughout Ireland to say thank you to those who go above and beyond to help the people of their local communities through Eurospar’s ‘Let’s Celebrate Community’ campaign.
McCarthy’s Eurospar Newpark Shopping Centre and Furey Smyth in Castlecomer are asking their customers to nominate a local charity, group or organisation and
explain how they go above and beyond for the community to be in with a chance of winning €1,000 for their nominated community group.
e initiative is an in-store entry only and is seeking to unearth and celebrate the most deserving people, clubs, groups, organisations and initiatives in recognition of the contribution they make to their local communities and make it a richer and happier place to live.
Peter Dwan, Eurospar SalesDirector, said: “I am delighted to launch such a worthwhile initiative for the communities our supermarkets serve. For the second successive year, we are inviting our customers to nominate that person, or group, that regularly goes that extra mile for their community and enter them for their chance to win. It is a meaningful way for us to recognise all these people do for their communities and to celebrate just how important they are to their local areas.”
e 'Let’s Celebrate Community’ campaign will run instore until July 31.
Customers to the two Kilkenny supermarkets will be asked to call and pick up an application form to enter, nominate their preferred community hero and submit the entry for a share in the €10,000 Community Fund.
Ten winners from 10 di erent Eurospar supermarkets around Ireland will then be chosen to win €1,000 each for their nominated group.
In the last hours or minutes of survival, what goes through the minds of those who will be lost at sea? Grief for the family that they will never see again, thoughts of lives that will be unlived, the death of hope and paralysing fear. It’s unimaginable, or is it?
For days we have been mesmerised by the fate of the ve men aboard the submersible Titan. We imagined them deep in the Atlantic, in pitch darkness and freezing cold, near the grave of the Titanic o the coast of Newfoundland. Was the sound reported by a Canadian aircraft one of them knocking in the hope they might be heard before their supply of oxygen ran out? We listened to news updates, conscious of the terrible race against time and hoping or praying for a miracle.
Sometimes those miracles do happen against all the odds. Who can forget how those for children aged between 13 down to one were found after surviving for 40 days in the Amazon jungle following a plane crash or that tiny child found under the rubble 45 hours after the Turkish earthquake last February. But in that rst paragraph I wasn’t only imagining the plight of the Titan’s passengers. I was thinking too, of the seven-months pregnant woman who spent nine hours struggling in the Mediterranean after the small boat smuggling her capsized. Miraculously she was rescued, but only half the 30 or so other migrants aboard survived. ese awful incidents are so common now that they aren’t even reported by local papers. I
am thinking of hundreds of migrant lives lost when a 30metre shing boat sank o the coast of Greece, of the 600 or so onboard – 82 dead are so far accounted for, while only 104 were rescued. Last year 2,062 refugees drowned while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, while between 2014 and 2018 about 12,000 are thought to have drowned. ose involved were poor, non-Caucasian and would have spent their own and their family savings risking their lives at the hands of people smugglers to escape war, persecution, poverty and famine. e men aboard the Titan were white, privileged and the four passengers paid $250,000 each for their trip to the tomb of the Titanic, where 1,500 souls lost their lives on the liner’s 1912 maiden voyage.
Any loss of life to the sea is tragic and bereaved families, wherever they are, deserve our deepest sympathy. In the event there was no miracle for the Titan’s passengers. Wreckage indicating a catastrophic implosion, where death would have been instant, was discovered near the Titanic. We can’t stop human beings taking risks. Without that risk-taking element there would have been no man on the Moon, no race to the South Pole. But perhaps we can regulate in situations where lives and the lives of rescuers are at risk, never mind the millions spent in search-and-rescue operations like that in the search for the Titan.
After the sinking of the Titanic the convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was introduced to
amend a situation where innovation had outpaced regulation. New regulations are sure to follow the Titan tragedy.
at said, what is being done though to stop the risks that migrants face at the hands of the criminal networks running smuggling operations? e EU has an Action Plan on Migrant Smuggling and Asylum intended to tackle this complex problem, ranging from dealing with smugglers, asylum and care of migrants and cooperation and information exchange between nations. How e ective is the plan?
Already by early this year 400 migrants had drowned crossing the Mediterranean from Africa, the worst gures so far for so early in the year. is week another 40 migrants, so far account-
ed for, were drowned o the coast of Italy. e gures speak for themselves. e wealthy can spend hundreds of thousands on extreme tourism trips like jaunts into space, never mind the millions required for rescue operations.
“ e rich are di erent from you and me” Scott Fitzgerald once told Ernest Hemingway, to which Hemingway replied: “Yeah, they’ve got more money”. Maybe their priorities are di erent also.
Maybe ours are too. We focused intensely on those ve lives aboard the Titan while thousands of migrants continue to drown on the doorstep of Europe.
If we can shift that focus to insisting on e ective action for migrants at risk, those ve lives won’t have been lost in vain.
My friend Mick is 79 and looks fantastic. He is t and active. ere’s nothing wrong with his memory and he is in great condition. He can even still do a decent squat! He has no aches and pains either which is brilliant.
I asked Mick what does he put his good health down to. He smiled and said, a table spoon of Cod Liver Oil at night and a good bowl of porridge in the morning. I smiled back, and said there is more to it than that.
Mick gets up every morning at 5.45 and takes his dog out for a walk. He has his bowl of porridge, made with milk, in the saucepan. He puts some grapes and a banana on top. He has lunch in the middle of the day, and dinner in the evening. His meals are homemade non processed meals full of natural goodness, with an occasional treat. He does the cooking as his wife is unable to. He looks after his grandchildren after school. Up until recently he was doing DIY tasks for himself or family members if needed, amazing!
He has a positive mental attitude, he said people should get up and go, and not to be sitting
around. Anyone that knows him will say that he is easy going, laid back, and always has
a smile on his face, and loves having a bit of fun.
He said that everyone should do exercise to help with balance because the lack of balance can become an issue when you get older and can cause people to get nervous about going out. Every morning he stands on one leg for a couple of minutes with his arms out straight to his sides, then switches to the other leg and does the same thing. He demonstrated it for me and he has no problem balancing. He also does a breathing stretch that his father showed him. You stand in front of an open window, while breathing in stretch your arms over your head, breathing out bring your arms down as you cross them over each other. is exercise opens the lungs and he believes it may have helped his posture too. Mick has a lovely straight posture.
Mick has inspired me, I hope that by taking on board his tips I too will look as good as he does when I reach 79. at’s only 20 years away!
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are we all playing our part?
Callan watchmender Owen
Richardson knew where everything was to be found in his Bridge Streetshop. He adhered to his own kind of order and efciency in the little universe that was his home and workplace. He had a keen interest in current a airs, and listened closely
to the BBC’s World Service in the early hours of the morning, to see how the latest war or political upheaval was progressing. In the 30s and 40s, when radios were scarce, people valued a few minutes in the shop to catch the news.
Philip O’ Kee e, who lived nearby, loved to hear the voice of William Joyce (“Lord Haw-Haw”) on the old battery operated wireless. Owen Richardson and the young carpenter would sit quietly and listen to the drawling outrageous
propaganda of the Galway man who drove the British wild with his nightly “Germany Calling” broadcasts from Radio Hamburg.
ough his clock in the window kept perfect time, townspeople had a habit of comparing the position of the hands on this timepiece with the Friary Clock. e relative position of the hands on both clocks provoked many a heated argument.
It was a pointless evaluation because it was Owen who maintained the Friary clock and saw to it that this jewel in the crown of Callan’s townscape never let down the people who looked to it for guidance throughout their lives.
If a discrepancy arose of even a few seconds, let alone minutes- or if anyone imagined he or she had spotted a divergence or deviation of time keeping between the Friary clock and the one vividly displayed in Owen’s window, both the friars and Owen would quickly become acquainted with the discrepancy.
In every such case that we know of, the friars called upon Owen to have a look at their clock and to make any adjustments he deemed necessary.
ere was no questioning his judgement.
e entire face of the Friary clock had to be removed for repair from time to time. e
Fiona O’Neill wears this beautiful green dress to the Presidents Garden Party in Áras an Uachtaráin.
She purchased her dress for this special occasion at Jack and Jill Charity Boutique, Friary Street, Kilkenny.
Fiona told e Kilkenny Observer that she is a great advocate for second hand fashion and she has an Instagram account which showcases her nds.
https://instagram.com/ sittingprettyinsecondhand
Prior, Fr. Crotty, felt obliged to assuage local concerns about a landmark that was close to their hearts.
Owen advised him that the temporary absence of the clock could upset many people in the town, as they regulated their lives by it. One man, whose attitude Owen found incomprehensible, viewed the Friary Clock through binoculars every day from his farmhouse three miles outside Callan.
e man in question had no watch or clock in his house and trusted no timepiece in the world but the Friary Clock or the clock in Owen Richardson’s window. ough this was an extreme case, many people felt a strong loyalty to the church clock. ey saw it as part of Callan’s heritage, apart from nding it useful in keeping apace of each day’s events.
To put local minds at rest, Fr.
Crotty looked out through the empty circular space in the clock and waved at dumbfounded bystanders. “Mr. Richardson will have the clock back in place by the weekend”, he hollered reassuringly.
On the three occasions that the clock face was taken o for repair, the Prior made his appearance, his head and shoulders encircled and framed by the imposing church tower. In the middle of a winter hailstorm, onlookers stood aghast as his snow-white head emerged to assure them that the clock would be “returning to its normal functions as soon as possible…with the help of God”.
Cries of “Yes Father”, “What did you say, Father?” and “ ank you Father” greeted his calming words.
Fr. Crotty liked the idea of having this real life halo surrounding him, and he gave a moving sermon on the eeting nature of time, a talk inspired by his dealings with “that genius of a man”, as he called Owen, and the crucial maintenance of the Friary Clock.
Owen Richardson passed away in 1980 after almost half a century of service to Callan. e shop did not survive him. Like the old clock in the window, it quickly disappeared from the heart of Lower Bridge Street.
ere are substantial prizes in prize money to be won on the day. Entries are now being taken in over 380 classes in the Cattle, Sheep, Horse, Poultry and Home Industry competitions to be found on www.oldcastleshow.ie. YouTube singing sensation Fr. Ray Kelly returns to Gilson Park along with local musicians, Line Dancing and Irish Dancing. YouTube star Farmer Phil will also be attending this year!
e Irish Aberdeen Angus Association is holding the ‘Growvite All-Ireland Finals’ in Gilson Park this year. It has a prize fund of €6,000. Clarke Machinery Group sponsors ‘ e Best Young Farmer Competition’ who will also be crowned at this year’s show.
e contest is open to 16 to 21-year-olds that will take part in a written general agricultural knowledge test, show o their livestock knowledge and tractor skills. ere will be a prize fund of €1,500 for the winner of the ‘Oldcastle All Ireland Final Young Beef Bullock Championship’. Traditional Meat Company, Oldcastle, proudly sponsors our new ‘Champion Continental Bullock or Heifer Class’ with a suburb prize list.
e North East Texel Society are also holding their Club Championship at Oldcastle Agricultural Show, kindly sponsored by Univet. New Beltex and Blue
Texel classes also feature. We welcome sheep from everywhere!
We also have our wonderful Family Riding Pony ring! A range of fun lled events for two legged and four legged super stars! Alongside our usual Horse and Pony classes, back this year is the ever popular Working and Ridden Hunter classes. e ever popular ‘Greatest Cockrel of Oldcastle’ competition will cause plenty of feathers to be ru ed. Our new goat classes will attract some bucks! e Automobile Section will have a large range of vintage tractors and machinery including vintage threshers. From old to new, we have it all!
Shearer’s are ocking to the show to take part in the Sheep Shearing Junior and Senior classes. e Show Hall has every class from turf, jam, cakes and decorated wellies and stones for all the children! e
Oldcastle Show Dog Show has classes for every madra, from a purebred to a mongrel with lots
of great prizes and rosettes to be won. ‘Little Miss Oldcastle’ and the ‘Young Bachelor of Oldcastle’ will also be crowned on the day. You wouldn't want to miss the spectacular Birds of Prey which are ying into Oldcastle for the day.
e amazingly talented Joey Burns is back sculpting wood. With every type of trade stand, there will be lots to see and do!
e Food and Craft village has lots of bits to nibble and try on!
Children's entertainment on the day, with the Pet Farm and the Native Biodiversity Corner being of particular interest.
You can keep up to date with all the latest news from the Oldcastle Agricultural Show on Facebook. For more details see www.oldcastleshow.ie
You won’t want to miss the biggest ever Oldcastle Agricultural Show on Sunday 16th July!
Admission:
Adults - €10, OAPs and Students - €5, ChildrenFREE
Let’s park a few things aside first. From what has emerged so far from those who have appeared before the special Oireachtas committees of inquiry into the RTÉ/Ryan Tubridy affair, it would seem that those allegedly ‘in charge’, as a collective self, were, actually, dysfunctional. From what they said nobody, it seems, “knew what was going on”.
That former Director General Dee Forbes was “ the only one (!) who knew what was going on”.
Well, as Miley was wont to say, Holy God.
That Dee Forbes was ‘allowed’ to conveniently ‘resign’ from her post and thus not be obligatorily obliged to appear before the inquiry committee, and she, allegedly, the only one with ‘all the answers’ – well you just couldn’t make it up.
With most of the Grant Thornton report released, RTÉ has said there was no ‘illegality’ in the management of the controversial payments.
Meantime, my money is on this inquiry dragging on, with we, the public whose hard-earned taxes contributed to ‘secret payments’ – a so-called barter arrangement – of €345,00 to broadcaster Ryan Tubridy over some four or five years, becoming so furious and upset as many struggle to put a roof over their head and a loaf of bread on the table.
RTÉ is the only combined national TV and radio operator in Ireland, and the law on media mergers means it’ll never have an equally resourced opponent. It gets its money’s worth by getting the likes of Tubridy, Claire Byrne, Joe Duffy, Brendan O’Connor
and Miriam O’Callaghan to work on both mediums, but this scenario makes poaching such broadcasters into the private sector all the more difficult.
That said, it’s difficult to understand how Ryan Tubridy could have had, al-
legedly, RTÉ over a barrel when it came to pay talks in 2019/2020. In her resignation statement, Dee Forbes explained that she had two ‘opposing’ priorities – needing to cut pay by some 15% while “keeping the man”. Hence, the unprecedented idea of
getting a private sponsor to pay Tubridy a ‘top-up’ fee. However, did keeping Tubridy need to be so expensive? Where else was he going to go? Tubridy needed RTÉ as much as it needed him.
I don’t rate him as that great a broadcaster. He’s good
be back? Indeed, when could he come back?
He is, unfortunately, the victim of his own doing: he can’t go back to his radio show while he is at the centre of this unfolding news story, but even if this – and I suspect it will be some time – story concludes, Ryan Tubridy returning to RTÉ would make him the news yet again. Would not RTÉ find it untenable to put him back on air until it can at least explain why he was paid such ‘extra payments’ – something three months of investigation has yet to answer.
Ryan Tubridy’s current suspension is bad news for any broadcaster. It could be even worse for Tubridy if you consider that RTÉ have now paused talks for all contracted personnel. There’s a good chance that, by giving up the Late Late, the broadcaster has, in the interim, paused new contract talks for himself – and, given everything that’s gone on in the last nine days, could you imagine RTÉ being able to justify a new big money deal for him?
Ryan Tubridy’s broadcasting career has been a success. He, particularly, put his heart and soul into The Late Late Toy Show which raised €17.3m for charities, and so many who suffered felt they were no longer on their own.
But Ryan Tubridy made an error of judgment in not letting it be known what his full remuneration was. Saying he didn’t know, allegedly, anything regarding his bank account is not believable. Tubridy should have paid more attention to how details of his income were being presented to the public.
but not as good as he might presumably think he is. He’s no Gay Byrne, nor indeed no Sarah McInerney. And certainly not – nor any of the other RTÉ elite – worth the money commanded.
As for Ryan Tubridy: what of his future now? When will he
The manner in which all this has come into the public domain has done him no favours at all.
Then he goes and passes the buck back to RTÉ as if it had nothing to do with him. He’s talked himself out of a job. As with ITV’s Phillip Schofield, likability and trust was his selling point. That is now gone...
Deirdre Anne ‘Dee’ Forbes (born February 1,1967) is an Irish former broadcasting executive, who was the DirectorGeneral of RTÉ from April 2016 to this month. She was the first woman to hold the role, and the first external appointment in almost 50 years. Prior to joining RTÉ, she was President and Managing Director of Discovery Networks Northern Europe.
In June 2023, it emerged that RTÉ paid broadcaster Ryan Tubridy €345,000 more than publicly declared between 2017 and 2022. Forbes was suspended from her employment a day prior to the controversy and issued a statement defending her record. She ultimately resigned with
immediate effect on June 26.
Dee Forbes comes from Drimoleague, County Cork, where her parents ran the East End bar. She attended nation-
al school in the village, before going to boarding school in Clonakilty. She then went on to study history and politics at UCD. Soon after graduating from UCD, she moved to the UK in 1989, beginning her career with advertising agency Young and Rubicam.
Before joining Discovery, Forbes led Turner Broadcasting’s business in the UK and Ireland, which consisted of seven entertainment channels, including Cartoon Network, Boomerang and TCM. She is a former nonexecutive director of the board of The Irish Times.
On April 1, 2016, she was appointed as Director-General of RTÉ following a recruitment process overseen by its
board. In November 2020, RTÉ apologised after several top news presenters and correspondents, including Bryan Dobson, David McCullagh, Miriam O’Callaghan, Eileen Dunne and Paul Cunningham, were photographed – in the time of the Covid pandemic – at a retirement party at RTÉ headquarters where social distancing was not fully observed. Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the photographs as “very disappointing”.
A month later, a health and safety review conducted by RTÉ into the gathering found that five breaches of Covid-19 protocols occurred, with up to 40 people present at the time. On Thursday, June 22, RTÉ
admitted that it paid broadcaster Ryan Tubridy €345,000 more than publicly declared between 2017 and 2022, in what the chair of its board said was a “serious breach of trust with the public”. Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin said it was unacceptable that the expected standards of transparency and accountability had not been met.The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said the secret nature of payments was a “breach of trust unparalleled in the history of RTÉ” and that RTÉ journalists spoke of how “devastated, ashamed, betrayed and angered” they were. It was revealed the next day that Dee Forbes had been
suspended from her employment by the RTÉ Board, a day prior to the controversy, and she issued a statement defending her record.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described the controversy as a breach of trust and truth between RTÉ and the Government, the Oireachtas and the people.
On Monday June 26 , Dee Forbes tendered her resignation from RTÉ with immediate effect – and said she would not be appearing before the Oireachtas committee inquiry because of ‘health issues’ impacted by the whole affair. Because she resigned, Dee Forbes is not obligatorily obliged to attend the hearings.
e holidays are truly upon us. Assuming you have the time and the money you could “plan an epic summer holiday with Discover Ireland”, arrange a “summer sun package” with the myriad of o ers online, travel to the far ends of the world “at unbeatable prices”, visiting St Lucia, the Maldives or Aruba at a fairly reasonable cost.
In all the excitement and planning many people forget the most important item for a stress-free holiday – travel insurance.
You will notice that nearly all the travel and airline booking sites try to urge holidaymakers to buy travel insurance with them at the time of booking and for many it’s ‘no’ – as in ‘not with you’ – nish the booking and, in the glow of the upcoming trip, completely forget to put the insurance in place.
For a small outlay in comparison with the holiday costs, you can protect you
and yours from untold misery. Travel insurance is the one item that should be an essential part of any trip and so many either forget until its too late or decide to be their own insurer and hold the ‘risk’ themselves.
Did you know that one in three travel claims arise from holiday cancellations, with medical expenses a close second? According to new gures from Peopl Insurance, almost one in three of the travel insurance claims made in the last two-and-ahalf years have arisen on foot of holiday cancellations and are made before the policy holder even took to the skies or seas. Choosing a travel insurance policy with good medical cover is essential as medical expenses in some countries could run into the tens of thousands, or more.
Commenting on the gures, Paul Walsh, CEO of Peopl Insurance, said: “Our gures show that it is essential for holidaymakers to take their
cover out at the time of booking their holiday. Holidaymakers who only take out travel insurance a week or two before they travel – or, worse again, by doing so on the way… are leaving a major bene t of their travel insurance behind, thereby limiting the bene t of their holiday cancellation cover”.
Peopl Insurance set out some key considerations that
you need to look at in a travel insurance policy as ‘cheap and cheerful’ is not always the best:
Trip Cancellation Cover: Check what exactly cancellation cover means on your policy. Mr Walsh explained: “Having cancellation cover in place does not necessarily mean you are covered for any and all events that might lead to the cancellation of
your trip. For example, an overly cheap policy may not cover delayed and missed departures – which is a basic feature of standard policies.”
Excess: Watch out for the excess level on the policy.
Excess is the amount deducted from each claim, prior to a claim being paid. For example, the excess for lost baggage in many cases, and the amount paid by the insurer may be very close, resulting in you getting very little back, in the event of a claim. It’s important to make sure you can a ord the excess limit you set as you will need to cover this in the event of a claim.
Medical Costs: All policyholders should make sure they know to what extent doctors and hospital fees will be covered in the event they become ill or are injured while on holiday. Make sure you disclose any pre-existing medical conditions to the insurer, it may cost you extra but its well worth it, other-
wise you run the risk of the policy being invalid and the claim not paid.
Belongings: Check that any items you will have in your possession are covered, particularly if they you are bringing any expensive items such as jewellery, laptops and smartphones. ough we all want to put the pandemic behind us, Covid is still in our midst so it’s worth noting that a number of travel insurance policies available in Ireland today will cover you if a holiday has to be cancelled because a travelling companion – or any person you had arranged to stay with during your trip – has been diagnosed with Covid.
It’s important to check the small print in your policy and be aware of all other circumstances where cancellation cover will, or will not, apply. Happy travelling.
john@ellis nancial.ie 086 8362622
e news from Ukraine everyday reminds us of the bloody and harrowing tales that go hand in hand with war.
As the years go by, and the world becomes smaller, stories of present day ghting is beamed into our homes on a regular and painful basis.
When the ‘Kilkenny great war memorial committee’ unveiled the fantastic memorial at Kilkenny’s Peace Park in 2018, one of the prayers on the day was for the continuation of world peace.
If nothing else, the current days struggle in Ukraine shows how horrible and devastating such wars are. It places a di erent complexion on the gathering this Sunday when members of the Great war memorial committee join to remember those who died at the battle of e Somme.
And, painful and distressing as the talk of war can be, it is important to remember and in particular to remember our fallen dead.
Perhaps it is nigh on impossible for us to comprehend what those brave men and women who died for their country went
e rst day of the Somme was the deadliest day in British military history – of the 57,470 British casualties, 19,240 men had been killed.
e Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme O ensive, was fought during the First World War from 1 July to 18 November 1916.
In the summer of 1916 the British launched the largest battle of the war on the Western Front, against German lines. e o ensive was one of the bloodiest in human history.
REMEMBERING THOSE WHO DIED AT THE SOMME is coming Sunday, at the Great War memorial, at e Peace Park, a special commemoration will take place to remember those from Kilkenny who died at the Somme.
e short ceremony will focus in particular on the one hundred and twenty six Kilkenny people who lost their lives during the Somme battle.
e remembrance will consist of poetry, prayer, music and wreath laying. One poem which was read
In wiser days, my darling rosebud, blown To beauty proud as was your Mother’s prime. In that desired, delayed, incredible time, You’ll ask why I abandoned you, my own, And the dear heart that was your baby throne, To die with death. And oh! they’ll give you rhyme And reason: some will call the thing sublime, And some decry it in a knowing tone. So here, while the mad guns curse overhead, And tired men sigh with mud for couch and oor, Know that we fools, now with the foolish dead, Died not for ag, nor King, nor Emperor, But for a dream, born in a herdsmen shed, And for the secret Scripture of the poor. (Tom Kettle)
last year by John Joe Cullen sums up much of the pain and grief of war.
It was composed by one of the best known war poets Tom Kettle who was killed in action with 'B' Company of the 9th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in an attack on German lines on 9 September 1916, near the village of Ginchy during the Somme O ensive in France.
During the ceremony, which begins at 12 noon, e Last Post and Reveille will be played and the event will include a minutes silence as well as the raising of the National ag and the playing of the National anthem.
e Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny county council and Mayor of the city are expected to attend.
Many Kilkenny men who died in the battle of the Somme are remembered on the iepval Memorial, Authuille, France.
Speaking to e Kilkenny Observer newspaper, Commandant Larry Scallan (retired) from James Stephens barracks, told of the great number of men who died on the Somme.
Larry also informed the paper that seven Kilkenny men died on the rst day July 1st.
One of those men was
13084 Private Luke Coughlin who served in the Machine Gun Corps, who left a wife called Kate and three children James, Mary and Margaret. Luke's army pension was paid until his youngest child reached 16 years old in 1930.
Seventy two Kilkenny men of the battle of the Somme have no known grave and are commemorated on the iepval Memorial.
Chair of e Great War Memorial Committee Donal Croghan has issued an open invitation for people to join in the 12 noon start on Sunday and that those wishing to lay a wreath would be welcome to do so.
e ceremony will take place at the memorial in the Peace Park on Sunday July 2nd at 12 noon. e ceremony will consist of prayer, poetry, re ections, wreath laying, minutes Silence, last Post and Reveille, Raising of the National Flag, playing of the National Anthem.
AI has the potential to automate 40% of the average work day, according to research rm Valoir. e widespread use of generative arti cial intelligence – such as ChatGPT – has raised public awareness of its ability to increase productivity and e ciency, as well its risks.
e research notes: “AI, robotic process automation (RPA), and similar tools and technologies have been around for some time. However, the availability of large language models (LLM) generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Bard, and the embedding of generative AI in various enterprise applications from human resources to customer service to development platforms, is causing companies and their employees to take notice.”
Other research shows that generative AI adoption in marketing reveals promising productivity gains, with marketers estimating generative AI can save them the equivalent of over a month per year, making room for more meaningful work.
To better understand the potential impact of AI and automation on productivity, e ciency, and jobs, Valoir conducted a global survey of more than 1,000 workers in a broad range of industries, and validated the data with in-depth interviews with people employed full-time in nance, HR, IT, marketing, operations, sales, and service roles.
Automation is already under way at many companies, with workers reporting they have automated an average of 20% of previously manual tasks during the past two years. Although the level of automation varied by geography, job role, and industry, nearly all workers have experienced some automation in the past two years.
Generative AI, which creates content, has reached
While Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) a ects about 10% to 15% of adults in the Western world, only 5% to 7% have been diagnosed with the disease. Irritable bowel syndrome is also more common in women with almost twice as many women having it than men, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.
Dr Suma Magge, a gastroenterologist at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut, says: “It is a chronic disabling disorder that’s considered to be functional in nature and is usually characterised by abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits. at’s the basic de nition.
IBS can then be further sub-typed into diarrhea predominant irritable bowel versus constipation predominant irritable bowel or even a mixed picture. In addition to that, a lot of patients will have more pain or even abdominal bloating.
When it comes to diagnos-
the tipping point, with more than 50% of workers having experimented with generative AI, either at home or in the workplace.
Workers could see signicant automation through generative AI and other technologies, with 40% of the tasks of the average work day ripe for automation.
Most employees believe this automation will lead to job replacement, with the average worker believing 48% of their
co-workers could be replaced by automation in the next two years.
To understand the potential for automation by job role, Valoir asked workers what share of their day they spent on 13 di erent work tasks, such as reading and responding to e-mails, managing calendars and scheduling, talking on the phone and attending meetings, entering data and coding, research and writing, and creative thinking
ing IBS, “it honestly depends on the age of the patient and looking for any red ags they may have in terms of their symptoms,” Dr. Magge says. “Red ags, from my perspective, are patients who are older than age 50, have unexplained weight loss, a family history of a gastrointestinal malignancy, blood in their stool, or any abnormal labo-
ratory values — like they’re anaemic.
IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion.”
For example, “anybody age 50 or older I tend to work up to make sure there’s nothing else going on,” Dr. Magge explains. “But for younger individuals, I may do a few basic tests to rule out celiac disease or in ammatory
and brainstorming.
Valoir found that the greatest opportunity for automation was in IT roles, with a potential for 48% automation, followed by nance, operations, customer service, human resources, and marketing. If employees in these roles were to fully take advantage of AI’s potential for automation, they could automate, on average, 40% of their work day, e ectively enabling a three-day work week.
bowel disease like Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, which can mimic or have similar symptoms to irritable bowel syndrome.”
Additionally, “any symptoms overnight— what we call nocturnal symptoms — are red ags,” she said. “So, if a patient is waking up at night with a lot of diarrhea that’s suggestive of maybe there is something else going on.”
Diet is a huge component in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. As a result, if patients eat the wrong thing, they can have a lot of the symptoms that we talked about.
e rst-line diet that Dr Magge and other gastroenterologists often recommend is the low FODMAP diet — fermentable, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols.
“When we ingest carbohydrates, the bacteria in our small intestine ferment them, create a lot of gas and
will need connected and reliable sources of data, and safeguards in place to ensure the security, privacy, and ethical use of data when AI is involved.
Also, mployees’ technology aptitude, willingness to experiment, and job con dence will impact their ability to use AI e ectively.
e share of workers who have experimented with AI by job role shows that IT is leading the way (90%). Although employees in IT led the pack, they were followed by employees in human resources (HR), nance, and marketing, More than half of all workers have experimented with generative AI.
Advances in low-code and no-code tools and adoption of robotic process automation during the past few years have enabled many workers to automate a signi cant portion of work practices already.
Valoir found that the average employee has automated 20% of previously manual tasks in the past two years, with aerospace, manufacturing, life sciences, and healthcare adopting the greatest level of automation. So, how much of the future workforce is susceptible to automation or being replaced by AI?
Organisations’ o cial policies on the use of AI will matter, but so will culture. Companies will need to balance the potential for increased productivity of employees with the risks of potential misuse or unintended adverse outcomes. Cultures supporting a high degree of autonomy and personal responsibility are likely to bene t more from automation.
To fully take advantage of AI’s potential, companies
basically bring in a lot of uid into the intestine causing patients to have a lot of diarrhea,” she says. “ e hypothesis is for patients to be on a low FODMAP diet, so they’re not digesting a lot of these speci c carbohydrates and as a result they’re having less gas, less bloating, and less diarrhea.
“Usually, patients who actually have an autoimmune disease—like celiac disease—where they’re not able to digest gluten, they are always 100% on a gluten-free diet,” says Dr Magge. “But there is a subset of patients with irritable bowel syndrome who also have gluten sensitivity.
“So, they don’t have true celiac disease, but when they digest gluten, they do have similar symptoms to IBS,” she says Sleep also plays a role in managing — and living with— IBS.
“If you don’t have enough sleep, the e ects of that could
When it came to industries, employees in the nancial services, high tech, and education sectors saw the greatest opportunity for co-worker replacement, while those in consumer goods, aerospace, and media saw the least opportunity. e research found di erent forecasts to this question based on geography and company size.
Concerns about AI were highlighted in the research. Valoir found that one in four workers are very worried that their job will be replaced by AI in the next year; those most concerned about being replaced are workers in the 26-to-41 age group, and those in nance and IT roles.
accentuate the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome,” she said. at’s because “then, as a result, you’re stressed out, you’re tired. It’s this vicious cycle.”
When it comes to taking probiotics, “the data shows that it can help in patients who have more bloating type symptoms,” Dr Magge says. “But we don’t recommend it on a regular basis unless they have bloating.
“ en I might suggest they try to take it for six weeks or so to see if there’s any bene t. And if there is a bene t from taking the probiotics, they can continue taking it long term.
“Probiotics, in general, don’t really have many side e ects because it’s essentially giving good bacteria back to the gut,” says Dr Magge, noting it can help improve gut health because it is “well tolerated. It’s almost like a vitamin. So, if they bene t from it, I will recommend taking it.”
According to research from luggage storage company Bounce, Japan is the safest country for solo travellers. anks to an extraordinarily low crime rate, cities like Tokyo and Osaka allow solo travellers to feel “right at home,” according to Bounce.
Out of a safety index of 100, the country scores 76.9, meaning travellers can certainly expect to experience “peace of mind,” if they travel to Japan solo. Following Japan, Switzerland, Slovenia and Croatia are the next three safest countries to solo travel in.
What other countries are best for those travelling alone?
Bounce’s analysis determines what countries are the overall best as well as the best in speci c categories for solo travellers. For the overall best country to solo travel in, Croatia took the top spot. e country’s immaculate waters, gorgeous national parks, beaches and trails along with an array of outdoor activities, a plethora of restaurants and a ordable accommodations all helped the nation clench the number one spot. For those who can’t get enough of attractions, Bounce determines that Iceland is the way to go. e nation is home to innumerable stunning natural attractions like volcanoes, geysers and fjords, not to mention the country’s iconic Blue Lagoon.
If food is your travelling priority, Singapore takes the biscuit. e nation also has the highest temperatures yearround of the countries that Bounce analysed for those who prefer toastier climates. And, if a ordability is the focus, Nepal and Sri Lanka have some of the most ideal options. Nepal came in as the country with, on average, the cheapest hostel stays, while Sri Lanka had the lowest average
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16. ailand
17. Finland
18. Australia
19. Morocco
20. Costa Rica
All in all, these countries certainly provide opportunities
for solo travellers to have “one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences of someone’s life,” as the company says. We would have thought Ireland would have gured here somewhere.
When you travel alone, you travel on your terms. You get to do what you want when you want. You can connect with people if you wish or avoid them completely. Those are the obvious benefits for going solo as a traveler. But there are many benefits of solo travel that a ect your whole life. The experience encourages you to stretch and grow as a person. You gain confidence and get better at problem solving. You understand yourself better, become more independent and become a more interesting person. Here are a few things you can do to ensure a great solo adventure.
1. Visualise the trip you want
Start thinking about the opportunities that are present when you travel alone long before you leave. Is it down time you really want? Build that into the plan. Are you after a creative travel experience? Research the opportunities before you go and then dream on them until you get there.
2. Learn before you go
Gather as much first hand knowledge you can before you go. Talk to people who have already gone to your destination. Use your social network to find people.
3. Strangers in the flight
Learn to chat with strangers. Starting conversations with strangers can be a challenge, especially if you’re an introvert. However, these conversations can be trip-changing, if not life-changing. There are many skills that can be developed for this and you are never too old to learn them.
4. Learn from people
cost of public transit within the analysis.
Bounce used a series of criteria to determine the best countries for solo travellers overall. First, online articles and lists were used to create an initial list of countries generally denoted as ‘good’ for those travelling alone. en, factors of things to do, a ordability, accommodations, safety and weather were taken into
account. Each country was then scored out of ten based on the factors and sub-factors before an average was taken across the scores to receive the company’s nal overall Solo Travel Index.
is is the full list of the Top 20 countries Bounce determined are the overall best for solo travellers: 1.
Tap the experience of the people you meet. As a solo traveler, you’ll meet more travellers and locals than those who travel with a partner. Ask a traveler about the best thing they’ve done so far or a local for the best hidden gem restaurant in the area. The people you meet and the advice they o er will greatly enrich your trip.
5. Be flexible
When suggestions or opportunities arise from these chance encounters, be flexible enough to act on them. There are times when flexibility must reign and the schedule should be thrown away.
3. Spyglass
Designed for more experienced hikers, Spyglass is a feature-rich app that takes your adventures to the next level. With augmented reality overlay, you can precisely locate points of interest on your hike. Spyglass also o ers elevation tracking, a Range nder to measure waypoint distances, trail photos, and Tactical GPS functionality, including Civilian and Military coordinate options. However, keep in mind that Spyglass has a slightly steeper learning curve. Purchase for a €5.99 one-time fee.
4. AllTrails
trail running, dog-friendly paths, or wild ower trails. Download the free version of AllTrails, or subscribe for €2.99 monthly or €35.99 annually.
5. Google Maps
Chances are, you’re already a pro at using Google Maps. Did you know that you can use this platform for your hiking adventures too?
Yeah, there’s no need to learn a whole new app. One awesome thing about Google Maps is that it keeps working even when you’re o the grid, as long as you download the maps beforehand.
in nding nearby camping options, ensuring you have a seamless outdoor experience. While the free version of Gaia GPS
is suitable for most day hikers, the paid version ( €35.99 annually) o ers additional features. With both topographic and
satellite maps, as well as the ability to track your hike with cell service, Gaia GPS is a reliable companion for your hiking expeditions.
AllTrails is undoubtedly one of the best apps for hiking. It o ers an extensive range of features to enhance your hiking adventures. With a user-friendly interface, AllTrails allows you to search for hikes based on various criteria such as di culty, length, elevation gain, route type, and user ratings. You can also discover hikes with speci c tags like
In order to download the maps beforehand, make sure the entire trail is visible on your screen. en, tap your pro le icon at the top of the app and scroll down to ‘O ine Maps’. Tap ‘Select your own map’ and tap ‘Download’. Google Maps will then start downloading that section. ese maps expire, so make sure that you double-check your maps before you do the same trail again.
Holidays frazzle my brain. And this is before I book a ight or pack a bag. e frazzling starts with three words: Where? When? Who?
First o where will we go?
Somewhere hot? Yes. But not too hot. And where’s that? Do we go somewhere we’ve been before? Where we can drop the bags and make a beeline for the bar. Or pool. Or beach. Or do we go somewhere new where you waste a whole half day familiarising yourself with the place?
hen there is: When? When do we go? Certainly not high season when prices are sky-high and everywhere is packed with pesky tourists, lashing into lager and lolling noisily about in the pool. Autumn maybe but the mercury might be dropping; springtime and the mercury mightn’t be rising. Winter?
Nah. Winter’s for hot whiskeys and nights by the re –in the pub.
Finally there is Who?
Who do we travel with:
Aer Lingus? Ryan Air? And who should we book with?
Booking.com? Or should we let the local tourist o ce do it all for us? Or do we go the DIY route where you spend all day, and the next, scouring ights and hotels, till your brain is frazzled and Tramore seems appealing. Oh, and when we’ve resolved the where, when and who, there’s the following to contend with:
e Holiday Psalms
Spare us, O Lord
From security checks at leave us half-naked And nervous wrecks Spare us from baggage at goes astray
To Bonn or Berlin
But not where we stay.
Spare us, O Lord
From ‘Flight Delayed’ And hanging about Till we’re frazzled and frayed Spare us from ights at NEVER take o And leave us stranded In La Paz or Lowestoft!
Spare us, O Lord From in- ight food
at’s totally tasteless Chewy and crude Spare us from ights at run out of booze at run into turbulence Or worse still – blow a fuse!
Spare us, O Lord
From babes on our plane, Not some buxom blonde Or dishy dame, But tiny things at holler so loud You’d parachute out If one was allowed.
Spare us, O Lord
From mosquito bites ( e little feckers) And other mites at feast on our Celtic, snow-white esh Marinated in booze And juicy and fresh.
Spare us, O Lord From the ‘neighbours from hell’ Who grunt and groan And scream and yell
Spare us from these Dear God above
‘Cause they’re not ghting ey’re making love!
Spare us, O Lord
From the taxi fare at rips us o And drives us spare
Spare us from waiters
Who smirk and grin
Who hate our guts And water our gin.
Lord spare us from wine at’s cheerful and cheap And leaves us hung over For one full week
Save us from grub
Not quite cordon-bleu at has us sprinting To the leu!
Spare us, O Lord
From torrential rain
In golden, blue-sky Sun-kissed Spain!
Spare us, I beg From TOO MUCH sun at leaves us bright pink
On our back and bum.
Lord spare us from Swine Flu Bird Flu and Sars And rickety, run-down Rented cars
Spare us from petty-crooks Swindlers and scams
From lager-louts. oafs And loud hoolig-ans!
Spare us, O Lord
From cultural stu : Trips to museums And guides full of gu . Spare us from castles And ‘ruins’ roundabout To be honest, Lord ey wear me out. And help us, Lord
To nd a good pub at shows the Big Match And serves decent grub Where there’s bonhomie, craic And banter toujours Do that for us, Lord And all the rest we’ll endure!
Despite a last-minute apparent ‘change of heart’ by mercenary leader Yevgeby Prigozhin, the armed rebellion by Prigozhin, a former Putin ally who founded the Wagner private militia group, was widely seen as the biggest threat to the Russian president’s 23-year grip on power.
e Prigozhin-led revolt was unprecedented new ground for the Russian leader, who had until then been able to quickly put down the previous unarmed protests.
“Putin has imprisoned and assassinated people for far less than what Prigozhin has done to him,” said Ian Bremmer, President of Eurasia Group, the political risk thinktank.
“It’s inconceivable to me that Putin will allow him to live any longer than is absolutely necessary.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the episode exposed “cracks” in the Kremlin that was not previously seen.
Prigozhin is “kind of dead man walking at this point,” Bremmer said on Squawk Box Asia. “I would be very surprised that he’s still with us in a few months’ time,” he said.
is Prigozhin-led revolt was unprecedented new ground for Putin, who had until then been able to swiftly put out the occasional unarmed protest. e Wagner mutineers – estimated to number 25,000 – got within 200 kilometres from the capital of Moscow before their leader made the abrupt announcement to abort the mission.
“Putin has imprisoned and assassinated people for far less than what Prigozhin has done to him,” Ian Bremmer
According to report in London’s Daily Telegraph, Russian intelligence agencies made threats to harm the families of Wagner mercenary group leaders as the group marched on Moscow. In its report the paper cited anonymous UK security sources for its reporting..
e account o ers clues into why Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin may have abruptly called o his mutinous march just hours before reaching the Russian capital late Saturday.
“It has also been assessed that the mercenary force had only 8,000 ghters rather than the 25,000 claimed and faced likely defeat in any attempt to take the Russian capital,” the newspaper wrote.
e Telegraph did not name the speci c Wagner leaders whose families were allegedly threatened and it was not possible to independently verify the report’s claims.
Chechen leader and loyal Kremlin ally Ramzan Kadyrov had suggested that family business disputes may have in part in uenced Prigozhin to launch his high-stakes stando with the Russian military.
“A chain of failed business deals created a lingering resentment in the businessman, which reached its peak when
said. “It’s inconceivable to me that Putin will allow him to live any longer than is absolutely necessary.”
e Wagner ghters’ march toward Moscow sent the Kremlin scrambling to protect the capital after the mercenaries reportedly, in a matter of hours, took control of the southwestern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.
Rostov is strategically symbolic as the seat of the Southern Military District for the Russian military, a logistical and command hub for Putin’s war on Ukraine.
As part of the deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin would go into exile in Belarus in exchange for calling o the insurrection. e Kremlin
agreed to drop the criminal case against Prigozhin, according to the state controlled outlet TASS.
“Obviously this does show a level of unprecedented weakness for President Putin,” Mr Bremmer said.
“But at the same time, while Putin was unprecedently tested, there was not a single high-level defection from
the Russian military, from the Russian Government or among the Russian oligarchs — so anyone that believes that Putin is suddenly is on the brink of leaving power, also needs to recognise that’s not where we are,” he said.
e bitter feud between Prigozhin and the military establishment in Moscow escalated in recent weeks after
the Kremlin wanted all private mercenary forces to sign contracts with the Defense Ministry by July 1. Prigozhin had refused.
e stando spilled into the open when Prigozhin launched an armed rebellion on Friday after accusing the Russian army of ring at his mercenaries.
“Prigozhin’s objective was to draw Putin’s attention and to impose a discussion about conditions to preserve his activities — a de ned role, security, and funding,” Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre, wrote on Twitter.
“ ese weren’t demands for a governmental overthrow; they were a desperate bid to save the enterprise, hoping that Prigozhin’s merits in taking Bakhmut ... would be taken into account and the concerns would catch Putin’s serious attention,” she said.
e Wagner ghters have been a signi cant force in Putin’s war against Ukraine, and played an important role in the capture the eastern city of Bakhmut.
St. Petersburg’s authorities did not grant [Prigozhin’s] daughter a coveted land plot,” Kadyrov said.
Kadyrov did not identify the daughter, the land plot or the date of when the alleged attempt to acquire it took place.
Prigozhin’s daughters Polina and Veronika, as well as his son Pavel, were reported to be business owners in Russia’s second-largest city, St Petersburg.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin agreed to allow Prigozhin to escape criminal mutiny charges in exchange for standing down and going into exile in neighbouring Belarus.
Wagner mercenaries headed back to base on after the announced deal.
But the Kommersant business daily paper, and later state news agencies, reported that Prigozhin was still under investigation for an armed rebellion that Putin had slammed as a betrayal. e Telegraph cited its sources as saying that President Vladimir Putin “will now try to assimilate Wagner Group soldiers into the Russian military and take out its former leaders” following the dramatic events.
‘Episode exposed cracks in the Kremlin...
‘Threats to leaders’Wagner families’ before
Our life becomes more stressful and frantic as we try to cope with all the trials and tribulations that every day throws our way. e cost of living rises, the increased mortgage payments and then of course, the dreaded ESB and Gas bills. Even though we knew they were coming, we still get a shock when the news arrives either by post, or now text alert.
All these and more are detrimental to our health and overall wellness or ‘HOW’ as
we at Twilight Community Group describe it. Too many of us ignore the signs of stress until it becomes such a burden that we sometimes crack under its weight. So, let's work on ways to correct this pandemic of sorts and let’s get our ‘HOW’ back on track.
It’s Good to Talk
Yes, it is good to talk, but not for hours on end on that dreaded spoiled brat of a phone that demands your
immediate attention when it rings. TURN IT OFF. Talk to another person. Yes, it is true a problem shared is a problem halved. Talk to your family, and if you wish, your family doctor or another professional. ere is no shame in speaking to a counsellor. Hell, if you were an American without one, you’d be classed as the odd one out, the weirdo of the neighbourhood! Have a courageous conversation session with your family. e rst step has been taken.
Having witnessed the growing need, and indeed curiosity, for wellness services within communities, Yvonne Skelly, a wellness entrepreneur, felt inspired to create a wellness festival to bring commu nities and individu als together in a heart coherent way. The festival is an affordable opportunity for people to explore and experience wellness practices in a safe, fun and healing environment. People of all ages are seeking genuine connection with themselves and others and have a desire to cultivate better emotional and mental wellbeing.
The festivals are providing the space for this to happen!
One of Yvonne’s core values is authenticity and with this in mind, she has brought together an amazing community of thera -
who already feel mentally healthy. Increased physical activity has been found to enhance mood, improve energy levels, and promote quality sleep.
Exercise decreases stress hormones like cortisol. It also increases endorphins - your body's "feel good" chemicals - giving your mood a natural boost. Physical activity can take your mind o of your problems and either redirect it to the activity at hand or get you into a zen-like state. Exercise promotes con dence. It can help you lose weight, tone your body, and maintain a healthy glow and a smile. You may feel a subtle but signi cant boost in your mood as your clothes look more attering and you project an aura of increased strength.
a good nutritional diet and calorie intake. So, plan your meals. It’s often been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it is a fact! A cereal like oatmeal porridge is the number one starter food. Its slow release will stop you from picking on bars and snacks. Don’t starve to lose weight, it doesn’t work! Your body goes into a ‘famine mode’ and you guessed it, starts to store fat. Doing that will only add inches to your waist instead of losing them.
I don’t think we need to mention the problems with malnutrition and eating disorders that are involved with this.
Physical exercise can play an important role in our overall wellbeing and can even relieve symptoms of stress and conditions like depression and anxiety. Studies suggest that physical exercise may help ward o stress related health problems before they start. Research also shows exercise can improve the symptoms of many existing ailments. Exercise can also be used to enhance wellbeing in people
Exercise can also be a good source of social support. e bene ts of social support are well-documented, and many physical activities can be social activities as well. So, whether you join an exercise class or you play 5-a-side soccer in a league, exercising with others can give you a double dose of stress relief, helping you stay healthier for longer, and enjoy life more because of it.
We can’t drive our cars without fuel! Just like we can’t run our bodies without
Health and overall wellness (‘HOW’) is not just a one-trick pony, or one answer to t all sizes. We are creatures of a pack mentality, we yearn for company, we must interact on a personal level. Physical wellness allows you to be more active, being more active is without a doubt more fun and socially inclusive. We all know the pleasure of a good meal, the taste and the warm comfort you feel after a wonderfully prepared meal. ere’s nothing stopping you from having a good nutritional diet every day, giving you that feel good factor.
You want to improve your ‘HOW’? Talk, Walk, Exercise and Eat well every day!
dedicat important
pists who are not only professional, passionate, and dedicated to their practice, but most importantly, they are individuals who are grounded, authentic and able to relate to those beginning their wellness journey with compassion and grace.
As one previous attendee of the festival commented, “I have been looking for something like this for a long time. I felt so welcomed, so loved and thoroughly enjoyed the day exploring different practices with facilitators and therapists who are coming from a heart centred place and who are clearly walking their talk. Thank you so much for creating this space, I feel more connected, joyful and peaceful than I have in a long time. Sign me up
for the next one!”
Having run several highly successful festivals in Blessington, Co. Wicklow and Westport, Co. Mayo, Yvonne and her team are bringing what is now a growing wellness movement to Kilkenny in co-creation with Butler House & Garden. People get to enjoy a full day of talks and workshops such as meditations, wellness talks, breathwork, movement and shamanic drumming. Mini treatments are also available such as massage, reiki, reflexology, soul readings and more. Yvonne’s vision is to bring this wellness movement to all corners of Ireland, providing both education and an actual wellness experience to those who attend, and most importantly, having fun whilst doing so!
Expect a day of heart connection, healing, joy and fun. Early bird tickets are on sale for just €49 until 1st July (normal price €59). Bookings are via www.lakeshorewellnesscentre.com
We know that what you eat, how you eat, together with your lifestyle habits including sleep, physical activity & stress management can in uence the function of the body, protect against disease, and restore health.
At Beoga we work with clients on a 1:1 basis to improve their diet and lifestyle habits and our goal is to help them feel better. Some people are looking for a general steer with low energy, stress management, poor sleep, aches and pains or weight management, but others need help with digestive issues like IBS, high cholesterol, low mood, or hormonal issues and need a targeted food and lifestyle program speci c to them.
Building a solid foundation of healthy habits is a great investment in your health and wellbeing and that can start by making just one change.
Here are our top 3 tips for you to try incorporating into your daily habits:
1. “Eat the Rainbow” – this means including lots of different colours and varieties of fruit and vegetables which
will ensure you are getting a wide range of vitamins, minerals, bre, and phytonutrients (which help protect against disease). Try stir-fries, curries, soups, salads, or snack on vegetable sticks with some hummus.
2. Eat Protein with every meal & snack – protein rich foods include meat, sh, eggs, tofu, lentils, legumes, and dairy. Protein will help to balance blood sugar levels and keep you fuller for longer.
3. Adequate Hydration –aim to drink 2 litres of water each day. is can help with energy levels, improve concentration, clear skin and prevent constipation. Herbal teas will count towards this amount, but regular tea and co ee won’t. Invest in a
large reusable water bottle (ideally made from stainless steel or glass). is way it’s easy to keep track of how much water you’ve drank so you’re not kidding yourself. It’s amazing how after making just a few small changes to their diet and lifestyle, people’s symptoms can subside and make a huge di erence to how they feel.
Beoga Nutrition was founded by local Nutritional erapists, Jenny White (MSc, Dip NT) and Linda Murray (BSc, Dip NT), who together have a combined experience of over 20 years in the nutrition and wellness eld.
If you are looking for some professional guidance do get in touch for a free 10-minute chat to see if we are the right t for you.
Koru Wellness opened in April this year with a mission to create a safe space to nurture community wellbeing. With a range of different classes and workshops to help support your wellbeing journey, there’s something for everyone. Located in the prestigious Castle Yard, this calm sanctuary in the heart of Kilkenny offers classes, workshops, and retreats, all designed to enrich your whole self - mind, body, and soul.
“Wellbeing has never been so important in our everyday lives,” says owner Jennie Cantwell. "We all had different experiences throughout the pandemic, but the underlying impact on our emotional wellbeing, particularly on our young people, has been profound. Finding space in our busy lives for self-care and wellbeing is essential to our overall physical, mental, and emotional health. Whether that means a walk in the forest, a movement class or a simple meditation or mindful activity, it all promotes a healthier way
of living.”
“What we are seeing since we opened is customers from all ages and backgrounds that are seeking ways to connect back to themselves and disconnect from the busy brain and stresses of modern day living. Committing to a class on a regular basis is one way to support your wellbeing and to create a sense of inner calm.”
Engaging in wellbeing activities brings numerous benefits to our lives. It promotes physical health by boosting energy, strengthening the immune system,
and improving sleep. Emotionally, it reduces stress, anxiety, and depression, fostering a more positive mindset and emotional resilience.
Classes at Koru Wellness include yoga, meditation, adult & child mindfulness, core & pelvic floor training, Qi Gong, Tai Chi and breathwork, with planning underway to extend the timetable in September. There are a number of retreats and workshops running throughout the summer including children’s workshops on creative writing, art, and mindfulness. Koru Wellness also offers therapeutic services including CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and anxiety-based workshops and corporate packages. With a team of expert practitioners and its serene environment, Koru Wellness has created a calming and nurturing space for relaxation and rejuvenation. To find out more or to book a class contact Jennie 085 265 2230 or find them on Instagram @koruwellnesskilkenny
Events at Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre kicked off last weekend with a very enjoyable performance of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility by regular visitors Chapterhouse Theatre Company.
The music programme gets underway this weekend and features a range of musical genres each weekend during July and August. The line-up includes returning favourites as well as artists making their first appearance at the popular venue. Some events have already sold out so don’t delay.
Saturday July 1 Dublin Gospel Choir with guests Cois Nore Choir
Saturday July 8 The Riptide Movement
Saturday July 15 ABBAesque (Sold Out)
Saturday July 22 Stocktons Wing with guests Burnchurch
Saturday July 29 Lyra with guest Ali Comerford (Sold Out)
Saturday August 5 The High Kings (Limited availability)
Sunday August 6 Big Generator presents Rock Rising
Saturday August 12 Lisa McHugh
Saturday August 19 The Stunning with guests The Donnys (Sold Out)
Saturday August 26 Cry Before Dawn
Tickets can be purchased on www.ballykeeffeamphitheatre.com
Bar facilities will be provided by O’Hara’s Brewery, The Bula Bus will satisfy any hunger pangs and Bernie’s Take Out will serve up delicious treats.
There will be a bus service from the Kilkenny city.
We would also like to remember the great Christy Dignam RIP who played his last gig with Aslan with us last August.
As we have often mentioned here that our seniors are the most undervalued and underutilized group in society. We have a vast array of life experiences and knowledge that has been long forgotten, since we all became, we so dependent on the mobile phone that has taken total control of our life’s activities big and small. We have developed many services for our seniors that we must now ensure they are aware of the benefits available.
With that in mind Twilight
Community Group developed our Protecting assisting Senior Services PASS Programme. This programme has been in operation for the past 12 months and we have a FREE morning for our senior groups July 5th in Eamon Langton’s The Set theatre We would like to cordially invite you and your members to join us as we bring down the curtain on this successful programme. Numbers are limited so please let me know how many of your members wish to attend. This is a free morning to thank you for the wonderful services you bring to your community
This event will include Coffee / Tea and some biscuits on arrival between 9-30 & 10am and Lunch served in the venue at 1.00pm. We want you to have an enjoyable morning. Hopefully this will
allow all to interact and alleviate any fears you may have of gathering with others. The following organisations will be present on the day to take your questions on a table to table basis as NO Power Points, Videos presentations will be part of the morning. The only speeches will be at the opening and conclusion of the day and will be kept to a minimum
An Garda Community Services, Kilkenny Fire Services, St Canice’s Credit Union, Money Advice Services, Newpark Family Law services
So, as I said numbers are limited so book you seat at the table now
I look forward to seeing you on the day and I would appreciate if you could confirm your attendance
Contact Murty Brennan at 086 3255840
Once more, food inflation has slowed, falling to the lowest level recorded this year. However, prices are continuing to increase, according to the latest findings from research group Kantar.
A survey of more than 30,000 products in Irish supermarkets revealed that shoppers paid 15.8% more for these goods in the 12 weeks to June 11 compared
with the same time last year. This showed a decline from the 16.5% reported in May.
Take-home grocery sales rose by 10% in the four weeks to June 11 as consumers enjoyed spells of good weather.
Consumers were shopping little and often to snap up the best deals, with the percentage of packs sold on
promotion rising to 25.8%.
This was up slightly from 24.7% last year.
Shoppers spent an additional €2.9m on beer and lager, as well as an extra €1.9m on burgers and grills. A further €1.2m was spent on sausages.
Rising sales of own-brand goods, a trend that has emerged since inflation began to rise, continued this
month. Growth of own-label products jumped 15% over the 12-week period.
Sales of branded items rose by 7.8%.
In the same period, the amount spent on value own label ranges increased by €15.7m as consumers sought out the cheapest offerings to cut costs.
Up to 17% of households in Ireland now shop online,
Kantar research revealed.
Digital grocery shopping rose by 2.2% year-on-year, with shoppers spending an additional €3.5m.
Tesco, Dunnes and Lidl all saw growth levels ahead of the total market in the three months to June 11.
The gap between the top two retailers is beginning to narrow, Kantar data showed.
Overall, Dunnes Stores retained the top spot in the Irish grocery market, with a 22.9% market share. Tesco held a 22.6% market share, followed by SuperValu, with 20.7%. SuperValu customers made an average of 24 trips over the 12-week period. Lidl now holds a record share of 13.7%, while rival discounter Aldi’s market share remained at 12.3%.
An open letter has been sent to Dail deputies by Michael Walsh, Representative of South East Branch, Irish Hotels Federation – representing 35 local businesses in Kilkenny and Carlow – to highlight growing concerns about plans in September to increase consumer taxes on Irish hospitality and tourism.
Government estimates indicate that the proposed increase in VAT to 13.5% would see people paying an additional €560m in taxes each year, said Mr Walsh. at’s a 50% increase in taxes on everything from the price of a cup of co ee, to the price of a meal out, a stay in a hotel or guesthouse and the cost of social events such as weddings.
In his open letter he says:
“ is is at a time when people’s personal nances are already under signi cant pressure due to the cost-ofliving crisis. With in ation remaining persistently high, consumer prices are forecast to be more than 16% higher in 2024 than they were in 2021. Meanwhile, households are also being squeezed by soaring mortgage interest rates, with more increases to come.
History was created in St Lachtain’s Church of Ireland, Freshford recently when the 12th century Shrine of St Lachtain’s Arm was displayed there for the first time. On a one day loan to Ionad Lachtain Church, Arts and Heritage Centre, the Shrine was displayed courtesy of the National Museum of Ireland. St Lachtain’s is one of the oldest living church sites in Ireland with a service every Sunday morning at 10.00 am. More than 700 people passed through the church on the day to view the shrine.
St Lachtain is patron saint of Freshford. He founded a monastery there around 570 AD. Last year the 1400th anniversa -
ry of the death of Lachtain was commemorated with a year-long festival which also marked more than 1400 years of worship on this site. St Lachtain’s Arm is a bronze reliquary. It once housed the relics of the saint’s right arm but these have been long lost. The reliquary was made between the years 1118 and 1121 and was dedicated to the McCarthys, kings of Munster and to Diarmait, a successor of Lachtain in Freshford. As well as being used as a reliquary, it was also used to swear oaths and as a battle talisman. The O’Helys, Lords of Donoughmore in Cork, had ownership of the shrine but lost pos -
session after the Reformation. It formed part of the Fountaine collection in England until 1884 when it was returned to Ireland, making it one of the first artefacts to be repatriated from England to its country of origin. It now forms part of the Treasures of Ireland exhibition at the National Museum.
The proceedings at Freshford on the historic occasion were opened with an ecumenical blessing by Monsignor Kieron Kennedy, PP and the Very Rev. Stephen Farrell, Dean of Ossory and Rector of Freshford.
Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Mr. Malcolm
Noonan, T.D., congratulated all at Ionad Lachtain Heritage Centre on the historic achievement of showing the shrine at Freshford.
Representing the Museum, Ms Maeve Sikora, Keeper of Antiquities, spoke on the policy of showing pieces of the museum’s collection at local level, while Dr Griffin Murray, a lecturer in the Department of Archaeology at U.C.C. and acknowledged expert on the shrine, spoke about its history.
On behalf of the committee at Ionad Lachtain, Ned Kennedy welcomed and thanked all who helped to bring the occasion to fruition.
“ is has a knock-on e ect on the decisions the average person makes when decid-
ing whether or not to spend money on discretionary items such as going out for a meal with family and friends or taking a short break in Ireland. Tourism and hospitality are particularly vulnerable and invariably one of the rst to take the hit. Increasing taxes on already hard-pressed consumers is therefore the last thing the country needs,” he says.
“From a tourism perspective, the current 9% VAT is the right rate for Ireland. It is in line with average rates of tourism VAT across Europe. Increasing the rate of VAT paid by consumers to 13.5% would make us an outlier among our competitors. We would have the third highest tourism VAT in Europe, which would seriously undermine our international competitiveness and ability to attract visitors.
“ e reality is that Ireland is already one of the most expensive places in the world in which to live and do business. Recent gures show that general consumer prices in Ireland are the highest in the EU at over 46% above the average.
“ is begs the question we are asking all TDs to consider: Why should Ireland, as an island destination, have the third highest tourism VAT rate in all of Europe?”
Lyrath Estate will host its exclusive Wedding Showcase on Sunday July 16, from 1pm to 5pm. is beautiful event provides the perfect opportunity for the couple-to-be, or for mothers, daughters, bridesmaids, and friends to sample everything that is on o er at Lyrath Estate from room décor, cuisine, and lots of other elements that make a couple’s dream day perfect.
is showcase also provides the opportunity to meet with the Lyrath Estate wedding team and guests will also get the chance to see the rooms set up for a wedding to give them a true visualisation of the day.
Contact the Lyrath Wedding Team at weddings@lyrath. com or call them on 0567705845.
For more see www.lyrath. com
Words and photos by Pat Shortall
Templemartin is approximately three miles from Kilkenny city. e graveyard adjoins the ruins of the ancient monastic church on a site a little over a quarter of an acre in size. Its most prominent feature is the arched Romanesque Doorway, which is still in relatively good condition. Gravestones are scattered haphazardly and randomly throughout. e holy well of St. Martin is reputed to lie in what is locally known as Mrs. Quirke’s bog a short distance north of the old church. e last burial took place there in 1991; it was that of local lady, Helena (Lena) Lennon. e rst headstone mention of her deceased relatives dates to 1929. Representatives from the local community, with the assistance of Kilkenny Co. Council, regularly complete the necessary tasks for the upkeep of the site. e patron Saint of Templemartin ( omple –Waurthan) was St. Martin of Tours, the Roman army o cer who became the third Bishop of Tours. St. Martin is famously associated with
at least one very generous deed. One day on his journey to battle, he saw a poor man dressed in rags during a period of freezing temperatures. He drew his sword to cut the cloak he was wearing in two and gave one-half to the su ering man. e following night he had a vision of Jesus, who appeared to him, dressed in the half cloak he had given to the poor man he had encountered the previous day. e
feast of St. Martin of Tours occurs on 11th November. Recognising the importance of the Saint and his feast day, fairs and other business transactions took place at Templemartin crossroads on the 10th and the 23rd of November each year until about 1860.
e parish of Templemartin, or as it is called on the Ordnance Map, St. Martin’s. It comprises the townlands of Highrath, Lavistown, Lyrath
(part of) Rathbourne and Templemartin, in all 782 statued acres. e church can scarcely be later than the 13th century.
ere is evidence to suggest that the New Model Army led by Oliver Cromwell, during his conquest of Ireland was responsible for an attack on Templemartin church. However, the local inhabitants from then to the present day did not forget the sacredness of the
church grounds. Tombs and burial plots were erected and constructed after the devastation, within and between the original walls of the church building.
In November 1970, Mrs. Madge Buggy on behalf of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, carried out an extensive survey of the tombstones and their inscriptions. Many wellknown Kilkenny family names were included in her ndings. Representatives
of families such as Walton, Ryan, Nolan, Long, Kavanagh, Phelan and Loughman. Indeed, on a recent visit, I learned of many more familiar city and county names, which are still in existence today.
e well-respected Wheeler Cu e family boasts a very ne preserved memorial set in the wall in the chancel. It can be clearly seen over another ornate monument. is concerns the memory of
had connections with Clara Castle. As with other stone uprights, it survived Cromwell’s rampage, as it is dated 23rd December 1562.
On 13th August 2019, the rst mass for at least 300 years was celebrated with appropriate sincerity beside the dominant yew tree opposite the church ruin. People from neighbouring parishes and the local community gathered to honour in prayer, the
memory of those who constructed the church on the holy grounds and those who attended mass and the sacraments on the site for so many years. An order of devout monks from Tours, France, in the 11th century, are understood to be the rst religious to inhabit the area. ey too, were mentioned in a special blessing by Fr Willie Purcell, parish priest at Clara. Part of the celebration on that damp August
evening, was the promise that the holy sacrament of the mass would join the list of graveyard masses in the parish each year. Once again, on June 6 2023, parish priest of Clara, Fr. Willie Purcell performed a sacred blessing at Templemartin’s church and graveyard, to honour once more the feast of St. Martin of Tours. Fr Willie paid special mention to all interred at the graveyard without a memorial stone or plaque.
Prep:20 mins
Cook:10 mins
Plus 1 hr marinating
Serves: 6
These barbecued kebabs are big on flavour, but the spice is toned down, so they’re great for kids. Offer some chilli sauce on the side for those who like heat, and serve with flatbread.
Ingredients
• 6 chicken breasts, chopped into large chunks
• 2 each red, orange and green peppers, deseeded and chopped into large chunks
• warmed flatbreads, chopped
• tomato and lemon wedges, to serve
For the marinade and sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 300g natural or Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 3 tbsp ketchup
Method STEP 1
Make the marinade by mixing all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Spoon a third of the mixture into a smaller bowl, then cover and chill until needed. Stir the chicken into the marinade and set aside for 20 mins. Can be chilled for up to two days, covered.
STEP 2
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 1 hr before using. Alternately thread the peppers and chicken onto the skewers until you have 6-8 kebabs. You can do this in
advance if you like, and chill the kebabs until needed.
STEP 3
Heat a barbecue to medium, or until a thin layer of coals has turned grey. Cook the
Say cheers with a poinsettia cocktail, a classy mix of triple sec, Prosecco and cranberry juice, garnished with a fresh bay leaf. Serves 1
Ingredients
•25ml triple sec
•50ml cranberry juice
•75ml champagne or prosecco
•1 fresh bay leaf, to garnish
Method
STEP 1
Chill the triple sec, cranberry juice, champagne and a martini glass in the fridge until cold.
STEP 2
Pour the triple sec and cranberry juice into the chilled glass, then slowly top up with the champagne and garnish with the bay leaf.
Prep: 15 mins
Serves: 8 is beetrootone-platter-serves-all hummus will be a big hit, and doesn’t require any cooking.
Ingredients
• 2 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
• 2 x 300g pack cooked beetroot, drained
• 2 small garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle to serve
• good squeeze of lemon juice
• 2 tbsp toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp nigella seeds
• 1 tsp sumac (optional)
• pinch of chilli akes (optional)
To serve (optional)
• crunchy summer veg, cut into batons (we used fennel, sugar snap peas, baby heritage
carrots & radishes)
• bread, toasted and cut into ngers for dipping
• mini mozzarella balls
• olives
kebabs for 10 mins, turning occasionally, until the chicken is charred and cooked through. Serve the kebabs with the reserved yogurt sauce, warmed flatbreads, chopped tomatoes and lemon wedges on the side.
• prosciutto-wrapped breadsticks
Method
STEP 1
Set about 2 tbsp chickpeas aside. Tip the rest of the chickpeas, the beetroot, garlic, tahini, oil and lemon juice into a food processor with a good pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, then check the seasoning, adding a little more salt or lemon if it needs it. Chill the hummus until you’re ready to serve (it will keep for up to two days).
STEP 2
Transfer the hummus to a wide, shallow bowl or spread over a platter. Drizzle with some oil, scatter with the reserved chickpeas, hazelnuts, seeds, sumac and chilli (if using). Arrange the crunchy veg and other accompaniments around the platter and let everyone dig in.
A true taste of summer, serve this fruity punch with fresh mint leaves, cucumber, orange and strawberries. Serves 4.
Ingredients
•200ml Pimm’s No. 1
•600ml lemonade
•mint sprigs, sliced cucumber, sliced orange and strawberries, to serve
Method
STEP 1
Fill a jug with ice and pour over the Pimm’s and lemonade. Give it a good stir then add the mint, cucumber and fruit.
As the saying goes, you don’t mess around with Jim — Jim Cameron, that is. Cameron’s 1997 Titanic is, no hyperbole, a masterpiece. It was a massive deal in ‘97, breaking the box o ce and taking home a score of Oscars. e lm holds up even to this day –if only because it’s one of the last times James Cameron made a movie that didn’t involve the planet of Pandora.
It’s a classic star-crossed romance about a lowerclass passenger, played by Leonardo DiCaprio at the height of his heartthrob years, who falls in love with upper-class passenger Kate Winslet. eir romance is forbidden, but that won’t stop them from running all over the Titanic, making eyes at each other, and dancing their asses o below decks. Of course, this romance is doomed, because as everyone knows, an iceberg is lurking in the waters, ready to send the Titanic to the bottom of the sea. Now re up that Celine Dion song!
As a purely fun summer blockbuster, Star Trek rocks. It helps that the lm has a killer ensemble cast — Chris Pine as Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Karl Urban as Bones, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty, John Cho as Sulu, and Anton Yelchin as Chekov. ese players all work well together and make for likeable leads. e plot involves time travel and antimatter, and it’s admittedly not that strong. But Star Trek is so unapologetically entertaining and fun that you go along for the ride. e sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, will also be streaming on Net ix in July, but you might want to avoid that one.
Missing Matthew Macfa-
dyen now that Succession is over? Well then! Why not revisit one of his best roles, that of Mr Darcy in Joe Wright’s swooning adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice? Can lowerclass Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) be with uber-rich Mr. Darcyy (Macfadyyen)? Customs of the time would say no, but customs be damned! is adaptation, is rich and funny and so damn romantic that it’ll have you sighing dreamily at every turn.
A bonus is that Donald Sutherland shows up and does an accent, sort of! It feels like the time when movies like this could come out, hit cinemas, and nd audiences long gone, and if they made this today it would go right to Net ix. So I guess it’s sort of ironic that the lm is indeed headed to stream on Net ix in July.
Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids is one of the most memorable comedies from the 2010s. It’s a holdover from another time — a time when a big comedy could go to cinemas and haul in big box o ce in the process.
In Bridesmaids, Kristen Wiig is Annie, who is set to be the Maid of Honour at the wedding of her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph). But planning the wedding will not be easy, and a comedy of errors ensues that threatens both the relationship between these two life-long friends and the wedding itself.
Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy, and Chris O’Dowd round out the cast, and everyone here — especially McCarthy, who landed a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her work here — is ring on all cylinders.
Net ix has reworked how it rates the popularity of its TV shows and movies, resulting in a fresh view on the mostwatched Net ix movies and shows of all time.
One notable change is that Wednesday is now the most popular piece of English language content on the entire service, with 1.7 billion hours viewed.
e most popular piece of content across all categories and languages, though, is Squid Game. It racked up 2.2 billion hours viewed according to Net ix’s statistics.
However, look a little closer and you’ll notice Net ix does not actually rank its TV shows by ‘hours viewed’. It lists by view count instead.
is is a pretty crude calculation, according to Net ix.
1. e Night Manager
e six-episode British series from 2016 is based on John le Carré’s novel e Night Manager. e crime drama follows the work of former British soldier Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston). Pine, a hotel night porter, is contacted by an intelligence operative who asks for his assistance to spy on international businessman Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie). Pine attempts to in ltrate Roper’s inner circle by becoming a felon while keeping his mission a secret from his hotel colleagues and girlfriend.
2. e En eld Haunting
e 2015 nminiseries on Amazon Prime is based on real-life events in a North London home in 1977. Novice paranormal researcher Maurice Grosse (Timothy Spall) hears of a family reported being terrorized by supernatural forces. After the recent death of his daughter, Maurice is drawn into the family’s story, which involves a young girl. Maurice enlists the help of experienced investigator Guy Lyon Playfair (Matthew Macfadyen) to help him research the haunting. At rst, Guy Lyon believes the case to be a scam until he encounters the evil presence.
3. A Young Doctor’s Notebook
e dark comedy on Apple TV from 2012 is based on a series of short stories written by Russian playwright Mikhail Bulgakov, as he recounts his semi- biographical experiences as a young physician in a small village at the dawn of the Russian Revolution. e ctional physician, Dr Vladmir Bomgard, is portrayed by both John Hamm and Daniel Radcli e at di erent points in his life, leading to a series of comic exchanges between the two men.
It divides the total number of hours viewed by the length of a show or movie. It’s why
Wednesday: Season 1 is ranked at number one with 1.718 billion hours even though people spent longer watching Stranger ings Season 4 – 1.838 billion hours.
at’s 209,000 years!
Of course, the Net ix view count stats don’t account for people who gave up on Wednesday at Episode 2.
However, if we forget that for a moment, Net ix has given us the tools to work out the true most-watched content on the entire platform, based on view count, regardless of type.
And this is it:
1. Squid Game Season 1 - 265 million views
2. Wednesday Season 1 - 252
million views
3. Red Notice - 230 million views
4. Don’t Look Up - 171 million views
5. e Adam Project - 157 million views
6. Bird Box - 157 million views
7. Stranger ings Season 4140 million views
8. e Gray Man - 139 million views
9. We Can Be Heroes - 137 million views
10. Glass Onion - 136 million views
Here are those Top 10 lists on which we based the above alltimer Top 10 list. TV (English Language):
1. Wednesday Season 1 (1.718 billion hours, 252 million views)
2. Stranger ings 4 (1.838 billion hours, 140 million
views)
3. Dahmer: Monster (1.031 billion hours, 115 million views)
4. Bridgerton season 1 (989 million hours, 113 million views)
5. e Queen’s Gambit (746 million hours, 112 million views)
6. e Night Agent season 1 (803 million hours, 98 million views)
7. Stranger ings Season 3 (716 million hours, 94 million views)
8. Bridgerton season 2 (797 million hours, 93 million views)
9. e Witcher Season 1 (663 million hours, 83 million views)
10. e Watcher Season 1 (447 million hours, 79 million views)
4. Accused is British television anthology series from 2010 on Amazon Prime tells a di erent story in each episode. It follows a different alleged criminal as they await their verdict in court, telling the story behind how they nd themselves accused. e show’s main appeal is that in each episode, the accused is portrayed by a notable actor.
5. Secret State
Inspired by Chris Mullin’s novel A Very British Coup, the story from 2012 follows Deputy Prime Minister Tom Dawkins (Gabriel Byrne) as he vows to take on the American petrochemical company Petrofex following a devastating accident on British soil. After the Prime Minister dies in a suspicious plane crash, Dawkins’ understated political ambitions are tested as Ros Yelland (Sylvestra Le Touzel) and Felix Durrell (Rupert Graves) vie for the role of Prime Minister.
Mary Fitzgerald has been making tremendous progress in Para Athletics events over the past five years, and next weekend the Callan native represents Ireland in the Shot Putt competition at the Para Athletics World Championships which take place in Paris from July 8th17th.
Mary who competes for Gowran Athletic Club has plenty of experience on the international stage having competed in The Shot Putt, Discus and Javelin competitions.
In 2021, she was a Bronze Medalist in The Shot Putt competition at the European Championships in Bydgoszcz (Poland), before producing a superb performance to finish 6th at The Paralympics in Tokyo on her debut appearance in The Paralympics.
As mentioned, Mary will be in Paris representing Ireland
next weekend, and she will be hoping to return to the French Capital in 2024 to compete in her Second Paralympics.
The Callan native has been a very busy lady over the past few years, as along with her Athletics committments she completed a 4-Year Degree course in Occupational Therapy in UCC.
While in UCC, she was awarded a Quercus Sports Scholarship for the 4 years that was a great help in balancing both her studies and been able to compete at the highest level.
Mary got a taste of the big time in Athlone in 2018 when winning double gold in both Javelin and Discus and a silver medal in the Shot Putt at The International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Youth World Games, while a year later in 2019 she won triple gold again at the Youth World Games in United Arab Emirates.
Mary's Para classification
Tuesday morning June 6th.
1st prize - Christine Leonowicz & Linda
Darlington
2nd prize - Mary O'Reilly & Margaret Mullins
Tuesday morning June 13th
1st prize - Liam & Brigid Holohan
2nd prize - Christine Leonowicz & Linda
Darlington
Tuesday morning June 20th
1st prize - Christine Leonowicz & Linda
Darlington
2nd prize - Frances Walsh & Noreen Grogan
Partner Service - 087/6888323
Seated by 10.20am - Bridge commences @ 10.30am
Wednesday evening June 7th
1st prize - Kathleen Ferguson & Kathleen
O'Shaughnessy
2nd prize - Margaret Walsh & Noreen Grogan
Wednesday evening June 14th
1st prize - Kathleen Ferguson & Kathleen
O'Shaughnessy
2nd prize - Miriam Martin & Catherine Lynch
Wednesday evening June 21st
1st prize - Peter Ryan & Pat Hickey
2nd prize - Kathleen Ferguson & Rose Walsh
Partner Service - 086/8203530
Seated by 7.20pm - Bridge commences @ 7.30pm
Nore Bridge Club End of Season
1 Mary Egan/Breda O'Gorman
2. Colette O'Neill/Hugh Donnelly Swift
3. Pat O'Briain/Peter McQuillan
4. Sheila Ryan/Catherine McGoff
5. Catherine Dore/Helen Tynan
6. Anne Brennan/Josephine Cuddihy
Kilkenny Bridge Club - End of Season
1. Donal Higgins/Barbara JKearney
2. Michael Delahunty/Adrienne Walsh
3. Melanie O'Briain/Sheila Ryan
4. Breda Deevy/Mary Egan
5. Hugh Donnelly Swift/Colette O'Neill
Club re-opens Tuesday 19h September. New members welcome. Contact Secretary 086 605 0075
Ormonde Castle Bridge Club - End of Season
1. Sheila O'Mahony/Margaret Knowles
2. Brigid smee/ Annette kelly
3. Marion Kilbeide/Ellen dowling
4. Anna Collins/Amy McClean
5. Bernard Clark/Phil Mahony
6. Yvonne Grant/Anna Morrison
is F40, which means that she competes against those of a similar height to herself, and willing to push herself further she has competed in able bodied events where has acquitted herself very well.
The Tokyo Paralympian has competed in several events around the world since first representing Ireland when joining Paralympic Ireland’s High Performance squad in 2019.
She has constantly improved and continues to strive to improve, and another personal highlight for Mary came in 2021 when she set a new PB of 8.12 metres in Templmore in The Shot Putt competition Munster Irish Wheelchair Association.
That wonderful effort put her at No. 4 in The World Rankings and if she maintains the progression shown over the past few years, she should definitely feature as a contender in the French Captial for both the upcoming Worlds and next years Paralympics.
Mary is a wonderful ambassador who has done
both herself and everyone connected to her very proud indeed, and she is a perfect role model to the Paralympic Community particularly for her ability and adversity in overcoming the challenges that she has faced.
She was a popular Grand Marshal at last years St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Kilkenny, and it was so fittingly appropriate that she was recogized for her efforts on the International Stage along with the way that she is an inspiration to Para-Athletes who have high aspirations. Team Ireland have had so much success in Paralympics events in World Championships and Paralympics Games over the years with Jason Smyth and Michael McKillop leading the way with a mutitude of honours.
With The increasing amount of Para-Athletes competing and continuing to flourish on the international stage, the sky is the limit for Mary Fitzgerald to achieve greater things in her biggest year to date in her career.
Bishop Niall Coll was given a real warm welcome on his rst visit to to Tullaherin/Bennettsbridge on Sunday last. e day began with a con-celebrated mass with Canon Pat Dalton and Canon Pat Duggan. Fr. Dalton welcomed Bishop Niall to St Bennett’s Church, expressing the wish that it would be the rst of many visits. e lessons were read by Lorraine Hennessy. Music throughout was provided by the combined choirs from Tullaherin, Bennettsbridge and Folk Choir. Deirdre, Laura and Billy performed some beautiful pieces. Afterwards, Bishop Niall mingled with parishioners in the Community Hall where refreshments were served by a very e cient band of women.
LOTTO
Lotto Results 20th June Numbers drawn - 13, 15, 30.No Jackpot winner.
€30 each to Billy Carrigan, Peter Nolan, Keith Connolly, Eddie Langton, Liz Mullen Kent.
Thanks to all for your support
SUPPORTERS CLUB
Kilkenny GAA Supporters Club. For anyone wishing to join or pay their membership renewal please contact Martin Nolan of Clara at 086-2343254. Thanks for the support.
SENIORS PIPPED
Clara senior hurlers were pipped by a point at home to O’Loughlins on Saturday evening. They trailed 1-12 to 1-11 at the break with Dara Glynn grabbing the goal. The second half started with three Clara points on the bounce through Paul Cody (free), Liam Ryan and Martin O Connell. O’Loughlins responded with two points before Eoin Wall broke through for a goal for the winners. A splendid Shane Staunton point was replied to before Eoin O Shea cantered in to goal again, thus giving O Loughlins a six point lead and putting them in firm control. They stretched that lead out to nine but Clara never threw in the towel and finished with a flurry of scores to reduce the deficit to a single point. A late John Murphy goal was instrumental in this and the same player was unlucky shortly beforehand with another goal bound e ort. 3-21 to 2-23 was how it ended. Clara will rue the number of wides that they shot and the scores they conceded needlessly through short puckouts going astray.
Team - Kevin Nolan, Killian Fitzgerald, Peter Nolan, Harry Boyle. Conor Cody, Shane Staunton 0-1, Jim Kehoe. Rory O Kee e, Paul Cody 0-8, 0-4f. Liam Ryan 0-3, Martin O Connell 0-6, Dara Glynn 1-1. Sean Carrigan, Chris Bolger 0-2, Rory Glynn. Subs Lester Ryan, David Langton 0-1f, John Murphy 1-1. JUNIORS
The Clara Junior hurlers were well beaten at home to Windgap on Tuesday of last week. Windgap were unlucky to lose last year’s county final and showed here that they will be contenders again this year. Rory Glynn opened the scoring for Clara from a free but this was the only time they led all day. Windgap then reeled o five in a row before Glynn scored again from a free. Rory added two more frees in the first half and Rory O Kee e scored Clara’s only point from play but Windgap led 0-15 to 0-5 at the interval.
Clara’s scoring rate improved greatly in the second half and they added eight points from play but Windgap more than matched them and the last Windgap score was a goal to give them a 1-30 to 0-15 success. It was a steep learning curve for the Clara lads who had six of last years minors among their starting 15. But these lads will improve too with time on their side.
Team - Jason Barcoe, James Dowling, Peter Nolan 0-1, Killian Fitzgerald. Cian Kelly, Stephen Quinlan, Ben Murphy. Rory Glynn 0-8, 0-6f, Harry Boyle 0-1. Adam Harding, Rory O Kee e 0-2, Luke Whelan 0-1. Alex McDonald, Joe Connolly 0-2, Sean Carrigan. Subs Noelie O Brien, Conor (Curly) Phelan.
ATHLETICS
Pia Langton of Clara and KCH achieved a notable milestone
in Tullamore recently at the Leinster Juvenile Track and Field Championships. By winning gold in the U17 800m race, Pia eclipsed a 26 year old record time set by former two time Olympian Sinead Delahunty, also of Kilkenny. A couple of weeks prior to that Pia had claimed gold for the Loreto at the same distance in the Irish Schools Championships in a similar time of 2 minutes 13 seconds.
Then on Saturday Pia bettered that time again on her way to winning her heat at the Tailteann Games, which now qualifies her to wear an Irish singlet. Pia, who has also starred for Clara Camogie sides, looks a real star in the making. Her parents Eddie and Niamh are long time sponsors of Clara GAA teams under the Langton House Hotel umbrella. Keep making Clara proud Pia.
CAMOGIE
Clara seniors played out their final league game of the year on Sunday morning when they welcomed their neighbours, Gowran to Clara. With both teams out of contention for league honours the game took on somewhat of a challenge feel to it and was thoroughly enjoyable as a result. In the end Gowran prevailed 4-10 to 3-11 and both teams will regret lost scoring opportunities.
Clara got o to a flyer and when Róisín Kealy scored a fortunate goal from distance a er 12 minutes they led 1-5 to 0-1. Grace Barcoe (2), Katie Ryan from a free, Niamh Ward and Mags Kehoe had provided the points. However Gowran’s next score was a goal and this seemed to settle them. They added two points before Grace Barcoe closed out the first half scoring with two more points. 1-7 to 1-3 to Clara at the break. Gowran quickly tied the game at the start of the second half with an unanswered 1-1. Róisín Kealy edged Clara ahead again but Gowran came again with another 1-2. Katie Ryan reduced the deficit with two placed balls and a er Mags Kehoe from a free had exchanged points with a Gowran girl, Katie goaled with a speculative shot to put Clara a point up. A er Gowran equalised Emma Corr got in on the goaling from distance act to put Clara three up and just two minutes le on the clock. Gowran needed a goal and there was a strong suspicion of a square ball about it when it came. However they kicked on and scored the last two points of the match to close it out.
Some of the displays by Clara’s younger players here were very encouraging. Sarah Dunne, Rachel Brickell, Joanne Comerford and particularly Emma Corr were all very good and Clara were a little unlucky not to take something from the game. But the attitude and application were excellent and manager Peter “Chap” Cleere said as much a erwards.
Team - Aoife Glynn, AoifeTreacy, Tamsin English, Sarah Dunne. Emma Corr 1-0, Katie Ryan 1-3, 0-2f, 0-1 x 45, Rachel Brickell. Rebecca Nolan, Joanne Comerford. Niamh Ward 0-1, Grace Barcoe 0-4, Margaret Kehoe 0-2, 0-1f. Róisín Kealy 1-1, Aoife Ward, Maria Shortall.
BENE MERENTI MEDAL FOR FR. PAT
This evening in Gowran, Fr. Pat Dalton will receive the Bene Merenti Medal in recognition of his service to the diocese as
Diocesan Education Secretary (Primary) for 32 years(19892021). Singers and musicans from Dungarvan and Gowran churches will sing at the con-celebrated mass with Bishop Niall Coll, chief celebrant, with Fr Pat Duggan and Fr Pat Dalton. Bishop Niall will present the medal to Fr Pat. Refreshments will be served in Gowran Parish Hall a er the mass. All are welcome.
MASS TIMES WEEKDAYS
Wednesday morning, 10.30am. Friday morning,10.30am
GRAVEYARD MASSES 2023
Graveyard mass in Tullaherin for 2023 will be celebrated on Saturday, 29th July at 8pm. Bennettsbridge Cemetery Mass will take place on Sunday morning, 30th July at 10.30am.
THOMASTOWN GRAVEYARD MASS
Graveyard Mass for 2023 in St Mary’s graveyard, Thomastown, will be held on Friday, 4th August at 8pm.
CARD GAME Results 20th June. First Prize, Charlie Hill/Gerry Kelly (13 games), 2nd Tom Drennan/Robbie Carroll(11 games) Table Prize Siobhan Donovan/Joan O’Gorman.
ST VINCENT DE PAUL
Thanks to all who supported the St Vincent De Paul collection.
ART GROUP
Weekly sessions continue under the direction of tutor, Julie Moorhouse. Members are looking forward to their annual exhibition during Kilkenny Arts Week which takes place 10th to 20th August this year.
GATHERING
The Gathering Group enjoyed a day trip to the Sensory Gardens in Carlow last week. The guided tour was very useful and the guide filled us in on background information about the garden. Lunch was enjoyed in the restaurant. Included in the day was a visit to the Arboretum Garden Centre.
LOTTO Results 19th June. No winner of Jackpot. Numbers, 9, 13, 17, 20.
Consolation Prizes, De Bally Boys, Patrick O’Neill, Ballyreddin, Josie Drea, Blackwell, David Phelan, Hillview, Suzie, c/o Fr Duggan.
TIDY TOWNS
Yet another facility has been installed in the village thanks to Bennettsbridge Tidy Towns. A parking facility for bicycles is now available in the Cra ed and Credit Union o ices area.
CAMOGIE
Well done to Bennettsbridge Camogie Club who represented their Club and County in the Féile championship at the weekend. Having won all their matches the girls were unlucky to lose the cup final by a point. They did an amazing job all day and should be very proud it was an amazing achievement for the girls to get into the final! Well done to the team and management on a great day.
GAA
The senior team lost out to Dicksboro in the Byrne cup while the junior B team had a good win over Freshford to qualify for the league final. Please see the Kilkenny Gaa website for upcoming fixtures.
FEILE WEEKEND
Congratulations to our under 15 hurlers who won the Féile
shield in Castlecomer last Saturday. The lads played Ballinamear Durrow in the final and played some great hurling to win well. Hard luck to the camogie team who lost out by a single point to Lusmagh in the cup final a er going through the whole tournament undefeated until the final. Well done to both teams.
UNDERAGE HURLING
Our under 13s lost out to Lisdowney in the last round of the league, this leaves them with 6 wins in the league, we await other results now to see if a league semi-final place was attained.
FIELD DAY 2023
This year’s field day will take place on August 20th in the GAA grounds.
BENNETTSBRIDGE GAA SCRAP METAL COLLECTION
Many thanks to all who contributed to Bennettsbridge GAA recent scrap metal collection which had a very good response. Please contact Leo 086-8861906 or Tim 086-3441652 if anyone has more scrap to donate and they will arrange collection.
SPLIT THE POT
The next draw takes place today at 6 pm in the clubhouse. Envelopes are available around the village. If you want to play online with club force please see the clubs Facebook page for details. Thanks again for the continued support.
SYMPATHY
Sympathy to the family of Fr. Frank Maher our well loved and respected parish priest of 31 years, who died peacefully, a er an illness, at the Sacred Heart Nursing Home, Crosspatrick. Predeceased by his parents David and Susan, brother Garry and sister Maura (Higgins), he will be greatly missed by his family Brendan, Bernadette and Fr. Noel, extended family, friends and the parishioners of Johnstown/Crosspatrick. Fr.Maher was laid to rest in the Church grounds a er Requiem Mass in St. Kieran’s Church. May he rest in peace.
Fenians H.C o er sincere sympathy to the family and friends of Fr. Maher RIP, who was their president at one time. He was a priest who devoted himself to the community. He marked each moment, especially at funerals where he captured the essence of the person, which made a sad occasion so meaningful for the families. He possessed a quick wit and had a great bond with the weekly morning Mass gang. A real community man who will be greatly missed.
JOHNSTOWN HERITAGE GROUP
Congratulations to the group who have erected a beautiful Hurling Sculpture in Johnstown remembering all the hurling and camogie players in the Johnstown/Crosspatrick area since hurling was first mentioned as being played at Ballyspellan Spa in 1742. The monument was unveiled by local man Myles McCabe, Roadmaster.
Following the very successful exhibition of St. Lachtains Arm in Freshford recently, on loan from the National Museum of Ireland, the Heritage group are hoping that they might be able to do the same with the famous Ballyspellan Brooch.
Friday June 30th Graine, Tuesday July 4th Grangefertagh, Friday July 7th Galmoy, Sunday July 9th Crosspatrick, Tuesday
July 11th Johnstown. All masses at 7.30 except Crosspatrick 9am. The Rosary will be said in Donoughmore old cemetery on Tuesday July 18th at 7,30pm.
KNOCK
There is a bus organised for the parish pilgrimage to Knock, provided there is enough interest. Information and booking contact Margaret at 0568831217.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations.to Noel Nolan and Ned McCarthy, part of the Lumper Lane syndicate whose horse “Killeenmore Lad” won the Northumberland Novice Hurdle in Hexham recently.
SPA DEVELOPMENT/FENIANS LOTTO...
Winning numbers 3,7,8,11. Eight match threes Eileen Ryan, Willie and Ciara, Sharon Delaney, Mary McCabe, Michael Quinlan, Marie Tobin, Paschal Ryan and Jim Quinlan.
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
Glengoole Wednesday 11am to 2pm, Gortnahoe Thursday 11am to 1pm
CEMETERY MASSES
Following discussions with the priests in the combination group of parishes, it was decided that the cemetery masses for 2023 will take place in the churches at the weekend masses over the summer. 15th July at 6pm in Glengoole for Glengoole and Ballinalacken cemetery, 30th July at 10.30am in Gortnahoe for Fennor cemetery, 6th August at 10.30am in Gortnahoe for Good Shepherd cemetery and 13th August at 10.30am in Gortnahoe for Boulick cemetery.
CHURCH COLLECTION
The Priest collection will be taken up this weekend. The envelope is included in the box of envelopes. The Parish council would like to thank parishioners for their weekly envelope collection for the support of each church.
VOCATIONS
2023 is the year for vocations to the priesthood. Leaflets are le in the church and anyone interested in having a chat or would like to find out more information, please contact Fr. Joe Walsh of the Thurles parish.
OPEN GARDEN
Will take place at Clough Farmhouse, Clonoura, Glengoole
E41 K765 this Sunday 2nd July at 2pm in support of MoChara Animal Rescue and Thurles and District Flower and Garden Club.
COFFEE MORNING
Thurles Lions Club are holding a Co ee Morning and Open Day at Two Mile Borris Vintage Museum this Sunday 2nd July between 10.30am and 3pm. Monies raised will benefit local charities and everyone is welcome.
GLENGOOLE COMMUNITY GROUP
Check out and follow ‘Glengoole’ on Facebook and Instagram.
GORTNAHOE MAST
The committee would like to thank everyone who supported their co ee morning.
TUESDAY BRIDGE
Bridge is being played each Tuesday night in Gortnahoe Hall at 7.30pm. If you would like to join or find out more information please contact this number 089 4349106
GORTNAHOE BINGO
Bingo continues this Saturday night at 7.00pm with doors opening from 6.00pm and will continue each Saturday night at the same time. Over €2,660 in prize money on o er including a special €500 game. We look forward to the many visitors and family members home with their family, it will be a great nights entertainment for all.
SPLIT THE POT
Congratulations to last weekend’s winner, Seamus Doheny from Freshford, who won €257 in the Split the Pot draw. Envelopes are available at the usual outlets. Split the Pot for the month of June will be in support of the Camogie Club. The draw takes place each Sunday at 12pm in Gortnahoe Hall. Your support would be appreciated
BREDA CARROLL RIP
The death has occurred of Breda Carroll (née Lennon), (Artane, Dublin and formerly of Gortnahoe, Co.Tipperary) on the 21st June 2023. Peacefully, surrounded by her loving family at St. Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown. Beloved wife of Fintan and adored mother of Fiona, Lorraine, Denise and Eimear. Sadly missed by her husband and daughters, sons-inlaw JP, Micheál, Owen and Aaron, grandchildren Chloe, Kian, Ross, Emma, Alannah, Sarah, Sam and Maeve, great-grandson Callum, brothers Tom and Sean and sisters Peggy and Josie, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, friends and neighbours. Predeceased by her loving granddaughter Lauryn. Breda reposed at Jennings Funeral Home, Oscar Traynor Rd., Coolock last Thursday followed by removal on Friday morning to the church of The Nativity of Our Lord, Montrose Park, for Funeral Mass followed by cremation in Glasnevin Crematorium. May Breda rest in peace.
ST. PATRICKS GAA
The Junior A side were defeated by Mullinavat on a scoreline of 2-15 to 1-13.
Upcoming fixtures. Monday July 3rd the minors will play Dunnamaggin at home.
LOTTO
Lotto is €20,000 and €2 to play. Thanks to all for their continued support.
CHEQUE PRESENTATION
Naomh Brid Camogie presented a cheque from their fundraising lap the loop to the O’Gorman Home. Well done to all.
SYMPATHY
Sincere sympathy to the Doran and Dollard family on the passing of Ben. To his mother Regina, brother Nathan, sister Ella, father Gary, brother Sean sister Megan grandparents Geraldine and Sean, Angela and Eugene and to Regina’s partner Martin and Gary’s partner Debbie. May Ben rest in peace.
To the Hurley family in Hillside View, Castlecomer on the passing of Martin a native of Byrnesgrove, to his wife Kate sons Tom, Martin and Eamon and daughter Mary, to his siblings, grandchildren and extended family. May Martin rest in peace.
THE CYMS HALL
The ladies have been busy knitting these cute teddies. 10 euro per Teddy if you would like to purchase one. Contact via
Facebook.
TIDY TOWNS
The continuing work around the town sees the place looking exceptional from the flower baskets on the bridge to the painting work on the Kilkenny road every little bit helps so please continue to help and keep your own property neat and tidy.
CEMETERY MASS
Cemetery mass in Ballyouskill on July 8th 6.30pm. Many thanks to all for their help at the mass in St Finan’s Cemetery.
BALLYRAGGET NOTES
For inclusion in the notes please send your notes to the email on Sunday evening.
HURLING
The under-15 hurlers had a very busy day last Saturday as they took part in the John West Féile na nGael competition in Erin’s Own, Castlecomer. Following their three games in the group section of the St. Brendan’s (Kerry), Mount Leinster Rangers (Carlow) and Ballinteer St. John’s (Dublin) respectively, the locals qualified for the Cup semi-final against Oulart-The Ballagh (Wexford). However, the visitors from Wexford proved too strong for Conahy and were deserving winners. Huge credit must go to all the players who took part, particularly as they were short a number of players due to injury and holidays. Well done also to the coaching team of Sean Brennan, Eoin Carroll and Ciaran Muldowney for their work with the team, and to all the parents who helped with fundraising in advance of the competition.
TEAM: Neil Webster, Rory Dunne, Tadhg Hennessy, Rory Rhatigan, Ceirin Murphy, Darragh Horgan, Billy Rowe, Joe Boland, Jack Rhatigan, Adam Morrissey, Michael Lawler, Brian Phelan, David Connery, Camryn Kenehan, M.J. Buggy, Jack Buggy, Jack Gamble. The intermediate hurlers were also in action on Sunday last in Jenkinstown when they hosted Glenmore in the Michael Lyng Motors Senior/Intermediate League. The sides were level at the half way mark at 0-13 apiece but a scoring burst of 1-3 without reply in the final quarter from the Southerners saw them eventually win out on a 1-25 to 0-23 score line.
GAA SUMMER CAMP Conahy Shamrocks GAA Club Bórd na nÓg will once again host a ‘Future Stars’ Summer Camp this year. It will take place in the Polo Grounds, Jenkinstown from Tuesday 1st August to Thursday 3rd August (inclusive). The Camps is open to Boys and Girls between the ages of five and twelve and will take
place on each of the three days from 10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. (with a lunch break from 12.00 p.m. until 12.45 p.m. Detailed and quality coaching will be given to all participants and Kilkenny Inter-County Players will contribute to the coaching, subject to their availability. Registration can be done online via the GAA club website – www.conahyshamrocks.gaa.ie .
CLUB LOTTO
The numbers drawn in the Conahy Shamrocks GAA Club Lotto were 26, 29 and 38. There was no jackpot winner so the consolation prize winners were Geraldine Tierney, Toddy Lacey, Vanessa Dempsey, Davy Gunner and Jim and Caitriona Tierney. The promoters’ prize winners were Kay Phelan, Margaret Buggy and Mona Dooley.
RUGBY
Congratulations to Garry Dunne who was recently chosen as Club captain for Kilkenny RFC for 2023-2024. Well done to Garry on receiving this well-deserved honour.
CLUB LOTTO
Results 22nd June. Nos. 11 13 29 30. Jackpot: €10,250 Not
Won
Draw Prizes. €50: John Power c/o Jimmy McGarry. €25 each Brian Galvin c/o online €25 each Noreen Hayes, c/o Phil Hogan. €25 each John Hackett c/o Tommy Hackett
Hurlers Co Op Draw Kaitlin Phelan c/o Joe Phelan. Promotors prize Jimmy Murphy
Thank you for your continued support.
BORO GIRLS ARE SHIELD DIVISION 1WINNERS AT FEILE
23
A er 5 really tough and exciting games in the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence on Saturday the Boro girls made their long journey home to Kilkenny as Div 1 Shield Winners First up Saturday morning was Newmarket from Clare who defeated the Boro Girls on a scoreline of 1-1 to 6pts. Meabhdh Doherty getting the Boro Goal. Next up another tough battle with eventual Champions Turloughmore who defeated the girls 1-5 to 1-3 in a close game throughout. Our final group game against Newcastle West saw the Boro again defeated by a 2 point margin in a tight encounter.
Onto a shield semi final where Lucan Sarsfields of Dublin were our opponents. A er, a slow start the Boro girls kicked into gear to win with Boro corner forward Sophie O’Riordan scoring 1-2 from play to send the Boro into the Shield Final.
The Final was another tight game in a rematch against Newcastle West. A string of brilliant saves from Kate Meighan and another goal by corner forward Sophie O’Riordan along with super performances all over the field led the Boro to be crowned Feile Div 1 Shield winners 2023. Well done to all our brilliant players and their fantastic Management Team. A weekend to remember by all.
NAAS U10 TOURNAMENT
Well done to the Boro u10 hurlers who travelled to Naas on Saturday to take part in the Annual u10 Naas Tournament. A great days hurling was had and thanks to Naas GAA for their hospitality.
DICKSBORO GOLF CLASSIC 2023
Dicksboro GAA and Camogie Club are delighted to launch the Annual Golf Classic at Kilkenny Golf Club Friday 14th July with some tee times still available for Thursday 13th also. Book your Tee Times early as they will fill up quickly. They’re are limited Juvenile Tee Times at discounted prices. Contact Seamus Rochford for any further details.
SUMMER CAMP 2023 BOOKING REMINDER
Bookings are now OPEN. The Camp is suitable for kids of primary school age 5-13.
Week 1 Monday July 17th - Friday 21st July. Week 2 Monday Aug 14th - Friday 18th
Please Book Early as Spaces are Limited. See our ClubZap for more details or any Committee Member
PALMERSTOWN CLUBHOUSE
Dicksboro Clubhouse Bar is opened every Thursday from 8.30pm. Thursday nights is Lotto Draw and Cards Night. All are welcome out for a social drink, a chat and if there is interest, a beginners card table.We would be delighted to see you out to the club for a chat. We have a selection of non-alcoholic beers, barista co ee also available so come along and enjoy.
WINNERS
Congratulations to David and Gill Condon of Bohergloss, Freshford who were winners at the Irish Charollais Sheep Society Show in the All Ireland Hogget ram class last weekend. Sherling ram Uppertown won the hogget class and went on to win the Riverdale Cup for male champion. Also one of their ram lambs Gill Vale got sixth in a very strong ram class.
ST LACHTAINS ARM
It was a historical and great day for Freshford recently with the loan of the reliquary St. Lachtains arm to the museum at St. Lachtains Church which has been a long time in the planning. Ned Kennedy opened the event and Malcolm Noonan TD spoke also. Wonderful contributions were heard from Dr. Gri in Murray from School of Archaeology UCC and Maeve Sikora (Keeper of Antiquities at the National Museum of Ireland) The Garda Siochana were also on hand to protect the artefact. The day was rounded o for the visitors with a delicious lunch at the Loop Café. A huge number of people visited Freshford and the museum throughout the day and it surpassed all expectations. A massive congratulations to all at Iona St. Lachtains Church Museum and Arts Centre.
SYMPATHY
Sympathy is extended to Maura Dowling and all her family of Balleen Freshford on the death of her son Sean late of Midleton, Co.Cork. Funeral mass took place on Tuesday in Church of Most Holy Rosary, Middleton followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.
CEMETERY MASS
Freshford annual cemetery mass took place on Sunday morning last. The weather remained fine and favourable and there was a big crowd in attendance. Mass was celebrated by Monsignr K.Kennedy PP assisted by Fr. Tom McGree.
PLAYGROUND
Freshford Playground is now fully open. The long awaited playground which is situate at Kilkenny Road is now up and running and is a great facility to the children and families in the village and surrounds. Much credit is due to the dedicated committee who have worked so hard over the past few years to achieve this.
SUMMER CAMP
Freshfords longest annual summer camp will be held again this year from the 31st July to 4th August at the GAA Grounds. This camp has been organised and run for the past two decades almost by local man JJ Grace and his aids. For bookings or more information please contact JJ on 086
8629666
HOME IN FRESHFORD
Home on holiday in Freshford at present are the Dermody sisters Esther and Elizabeth and their families. The girls emigrated to Sydney some years ago and haven’t been home for the past number of years. They met up with all their friends at a get together in Kavanaghs on Friday night last.
GAA
St. Lachtains Junior B hurlers lost out in the league semi final when they were defeated by Bennettsbridge in a game played in Bennettsbridge on Saturday evening last. Next up for them is the championship with time and date to be arranged.
Team: Burke, J.Cantwell, McCabe, C.Bowden, C.Donnelly, J.Bergin, J.Hickey, A.Ra er, J.McCarthy, C.Hickey, MDurnan, P.Campion, D.Killeen, C.Dawson, J.O’Connor, The Junior F team had better luck on Sunday evening when they defeated Dicksboro on a score line of 1-14 to 0-9 reaching the league final with time and date to be fixed.
Team: R Dowling, C Bowden, M.Nolan, J Cantwell, J.Bowden, D.Quinn, J. Hickey, S.Burke, C.M. Durnan, D Killeen, S.Kennedy, J.O’Connor, M.Kavnagh, J Whitty
The Minors face Tullaroan on Monday evening also in Freshford at 7pm
GRANTS
Cllr. Ml McCarthy was delighted to welcome funding of 10,000 for the Loop walk in Freshford recently for the replacement and relocation of existing map board stand and also for the installation of three age friendly benches Also he welcomed €10,000 to the Gathabawn walk for resurfacing. The money was allocated under the 2023 walks scheme development fund
Funding was announced recently for the lighting of the proposed new walkway project in St. Lachtains GAA Club. The money has been allocated under the Committee Recognition fund and will be of great benefit to the community and surrounding Cllr Michael McCarthy revealed.
LOOP CAFE
Loop Café is proving very popular indeed. The Cafe is now open on Sundays from 11am to 4pm and is open each week from Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30am to 4pm. Serving some beautiful snacks and food from homemade scones, homemade soup and brown bread and lovely salads they have added some new delicious items to their menu. They served beautiful iced co ee also during the hot spell recently. This is a great addition to the village so why not call in and support the local business and see for yourself, meet a friend for a cuppa and a chat at a reasonable price or just relax and have a read of your free Kilkenny Observer.
BUS TO ALL IRELAND SEMI FINAL
Anybody interested in travelling to the all Ireland semi final by bus please contact Kavanagh’s Bar 087 970 0795
IONADH LACHTAIN HERITAGE CENTRE
Ionad Lachtain Church, Arts and Heritage Centre is open every Saturday and Sunday from 11.30 to 4.30. Gi s on sale to suit every occasion.
PARISH NEWS
Mass is held in the Parish Church each Wednesday morning at 9.30am and each Sunday morning at 11am.wiith Mass in Tulla church on Saturday evenings at 7.30pm.
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 in the Parish O ice. Please note community notices for the parish newsletter should be le in or emailed to the Parish O ice by 11am on Thursdays. Parish o ice hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9am to 1pm.
Mass Cards
Special printed parish cards are available at the Parish O ice or from Annette at Tulla Church signed by Monsignor Kennedy. You can contact the Parish o ice on 056 8832843 or by email – freshfordd@ossory.ie. Contact Mongr Kieron Kennedy on that number or on 087 25235 21
HELP FOR ALL
Are you struggling with anxiety or depression or finding life di icult 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)
WOMENS REFUGE – is available for con-
AMBER KILKENNY
fidential support relating to domestic violence - call them on 1850 424244 (24/7) or on 056 7771404 or email
MASS TIMES
Hugginstown Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 9.30am.
Vigil Saturday 8.00p.m. Sunday 10.00a.m. Stoneyford, Wednesday 28th 7.00p.m. Vigil Saturday 1st at 6.00p.m.
PRAY FOR
Patricia Sheehan Knockmhuire Stoneyford.
Fr Frank Maher Kilmanagh (retired parish priest Johnstown)
ANNIVERSARY MASS
Christina and Michael Ryan, Knovkanore. Mass in Stoneyford on Saturday 1st July at 6.30p.m.
CEMETERY MASS
Mass will be celebrated in Hugginstown old cemetery on Saturday 1st July at 8.00p.m.mass will be transferred to the church if weather is not suitable.
ROTA
1st and 2nd July (thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time)
Readers Stoneyford Saturday. 6 30 p.m. Rita ó Farrell. Hugginstown Saturday 8.00p.m. Pat Power.
Sunday 10.00a.m.Marie Ryan
Eucharistic Minsters Stoneyford Saturday 6.30p.m. Bernie grace.
HugginsTown Saturday 8.00p.m. Mary Murphy. Sunday 10.00a.m. Kay Power.
JUNE COLLECTION
The June collection 2023 for the support of the priests of the parish will be taken up during the months of June/July. Envelopes for this collection are available at the back of the Church. Many thanks to those who have already contributed.
CEMETERY MASSES
Mass in Stoneyford cemetery on Friday 7th July at 8.00p.m. Mass in Sheepstown cemetery on Friday 21st July at 8.00p.m. Mass in Stonecarthy cemetery on Friday 4th August at 8.00p.m.
FRANCISCAN MISSIONARIES OF MARY
We welcome Sr. Mary Shanahan of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary who will speak about their mission work during all masses in our parish
SAFE GUARDING CONTACTS
Diocesan designated liaison person Ms. Kathleen Sherry Tel 087 100 0232.
Aughavillar Parish representatives are Teresa Broderick and Carmel O Toole.
CARRICKSHOCK GAA CLUB
The club would like to thank everyone who purchased tickets for the Piltown draw. Thank to those who supported the Golf Classic last weekend in Callan. Your support is always much appreciated.
BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
Round 2, Parnell Park Dublin 0-11 Kilkenny 3-14
Kilkenny camogs produced a good display to build some much-needed championship momentum with a vital win over Dublin in Parnell Park last Saturday to leave topping the group in their own hands, should they beat Tipperary tomorrow at UPMC Nowlan Park.
Before throw-in, a matter of huge importance was raised by both Dublin and Kilkenny, possibly the start of what players from both codes will hope does not need to be a concerted campaign, should those in power deliver what’s needed.
As the rst ladies xture to kick-o the weekend’s activity, both sides stood shoulder to should for Amhrán na bhFiann before collectively sitting down on the pitch for one minute as a protest to highlight the lack of progress on a player’s charter for items such as medical support and expenses.
Both governing bodies representing camogie and ladies football have been more than behind the ball on this, having been noti ed by the players as early as April that they would play out the remainder of the 2023 championships ‘under protest’.
Post match one of Dublin’s star players, Aisling Maher said that both teams had lined up together “to show our unity on this issue” and then sat down “as an o cial protest.”
She said this initial action was designed to “be of minimal disruption to the game and the supporters as possible” but indicated that if their pleas for action are not acted upon by their governing body then player actions could escalate in future.
When the playing action got underway, the sides shared the rst 8 points registered, with Aisling O’Neill getting the rst score of the game in the opening minute. Denise Gaule (2), and Piltown duo Katie Power and Kellyanne Doyle provided the Noresiders response to Dublin scores from Grace O’Shea (2) and taliswoman Aisling Maher as the sides couldn’t be separated in the opening eight minutes of action.
Brian Dowling’s side then went on a scoring blitz that saw them hit six scores without reply by the 22 minute, including two vital majors. Again, Wingap’s Gaule led the way, hitting a trio of points while last season’s captain, Aoife Prendergast and St Martin’s Katie Nolan raised green ags and the latter also notched a point in this purple patch Malone tagged on points to leave
as the stripeywomen led by ten points on a scoreline of 2-8 to 0-4. Aisling’s Maher (2) and Gannon got much-needed points for the home side but Gaule and Mullinavat’s Julieann
the score
at the short whistle, Dublin, 0-7, Kilkenny 2-10. Dublin boss Gerry McQuaid would have undoubtably been disappointed with his charges
12 points.
rst half display and would have a demanded a fast start to the second period, but it would be the Noresiders that struck rst, and again it would be a major that would break the home side’s hearts in the opening minute and realistically put the result to bed. Multiple All-Star Gaule ri ed a 20m free to the Dublin net and increased the visitors lead to Indeed, the home side would only add a further four points to their rst-half tally for the remainder of the game as the black and amber
Ladies associations under pressure as players make pointKatie
clad ladies strolled to victory. Again, Aisling’s were to the fore, with a brace from Maher and one from play by O’Neill, but no goals were forthcoming for the Dubs as they failed to make any in-roads on the visitors lead.
Kilkenny began to make some changes. e rst of the afternoon saw Asha McHardy replace Michaela Kenneally with about 12 minutes gone in the second half. Denise Gaule then sent over another placed ball to make it a double score game before the recently introduced
McHardy got on the scoresheet with a ne point. Windgap’s Gaule then notched a classy e ort from play to further stamp her sides superiority on proceedings.
Jenny Cli ord then entered the fray in place of Kellyann Doyle, who had got more much-needed championship minutes in her legs. Gaule split the posts with another placed ball e ort with 23 minutes played, with what was to
be Kilkenny’s nal score of the day, before Barrow Rangers Miriam Bambrick replaced Ste Fitzgerald with about 7 minutes remaining. e Village’s Sophie O’Dwyer then got on for the last few minutes in place of Katie Nolan before the nal score of the game came from the hurl of Aisling Maher from play. Final score in Parnell Park, Dublin 0-11, Kilkenny 3-14.
Let’s deal with the game first. This was a win that Brian Dowling needed. This was a win that his team needed. After letting the opening round game against Wexford slip from their grasp and only take a share of the spoils from it, the 1st half performance in particular at Parnell Park would have placed the manager no end. The second half was about controlling matters and not allowing the home side to gain any traction to build a comeback. This was achieved. The scoring burst that saw them hit 2-4 without reply in the first half was key to breaking the Dubs resolve.
Denise Gaule may not be captain, but she led by example and finished the day with an impressive tally of 1-9. The Wingap players accuracy was impeccable and will be required if our senior ladies are to continue their quest to defend the O’Duffy Cup. She had good support from another experienced hand in the form of Katie Nolan. Defensively the team looked much more stable and harder to break down. Like the taking of scores, preventing them is just as important. This is the platform that is needed to achieve success and Dowling will be hoping that the win in the Capital is just the start for his charges to build on.
We welcome Tipp to UPMC Nowlan Park tomorrow evening. It’s quite simple really. Win and we advance as group winners.
For too long our female Gaels have been forgotten and left behind. The welfare of this large section of our participating playing pool has been patchy to say the least. Their feelings were made clear earlier this season when they advised of their intention to no longer be the poor relation in terms of player welfare. The governing bodies need to act and soon if they are to avoid bringing further action and protest on themselves.
KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL
I, Bernard O’Flaherty intend to apply to above authority for permission for the following at Leylandii, Cuffesgrange, Co. Kilkenny.
(a) Redesign of House at Granted Permission P18297 by
(1) Fitting of 2 No. Dormer Windows in front pitch of cottage roof and
(2) Relocation of Velux Windows to rear pitch of cottage roof
(b) New front boundary wall consisting of block wall mounted Wrought Iron Fencing with vehicular gate and personnel gate.
(c) Retention of Demolition of original cottage
(d) Associated Works
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.
Bernard
O’FlahertyKILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL
I, Micheal Moloney wish to apply to the above authority on behalf of Edel Byrne and Jason Nugent for full planning permission to construct a 2 storey dwelling, garage, entrance, wastewater system, borehole, soakpits all other associated site works at Tullamaine, Callan, 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 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.
Planning permission is sought for the partial demolition of the existing stable outbuildings and ruins to return a new single storey dwelling, detached garage/store, a new site entrance, all associated site works, secondary waste water treatment system and associated soil polishing filter at Turkstown, Fidown, Piltown, 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 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.
This planning application is submitted on behalf of Shane Doody by Keith Pethe, PETHE Architectural Consultant, 089 2279800 – heremeam@icloud.com
Planning Permission is sought for the extension to the rear of an existing cottage with demolition of rear built element to include the relocation of the roadside vehicular entrance to the local side road, closing off the existing entrance on the N78 and for a new replacement foul water treatment system to include boundary treatment, landscaping including all ancillary and associated services at Timberoe, Moneenroe, Castlecomer, 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 a.m.- 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the planning application. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission.
Applicant: Paul Devlin
I, Nicky Read, intend to apply for Planning Permission to a). alter front and rear elevations of existing house to include construction of new front porch and balcony to rear elevation, b). replace existing windows, c). alter internal layout of existing dwelling and all associated works at Thorngrove, 5 Rathclogh, Danesfort, Co. Kilkenny, R95 C5F1 Signed: Robert M Cummins - Cummins + Voortman Ltd (www.cvltd.ie)
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 Authority during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the Planning Authority on payment of the prescribed fee 20 euros, within the period of five weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the Planning Authority in making a decision on the application. The planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.
Birthday remembrance of Geraldine Ryan, Greenfields, Freshford Road, Kilkenny whose birthday occurs at this time.
Missed and loved daughter Nini, sons Eoghan & Niall sisters and brothers, grandchildren, daughter-in-law Jenny and her many many friends.
R.I.P
ELLEN DELANEY
8TH ANNIVERSARY
In loving memory of our dear Mother Ellen, late of 16 McAuley Place, Kilkenny who died on June 27th 2015.
They say there is a reason They say time will heal But neither time nor reason Will change the way we feel
When days are sad and lonely And everything goes wrong We seem to hear you whisper Cheer up and carry on
Always remembered by her daughters Kathleen, Theresa and family.
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.
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.OB.
In loving memory of Josephine Ryan,Greenfields, Freshford Road, Kilkenny whose 9th anniversary occurs at this time.
Loved and missed every day. Phil, Fran, Martin, Anne, Richard grandchildren and great grandchildren
R.I.P
21ST ANNIVERSARY
In loving memory of Pauline, late of 12 Hazel Grove, Kilkenny who passed away on July 10th 2002 Our lives go on without you But nothing is the same We have to hide our heartache When someone speaks your name No matter how life changes No matter what we do A special place within our hearts Is always kept for you
Loved and remembered your loving husband Colm, daughter Caroline, sons John Paul and Declan, grandchildren, son-in-law and daughter-in-law
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.
Dear heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked many favours.
This time I ask you this special one (mention favour).
Take it dear heart of Jesus and place it within your heart where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes it will become your own favour not mine. Amen.
Say this prayer three times for three days and your favour will be granted.
Never been known to fail.
Must promise publication of prayer.S.F.
