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Education Minister “honoured” to represent Ireland on US trip

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It was a colourful and busy week for Education Minister Norma Foley during visits to Philadelphia and New York this week.

Minister Foley with Congressman Richard (Richie) Neal at the Ireland Day Leadership Breakfast hosted by Ireland INC at the New York Stock Exchange.

Minister Foley with Special Envoy Joe Kennedy III at the Ireland Day Leadership Breakfast hosted by Ireland INC at the New York Stock Exchange.

Minister Foley addressing the Ireland INC Opening Bell discussion event at the New York Stock Exchange.

Minister Foley speaking at the St. Patrick’s Reception with Chartered Accountants Ireland at the Irish Consulate in Manhattan.

The Kerry TD highlighted the importance of Ireland’s partnership and trade links with America during her visit as part of the Government’s St Patrick’s Day programme of events.

During a week of events and speaking engagements in the United States, Minister Foley took the opportunity also to visit local education facilities and education partnerships.

Minister Foley attended the Ireland Day Leadership Breakfast at the New York Stock Exchange where she met with Special Envoy Joe Kennedy and Congressman Richie Neal and discussed the breakthrough Windsor Framework.

Later that morning, the Minister took part in the 11th annual ‘Ireland Day’ Opening Bell Ceremony alongside Special Envoy Kennedy, Congressman Neal and members of the Ireland INC business network.

The Minister also met with a host of leaders in the business sector including Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, IBEC, UNICEF Ireland and SelectUSA.

Over the course of the New York mission Minister Foley took the opportunity to visit Yonkers Montessori Academy where she met with students and toured the school facilities.

The Minister also met with members of the Kerry Association in New York and visited the Irish Arts Center.
A core element of the Minister’s programme involved an exchange with the Superintendent of Yonkers Public Schools and engagements and consultations with internationally renowned educationalists.

Prior to visiting New York, the Minister held a number of engagements in Philadelphia which included representing Ireland at the St Patrick’s Day parade, a roundtable discussion on Irish-US education and sports and culture initiatives.

HONOURED

“I am truly honoured to represent Ireland as part of the Government’s St Patrick’s Day programme of events, visiting two cities, New York and Philadelphia, which are steeped in Irish history," Minister Foley said.

“I particularly enjoyed rich discussions with many young people both in Philadelphia and New York who eloquently expressed what being Irish means to them in 21st century America and explored potential for future US/Irish education and business initiatives.

“I was also privileged to represent the Irish Government at the 11th annual ‘Ireland Day’ Opening Bell Ceremony alongside Special Envoy Joe Kennedy and Congressman Richie Neal and members of the Irish business community.

“It is imperative that the Irish Government uses its platform on our national holiday to highlight Ireland’s strong, cultural, economic and historical ties with the United States and to emphasise our support for the Windsor Agreement.

“Throughout my visit I was struck by the place the homeland of Ireland holds for many first and second generation Irish immigrants now settled in America. As we move ever closer to a global community the bonds of friendship that tie the Irish/American communities together have never been stronger and it remains a key objective of this Government to continue to foster, nurture and ennoble these connections.

“Over the course of the week I was honoured to represent Ireland during this significant visit and I will forever cherish the warmth of welcome and open hearts of the Irish communities of Philadelphia and New York.

“A particular personal highlight of the trip was the opportunity to meet with so many of the Kerry diaspora at the Kerry Hall in Yonkers and a number of former Rose of Tralee contestants at events throughout the week.”

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Killarney to feature on TG4’s Country Music show

By Sean Moriarty A song about Killarney – once made famous by local Country Music hero Dermot Moriarty – will feature on TG4 tomorrow night (Tuesday). The second series of […]

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By Sean Moriarty

A song about Killarney – once made famous by local Country Music hero Dermot Moriarty – will feature on TG4 tomorrow night (Tuesday).

The second series of the Irish channel’s County Music show ‘Viva Ceol Tire’, which highlights emerging Country Music talent in Ireland, airs every Tuesday night at 9.30pm.

The next programme will feature Donegal singer David James’ version of ‘Oh Killarney’.

The programme was filmed entirely on location in Killarney including Torc Waterfall, Ladies View Moll’s Gap and Kate Kearney’s Cottage.

“The song was written by Dennis Allen. However, it was a hit for Dermot Moriarty in the 1980s. The first time I heard it I loved it and I was thrilled with the reaction my version has got,” James, who is from the small village of Killean in Donegal, told the Killarney Advertiser.

“It’s pretty rural but I love it. I’ll be in Country Music 10 years this May. My first gig was in the local GAA hall for my aunt’s 50th birthday. I was 14 and I’ve been at it ever since.”

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Five questions to ask yourself before buying a stock

By Michael O’Connor, theislandinvestor.com When it comes to investing, nothing is certain. There are no perfect stocks to buy because there’s no way of predicting the future with 100% accuracy. […]

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By Michael O’Connor, theislandinvestor.com

When it comes to investing, nothing is certain.

There are no perfect stocks to buy because there’s no way of predicting the future with 100% accuracy.

The truth is, investing is hard, and building a portfolio of top stocks that beat the market is something that even financial professionals have trouble doing consistently.

For most people, investing in index funds is the perfect hands-off approach, providing broad exposure to the stock market at a very low fee. Even my own personal portfolio is made up of roughly 70% ETFs despite the fact I invest in the market for a living.

But I believe some stock picking is a good strategy for many hands-on people.

Taking a small portion of your overall portfolio and diligently selecting a small number of companies to invest in gives you an opportunity to learn about the investing process and fully understand the businesses you are investing in, which helps to build conviction in your positions.

From a psychological standpoint “collector’s instinct” kicks in, enabling people to participate and invest more money over time.

Lastly, for Irish investors, there are tax benefits to consider. If you invest in individual stocks, you are taxed at the CGT rate of 33%, and the first €1,270 of your gains are exempt from CGT each year. When investing in index funds or ETFs, you are taxed at the exit tax rate of 41% with no annual exemption.

For those interested in picking individual stocks, here are five questions you should ask yourself before investing in any company.

Do I understand the business?

Too many people invest in businesses they don’t understand because it ‘sounds good’. If you have no idea how the company works, you won’t have the conviction needed to hold onto the stock when an inevitable downturn comes.

Can the balance sheet withstand severe, temporary adversity?

This seems obvious, but so many people invest in companies without understanding how much money a company holds and who they owe money to. Economic cycles are guaranteed. You must ensure that the company has enough cash-on-hand to avoid becoming obsolete when activity slows.

Will the company benefit from long-term trends?

Make sure the company will remain relevant into the future. If the stock is cheap now, it may be cheap for a reason.

Is the company enjoying profitable growth?

Not growth at all costs, but a combination of sustainable growth and value. All this information can be found online at sites like stratosphere.io.

What are the risk factors?

Is the company trying something new and untested? If yes, who are its competitors and how successful are they? If other players are more established, this company may have a tough time breaking into the market.

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