Connect with us

News

Invited to a wedding without a plus one?

Published

on

T

THE thud when that fat, glossy wedding invitation lands on your doormat will fill you with either dread or delight. You open it and – yup – the bride or groom has failed to include the all-important “and guest” on the allotted line.

For those who face being asked solo to these glittering affairs, the fact that the summer wedding season has drawn to a close will elicit a sigh of relief that would blow that bridal bouquet from here to Sneem.

Several years ago friends and I would swap horror stories of being invited as a lone ranger to these do’s. “Ah but the bride is only thinking of her numbers when she asked you on your own,” was one justification from a well-meaning but misguided would-be peacemaker.

We were circled at the time around a very upset pal who summed it up when she snapped back, in tears: “Feck her and feck her numbers!” Diplomacy worthy of Kofi Annan was deployed in this instance to ensure my friend could bring a plus one.

But what kind of ego does it take to feel your guest will have a good time and be comfortable asked to make smalltalk with strangers on either side of the table? She or he is in effect the odd one out at a table of four or five couples.

Or better again, what about being seated at the kiddie table as a kind of freelance, freewheeling nanny? A nanny who is paying dearly for the privilege in terms of time and effort as she vainly protects her fascinator from spills?

No matter what anyone says, unless you have been consulted as to whether you would prefer to attend on your own, it feels like a massive slap in the face to be invited to a wedding without a plus one.

People who have been on the receiving end of this faux pas tend to have a sixth sense when it comes to looking out for one another. The above tearful friend would motor to my own rescue later that same year as I attended a wedding solo. Well before the clock struck midnight, she happened to be driving by the venue and texted asking if I fancied a means of escape. High heels or no high heels, I couldn’t clamber into that getaway car fast enough.

Advertisement

News

Paralympic legend Jason Smyth visits St Brendan’s

Published

on

By

Paralympic legend Jason Smyth visits St Brendan’s


World renowned Paralympian and world record holder Jason Smyth paid a visit to St Brendan’s College on Wednesday afternoon as part of a high profile visit to Killarney.


The six time Paralympic gold medallist spoke to second year students from St Brendan’s College, alongside students from neighbouring schools St Brigid’s Presentation Secondary School and Killarney Community College.
The interactive talk and interview took place ahead of World Sight Day, with the legendary sprinter sharing his personal journey with Stargardt disease, a genetic eye condition that left him legally blind at eight years old.
The Derry native, who holds the world record as the fastest Paralympian on earth over 100 metres, offered inspiring insights into overcoming physical adversity and achieving success at the highest level of world sport.
The school visit formed the opening leg of his Killarney schedule before he took centre stage later on Wednesday evening at The Killarney Plaza Hotel & Spa.
Smyth headlined An Evening with Paralympian Jason Smyth, an event organised by the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce as part of its winter schedule, sponsored by AIB.

Attachments

Continue Reading

News

Deerpark Retail Park placed on market for fifteen million euro

Published

on

By

Deerpark Retail Park in Killarney has officially been placed on the market with a guide price in excess of 15.4 million euro, excluding VAT.

International real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed as the sole sales agent to handle the high-profile commercial property sale on behalf of its current owner, Investcorp.

Investcorp, a global investment management firm headquartered in Bahrain, had previously acquired the prominent shopping complex.


The sale represents one of the largest commercial property offerings to launch in County Kerry this year.

Located roughly 1.3 kilometres west of Killarney town centre, the scheme enjoys strong regional connectivity and sits adjacent to independently owned operations including a Tesco Extra store, a Tesco petrol filling station, JYSK, and Aldi.


Constructed in 2006, the development extends across approximately 10,482 square metres, or 112,835 square feet.

The scheme comprises a mix of modern retail warehouse units and a complementary neighbourhood centre, offering 13 individual units in total with Part Open and Part Bulky Use planning permission.

The units range in size from 94.6 square metres up to 1,994.9 square metres. Visitors have access to approximately 248 customer parking spaces across the commercial grounds.

The park is currently 100 per cent occupied by a strong line-up of established national and international brands.

Key retail tenants include Marks & Spencer, Boots, DID Electrical, Maxi Zoo, and Mountain Warehouse.

The neighbourhood centre element accommodates service and convenience operators such as Costa Coffee, Card Factory, and Salon B.

The first-floor accommodation is fully let to Peak Performance Academy, which provides additional rental diversification.

Additionally, the scheme benefits from an agreement with Tesla to operate eight electric vehicle charging bays within the customer car park.


Commercial figures show that the property generates a total current rental income of 1,326,458 euro per annum, with a weighted average unexpired lease term of 4.45 years to break options and 6.46 years to lease expiry.

Cushman & Wakefield noted that the quoted guide price of 15.4 million euro reflects a net initial yield of 7.83 per cent, assuming standard purchaser costs of 9.96 per cent.

The selling agents highlighted that the fully occupied asset offers investors an attractive income profile alongside scope for additional income generation through parking commercialisation.

Attachments

Continue Reading

Last News

Sport