News
Much-loved Healy’s Shop celebrates its 100th birthday

By Michelle Crean
Today (Friday) marks 100 years of Healy's Shop on New Street - and all these years later it's still a firm favourite for locals.
Christy Healy's shop opened on St Patrick's Day 1923 - at a time when a caller might give a gentle tap late at night for one of his famous baloney sandwiches and a glass of milk. It was a time when sweets were sold from big glass jars, biscuits from large tins, and everything was weighed.
Christy was born and raised at 86 New Street where the Healy shop now stands.
He was a man ahead of his time as he was one of the very few that headed to America in the early 1900s and returned home to Killarney bringing with him the experience he acquired.
He was always one step ahead; not only did he stock the usual groceries like bread, milk, tea, flour which were all sold by weight, he also turned his hand to candy floss and homemade ice cream, the favourite being vanilla finished with a dollop of raspberry sauce!
The sale of tobacco and cigarettes was huge not like today and many young people of Killarney remember buying the single cigarettes.
After Christy's passing in 1978 the shop was run by his daughter Angela and son Johnny. All of his grandchildren have also gotten first-hand experience spending time behind the counter.
Angela is still at the helm. The shop is managed by her daughter Aileen, and staff members Kay Griffin who has given 34 years service, Hannah, Olivia and Emer.
“My father was full of ideas, and I have fond memories of life in the shop," Christy’s daughter Patsy told the Killarney Advertiser.
Patsy remembers delivering milk in the mornings, mostly in the lower New Street area which she did on her rollerskates.
However, she regularly felt the wrath of Sr Philomena of the Presentation Convent when she was late for class.
Christy's eldest daughter Angela, like many of that generation, planned to move to America but she decided that she wanted to stay to continue working with her father at the shop, something she is very glad she did as she loves nothing more than meeting the customers and chatting to them. This year will mark her 70th year serving the people of Killarney.
Both Angela and Johnny raised their families beside the shop. Angela and her husband Jack O’Brien (RIP) raised three daughters, Aileen who manages the shop, Angie who owns Vendricks Restaurant and Niamh.
Johnny retired from the shop in 2012. He and his wife Mary had three children, Christopher, Sandra and Helen.
Patsy and her husband Arthur Hanley had four children, Deirdre, Carolyn, Stephen and Barbara.
The youngest, Frances (RIP), went to New York to Au Pair and with her husband Willie raised her children Peter, Stephen, Jason, Lilian, David, Randall and Deirdre there.
"A huge thank you to the people of Killarney for supporting Healy’s Shop for the last 100 years. A special thanks to all staff past and present, our suppliers, friends and families for making Healy's what is it today. Here’s to another 100 years," Christy's granddaughter Angie added.
News
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 […]

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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News
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. […]

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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