Connect with us

News

Showcasing Killarney to an influential audience

Published

on

0249691_Laura_Fleming__a_student_from_St_Brigids_Presentation_Secondary_School__entertainig_guests_with_the_brush_dance.jpg

For tourism industry professionals, the Skal President’s Dinner is the social highlight of the year, but was also a perfect opportunity to show the best of Killarney.

GALA: Melanie and John Hurley at the Skal President's Dinner on Saturday night. Photo: Alexandra Bozic

PRESIDENT'S DINNER: Caroline Hennigan Molly O'Mahony and Geraldine O'Mahony at the Skal President's Dinner. Photo: Alexandra Bozic

SCHOOL: The singers and dancers from St Brigid's Presentation Secondary School who performed at the Skal President's Dinner on Saturday night. Photo: Alexandra Bozic

The gala event in the Plaza Hotel on Saturday night was hosted by Kerry Skal President Michelle Rosney and she used the occasion to highlight the best of Killarney’s performing arts talent, cuisine and locally produced drinks.

There were special performances on the night by singers and dancers from St Brigid’s Presentation Secondary School, Killarney and the West End House School of Arts who brought The Liberator, Daniel O’Connell, back to life for one night only to deliver a passionate dramatisation of a famous speech.

Food served included local produce from the Killarney Urban Farm project on East Avenue Road.

The tipple of choice for the traditional after dinner toast was the Liberator Irish Whiskey supplied by Maurice and Francesca O’Connell of Wayward Irish Spirits based in Fossa.

On display on the night were the All-Ireland Junior and Intermediate trophies recently won by Fossa and Rathmore respectively, and although the Sam Maguire was unavoidably absent, Kerry Skal President Michelle Rosney promised guests that, all going according to plan, Sam would be on display in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Skal is the largest international hospitality networking organisation in the world with 13,000 members in 308 clubs in almost 90 countries.

Special guests in attendance included Fáilte Ireland chairperson Paul Carty, Skal Ireland President Margaret Cahill, Skal Ireland Treasurer Francis Brennan, lifelong Skal member Dermot Cronin of Cork, Mayor of Killarney Cllr Niall Kelleher, MEP Seán Kelly, Kerry College and ETB Chairman Cllr Jim Finucane, Kerry branch of the Irish Hotels Federation Chairperson Bernadette Randles and Bishop of Kerry Ray Browne.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

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 […]

Published

on

0253529_IMG-20210718-WA0024.jpg

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.”

.

Attachments

Continue Reading

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. […]

Published

on

0253610_Mike_Stocks.jpg

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.

Attachments

Continue Reading

LOCAL ADS

Last News

Advertisement

Sport

Trending