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Friends, neighbours, in-laws and outlaws were hunched under umbrellas as the rain pelted down.

It would not have surprised me if son of Graigue/Ballycallan  man Milo Hennessy had a smile on his face as we waited to meet the larger than life retired Kilkenny People Newspaper print worker for the last time.

With respect the hugely popular Milo probably would have been chuffed at the fact that only minutes after Hehir’s Funeral Home was opened there were long queues to meet a man so admired and respected.

On my first visited I hesitated to join in the queue and said I would return later. That I did with  optimism but alas the queue was as long and  possibly longer on the second visit.  

I don’t normally visit funeral homes but Milo Hennessy I simply had to say farewell to.

A friendly young man from Ballycallan offered to  share his brolly with me. 

I don’t know the  gentleman and probably never met him before but I knew I was  in friendly territory as the  chit chat sent out the signal that those waiting were big fans of Milo H and like Milo, were also big hurling aficionados.

The gent did tell me he was an electrician, a bright spark most certainly, a really good guy, just like the 68-year-old Milo who was one of nature’s finest.

Edging towards Milo’s coffin I was nervous. When you have such respect for a friend you can feel the butterflies in your stomach.

With my brother Joe I signed the visitors’ book. Soon I   found myself a few steps from the man who was given a send-off of epic proportions.

I met Milo’s sisters-in-law and I spoke about  the years I spent as a journalist  on the staff of the Kilkenny People. The penny dropped. They remembered my name from God only knows how   many years ago. The friendly ladies put me at ease.

Before meeting Milo I spoke to his brothers Kevin and Ger both of whom I had known reasonably well over the years. I would meet them in the city with their late father Paddy and, more often than not with Milo in tow.

I grinned to myself. The Boys were back town, the Hennessy Boys who would possibly enjoy a game of cards in a local hostelry, a few pints or a bet or two on a couple of nags. And, no doubt an upcoming game involving you know what team, their club side or the Kilkenny senior team, would get an airing with Milo leading the debate.

To meet Milo was both sad and refreshing. There was no denying who was resting in the coffin surrounded by his broken hearted loved ones.

He looked as fresh as the proverbial daisy complete with suit and his spectacles. I was so happy that I had gone into to say a few final words to him.

I whispered Goodbye my friend and thanks for the memories. I laid my hand on his chest as I re-lived the great times in the ‘People that flashed through my mind

I recalled the hard work we all did in a great place to toil, the fun we had, the craic about hurling and all it meant to Milo particularly his local club, the club he was in love with, the club that he ate, slept, dreamed and drank every day of every year for a lifetime.

I felt lousy leaving my friend and heading home. Then reality hit. I was merely a small cog of respect that included literally thousands of people who loved Milo Hennessy and his family so dearly.

In the Kilkenny People he worked with sound people like Gerry Cody, Pat Griffin, Padraig  Leydon, Brendan Dowling, the late Ben Little, the late Ralph Kavanagh, Sean Dooley, John Knox, Sean Hurley, Johnny McKee, Michael Keogh, Peter Holohan, Tommy, Marie O’Reilly, Heber McQuaid, the late Lillian  Beatty, Marie McKee, Breda Gorey Raggett,  the late Tom Brett, Mary Manning, Joe Hayes, Seamus  and James McGarry,  the late Norah Flynn, Teresa Byrne, Henry O’Neill, Tommy Hayes, Bridie Young, Pat Kelly, Donie Butler, Peter Seaver, Pat Stapleton, Padjo Little, Breda and Ann Coonan, Billy O’Sullivan, Katie Rice, Martin and Michael Brett, Sean Kerwick, Michael Gannon, Paddy Leydon, Denise Murphy, most of whom were based in High Street.

The names came flooding back and the happy days under a very fair and friendly MD John Kerry Keane, his wife Leonora and daughters Andrea  and Adriana reminded of all the excellent people, the great characters I worked with and how they had helped to brighten my life and made going to work so enjoyable, entertaining even.

It is in that vein that I will always remember and respect Milo from Ballyfrunk, Ballycallan. He was a terrific colleague who never uttered a bad word about anyone and in a wonderful two-way street I never heard anyone utter an ill word about Milo.

Milo’s remains were removed to St Brigid’s Church, Ballycallallan where there was again a full house to mourn the region’s favourite son.

Burial was at St Mary’s Cemetary, Ballycallan.

Milo was predeceased by his loving parents Margaret and Paddy.

He is survived by his brothers Ger and Kevin; sisters Rena and Eileen; nephew Shane; nieces Amy, Sarah, Laura, Margaret, Katie; sister-in-law Sadie; brothers-in-law Mikey and Jim; Ger’s partner Eileen;  grandnieces Mia, Rose and Grace.

God rest you Milo, GAA fan, Ballycallan and Kilkenny, Ballycallan ticket salesman and fundraiser supreme, amazing workmate, family and community man. The Lord will welcome you with open arms. You deserve the rest after a brave battle with illness.

Peace to you my friend and to your loving family. Milo was a great friend of fellow Ballycallan and GAA guru Tom Ryall. 

Common denominator was that both craved the very best for Graigue/Ballycallan GAA Club.

Adios amigo,  the love of all our lives.

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Maureen is always remembered by her loving sons Jimmy and Joe; daughter-in-law Ann; grandchildren Andrea and James; Andrea’s husband Michael and great, great grandson MJ Comerford.

The post In memory of Maureen Rhatigan appeared first on Kilkenny Press.

There were elections when I didn’t give my No. 1 to a local politician who is referred to by some as Supermac.

There may be food for thought in the latter.

I would find it difficult to pin a label on McGuinness. I do know that, with respect, he is as cute as a fox, as clever as a church mouse.

Were he a card player he would be excellent at the tense and often challenging game of poker.

He knows how to keep his cards close to his chest. His poker face would not be easily read and would stand to him. 

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin will attest to that. The pair don’t always see eye-to-eye, I believe.

The son of Kilkenny is acknowledged as being a rebel within the FF party with which he is sometimes in love but angry with at times  when he rocks the boat.

With his party colleagues he supports Government motions in the Dáil. 

There were times in the ago when it was suggested that he might quit the FF party to do a solo run as Independent Fianna Fáil.

I never believed that would happen. Deep down, he knew that his father Mick, a passionate FF devotee, proud leader of the McGuinness Clan would turn in his grave if that were to happen.

To O’Loughlin Road man John that move would be akin to playing hopscotch in a minefield. Risk taking would not be among his attributes.

He adheres to the traditional republican values of the old Fianna Fáil which often brings him into conflict with those pedalling a different view of the party. 

He never fears fighting a lone battle. In the Carlow/Kilkenny Constituency, Kilkenny is the bedrock of his beliefs.

He stuck out his neck at another time when he bravely supported whistleblower Garda Sergeant Maurice McCabe who alleged that there was corruption within our Garda Force.

That took raw courage but it also highlighted McGuinness’s innate acumen to understand the trappings of a public conundrum that could make or break anyone involved in what was a dirty debate that divided communities.

His decision to take a shot in the dark hit the bullseye and won him many admirers.

One ponders on how he would have felt when FF got into bed with the old enemy FG and the aptly named Green Party.

One suspects that he would have been happier to be associated with a Sinn Féin Party for which I understand he has much respect.

On that score one wonders how FFers will feel if their party ends up snuggling on the same couch that fostered the unlikely romance between foes and would be akin to Donald Trump throwing a wink in the direction of Kamala Harris.

One suspects that McGuinness and some of his colleagues would prefer to be swapping spits with the Shinners than pretending to be buddies with their fellow Fine Gaelers.

But unfortunately for those who would gladly send a ‘kiss my arse’ note to FG, the chances of any changes are now but a dream because of SF’s crazy habit of scoring own goals.

But regardless of who will love bomb who when that master of self-importance Simon Harris eventually condescends to tell us, his paymasters, when the General Election day will be.

 We can then tell FG to get stuffed or FF to get lost. We can choose to address the rest of the political bunch with similar sentiments.

Regardless, John McGuinness will do his thing with the same enthusiasm as he did when he was elected as a rookie county councillor in the Year of Our Lord 1979.

Members of other political parties will be far from his mind as he will do what he does best; knocking on every door, with his ardent followers reminding that as a local politician McGuinness is the best thing since the first sliced pan was toasted.

McGuinness’s roots are in local politics. If he were a clergyman he would be PP of every parish in east, west, north and south Kilkenny and in all of Kilkenny City too.

He knows every nook and cranny in his native city and county; has a special affinity with local communities and is probably most at ease when he is among his own.

Yet he will be cagey on his own turf when talking to journalists, telling them that he is getting a warm welcome on doorsteps but that one should never count chickens before they are hatched.

My prediction is that Kilkenny’s most experienced politician  will be returned to the Kildare Street residence that has been his adopted home for so long.

That will make many people happy and as I alluded to earlier there will also be those who will be left disgruntled.

McGuinness won’t be fazed as he ambles his way through the to him familiar terrain of the hustings but will be naturally more relaxed if and when he again hits the jackpot of public life in a city and county he loves.

With many of our people cynical about politics and politicians there is always the possibility of shock results.

Yes there will be fallers in what is expected to be a big field of runners but even the Devil and his mother know that voters tend to cling to the status quo.

Perhaps worrying for candidates is that many apathetic voters may not go to vote.

We often point the accusing finger at politicians in public exchanges but reality is that we should all be looking in the mirror as people who fail to turn up let everybody down.

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Come election time, local or national, politicians always put their brass necks and brazen faces on display as they knock on doors for votes at family homes that most of them had not darkened since previous elections.

The General Election next month will be a display of arrogance and ignorance by men and women of different party hues as they fight their corners, their corners mind, not  ours, in a desperate bid to get their fat arses back on to cushy Dáil seats.

Own goals

That Sinn Féin have scored so many own goals as a party in recent times in particular perhaps suggests that the FF/FG Mafiosa, maybe but not definitely, will, in tandem with the greedy greens, again form the next Government.

Continuing with the FF/FG/Green trinity of disaster will most definitely be a further kick in the teeth for our people as, regardless of what they tell us, all three are parties for the wealthy who will continue to be molly coddled while hard working and honourable families will be treated as pieces of dirt on a shoddy carpet.

Bribe their way

It is pitiful to listen to Government and its lackeys reminding us of the array of financial gifts they have for us at election time as they bid to bribe their way into the next Dáil.

The disingenuous so and sos should be reminded that it is our money that they are playing  with as they lick backsides and charm babies with all the grace of a three-legged donkey on an ice rink.

It is disgusting and irritating to listen to their waffle and indeed to the gibberish of most political groupings as all eye seats around the trough of plenty.

As Government sugar coats its offerings for its followers and anybody else who wants to vote for them there is not a mention about the horrible state of our hospitals and the desperate so-called healthcare that is on offer from the Health Services Executive (HSE).

Dear God, at a so-called time of plenty our healthcare, or the lack of it, is Third World.

Reality is that this Government thinks more of horses and greyhounds than it does of sick children and indeed thinks even less of our homeless and parents rearing their children in stuffy hotel rooms.

‘extra deaths’

Of course we are well aware that all of our children are equal. We know too that some are more equal than others.

Amidst all the hubbub of election time, the handshakes, the pitiful smiles and pseudo greetings, there won’t be a single   word about ‘extra deaths’ in Kilkenny and other counties and indeed across the world.

Why are we losing so many people of all ages while nobody in power, most politicians, many medical people, journalists and many others turning a blind eye and refusing to be drawn into discussion about Covid and all its woes, Covid vaccines and their trail of destruction.

Ask your local local politician about vaccines and the colour will quickly ooze from embarrased jaws.

Whether we like it or not the reality is that we are now living   in a country where censorship is more rampant than in North Korea or Russia.

Ah sure what about it. Won’t we benefit from all the promises made on doorsteps by ruthless vote touters.

Keep an eye out for white Blackbirds, Dodo Birds and honest politicians.

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The offering from the notorious trinity of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and The Greens is riddled with flaws and is a disingenuous package geared towards us believing that we are getting the sun, moon and stars while all we are being proffered  is a well decorated and much lauded Christmas Bonus with a few  frills in dodging dressing.

Reality is that the Budget is a rich man’s wallet-filler designed as a poor man’s bag of tricks.

The three tricksters cannot disguise the fact that they are once again filling the pockets of landlords while boxing the ears off of under pressure tenants.

Nothing has changed. Both FF and FG are conservative parties with wily ministers and smarmy TDs pandering to the wants and the needs of those who have while pretending to be on the side of those who have not.

The Greens are unsure where they stand, trapped on the middle of the road and battling with themselves on whether or not to use a cycling lane or a hybrid roadway.

They promote lettuce plants but one suspects they would be much more at home with a platter of caviar.

The very fact that Government Parties insulted us with this shady budget shows just how much contempt they have for the plebs of Ireland, as they would brand us, the good people  they are supposed to represent in the Dáil.

That they had the gall, the temerity to present their vote buying mishmash to us shows just how rude and disrespectful they can be to us citizens who pay their exorbitant wages.

In giving us the two fingers the message they have sent us is to live horse and eat grass.

Their underhand politics should be thrown back  into  their faces.

We have a glorious opportunity to do just that in the forthcoming General Election.

If we don’t react and accept the political pittances with bowed knee then we deserve the manure that is being hurled at us by male and female politicians who totally overrate their value to our country that is riddled with underhand skullduggery like our children’s hospital scandal and the Dáil bicycle shed. 

We should keep in mind that the cunning budget was designed to fool us.

That in itself should stir our emotions.

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The Fatima Place couple was pictured with Maureen’s sister Kathleen Moore, left and Jimmy’s brother, Johnny Rhatigan.

The post 75 YEARS MARRIED appeared first on Kilkenny Press.

A majority of those genuflecting and curtsying as they crawl up backsides in search of  the gold nuggets  they call votes would bring puke from an empty stomach.

Pledges of a better life for us all; less crippling taxes and positive futures for the very young, for our pensioners, men, women and children who battle serious illnesses are about as genuine as four Euro notes.

How often have we heard the infamous words over the  years from those  successful at election time?: ‘A great  day for the  party (ie political  party’.

Not a mention of the electorate most of whom might not cross their minds for years, if ever, as they add up  their lucrative salaries and do the maths for generous   expenses.

That vote collectors knock  on doors at all is perhaps a reminder to us all of their brass necks as they search  for comfortable seats  in  Leinster House, indeed any chairs that for most seeking election mean more money for successful candidates and the power that turns on lights on their twisted  egos.

They stoop to kissing babies, bullshitting grannies and promising a house to every son and daughter and their  families in every nook and cranny of the  four corners of Kilkenny.

Mostly the general public see through   their verbal diarrhea and the conundrum is that so many  still go out  and vote  for so many of the gold diggers.

Reality is that we are the masters of our own destiny but yet we have a tendency towards hara-kiri.

We wilt when we need to be strong in bidding to select people who just might consider supporting us instead   of feathering their own nests.

Will we ever learn has to be the killer question. For whatever reason, we tend to bottle it in the ballot box.

We deride politicians of all political parties. We call them all sorts of vulgar names; then we put out arms around some, give them No. 1 or whatever, perhaps against our best judgment.

Perhaps a collective kick in the backside might waken us up, teach us to stand up for ourselves and put manners on those who, election after election take us for  fools and cod us to the white of our eyes.

Politicians take us for granted; care  less what we think of them and continue to play Russian Roulette with our lives while they fill  their pockets, purses and wallets and walk away giggling as they sneer at  our innocence.

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A dull overcast sky matched the mood of an army of family, friends and former work colleagues of former Kilkenny People Newspaper employee Norah Flynn, friendly face and sweet telephone voice at the ‘People for 30 years.

There were tears for souvenirs as we said goodbye to a larger than life friend and workmate who had lost a brave battle with illness.

Rain threatened as Fr Kieran O’Shea led the funeral prayers but as it turned out the Man Above reserved His tears for later as Norah’s nearest and dearest grieved for a bubbly lady who for so many great years was a vital member of Team Kilkenny People that had won so many hearts and minds.

The former Norah Hennessy’s love for her front of house role was championed only by the special place she had in her heart for her loving husband Joe Flynn, Ian and Mark, the sons she  was so proud of and grandson Teo who was her pride and joy.

In the company of great people like Marie McKee, formerly Marie Davis, Norah delighted in meeting customers and avid aficionados of the written word at the ‘People’s High Street office at a time when the newspaper was in the top three provincial newspapers in Ireland and reached average weekly sales of 20,000.

The local paper was then owned by the Keane family of Bishop’s Hill and was run by John Kerry Keane and his wife, Leonora.

The relationship between management and staff was one of respect and camaraderie.

Norah Flynn will always be remembered as a person who oozed that respect and encouraged the warmth that was a feature of a job that made the ‘People such a satisfying place in which to work.

I am so proud to have spent 38 years at what was to become an institution of communication thanks to Norah Flynn and a great team of fellow workers.

Norah passed away at her family home, Copper Coin, Furzehouse, Kilkenny.

She is survived by her husband Joe; sons Ian and Mark; brother Martin and sisters Joan and Marie Therese; daughters-in-law Veronica and Sally; grandson Teo; nieces and nephews.

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When God created Mick Hoban, a son of Danesfort, He threw away the mould.

Mick and his beloved wife Geraldine were kindred spirits.

Mick and Geraldine loved each other’s company and enjoyed a great life together.

There is a vacant chair in the Hoban family home that will take some filling.

Mick’s passing after a brave battle with illness was a sad blow for Mick and Geraldine’s loyal family. It is hard to fathom that Mick is no longer with us.

The Rathclough, Danesfort man who went on to live at Hazel Grove at the heart of the Village in Kilkenny City with his wife and family was larger than life.

He was the real deal; a man of his word; a friend to so many; a devoted dad and granddad who was so proud of his entire family.

He had a big heart, a kind and caring disposition and loved to help out a friend in deed or to offer his services as a top class plumber to neighbours and friends alike.

Mick was never a lone ranger. He had many pals and always enjoyed a chat with good friendly and oft witty banter over a few pints with friends.

His buddies delighted in Mick’s straight talking contribution when called to the bar or to a local hurling, soccer  or boxing contest.

He loved sport; played by the rules and nailed his colours to a mast to which he was truly devoted. 

He never shirked a challenge in sport and was loyal to the hurling, soccer and boxing teams he supported regardless of results.

Amateur boxing was perhaps closest to his heart. He delighted in his involvement with Marble City Boxing Club and was so proud of the achievements of his son Mark and indeed of the entire troop of his extended family of which he was so proud.

I can vouch for the fact that he was generous to a fault to Kilkenny sport in particular.

That he provided his plumbing skills free of charge to  Kilkenny City Football  Club of which he  was a loyal supporter was indeed a powerful community gesture.

On hearing of Mick’s passing my son James rang me from the United States and recalled a great day we had spent  with Mick and  son Mark at a Republic of Ireland international  fixture in the then Lansdowne Road.

Mick was driving his company van and as usual he was making sure that young supporters Mark and James had the  time of  their lives.

It was a case of have mattress will travel as Mick brought a mattress from his family home so that the youngsters could enjoy 40 winks on the Dublin journey and 40 more  winks on the return trip.

Yet again Mick had displayed his kind and unselfish personality as he ensured that comfort was provided for future generations.

Mick Hoban will never be forgotten by his nearest and dearest and indeed by hundreds of staff at UPMC Aut Even Hospital where he was official plumber for a generation.

He is survived by his wife Geraldine; sons and daughters Michael, Mark, Justina, Linda; daughters-in-law Mary and Laura and sons-in-law Jim and Ian; grandchildren Mikey, Sean,  Mollie, Maisie, Mia, Anna, Tom, Paddy, Billy and James; brother Pat; sisters Margaret, Collette, Geraldine, Mary, Paula and Anne.

Mick was predeceased by his parents Paddy and Anna. He passed away at the home of his son Mark in Larchfield and was buried at Foulkstown Cemetery. He was 75.

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