Commercial Feature

Op-Ed by Gerard Kiely, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland When European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, delivered her first State of the Union address to the European Parliament on Wednesday, it is no exaggeration to say that Ireland was at the heart of this important speech, which outlines the EU’s vision and political priorities for the coming year. Citing inspirational examples of political wisdom and humanity from the late John Hume and the heart-warming story of Suaad Alshleh, who arrived in Ireland as a refugee from Syria and received a prestigious scholarship to study medicine in Dublin, the President clearly appreciates Ireland’s positive contribution to advancing the values of the European Union. President von der Leyen placed many of Ireland’s priorities at the top of Europe’s political agenda. She stressed the importance of reinforcing Europe’s social market economy to protect workers and businesses. President von der Leyen announced that the Commission will present a European anti-racism …

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CAREY Corbett Financial Solutions warmly welcome Kate Burke QFA to our growing team. Kate hails from Limerick and has over 12 years client-facing experience in the financial services sector. Kate will be managing many of our current and future clients, providing expert advice on the full range of financial solutions for personal and commercial clients, including life, pensions, investments and more. Established in 2004 by Donal Carey and Tommy Corbett, Carey Corbett Financial Solutions, based in Roslevan Shopping Centre in Ennis, is an independent financial services company that caters for both individual and corporate clients in all areas of financial planning. We deal directly with all the major lending institutions and insurance providers in the marketplace, ensuring we can offer our clients the best independent advice on the management of their finances and future wealth options. Financial solutions for the farming community With the ploughing championships this week, and the beef farmers on the front page of the newspapers, now …

My friends at the Dogs Trust charity have come up with a wonderful idea I want to tell you about. Next Friday week, June 21, is Dog Friendly Ireland Day, a day when all business owners are encouraged to open up their premises to us canines. We’ve a lot of work to do in this area. Despite 40% of all households in Ireland taking the enlightened decision to have a dog about the place, we lag far behind the rest of Europe when it comes to dog-friendly facilities. When I went on holidays to Devon and Cornwall a few years ago – come to think of it, it’s high time I went back – everywhere I went I was welcomed with open arms. Nearly every pub, café or restaurant had a sign that said ‘Well behaved dogs welcome’. I’m always well behaved and it was lovely to sit under a chair while my humans enjoyed a drink or meal and …

Visit The Inn at Dromoland this coming Sunday, February 24, between 1 and 5pm. There will be over 30 Wedding Exhibitors offering many discounts on the day. Enjoy the Bridal Fashion Show with Catwalk Modelling Agency and experience all that The Inn at Dromoland can offer you on your special day. The event will be MC’d by Marietta Doran – Personal Stylist and Fashion Contributor at Virgin Media Television, who will offer advice to Brides to Be, along with Mothers of the Bride. Nestled on the 450 acre Dromoland Estate and overlooking the panoramic Shannon Estuary, The Inn at Dromoland is the ideal venue for your Wedding Day Celebrations. Part of the Dromoland Castle family, Wedding Couples can expect the very highest levels of hospitality and service. From lavish arrival receptions, to the highest quality menus which are locally sourced, the hotel aims to exceed every expectation, with the renowned service for which the hotel has long been known. The …

It is with great regret that Treacy’s West County Hotel must advise that this Saturday Night’s Show – “Kenny & Dolly Together Again” has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Those who have purchased tickets from the Hotel in advance can receive a full refund upon presentation of their tickets to hotel reception staff. Should disappointed fans wish to see alternative dates for the Kenny & Dolly show, please visit www.joegallagherentertainments.com for tour dates. The hotel sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.

The Irish insatiable appetite for property has not gone away, with property transactions in some form happening on a daily basis. Additionally, it appears the appetite for investment in the property market is back. Various economic commentators have predicted residential house price growth of between 6% and 8% for the year. It also seems that we have had a severe under-supply of homes in Ireland over the last 10 years and nothing increases prices like scarcity and demand. Having seen what can go wrong with property, many people are reticent to get involved in a market that has proven to be more volatile than anyone had previously dreamt it could be. So, with that in mind, why would anyone in their right mind even consider purchasing an investment property using their hard-earned and hard-saved pension funds? With the lack of financing available, at least the gearing risk has been taken out of this area. With this in mind, many people …