By Dave Kavanagh

Of course, nobody wants to consider that something bad and impactful will happen to them, but most people realise that every week in Ireland there are unexpected fatalities, serious illnesses diagnosed or injuries/illnesses that prevent someone from working. One of the main impacts of any of these occurrences, is the financial loss that can be suffered either by the individual concerned or by any family members dependent on them. The amount of financial loss can vary greatly, and will depend on the event and also the person’s circumstances. The easiest one to consider is the impact of a fatality. Is there an immediate loss of income? Will there be an entitlement to pension benefits? Is there a dependent partner and/or children? If there are children what age are they and how long will they need to be provided for? What protection benefits are already in place? Is there a mortgage that is protected? Are there any death in service benefits with an employer? Giving consideration to these questions can identify what the potential loss would be and help calculate the appropriate levels and types of cover required. Where an accident or illness prevents someone from working, what is the impact? Does an employer pay them for a period of time? If so, for how long? Would some people be forced to use up their savings in order to make sure that bills are paid and supplies bought? The diagnosis of a serious illness can have a negative impact on finances. In some cases it may just result in a relatively short period off work, a stay in hospital and perhaps a supply of medications. But in others, it could result in never returning to work, needing a downstairs bedroom, a wheelchair accessible shower and a modified car. Having a tax-free lump sum paid out at these times can make a huge difference in someone’s finances. The important thing is for people to consider their own, specific circumstances and the financial impact it would have on them and their family. This will allow them to plan more accurately, but in order to consider these details, you have to make the time to analyse them.
Dave Kavanagh QFA has been advising people financially for over 25 years. For quotes or for information (with no cost or obligation) he can be contacted by emailing Dave directly on info@financialcompanion.ie or you can use the contact form on www.financialcompanion.ie or @Davekav_advice on Twitter and Instagram. Combined with his previous role of gym/nutrition adviser, he regularly gives talks and workshops at seminars and events for groups, companies and government departments on financial wellbeing, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM , LMFM and TV3.

By Dave Kavanagh

When applying for mortgage approval, there are several factors that the lenders take into account when considering your application. The three main ones are, Multiples of Salary, Net Disposable Income and Proven Ability to Repay. Until recently, the standard guideline for the maximum borrowing permitted, was 3.5 x gross annual income. Since the start of this year, this was increased to 4 x income for first time buyers. However, with interest rates on the increase, at least one lender has already adjusted other criteria for applicants seeking to apply for the increased multiple. One of the factors adjusted, is the second one, Net Disposable Income. This refers to how much applicants will have left over after paying their mortgage each month, to cover all of the other essentials. This differs from lender to lender, but also depends on the family dynamic. For example, a couple or individual with no children will not be expected to need as much as those with perhaps, 3 children, due to the increased cost of living for those children. The last of the main criteria examined is Proven Ability to Repay. For example, if the proposed mortgage repayment is €1,500 per month, the lender will usually “stress test” this repayment by calculating what the figure would be if rates increased by 2% (often not done if people opt for a fixed rate). So they may be looking for evidence that a figure of €1750 is affordable. This could be illustrated by regular savings, rent, or loan repayments on a loan about to be cleared, or a combination of all. Advance planning can give you a much higher probability of getting approval by considering these factors. Obviously, there are many other factors to consider, such as how you conduct your current accounts and how much you have saved. For first time buyers, at least 10% of the purchase price is required, while for non first time buyers, at least 20% deposit is required. One often overlooked consideration, is to make sure that you qualify for mortgage protection, so this is something to look at in the early stage to make sure it would not be an obstacle to finalising an application.
Dave Kavanagh QFA has been advising people financially for over 25 years. For quotes or for information (with no cost or obligation) he can be contacted by emailing Dave directly on info@financialcompanion.ie or you can use the contact form on www.financialcompanion.ie or @Davekav_advice on Twitter and Instagram. Combined with his previous role of gym/nutrition adviser, he regularly gives talks and workshops at seminars and events for groups, companies and government departments on financial wellbeing, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM , LMFM and TV3.

By Jack Shanley

Benoit Blanc, the celebrity detective with the Poirot-esque French name and the inexplicable Southern accent, is becoming truly lovable as one begins to accept him as he is.Yes, the second instalment of the thrilling Knives Out series hit Netflix over the last few months and it was quite a fun watch. ‘Glass Onion’ director Rian Johnson proves yet again to be an important film maker in modern cinema as he peels back the years to audiences with this thrilling mind-boggling puzzle that shifts and shapes up to be more ambitious and arguably more entertaining than the previous Knives Out film. You’re not really sure where this murder mystery is taking you, and just when you start to have an idea of where it’s going, it throws you off track, sending you in a completely different direction. This is a unique and effective way of storytelling that we don’t see enough of these days, especially in this genre.With the Knives Out films being extremely well written, there is a bit of everything in them for everyone, to a thrilling detective story that unfolds gradually over time, to the fantastic characters and even on to the comedy between the lines. You’re sure to be entertained. ‘Glass Onion’ is fast-paced with a brilliant soundtrack, several storylines and a lot of wonderfully interesting characters. It’s amazing to see all of them intertwine for one amazing finale. The Knives Out films have this classic film noir essence about them that I can’t help but love. As they are part of modern cinema, they don’t hide away from the classic detective films of the ‘40s and ‘50s. They seem to have this longevity to them. I feel they’re entertaining films now and will only get better in time. They’ll be among the films that will be watched again in years to come, as there is so much
depth to the material.I really enjoyed ‘Glass Onion’ and would recommend people give it a watch. I give it a score of 3 and a ½ stars. •You can watch ‘Glass Onion’ on Netflix. Director: Rian Johnson – Rating: 12A – Genre: Mystery/Crime – Run Time: 2h 19m – Language: English. For more
film content please follow @movies4fanatics.

By Siobhan O’Neill White

Early April can be cold so we’re planning an indoor Easter egg hunt! Here are some ideas for places to hides eggs for your little ones. Are you ready, get set, so lets go….1. When you sit there its comfy but with an egg behind, its bumpy! (Cushions on sofa) 2. Close them to keep out the light….peek behind for chocolate delight (behind curtains) 3. Look in-between the books….for treats in crannies & nooks (bookshelf) 4. Use these to dry dishes… inside are chocolate wishes (tea towel drawer) 5. What we use to cook a stew….look inside for chocolate too (pot for cooking stew) 6. This box is usually full of fun….but today inside, things are yum (toy box) 7. Under your pillow where you sleep…..look for an extra special treat! (bed) 8. Flowers are colourful, pretty, and sweet - inside the vase is something to eat (in dry flower arrangement). I hope this helps make your egg hunts super-fun. ALDI and LIDL have reasonably priced egg-hunt kits, so Easter doesn’t have to cost a fortune! With Communion season upon us, here are some ideas to make your child’s day special, without spending a fortune. Dunnes Stores, Ilac Centre has a fabulous range of Communion dresses and accessories for girls and smart suits and clothing for boys. For Confirmation girls, Quiz have gorgeous clothing, starting at UK size 4; so ideal for tweens and teens. Another great store for tweens/teens is Catch and they have lovely clothing for younger siblings too. For Mammies, Quiz has beautiful dresses. For curvy ladies, Yours Clothing is wonderful. We love to support local, Irish companies. For the guys, Bestwear Shop St. Drogheda has matching suits for Dads & Sons. Give them promo code Mams.ieBest23 to get 10% off! Suits. For Communion and Confirmation girls, Azure jewellery has delicate pieces in pearl and silver. For the Mammies, Belleek has a beautiful range of colourful handbags, perfect to accessorise outfits. A personalised Pinata from Pinatas Pinatas is a nice addition for Communions and the kids love bashing it to get the sweets out. Worried about the cost? We have a family tradition where Grannies and Aunties each buy an item for the Communion/Confirmation child. It’s extra special for the child and, takes pressure off the parents to buy everything. Check out mame.ie for more of our wonderful exciting Communion and Confirmation recommendations and competitions. So why not contact us soon in any of these ways : email:siobhan@mumstown.ie ,web:www.mams.ie - Shortlisted for Golden Spider Award & Infant & Maternity Award As seen on RTE and Virgin Media Ireland & Weekend AM As heard on Today FM’s Ian Dempsey & Dermot & Dave; RTE’s Ray D’Arcy Show, 98FM, LMFM Late Lunch, WLRFM & Shannonside FM

For our next talk on April 26th in the Bracken Court Hotel at 8pm we are delighted to have a very special visiting speaker of note, Rory Golden, Diver, Speaker, Explorer with a talk titled ‘TITANIC - Search, Discovery and Diving to the world’s most famous shipwreck.’ Member International of the Explorers Club of New York, Vice Chair of the Great Britain and Ireland Chapter of the Explorers Club, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. Rory Golden became the first Irish diver to visit the site of RMS TITANIC, in August 2000. This expedition recovered 800 artifacts from nearly 4,000 metres deep. His dive was in a Russian submersible, and he left a memorial plaque on the wreck on behalf of the people of Ireland from Cobh. He also spotted the main ship’s wheel which was recovered on the dive. He returned in August 2005, leaving two more memorial plaques from Belfast on the ship. This expedition was broadcast as a wonderful detailed documentary, “A Journey to Remember”, on BBC with veteran journalist Mike McKimm .youtube.com/watchv=EGoJMc7hXDA. In July 2021 he was contracted by OceanGate Expeditions to be on the 2021 Titanic SurveyExpedition as the on board content expert. Other duties included assisting in the surface support dive ops and preparation of the revolutionary 5 person carbon fibre TITAN submersible. In June and July 2022 he was again a team member for the second OceanGate expedition to the wreck site as a content expert and surface dive support co-ordinator. He made his third dive to the ship during this trip in the 5 person submersible TITAN oceangateexpeditions.com/titanic He has spoken at multiple venues and events, including: a 15 date UK tour, Titanic Belfast,The National Museum of Ireland, Belfast City Council, Belfast Titanic Society, The Explorers Club, Dive shows, schools and colleges, after Dinner functions, and during the Covid era, on ZOOM presentations for outreach programmes. For more information see rorygolden.com.As always members are free and anyone can attend for €5, see balbrigganhistory.com.

By Dave Kavanagh

When people think about insurance cover for themselves, it’s usually Life Cover that springs to mind. Something that pays out a sum of money in the event of death is not everyone’s favourite topic over a coffee. But other types of cover, sometimes referred to as Living Benefits, should certainly be considered by anyone that would suffer a financial loss in certain eventualities. Firstly, Income Protection. If someone cannot work due to any illness or injury and suffers a loss of income, they can be paid up to 75% of their usual salary, either until they can return to work or up to a chosen retirement age if they can never return to work. Consider what the impact would be if your current salary dropped to the current state illness benefit for a couple of years. Next, Serious Illness Cover. This pays out a tax free lump sum on diagnosis of any of the illnesses that are covered. While companies in Ireland cover approximately 50-60 different illnesses (as well as many more minor events that pay partial payments) the vast majority of claims here, are for Cancer, Heart Disease, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis and Loss of Independence. The key is to get cover in place while you are relatively young, not just because there is a much higher chance of being accepted for cover but because the premiums are so much cheaper. At present, a 29 year old putting a convertible term plan with €250,000 life cover and €100,000 serious illness cover for a 30 year term, would cost €48.05 per month. A 49 year old doing the same levels of cover but for only a 10 year term (both finishing at age 59) would cost €127.00 per month. Lastly, introduced in recent times is Multi Claim Protection Cover. Similar in many ways to Serious Illness Cover, this option allows people to claim for more events on a needs basis. For example, if someone was diagnosed with cancer, a percentage is paid out. If they were required to stay in hospital for a certain period, a further percentage is paid out, and again if follow up treatment is required, another payment. While everyone’s needs are different, it’s worth taking time to see what is right for you.
Dave Kavanagh QFA has been advising people financially for over 25 years. For quotes or information (with no cost or obligation) he can be contacted by emailing him at info@financialcompanion.ie or use the contact form on www.financialcompanion.ie or @Davekav_advice on Twitter and Instagram. Combined with his previous role of gym/nutrition adviser, he regularly gives talks and workshops at seminars and events for groups, companies and government departments on financial wellbeing, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM , LMFM and TV3.

By Jack Shanley
Outrageous, fascinating, dazzling and wild are just a few words to describe Damien Chazelle’s new film ‘Babylon’. The big extravaganza follows the rise and fall ofmultiple characters in the early days of Hollywood. I managed to catch a late screening on the night of its release and had mixed emotions at first. For the most part I was in awe but had a slight feeling of disappointment. A messy, chaotic blast from start to finish, it has everything from romance to comedy to even a dark horror sequence. ‘Babylon’ takes you on a journey, a cinematic experience that pays quite a wild tribute to the Hollywood Golden Age and the birth of the ‘talkie’. I felt it lacked direction, though. At times it just felt like a bunch of scenes thrown together, some necessary and others unnecessary. The scale is enormous, reflected in the size of the cast, thousands of extras and more than 100 speaking parts. The three-hour epic boasts an impressive cast and a wonderful soundtrack by Justin Hurwitz, not to mention the amazing costume design taking us rightback to the glamour of the late 1920s. But over everything I liked and disliked about ‘Babylon’, there was something at the forefront of the material, a deep passion for cinema which rises above all the criticism. Chazelle brings us into his heart and leaves everything on the screen. His passion, not only for the craft of moviemaking but cinema in general, carries a breath of fresh air into the cinema, shining a light on the impact of movies on his life. As soon as the lights go down and the opening shot fills our screens, we are bewildered as to what’s about to occur, perhaps a wild journey through cinema. Who knows? It’s that unknowing that creates a story slowly unfolding into joy as our eyes are transfixed for such a magnificent ending. I really enjoyed ‘Babylon’, would recommend people go see it, and give it a score of FOUR stars. You can watch ‘Babylon’ at your local cinema today. Director: Damien Chazelle – Rating: R – Genre: Drama/Comedy– Run Time: 3h 9m – Language: English, Spanish. For more film content please follow @movies4fanatics on Instagram.

By Siobhan O’Neill White

Mother’s Day is an important day if you’re a Mammy or have a Mammy and/or Nanny. But let’s not forget those who have lost their Mams. The day is difficult and tinged with sadness. If you have lost your Mam, perhaps do something nice for yourself that day. Run a bubble bath, or curl up with a book. Dubray’s in Ilac SC has a fab selection, we love the latest Beth O’Leary, feel good funny!

Nyrah beauty is an Irish brand my Mam and I adore. Their peacock-coloured skincare hatbox is a stunning gift. If your Mam is a #Glammy, Irish brand Tan Organic has beautiful gift sets. Their gorgeous tan goes on easily and is kind to sensitive skin. Their wonder balm is amazing for mums-to-be! Listoke Gin, from Co Louth has gift sets with flavoured gins and cool extras like juniper berries to jazz up your gin cocktails. The grounds of Irish National Stud Kildare are beautifully scenic with horses and fairy trails to explore. There’s also a lovely cafe to treat your Mammy. Made in Co Clare, Burren Perfumery sets are gorgeous. Inspired by the landscape and scents of the breath-taking Burren. Brooke and Shoals candles, hand creams and shower gels smell divine and are lovely for gifting Mammies! To enter to mams.ie Nyrah Beauty, Burren Perfumery, Brooke and Shoals, Tan Organic and Listoke Gin Mother’s Day competitions, go to our FB page. We’re now coming into Communion and Wedding season. There’s a growing trend called Twinning, where Mammies and Daughters match their outfits. But boys and Dads have been left out - until now! Bestwear, Shop St. Drogheda, always have great value on boys Communion and men’s suits. This year, they have a new range of matching suits for boys and men which are smart, stylish, well cut, with gorgeous lining and waistcoats. The man 3-piece suit is €250 and the boy’s €120. Show the pic with the mams.ie voucher code to get 10% off (just take a snap on your phone and show in store easy!) So instead of paying €370, get both suits for €333. Ideal for Communions, Weddings and special occasions. We compared prices with some other stores and these really are superb value. For queries, call 0419836036 or contact best.wear@hotmail.com. For more Mother’s day inspiration, see mams.ie. With love, Siobhán, Mumfluencer since 2009….before #Blogging was a thing!

Our photo shows a newspaper clipping of a nice print of Malahide Castle in North County Dublin from about 1895. The clipping also provides a brief outline of the history (to that date) of the castle, parts of which date to the twelfth century when King Henry II (1133-1189) granted Richard Talbot the lands and harbour of Malahide for his services to the English crown. In its current form, Malahide Castle incorporates a variety of different architectural styles as various rooms and fortifications were added, altered, and enlarged over time. The castle remained in the possession of the Talbot family for nearly eight centuries (broken only by a brief interval between 1649 and 1660 when the family’s lands were seized during the Cromwellian conquest and the castle was occupied by Miles Corbet (1595-1662), Lord Chief Baron of Ireland). The last representative of the family to reside in the castle was Milo Talbot (1912-1973), 7th Baron Talbot of Malahide. On his death, the estate passed to his sister Rose Maud Talbot who sold the castle to the Irish state in 1975. The castle and its 260-acre demesne has now been developed into a popular tourist amenity, public park and summertime concert and festival venue. The article is taken from a bound volume containing clippings of articles and accounts of various Irish castles, abbeys, and historic monuments. The volume was acquired by Fr. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap. (1900-1970), the editor of ‘The Capuchin Annual’.

By Jack Shanley

‘8½’ is a strange title but one appropriate for the 1963 classic. Approaching its 60th anniversary, we look back as fondly as ever at the Federico Fellini masterpiece. Gaining its title simply from the number of films in which the Italian maestro had made to date, it really is a must-watch movie. It follows a troubled Italian filmmaker, Guido (Marcello Mastroianni), who struggles with the creative stasis of his next project. Overwhelmed by his struggles, he retreats into a world of fantasy, both past and present, resulting in his next project being very autobiographical. This bonafide classic is a study of male fantasy and fear of the creative mind. Throughout, we are constantly struck with wonderful dream-like imagery from Guido’s mind overlooking the past and present, most of which involves his association with women, the impact of women on his life and his true feelings for them. We also study the true horror of one suddenly losing their creativity for their craft. Fellini at his very best tended to bond a balance between fantasy and reality and never has it been more evident than in ‘8½’. The film is a messy ball of confusion as our hero (Guido), a self-regarding man, finds himself lost and utterly empty as the film itself. Midway though, a friend of Guido turns to him, speaking the true essence of the film when saying: ‘I’ve figured out what your story is about. It’s a man’s inner confusion.’ This speaks volumes not just for ‘8½’ but for the majority of Fellini’s filmography, films like ‘La Dolce Vita’, ‘La Strada’ and ‘Nights of Cabiria’ which all fall into the themes of fantasy, dreams and desire. ‘8½’, still regarded as one of the finest films ever made, is on many lists and polls as one of the greatest and most influential films of all time. It is truly an astonishing, masterful and electrifying spectacle of optimism as we step into the dreams and world of Fellini. As the material is still so fresh, it’s only right to give it a score of FIVE stars. •You can watch ‘8½’ on Prime Video or buy it on Blu-Ray for €21.37 on Amazon. Director: Federico Fellini – Rating:15 – Genre: Fantasy/Drama – Run Time: 2h 18m – Language: Italian English. For more film content please follow @movies4fanatics on Instagram.