By Dave Kavanagh
Many people are in the “it’ll never happen to me” group, when it comes to planning for events that could potentially impact finances. Let’s face it, nobody wants to think that anything “bad” will happen to them but the reality is, bad things happen whether we like it or not. The three areas that are most prevalent to this topic are, Life Cover, Serious Illness Cover and Income Protection. Of course, we would hope that we are not going to die prematurely, we are not going to get seriously ill and accident or illness will not prevent us from being able to work. Sadly, in this small country of ours, over 7,000 people die each year NOT of natural causes (under age 65), we are heading towards 43,000 new cancer cases every year (the cause of more than 50% of Serious Illness claims) and the average time off work for an income protection claim is close to 5 years! When I do group talks, I often ask the question whether anyone’s close family or friends have been affected by cancer? I have only ever had one person say “no”. When I ask whether the same close family or friends have ever won the lotto jackpot, not surprisingly, it’s (almost) always “no”. Yet with odds of 10.7 million to 1 to win the lotto jackpot, people spend a relatively large amount of money each week on lotto (and Euromillions and scratch cards etc.) believing and hoping that it will happen to them. The same people have a 4 to 1 chance of being diagnosed with one of the Serious Illnesses covered BEFORE they are 65. We often review people’s finances and see that they have their vehicles insured, their house insured, their pets, mobile phones, lap tops and jewellery insured but not themselves! It’s not until one of these events happens that people can fully appreciate the financial loss that is suffered. An important detail is that even if people have cover in place from a few years back, they could well be paying over the odds premium wise or it may no longer be most appropriate. Take the time to check what is most appropriate for your specific circumstances.
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 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 Malahide Historical Society
On the corner of Bath Avenue, immediately beyond the Grand Hotel towards Portmarnock, where a tall apartment block is now located, stood the popular Malahide Baths. Lord Talbot built the baths at his own expense, apparently for letting, shortly before 1863. They were leased to a Mrs. Gamble. She retired or died in 1864 and her household goods were auctioned off, including “a barometer, an eight-day clock, two fowling pieces, a first rate four-oared boat and two smaller boats”. The baths were then, apparently, taken over by the adjoining hotel.The hotel featured its hot sea and freshwater baths from time to time in advertisements.The baths consisted of a long low building with a number of bathing rooms at one end, a boilerhouse and tall chimney in the middle and living accommodation at the other end. There were two open-air plunge pools to the rear. There were bathing boxes on the shore in front of the baths building for use by modest Victorians who wished to bathe in the estuary seawater.The seawater baths were exceedingly popular in the 19th century and in the latter half of that era tourists flocked to Malahide to avail of the baths’ renowned health-giving properties. The bath water was changed at high-tide. Patrons had a choice of heated indoor baths and or a plunge in an outdoor cold pool. Sadly, the buildings were demolished in 1984 and the rubble used to fill the pools
By Jack Shanley
With Baz Luhrmann’s blistering biopic of Elvis Presley, ‘The King of Rock n Roll’, hitting cinemas in late June I felt it would be only right to write a review about the much-anticipated biopic.I felt a little unsatisfied with the film overall. It felt at times to be nothing more than a carnival on screen, with it feeling like a long stream of extraordinary editing but no consideration for the story. I found the opening 40 minutes to be quite restless and boring in all honestly, with it being nothing but swirling and wavy editing and shots from scene to scene leaving me quite discombobulated. With that I did find the last hour of the film to be sorrowful but rather entertaining at last. The film is essentially about the rise and fall of Elvis, a man who changed the landscape of music, so with that the thought of a film adaptation of Elvis is rather daring. The performances were fantastic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Austin Butler picks up an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Elvis. As the film progressed and Elvis got older, the more he looked like Elvis. By the end of the film they both looked so alike it was uncanny. Although I felt a little lacklustre after watching the film, there was a lot of detail from the spectacular cinematography and glamorous costume design to the frenetic but graceful choreography. Although I speak of this film not being as good as I had anticipated, it was still entertaining. I’d recommend everyone to go see it, as it’s still an interesting story that shines a light on the darker side of Elvis Presley, a side that has always been hidden away from the world.Synopsis: With the rise of Elvis Presley to his superstardom, the Rock ‘n’ Roll icon maintains a very complicated relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, throughout his career as a performer. I’d give this film a score of 3½ stars. You can go see Elvis in your local cinema today. Director: Baz Luhrmann – Rating: 12A – Genre: Musical/Drama – Run Time: 2h 39m – Language: English. For more film content please follow @movies4fanatics on Instagram.
by Carina Cunningham
This Summer, why not learn how to throw on the pottery wheel in a one-to-one, three-hour introduction class to pottery with Jill Kelly in her beautiful studio ‘Clay and Cocoon’ in Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan.With over twenty years of teaching experience in adult education in various schools around Fingal, Jill has a passion for sharing her expertise and knowledge with people so that they can enjoy the many benefits of creating art. During her ceramics Diploma in NCAD she went to work for Michael Roche in Kiltra Bridge Pottery and learned to throw pots under his guidance. She then went on to work for Mel Bradley, hand painting on silk in the CraftTower, Pearse Street, where she learned how to paint on silk, something which she now incorporates in her semi-abstract botanical paintings. She went back to college to complete her post-grad in Art & Design Education and has been a special needs assistant for the last thirteen years in a secondary school.“I like to think my classes are a form of art therapy to help bring out everyone’s creative side. I love working with people and I have found that my students enjoy the process and experience of making something with their own hands as satisfying as seeing the end product at the end of a class. We are all capable of creating art and I have seen this first hand with all of my students. Being in Ardgillan has made this process even more special for me and I’ve very excited to continue to take in new customers into my studio over the coming months”. Jill is planning to hold longer, more extensive classes in Autumn/Winter later thisyear but also has some limited availability for the remainder of her summer classes (please see contact info below).These classes begin at 10:15 am and last for three hours with a maximum of two students per class. After, your pot will be fired twice in her own kiln, glazed, and will be ready for collection a few weeks later, ready for you to take home. Jill is also planning on taking parents and children aged seven and above for shorter classes at the beginning of October. Some of her bespoke creations, pottery, and art can be found in the craft shop in Ardgillan Castle, alongside new gift vouchers for her pottery classes that make for a lovely alternative gift for someone special. If you would like any further information, you can contact Jill by email at: jillkellyart@gmail.com or through Instagram: @clayandcocoon.
By Siobhan O’Neill White (mams.ie)
As parents know, getting children back to school is stressful and expensive. On mams.ie, we have some tips which may help reduce that stress.The Back to school clothing and footwear allowance is a payment made to parents to help with the cost of schooling. Many most parents will have received it by now. However, if you are on a low income, social welfare payment or are struggling due to the rising cost of living you can and should apply for this payment. In cases where both parents are working, you may still qualify. Applications are open until September. Uniforms are a big expense, especially when schools have a ‘recommended supplier’. A crested jumper or cardigan can be €30-40 and jacket €50-60. Instead of buying from these shops, you can buy generic uniform items and have the school crest added. Look for places like Bestwear in Drogheda, who will embroider school crests on for €3-5. We were able to pick up a plain wool cardigan for €10 and plain PE jumper for €8 in Dunnes Stores at the Ilac SC this week and will have the crests added for €10. This is a significant saving. You can also request crests from your school and sew them on yourself. When buying primary school books, look for offers on places like Book Haven and Schoolbooks.ie Many secondary schools have moved to ipads which are great for kids. Everything is up to date and they are easier to carry than heavy books. If your child has an ipad, it is very important to protect it with a cover, so it doesn’t break if (when) they drop it. Hoco in he Ilac SC has a great range of ipad covers. For personalised stick on and iron on label, for uniforms, technology, books etc mynametags.ie labels are excellent. They have a clever coating meaning viruses like Covid cannot stick to them. You will need a sturdy schoolbag for your child and Smiggle have colourful bundles starting at €30. Ideal for primary school kids, the quality is excellent. For stationery, pencils, pens, maths sets and all the accessories your child needs, The Works stores are excellent value. Much cheaper for Sharpies and Bic than many other stores. For more tips on reducing Back to school costs, visit mams.ie and follow us on our socials FB Twitter and Instagram.
By Dave Kavanagh
Every year, I see examples of people who have done all the right things in preparing to apply for a home loan to purchase their new home. They have saved regularly to build a deposit, maintained stable employment, avoided taking out new loans (and made sure any existing or previous loan obligations were paid in full and on time), conducted their current accounts efficiently, etc. but sadly, they don’t get to proceed with their house/apartment purchase (certainly not in the time frame they wanted to) because they cannot get their mortgage protection life cover accepted. This can be for a number of reasons but primarily it comes down to this.When you apply for any form of life cover, it is underwritten based on your current and past medical history. If someone has had any adverse medical conditions, if deemed serious enough, it could prevent cover being granted. More commonly, someone may have been recommended by their GP or consultant to have certain tests done, but they never got around to it. This would usually prompt a life company to postpone a decision until the tests are done and satisfactory results are available. Depending on the type of tests, this could take months to get sorted. For these reasons, anybody planning to apply for a mortgage should research how they will be underwritten for mortgage protection at an early stage, particularly if they are concerned that a past medical issue could be a problem. In the current climate regarding Covid-19, many are even getting their mortgage protection in place early and extending the term so that they are certain of having cover in place, when it is time to draw down the home loan. Once cover is in place, any new medical issues that arise will not be relevant.
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 info@financialcompanion.ie or use the contact form on financialcompanion.i 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
Over 30 years since it was originally made, Martin Scorsese kicked off the ‘90s by making arguably his third masterpiece. I write about ‘Goodfellas’ following the sad passing of Ray Liotta who shone like a diamond in the movie, screened recently at the Lighthouse Cinema. Liotta’s impeccable performance as Henry Hill will forever be remembered as one of the great gangster performances in cinema history. ‘Goodfellas’, an adaptation of the book ‘Wiseguy’, written by Nicholas Pileggi, is a fast-paced crime drama about a gangster lifestyle we don’t ever see but only hear about. It is gripping from start to finish. Even the opening titles, moving fast from one side of the screen to the other, are dubbed with the sound of cars racing by, symbolising how relentless the gangster lifestyle truly is. ‘Goodfellas’ is so fast paced we see nine freeze frames throughout, highlighting important moments, and slowing the film down to give the audience a chance to catch its breath. Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing is utterly brilliant with match cuts used from scene to scene to keep the momentum going.We also see 204 tracking shots which are used to take us through entire buildings instead of shooting a scene in just one room. One example is the famous date scene where Henry takes Karen through the restaurant kitchen to skip the long queue outside. ‘Goodfellas’ is one of my favourite Scorsese movies. Even if you watch the opening ten minutes, you’ll end up watching the entire film. It flies by so fast, like life itself. Throughout we feel many different emotions, from the highs to the lows, and these characters are just people passing through life before it’s all over in an instant. I’ll give ‘Goodfellas’ a score of five stars. You can watch ‘Goodfellas’ on sky cinema or buy it at Tower Records €7.99. Director: Martin Scorsese – Rating: R - Genre: Crime/Drama Run Time: 2h 26m Language: English. For more film content please follow @movies4fanatics on Instagram.
by Tom McCloughlin, DCU Water Institute
For those of us living in east Fingal, there is an issue with transport. We live near the coast, but to travel north or south we have to go around the estuaries of Rogerstown-Turvey and they, because they are protected areas for wildlife, appear to be black holes in our local geography. We go around them but never to them. When you do they can appear empty and devoid of any life.If you are a fisherman you may wonder where your catch comes from, where do the fish reproduce and if you are a birdwatcher, you might wonder what do all the birds eat? The estuaries are where many fish species caught at sea come here to reproduce because the estuaries are sheltered but also be-cause they provide food for the young, just enough to keep them going until they get out to sea. The birds come from Canada and Iceland to feed on a variety of animals living in the mud, and each species has its preference (but like us, they’ll try different flavours!). The picture shows the ‘favourite’ food for each bird.The little mud animals depend on clean water entering the estuary, so if pollution enters a stream at Ballough, it has an effect at Rogerstown. Too much phosphate and the water is starved of oxygen because certain algae go mad. The mud animals die, and the birds arrive to find less food than before. Breeding fails, the birds move on to other already cramped areas, and the breeding cycle is interrupted reducing the population of birds who keep the fish and mud animals in check. Without them, the mud animals in turn over populate for the avail-able nutrients and space, and they in turn crash. If we keep our litter, rubbish, pollution, and dump-ing to ourselves, the estuaries will thrive and become the glory of Fingal, as great international hubs of life and biodiversity and a source of pride to show the rest of the country how to work for the environment.
by Carina Cunningham
The second of our resident artists from Ardgillan Castle is a blow in from up north via Spain. A popart, portrait artist, Glenn is originally from the leafy suburbs of Belfast but is delighted to find himself in the magnificent setting of Studio 27, Ardgillan Castle. His work has been described as “Precision Impressionism” with the author continuing: “Glenn is impressionistic as he breaks figures down into blocks of colour…close up almost abstraction but as you step away the blocks flow together to form the subject in the most precise way possible. A modern day technical Monet” His collectors include Donal Gallagher, brother of the late, great Rory Gallagher, and Steve Garrigan, Kodaline front man. Proud to have pieces all over the world he continues to develop his craft with local galleries as well as representation in Milan, Italy where, with help from the Fingal Arts Office, he has plans to exhibit this September. Having recently been sponsored to paint in Cannes, France Glenn will also be flying off to Miami later this year for an installation of three pieces produced for the biggest Realtor Association in the USA. If we can keep him in the country long enough his studio is well worth a visit. Original pieces, limited edition prints and various pieces of work in progress are always on show. Or find him on-line on the links glennmatthewsart.com or instagram.com/glenn.matthews.art.
By Siobhan O’Neill White
Are you wondering how to keep the children busy this summer? Check out our outdoor & indoor activity recommendations here on mams.ie. On sunny days, explore the Japanese gardens, get up close to world class thoroughbreds, enjoy the children’s play area, fairy trail and fantastic restaurant at The Irish National Stud. Learn the history of the Vikings with a trip to Dublinia, it’s fun and educational. SkyPark Carlingford is brilliant for adventurous families. Climbing walls, zipwires, archery, footgolf and more. I bravely did their biggest zipwire (amidst much screaming), while my children cheered me on! Great family fun and Carlingford is so beautiful, why not stay over at the Four Seasons hotel nearby.Planning a daytrip to the beach? Please only visit beaches with lifeguards and stay close to shore. Older children may think it safe to swim out, but please explain that invisible dangerous currents can pull swimmers under quickly, so always keep your children in your eyeline. My daughters were playing in the sea last year when my youngest stepped in a hole in the sand, and the seawater immediately came up to her neck. We got her out quickly, but it was a stark reminder that the sea is dangerous and unpredictable, so please be careful.On rainy days, there’s lots to do at home. Origami sounds tricky but is quite easy. Our son spent hours doing Origami with his late Nanna, creating treasured memories. You can pick up child friendlyOrigami kits from The Works Stores Ilac SC. Another fun indoor activity is collecting and paintingstones or seashells. It takes hours for the kids to wash, dry and paint the stones/shells and all you need is child friendly paint and lots of newspaper underneath!Decorating their bedroom is a fun project for children. Let them get creative picking paint colours and accessories, like cushions and throws. We love the personalised wall and door stickers from MyNameTags.ie - a cost effective way to give bedrooms a new look! The Arc Cinema Drogheda has parent & baby movie mornings running where you can bring your baby/toddler into the movie. Lights are dimmed, sound lowered and there is space for buggies.Contact siobhan@mumstown.ie to be added to mailing list. They also do a great deal for family cinema visits; 2 adults & 2 children, or (1 adult and 3 children), get movie entry, popcorn, sweets and drinks for €39.95. Great value, especially if you are on a budget.
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