Are we supporting casual traders at expense of those who rent, pay rates and water charges?
INSIDER has nothing against country markets or stalls operated by food producers operating during the year or specifically at Christmas, outdoor at various spots through out the city. Many feel they are an addition to the city but at what cost?
What impact are they having on the ordinary shops that are providing so much employment, generating tax revenue, paying commercial rates and paying water charges that all go towards running the city and into the coffers of Kilkenny City Borough Council.
These businesses have and will continue to contribute towards the new and wonderful city space -The Parade. So we have to ask ourselves, should we be supporting these food artisans and others who supply things like olive oil, from Italy, and other exotic produce at the expense of local shops that have extremely strict hygiene and food standards to adhere to and are also liable under a number of Acts of the Oireachtas on quality of goods.
Are we supporting these casual traders at the expense of those who bought or rented properties in the city and are trying, for their own mercenary reasons it has to be said, to keep the centre of the city alive?
While I’m at it, I have to laugh at the signs for the fruit and vegetable sellers on the roads coming into the city. Wexford strawberries for sale. Has anyone checked the veracity of these signs like the advertising standards authority based in Dublin?
It has been brought to Insider’s attention that if some of these stalls run out of fruit or veg during the day, they go to a local vegetable supplier for more.
Are you telling me that these people in their horse trailers or other temporary cabins actually work on farms, pick the crops or have anything whatsoever to do with it food production?
So, you stop and get your potatoes from the side of the road or your strawberries. What if they make you sick or are gone off? What come back do you have? None.
Ger Reidy delivers a special ‘dish’ outside his restaurant
Ger Reidy, originally from Kilkenny city, showed his true courage when he managed to deliver a baby in a car outside his pub in County Sligo last week. The award-winning chef who ran an excellent restaurant on Parliament Street, Kilkenny, for many years showed his hands aren’t just good for creating award-winning dishes when he turned mid-wife after a woman went into labour outside his Sligo restaurant and bar. The Ukrainian woman gave birth to a healthy little baby girl thanks to bearded Ger who used table cloths from his rest-aurant, Laura’s Seafood Restaurant and Bar in the North Sligo village of Carney during the delivery.
Mother, Oxana Okosyukivsky, aged 41, was full of praise for the quick thinking Kilkenny man.
She paid tribute to the chef who had reassured her throughout the ordeal. The woman has two other children. Ger Reidy and his wife Geraldine later visited mother and baby in hospital.
You shouldn’t be surprised. He is a brother of smooth-talking FF councillor Joe Reidy and Dermot and Brendan Reidy who also operate from Parliament Street. Ger’s late parents, Liam and Mary would have been delighted with his efforts. Well done Ger from your many friends in Kilkenny. Hard to keep a good man down.
John Paul and the Seanad
Heard that Enda Kenny’s call to abolish the Seanad was not a ‘solo run’ or an ‘off the cuff’ comment at the party’s presidential dinner last week. It was in fact a carefully thought out strategy to save f10 million a year by FG front bencher Phil Hogan from Kilkenny. The move has since received the support of the parliamentary party. Wonder how FG senator and fellow Kilkenny man, John Paul Phelan voted?
Michael O’Brien’s the man
Council Chairman Michael O'Brien dished out the kudos at last week's Keep Kilkenny Beautiful awards last week. He also took the opportunity to point out that some city residents are taking drives to the countryside and dumping their rubbish in rural areas.
Dumping in rural areas is now on the increase and is a major problem for our leaders in local democracy, but it's certainly not all coming out from the city. Michael of course was preaching to the converted when it comes to litter control - maybe it’s time to raise the issue once again for a name and shame campaign by our local government.
Split in FF?
Do I detect a split in the Fianna Fil camp on the city’s Borough Council. Everyone thought that Joe Malone was going to be another John McGuinness man when he came on the Council, but the O’Loughlin Gaels man has been anything but and has taken on the might of the O’Loughlin Road empire on more than one occasion.
Last week, he had a go at Cllr John Coonan over Cllr Coonan’s son owning the only casino in the city and the fact that Cllr Coonan had originally put his name forward for a committee to take on gambling on the city. Well done Joe and keep it up.
As for Cllr Coonan, he is one of the most honest and hard-working politicians we have and has continued to be elected for the city and county council. Keep it up John.
Kilkenny Alive and KCLR
WORD has it that the owners of the newly set up website, Kilkenny Alive, ace newsmen, Sean Hurley and Jimmy Rhatigan, (formerly of the Kilkenny People) have received an offer to buy the site from KCLR 96 FM.
Rich list
There were a few left off the Kilkenny rich list last week that should have made it but didn’t include the Mealy brothers, George and Fonsie from Castlecomer.
No increase in rates
Rumours are circulating that there will no increase in commercial rates this tear. This follows negotiations between the fine Gael block on the council with county council officials led by Cllr Martin Brett.
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Weather for Kilkenny
Tuesday 22 May 2012
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Temperature: 11 C to 18 C
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