The former Braun site on O’Brien Road, Carlow once employed 1,400 workers, some of them from Co Laois By Suzanne Pender ONE of Carlow’s most iconic buildings is back on the market, offering significant potential for future investment in the town. The former Braun site at O’Brien Road, Carlow is now for sale with a

The decline of home ownership in Ireland will have knock-on effects for the State as people get older, according to a housing expert. This week, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien will bring proposals to Cabinet calling for developers to set aside 20% of their properties for local authorities in the form of social and affordable housing.

Looking to staycation in Ireland once Level 5 restrictions are lifted? What better way to do it than by spending a weekend in a lodge on a private island with 21 of your friends?  Located in Clew Bay off the coast of Mayo, Collanmore Island Lodge offers plenty of outdoor and water activities and would

The news is dominated by Covid-19 – and plans to lift lockdown. Northern Ireland and the Westminster lobbying scandal – plus Prince Philip’s funeral, of course – are also rightly generating reams of coverage. Yet away from the bulletins, perennial policy issues remain unresolved, blighting the lives of millions. Perhaps the most pressing is housing.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON, MELBOURNE, Australia. It is 4.30pm local time and still the wee small hours back home. Bear with us as we briefly travel back in time, to 1956, the 1500m Olympic final, a field so competitive that the defending champion is eliminated in the heats. Twelve men enter the arena, one leaves as an

“We’ve never been good at it,” admits Eir boss Carolan Lennon about its customer service, the great casualty of the telecommunications age. Contacting a telco with a problem is now on a par with going to the dentist – sometimes necessary, but to be avoided if possible. Last year, at the height of the pandemic,

Image of the week: Cold open There was a chill in the April air as England reopened for outside hospitality (and non-essential retail and personal services) on Monday, but in the Black Dog Restaurant and Bar in Chester, in the northwest, the owners have found an inspirational way for customers to protect themselves against the

Cork Simon Community has sought planning permission for 78 apartments in the city centre as long-term homes, according to recently filed documents. The homeless charity wants to demolish the existing warehouse buildings at the corner of Alfred Street and Railway Street and construct a residential apartment building. The proposed development, which would incorporate the existing

A Cork library with the largest collection of Polish books in Ireland is having to fundraise for its survival. ABC EduLibrary in Cork City has appealed for funding from the Polish Embassy in Ireland and Cork City Council after lockdowns have slashed the non-profit organisation’s income for the year. “It’s been very tough on the

The only house on Bartragh Island (also known as Bartra Island) near Killala, Co. Mayo is a distant and isolated place, sitting in the Moy estuary, inaccessible most of the time except by boat. The question must be asked is why did Charles Kirkwood choose to build a house in such a location in the