Never a cross word? Glenaeagles is a home for the well-clued in
ONLY the long-time owners of rock solid Gleneagles, the Conway family, might have liked seeing it described as 'a flimsy home' – that spurious description is an anagram of 'family homes,' and this sure was an engaged one, happy but deeply, serially afflicted with cross words.
Five children were reared here at Glenagles, right by the roundabout on Cork's Well Road by Woodview and Hettyfield, two top Douglas locations/addresses, were thanks an uber conventinal competitive streak, two identical daily newspaper were delivered for a time, simply to keep the peace.
Too cryptic for words? Turns out the couple, Rory and Jean were Irish Times crossword aficionados, and raced each other every day to finish boththe Simplex and, more taxing, 'the hard one', the legendary Crosaire, with over 14,000 grid challenges done by setting John Crozier, from 1948 to 2010….thousands of which found their way to Gleneagles.
Gleneagles
For many years, Rory Conway, a solicitor, would fax a copy of the Irish Times Crossword home to his wife Jean each morning and they would compete to see who could finish it first,' says estate agent Jackie Cohalan giving clues as to the nature of family at this home she is now selling.
In an instance of a homely firm (approximate anagram here of family home, for the sharper eyed) 'Rory's office would fax two copies of the crossword to the hotel if they were away on holidays. And, in later years, they had to have two papers delivered to the house, as they couldn't agree to share!' Ms Cohalan reveals.
Gleneagles is now an executor sale after Jean (nee Daly) passed away in 2024, five years after her husband Rory, and agents Cohalan Downing (aka a candle honing now?) guide the 2,250 sq ft five-bed home on a prime 0.3 acre corner site next to a vey contemporary metal-clad one-off rebuild by the roundabout at €925,000.
'Think of this home as a crossword in progress – with the location already filled in, the structure in place, and the remaining clues just waiting for your imagination to complete them,' proposes Jackie Cohalan.
VERDICT: A Well Road home for the well-clued in.
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Irish Times
09-06-2025
- Irish Times
‘Fight for us in the communities': Views on ‘rocky' first year of Limerick mayor
St Munchin's Community Centre is buzzing with activity as chief executive Linda Ledger greets locals while leading The Irish Times on a tour last week. Services on offer to deprived communities on Limerick's northside at the centre include social enterprises such as a hairdressers and florist; maternity clinics; training courses; a community cafe; and a Meals-on-Wheels service. 'Everybody and their mother comes through the doors. We're filling all the cracks left by the State,' Ledger says. However, Government funding administered by Limerick City and County Council as part of the city's regeneration programme – which has helped keep the lights on at the centre – has declined in recent times. READ MORE There is concern that there appears to be no tangible stream of funding to replace it, and Ledger wants to know what Limerick's mayor, John Moran, will do about it. A 2019 plebiscite saw Limerick vote to have a directly elected mayor. Moran – a former Department of Finance secretary general turned independent politician – is the first holder of the office having been elected last June. He has launched an ambitious mayoral programme but his first 12 months has also often seen him at loggerheads with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil councillors. Ledger refers to these tensions, saying she has 'huge concern' that the mayor and the councillors are 'taking the eye off the ball' as a result. She says her centre currently gets €70,000 from the diminishing regeneration fund. She is not against doing more fundraising herself but also says she feels Moran should 'fight for us in the communities'. Linda Ledger, chief executive of St Munchins Community Centre in Moyross and local residen Kieran Ring. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times 'We are fighting for that,' the mayor insists in response. Moran says this can be seen in his lobbying of Government Ministers for almost €5 billion in funding for Limerick as part of the review of the National Development Plan (NDP) but also as he looks for funding for the local authority from the national budget each year. Ledger has been 'doing some great work through the previous regeneration funding'. 'The Government is phasing that out as we understand it. Do we want it to be back in exactly the same format? Or do we want actually a more holistic envelope of money given to Limerick, which the mayor and the council can actually distribute where they believe it should be spent? 'That's what I've been arguing for.' He says St Munchin's needs support for its 'very desirable programmes' and indicates this could come through the annual budgetary process. Moran is positive about his first year in office, saying the highlight is that 'the stuff that we've been waiting for years to happen in Limerick is now kick-started'. He cites progress on proposals for housing development in the city, Government approval for the Opera Square office development, and the expectation that the Adare bypass road will be ready in time for the hosting of the 2027 Ryder Cup golf tournament. Last month Moran revealed his almost €5 billion in NDP asks, saying they are 'not wish lists' but 'catalysts for growth' in Limerick, the Midwest and nationally. Included in over €2 billion sought for housing is €600 million for his centrepiece 'Smart Homes' initiative aimed at delivering 1,000 modular units. These would provide homes as permanent housing solutions, such as the Land Development Agency's (LDA) long-planned Colbert Quarter development, which is under construction. There is another €2 billion sought for transport projects across the city and county including roads and a rail link to Shannon Airport. Aside from the big funding requests, Moran has a mayoral fund of around €40 million to be allocated over his five-year term. He suggests that if a 'proper mayoral fund' of perhaps 'a couple of hundred million' was available to him, 'I don't think we would have had any bickering [with councillors], because we'd have had a bit more money to be able to drive more projects.' [ Mayor's plans for Limerick: Modular homes and fashion museum among proposals Opens in new window ] So how do others view how the mayor's first year has gone? Labour Party TD Conor Sheehan – who also contested the mayoral election – says: 'Obviously some people love change and others don't. From my point of view what has been useful is that the mayor has brought political focus to areas where Limerick is lacking investment – particularly housing.' He also says 'we're the only city in Ireland who has this [directly elected mayor]' and 'we need to prove that this can work'. Michelle Gallagher, chief executive of Limerick Chamber of Commerce. 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Even before this, there was a delay in getting his draft mayoral programme approved as councillors sought more time to allow for more workshops on the plans. Fine Gael councillor Stephen Keary claimed at the time that Moran's draft programme was like 'a wish list for Christmas from Santy'. [ Limerick Mayor eyes introduction of hotel tax to fund tourism offerings Opens in new window ] Keary stands by his 'Santy' comments, saying he viewed the document as 'aspirational' and there was a need for projects that were 'shovel ready'. 'He [Moran] thinks up all these ideas but he doesn't discuss them with the body of the council. He's a very smart, intelligent man by all means – don't get me wrong – but he's not working with the parties,' says Keary, adding that it was 'disappointing'. Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Collins expresses a hope for improved relations, saying: 'We all need to start working together for the betterment of Limerick.' He adds: 'The mayor will have to realise that the two main parties in Limerick are the majority in the council.' Keary, meanwhile, who represents the rural Adare-Rathkeale district, contends that the mayor 'needs to show more interest in the county [outside the city]'. Moran responds to this by saying: 'If he thinks that he should just look at the NDP asks, and he'll realise that they're not all in the city centre.' He lists several plans for rural parts of Limerick including places such as Kilmallock, Newcastle West and Adare. 'It would have been absolutely amazing to have rocked up to this office and had everything shovel ready ... but that's not what I inherited from the previous council.' Moran says Keary is a political opponent who 'probably wants his team to win the mayoral role in five years' time'. In terms of working with the main parties, Moran sets out a preference for engagement through the councillor holding the Príomh Chomhairleoir office. Issues that arise could be debated in the council's policy committees. He concedes this 'does not seem to be the choice of the council'. Adrian Power, chair of Moyross Partners Group and family support co-ordinator of Corpus Christi Child and Family Centre. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times Adrian Power is the chairman of Moyross Partners and he works as a family support co-ordinator in the heart of the disadvantaged community. He says he has some sympathy for Moran amid tensions in the council but 'what we can see from the outside looking in' is 'just complete division'. He says while this is happening communities such as Moyross are 'in real danger of going backwards'. There was dismay when a planned development of 78 homes at Pineview Gardens that had community support – and seemed on the verge of happening – was delayed by a design review Moran had promised of wider plans for Moyross. It is among a series of such reviews by firms of architects Moran hopes will help set parameters for private and public housing on development sites in Limerick. Power says there are now proposals for an additional 40 homes at Pineview Gardens, and another 110 nearby, and while 'we're not necessarily against it' there are concerns of pressure on school and creche places. Moran says every new mayor or minister looks at plans 'to see if it still makes sense'. He says he met the community and their concern was a 'desperate need of housing'. He argues the 'scheme they were looking at wasn't going to deliver'. He says there are now plans for new roads, a train station and other infrastructure in Moyross. While the area 'is potentially going to get hundreds of homes', Moran says he will 'absolutely' be pushing for delivery of facilities such as schools alongside. Under Government plans Limerick City is to grow by 50,000 people from the current 100,000. 'You cannot do that iteratively and by chance,' says Moran. 'You have to develop a large and thoughtful master plan.' Uniquely in Ireland, the people of Limerick will have a chance to decide on his success or otherwise of his plan in the next mayoral election due in 2029. Moran will 'of course' seek a second term.
The Journal
30-05-2025
- The Journal
Housing minister 'not happy' that affordable homes were priced above threshold for state loans
A REVIEW INTO house prices has been completed and decisions will be made 'rapidly' to make sure costs do not price out homeowners from availing of government's local authority home loan scheme, the housing minister has said. His comments come after the Irish Times reported today that the price of affordable homes at a new state-development in Co. Kildare were above the threshold for new homeowners to avail of the mortgage scheme. The Local Authority Home Loan is open to first-time buyers and fresh start applicants who wish to purchase a new or second-hand property or for self-build. It provides up to 90% of the market value of the property. The maximum loan amount is determined by where the property is located. In Kildare, the local authority has limited the loan scheme to properties priced at €360,000 and under. Three-bed homes at the new estate cost €370,000. Asked about the disparity today, Housing Minister James Browne said he was 'not happy' about it. He said a review he commissioned on the issue was delivered to him yesterday. Advertisement He told reporters in Dublin: 'We'll make a decision on those will be made very rapidly, so we can get that review carried out and finished and get limits increased where they need to be increased. 'But, absolutely, that disparity – I'm not happy with that, and I'm going to have that addressed.' Minister James Browne said he was "not happy" about the disparity. Alamy Alamy Homeowners have previously told The Journal that they found the loan scheme 'restrictive' and that the details of the scheme, which have since been amended, were unclear. The minister said he 'wouldn't be surprised' if other new developments were also above the thresholds set for the home loan scheme, which is why, he said, he commissioned that his department review the issue. Browne said that he wanted to make sure that prices are aligned with the schemes available to families seeking to purchase homes. 'I want to try and get them aligned so that we don't have this type of disparity. I know it causes stress for families – I know one particular family that it cased an awful lot of stress for. 'I don't want that situation to happen. The government is spending record funding on delivering housing, on supporting people to get those homes, so that kind of misalignment – I certainly want to see an end of, and intend to being an end to that.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
28-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Irish Times-owned Irish Examiner and The Echo newsrooms to merge
The newspapers are owned and operated by the Irish Times, which bought them in 2018. At the time it said that the deal provided opportunities for consolidation, but that the core identity and independence of the news titles would be retained. Tom Fitzpatrick has been editor of the Irish Examiner since 2019. It is understood that he has decided not to apply for the new combined role. In an email to staff today Karen O'Donoghue, managing director of the Irish Examiner and The Echo, said that as part of a three-year change programme, the new position would be publicly advertised on Friday. 'The leadership role is a key pillar of the plan to combine the editorial operations,' she said. 'In creating a single editorial department, we will improve teamwork and our ability to target key audiences, streamline decision making, and grow both digital subscriptions and digital advertising revenues, enable by a cohesive editorial vision across our titles.' Sources familiar with the change programme pointed out that other areas of the two newspapers, apart from editorial, are already merged. The change marks a further consolidation within the Irish newspaper industry, which is dealing with the twin threats of declining print circulation and reduced advertised spend. In 2019, the Evening Echo became a morning newspaper and was rebranded The Echo. Produced for almost 130 years, and synonymous with Cork, it is now printed at the same time as the Irish Examiner. Its website was redesigned at The newspaper was founded as a broadsheet in 1892, and went tabloid in 1991. Two years ago the newspaper got its first female editor, with Grainne McGuinness taking over from Maurice Gubbins. In her role as managing director of the Irish Examiner and The Echo, Ms O'Donoghue reports to the Irish Times group managing director, Deirdre Veldon. Since her appointment in November 2022, Ms Veldon has put a new leadership team and strategy in place in order to return the company to profitability. As well as the two Cork newspapers, the Irish Times group owns a number of regional titles, such as the Waterford News and Star. It has a majority share in the Waterford-based radio station WLR, and last year bought the death notices site causing a controversy last December when it introduced a €100 charge for listings.
