Waterford Today | Waterford's free weekly newspaper

Question: My employer has gone into liquidation. I didn't get any notice and I'm owed back pay for the previous month. Will I get a redundancy payment and what about the pay and untaken holidays that I am owed?

Answer: Under the Redundancy Payments Scheme all eligible employees are entitled to a lump sum payment on being made redundant. You are entitled to two weeks' statutory redundancy pay for every year of service, with a bonus week added on, subject to a maximum ceiling on gross weekly pay (€600). If your employer is insolvent the full amount is paid from the Redundancy Payments Scheme (part of the Social Insurance Fund). Generally this is done only after a request from the liquidator with a completed Redundancy Certificate RP50 application.

Under the separate Insolvency Payment Scheme (which is also part of the Social Insurance

Read More »

Q. Linguistically speaking, where did bytes, modem, pixels and blogs get their start?

A. "Bits of eight" shrank to become "bytes," "modem" came from "modulate/demodulate," "picture cells" became "pixels" and of course "web logs" became "blogs." It seems that modern technology is making everything smaller, even our words, says Dean Christopher in "Discover" magazine.

Q. Here's a tough one: What's special about the word "queueing," "asthma," "defenselessness" and "facetious"?

A. "Queueing" is the only common word with five vowels in a row; "asthma" and "isthmi" are the only six-letter words that begin and end with a vowel and have no other vowels in between. The two longest words using only one of the six vowels including y are the 15-letter "defenselessness" and "respectlessness." And we're not being "facetious," but this funny word, along with "abstemious" and "adventitious," are among the most common ones

Read More »

Lethargic, coughing dog - what could it be?

"I am worried about my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Toddy. He is a six year old neutered male, and has been fairly healthy up to now. In the last couple of months, he seems a bit lethargic, and shows a resistance to exercise and play, becoming tired very easily. He also seems to be coughing and bringing up mucus occasionally. I thought it could be a chest infection, but he does not appear to be sick as such and he is eating and drinking as normal. What should I do with him?"

There are a number of possible disease conditions that could be causing Toddy's symptoms, and a veterinary consultation would be very informative with regard to making a definitive diagnosis. However, given his age, breed

Read More »

Aries: March 21 - April 20

Don't allow the occasional misjudgements of other people influence your decisions this week. I always think that we make our best choices in life when we rely on our own instincts - which will tend to be based on our own experiences. You will also find that, as things begin to settle a little nationally, our own lives will resume, and maybe go forward in a less frenetic fashion.

Taurus: April 21 - May 21

You might have been sitting on the sidelines for a while, perhaps giving you time to absorb lessons of life, and maybe work out which direction you need to take now that certain confusions have been dealt with. However, if all of that has been accomplished, you will find that pace of things is about to speed up, and that once again

Read More »

Waterford news 1916 if the germans come

In 1916 the residents of Duncannon were instructed by the police to move inland as quickly as possible with all they could carry if the Germans came. Similar instructions were given to the residents of Annestown and other villagers along the Waterford coast. Farmers should remove their stock inland, and if necessary, burn hay and straw.

airship over people's park

Sunbathers in the People's Park heard a buzzing sound. Suddenly the cry was raised that an airship was coming and people gazed with wonder. It looked like a huge silver bat, its framework was of bright aluminium. The noise made by its propellors was very loud and it flew at about 1000 ft. When over the park, its nose dropped a little and it turned eastwards. There was some discussion and alarm that it may have

Read More »

Local designer Claire McAlister based in the Workhouse Design Studios in Kilmacthomas has been nominated for Jewellery Designer of the Year 2011 in the Fashion Innovation Awards. In her distinctive design language Claire makes jewellery using a unique combination of silver and dramatically coloured wood veneers.

"The pieces, although bold and complex, are light weight and easy to wear," says McAlister when talking about her work. Working with the shapes that the veneers inform, the jewellery is assembled from individual rectangular units into complex structures of intricate geometry.

Truly inspired by material itself, Claire sees the potential in this unique combination, "This marriage of silver and wood veneer results in work of physical beauty and mathematically organised form."

Graduating from the National College of Art and Design in 2008, Claire's work has already received my much acclaim designing for shows across the world.

Read More »

Stress, like pain, can actually be a good friend. Both warn us that our body is out of balance. Sometimes we don't want to hear that message, so we try to ignore it. But what we resist in our lives will always persist in our bodies.

Many people are unfamiliar with how to relax and switch off their bodies and minds. They may feel that relaxation is simply an absence of pain. But true relaxation is much more than this: it is a wonderful, positive state, with a feeling of contentment and inner peace.

Across the world there are millions of people who need pills to help them fall asleep. The inability to relax naturally can quickly and easily lead to health problems and a poor quality of life. We are all aware of the benefits of regular physical and mental exercise,

Read More »

One in four (25%) stroke deaths in Waterford could be averted thanks to a major national programme to improve acute services - but only if more people know the F.A.S.T. warning signs of stroke and the need for emergency treatment in the wake of an attack. The findings were released recently by the Irish Heart Foundation at the launch of the first ever National Stroke Week, supported by Covidien, a leading global healthcare products company.

The Irish Heart Foundation in partnership with Covidien launched its first website dedicated to stroke called http://www.stroke.ie in 2010. The website was set up to support the F.A.S.T campaign and the 10,000 people who suffer from Stroke in Ireland every year. Stroke.ie - which is supported by an education grant from Covidien - is driving the Irish Heart Foundation's campaign for better stroke services in

Read More »

Their reluctance is understandable and you should not be discouraged from helping your elderly parent learn that incontinence is not a new problem to health professionals.

In fact, loss of bladder control can happen to anyone and is very common in older people, especially women. At least 1 in 10 people age 65 or older suffers from the symptoms which can range from mild leaking to uncontrollable wetting.

It is important to understand that incontinence is not caused by aging. There are many reasons, including infections, childbirth, injury, indeed certain drug treatments can cause short-term urinary incontinence. Other reasons include:

- Weakened pelvic floor muscles

- In males, blockage from an enlarged prostate

- Weak or Overactive bladder muscles

Studies have shown that in 80% of cases urinary incontinence can be controlled, if not cured. If your elderly parent has a bladder control problems, encourage them to talk about

Read More »

Food Safety Authority of Ireland Offers Advice and Resources to New Food Businesses

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has stated that it has witnessed a sharp increase in the number of calls from people wishing to set up a new food business in Ireland. It confirms that since the recession started in 2008, its free industry advice service has handled a 72% increase in requests for specific information and resources to assist a business start-up. It handled 734 enquiries in 2008, compared to 1,259 enquiries in 2010. In response to the increased interest, the FSAI announced that a new dedicated area of its website http://www.fsai.ie will be a one stop resource for anyone seeking information in relation to establishing a food venture.

According to Edel Conway, Information Manager, FSAI despite the recession there has been a growth in the

Read More »

safefood research has found that 74% of soups served in cafes, restaurants, supermarkets and pubs contained more than a third of consumers' maximum daily salt intake. The new research, commissioned by safefood also found that the soups marketed as "homemade" contained as much salt as other varieties of soup served. The launch of the research findings coincide with World Salt Awareness.

Commenting on the research, Dr. Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, Director, Human Health and Nutrition, safefood said, "We would tend to think of soup as a healthy option but many of us don't consider the salt content in soups we eat outside the home. There is also a misconception that most of our salt is added at the table but in reality, the majority of salt in our diet is from eating processed foods. While the food industry has made significant reductions in

Read More »

Keith Barry's last shows at Forum Waterford proved such a success that the world renowned magician has decided to return on Friday May 6th for one final performance of the "Asylum". Ticket demand for his previous show proved so popular that getting tickets early for this final show is highly recommended. As Keith continues to break new ground with his live and television work, the International Magicians Society has rewarded his hard work and innovation with a 'Merlin Award', the Oscar of the magic world, for "Mentalist of the Year 2009".

This show is completely different from his last two tours, as this show involves more audience participation and has been described as controversial and outrageous. Please note that this show is suitable for 16 year olds and over.

Tickets priced at €30 (service charge may apply) available from 'Next Door, Forum

Read More »

Harvest are Ireland's premier Neil Young tribute band and have been "Rocking In The Free World" for a couple of years now, entertaining fans of Mr Young all over the country, including a sell-out show this week at The Button Factory in Dublin. Harvest play a selection of songs from all Neil Young's classic albums, concentrating on his "Crazy Horse" rockier side but also covering the acoustic classics from albums like "Harvest", "After The Gold Rush" and "Harvest Moon".

The band now have over 2 hours of material at their disposal, songs such as "Heart Of Gold", "Old Man", "Harvest Moon", "Like A Hurricane", "Cowgirl In The Sand", "Down By The River", "Helpless", "Southern Man", "Comes A Time", "Cinnamon Girl", "Powderfinger" and "Ohio". If you like Neil Young, you will love Harvest, who make their Waterford debut at The Forum Lounge

Read More »

The Lambrettas kick off a series of mod/ska gigs at The Forum this Friday (1st April), making their debut Waterford appearance supported by The Toniks and DJ Paul Flynn. Ska pioneers The Beat play the following Friday, 8th April, and on Bank Holiday Sunday, 1st May, The Forum hosts "SkaStock" featuring live sets by The Toniks, Special Brew, All Mod Cons and Skunk.

The Lambrettas are an English mod "revival" band originally active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and named after the iconic Italian Lambretta scooter brand popular among Mods. Their biggest hit was in 1980, with a cover version of the 1950s Leiber and Stoller song, "Poison Ivy", which reached #7 in the UK Singles Chart. They scored another hit with the follow-up, "Da-a-a-nce" and in the same year, they released the album Beat Boys in the Jet

Read More »

Limehouse Lizzy, the definitive tribute to rock legends, Thin Lizzy make a welcome return to Forum Waterford on Friday, April 8th for a one night only performance. Regularly hailed as "the best tribute band in the world" and with a huge worldwide fan base, Limehouse Lizzy truly are the benchmark by which other tribute shows are judged.

Radio Times Magazine declared: "If you're sceptical about tribute acts, you won't be after seeing Limehouse Lizzy", Loaded Magazine hailed Limehouse Lizzy as: "The Greatest Tribute Band in the World", while Guitarist Magazine went on to award Limehouse Lizzy the proud title: "Live Band Of The Year", back in 2001. Add to this, TV appearances on MTV, the BBC 1 entertainment show: Pebblemill, BBC 2's Arena arts documentary: "Into the Limelight" plus sold out concerts at prestigious venues such as: The Marquee Club, London,

Read More »