The Waterford City Centre Retailers association are holding an appeal /bucket collection next Saturday in aid of the Waterford Simon Community.

The South East Simon Community who are based down in the Johnstown Industrial Estate, Waterford suffered a break-in to their premises recently in which €5,000 they had gathered from a door to door collection was stolen.

6-year-old Liam Kervick from Maypark Lane, Waterford decided to do a sponsored walk for Haiti after seeing the earthquake disaster on the News. He did a 5km walk in the People's Park on Sunday 7th.

Liam would like to thank everyone who donated money and supported him or walked with him on the day. He raised an amazing €762.20.

Ryanair pilot Damien Beehan and his fiancee Katie Kelly's 2011 Wedding received a champagne "takeoff" as they "landed" a €7,000 Wedding Package comprising wedding rings, cake, flowers, photography and cars courtesy of Waterford's Wedding Professional's and the Timmy Ryan Breakfast Show on WLRFM

Pictured at WLRFM for the announcement of the competition winners were (back row l-r) Aoibhinn Fallon, The Breakfast Show, Katie Kelly, bride to be; Timmy Ryan, WLRFM; Damien Beehan, groom-to-be; Catherine Hartery, Edible Dreams Award Winning Speciality Cakes; (front row l-r) Gerry O'Carroll Photographer; Bernie Lacey Utopia - The Art of Flowers; Paul Sullivan, Goldsmith; Ahren Falconer, The Falconer Group. The lucky couple liv...
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Waterford is to receive over €2.5 million in housing grants for older people and people with a disability according to local TD Brendan Kenneally. The grants are provided under the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability to allow people with mobility issues to continue to live in their homes and among their local communities.

Grants of up to €30,000 are available for people with a disability, and up to €10,500 for older people, for improvement works and extensions to facilitate their living arrangements. Among the works included in the scheme are the provision of level access showers, installation of stair lifts, grab rails, access ramps and other measures. Additionally the Mobility Aids Grant scheme is available to fast track grants of up to €6,000 to address the mobility problems of a member of a household.

In total Waterford County Council i...
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By-election looms as Martin Cullen resigns as Minister and Dail due to health reasons

A By-election looms in the Waterford constituency as Martin Cullen (56), Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism has resigned due to health reasons. In an unexpected decision Minister Cullen also stepped down as a Dail deputy for the Waterford constituency which will necessitate a by-election.

In his resignation letter dated 8th March 2010 to An Taoiseach, Mr. Brian Cowen, T.D. Mr. Cullen said: "I have always been a fighter and optimistic in both my personal and political life, however my consultant's advice is that my condition is deteriorating further and options for treatment and recovery are narrowing.

I am very proud to have...
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Following the launch of the long awaited National Pensions' Framework, by Minister Hanafin today at Government Buildings, Máiréad Hayes CEO of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament (ISCP) welcomed the Framework but expressed her concern over the increase in the minimum age for the non-contributory State pension.

"The Parliament has always been of the view that any increase in the age of retirement should be voluntary with choices available to the person based on what is best for them." While we support the option to allow people to continue working longer, the mandatory age increase may not fully take the individual health and well-being of Older People into consideration.

Anna O'Farrell, Chairperson of the ISCP's Pensions Committee, said that what was really needed was a sustainable contributory pension scheme with state guarantees to provide a pension of 50% of gross average industrial earnings on retireme...
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The residents of Marian Park in the upper town area of the city are totally frustrated at what they term "inactivity" of both the ward members and City Council over the passage of trucks fronting their estate.

The residents claim they were promised a meeting with the roads engineers and ward members in the first week of January but this has still not materialised.

A prominent resident said they had been told that when the Waterford city bypass was opened large trucks would not be allowed access through their densely built up area. However, this hasn't happened and from the Roanmore Centre down through the roundabout onto Upper Yellow Road, large trucks were still causing major problems. Sadly, a local lady resident lost her life in a road accident at the roundabout last year when hit by a truck.

The residents are aggrieved at what they term "lack of communication with local ward members" and are...
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Enda Kenny to meet with health professionals and members of the public from Waterford

Fine Gael Party Leader Enda Kenny TD, will meet health professionals and members of the public from Waterford on Thursday 11th March in the third of a series of meetings that will outline Fine Gael's approach to fixing the health service, as proposed in their FairCare policy. All interested parties are welcome to attend. The meeting will be held in The Woodlands Hotel at 8 p.m. on 11th March.

A discussion forum will commence after a short presentation which will allow patients, local people and those at the frontline of Ireland's health service to give their feedback which will then be fed into Fine Gael's radical and patient-focused policy.

Fine Gael is determined that all stakeholders are given a voice on the critical issue of health. Interested members of the public from Waterford and the surrounding ...
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Waterford Cheshire's annual fund-raising table quiz will this year be held on Tuesday 23rd March starting at 8pm sharp in our premises on John's Hill. As usual the irrepressible John McDonald will be our Quizmaster for the night; light refreshments will be provided by members of the Sacred Heart Peace & Justice Choir and students from Newtown School Transition Year will be on hand to help out.

It's a great social night for everyone involved and the funds raised go directly to benefit the residents.

Tables of four cost €20 and if you can't come yourself please pass the word on to friends and family or you could drop in a spot prize.

Waterford City Council have, for the first time, produced and launched a new Bus Timetable which encompasses the four major service providers in the City.

Both Urban and Commuter routes have been included in one handy 28 page booklet.

The booklet was produced with great help from Bus Eireann, Kenneallys (incl. JJ Kavanagh) and Suirway and it is hoped that the increased availability of information will lead to a greater use of the bus services.

The booklet is free and is available in local shops, from the bus companies and Public Buildings including the three libraries. The booklet is also available to download from the Waterford City Council website.

South Eastern Cancer Foundation/Solas Centre launches its 4th Annual Ladies Lunch. It will take place in Faithlegge House Hotel on Saturday 24 April at 12.30pm with champagne reception. Tickets are €50 and all proceeds to the SECF/Solas Centre. This annual event has proved very popular in the past 3 years, and tickets are selling fast. Please contact Fionnuala on 086-8042496, or Colette on 086-8249261 for further details.

"The SECF is a charity which primarily provides practical support to cancer patients and their families. Set up in 1999, by Oncology doctors and nurses from Waterford Regional Hospital, it provides counselling, group support and relaxation therapies to patients and carers at a drop-in centre in Wa...
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AONTAS is Irelands National Adult Learning Organisation. It exists to promote the development of a learning society through the provision of a quality and comprehensive system of adult learning and education which is accessible to and inclusive of all.

Aontas promoted their Adult Learners Festival nationwide from Feb 22nd to Feb 26th

Locally the County Waterford Adult Guidance Service held coffee mornings to celebrate the learning festival with adults who are currently on adult educational programmes in each of the 5 VEC Adult Education centres in County Waterford.

Lifelong Learning was the celebratory theme for each coffee morning. Learning is not something that we just do during our school years. We learn all the time, every day, every month, every year. Lifelong Learning acknowledges peoples life skills, that everyone has value no matter their age, race, gender etc, that their thoughts and...
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Ballybeg Community Development Project is delighted to announce that their Health Day is happening on Wednesday 24th. March from 10 am. to 2.30pm. in the Cill Barra Community Sports Centre, Ballybeg.

Are you from Ballybeg and surrounding areas, if so then why not join us and avail of cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and glaucoma testing, mini reflexology & massage treatments, chiropody, mini facials and nail care. Also various fitness tests and general information on many health related topics. Healthy refreshments provided. So come along and enjoy a great morning of pampering, some TLC while also focusing on your health and well being. This day is funded by the HSE South.

Leading eye health groups have joined forces and called for greater awareness of Glaucoma - as the prevalence of the eye condition in Ireland is expected to rise as the number of older people increases.

Launching World Glaucoma Week in Ireland the groups said that glaucoma is a silent disease as there are no symptoms in the early stages and worryingly, around half of those living with glaucoma do not realise they have it.

Glaucoma is the name given to a series of devastating diseases that damage the eye's optic nerve and effects peripheral, or side vision. Since vision loss is permanent, glaucoma needs to be diagnosed and appropriately treated as early as possible to prevent further damage.

World Glaucoma Week, runs from 7th - 13th March and aims to highlight the importance of regular eye exams and the growing impact of glaucoma on society.

Studies have shown that glaucoma is becom...
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Waterford Students to Reach for the Stars in Alabama Space Adventure

Saving a shuttle mission from disaster, scuba diving while changing a battery in a weightless environment and taking a trip to Mars. It will all be in a day's work for Dean Cusack and Morgan O'Shea of St Joseph's Centre for the Visually Impaired who will become astronauts for a week in September at the Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCIVIS) in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Waterford residents are two of eight lucky students who have been sponsored to go on the trip of a lifetime.

Brian Allen, CEO of St. Joseph's Centre for the Visually Impaired explains how empowering the experience is for students with a visual impairment.

"The children at St Joseph's have all the same dreams and hopes as other children of their age, such as wanting to be an astronaut. Dreams of being an astronaut may see...
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Calling all Linguists! Language Exchange Open Day 12 March

Spanish, Irish, Polish, French, German, Italian, Greek, Portuguese and English... these are just some of the languages that have been registered so far in the Europe Direct Language Exchange which will hold an open day this Friday 12 March at 6pm in Central Library.

If you have a language to share and are interested in brushing up on your existing language skills then the Language Exchange is the ideal place to meet like minded linguists.

The Language exchange sessions will take place at the Waterford Europe Direct Information Centre on the second floor of Central Library in Lady Lane. The Centre is currently compiling a database of people who would like to take part. The exchanges will be free and will take place in the languages with the most demand.

If you would like to take part you can contact the centre on 051 ...
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Dear Editor,

Seachtain na Gaeilge is upon us, and yet again there has been little arranged in Waterford to promote the Irish language. It seems strange that a county with it's very own Gaeltacht lacks any sort of organised language community in the city. An mbeidh Comhairle Cathrach Phort Láirge ag déanamh iarracht le haghaidh Seachtain na Gaeilge?

Seachtain na Gaeilge runs from the 5th until the 17th of March, and is the perfect time to promote the language. No part is too great, or too small. We encourage stores and establishments around the city to get involved this year round. Even something as small as printing menus as Gaeilge helps greatly.

We welcome everyone to join us in celebrating the festivities. We will run a conversational night on Thursday 11th March at 9:30 p.m. in the Gingerman bar (Opposite Supermacs). All levels of Irish are welcome, from beginner to líofa. If you've ever wa...
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On Saturday 3rd July next, the 7.30 p.m. Mass in the Holy Cross Church, Tramore will be a celebration of all those who were married in the Holy Cross Church or in Carbally Church in 1960, 1970 or 1985. It will also be a celebration for all those living in Tramore or Carbally Parish who were married in those years, even though they may have been married in another Church.

It will be a Mass of Thanksgiving for these couples and of recognition of their commitment to each other. It will also be a way of saying thanks for all those who have benefited from their care over the years. During the Mass a couple will be free to sit in the Church wherever they wish.

After the Mass there will be a reception with light refreshments at which a scroll will be given to each couple to commemorate th is great occasion in their lives. Any couple who wish to be present are requested to please give their name and address and da...
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The National Pension Framework document launched last week by the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, T.D. and Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan, T.D. has stimulated a national debate on the whole question of pensions. It has drawn a critical response from a broad spectrum of public opinion ranging from trade union, business, social and political groupings who have decried the document as seriously flawed and posing major problems for business in an already difficult economic situation.

Under the proposed framework document most workers over 22 will be automatically enrolled into the scheme which will provide additional retirement income on top of the State pension, unless they are already members of an occupational scheme. Workers will contribute 4 per cent of salary to the scheme, and employers and the State will contribute an extra 2 per cent each. A significant element of the proposals is the fact that the document will see a...
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March

March is one of the most active months for wildlife. Winter populations of birds that came here last autumn or early winter are now leaving to go to their breeding grounds. All birds have two complete moults each year and by March, the spring moult is virtually complete and birds now have pristine new plumage to drive and carry them afar. More than this, the new plumage is that of their breeding rituals and is the brightest of all. This nuptial plumage may be completed when some arrive at their breeding sites and the business of attracting a mate and courtship begins. March is the month when numbers of wintering species increase in frenzied feeding to build up layers of fat on their bodies to sustain them with energy for the long flight. Brent Ge...
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Suir Active Retirement Association
The next general meeting of the Suir Active Retirement will take place on Wednesday 10th March at 11am at the Woodlands Hotel, Dunmore Road. New members welcome. Bring & Buy sale at the meeting, all items will be appreciated. Please bring money for dinner and night at the dogs.

Talk to Library Staff in City Square during Library Ireland Week
'@ Your Local Library' is the theme of this years annual Library Ireland Week, which runs from 8-13 March. Today Libraries are very different places with a full programme of events each week from book clubs to computer classes as well as knitting circles, parent and toddler groups and language exchanges... to name but a few of the varied activities on offer. Customers can borrow the latest DVDs, CDs and Computer games as well as books and magazines. If you would like to know more or join up - Library staff will b...
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