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Irish Examiner
22-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
Puck Fair's late-night drinking tradition survives garda objections
Puck Fair, one of Ireland's oldest festivals, where a goat is crowned king for three days and three nights, will see its late-night drinking tradition survive for 2025 after an appeal by publicans in Killorglin succeeded in the Circuit Court in Killarney on Tuesday. On July 10 at the District Court of Killorglin, sitting in Caherciveen, 14 publicans applied under Section 10 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1962 for the annual special exemption to 3am over the three principal nights of the August Fair, Gathering, Fair and Scattering, on August 10, 11 and 12. However, gardaí objected on the grounds of straitened resources. District court Judge David Waters set the opening at 2am, in line with the Garda submission, saying the fair was not all about drinking. On Tuesday in the circuit court in Killarney, Judge Terence O'Sullivan said he saw no grounds to shorten Puck Fair's traditional drinking time to 2am. Puck Fair dated to 1603, the last year of the reign of King James I of England, Judge O'Sullivan noted. Since the 1970s, the pub closing time at Puck was 3am. 'Bigger than Christmas' 'Prior to that, there was a 24-hour opening of the pubs in Killorglin,' barrister Katie O'Connell, instructed by John O'Dwyer solicitor, had told the court. All day and family activities took place and afterwards people would go for a drink. Street entertainment ended at midnight and then the fair volunteers would like to go for a drink to relax and enjoy themselves, Ms O'Connell said. Puck Fair was 'bigger than Christmas" for people from region, the barrister said. 'Chipping away' at the status of the festival was taking place. The statue of the Puck Goat sat at the entrance to the town and economically the festival was important to Killorglin, with people put through college and school on the strength of the fair.. Only the gardaí, not the locals, had objected, Ms O'Connell also said. Garda objections Garda Supt John Ryan of Killarney was called to give evidence by State solicitor Diane Reidy. The garda objections were twofold, Supt Ryan said. Pubs were given an exemption to open to 2am the night preceding Puck Fair and the garda felt that four nights to 2am would be sufficient given the street entertainment finished at midnight. Having pubs open to 3am needed additional police resources. It was reasonable to reduce it by the hour, he felt. Cross-examined by Ms O'Connell, Supt Ryan agreed the fair was "the lifeblood of Killorglin". Ms O'Connell also told Judge O'Sullivan that the organisers of the festival - who are all volunteers - did not want everyone spilling out from the pubs at 2am and the extra hour would mean there was safer dispersal and organisation of buses and taxis. 'It's always been 3am. Nothing warrants the reduction,' she said. While she appreciated the extra garda resources was paid for through taxes, the Killorglin community were also tax payers. The festival organisers contributed €3,000 to the resources of the gardaí, she said. 'Judge Waters thought the front line (policing) should trump anything else,' she said. State solicitor Diane Reidy said the issue was one of resources, not public order and Puck Fair was the only festival in Kerry seeking to open to 3am. 'It's the proper allocation of resources and the additional strain on Garda resources to police it,' Ms Reidy said. Judge's decision In his decision, delivered after a recess to look at the legislation, Judge O'Sullivan said the traditional opening had been to 3am, there was no evidence of anyone in the locality objecting on noise or nuisance grounds. 'In reality the objection is about the pressure on police resources without any particular incident,' the judge said. Judge O'Sullivan said he appreciated the District Court Judge had "more connection" with the locality than himself, but he did not see any grounds to depart from the tradition, he said, granting the exemptions to 3am over three nights.
10-07-2025
- Politics
Innu protesters block Gull Island to prevent Hydro-Québec site surveying
Some members of Labrador's Innu community are preparing for a marathon protest outside Gull Island to halt Hydro-Québec's site studies for the proposed hydroelectric project on the lower Churchill River. About 20 protesters gathered on Wednesday evening. Translated to English by protester Madeline Sillitt, organizer Matthew Andrew told CBC in Innu-aimun that he expects a lot of people will join the protest to help preserve the land, in spite of the Innu Nation's multimillion-dollar agreement in principle with Hydro-Québec. He said there might be quite a bit of people coming soon once this protest really starts. He said if not, he is going to head to Ottawa and protest out there, Sillit said for Andrew. The agreement in principle with Hydro-Québec was reached in June. It will see Hydro-Québec pay $87 million to the Innu of Labrador — members of Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation and Mushuau Innu First Nation — in the form of annual payments to a reconciliation fund over 16 years. The tentative deal also includes a framework for potential Gull Island development. In order to finalize the agreement in principle, the Innu Nation will present it to people in Sheshatshiu and Natuashish, who will vote sometime between September and October. Roads blocked Roads leading into Gull Island were barricaded as of Wednesday night. Enlarge image (new window) Merlin Philip is seen at the road to Gull Island on Wednesday, which was barricaded after word spread that Hydro-Québec was bringing in equipment to start site surveys. Photo: Radio-Canada / Andrea McGuire Chris Dyke told CBC News the protesters goal is to block Hydro-Québec employees from entering the grounds where Labrador's Innu communities come together for an event known as the Manishan Nui gathering (new window) . The Gathering site is to bring people together, not to destroy it, he said. I take my grandkids here to partridge hunt and let them drive around. I teach my grandkids here. Dyke says he wants his grandchildren to be able to do the same. He said the loss of land isn't worth the $87-million tentative deal. The best thing about this place is it brings everybody together, he said. Everybody loves money. I love money, too, but it's only a couple days worth of money you're going to have here. Not leaving Antonia Katshinak says she doesn't think the deal is fair either. There's going to be water everywhere. Everything will be destroyed. The land is more important than money. Money doesn't last long, but the land will last forever, Katshinak told CBC. She says she worries about the animals. They're going to drown, I guess, Katshinak said. It's scary not to come here anymore. With shelters already standing on Gull Island for events like the Gathering, Katshinak said she will show up on Thursday ready to protest for the long haul. Enlarge image (new window) Shelters are seen on Gull Island. Protesters say they will stay as they long as they can. Photo: Radio-Canada / Andrea McGuire She expects others to join her. Tomorrow, my husband and I are coming up to stay, Katshinak said. We're going to stay as long as we can. Drilling and tree clearing to take place Hydro-Québec spokesperson Lynn St-Laurent told CBC News on Wednesday that Hydro-Québec's survey will not impact the Mainishan Nui Gathering, which takes place during the third week of September. She anticipates workers will be in the area until the end of September or mid-October, with 40 on site at the study's peak. But the protesters say they don't buy it. For Dyke, surveying the land means destroying it. They want to bring in loaders and drills, so we barricaded it up so no equipment will beat up the land, he said. St-Laurent confirmed that surveying the ground of Gull Island will involve some drilling and tree clearing, but she called it standard process. This is a large endeavour and there's a lot of information that we need to get ready, she said. There's also some components that are standard for the reaching of the final agreement. Jenna Head (new window) · CBC News · Journalist Jenna Head is a journalist working with the CBC bureau in St. John's. She can be reached by email at With files from Andrea McGuire
Arab Times
23-06-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
KOC extends major tender to expand southern oil capacity
KUWAIT CITY, June 23: The Central Agency for Public Tenders (CAPT) has extended the deadline for bids on a significant Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) tender. This tender, which includes the construction and installation of the third Oil Separation Gathering Center and third Water Injection Station in South Kuwait, is now due on July 22 instead of June 22. Sources told the newspaper that this tender is a strategic component of KOC's broader initiative to develop oil fields in the southern part of the country. They said this development is crucial due to the abundant oil reserves in the South, and the need for enhancements to ensure sustained and increased production. The southern region houses Kuwait's most vital and largest oil fields, including the second-largest field in the world -- Burgan, along with its associated fields like Maqwa and Al- Ahmadi, as well as the Managish and Umm Qadir fields. Additionally, the Al-Julaia offshore field, discovered in January 2025, is situated in the South. It boasts of estimated reserves of approximately 800 million barrels of medium-density oil and 600 billion cubic feet of associated gas. KOC's objective in building the third water injection station is to boost its production capacity in the southern region. Water injection is a key technique that significantly aids oil extraction from reservoirs, utilizing high-pressure technologies to seal any voids in wells. Sources confirmed that KOC intends to implement the Gathering and Separation Center 3 and the Water Injection Station 3 to connect the company's oil fields through an extensive network. 'This network will facilitate the feeding of oil from the gathering centers, ensuring that processing operations are carried out in a consistent and nearly uniform manner, especially with the interconnected wells,' they added. The company intends to issue several major tenders throughout 2025 to increase the production capacity of all oil and gas fields, including those in the northern regions. Production enhancement in the northern fields is being achieved through the agreements that KOC reached with international companies. Despite a decline in production in recent years, the Burgan field remains robust and continues to be one of the world's richest oil fields. Kuwait will depend on it for many years to come. KOC is working diligently to restore full production to its previous level of around 2.4 million barrels per day, an increase from its current production of approximately 1.7 million barrels per day.
The Courier
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Tossing cabers and chasing kilts at Perthshire's Atholl Gathering
We've come to the Atholl Gathering, one of Scotland's most historic Highland Games, for a celebration of tradition, spectacle, and family fun. Blair Castle rises white and proud against the Perthshire hills, and its grounds are alive with kilts, cabers, and cannon fire. As a family with roots in Scotland but years spent elsewhere, we've always clung tightly to our heritage – none more so than on days like this. There's something deeply satisfying about being surrounded by tartan, cheering on pipers, and watching kilted competitors hurl logs in front of a castle. And with sunshine, cold rain, blustery wind and the promise of burgers, bouncy castles and a Highlander's dash, the day promised a classic 'four seasons in one day' Scottish adventure. We'd never been before, but its reputation as one of the more iconic Games intrigued us, especially since it's the only one in Scotland to feature a private army legally sanctioned by the monarch – the Atholl Highlanders, a ceremonial regiment that still marches under the command of the Duke of Atholl. The Gathering takes place on the beautiful Atholl Estates, stretching across some 145,000 acres of forests, rivers, and mountains. Blair Castle itself, all white turrets and baronial flair, has stood since the 13th century, and was once visited by Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie. This place breathes history, and the Atholl Gathering honours it in a way that's very much alive. We arrived on a sunny-but-showery Sunday as he car queue wound its way through tree-lined lanes toward the castle. Once parked, the familiar scent of fried onions hit us: a sure sign the fairground was nearby. Our daughter Lily, eagle-eyed for anything inflatable, immediately clocked the bouncy castle. But first: the arena. A large flat expanse with a gently sloping hill to one side gave everyone a perfect view, and the white glimmer of Blair Castle peeked through the trees. Bagpipes filled the air as solo pipers competed nearby – one of many ongoing contests throughout the day. Having missed out on lunch from the Seafood Bothy (note to self: bring cash next year), we grabbed burgers and fries. Lily devoured her cheeseburger with gusto before dragging us, finally, to the fairground – bouncy castle, inflatable slide, and carousel were all tested thoroughly. One of the day's most impressive spectacles was the opening ceremony, marked by the firing of a cannon by the Atholl Highlanders. Lily, having confidently claimed she wouldn't jump at the bang, did – of course – jump. Then came the massed pipes and drums, marching in formation, a stirring, goosebump-inducing moment. Lily, inspired, planned to 'practice her drum' when we got home. We weren't quite as enthusiastic about that. We settled into the hillside to watch the heavy events – shot put, wrestling, and the one we'd waited for: the Highlander's Dash. I was told this foot race involved Highlanders sprinting down hills in full regalia; but it was a loop around the arena, and though it lacked the steep descent I'd expected, the energy was no less electric. Later, it was time for the family races. Lily, only three, was too young for the youngest category and distraught that she couldn't compete in the events she'd been watching all day. I tried to take her to the start line with the hope they'd make an exception, but she got shy halfway there and backed out, so I decided to step in for the adult races instead. Now, let me clarify: I thought this was a short sprint. Turns out, it was a full lap around the arena. Not ideal when you're in the '40s' category and wearing big boots. After missing the starting gun (chatting to a steward in a kilt – understandable distraction), I joined the race, overtaken by 30-somethings as I gasped my way to the finish. But I crossed it – proudly, breathlessly – earning Lily's applause and a valuable parenting win: showing up and joining in. Between the races, we stopped for coffee and churros, watched the Highland dancers on a nearby stage, and later, sought out our own little patch of grass for our own family races so Lily could win (every time). Before heading home, we wandered up to the Hercules Garden, a beautifully restored 18th-century walled garden with ornamental bridges, lily ponds, and classical statues. Once abandoned, it was brought back to life in the 20th century. As we explored, Lupins in full bloom, Lily – still riding high on our foraging tour from a previous visit – tried to eat every plant she could reach. We gently suggested otherwise. Back in the arena, the caber toss was in full swing – massive tree trunks hoisted and hurled with skill and strength. One competitor's failed toss prompted Lily's sage analysis: 'He hasn't been eating enough salad.' Her logic? 'Salad makes you strong.' She eats her salad, so it must be true. As the final rain of the day soaked us through, we bundled into the car, wet clothes discarded, heat blasting, and hearts full. The Atholl Gathering had delivered everything: history, hilarity, community, and a deep sense of connection – not just to Scotland, but to something older, prouder, and enduring. If you've never been, go. Bring your waterproofs. And bring cash. Burntisland Highland Games – Monday, July 21 Burntisland Links, Fife Recognised as the second oldest Highland Games in the world, Burntisland's event combines traditional athletic contests with modern attractions. Visitors can witness heavyweight events, Highland dancing, and solo piping, all set against a scenic coastal backdrop. Crieff Highland Gathering – Sunday, August 17 Market Park, Crieff Known as Scotland's leading Highland Games, this gathering offers a comprehensive program of events. From heavyweight competitions and Highland dancing to cycling races and massed pipe bands, the day culminates in the stirring Salute to the Chieftain Strathmore Highland Games – Sunday, June 8 Glamis Castle, Angus Set against the majestic backdrop of Glamis Castle,attendees can enjoy traditional heavy events, Highland dancing, and piping competitions, all within the castle's historic grounds. Pitlochry Highland Games – Saturday, September 13 Recreation Ground, Pitlochry Concluding the Highland Games season, Pitlochry's event is renowned for its vibrant atmosphere and scenic location. The day includes traditional athletic events, Highland dancing, piping competitions, and a grand parade of pipe bands.
ABC News
02-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Aunty Denise Willis guides students through the smoking ceremony at the reconciliation walk.
More than 600 people gathered for the annual reconciliation school walk in Warilla to mark National Reconciliation Week, bringing to life this year's theme: 'Bridging Now to Next'.
