Our national celebration has become an international celebration with so many incredible parades and parties in cities all around the world. Here’s a list of some of these colourful celebrations to get you thinking of where you could be spending St. Patrick’s Day this March?
New York
St. Patrick’s Day parade is the oldest and largest in the world, with an estimated two million attending each year. It showcases over 150,000 marchers; including firefighters, military, police groups, bands, social, cultural clubs, county associations and performers who parade down Fifth Avenue for up to five hours; with plenty of celebrations continuing after.
Chicago
Chicago is famous for hosting one of the most impressive St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the world! Each year, the Chicago River is dyed a vibrant shade of emerald green, followed by the parade which features lots of elaborate floats, bands, bagpipers, Irish dancers and much more.
Tokyo, Japan
First held in 1992, the Tokyo parade is the largest of several parades around Japan and has evolved into a glorious mix of traditional Japanese stylized dress with Irish costumes.
Cabo Roig, Spain
On the southern Costa Blanca in eastern Spain, this picturesque Spanish outpost plays host to the largest parade in Spain, the fiesta lasts well into the night and spills onto the white sand beaches.
Berlin, Germany
The celebrations get bigger every year, with plenty of events on over the weekend.
Brussels, Belgium
The Benelux region of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg hosts one of the finest St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Europe.
Edinburgh, Scotland
The Scottish capital goes all out, with live music, parades and shows throughout the weekend celebrations.
London
A huge celebration for St. Patrick’s Day is held in the heart of central London, bringing together the best of Irish culture; with a colourful parade and entertainment; that showcases the best of Irish song, dance, music, culture and arts.
Instagram is a haven for gardeners and home stylers of all kinds; from those looking for practical tips to those filled with unadulterated escapism. Thinking of giving your home and garden a makeover…make sure you check these top 20 Irish interior design instagram accounts.
Here are our top 20 Irish interior design Instagram accounts to follow:
Geri O’Toole Glynn
Locally based interior designer with a wonderful eye for designs and some great tips. LINK: geri_designs
Caroline Flannery
If you are lover of colours, this is the feed for you! LINK: interiorsbycaroline
Wioleta Kelly
Locally based interior designer with photographs full of colour and great attention to detail. LINK: wioleta_kelly
Sara McLoughlin
A feed full of quirkness, colour and plants from Limerick based designer. LINK: saara_mcloughlin
Irish Design Shop
Stocking the very best Irish design and craft. LINK: irishdesignshop
We were delighted to have our Primary Schools Quiz back in person for 2023 after a hiatus due to Covid-19.
Our quiz was held in Deebert House Hotel, Kilmallock with teams from 7 local schools. We had a great evening with all schools doing exceptionally well. Thank you to all the students, parents, teachers and schools for their support.
There were two categories – Competition A for students under 11 years of age and Competition B for students under 13 years of age.
The theme for our 2023 calendar is ‘Our Community’
This theme includes any image that you think captures ‘Our Community’. Get snapping and be in with a chance to win a cash prize and feature in our calendar.
The winner of our photography competition will receive €200 and be the feature photograph on the front of our calendar; 12 runners-up will receive €25 each and their photo will be chosen to represent a month in our calendar.
Photographs must be taken within the common bond of Kilmallock Credit Union Ltd. Our common bond includes the following areas: Kilmallock, Charleville, Kilfinane, Athlacca, Ardpatrick, Ballyagran, Ballyhea, Ballyorgan, Broadford, Bruree, Bulgaden, Churchtown, Dromin, Dromina, Drumcollogher, Fedamore, Feenagh, Freemount, Garryspillane, Glanmore, Granagh, Hospital, Kilmeedy, Knocklong, Liscarroll, Manister, Meanus, Milford, Newtownshandrum, Tullylease. Click here to see the map of our common bond.
About the Competition
Photos need to be landscape format and emailed to kathryn@kilmallockcu.ie. Photo must come with a title, photographers name, address and phone number. Please state clearly, where the photograph was taken. Closing dates for entries is close of business on the Friday 11th November 2022. You can enter as often as you like!
Photograph Criteria
Photos must be supplied in landscape format and must be a minimum of 2,400 x 3,000 pixels in digital format or have a minimum file size of 2.5MB and no greater than 5MB.
Photo themes can be any image that you think captures ‘Our Community’; such as:
Scenic and landscape
Community
Nature & animals
At work (farming & industry)
People – Please note: if you wish to use any people in your photos, you must have their permission for inclusion and publication.
Curiosity/Other
Please note: You do not need to be a member of Kilmallock Credit Union Ltd to enter the competition.
Closing dates for entries is close of business on the Friday 11th November 2022. For a full list of terms and conditions please click here.
Kilmallock Credit Union is delighted to announce that entries are now open for the 2022 Credit Union Art Competition.
The theme for this year’s Credit Union Art Competition is ‘It’s A Wonderful World’. This year’s theme gives participants the opportunity to present their own interpretation of the magic in the world and what must be done to keep it this way. The competition invites participants to create artworks that depict the theme and explore through their own unique lens the beauty and wonder of the world.
The Credit Union Art Competition, now in its 39th year, is dedicated to supporting and developing the arts in Irish society. The credit union has always had a keen commitment in promoting and encouraging involvement in the arts across communities.
The competition is free to enter. There are no age limits and it is open to aged seven years and under right through to 18 years and over. There is also an additional needs category. Winners at local level will go on to the regional level stage, and then to the National Final
The latest Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) survey on back to school costs shows the overall spend on school items is up for both primary and secondary schools. The cost of sending a child to primary school this coming year is €1,195, up €9 on last year, while parents of secondary school children can expect to pay an average of €1,518, up from €27 on last year.
The findings were revealed in a national survey of 764 parents of school children (out of a sample size of 2,460) by the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU). The survey was carried out by independent market research company, iReach Insights in June 2022.
The number of parents in debt over back to school costs has increased by 5% to 29%. Of these, over one fifth (21%) reported debts of over €500. The average debt parents find themselves incurring is €339 which is up (up €3) on last year’s figure.
The increased costs of living are evidently having an impact on school items with the most expensive secondary school item this year being transport at €213, up from €195 last year, reflecting rising fuel costs. School books and uniforms are also high at €210 and €195 respectively. After-school care is the top expense for primary school parents at €184, up €27 on last year, followed by extracurricular activities at €167.
Anita Bourke, Manager Kilmallock Credit Union said
“We experience first-hand the pressure of back to school costs on families and even more so this year with increasing inflation, the cost of sending children back to school is higher than it has have ever been before; the ILCU survey details this.
We would like to reassure our members that Kilmallock Credit Union is here to help. Our education loan at 6% (6.18% APR) is available. All our loans are reviewed within 48 hours and we have a number of different loan application repayment options and structures available. For members on a Department of Social Protection Payment A Household Budget deduction is available for smaller loan repayments also. New members can join and apply for a loan on the same day through our free mobile app, our website, or in any of our branches.. Our doors are open and we are more than happy to assist anyone who might need a little extra help at back-to-school time. That’s what the credit union is here for!”
Of considerable note in the survey is the sharp increase in parents saying they will deny their children extracurricular activities because they can’t afford them, rising to 67% from 46% in 2021. The survey also revealed that 65% of schools are still seeking so called ‘voluntary contributions’ at €124 for primary schools and €146 for secondary, an overall average increase of €11 on last year.
When it comes to funding back to school costs, the majority of parents (74%) use their general monthly income, with just over a third relying on their savings. The use of credit cards to purchase back to school items is up 6% to 23% from 2021 as is the number relying on a bank loan – 1% to 3%.
While there is a slight decrease in the amount of parents shopping online for school supplies (65%, down 3% vs 2021), two thirds of these parents do so to access better deals. Saving on petrol as a reason for shopping online has seen a significant jump to 31%, up 17% from last year.
Back to School Costs
Two thirds of Irish parents (66%) say the cost of Back to School is a financial burden
Parents spending €1,518 per secondary school child – up €27 on last year
At primary school level, parents are spending €1,195 – up €9 on last year
29% are getting into debt compared to 24% in 2021 – average debt of €339
1 in 10 (10%) of parents with school children are considering using an illegal moneylender, while 33% don’t know whether legal or illegal
Use of credit cards to purchase back to school items is up 6% to 23%
Significant jump in number of parents cutting back on extracurricular activities, rising to 67% from 46% last year
Voluntary contributions up on last year – €124 for primary schools and €146 for secondary
Many parents shopping online to save petrol, up to 31% from 17% from last year
Rising costs of living
89% of parents say income or household costs affected by rising costs of living including 92% of parents with children in school
Over 90% seeing additional costs to groceries and utility bills
More than 1 in 3 (36%) of parents say they are struggling to make their household budget stretch to cover the additional cost of living increases
One in ten of those struggling falling into debt in an effort to cover household costs
61% say increasing costs of food for children for school lunches is the biggest effect of the rising cost of living
Rising Costs of Living
This year’s survey also looked at the rising costs of living in general. 89% of respondents say their income or household costs have been affected by rising costs of living since the start of the year including 92% of parents with children in school. Over 90% are seeing additional costs for groceries with a similar number experiencing increased costs on household utility bills.
More than 1 in 3 (36%) of parents say they are struggling to make their household budget stretch to cover the additional cost of living increases. When school going costs are added the number who are struggling increases to 42%. One in ten (11%) of this cohort are falling into debt in an effort to cover household costs.
When asked what options they were considering to help with costs, 65% of this group said they are cancelling or reducing non-essential services and activities such as gym membership and subscription TV packages. Other options include trying to earn additional income (29%), taking a personal loan (18%), borrowing from family or friends (14%), or seeking debt and budgeting advice (8%).
Moneylenders
A small number of this group (3%) would consider going to a moneylender, including 6% of parents with school going children. When asked if the moneylender is legal or illegal, 1 in 10 (10%) of parents with school children are knowingly considering using an illegal moneylender. Two thirds (33%) of all respondents in this group worryingly didn’t know whether their potential moneylender was legal or illegal.
When parents were asked if the rising costs of living were affecting the costs of education, 61% said the Increasing costs of food for children for school lunches was the biggest effect, followed by costs of new school uniforms (53%) and costs of school trips or activities (45%).
More than half of parents with schoolchildren will have to balance working from either at home or the office with looking after their children over the school holidays. 45% said they would will be using annual leave allowance to balance work and school holidays while a third said they would be relying on family and friends to help out with looking after the children.
Post COVID 19 Concerns
When asked about the impacts of home schooling during the pandemic lockdown on their children, 82% of parents said that the biggest impact was that children missed their friends and social activities. Almost half said their child’s physical health had suffered with two thirds worried about their mental health. As regards their child’s education, the biggest concern for parents is the pressure on their children to catch up on missed teaching over the past two years. There was a marked drop from 2021 in parents’ concern of their child being exposed to COVID 19 as a result of returning to the classroom, down from 41% to 27%.
Education Loan
Kilmallock Credit Union are here to help. If you need a little help; its easy to apply for a loan with us. Use our handy loan calculator to see the repayments for your loan.
Kilmallock Credit Union Ltd is an affiliated member of the Irish League of Credit Unions. We have been in service to our community since 1963 and continue to offer a financial alternative to our members. We offer a forward looking, progressive financial co-operative with access to finance for all of our members. As part of our commitment to deliver on our strategic goals and deliver the best service to our members, we are recruiting a Full Time Teller to assist us in achieving our goals.
The role will be accountable to the Assistant Manager of the credit union for carrying out a range of administrative and operational activities that contribute to the effective running of the credit union.
The ideal candidate should have
Very strong IT skills- Proficiency in MS Office is required
Excellent administration skills, numerical skills, accuracy, and attention to detail
Training will be available to supplement existing knowledge and experience, ideally the candidate should hold at a minimum a Leaving Certificate/ Fetac/QQI/Level 5/6 qualification and be willing to engage in further education.
Cash handling experience would be an advantage but not essential
Applicants must hold a full current Driving Licence and have the use of a car as the position will require travelling to and from sub offices.
The person must be a team player with strong interpersonal skills. Familiarity with the ethos and practices of the credit union movement is desired.
Key responsibilities will include:
Processing of membership transactions and member account opening applications
Accurately and diligently handling of cash; reconcile balances and account for any inconsistencies
Responding to member queries on a day-to-day basis at the front counter and through online channels
Processing loan applications and/or refers to senior lending staff where appropriate
Attend training and meetings, reports on assigned areas of responsibility as required or requested
Work always in a courteous, friendly, and professional manner, preserving confidentiality, data protection legislation and maintain up to date knowledge of all policies and procedures of the Credit Union.
Contribute to a pleasant workplace atmosphere through teamwork
We are replacing your current “MYCU” Debit Card with a new Current Account Debit Card.
Your existing Credit Union MYCU Debit Card will stop working on 10th April 2023 and your new Current Account Debit Card will start working from 11th April 2023.
ACTION REQUIRED You must take the following actions:
Get your new pin number for your new card Text the number on the letter containing your Debit Card in order to receive your NEW PIN number. You will receive the PIN number within a few minutes.
Please note the following: a. The PIN request must come from the phone number registered on the account. b. Your old PIN number will not work with your Debit Card but you can change the PIN number on your card at any ATM.
Activate your New Debit Card To activate your new Debit Card and enable Contactless, complete a PIN transaction at an ATM or retailer.
If you require any assistance with these actions or have any queries in relation to them please ring your Credit Union or contact the New Card Services number (01) 693 3333
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