Ireland's Eye: What's going on in the old sod

Currently on properties for sale website Daft.ie, there are 2,106 properties listed for sale in Kildare.

Taking that list as representing the minimum number of homes currently on the market, then, on average, one of four homes for sale in Kildare could be in a ghost estate.

The government has since called on Kildare County Council to embrace a new initiative to provide social housing in these ghost estates.

Minister for Housing Michael Finneran last week warned local authorities that he will "find another way" if they do not embrace the government's initiative to provide social housing in ghost estates.
- Leinster Leader

A Lisburn minister has reclaimed a church record for preaching the longest non-stop sermon.

The Reverend Ken McReynolds, rector of Lambeg Parish, preached without a break for five hours 52 minutes on Saturday, October 30, the equivalent of 24 sermons.

The Church of Ireland minister had previously set the record in 2005 with a five-hour sermon, but lost it to an English minister who beat him by 30 minutes.

During his lengthy spell at the pulpit, McReynolds spoke on the principles of living, drawing on the experiences of figures in the Bible.

His wife Dorothy and seven other stalwart parishioners stayed throughout the record attempt, and other members of the congregation did stints to lend moral support.

An hour and a half into his sermon, McReynolds said he started to feel hoarse. His wife went and got him some honey and lemon to ease his throat.

But despite being a genuine record-breaker, the rector will not be featured in the next edition of the Guinness Book of Records as the famous book’s rules would have made it too easy for him.

"They demand you stop for 10 minutes every hour -- if I did that I could have gone on all day -- so it is just an unofficial record within church circles," he said.

McReynolds explained his motivation was to raise funds for Craig Dowling, who is embarking on the church army evangelist training program.

However, McReynolds said that if his record is threatened again he won't defend it.

"If I lose the record, I don't think I'll try and claim it back again," he said.
- Ulster Star

Minister for Equality and Human Rights Mary White has called for ministerial cars to be scrapped and the two government jets to be permanently grounded.

White suggested that, along with the ministerial car cull, politicians should face a further 20% cut in their salaries in next month’s budget.

“I would like to see the ministerial cars scrapped. I think the presence of the cars sends out a wrong message to people who are struggling to hold onto their jobs and are worried about paying their mortgages,” she said.

“The government jets should go too, and I think politicians should take a further cut in salary. Ministers have already taken 20% but I think it should be more.”

White suggested “another whack of 20%” should be taken from politicians’ salaries, adding these measures would demonstrate to the public that “people at the top are prepared to take their fair share and more in these tough economic times.”

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Nster.com