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The Bank of Ireland Enterprise Town business, sport and community expo takes place in Newcastle West this Friday and Saturday. This is an exciting event for the town, aimed at showcasing everything Newcastle West and the surrounding area has to offer. Along with a huge range of businesses from the area that will be present, […]
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With car insurance, read the small print
In recent years there appears to have been an increase in cancelled car insurance policies. The consequences of this can be severe, so it is more important than ever to make sure that you have complied with all your obligations when taking out insurance, and that you know the conditions of your insurance when you […]
HSE abandons charge for employees in personal injuries cases
As part of our wide experience in dealing with personal injury cases we recently noticed that the HSE had started to charge staff members involved in personal injuries claims for providing details of lost wages. Rossa McMahon drew attention to the development two weeks ago. As part of a claim, a HSE staff member would […]
Budget 2017 increases to gift and inheritance tax thresholds
Tax on gifts and inheritances are both collected through capital acquisitions tax. The rate is currently charged at 33% but the thresholds have increased, meaning that more of the gift is taken tax free. This change takes some gifts and inheritances out of the tax net and reduces the liability on those that exceed the […]
71% of farmers plan to keep it in the family
The Irish Examiner has run a series of interesting opinion polls this week to coincide with the Ploughing Championships. This morning they focus on farm succession. We wrote about it last year and spoke to the Examiner about the interesting results. Rossa McMahon said planning was essential for a clear succession strategy, but many farmers […]
A taste of childhood, and intellectual property in recipes
Sharon Noonan, from Ballymena but now resident in Newcastle West, hosts the excellent Best Possible Taste show on West Limerick 102 FM and has produced a fantastic radio documentary about a hidden slice of Irish food history: Devlin’s Yellowman, a homemade toffee made by Sharon’s family and sold at the Lammas Fair in Ballycastle. In […]
5 tips for dealing with intellectual property
Intellectual property (IP) is an area of the law that we are all affected by, often in many small ways we might not realise. Why is Bulmers called Magners in England? Why are only older drugs available from generic manufacturers? Why are some TV shows available on Netflix in the US, but not Ireland? IP […]
The cost of homemade wills
Our recent 5 tips for making a will post mentioned the danger in making a will without legal advice, as highlighted by a High Court decision in 2011. That case involved the will of a well-known poet and philosopher which made mistakes common in many homemade wills. In considering the will, Mr Justice Gilligan highlighted […]
Court of Appeal overturns Irish language drink driving decision
We wrote last September about a High Court decision which found that drink driving prosecutions based on breath/alcohol tests produced by a breathalyser machine in the English language only were invalid. The High Court ruled that the law required test results to be produced in both English and Irish, with both language versions given to […]
5 tips for making a will
No-one wants to think about dying, but it will happen to us all. This stark reality means planning for what happens after death is something everyone should do. One interesting case which highlighted the dangers of “home made” stressed the importance of a properly drafted will: The making of a last will and testament is […]
