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Christmas has crept up again. A time for joy to the world, and peace among men or, conversely, of panicked late night shopping, and the anxiety that accompanies the realisation that you have exactly seven minutes before shops close. It's Christmas Eve, and you are empty-handed (aside from, if you are like me, a few little presents that you accidentally got for yourself). That perfect gift has eluded you once more, and all the time you thought you had, as you browsed nonchalantly, has vanished into the ether. Aimless wandering is one thing, but the real challenge comes when setting out with a specific, particularly hard to please person in mind. This can lead to blind panic, often resulting in decidedly bad choices. I aim to, at best, give something of practical use to the recipient, preferably something that they wouldn't buy for themselves, or, at the least (and this is perhaps the last refuge of the desperate), to knock a laugh out of them. Some notable failures include impulsively bought jewellery, assorted DVDs (which now lurk, mockingly, on the shelf, still clad in their original cellophane), and a festive geansaí, which, upon opening, was immediately earmarked for return. One year out of frustration and laziness I bought a friend a book that I suspected she would never open, but that I wanted to read. After an appropriate waiting period I 're-gifted' it to myself, and everyone was happy – I got the brownie points and the goods. This year I hope to avoid the blunders of the past, and furnish my nearest and dearest with things that will, without hyperbole, change their lives for the better.

With house prices estimated to have dropped 40 per cent in the recession and a new flat-rate property tax in the offing, the revelation this week that the price of a three-bed semi in county Mayo has fallen by 6.35 per cent comes as no surprise.

An apartment complex in Mullingar has been attracting national attention in recent days as homes in the development go on sale for less than €70,000 this weekend.

Longford/Westmeath TD James Bannon has reacted angrily to a recent report which named him as one of the highest Dail expenses claimants in the country, saying the figures quoted are €30,000 higher than the amount he actually claimed.

This fantastic offer is open to anyone who makes a purchase at Crean’s Ceramic City, Barcastle Industrial Estate, Castlebar. If you pop in and buy something that you really like this weekend, you could be the first winner and walk away with €1,000 in cash in your pocket this month.

Some of us often wonder where the €60 or €70 we pay for our All-Ireland ticket or semi-final ticket gets distributed. Well, last Sunday in the match programme a comprehensive breakdown of where the money from a single ticket gets spent was given.

Even though there were over 1,200 cattle on offer, there was still plenty of demand for the quality lots in particular at Kilkenny Mart last Thursday. The price of the plain bullocks was reduced by between €10 and €15 a head on the previous week. On the other hand, practically all the heifers sold very well, with the light plain types a little more difficult to get away than previously.

With 950 cattle on offer, there was another big cattle sale at Kilkenny Mart last Thursday.

With almost 1,100 cattle on offer there was another excellent selling trade at Kilkenny Mart last Thursday.

With 950 animals on offer, the trade at Kilkenny Mart could be best described as steady last Thursday. once again the quality lots did quite well, but the plainer types were a little more difficult to sell. The culled cows and the heifers also provided a steady trade.