The slain nuns of Aden lived out their faith to the last, writes Paul Keenan “We will continue our service to the poor and needy.” Of the many statements issued in response to the callous slaughter of four nuns in Yemen on March 4, the quietly defiant promise from the victims’ own Missionaries of Charity…
Month: March 2016
Centenary should not be marred by republican violence
Dear Editor, Dr Eamon Phoenix’s dismissal as “simplistic” attempts to link the Rising centenary with dissident violence in the North (IC 10/03/2016) is both reassuring and persuasive. Even in 1966, at a time when Catholics in the North were denied some basic civil rights, the Rising’s 50th anniversary provoked little republican violence, the destruction of…
Donal Walsh was ‘truly inspirational’ reveals Kiwi rugby superstar
Rugby legend Dan Carter has paid tribute to deceased Kerry teenager Donal Walsh as a “truly inspirational” young man. Donal Walsh lost his brave battle with cancer in May 2013 after coming to national fame for campaigning against youth suicide and his parents continue to spread his message through the Donal Walsh #LiveLife foundation. Advance…
St Patrick is the perfect model for the Year of Mercy
Addressing thousands of pilgrims in St Peter’s Square at the weekend, Pope Francis told them: “God does not nail us to our sin.” The Pope went on: “He does not identify us with the evil we have done. We have a name, and God does not identify this name with the sin we have committed.”…
Armagh archbishops joint call for mercy
In a joint message for Holy Week and Easter, the two archbishops of Armagh have asked that all Christian will “show something of the immeasurable mercy of God” in their daily lives. In the message, Archbishop Eamon Martin and Archbishop Richard Clarke point out that while this is a particular Year of Mercy in the…
Vatican abuse body under threat over lack of funding
A high-profile body set up to advise Pope Francis on preventing abuse is under threat unless the Vatican releases further funding, it has been claimed. Baroness Nuala O’Loan has described as “very disturbing” claims that Vatican officials have been slow to release funding for the Pontifical Council for the Protection of Minors. Irishwoman Marie Collins,…
Politician’s ‘canonisation’
Dear Editor, While it is right to comment and praise the good things a TD has done for his/her community, such as Mary Kenny’s praise of Jimmy Deenihan (IC 03/03/2016), given that he voted for the 2013 abortion act, does this not now undo those good works, since abortion is never good for community nor…
The rise of diabetes
Increasing numbers of people in Ireland are developing diabetes, which is linked to our more sedentary lifestyle, writes Mags Gargan Diabetes is “a global pandemic,” according to Dr Aisling O’Leary, Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), which recently hosted a public health lecture on the ‘Rise and Rise…
Some people struggle to gain weight
This column regularly deals with the pitfalls of obesity and advises those weight conscious readers on how to avoid gaining weight unnecessarily or how to shed excess pounds in a healthy fashion. I’m conscious, however, that some readers may in fact be struggling to maintain their weight or indeed gain some on doctors’ orders. Weight…
Examining attitudes to refugees & migrants
“It was impressive to see the huge amount of voluntary effort to support the refugees’, writes Brendan O’Regan, even though “The faith element was…over simplistically” I’ve long been a fan of reporter Valerie Cox’s work for RTÉ Radio and last Sunday night she made a very effective jump to television on the Exodus – A…

Paul Keenan


Michael Kelly

Greg Daly

Mags Gargan
Cathal Barry
Brendan O’Regan