A field in which monks from Tory Island monastery hid from British invaders in 1595 is being raffled to raise funds for a Derry city hurling and camogie club. The development officer for Namagha GAA, who hope to raise funds for a new pitch, Ger Roarty said that the field has a historic connection with…
Pope Francis to visit Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan Pope Francis will visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan in July, the Vatican has announced. The Holy See press office said March 3 that the Pope would visit the African nations July 2-7, “at the invitation of their respective heads of…
American pop-artist Andy Warhol led a life beyond the bounds of Church teaching, but his art was Christ haunted, writes Ruadhán Jones How do you reconcile two seemingly incompatible parts of the same person? Andy Warhol is arguably the most famous American artist of the 1960s and 70s. He was openly gay, unashamed to be…
The ongoing war in Ukraine seems to many in the West to defy reason. But that is very much the view from Strasbourg or Washington. From Moscow the prospect looks quite different. In the weeks leading up to the deployment of his forces, President Vladimir Putin spoke of Ukraine being part of “the historic Russia”,…
I know nothing about Ukraine. I don’t believe I know anybody from the country and I’d be hard pressed to name even a few of its cities or towns but I know I am heartbroken that the country finds itself at war. There are countless videos in circulation that seek to explain why Russia, or…
Dear Editor, A few weeks ago, the bishops’ conference recommended the continuation of a number of protective measures to ensure the safety and well-being of the vulnerable or anxious members of the congregation. This included the suspension of a handshake as the sign of peace. At a recent meeting in my diocese, it was discussed that…
Editor’s Comment As I write, a piece of legislation is making its way through the northern assembly. If passed, the legislation will seriously disadvantage Catholic schools by prioritising scarce resources towards what are commonly called ‘integrated’ schools. Catholic schools along with ‘controlled’ schools (in effect, Protestant schools) will be in second-place when it comes to…
Children’s Corner Music is an extremely powerful force in the world. It has the power to make us laugh, cry, become nostalgic, fearful and every emotion under the sun. Very often it is used in film, theatre and more to create a certain mood whether that be tension or levity. National anthems are created to…
And so, we got another week of intense coverage of the war in Ukraine – absorbing, disturbing and frequently heart-breaking. On The Hard Shoulder (Newstalk, Thursday) we heard the latest fighting words from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – he said the Russians may bomb their cathedrals but they won’t make Ukrainians give up their country or…
Two recent National Symphony Orchestra programmes at the National Concert Hall focussed on a pair of well-established contemporary American composers, each of whom has his own particular following but with one better known through his involvement with the ‘silver screen’ not least Jaws and Star Wars. New York-born John Williams is the more recognisable household…
Ruadhán Jones
Peter Costello
Michael Kelly
Chai Brady
Brendan O’Regan