Many people will have seen the recent TV programme about the Post Office scandal involving the wrongful prosecution of and conviction of sub-postmasters and the wrongful demands by the Post Office for tens of thousands of pounds allegedly missing from post office accounts, all the result of a faulty computer programme, Horizon, and, seemingly, the…
Month: January 2024
Govt deviating from programme with upcoming referenda says Senator
Independent Senator Ronan Mullen launched a stinging criticism of the Government’s proposals to remove the terms ‘women’ and ‘mother’ from the constitution, suggesting that Government is deviating from its official programme and being guided by specific ideologies instead. “The Government now wants to remove mention of ‘woman’, ‘mother’ and ‘home’ from the Constitution,” he said.…
Sometimes State ‘care’ can be the most dangerous place for vulnerable children
It’s right to expose historic instances of abuse, but we can’t obsess about it at the expense of vulnerable children in need today writes Michael Kelly It hasn’t been a great week for Minister Roderick O’Gorman’s Department for Integration. Although, in fairness, one could probably write that any given week over his turbulent tenure…
Navigating marriage after baby
Expect your marriage to change following the growth of your family, writes Simcha Fisher Ever have one of those days when you lose the hamburger you were defrosting and find it later in the washing machine, full of soap? And you can deal with that, but you cannot deal with being accused of leaving the…
76% of asylum seekers not registering on arrival
Three quarters of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland are not registering at the point of arrival into the country, figures released by the Government show. Of the almost 9,000 migrants seeking international protection who arrived in Ireland in 2023, just 2,056 registered at airports and ports, figures released to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín revealed. The…
‘Fr Dougal’ documentary on priests disappointingly conventional
RTÉ documentary fails to ask the big questions about the priesthood, writes David Quinn You could tell Ardal O’Hanlon was pulling his punches in his documentary about the huge decline in vocations that was aired by RTÉ on Monday night, but you could also tell he won’t regret it when there are very few clergy…
Annoyed but full of hope: My Catholic wish list for 2024
Elizabeth Scalia You have no idea how many of my columns have begun as a germ of a thought – usually an annoyed question – scribbled on a scrap of paper. This one reflects my late, rather curmudgeonly, “wish list” of what I’d like to see happen within Catholicism in 2024. Indulge me, please. Let…
Benedict XVI’s ‘anthropology’ instructive for Irish education scene
Pope Benedict’s theological legacy is instructive for helping Catholic schools provide “holistic education” in Ireland, an Irish attendee at a conference in Australia on Pope Benedict’s theological legacy has said. CEO of the Catholic Education Partnership, Alan Hynes told The Irish Catholic newspaper from Perth, Australia, that “our schools should be Christ-centred, pupil-focused and informed…
Instrumentalising education doesn’t help bring peace
Learning for lasting peace is a pipe-dream for many who don’t get to school, writes Dualta Roughneen The sixth International Day of Education will be celebrated on January 24, under the theme “learning for lasting peace”, with the assumption that education contributes to more peaceful societies. The idea is that the more educated a society…
Jack Reacher star reaching out to others on God’s behalf
Star of the Amazon Prime hit series Reacher, Alan Ritchson, has thanked God for the platform the show’s success has given him to reach out to those who don’t yet know God. In a YouTube video response to those who criticise his portrayal of the violent Jack Reacher while being a professed Christian, Mr Ritchson…

Nuala O’Loan

Brandon Scott
Michael Kelly

Ruadhán Jones
David Quinn



