J. Anthony Gaughan As a keen follower of Gaelic games, I found Eamonn Sweeney’s The Last Ditch: How One GAA Championship Gave a Sports Writer Back his Life the most interesting book of the year. In the first two chapters Eamonn reveals the challenges – phobias – which he has to overcome in plying his…
Exclusive In an extensive and exclusive interview with this paper, Archbishop Eamon Martin has said in response to a question on calls by some priests for the sacraments to be taken out of schools that he does “feel that we should try to develop some pilot projects for the sacramental preparation, outside of the school…
Bishop Brendan Leahy led a Mass of Thanksgiving for the 50th anniversary of Boards of Management in the Catholic Primary Schools in the Diocese of Limerick on Monday, December 1. The event took place in St John’s Cathedral and gathered current and former board members. In his homily, Bishop Leahy said, “At times, we can…
The overwhelming rejection of the Government’s recent family and care referendum shows the Irish people still hold a deep instinct for the family, the Apostolic Nuncio said. Speaking at the annual general meeting of Family Solidarity, Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor said the vote revealed that political and cultural leaders “misread something essential” in Irish society.…
When I was growing up, there was nothing I wanted each Christmas more than a toy robot. Those were the days of TV shows like Lost in Space in which ‘Robby the Robot’ featured. Every little boy wanted a robot of his own. In would go the batteries, the thing would make some noise, walk…
The Diocese of Derry will complete its discussions on forming new pastoral areas by Easter 2026, announced Bishop Donal McKeown in his pastoral letter for the beginning of Advent. The new arrangements will bring parishes together in shared mission, with decisions grounded in prayerful discernment rather than administrative necessity. Bishop McKeown said his hope is…
Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan has urged Catholics to embrace Advent as a time of “patient, theological hope”, rejecting the “negativity and doom” often spoken about the future of vocations in Ireland. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Bishop Cullinan reflected on Pope Leo XIV’s address in Lebanon this week, delivered amid severe regional instability, and said the…
At the end of November in Nigeria at St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, in the north-central region: 303 students and 12 teachers were taken away by a group of armed men. Irish Sister Sr Mary Barron, Superior General of the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA), the congregation that runs the schools where…
The 30th anniversary of the 1995 divorce referendum has been recently commemorated, with, naturally, those opposed to divorce cast as the baddies. Yet it’s interesting to note how rare divorce or marital separation has been among Ireland’s political leaders. In a readable new book charting the lives and careers of the sixteen Irish Taoisigh over…
Community and family gathered last weekend for the ordination to the priesthood of now Fr Anthony Kerr. The ceremony took place in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar on Saturday, November 29. The ordination Mass was celebrated by Bishop Tom Deenihan and concelebrated by priests of the Diocese of Meath. In his homily, Bishop…
Peter Costello
Renata Steffens
David Quinn
Mary Kenny