Concern Worldwide has completed a cash transfer this week of €1.73 million to over 27,000 people in parts of Sudan which are hard to reach because of the continuing conflict. “Providing direct cash assistance to families is the most practical approach, given the huge challenges which humanitarian organisations are facing in Sudan,” Concern’s regional director…
In the modern GAA, few names evoke such power and presence as Hegarty. Immediately, images of the towering figure of Limerick’s six-foot-six giant in the half-forward line spring to mind. With colossal strength and the finesse of a craftsman, Gearóid Hegarty has combined wristwork, skill, and agility with raw athleticism to become one of the…
Archbishop Eamon Martin has condemned an antisemitic attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, which left 15 people dead, urging Christians to counter prejudice and hatred wherever it appears. Speaking during the annual Christmas Carol Service in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland said the…
Do They Know It’s Christmas has a fond place in my heart. I was a new graduate in 1984, and Bob Geldof’s righteous anger was intoxicating. Buying the single and watching Geldof brute force it into the charts felt inspiring. Band Aid, and its charity single, was, of course, followed by Live Aid in July…
The deaths of 32 babies in Northern Ireland who were born alive following attempted abortions have raised urgent questions about medical practice, legal responsibility and accountability, according to Precious Life director Bernadette Smyth. The figures were revealed in the Northern Ireland Assembly by TUV MLA Timothy Gaston, who cited death registrations listing “Termination of Pregnancy”…
The centenary celebrations of Venerable Matt Talbot this summer drew bumper crowds and sparked renewed momentum for his cause for canonisation, according to Michael Murphy of the Knights of St Columbanus. “We didn’t realise going into the centenary year how big of a success it was going to be,” Mr Murphy said. “Not alone for…
At the invitation of the Abbess and Benedictine community, some twenty Presentation Sisters from different parts of Ireland were hosted for a very special weekend in Kylemore Abbey in Connemara from November 13 to 16, 2025. This retreat was a gift from the Benedictine community as an expression of gratitude for the immense contribution of…
Bishop Fintan Gavin has said the Church has a vital role to play in responding to mental health challenges by creating spaces where people feel safe to speak without fear of judgement or stigma. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, the Bishop of Cork and Ross said his early training in residential social care, addiction counselling…
An invitation to a pre-Christmas musical arrived through the letterbox and I hesitated. It was for a student production of The Sound of Music. The film was first adapted for the screen sixty years ago, and I already knew every song, every line, every part, as if I had been rehearsing for a thousand years.…
Matt Talbot lived in stirring times; the Lockout of 1913, the First World War, The 1916 Rising, The War of Independence, The Civil War. Some believe mistakenly that these events didn’t impact on him. Although it’s true that no checkpoint would keep him from daily Mass, he was well aware of the intense suffering that…
Renata Steffens
Breda O'Brien
Martina Purdy