John Cleary In recent years, Irish education has rightly placed student wellbeing at the heart of the Junior Cycle experience. Schools have embraced programmes promoting resilience, emotional literacy, physical health, relationships and belonging. But in doing so, have we overlooked something? Young people do not only need help managing their emotions or coping with life’s…
Opinions vary about the geographical dimensions of Dublin’s Liberties. One historian describes the territory as being “roughly bounded by the Castle, the Quays, St James’s Gate and Blackpitts,” whereas others fix the borders elsewhere. Something that cannot be disputed is that the area’s modern history begins with the establishment of a medieval abbey. King Henry…
“There he is!!” My friend shouted excitedly before jumping on a chair and pounding the rim of my broad sun hat. I must confess: joy was not my initial response to her exuberance. But soon I was on the chair too – eyes fixed on the man in white, zooming about St Peter’s Square. Seeing…
Synodality is a medium – it must be harnessed towards some end In 2016 the Council of Priests in the Archdiocese of Dublin commissioned a study that, when published, was entitled: ‘Projection of Position in 2030’. Among other considerations the purpose of the study was to: “estimate the number of active Priests in the Archdiocese…
Last July, Slaughtneil’s Cormac O’Doherty became the first Derry man to climb the steps of the Hogan Stand and lift the Christy Ring Cup, ending the county’s long wait for a first-ever title in front of a modest crowd at Croke Park. It was the most momentous day in the history of Derry hurling, but…
At Vespers starting at 4pm this Sunday in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar, the Bishop of Meath, Dr Tom Deenihan, will close off the diocesan stage in the cause for the canonisation of the World War I army chaplain, Fr Willie Doyle. Fr Doyle was killed while trying to save wounded soldiers in…
When the Irish Catholic Church’s National Synod Assembly meets in Meath on October 17, some 240 individuals from every walk of life will pray and talk more about strengthening and supporting the Church’s mission. The details are many, but the underlying theme of the documents before them is the Gospel. A topic threaded throughout is…
Most of us know the feeling. A letter arrives from an insurer, an employer, Revenue or a solicitor. It is confidently written, full of unfamiliar terms, and seems to assume that you already understand the system. You read it twice. You think something is wrong, but you are not sure how to challenge it. The…
There are some evenings when a conversation stays with you long after you have left the room. Last night, in my favourite Donegal pub, I witnessed something that reminded me of the extraordinary power of a story well told. My two teenage daughters were sitting listening to Marie, a 76-year-old Belfast woman whose capacity for…
October 15 marks the 444th anniversary of the death of St Teresa of Ávila; a witty, practical, courageous reformer and contemplative in action. Teresa was a Spanish woman and Carmelite nun, who danced and sung her way through an ambitious programme of reform in the 16th century. 20 years of her life were spent travelling…
Martina Purdy
David Quinn