Seek to sea more Take a dive into the deep at Sea Life Bray this spring and become the newest recruits of the Jawsome Rangers and fulfil the mission of finding the missing shark teeth. Guests will be tasked with helping Prof. Finn locate the large Play-Doh model shark teeth in the tanks. This includes…
Young bassist the cream of excellent crop at the NCH
Pat O’Kelly In the presence of its indefatigable nonagenarian artistic director, the 2019 Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition drew an interesting contingent of young singers to the National Concert Hall at the end of January. For the first time in the triennial competition’s history, auditions were held abroad with jury chairman Jane Carty and…
Many ways to deliver Christ’s mission
Dear Editor, Your front-page story about Irish missionaries in Venezuela was a perfect illustration of the varied gifts religious life offers to the Church and the world God has created, and a wonderful demonstration of the ‘mosaic’ of consecrated life your paper showcased this week (IC 7/2/2019). The German journalist Peter Seewald interviewed the then…
In Brief
Ireland pays tribute to pro-family advocate Tributes have poured in for pro-life advocate Nora Bennis, who died at the age of 78 on February 11. The Limerick woman, who was well-known for promoting traditional Catholic values, stood for election in both the European and General Election in 1994 and in 2016. She also initiated a group called the Irish mothers…
In Brief
Housing charity ‘delighted’ with progress Peter McVerry Trust, the national housing and homeless charity, has welcomed the release of figures showing that housing completions increased by 20% in 2018. The charity said it hoped the increase in the supply of new homes would make it easier to reduce the numbers in homeless hostels, hotels, B&Bs and all other forms…
Celibacy key to full-time advocacy, priest says
Greg Daly and Colm Fitzpatrick Well-known homelessness campaigner Fr Peter McVerry has said that celibacy has been essential to enabling him to work for Dublin’s poorest and most marginalised. “From a practical point of view, being a Jesuit you’ve a freedom to work in a way that you wouldn’t be free to work if…
Fr Cummins recalled as a ‘great man’ at funeral
Tributes have been pouring in after a Laois-based priest died in a tragic accident involving his car, with Bishop Denis Nulty describing his death as “heart-wrenching” in his funeral homily over the weekend. Fr John Cummins (52) of Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, died after an incident at his home on the Ballinakill Road on January 30…
Pope opens first-ever trip to Arabian Peninsula touting dialogue and peace
Letter from Rome Inés San Martín A Pope, a prince and an Imam walk side by side at an airport on the red carpet. It seems like the beginning of a bad bar joke, but instead, it was the start of a historic, first-ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula on February 3. It’s…
Commemorating the birth of a nation
The View Martin Mansergh January brought Ireland into the second and more difficult phase of the decade of centenaries dominated by the birth pangs of a new State. Part of the price of this or any form of Irish self-government was partition. There are two modes of remembering. The ceremonial joint session of…
Superman star condemns US abortion law
Well-known actor Dean Cain, best known for playing the role of Superman in the TV series Lois & Clark, has said that the crimes of convicted abortionist Kermit Gosnell would be legal under new “healthcare” laws passed in New York. Discussing the Reproductive Health Act passed last month, the actor who also stars in and…










