Dear Editor, In The Irish Catholic of July 28 you published an excellent two-page article on the 800th Anniversary of Ballintubber Abbey; but it was a pity that there was no mention of Fr Tom Egan who spearheaded the transformation of what was largely a ruin, leading up to the 750th anniversary in 1966. As…

Dear Sir, Donal O’Driscoll’s letter in The Irish Catholic (‘Clarify meaning of Eighth Amendment’, IC 28/07/2011) should be read, and acted upon, by all pro-life groups, and indeed by all who wish to protect the life of the unborn.  He has identified a very important issue. There is no doubt that we will soon be faced with…

Dear Editor, I noted with great interest the biography of Daniel Mannix reported on in The Irish Catholic of August 11 (‘Archbishop Mannix biography scoops literary prize’). I will certainly be seeking out my own copy of this record of a most fascinating figure. Given, however, that the biography has been penned by a native…

Dear Editor, Prof. Patricia Casey (IC 28/7/16) makes an important point about ghettoisation. Immigrant chaplaincies were set up after the publication of the Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII in 1952. Their purpose was and still is to enable immigrants to integrate into the political, social, economic and cultural networks of life in their new…

Dear Editor, The coverage of the US presidential election by most of the Irish media outlets is so partisan as to make their claims to be fair and balanced in their reporting sound rather hollow. This is a serious issue, regardless of one’s party loyalty.  The media’s involvement and influence in the modern democratic process…

Dear Editor,  The killing of Fr Jacques Hamel in Normandy, during a Mass was a shocking act of violence by two young men of immigrant parents raised in France. But despite the intentions of those who helped to radicalise these young men and to sow the seeds of divisions to promote their own warped agenda, the presence of…

Dear Editor, I read with dismay and deep sadness of the changes afoot within the Dublin diocese for future Catholic seminarians to receive their formation in Rome instead of the national seminary in Maynooth. While one should not doubt Archbishop Martin’s better appreciation of such matters, it is most regrettable that the Catholic hierarchy could not address issues internally.…