J. Anthony Gaughan These essays discuss how Irish people identified themselves throughout the vicissitudes of their history. It is no surprise that religion is an ever recurring theme in that regard. Even before the time of St Patrick, Christianity was a factor in their self-consciousness. This was particularly the case in the middle ages. Social life…
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Ann’s firm purpose of amendment
This book is flagged as the “first Bloomsbury Lent Book”. The author Ann Widdecombe is well remembered as a forthright and strong minded member of the British parliament. As a writer and columnist, she continues to be just as forthright and strong minded, even if her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing went a very long…
We cannot serve God and money
Dear Editor, Perhaps this Lent we should concentrate on why our societies are becoming more unhappy. Politicians are simply not getting their heads around the scary statistics about the growth of the unhappiness indicators – depression, obesity and eating disorders – in our societies across the western world. These illnesses are mostly associated with prosperity…
The Church and the scientific arena
Dear Editor, Had Prof. Reville's feature on Copernicus (IC 27/2/14) been written in 1886, its inaccuracies and assumptions may have gone unnoticed. In 2014 however some of his conclusions are no longer valid. In 1887 there was an experiment called the Mitchelson and Morley ether test that failed to show any orbiting of the Earth. It…
The value of teaching history
Dear Editor, the government is toying with the idea of downgrading history and religion in schools, the subjects which reveal and help us transcend our humanity respectively. Having read a fascinating story about another Mayo man, John Bingham, “one of the most effective intelligence officers during the Second World War” and the man behind the…
The need for voices on social issues
Dear Editor, After reading Andrew O'Connell's Notebook article (IC 6/3/14) I went online to find out which national broadsheet newspaper had published the editorial to which he refers and to read the editorial itself. To my surprise, I discovered that the newspaper in question was not the one I initially assumed it was. Things have…
Remembering the Bethany home
Dear Editor, I would be grateful for the opportunity of both informing and inviting, to a very special and poignant event which will take place next month. On April 2, 2014 time 4 pm , at Mount Jerome Cemetery in Dublin, a service will take place in honour of 222 babies and young children who died in…
‘It is a long path the Church must complete’
Pope Francis’ interview with Corriere della Sera
Youth Ministry Awards Night
Bishop Browne expressed his hope that the “seeds sown through the years” would “flourish afresh through the graduates of this course”.
Trócaire announces massive funding boost
Trócaire has announced a massive funding boost from the UK government which could see at least an extra stg£1.65 million for the organisation’s work in some of the world’s poorest countries