Christopher Hill: The life of a radical historian, by Michael Braddick (London: Verso Press, £35.00 / €42.95) Though I occasionally met Christopher Hill (1912 -2002), he was, as the author of this thoughtful study attests, as reserved within his kindly and courteous public demeanour as to have left me with little sense of his actual…
UNANIMA, prominent sister-led coalition at United Nations, to end its ministry
For more than two decades, a prominent sister-led coalition has raised awareness at the United Nations on a host of pressing global issues – most recently on homelessness – and made its mark on deliberations at the world body. But now the coalition will end its ministry by the end of the year. UNANIMA International is a…
Remembering Fr McMahon: A life of service and sacrifice
A thousand kilometres from the town of Dundalk lies the final resting place of a remarkable young Irish priest who gave his life in the service of others during the Second World War. Buried in the churchyard of the Église Saint-Martin in the village of Ussy, Normandy, his grave is marked by a simple headstone:…
Clergy change decisions should never be made behind closed doors
Dear Editor, I wish to commend Fr Martin Delaney for his powerful and courageous article addressing the annual transfer of priests. In highlighting the personal and communal impact of these transitions, Fr Delaney invites us all to reflect more compassionately and thoughtfully on how we support our priests and our parish communities through such changes.…
Editorial: A demand without justice – why the State must drop its case against the Legion of Mary
It is difficult to fathom how a government so eager to speak of “inclusion,” “equity,” and “reconciliation” continues to pursue a €26.2 million financial demand from the Legion of Mary — an organisation that, by every available measure, did more for Ireland’s most vulnerable women than the State itself ever dared to do. The Regina…
The anti-Catholic dialogue and its inaccuracies
The anti-Catholic dialogue and its inaccuracies Dear Editor, it was good to see letters and articles in recent issues of The Irish Catholic in defence of the catholic authorities, including those nuns who ran the Mother and Baby Homes. I feel a strong sense of gratitude to all those people who still come out in…
Parents are ‘children’s primary and natural educators’
Sandra Adams writes about the announcement of a National Convention on Education being established in Ireland On July 25 Minister Helen McEntee posted a video on X, LinkedIn, and Instagram announcing the establishment of a National Convention on Education. In this scripted presentation, she explained that the convention will explore how “students, teachers, school staff…
Tribute – Charlotte Anne Devine, Victoria Bridge 1956-2025
The world lost a very special person last month, June 2025. Charlotte Anne Devine had a quiet and mild disposition, but she made a great impression on everyone she met. By worldly standards, there was nothing remarkable about Charlotte Anne’s life but in the eyes of heaven, she was a treasure. Native of the parish…
Notes in haste – August 2025
Greetings from the holiday month of July “Summertime And the living is easy, Fish are jumping And the cotton is high…” With apologies to the composer of this tune, George Gerschwin, it is the jazzy voice of Ella Fitzgerald which sums up how July feels for this pastor. It’s a lovely month in most country…
Ireland will need another Catholic emancipation
Dear Editor, The Irish Catholic has noted the Government’s intention to pay tribute to Daniel O’Connell in 2029, an intention without reference to his achievement of Catholic Emancipation in 1829. It’s best to leave the State to do its own thing. It believes it can celebrate O’Connell as an accomplished human rights activist while it itself…











