Dear Editor, Many people in Ireland, for various reasons, no longer practice the Catholic faith. Others are lukewarm or gone private. They are ashamed to speak out or defend their religion except with people of like-mind. ‘Normality’ today is anything but – it is a new culture driven by powerful advertising, maybe, better recognised as…

Dear Editor, Dr Janina Lyons (Letters 11/06/2015) mourns the result of the same-sex marriage referendum and observes that of those who voted yes surely a number were older Mass-going Catholics. She believes that many did so because they thought it was a kind and loving thing to do for their gay family members and friends,…

Dear Editor, I echo the demand for the truth made by the priests calling for the British government to release documents and order an independent investigation in to state collusion in killings in the North (IC 18/06/2015). It is now generally accepted that collusion did happen, but was it actually a government strategy and just…

Books Editor With the fine weather here at last thoughts turn to holidays, and thoughts of holidays summon up the idea of some leisurely reading. Here are some suggestions for books which might provide some interesting and out of the way reading for those bored with best-sellers. The Land of Shades by Charles Lyte (Xlibris;…

Knock Shrine has been recognised by a leading tourism website for its excellence in hospitality. The world renowned Marian shrine in Co. Mayo received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award for the top performing tourist attraction as reviewed by tourists on the world’s largest travel site. Knock Shrine Rector, Fr Richard Gibbons said he was…

The former chief executive of the Catholic Church’s child safeguarding body has initiated personal injury proceedings against his former employer, RTÉ has reported. Ian Elliott, who was CEO of the Church’s child safeguarding body for six years until 2013, made an application for stress-related injury against his former employer via the personal injuries assessment board…