A retired High Court judge who headed a Government working group which recommended reform of the processing of asylum seekers in Ireland has called for an amnesty “in the spirit of 1916” for those in the direct provision system for five years or more. Judge Byran McMahon made the suggestion at the launch of an…
Mags Gargan
Active lifestyles – helpful or harmful?
Mags Gargan attends a public lecture where medical and health experts discuss both the benefits and risks associated with regular exercise
Tom O’Gorman’s family seeks full airing of case
The family of Tom O’Gorman, a well-known Catholic activist who was violently killed in 2014, are seeking the full details of his killers’ psychiatric treatment to be publicly aired. The Dublin man was killed by his tenant Saverio Bellante, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity at the Central Criminal Court and remains…
Ardagh & Clonmacnois launches diocesan adoration committee
A group of lay people, sent as delegates by parishes throughout the Diocese of Ardagh Clonmacnois, has been in formation and training during the past three months, as part of the development and expansion of the Diocesan Eucharistic Adoration Committee. This was organised and conducted by Brendan Cleary and John Howard of the national committee of…
Dublin’s archbishop calls for solidarity against violence
The Archbishop of Dublin has called on the people of the city to form a “strong alliance” against gangland violence and to co-operate with the Gardaí to “break the chain of hate and evil”. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin was speaking in the wake of the separate shooting of two men in Dublin on Monday night, in…
North becoming ‘cold house’ for faith
The Northern bishops have said Christians are feeling a growing ‘chill factor’ in public policy and law in Northern Ireland. In a pastoral reflection on the forthcoming elections to the Northern Assembly, the bishops have listed a number of key issues for Catholic voters to consider, including the right to religious freedom. Funding The bishops…
Carlow memorial unveiled for 1916 priest
Cllr Denis Foley, Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District of Muinebheag officially unveiled the Carlow 2016 Memorial for the Municipal District of Muinebheag at Beachers Hill, Leighlinbridge Road, Bagenalstown.The memorial honours Fr Albert Bibby OFM Cap, Regent Street, Bagenalstown and Nurse Margaret Kehoe, Orchard, Leighlinbridge for their pastoral and medical care of those who fought in…
Arklow Parish celebrates competition winners
Fr Binoy Mathew SVD and a team of volunteers from Arklow parish in Co. Wicklow reached out to over 90 primary and secondary schools in the Wicklow deanery to promote the Creative Spirit initiative. The aim of the project was to get students engaged with the scriptures by running a series of competitions including art, bookmark,…
An oasis of calm in a busy city
Mags Gargan visits a counselling service in Dublin’s North inner city for its 20th anniversary celebration An oasis is defined as fertile ground in a desert or something that provides refuge, relief and is preserved from surrounding unpleasantness. There is no better description for the Oasis Centre in Seville Place in Dublin’s North inner city.…
Latest refugee drownings highlight Europe’s failings
The Irish bishops’ overseas aid agency has criticised Europe’s response to the refugee crisis, as several hundred people are reported to have drowned off the coast of Egypt on Sunday. Up to 500 people are estimated to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea trying to illegally cross from Libya to Italy. This latest tragedy coincides…