The parish priest of a young lay missionary tragically killed in a car accident in Liberia last week, has said her family’s faith is sustaining them in their grief. Mary Ann O’Driscoll from Glasnevin, Dublin died when she was struck by a car in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, last Wednesday. The 24-year-old was working as…

Dáil support for an all-party motion backing calls for a public inquiry into the Ballymurphy Massacre has offered hope to the families that the truth may finally come out. Following a meeting with the families of the 11 civilians killed by the 1st battalion, Parachute Regiment of the British Army in Ballymurphy, Belfast in 1971,…

The Parish Priest for the Travelling community in Dublin has said a recent meeting with Government representatives has given hope of formal State recognition of Traveller ethnicity.   Fr Derek Farrell, PP of the Parish of the Travelling People, attended a Roundtable Meeting on Traveller Ethnicity last week with representatives of Traveller organisations and senior…

Preparations are underway in Westport parish to host thousands of pilgrims expected to brave the climb up Croagh Patrick for the annual Reek Sunday pilgrimage. “We have been preparing for the last few months and are looking forward to it. It is always a high point of the parish calendar and for the people of…

The administrator of Carlow Cathedral had his prayers answered as he safely landed following a parachute jump on Saturday to raise money for the parish fund. Fr John Cummins and parishioners Mark Carpenter, Marie Therese Byrne and Jo Brecknell, completed a tandem skydive at Clonbullogue Airfield following weeks of collecting sponsorship around the parish. “It…

Parishioners in Belfast’s Ardoyne have expressed relief that for the third consecutive year there has been no violent confrontation between the Nationalist and Loyalist communities during the Twelfth celebrations. While Monday’s morning parade had been peaceful, Loyalist rioting broke out with police when the return parade was prevented from marching past the Ardoyne shop fronts…

Government spending on Ireland’s embassy to Italy continued to increase despite claims one of the key reasons the Vatican embassy was shut down was to reduce expense at the other Rome embassy. Ireland’s embassy to the Holy See reopened late last year just three years after then Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore announced the closure. As…

Friars ready for ‘Battle of Waterloo’ stance