There are some evenings when a conversation stays with you long after you have left the room. Last night, in my favourite Donegal pub, I witnessed something that reminded me of the extraordinary power of a story well told. My two teenage daughters were sitting listening to Marie, a 76-year-old Belfast woman whose capacity for…
Parishes really need to learn how to welcome people here is something rather wonderful about seeing five-year-olds arrive at school in their brand-new uniforms. The shiny shoes, the pristine jumpers and the excitement of beginning primary school all signal a new chapter for children and their families. On Sunday, I was reminded of that…
Our Church is more diverse than most people think I spent a week in Romania recently living with a Catholic priest, his wife and their two children. That sentence may cause some readers to pause. A Catholic priest with a wife and children? Yes. And before anyone jumps to conclusions, this was not a…
One of the dangers – and privileges – of writing a column is that, over time, it reveals rather more about your identity than you intended. Anyone who has endured my words over the past few months will know that I am a mother, a musician, a Catholic educator and somebody who probably romanticises the…
Last week I had the privilege of addressing the patrons of Catholic schools in Ireland at a gathering organised by the Association of Patrons and Trustees of Catholic Schools at the Marino Institute of Education. I was acutely aware of the responsibility involved in addressing such a gathering and I was conscious that I was…
Maybe I am simply getting grumpier with age, but I find myself increasingly exasperated by the constant comparisons between young people today and how they ‘used to be’. According to this narrative, they are distracted by mobile phones, shaped by influencers, dulled by streaming, addicted to gaming, captive to algorithms, morally adrift, socially awkward, unable…
Two years ago, I found myself doing something I never imagined— competing at the All-Ireland Fleadh in Wexford as part of a marching band. Our Comhaltas branch in Scotland, made up largely of first-and second-generation Irish diaspora families, has always had a strong presence at the Fleadh. Traditionally, the branch had members who competed in…
Each year, I have the privilege of teaching cohorts of Catholic student teachers about liturgy and the liturgical year. It is a part of my work I value deeply, not only because of the content itself, but because of what it reveals about the changing landscape of faith among young adults. Twenty-five years ago, many…
Last week, I was in Cambrai, France, with colleagues from across the globe for a meeting of the executive committee of the World Union of Catholic Teachers. I have the privilege of serving as its academic advisor, and of all the meetings and organisations I attend, this one always stands out because its focus is…
After more than thirty years working in Catholic education I have learned not to be alarmed easily by legislative change. Education is constantly evolving. Policies change. Language adapts. Governments revise frameworks. But every so often, a development occurs that points to something much deeper than routine reform. It signals a change in first principles. Last…