Participants at a youth gathering in Dublin to celebrate the Year of Mercy describe their experience Last week Dublin’s RDS hosted a gathering of more than 500 Transition Year students from all over the island of Ireland, along with teachers, chaplains, priests, religious and volunteers, who came together to celebrate the Year of Mercy. This…

Broadcaster and producer Andrea Hayes shares her experience of living with chronic pain In December 2013 I took a phone call that would change my life for ever. Having spent more than half of my life looking for an explanation for the constant pain I have had since my teens, it suddenly seemed as if…

My dear father, Joseph Louis Conroy, Joe to most of his family and friends, died a month ago. No matter what age a parent is or how long they’ve been battling illness, whether sudden or unexpected, nothing prepares you for that final farewell. Although my father had been diagnosed with cancer some years ago, had…

I wrote recently about the impact it can have to identify with the story of others. Walking in the shoes of others can challenge us and help us to grow in faith. I have a book that I dip into on a regular basis called, All Saints – Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets and Witnesses…

Sean Muldoon, Méabh Corrigan and Orlaith McGarvey address the issue of how to involve young people in parish life Why do the youth feel lost today? And why do our parishes find it so difficult to attract young people? With the increasing secularisation of society many young people are more interested in Snapchat, Facebook and…

Sweet Treats It may be hard to believe, but sometimes there’s some leftover chocolate after Easter. If the idea of eating one more mini egg makes you want to scream, then read no more. If you are a committed chocolate fan and could indulge in Easter eggs until the ends of days, then you will…

“What would you have done if you were there?” That is a question that has been posed many times in our house over recent weeks. The commemoration of the 1916 Rising has engaged us all and challenged us to think, to reflect and to explore our beliefs and attitudes. My daughter’s class have been involved…

Psychologists are trained from the earliest days of their studies to respect and love statistics. We are trained to keep an eye on trends and patterns. One way of doing this is through research. It informs our thinking and practice about what works for whom. Psychologists in clinical practice tend to note the frequency of…

Despite seeing terrible suffering, children’s hospital chaplain Sr Julie Buckley has never lost faith in God, writes Mags Gargan Sr Julie Buckley SMR is head chaplain at the Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street in Dublin. Originally from Cork she started off her nursing training in the Richmond Hospital, in Dublin, before returning to Cork to…

I told Seán that he is the best hurler in the county the other day. When you live on the Isle of Wight, you can make such bold statements, safe in the knowledge that Seán and I are perhaps the only hurlers in this particular English county. There is a GAA club across the water…