Séamus Hickey has seen hurling from nearly every angle – player, mentor, and now observer. A former Limerick hurler, he was a tenacious defender, winning Young Hurler of the Year in 2007 and representing his county for over a decade before becoming an eventual All-Ireland winner in 2018. But his insights into the game extend…
Category: Feature
Catholic social teaching as a guiding light
Christian social justice work has generally become more politicised over the last decade, Dr Anna Rowlands warns. A month ago, the new US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, achieved what most theologians fail to do in a lifetime: to make Thomas Aquinas and St Augustine headline news. Following an interview on Fox…
Darach Honan: A life beyond hurling
Born and raised in Clonlara, Co. Clare, Darach Honan’s life has been shaped by both his love of hurling and the strong sense of community that defines his home. The once towering full forward, one of the most recognisable of Clare’s All-Ireland winning team in 2013, is known not just for his black and red…
A unique Dominican way of living
It is just standard for students to share houses/apartments with other students while in college, however, that’s not the only option. The Dominican Sisters, Cabra are providing an alternative to that, opening a house in Harold’s Cross to young women who would like to live in community with Sisters. Sr Eileen O’Connell and Sr Eilís…
Crossmaglen’s guardian: From oppression to glory
Growing up in Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh during the turbulent 1980s, Paul Hearty’s world was shaped by more than just Gaelic football. The shadow of the Troubles loomed large, with the border town finding itself at the very centre of the sectarian conflict. The colossal British army barracks also cast a dark cloud over the very…
‘What we were doing was right’
Msgr Raymond Murray had an uphill battle exposing human rights abuses, writes Martin O’Brien This in depth interview with Fr Raymond Murray was first published on November 14, 2013. It is being republished following the death of Fr Murray on February 25, 2025. “It was all about breaking the wall of silence,” explains Armagh priest…
What does it mean to be a priest in today’s world?
Fr Joe Mullen I once heard an amusing description of the three stages of priestly ministry. Seemingly it begins at ordination with a big head, continues in middle years with a big belly and concludes when the Lord calls one home with a big funeral! As so often with the dig of gentle humour,…
‘Carlo Acutis, I am in your hands’: Catholic paediatrician recovers from cancer
Diego Lopez Marina – ACI PRENSA With a radiant smile, paediatric physician María Dolores Rosique, known as ‘Lola’, to family and friends, recounted her testimony of healing after overcoming aggressive abdominal cancer. She believes her recovery began after visiting the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis in Assisi, Italy, placing herself completely under his care.…
The Irish Synod must ask harder questions to secure the Church’s future
The National Synodal Team has released a list of themes and resources for proposed Spring Gatherings at local level nationally. Revisiting the generalised themes that emerged from the parish focus group stages of the Universal Synod in Ireland is useful, but three years after initial focus groups identified broad themes for discussion, the upcoming Synod…
Diary of a parish Pastor Notes in haste – February 2025
Re-instating St Valentine? St Valentines Day was a hard day for me this year. It was a Friday, remember, an ‘ordinary’ weekday. And in my rural parish, weekday Masses are not big hits: usually it’s the sacristan and me and one or two others who concelebrate the liturgy. This means that strange feasts like that of…





Renata Steffens





