Pope Francis has appointed Carlow-born Fr Paul Dempsey as the new Bishop of Achonry. The announcement was made in a communique released by the Vatican this morning (Monday). Up to this point, Fr Dempsey (48) has been Parish Priest of Newbridge in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. Primate of All-Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin congratulated…
Chai Brady and Aron Hegarty The spate of gang violence, brutal killings and spread of drugs and guns wracking Ireland has provoked condemnation from clergy across the country who are calling for more Garda funding and that illegal drug users “wake up” and stop enabling violence. The burning of a man in Cork, dismemberment of…
Abortion rates fall when the Pope visits an area, with the decrease persisting for over a year according to a new study. Scientists led by a team from the University of Sussex found that people were taking more care not to get pregnant after a papal visit. While the number of abortions dropped, the birth…
Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol will be among the big names attending a cross-community arts festival in Belfast later this month. Along with Bafta award-winning filmmaker and playwright Damian Gorman plus homeless campaigner Fr Peter McVerry, he will form part of the line-up for the 2020 inter-church 4 Corners Festival. The Festival, now in its…
A film documenting the 1879 Apparition at Knock, Co. Mayo will have its first screening in the Vatican next week. The film titled Hope, which was written, produced and directed by Co Down native Campbell Miller, will be shown in the Film Vacticana on Monday, January 27. Miller’s feature recreates the August 21, 1879 apparition…
Fr Ray Kelly survived the first elimination from RTÉ1’s Dancing with the Stars at the weekend, despite posting the lowest score on the night. His ch-cha-cha dance with Kylee Vincent to ‘Save the Last Dance for Me’ by Michael Buble, which featured a cameo from comedian Des Bishop, scored a six. Of the judging panel, Brian Redmond gave…
Pro-life party Aontú has vowed to insist on legislation making pain relief for babies due to be aborted as mandatory. Launching its manifesto this week the party – which is running 25 candidates and is confident of making gains – also said that it would prioritise the right of everyone to conscientious objection where abortion…
The current rector of the Notre-Dame Centre for Faith and Reason in Dublin will be returning to the US, it has been announced, with his replacement “excited” to begin this summer. Fr Bill Dailey CSC, who headed the famous University Church founded by St John Henry at Stephen’s Green, will return to the US to…
Irish bishops who have just returned from a fact-finding mission to the Holy Land say that have been inspired by the “enduring resilience” of the small Christian community there. Bishop Noel Treanor or Down and Connor and Bishop Alan McGuckian of Raphoe were part of an international delegation who travelled to the region to show…
A Catholic priest in Co. Tyrone cancelled a political party’s meeting at a church hall over their support for abortion. Fr Eugene O’Neill snubbed a booking from pro-abortion party Sinn Féin to use St Patrick’s Hall in Coalisland after being contacted by pro-life campaigners. The parish hall had been booked for Deputy First Minister Michelle…
Chai Brady