Northern Catholics speak out against ‘no deal’ Brexit Greg Daly, Chai Brady and Colm Fitzpatrick Prominent Northern Catholics have warned that a ‘no deal’ Brexit would be a disaster and insisted that uncertainty around Britain’s exit from the European Union is increasing pressure for a referendum on a united Ireland. Their comments come as former Unionist leader David Trimble…
Category: Irish News
Brexit and unity
Northern Catholics respond to David Trimble and Kate Hoey Fr Joe McVeigh “We want the Irish government to pursue the whole thing about the border poll which is part of the Good Friday Agreement and Trimble was one of the people who negotiated that and accepted that.” “…The whole momentum is going towards Irish…
Fight social problems not Church ones, Bro. Kevin urges Government
Minister Josepha Madigan should concentrate on tackling poverty and inequality in Ireland rather than complaining about the Church, Bro. Kevin Crowley has said. In a letter to The Irish Catholic, the leading homelessness campaigner appeals to the minister to use her influence with the Taoiseach and other Government ministers to champion the cause of fighting…
‘Bring solutions’ to online safety battle, tech companies urged
Social media companies should take their civic responsibilities seriously and not wait for the Government, communities or schools to react to online safety concerns, the Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA) has said. Minister for Communications Richard Bruton announced plans for new internet safety laws this week. They include the appointment of an Online Safety…
Big gender divide in Ireland’s Bible baby names
Bible names for boys have once again topped the list of the most popular baby names registered last year. Jack (the diminutive of John) and James came first and second respectively in the list for both 2017 and 2018 according to CSO statistics. Out of the top 10 there were seven biblical names in total,…
Bishops must back young evangelists – primate
The Church must find ways to help young people share the Christian message, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh has said. Speaking to around 8,500 young people at the Flame 2019 conference in London, the Primate of All-Ireland described how in Rome last year at the synod on young people he admitted that he finds it…
Parents’ pockets empty over ‘crazy’ Communion costs
Parents shouldn’t be relying on loan-sharks to curb the “crazy” costs of Communion celebrations, a spokesperson for a well-known family support centre has said. Valerie O’Carroll, manager of Ballymun Child and Family Resource Centre in Dublin, said it’s “absolutely crazy” the amount of money being spent on Communion celebrations, noting that the Sacrament has transformed…
Probe into ‘truly awful’ anti-Catholic allegations
An investigation into alleged serious sectarian activity in a Belfast hospital “harks back to the past” and “can’t be tolerated” a Fermanagh-based priest has said. This comes as a covert probe into sectarianism instigated by NHS bosses relating to events in Belfast City Hospital has come to light. It was launched after allegations of harassment…
‘Sorrow and shame’ in Donegal over notorious clerical abuser
Raphoe’s Bishop Alan McGuckian has expressed sorrow on behalf of the diocese for the abuse of children by the late Eugene Greene. The onetime priest of the diocese, whose death in Cork last November was announced yesterday, pleaded guilty in 1999 to 40 counts of sexual assaults of children between 1965 and 1982. Sentenced to…
Homeless housing delivered with water charge refund donations
A leading homeless charity has opened its newest social housing development partly funded by people donating their Irish Water refunds to charity. The social housing opened yesterday (February 28) in Ravenswood, Fingal, Co. Dublin. The scheme is the charity’s first green-field development and consists of eight one-bedroom homes with a small community building. It’s designed…