Fr Bill Kemmy When people ask me what I ‘do for a living’, for harmless distraction I sometimes tell them that I work for a large multinational that specialises in communications and salvage. Within that admittedly lame gag lies an essential truth. The Church is in the communications business, not as an optional extra but at its…
Category: Irish News
A shepherd from the flock
The ordination of Bishop Larry Duffy was a powerful expression of a deep faith in Clogher, writes Greg Daly “He’s common sense down to his fingertips – a deeply spiritual man, but a very ordinary one,” a former parishioner of Ireland’s newest bishop said as the crowds struggled to make their way down the…
Pro-life group urges action for St Valentine’s
A prominent pro-life group is calling on Irish people to donate childcare essentials to help pregnant women and mothers with newborns as part of St Valentine’s Day. Love Both, which spearheaded the retention of the Eighth Amendment last year, is asking pro-life supporters to “show their love” by sending vouchers and/or new or unused vests…
Pro-life Fine Gael member suspension is overturned
A prominent pro-life activist who was ousted from Fine Gael’s national executive over a series of controversial tweets has had his suspension from the party overturned. Former Young Fine Gael president Barry Walsh resigned from the party’s national executive in November 2017, with the party’s disciplinary committee subsequently deciding to suspend him for 12 months,…
10,000 expected at Galway Novena
About 10,000 people are expected to attend this year’s 38th Galway Novena with over 300 volunteers, cathedral staff and a Redemptorist team of 12 making the event possible. The Novena will run from February 18-26 at Galway Cathedral with reflection on ‘the Joy of Love and Family Life Today’. The early morning weekday Masses will…
Majority call for Friday Fast reintroduction in IC poll
A two-thirds majority of people have voted to reinstate abstention from meat in particular on Fridays rather than Catholics choosing their penance. In a social media poll conducted by this paper, in which over 250 people responded, 71% called for meat to be struck from the menu like it was before a 1983 decree from…
In Brief
Ireland pays tribute to pro-family advocate Tributes have poured in for pro-life advocate Nora Bennis, who died at the age of 78 on February 11. The Limerick woman, who was well-known for promoting traditional Catholic values, stood for election in both the European and General Election in 1994 and in 2016. She also initiated a group called the Irish mothers…
In Brief
Housing charity ‘delighted’ with progress Peter McVerry Trust, the national housing and homeless charity, has welcomed the release of figures showing that housing completions increased by 20% in 2018. The charity said it hoped the increase in the supply of new homes would make it easier to reduce the numbers in homeless hostels, hotels, B&Bs and all other forms…
Missionaries see hope in rise of Venezuelan people
Irish priests promise to stand by the people Exclusive Irish missionaries in beleaguered Venezuela have said they see fresh hope in large peaceful protests against the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Although the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart say the situation in the South American country is much worse now than even a year…
‘Fat, balding Irish bishop’ doesn’t have clout
Don’t rely on a “fat, balding Irish bishop” to speak out and defend the Church, a US cardinal has warned. It is unclear whether the head of the Archdiocese of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, was just talking about himself, but he sent out a strong message not to rely on clergy to defend the…


Greg Daly



Chai Brady



