Northern Ireland can no longer be viewed as consisting of two groups, religiously speaking, namely the Catholic and the Protestants. What must also be added into the mix are the non-religious, who are growing in number. This is one of the main findings of a major new poll on attitudes to religion in the North.…
Two years ago, we watched with horror what had happened to innocent Israeli citizens as they enjoyed a music festival. Since then, we have witnessed the daily news from Gaza and shook our heads in disbelief: bombed hospitals, broken homes, frightened children. Now, at last, there are signs of hope — the announcement of a…
Maria Steen on how party control and arrogance have turned politics into a closed circle It is two weeks since I exited the presidential race, having received 18 of the 20 nominations required. In that short time, a lot has happened: what could have been a full line up of candidates – as in 2011…
If Dame Sarah Mullally, the newly-appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, has an Irish surname, it’s because she is married to an Irishman, architect Eamonn Mullally (they have two children, Liam and Grace.) Her appointment as the first woman to lead the Anglican Communion world-wide has been greeted as historic; yet the reaction has been ambivalent, sometimes…
I’m shopping for a church!” an American once told me. As a cradle Catholic, the notion seemed alien to me. Yet how many of us, followers of Christ, opt to choose and create a Church in our own image and likeness, to suit how we live? “I only believe half of it,” a well-known Catholic…
Patricia Routledge died recently. The much-loved British actor was best known for her portrayal of shameless snob, Hyacinth Bucket, although the character insisted that her surname was pronounced Bouquet. The comedy in the series, Keeping Up Appearances, was based on skewering her pretensions. Mrs Bucket had many catchphrases, including answering the phone (which she insisted…
The growing perception around youth and faith is that young people are slipping away from religion, or simply not engaging with it all. Meanwhile, university Catholic societies such as Newman Society (University College Dublin) and Laurentian Society (Trinity College) are holding steadfast in their faith, creating communities where young Catholics can socialise, voice questions and…
Most people don’t know how many AI startups have emerged over the past few months. Even in our Catholic circle, Magisterium AI has been the forefront of the Catholic AI space, with a robust database and thousands of users that have found the website extremely helpful. Other big tech companies have now made it their…
When should you cancel your subscription to a streaming channel? I’m not referring here to trying to save yourself some money, but more to save your sanity and also to object to some of the content a given channel is streaming. Netflix is currently embroiled in controversy over a show called Dead End: Paranormal Park,…
I reported, over a month ago, on the ubiquity of the Union Jack and St George flags now so popularly flown across England. And since travelling between England and Ireland, I’ve noticed the Irish tricolour has been increasingly displayed in parts of Dublin, fluttering from private homes and from street furniture. And now, it seems,…
David Quinn
Maria Steen
Mary Kenny
Martina Purdy
Breda O'Brien