Part 2 of a new series on Faith in modern Ireland with Eoin McCormack Have you ever found yourself in the often-awkward position in work or in another other social setting where you are somehow elected the spokesperson for all things Catholic? Over the next few weeks, this column will explore how we can better…
Notebook spend a lot of time on social media, sometimes I fear, too much time. Technology and communications have always held an interest for me so, in many ways, it is perhaps natural and understandable that I would pursue these interests and social media sits squarely in that space. For many years I have had…
When Maud Gonne MacBride – our national icon, and forever muse to Yeats – attended a socialist political meeting in London in her youth, she was dismayed by the outcome. After being addressed by Scots socialist leader Keir Hardie, the crowd of trade unionists and fiery socialists assembled in Trafalgar Square affirmed their commitment to…
It has been reported that religion was the most popular choice by secondary school students as the subject they would “like to see more of” in school. In a survey carried out by Amárach Research, religion came out top at 34% with psychology and drama “also mentioned frequently.” This is a very welcome statistic, particularly…
Fr Paul Murphy, the army chaplain stabbed multiple times on his way into Renmore army barracks in Galway last Thursday night, was very fortunate to escape with his life, and it seems, without any long-term, life-altering incidents. The alleged assailant was a 16-year-old who cannot be named because of his age. Gardai have established that…
Three decades on from the IRA ceasefire, it’s right to recall the role played by prominent priests writes Michael Kelly It would become an iconic image of the terrible civil conflict on our island we euphemistically call ‘the Troubles’. Redemptorist Fr Alec Reid kneeling reciting the last rites for two British soldiers who had just…
A Dubliner, who liked a jar, was courting a Belfast woman in the eighties and was delighted when she invited him and his friends to Clonard. It was Sunday, and having enjoyed themselves the night before, they rushed to get ready – only to find that Clonard was not a local pub, but a monastery.…
Letter from Rome Jonah McKeown After the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAFL) last month issued a booklet summarising the Church’s teaching on a number of bioethical issues, the section on “artificial nutrition and hydration” (ANH) has some observers concerned about what they see as a departure from previous Church teaching. The Pontifical Academy for Life…
Part 1 of a new series on Faith in modern Ireland with Eoin McCormack Have you ever found yourself in the often-awkward position at work or in other social settings where you are elected as the spokesperson for all things Catholic? As society continues to diverge from the Church, if you’re a practicing Catholic in…
“I believe in evolution. I’m an atheist” was the declaration of one man on meeting him recently. But is it a case of ‘either/or’ or ‘both/and’? Is it possible to accept the theory of evolution and still believe in a Creator God? ‘Both/And’, Not ‘Either/Or’ The ‘either/or’ choice of evolution or Biblical faith is based…
Mary Kenny
David Quinn
Michael Kelly
Martina Purdy