Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?: The World Facing the Pandemic. The Statio Orbis of March 27, 2020 by Pope Francis (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, €17.25; available through Knock Shrine Online Store) “For weeks now it has been evening. Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities; it has taken over our lives,…
Rhyming History: The Irish War of Independence and the Ballads of Atrocity in the Valley of Knockanure by Gabriel Fitzmaurice (North Kerry Literary Trust , €15.00; can be ordered from the Kerry Writers’ Museum, info@kerrywritersmuseum.com, 24 The Square, Listowel, Co. Kerry V31 RD93) G.K. Chesterton once famously rhymed: “The great Gaels of Ireland are the men that…
The National Anthems of the EU Countries by Liam Murphy (Kingdom books, €18.00) Though World War II was an Armageddon of evil, it had at least one good result: what became the European Union (EU) emerged from its embers. This historic union was formed by European statesmen who were determined that their countries would never again…
Unintended Consequences: The story of Irish Immigration to the US and how America’s door was closed to the Irish by Ray O’Hanlon (Merrion Press, €19.95) Joe Carroll For over 150 years the Irish crossed the Atlantic to make a new life in the United States and nobody shouted ‘stop’. Then in 1965 the open door narrowed…
It’s hard to believe Bob Dylan will be 80 on the 24th of this month. He’s ingested so many substances into that hard-travellin’ body of his over the years. There was a time I didn’t think he’d even make it to 50. To quote Kris Kristofferson, another singer-songwriter who has no right to be alive…
The issue of the homeless got something of extra profile when Covid-19 kicked off, with extra efforts being made to make sure they had shelter and protection. It showed we could move on the problem when there was enough motivation. On Times Radio Breakfast last Saturday morning presenter Jenny Kleeman covered an aspect of homelessness…
Maynooth: A College across Four Centuries edited by Salvador Ryan and John Paul Sheridan (Messenger Publications, €50.00/£40.00) This compilation of Maynoothiana has been prepared to celebrate the 225th anniversary of its foundation with a backward look or two at earlier events. It is the kind of book which the many thousands of those associated with Ireland’s…
Recently congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, US representative in Washington for Georgia’s 14 congressional district, a lady deep sunk in controversies of all kinds, raised a few more eye-brows by her reference to the “Anglo-Saxon heritage” on which “these United States” are raised. She is, of course, one of those who have in any case little…
Saint Ignatius of Loyola: A Convert’s Story by Patrick Corkery (Messenger Booklets, €4.95/£4.50) From this month through July 2022 the Society of Jesus celebrates an Ignation year. This marks the 500th anniversary of St Ignatius’ ‘conversion’. He had been struck down on the field of battle and was confined to his bed, recovering from a cannonball…
I have three main go-to programmes every weekend when it comes to religious affairs. All three are on radio and all three had plenty of interest last week. The Leap of Faith (RTÉ Radio One, Friday) was a particularly positive episode. The show featured an important interview with Catherine Wiley founder of the Catholic Grandparents Association.…
Peter Costello
Aubrey Malone
Brendan O’Regan