I’d need the full newspaper to do justice to all the media coverage of the World Meeting of Families and the papal visit, so I’ll stick to some of what stood out for me. First off, hats off to RTÉ’s religious programmes department and the outside broadcast units for the live coverage of last weekend’s…
An Astonishing Secret: The Love Story of Creation and the Wonder of You by Daniel O’Leary (Columba Press, €14.99) Anthony Redmond Fr Daniel O’Leary is a well-known Irish priest, author and speaker living in England. I have read a number of his books. He is a superb writer, deeply moving, inspirational and lyrical. In his latest…
A Walking Tour of Dublin Churches by Liam C. Martin (Veritas, €7.99) Artist Liam C. Martin was a very popular delineator of Dublin and other places, who died in1998. It is nice to see his little book back in print, for such a thing is much needed. Also available is a new Sightseeing Map of Dublin’s…
The Book of Kells: Official Guide by Bernard Meehan (Thames & Hudson, £12.95) Quite aside from all the changes that have overtaken Christianity in Ireland in recent decades, everyone still has to admit that the art of Early Christian Ireland – exemplified by the Ardagh Chalice, the Cross of Cong, the Derrynaflan hoard, and above all…
Pope Francis: A Man of his Word (PG) St Francis of Assisi travelled to the Holy Land 800 years ago to try and end a war. Today his successor is continuing that journey. Pope Francis – ‘Papa Francesco!’ to the crowds who swarm around him in his native Argentina – has made it his mission to continue the work of his…
While advance coverage of this week’s papal visit was largely negative, there was one programme at least that struck a positive note. True North: The Pope and I (BBC1, Wednesday) was an affectionate, sometimes whimsical look at the reaction of various people from Northern Ireland to the recent popes and especially to the 1979 visit…
Four Offaly Saints: The Lives of Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, Ciarán of Seir, Colmán of Lynally and Fíonán of Kinnitty by Pádraig Ó Riain (Four Courts Press, €14.95) Homilists and those interested in the early history of Ireland are indebted to Ó Riain for his splendid Dictionary of Irish Saints. For much of his professional life he…
To Love and to be Loved by Desmond O’Donnell (Dominican Publications, €15.00) The many people coming to Dublin next week will all have in mind two themes which the Pope Francis has identified as important not just for all Catholics, but for every human being, indeed for all life on earth. These are the themes of the…
Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig (Canongate, £12.99 ) Peter Hegarty The author of Reasons to Stay Alive describes himself as having once been a ‘terrified young man ‘who was ‘suicidally ill’. His struggles with depression and anxiety inform his writing and journalism: ‘The fact that I have had mental illness, though a nightmare in reality, has…
The Great Cover-Up: The Truth About the Death of Michael Collins by Gerard Murphy (The Collins Press, €19.99) The death of Michael Collins at Bealnablath, Co. Cork, on August 22, 1922 has prompted much comment and writing. No fewer than five books have been published on the subject, as well as numerous articles and countless columns…
Brendan O’Regan
Peter Costello
Aubrey Malone