Utopia for Realists and How we Can Get There by Rutger Bergman (Bloomsbury, £8.99; can be ordered online for around €10.00) Christopher Moriarty At Easter, Pope Francis delivered a message endorsing the concept of the universal basic wage. This idea, whereby every individual receives a basic income from their government whether they are in employment…
The Bee’s Knees by James Morrissey (Currach Books, €19.99) Barbara Pierce The title comes from 1920s slang: “Bee’s knees – highly admired person or thing; Something excellent!” This all applies so well to James Morrissey’s tremendous book. As a long-time bee keeper in flowery south Dublin, I simply loved it and warmly recommend it to all.…
So, last week it was the second anniversary of the referendum to repeal the Eight Amendment, but I didn’t notice much about it in the media. Maybe we’re ashamed of what we did and want to pretend it didn’t happen? Anyway, some were in triumphalist mode. On the Pat Kenny Show (Newstalk FM) last Thursday,…
In this series, some literary collaborators will be giving suggestions for lockdown reading, books of all kinds to amuse and raise our spirits. This week: Ian d’Alton writes about The Swiss Family Robinson (1812) and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There (1871) For adults, children’s books often open a window onto a…
I grew up believing Jean Harlow died of renal failure in 1937 because her Christian Science mother wouldn’t allow her have a blood transfusion. That story was subsequently debunked. A few years ago, I reviewed the Emma Thompson film The Children Act on these pages. It dealt with a boy who refuses to have a…
Medieval Philosophy (A History of Philosophy without any Gaps) by Peter Adamson (Oxford University Press, £25) When I discussed with a friend my intention of reviewing this tome – and tome it is, running to more than 600 closely printed pages – he wondered: “Are readers of The Irish Catholic interested in medieval philosophy?” Ignoring this…
The Sin of Certainty: Why God desires our trust more than our ‘correct’ beliefs by Peter Enns (Hodder & Stoughton, £14.99) Author Enns, who is a professor of Biblical Studies at a Pennsylvanian University, is a writer in the evangelical tradition. This book, though issued before the present plague descended on us, has interesting things to…
Irish Servicewomen in the Great War: From Western Front to roaring twenties by Barbara Walsh (Pen & Sword Books, €25) Books dealing with service in time of crisis or disaster are always an interesting read, as so often they reveal aspects of the best parts of people’s characters. This is especially true in war, and the…
Over the coming weeks some of our literary collaborators will give suggestions for ‘lock-down reading’, books of all kinds to amuse and raise our spirits. This week: Anthony Redmond on The Path to Rome (1902) by Hilaire Belloc. It must be 40 years since I first read The Path to Rome and I have…
Was news ever presented free of spin? Maybe it never was but I think the problem is worse now. These thoughts were prompted by the headlines Tuesday morning of last week. I woke up to Morning Ireland (RTÉ Radio 1) news headlines telling me that the Covid restrictions could last for years. It’s a wonder…
Brendan O’Regan
Aubrey Malone
Peter Costello