There are some programmes I like and some I dislike, and then there are programmes I find inspiring at times, and irritating at others. Liveline (RTÉ Radio 1) fits into the latter category, and last week I was definitely irritated. It all started on the Tuesday when ‘Diane’ (not her real name) expressed how upset…
Mainly About Books by the books editor The publication in late 2016 of Pat Wallace’s Viking Dublin (Irish Academic Press, €60.00), was a summation of decades of work by two generations of archaeologists from the National Museum and others, to define the city’s beginnings. However, the book has nothing really to say about pre-Viking…
Living the Mystery: What lies between Science and Religion by Mark Patrick Hederman (Columba Books, €19.99) Christopher Moriarty This book is a heartfelt plea from its erudite author who has spent more than 50 years of his life as a Benedictine monk. As a devoted man of religion, he celebrates the value of faith and, as…
A Farewell to Poetry: selected Poems and Translations by Gabriel Fitzmaurice (Currach Press, €19.99) Seamus Cashman The title of this collection invites echoes of its author’s friend and fellow poet Michael Hartnett’s Farewell to English — and who knows, perhaps Gabriel’s mind is quietly nurturing a similar outcome? Though it is a challenging title, it…
The Joy of God: Collected Writings by Sr Mary David with a foreword by Fr Erik Vardan (Bloomsbury, £12.99) This collection of essays, or rather talks, reveals a very interesting character. The author Sr Mary David had a late vocation. American born she was educated there, attending Loyola University and the University of Virginia, before crossing…
No doubt the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland (NYOI) is already planning its courses and programmes for its golden jubilee next year. Founded in 1970 by the intrepid Olive Smith (often mischievously but endearingly referred to as ‘Granny’ Smith by the teenage players) and the Dublin-born, London-based violinist Hugh Maguire, who was also NYOI’s conductor…
The Bible Tells Me So…Why defending Scripture has made us unable to read it by Peter Ennis (Hodder & Stoughton, €14.99) This book, by an American academic and evangelical, is one which will interest a wide audience. Through many years of both teaching and preaching, he came to face a problem. The further he studies the…
One of last week’s biggest news stories was the election of Boris Johnson as leader of the UK Conservative Party and therefore Prime Minister. It has made for some fascinating political discussions in the media. Last weekend, Sunday (BBC Radio 4) asked the question ‘Does Boris do God?’ It was an interesting discussion but rather…
Dom Eugene Boylan: Trappist Monk, Scientist & Writer by Thomas J. Morrissey SJn (Messenger Publications, €19.95) This is an important biography of Dom Eugene Boylan, the well-known abbot of Mount St Joseph, the Cistercian Abbey at Roscrea. He was the author of two once widely read books, This Tremendous Lover and Difficulties in Mental Prayer, which…
The Victorians: The Titans Who Forged Modern Britain by Jacob Rees-Mogg (W.H. Allen, €20.00) At the time of writing the futures of Brexit and the British Conservative party are still unsettled. But whatever happens we can expect the author of this book to have some role in it. Jacob Rees-Mogg is being spoken of by some…
Brendan O’Regan
Peter Costello