My ignorance of the pigeon world was almost absolute before I saw Million Dollar Pigeons (15A), an unusual documentary about the high-flying world of pigeon fanciers. Gavin Fitzgerald’s film goes all over the world. We see those at the top of the sport in America, South Africa, China and even Thailand. He starts with a…
In the middle of head-wrecking controversies it’s welcome to come across a programme that front-loads positivity. The Leap of Faith (RTE, Friday) was well timed as the COP27 Climate Change Conference was drawing to a close. It was good to hear positivity and optimism in a new book The Parish as Oasis: An Introduction to…
by Frank Litton A force for good? Reflections on neutrality and the future of Irish defence. Dublin: Afri 2022, ISBN 0-9511178-3-5 (Afri can be reached at 8 New Cabra Road, Dublin7, DO7 T1W2; email: admin@afri.ie) War once more in Europe, once more slaughter, devastation, lives destroyed. Once more efforts to make sense of it all,…
Disciples of Courage: Ten Christian Lives that Inspire by Brendan Comerford SJ (Messenger Publications, €19.95/£18.95) November has long been a month devoted to recalling the dead and to celebrating their achievements. With the constant pursuit of novelty and celebrity these days, such as Halloween and the commercialisation of the Dia de los Muertos (the Mexican…
Life in Abundance: Attractiveness of the Catholic Way of Life, by Eamon Flanagan CM (Kolbe Publications, €10.00). This collection of essays and poems contains a large measure of wisdom and useful information. But this is not all for also at the outset the author provides an excellent reading-list for those who wish to pursue what…
It was another week of disturbing religious controversy, but I’ll start with something different. Philip Nolan was a familiar figure right through Covid times as he was a member of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET). Now Director General of Science Foundation Ireland he was promoting Science Week on The Pat Kenny Show (Newstalk,…
A recent event in the National Concert Hall’s International Concert Series brought young UK pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason to Dublin for the first time. Isata is the eldest of the family of seven each of whom appears to be endowed with an unusual element of musical genius. The Kanneh-Masons come from Nottingham where London-born father, Stuart,…
by the editors of Sacred Space (Messenger Publications, €7.95/£6.95) The season of Advent begins at the end of next week, so now is the time to acquire this little seasonal volume, from a long familiar source. Through the prayers and meditations readers will be reminded of the synodal journey on which the people of God…
Vatican Council Memories by Bishop Michael Smith (Veritas Publications, €19.99/£21.99) This is a fascinating inside account of the Second Vatican Council, arguably one of the most important events in the history of the Church in recent times. In 1959, soon after his election, Pope John XXIII announced his intention to convene an Ecumenical Council. In…
Pondering President Putin’s remarks on Russia’s role in history, I have come to think that some of Putin’s seemingly strange views might possibly be explained by the maps he used as a schoolboy. Like so many educated people around the world, his picture of the world has been seriously distorted by the types of school…
Aubrey Malone
Breda O'Brien
Peter Costello
Brendan O’Regan