September often sees the return of old shows. Sunday Morning Live (BBC One) returned recently for a new season, and among the issues discussed on last Sunday’s show was the thorny one of accountability for crimes committed by soldiers. This has a particular relevance for legacy issues in Northern Ireland. As is often the case,…
Last week I wrote about Fr Michael Baggott, a professor lecturing AI and ethics in the Vatican, on foot of a BBC appearance. I wasn’t expecting to come across him again so soon. He gave a very comprehensive interview on The Claire Byrne Show (Newstalk, Tuesday). As before he was articulate, personable and reasonable –…
I’m a fan of practical AI tools, but conscious of the broader dangers involved. ‘The Vatican’s AI Battle’ was the rather alarmist subtitle of Heart and Soul (BBC World Service, Friday). The issue raised was “What a God-like Artificial Intelligence might mean for humanity”. American priest in the Vatican, Fr Michael Baggot, who lectured in…
With Heritage Week running currently, it was good to see aspects of our spiritual heritage getting attention in the media. On Morning Ireland (RTÉ Radio 1, Friday) reporter Joe Caulfield spoke to some of the pilgrims on St Patrick’s Purgatory, Lough Derg, described as one of the oldest Christian pilgrimages, attracting pilgrims for over 1500…
There has been so much in the media over the last few months about the bad effects, on children in particular, of mobile phones and social media. Some would decry it as the latest moral panic, but I think there’s a lot to be concerned about. One of the best items on the problems was…
People often complain these days about a coarsening of public debate, but it’s not just happening on social media. I’ve noticed a tendency for bad language to become more common in mainstream media, both from interviewees and even worse from presenters. The practice has long been common in film and TV drama and if you…
Just when you think you can’t be shocked anymore by the terrible things that go on in the world, you get a double whammy. First off, on the News at One (RTÉ Radio 1, Tuesday) I heard about the awful stabbing of a woman in a church in Tramore, during the Rosary and just before…
I turned on the radio last Friday morning and heard Ryan Tubridy speaking – what was this, a time warp? It’s a long time since he’s had a morning radio show. But no, I was indeed in the present moment – he was a guest on Times Radio Breakfast, and what he was saying was…
I was at a funeral last week, and once again I was reminded of the wonderful support priests provide to their parishioners in times of difficulty. This brought to mind an item I had heard earlier in the week. Today with David McCullagh (RTÉ Radio 1, Wednesday) featured three priests in active duty – Fr…
It’s great to come upon a programme that’s inspiring, informative and well made. I got all three last Monday night with Heart of a Servant – The Father Flanagan Story (RTÉ One). It was a high-quality documentary about the Irish priest who founded Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska. I knew the bare bones of the story,…
Brendan O’Regan