Sometimes you hear online about what seems to be a big story, but can’t find much if any coverage in the mainstream media. Sometimes they catch up, sometimes it never surfaces. I find the story of the oppression of the Church and other opposing voices in Nicaragua to be largely under the radar. So, it…

Last week I was reflecting on visionary political leadership, but I didn’t expect to be returning to the topic so soon. Queen Elizabeth II was one of those leaders, though perhaps ‘inspirational’ might be a better description. Her unexpected death last week was one of those impactful events that grabs a huge amount of media…

Several of this week’s stories and programmes had me thinking about the importance of visionary leadership and how that quality is largely lacking these days, especially in the political arena. The death last week of Mikhail Gorbachev, former premier of the Soviet Union, reminded us of a time when political leaders East and West were…

It used to be very annoying when you missed a programme you wanted to see or hear, especially if it was your own fault. Nowadays you can watch back or listen back via the various catchup services. And so The Leap of Faith (RTÉ Radio One, Friday) made a surprise and low-key return in August.…

Imagine if members of a football club campaigned for the ball to be oval, with 15 a side. It would be fair to say they were really rugby fans and were in the wrong club. So said Kieran Cuddihy on The Hard Shoulder (Newstalk, Wednesday) in his introduction to a piece on the synthesis report…

How does one wade into the transgender debate? Or even dip toes in the water without getting them bitten off? A few preliminary questions I struggle with – how is it that when certain activists disagree with you they immediately accuse you of having a phobia? No, it’s just a contrary opinion! How come when…

This was the question posed by presenter Ciara Kelly on Newstalk Breakfast last Friday. Her guests were journalist David Quinn of the Iona Institute, The Sunday Times and this paper, and Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland – they have clashed in robust debate on many hot button topics over the years. We learned that they…

The tragic figures for Irish abortions in 2021 were released recently but didn’t garner much interest on television and radio. Don’t frighten the horses? What got a little attention was the Minister for Health’s plans for ‘safe access zones’ around places providing abortion ‘services’. It would be more useful to have safe access zones in…

In the worst of pandemic times many people got comfortable with online Masses and for sure they were a brilliant opportunity to engage, but some got to like it so much that they didn’t return to in-person Masses when they could, finding it more meaningful at home. But that deprives them of community and the…

Of all the social justice issues that need attention human trafficking must surely be one of the most urgent. The issue was brought to the fore last week when athlete Mo Farah revealed that he had been trafficked into Britain at a young age. On Drivetime (RTÉ Radio One, Tuesday) presenter Cormac Ó hEadhra interviewed…