We don’t like to talk too much about death. It’s the ultimate elephant in the room – inevitable and ignored for as long as possible, while we use euphemism to whistle past the graveyard. On The Moral Maze (BBC Radio 4, Wednesday), many of the issues surrounding death were literally interrogated as the panel quizzed…
I have felt for a long time that the Church needs to get its act together on same-sex attraction. There have been too many own goals, too many myths, too many misunderstandings. I’d suggest what is needed is clear, orthodox and challenging teaching expressed and effected in the most modern, empathic, compassionate and pastoral way…
There is a phenomenon I’d call ‘the illusion of consultation’ – e.g. where a government or one of its offshoots consults the public on a topic, and then proceeds to do what they were going to do anyway. The current consultation on the new Primary school Curriculum was featured on Newstalk Breakfast Thursday, June 6.…
For many, religion can be inspirational and enhancing, bringing out the best in people as they try to live in a harmonious relationship with God, each other and nature. But it can turn sour if infected by extremism, and that draws the media like a magnet. Cults are a particularly ugly manifestation of this, a…
Resistance is sometimes easy, when you have public or cultural support, or difficult when you’re up against public disapproval or Government oppression. On Liveline (RTE Radio 1, Friday) we heard the fascinating story of Sr Kate McCarthy, an Irish religious sister who was part of the French resistance during World War II. Her story was…
At first glance, the streaming show Bodkin seems very modern in its attitude, but as it progresses, it reveals that Catholicism is still integral to Ireland. If you’ve logged into Netflix in recent weeks, you’ll likely have seen Bodkin promoted. Supposedly a comedy, it has all the tropes of a particular depiction of modern Irishness.…
Media debates can be frustrating when people are talking at cross purposes, misunderstanding or misrepresenting each other and generally being illogical. These thoughts were prompted by Today with Claire Byrne (RTÉ Radio 1, Tuesday), when the topic was the proposed reduction in welfare contributions to Ukrainians here since the beginning of the war – the…
Some days I get more confused than others – it could be the weather; it could be the politics but Wednesday of last week it was the law. Listening sleepily to Morning Ireland (RTÉ Radio 1) I heard an interview with Padraic Jones, Chief Superintendent of Community Engagement with An Garda Síochána on foot of…
Often there’s a TV series that is very good in its first season, but instead of leaving it at that they capitalise on the success and produce a second series. Sometimes it’s just inferior, perhaps because original ideas have run out, or the novelty value has worn off. Recently I’ve been keeping up with the…
Most TV services have a rake of channels down the list that few people ever watch. Most are happy with the Irish channels and the main UK services like BBC, ITV and Channel 4. But good stuff often lurks far down the list – eg Sky Arts and PBS America. Both are home to excellent…
Brendan O’Regan
Ian Dunn