Category: Family & Faith

Banana Bread – a perfect low-sugar loaf

Sweet Treats Banana bread is a staple in any baker’s repertoire and this recipe doesn’t even call for a hand mixer so it’s perfect for beginners. If you don’t even have a loaf tin you could always make mini banana bread muffins, a delicious breakfast treat, just adjust the cooking time down as necessary. A…

Faith in the family

“No, the Word is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart for your observance.” (Deuteronomy 30:14) I was reading at Mass a couple of weeks ago and that line stayed with me. It was that sense that God’s Word is not something distant or illusive that attracted me. As…

Family News and Events

Lonely scarecrows, grannies, and the Cork puppet festival It’s not every day there’s an opportunity to see a puppet show, especially a professional production involving a lonely but imaginative scarecrow and an unpredictable granny. Merlin Puppet Theatre will bring ‘No One’s Land’ to Cork for the Cork Puppetry Festival 2019 on August 3 at 3pm…

Newman’s vision more vital than ever

A parent’s perspective I’ve taken a great interest in Blessed John Henry Newman recently and was delighted with the announcement that he is to be canonised in Rome on October 13 this year. By all accounts, he was an amazing man: a great scholar, a friend to many, a great priest and pastor, a musician…

Dad’s Diary

One of my earliest memories is riding a horse through an Arcadian meadow with my father. I recall a deep feeling of happiness and safety in his presence, with his arms either side of me, holding the reins and keeping me safe. The scene was indescribably perfect, infused with a warm, golden light. It was…

Family News and Events

Healthy lessons about grub for growing teens It’s difficult to get many teenagers cooking at the best of times, never mind teaching them about the importance of nutrition. A teen health eating programme will run from the end of July into August, made possible by ADHD Ireland. In collaboration with Northside Partnership, the nutrition and…

The realities of moral relativism

Everyday Philosophy   Your humble columnist has encountered quite a few people who claim to be moral relativists. All of these people are wrong: not wrong to be moral relativists, but wrong in claiming that they actually are moral relativists. My contention – I know it’s a bold claim – is that no-one except a…

Faith in the Family

We – all six of us – have just come back from a holiday in the beautiful city of Brugge in Belgium. We had met in the airport in Dublin, delighted at the prospect of going away together. That evening, having settled into our AirBnB, we went out for a walk. Along by the canals,…