Tom and Madeline McCully Tom and Madeline McCully describe their marriage encounter weekend We’ve been married for 46 years, and 39 years ago our lives were transformed when we made a Marriage Encounter Weekend. We were seven years married and like many a happily married couple found ourselves in a bit of a rut. While…

Michelle McGagh Michelle McGagh describes how she saved £22,000 in just one year “You’re not buying anything? At all? For a whole year?” This is the phrase that I’ve heard a million times, usually followed by: “I could never do that!” And it’s true, most people don’t want to give up spending and treating themselves…

Stephanie Moriarty Stephanie Moriarty describes the fun of youth ministry in Cork This time last year, I was sitting at a hard desk in a freezing cold school wearing a scratchy school uniform. I was probably in class listening to my teacher prepare us for the dreaded Leaving Cert. Now, I’m sitting on the top…

Darragh McGann Darragh McGann describes how a year of loss and illness brought him back to God With the exception of two years, I have lived all of my life at home with my mother. My dad died before I reached the age of six and having been adopted as a baby, I didn’t have…

Annmarie O’Connor Taking a retreat from the internet can play a big role in reaching a happy medium in life, writes Annmarie O’Connor Mindless entertainment is a guilty pleasure – but when it creates a mental muffin top, then it’s time to cut back on the cognitive calories. A low-tech fast may appear gimmicky until…

Wendy Grace gives some pointers on how to ward off seasonal sorrows Often, at this time of year, even though we may have just spent our days counting our blessings with family and friends we can find ourselves feeling down with the ‘January blues’. Sometimes it can be referred to as SAD – Seasonal Affective…

What’s the most important thing in life? Happiness,right? Wrong. The most important thing in your life is meaning. Once you find meaning, happiness will follow. Emily Esfahani Smith has just written a book called The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life that Matters (Crown, January 2017) explaining the importance of meaning and how to find…

Greg Daly talks to Trócaire’s Eamonn Meehan about his work leading the Irish Church’s overseas aid agency “The whole concept of charity, and Catholic social teaching, is about love,” says Trócaire’s Executive Director Eamonn Meehan, “That’s what drives us.” Originally from Clare, Eamonn went to school in Ennis before training as a primary school teacher…

Fr Bryan Shortall  Christian faith can rest with the youngest and oldest among us, Fr Bryan Shortall explains. Talk about ‘out of the mouths of babes’. I was over with some parishioners who had been recently bereaved and we were to plan the funeral liturgy. Naturally there was sadness in the household as they were…