Loneliness is rife in modern Ireland, writes Davis Clark It is perhaps the greatest contradiction of our modern age that even as avenues of communication have multiplied, allowing us spend more and more time in contact with others, we seem to feel increasingly isolated and alienated from those around us. A tidal wave of…
Category: Features
People like Orla don’t grow on trees…
Personal Profile Matthew Carlson speaks with environmental activist Orla Farrell Most people on the street don’t think much when they pass a tree. They walk past it without any thought or regard to it. Orla Farrell is not one of those people. In fact, she is one of the directors for an organisation called…
Dialling it back
Colm Fitzpatrick asks whether phones should be banned in schools If you had said 40 years ago that someday children will be walking around with small portable electronic devices whereby they could communicate with their peers, create their own personal profiles, and find the answer to any question with just the tap of a…
Living sustainable lives in ‘Our Common Home’
WMOF 2018 Jane Mellet On Wednesday June 20, in the Loyola Institute, Trinity College, Dublin, many representatives from ecological groups in Ireland attended a presentation to hear about the World Meeting of Families 2018 ‘Our Common Home’ project. This presentation, which I delivered with Dr Lorna Gold of Trócaire, offered an opportunity for those…
Unshackled by the truth
Personal Profile Matthew Carlson speaks with a Holocaust survivor Tomi Reichental has lived quite a life, even by normal standards. He is an author, public speaker, world traveller and to top it off, is one of the last survivors of one of humanities darkest time, the Holocaust. Born in Slovakia in 1935, Tomi has…
Paws for thought…
Colm Fitzpatrick learns about the secrets of the Pooja bears Some children’s books find their origins in mythical stories where good overcomes evil, or perhaps in the endearing antics of an animated cartoon character, but a new book that is captivating children throughout Ireland and afar has found its inspiration from the floors of…
Making the choice of Faith
Personal Profile Colm Fitzpatrick speaks with university lecturer Fr Niall Coll Born in 1963, East Donegal native Fr Niall Coll is no stranger to teaching having been a lecturer in Belfast’s St Mary’s University College since 2001, providing students with the opportunity to develop their religious education and Faith. Fr Niall’s personal interest in…
Willing to wait
Matthew Carlson meets those celebrating chastity On a typical Thursday night, you might expect young people to be visiting the pubs or enjoying a pleasant Dublin night. If you however find yourself at 23 Merrion Square on a Thursday night, you will find something very different: a group of young people attending Mass, participating…
Bringing richness to the campus
Personal Profile Colm Fitzpatrick speaks with MIC’s new president From once a young, budding psychology student to now the new president of Ireland’s largest Catholic university, one man is planning to keep care, social justice, and academic excellence on the map. This year Professor Eugene Wall was appointed as president to Limerick’s Mary Immaculate…
Blessed are the carers
Matthew Carlson meets the unsung heroes that are carers Sometimes the people who give the most of themselves are the ones who receive the least recognition for what they do. Carers are one of these groups of people. Carers are unpaid persons, usually a family member, who help provide care to people with disabilities…