Personal Profile In 2017 Emma Edgeworth took a career break. She left her home county of Kildare and headed for Mongu, the capital of the Western Provence in Zambia. Emma was already working with children and families in the Dublin area when she saw the development role with Viatores Christi advertised on a professional…
Category: Features
Bealtaine
RóiseMcGagh gives some ideas on celebrating the ancient Irish festival of Bealtaine Bealtaine is the word for May in Irish, it marks an ancient festival, one of the most significant historic dates in Ireland. It is also known as a month to celebrate and pray to Our Lady. At the moment, gathering for Bealtaine is…
James Kilbane on Gospel music and Faith
Personal Profile “I was being put up on a barstool in a pub when we came home to Achill from about 1975 to sing for my grandfather’s buddies at the bar,” says James Kilbane. The Gospel and Country singer spoke to The Irish Catholic about his upbringing and his thoughts on faith. He says…
Love in lockdown
Róise McGagh chats to a specialist in marriage and relationships counselling from Accord about the issues heightened by lockdown No one’s relationship is perfect. They require constant work in order to keep both parties happy, contrary to the songs; love is not always simple. Issues that usually crop up in relationships are undoubtably going…
Dodging bullets at a dangerous time in Guinea
Personal profile “You have grenades going over, not knowing where they’re going to land and you have bullets flying – like our house had a number of bullet holes,” says Sr Bridget Lacey, speaking of her personal experience of an attack on a refugee camp where she was working at the time. It was…
Low effort DIY
Looking to do some DIY in your spare time? Róise McGagh shares some tips for getting started with minimal materials Hanging around the house for such an extended period of time is no easy feat. One of the nice things about these times is that you can finally start to get stuck into that…
Fr Martin Keane: ‘My heart was still in Africa’
Personal Profile “It was a great life to live and as one says I would do it all over again.” Fr Martin Keane set off for Kenya in 1971. He had always wanted to be a missionary. Since he was in national school in his home town of Cranny, Co Clare, he recalls being…
The Therapeutic Effects of Gardening
Róise McGagh looks at how gardening can be not only a great hobby, but can have a positive impact on your mindset and mental well-being “If you put a seed in the ground it will do it’s best to grow,” says Jennifer Sleeman, an environmentalist and prominent Catholic convert now in her 90th year. She…
Mary Gannon: A community spirit
Personal Profile In August 2019 Mary Gannon was asked by her parish priest, Fr Odhran Furlong, to come up to him after Thursday morning Mass. He told her that at 11am on Sunday, Bishop Denis Brennan would be presenting her with the Benemerenti medal. “It was unbelievable really because it was something that I…
Home Experiments
Got a curious mind? Róise McGagh looks at the benefits of informal learning and lists ideas to spark some creative experiments at home Many parents are finding it difficult to help their kids to stay occupied and take some interest in their school work since everyone has been sent home. Some kids might not…










