Everyday philosophy The study of philosophy is supposed to get you to question beliefs that you take entirely for granted, to get you to overturn your ordinary assumptions. But one could be forgiven for thinking that some of the revolutions of thought that philosophy is supposed to bring about don’t amount to much. Sceptics about…
Dolphins self-medicate skin conditions with coral A rash might send humans rushing to the pharmacy, but when some dolphins get skin conditions they queue up to rub themselves against coral with medicinal properties, new research suggests. According to the study, the animals are selective about which coral they use to self-medicate. Co-lead author Angela Ziltener,…
Charlotte Vard Just last month, echoes of laughter and exclamations of pleasant surprise were heard throughout Newbridge Parish Centre, as we hosted sixth class Confirmation retreats. For just three days, Confirmation students were given the opportunity to grow in their faith, have fun, and build relationships. I’ve said it for the past nine years and…
Personal profile In her work with St Vincent de Paul, Mary Waide helps people facing great challenges to live a life of dignity. It was a challenge in her own life that inspired her to join and commit to the charity’s mission, Ms Waide explains. The eight weeks she spent with her daughter Máire, who…
Farewells can be hard. When we love someone who is going away, there’s always a sadness, and a particularly heart-wrenching one when that loved one is going away in death. Yet, we know from experience that at the end of the day farewells are not so much a death as a transition. One way of…
Helen Vysotska Love Notes Can’t we accept that people have different values when it comes to sex outside marriage? We need to be realistic: times have changed since the Bible was written. Modern culture tells us that if something feels good and we want it, we should have it. Go ahead, YOLO (You Only Live…
The Sunday Gospel May I begin by wishing us all a joyful birthday. It is the birthday of the Church, the day when the coming of the Holy Spirit utterly transformed the apostles from being fearful and directionless into a community empowered to carry on the mission of Jesus. Jesus promised them: “when the Advocate comes,…
Medical Matters Figures this year show that life expectancy in Ireland is now the highest in the EU at 82.6 years with the gap between females and males narrowing in the last decade. Women are now living to 84.1 and men 80.5 years which compares to a mean age of 76.6 years about two decades…
Pentagon committed to understanding UFO origins Two top US defence intelligence officials have said the Pentagon is committed to determining the origins of what the US government calls “unidentified aerial phenomena” in the first public congressional hearing in more than 50 years concerning what are commonly known as UFOs. The two officials, Ronald Moultrie and…
Personal Profile There are stereotypes that the college academic profession is a hostile one for Catholics, but law lecturer in IT Sligo Leonard Taylor has never found that to be the case. Having nurtured a love for truth and knowledge in Maynooth, he finds that Catholic teaching still has a big role to play in…
Ben Conroy
Ruadhán Jones
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Dr Kevin McCarroll