Coronavirus: pandemic has ‘catastrophic’ impact on families The coronavirus pandemic has had a “catastrophic” impact on many families, a counselling charity has warned. Relate chief executive Duane Farrell also said conflict between parents was already leading to “huge distress and mental illness” among children. Mr Farrell said lockdown had created a “perfect storm” of difficulties.…
Ruadhán Jones discusses how children can improve their word skills at home Many parents have struggled to effectively help their children with schoolwork during lockdown; for parents of children with dyslexia, it’s even more challenging. Experts suggest that around 10% of children in Ireland are affected by dyslexia. This suggests that there are many school…
A Parent’s Perspective Some years ago, I invited a woman to get involved in some pro-life activities. She’d been very involved in campaigning in the past but was adamant that her days of active involvement were over. I think she felt that as the aches and pains of advancing age took their toll, she didn’t…
The littlest person in our house turned two this week. Just a year ago, she could barely walk or talk. Now, she can not only walk, but she can dance, jump and run. She can not only talk, but she can sing, shout and make jokes. Just two years ago, we beheld for the first…
Personal Profile Jason Osborne It was perhaps more than a little symbolic that Fr Michael Toomey should be ordained on June 14 in 2009, the feast of Corpus Christi. It makes sense that a man who would do so much to bring communities together should enter his ministry on the day celebrating the oneness of…
Children’s Corner Tornados are one of the world’s scariest natural phenomenon but they are also hugely interesting and much can be learnt by observing them from a scientific perspective. Fortunately in Ireland these powerful vortexes don’t develop on the scale they do in other countries. To make a tornado, you need just the right mix…
Monks have secrets worth knowing, and these can be invaluable when a coronavirus pandemic is forcing millions of us to live like monks. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of us have been forced to stay at home, work from home, practice social-distancing from everyone except those in our own houses and have minimal social…
Live more at Lismore Castle Gardens Exploring and playing outdoors is proven to be beneficial to children’s development and there’s a lot to be said about doing this while learning about places with rich histories. Lismore Castle Gardens & Gallery in Co. Waterford have announced they are “delighted” to welcome back visitors via a new…
Creatures of habit, we’re lost without our routines and rituals, but they’re vital for our wellbeing writes Ruadhán Jones Since the start of the pandemic, days have melted into each other. I’ve seen a cartoon shared a number of times recently; it’s of a calendar which runs as normal until April, when it disintegrates entirely.…
Everyday Philosophy If there’s one thing philosophers hate, it’s scientism. This is, roughly, the claim that ‘science can answer all the meaningful questions that there are to ask’ or ‘the scientific method is all you need to acquire all the knowledge about the world that there is to acquire’. Philosophers hate this for a predictable…
Ruadhán Jones
Maria Byrne
Chai Brady
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Ben Conroy