Youth Space Challenging discussions can enrich our Faith, writes Rachel Sherlock Doom and gloom is the typical tone when it comes to talking about young people in the Catholic Church. From parish pulpits to Vatican synods, there are endless calls to reach out to a demographic that seems more and more to be moving…
Green Fingers The amount of time you spend in the garden in November is usually governed by the weather on the day, not the amount of jobs to be done. When a task becomes a chore, it is no longer enjoyable. Leave it and come back to it again when you can take it…
Choo choo! With the Christmas holidays fast-approaching, how does a magical train ride through a festive forest sound? On offer from December 1–9, is ‘The Christmas Express’ at Laois’ Stradbally Woodlands Railway – the first volunteer-run heritage railway in Ireland, having been established in 1969. The whole family will get the chance to embark on…
Choosing to buy your child a mobile phone is a complex and difficult decision, writes Colm Fitzpatrick In years gone past, choosing a Christmas present for your child rarely raised any moral conundrums or worries about what long-lasting effects it may have on their development. A quick glance at history’s most popular presents from…
Our eldest, Caoimhe, was working in Derry yesterday so I hopped in the car and headed over to catch up with her over a cup of coffee. We only had about 45 minutes together but it was good to see her and have a chat face to face. Realistically, Caoimhe probably won’t be home again…
A parent’s perspective There’s something I like about November, tucked in between the beauty and colour of October and the hustle and bustle of December. November reminds me of the inevitability of death as the last few withered leaves lose their fragile hold on the branches, clinging on for one last flash of glory.…
Youth Space Gerry Doherty reflects on his spiritual journey with Youth 2000 “I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord!” (Phil. 4:4) These were the words that have stayed with me since the night my 16-year-old self had first arrived at the Youth 2000 Summer Retreat in Cistercian College, Roscrea on August 16, 2014. I want to tell you why this phrase is…
Children’s Corner Since we were kids, all of us have made innocent bets with our siblings, parents or friends that we will be able to achieve something they won’t expect us capable of. Often these bets are very funny and, to give an example, might look like: “I bet you I can eat this…
Winter festival frolics With Christmas just around the corner, it’s the perfect time for the whole family to start celebrating, so why not begin with the Wexford Winterland Festival? Parents and children alike can take part in the action-packed programme of events which includes The Winterland Parade and The Christmas Express. Opening on November 24 and…
Sugar has become an intrusive and corrosive part of our culinary life, writes Colm Fitzpatrick “Sweet-tooth” is often a phrase tossed around describing someone with a penchant for sugary goods, and while it seems like this term only applies to a small number of people, in reality, most of us are secretly addicted to…
Paul Gargan
Colm Fitzpatrick
Bairbre Cahill
Maria Byrne