My 17-year-old son announced recently that the timing of Lent is perfect this year. He will arrive at the first match of the senior Gaelic football season without having a crisp, biscuit or sweet in his system for seven weeks! We both know that there is more to Lent than help with the pre-season training…
Medical Matters Cancer is estimated to affect up to one in two people in their lifetime in Ireland, where it currently accounts for about 30% of all deaths. Indeed, the number of new cases of cancer is steadily rising on the back of an ageing population with about 40,000 diagnoses being made last year.…
A book to last a lifetime As Mother’s Day looms closer and closer, finding the perfect gift can be a real challenge. However, a visit to the National Museum of Ireland Country Life in Castlebar next month will make your decision-making much easier, as it is providing the opportunity for you and your mother to…
Personal profile Colm Fitzpatrick learns about the power of the homily Although homilies at Mass can sometimes sound repetitive or even boring, one Capuchin priest is offering helpful tips on how to make the homily more interesting and thought-provoking. Cork-born Fr Silvester O’Flynn is well known for his reflections on the three cycles of…
Children’s Corner Displays of incredible strength have been a form of entertainment for centuries, whereby performers attempt to lift or endure the force of extremely heavy weights. Usually known as ‘strongmen’, these performers would dazzle crowds with their incredible feats, and would compete with one another to show their uniqueness. One strongman was Pierre…
Pope Francis’ marriage exhortation is a rich source of advice for families, writes Julie Kavanagh In the coming weeks, many parishes across the country and beyond will begin to host a series of parish conversations as part of their preparations for the World Meeting of Families 2018. This series will give anybody who wants to…
Porn addiction can have longstanding effects, writes Colm Fitzpatrick With one in three Irish people viewing porn before turning 16, addiction can become a serious and harmful issue. In an age where sexually explicit images and videos are available at the push of a button, questions need to be raised about the negative effects…
Love Notes My wife died suddenly last year and I am facing my retirement years alone. It seems all my hobbies are for two together. My children and grandchildren visit me at weekends, but my weekdays are long and very lonely. How does a widower in his 60s fill his days? ANSWER: Losing…
A weekend of visual creations For lovers of visual art, Kilkenny Animated is a festival of visual storytelling, hosted by Cartoon Saloon, that will be taking place across a variety of venues around Kilkenny City from February 23-25. Cartoon Saloon are a locally based animation studio who have been nominated twice for Oscars with their…
Personal Profile Claire Devaney tells Colm Fitzpatrick about her youth mission From exciting camps and clubs to vital school ministry, one woman is stepping up to the mark to give religious education a new lease of life. Claire Devaney is Primary School Co-ordinator with Scripture Union Ireland, an ecumenical Christian organisation which focuses on…
Bairbre Cahill
Dr Kevin McCarroll
Colm Fitzpatrick
Wendy Grace