A succession of buses, ferries, trains and planes had led us to the promised land of Cork. At last, we had arrived home from England for the Easter holidays. A blast of unmistakably brisk Atlantic air greeted us as we stepped off the airplane. The breeze that comes in off the English channel at our…
May is here and it’s a wonderful month for celebrating many different occasions. It’s the month of Mary Our Lady, the month of the Bealtine Festival and it’s also Local and Community History month. The Bealtine Festival celebrates arts and creativity as we age. And Local Community and History month encourages communities to explore their…
Mags Gargan talks to the new chief executive of the Irish Chaplaincy in London Sixty years ago, the Irish Bishops’ Conference sent nine Columbans to England to minister to the thousands of Irish emigrants there, mainly to those working in the construction and catering industries. This was how the Irish Chaplaincy in London began and…
My 17-year-old daughter got her first part time job recently and will be 18 years old soon. In many ways I’m still back a decade ago remembering a daughter who followed me everywhere, thought her mother was the best thing since sliced bread and loved jumping into my bed for a chat and cuddle. Before…
The Easter holidays have only just finished and already we can look forward to another long weekend. This bank holiday weekend, you’ll be getting ready to celebrate the month of Our Lady. Every year, on the first of May, people around Ireland gather blossoms and other May flowers to place at the altar of Our…
I know it happens but I was still shocked when a friend told me that after 30 years of being together she and her husband had separated. “It had got to the stage where he disliked me as much as I disliked him,” she explained. That’s what shocked me so much I think. There was…
Rhubarb bonds with so many flavours, like rhubarb and custard tart and hard-boiled sweets, or rhubarb and ginger jam. But it’s also fantastic on its own, without interference from other flavours. Rhubarb jelly 2 lbs rhubarb washed and trimmed Juice 2 large oranges and 2 large lemons (or three small to medium lemons) 6 tbsp…
Sleep is a precious part of our day that we never have enough of, writes Wendy Grace For many of us, getting enough sleep can be a luxury or, perhaps like me, you’re a parent of a young child and a full eight hours sleep is a distant memory, or there just doesn’t seem to…
Mags Gargan talks to the CEO of a charity supporting the visually impaired “It is hugely brave to walk out the front door with very little sight and take on the world with effectively just a cane,” says Chris White, CEO of the National Council for the Blind (NCBI), of the charity’s service users. Supporting,…
Dr Louise Jane Clarke As a psychologist, I encourage all parents to be mindful of their health to prevent stress and burnout. Although being a new parent is a wonderful experience for many, it can leave some parents vulnerable to exhaustion and feeling overwhelmed. However, finding time to take care of yourself is crucial to preventing parental burnout as…
Erin Fox
Mags Gargan
Maria Byrne
Bairbre Cahill
Wendy Grace