Sr Colette Kane OP I am a religious sister living and working in An Tairseach, the Dominican Farm and Ecology Centre in Wicklow town. The spirituality of this community and place is given expression and witnessed to through the lens of creation theology, where planet earth is understood as the primary revelation of the Divine.…
When I was a child, both my parents were in the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association. Thirty or 40 years ago, almost everyone in Ireland knew about the Pioneers and a fair few were members. I’d guess that if you mentioned the Association to a group of young people today, there’d be a few blank expressions.…
I recently overheard a woman saying she withdew her child from the school choir, in a church school, on the basis that there were “too many churchey songs”. Yet there was no animosity in this slightly eccentric criticism, it was simply that her child preferred musicals. Here in England, faith is a personal matter – to…
Bríd O’Meara Bríd O’Meara from Aware talks about how to build emotional resilience Resilience is a key factor in life, and something which we can all work to develop and enhance, according to Bríd O’Meara, Director of Services with Aware. “Resilience can be considered an ongoing process in life, rather than something you have or…
Tom and Madeline McCully Tom and Madeline McCully describe their marriage encounter weekend We’ve been married for 46 years, and 39 years ago our lives were transformed when we made a Marriage Encounter Weekend. We were seven years married and like many a happily married couple found ourselves in a bit of a rut. While…
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and it’s not just an occasion for sending cards ‘sealed with a loving kiss’. It’s just another opportunity to get your finger out and make some seasonal crafts. Because heart prints and heart designs are so popular, you can make almost any Valentine craft at any time of…
Some people find February a slow month in the garden, but it shouldn’t be. Spring will arrive before you know and everything will need doing at once. So make the most of February as it is your last chance to finish winter-work and get a head start on Spring. Clear your beds and borders of…
At various times over recent years I have worked with young people preparing for the oral Irish exam in their Leaving Certificate. Apart from the challenge of developing a level of fluency in Irish most of the students also face the challenge of developing and expressing their own opinions. Our education system does little to…
Michelle McGagh Michelle McGagh describes how she saved £22,000 in just one year “You’re not buying anything? At all? For a whole year?” This is the phrase that I’ve heard a million times, usually followed by: “I could never do that!” And it’s true, most people don’t want to give up spending and treating themselves…
Stephanie Moriarty Stephanie Moriarty describes the fun of youth ministry in Cork This time last year, I was sitting at a hard desk in a freezing cold school wearing a scratchy school uniform. I was probably in class listening to my teacher prepare us for the dreaded Leaving Cert. Now, I’m sitting on the top…
Maria Byrne
Erin Fox
Paul Gargan
Bairbre Cahill