I was a speaker at the recent conference by The Irish Catholic/Iona Institute on Pope Francis and the future of the family in Ireland. Afterwards a number of people came up to talk to me. One man spoke of his work with the Society of St Vincent de Paul and how their outreach is to…
These Irish coffee cardamom cupcakes are incredibly rich and just the dessert for St Patrick’s Day. You can use any whiskey of your choice but this recipe has been tried with a Bushmills and Laphroaig. For a non-alcoholic version, omit the whiskey and the syrup from the frosting and instead grind the seeds from five…
Daffodils will soon be blooming all over the garden and out in the wild as spring is still breaking in. Daffodils symbolise renewal and new life which makes them significant to Lent, coming up to Easter. Their brilliant yellow petals brighten up our days and it said that their scent can have a calming and…
In a new book published this week Pope Francis answers questions from children around the world, Mags Gargan reports If you could ask Pope Francis one question, what would it be? “How can you settle conflicts in the world?” was a question by Michael from Nigeria (9). William (7) from the USA asked “If you…
Advances in modern medicine have led to a significant rise in the length of time people are living. That’s to be welcomed of course, but the improvement in healthcare shouldn’t mean people rest on their laurels with regard to their health. We are now living two-and-a-half years longer than we did a decade ago, according…
Science of Life Oxfam has released figures showing that the richest people on the planet are rapidly growing even richer. The 62 wealthiest people on Earth (you could easily seat them on one bus) have as much money as the entire poorer 50% (3.6 billion) of the global population. And this concentration of wealth at…
We are constantly surprised by time. We glance at the clock in the morning, realise we’re late, and make a panicked dash for the door, abandoning a half-finished cup of coffee. Each New Year’s Eve surprises us too, as we suddenly find ourselves thrust uncomprehendingly into an exotic new year that once lay in the…
Charlotte Gormley shares her experience of living and working with the Derry Youth Community The Derry Youth Community (DYC) is an exciting international gap year experience for young people between the ages of 18-25. The young people commit 10 months of their lives in order to live in community with each other in central Derry, ministering to young people…
Mags Gargan talks to the CEO of Viatores Christi about lay missionary work While the profile of Irish missionaries may be changing, the legacy of their work continues to bear fruit through the work of young local missionaries and lay Irish missionary organisations such as Viatores Christi. Originally set up in 1960 by a group…
A Parent’s Perspective I have a great interest in politics, political programmes and all the discussion and debate that surrounds it. Much to my children’s dismay, I’m monopolising the television in the run up to the general election and the minute yet another debate begins, they beat a hasty retreat. My 15-year-old, who often joins…
Bairbre Cahill
Erin Fox
Mags Gargan
Cathal Barry
William Reville
Courtney McGrail
Maria Byrne