Unless we remember how painfully the promises of economic growth were shown to be hollow we may have much more misery in store, writes Kevin Hargaden If we take a moment to recall what it is to remember, we quickly realise that memory is one of the great gifts of life. Consider the stories…
The British government needs to be held more accountable for the killing of Catholic nationalists during the Troubles if there is going to be “any kind of closure”, a prominent Northern Irish priest has said. Fermanagh priest and well-known civil rights advocate, Fr Joe McVeigh, said that there have been “many killings by the security…
Discovering the Boyne Valley by Noel French (Mercier Press., €14.99) Christopher Moriarty A small river, in quite a small country, yet a portion of the Boyne Valley contains an amazing wealth of solid remnants which incorporate a huge spectrum of human civilisation. A day trip can include them all and a good guidebook can outline the…
Matthew Carlson A prominent pro-life group has said that the ‘Rally for Life’ in Belfast will show the world that support for protecting unborn children “remains strong” in Ireland. Organisers of the rally, which is taking place by the Stormont Parliament Buildings on July 7 at 2pm, said that despite the ‘Yes’ vote in the…
Science of Life When we think of artificial contraception we think primarily of the ‘contraceptive pill’, easily the most common form of contraception used by women. There is no corresponding contraceptive pill for men, but efforts are underway to develop such contraception. It is predicted that if such a male pill became available the…
The question of allowing Protestants married to Catholics to receive Communion at Mass in special cases has to be decided by each individual bishop and cannot be decided by a bishops’ conference, Pope Francis told reporters after a one-day ecumenical journey to Geneva. During an inflight news conference the Pope was asked about his recent…
The Icon of the Holy Family was received at the Cathedral of Ss Eunan and Columba, Letterkenny on June 7 by Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ, which led to visits and events attended by proactive parishioners. The bishop was assisted by the parish clergy and a large gathering of the faithful. The doors of the sacred…
Colm Fitzpatrick learns about the secrets of the Pooja bears Some children’s books find their origins in mythical stories where good overcomes evil, or perhaps in the endearing antics of an animated cartoon character, but a new book that is captivating children throughout Ireland and afar has found its inspiration from the floors of…
The Mary of Scripture and the Mary of Devotions There’s an axiom that says: Roman Catholics tend to adore Mary while Protestants and Evangelicals tend to ignore Mary. Neither is ideal. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, has, in effect, two histories within Christian tradition. We have the Mary of Scripture and we have the Mary…
Kissing Candice (18) Midway through this psychedelic odyssey – the hell that is modern Ireland – I found myself thinking how much Ann Skelly, its main star, resembled Lady Lavery. And how, if Lady Lavery was the iconic image of a more halcyon time, Skelly could go on to become the face of the not so…
Colm Fitzpatrick
William Reville
Chai Brady
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Aubrey Malone