Greg Erlandson This year, I’m glad to see Lent come to an end, and not just because of Easter Alleluias and Cadbury dark chocolate eggs. It was a tough Lent. Part of it, of course, had nothing explicitly to do with Lent. The news has generally been dreadful, a reminder, I suppose of why…
Dear Editor, As I followed Holy Mass from St Mel’s Cathedral in Longford recently, I thought of the fire that destroyed so much there a few years ago and of the tapestry of the holy family that was intact in spite of all the surrounding flames and destruction of all else. I ask myself, what…
After much promotion by bishops and priests the Irish Church’s Year of Vocations comes to a close at the end of this month. Over the course of the initiative, announced by Bishop of Waterford and Lismore Alphonsus Cullinan, immersive events have popped up around the country with the intention of assisting and encouraging young men…
Dr Eoin Lenihan It is now a familiar story. A young media darling in a rush to the top is installed as the leader of Fine Gael and the country – without the electorate having a say in the matter. Mirroring Leo Varadkar’s meteoric rise to Taoiseach, Simon Harris is set to become…
I received an anonymous letter a few weeks ago. I don’t normally read such correspondence but was about halfway through the screed when I realised it was unsigned. The letter was sent to inform me of the death of a priest-colleague, in another part of Ireland. The deceased was a paedophile. He had served time…
Easter is a great time for religious programming in the media, whether special shows for the season or special editions of the regular shows. On the seasonal edition of Witness (RTÉ Radio 1, Good Friday), Fr Tod Nolan gave presenter Siobhán Garrigan a guide to the Stations of the Cross at Ballintubber Abbey, Co.…
Fear is a powerful human emotion that shapes our actions and words. A young man named Karol Wojtyla personally experienced the gripping fear that his country of Poland endured during the Nazi terrors of World War II. Karol belonged to a small theatre group who was forced to go underground as the Nazis occupied their…
Q: I have a friend who observed that some crucifixes depict the Saviour with his eyes open and some depict him with his eyes closed. He wants to know which is correct – alive or dead? A: With respect to the second part of your question, I think it’s equally correct for a crucifix to…
Going for Glory, Irish Style Chasing Sam Maguire; The All-Ireland Football Championship 1928-1977 by Dermot Reilly and Colm Keys, foreword by Larry McCarthy (The O’Brien Press, €34.99 / £32.99) This is a comprehensive account of the All-Ireland Senior Football finals from 1928 to 1977. On each occasion the teams competed for the Sam Maguire Cup.…
Dr Eoin Lenihan It is now a familiar story. A young media darling in a rush to the top is installed as the leader of Fine Gael and the country – without the electorate having a say in the matter. Mirroring Leo Varadkar’s meteoric rise to Taoiseach, Simon Harris is set to become Ireland’s youngest…
Brendan O’Regan