As I was saying at the end of last week’s article, the turnout in the General Election was disappointing – 59.7%? Do we value our democracy enough? On Morning Ireland (RTÉ Radio 1, Tuesday) we heard from Art O’Leary, CEO of the Electoral Commission, pointing that one of the problems outlined was inaccuracy in the…

Judging by exit polls from our own General Election and the US Presidential Election, immigration wasn’t as much of a concern to the voters as we might have thought from watching the aggro on the streets and in the tweets. Heart and Soul (BBC World Service, Friday) took a personal and spiritual approach to the…

Sometimes you expect a lot from a programme and are disappointed, sometimes you expect little and are pleasantly surprised, sometimes you want so badly a programme to be good and it lets you down.  I had a variety of these feelings in relation to the three programmes under review this week. Our Divine Sparks (RTE…

When you see tragedies reported in the media, you feel sympathy, but it can be impersonal, unless it hits close to home. As I was watching the Nine News (RTE One, Tuesday) I was sad to hear of a man drowned in Galway. But then towards the end it was announced the deceased was singer-songwriter…

When Donald Trump was first elected President of the USA, I wrote that I had a feeling of dread. This time I have that same feeling, but it is mixed with curiosity – Trump is so unpredictable that anything could happen, from World War 3 to World peace. Worrying and intriguing times ahead! A few…

It’s a trend these days for people to loathe their past – especially the past history and culture of their country. There are lots of serious faults with our past in Ireland, but when the past becomes the all-consuming bogeyman, present abuses slip under the radar. Present and ongoing abuses are the ones we can…

Is a crime motivated by hate worse than one motivated by greed, or anger, or lust or indeed any one of the other deadly sins? What if motives are mixed, as they often are?  Should the law treat a perpetrator more harshly depending on the motivation? I’m not convinced. Such questions became very pertinent last…

There are many things that make me proud to be Irish – high on the list is our peace keeping service with the United Nations. On The Pat Kenny Show (Newstalk, Tuesday) security expert Declan Power outlined the work our troops do overseas, with particular reference to our peacekeepers in Lebanon, under pressure at the…