Last Friday being St Valentine’s Day it wasn’t surprising that love, romance, sex and marriage figured in media discussions. Our Divine Sparks (RTÉ Radio 1, Friday) featured some historical background about the saint. Apparently, 3rd-century Roman Emperor Claudius II banned marriage because married men don’t make for good soldiers! So, Valentine performed secret marriages and…
I always love hearing about green shoots when it comes to religion, and especially in relation to young people. On The Hard Shoulder (Newstalk, Wednesday) there was a discussion on the matter with Wendy Grace of Spirit Radio and singer-songwriter Ciara Lawless. This was on foot or a survey from the UK that showed Gen…
Self-consciously smart commentators can sometimes sneer at moral panics, and some people are truly prone to over catastrophising, but I fear that in relation to children’s access to all sorts of depravity online, the worriers may be justified. The issue was raised on Mornings with Wendy (Spirit Radio, Friday) when Wendy Grace spoke to Alex…
I like it when I come across someone that defies expectations, someone with unexpected ideas or unusual hobbies. Mind you there can be unpleasant surprises, like when you discover a close friend is a racist… this is not autobiographical! Barbara Dickson is a famous Scottish pop and folk singer, and she is also a committed…
As the Anne Murray song says, “We sure could do with a little good news today.” Well, I have some this week. It was great to see news coverage of three of the Gaza hostages being released last Sunday, great to see them smiling and reunited with their families. This was facilitated by the new…
The recent statement from the Association of Catholic Priests on how dedicated nuns are portrayed, often negatively, in the media gave me cause to reflect on the topic, and it’s a bit of a patchwork. The most obvious example is the demonisation of nuns because of their role in the Magdalen Laundries and similar institutions.…
Every now and then someone gets peeved at something that happens in church and resorts to the nearest secular confessional. They often tell what they perceive as the sins of others! On Liveline (RTÉ Radio 1, Tuesday) someone complained that eulogies weren’t allowed in the Diocese of Meath, and that the rules required that any…
So, the Jubilee Year has started, with its Pilgrims of Hope theme, and my hope is that the media will give it reasonable coverage. Chatechesis (Radio Maria, Thursday) got off to a good new year start, linking in with the Jubilee Year. Deacon Don Deveney, with guests Martin Ramsay and Artie Nolan, both on the…
There were so many programmes of interest on over the Christmas period –too many repeats as usual, but a few that are worthy of mention. So This is Christmas (RTÉ One) was certainly something different. It was an unobtrusive fly on the wall style film, a series of vignettes of various people preparing for…
Being highly exposed to the media as I am, in the line of duty of course, there are so many highs and lows – material that is depressingly grim or uplifting and inspiring. I thought it would be good to start on a positive note. In broad strokes, there have been engaging documentaries, well-crafted and…