“We view our core members as friends, not clients,” says Maria Lezama, a volunteers’ coordinator for L’Arche Cork. L’Arche (French for ‘The Ark’) began in 1964 when Jean Vanier invited two men, who were confined within a local institution because of their intellectual disabilities, to come live with him. Together they shared a small house in…
With the popularity of electronics growing every day, it can be a challenge to get your children outdoors and into nature. To make the most of what is left of the summer weather, you should get out to explore the beauty that Ireland has to offer. So how do you get your whole family to…
As back-to-school signs hang in seemingly every shop window, there is no denying that school days are just around the corner. The summer is winding down and as anticipation for school picks up, parents are preparing their little ones for the first day of school. Many parents are anxious about this new journey in their…
“When you finally get that transplant, it’s like winning the Lotto,” says John Whelan, the newly elected National Chairman of the Irish Kidney Association (IKA). He has been a member of the IKA since he went searching for answers after his diagnosis of end-stage renal failure in 2006. A native of Wexford, he grew up…
Have you ever seen the largest choir-chapel in the world or the oldest native tree in Ireland? Are you interested in mysterious deaths and haunting ghosts? You can hear about all these and more on a tour through the Georgian, Victorian and Gothic Revival buildings of St Patrick’s College in the picturesque and bustling university…
Over 20,000 people braved the harsh weather to climb to the summit of Croagh Patrick last Sunday, with pilgrims of all ages, abilities and disabilities approaching the mountain with rain coats, backpacks, walking sticks, and climbing boots – or in some cases without, with a few hardier souls braving the rough terrain barefoot. Tuam’s Archbishop…
Older people of Dublin North City and County will no longer be lonely with the expansion of ALONE’s support services to their area. The charity, which supports older people in their choice to age at home, has partnered with HSE to further this mission. “Repeated studies have demonstrated that ageing at home is the first…
Lough Derg is brought to life in Peggy goes on Pilgrimage and Lough Derg’s Colouring Book, thanks to author and member of the pastoral team Mary McDaid. “These two books have been in my head for nearly as long as I’ve been blessed to work each summer on Lough Derg and that’s a long time…
Last month 400 pilgrims set out from the Diocese of Killaloe on the summer pilgrimage to Lourdes. The group included Bishop Fintan Monahan, eight priests, 52 assisted pilgrims, nursing and hospitality staff, 48 youth helpers, 10 youth leaders, the choir from the parish of Ogonnelloe and one Rose. The Clare Rose of Tralee contestant, Aoife…
In Shannon, Co. Clare, a group of women are working together to produce little dresses with big meaning. The Shannon Angel Sisters create ‘Angel Gowns’ for babies born too soon. At a time when a family finds themselves thrown into the world of neonatal intensive care units (NICU’s), their lives can be turned inside out.…