What has Krakow, Vienna and Kilkenny in common? To the best of my knowledge, these are the only three Dominican foundations of the thirteenth century north of the Alps, still occupied by Dominicans today. In 1225 William Marshal the Younger gave to the newly arrived Dominicans to Kilkenny, a fortified tower, still perfectly preserved. Adjoining…
It is disappointing – if not surprising – that the newly-formed Irish government does not plan to celebrate the 200th centenary of Catholic emancipation in 2029. They have earmarked several other important dates which will occur under their stewardship: 2026 for the 250th Declaration of US Independence; 2027 marking the birth of Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington and…
Dear Editor, The concept of ‘Dry January’ has gained popularity in recent years, with many people abstaining from alcohol for the month as a way to reset or cleanse after the excesses of the holiday season. While commendable in its intentions, I believe this initiative falls short of addressing the deeper, more enduring struggles some…
We have a new Government, but will a new leaf be turned in Church/State relations? That is to say, will relations between Church and State begin to thaw, and will there be any kind of formal, structured dialogue between Government representatives and Church leaders, not just Catholic ones? The question is very relevant, because no…
Jen Hogan writes a regular feature for The Irish Times, in which people in the public eye are asked the same series of questions. They range from “How agreeable are you?” to the much more serious “What do you expect to happen when you die?” I have been trying to figure out why the majority…
The programme for government 2025 was finally revealed last week. After long negotiations a pact was agreed between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and nine Independent TDs. Having examined the programme, I admit to being flabbergasted at its total disregard of the results of last year’s referendum and the ramifications this has for children and their…
In the new Programme for Government, which Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have been labouring over with the rural independents, there is a curious omission. No provision is made for any official arrangements to mark the Bicentenary of the Catholic emancipation which falls in the summer of 2029. Given the huge volume of effort and…
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.…
When David Lodge died at the beginning of this month, he was hailed, in the obituaries, as the leading English Catholic novelist since Graham Greene and Evelyn Waugh. Mr Lodge, who was 89, had indeed written a famously hilarious novel about a young Catholic married couple, in 1965, struggling with the “Safe Period” of fertility…
Mark Patrick Hederman explores the life and legacy of the Jesuit scientist/theologian In a nutshell I would describe him as ‘a mystic in a mouse trap.’ I would rank him with Gerard Manley Hopkins [also a Jesuit] as a poet who has left us with several beautiful thought-provoking images: treatises on the Eucharist, on the…
Mary Kenny
David Quinn
Breda O'Brien
Maria Steen
Peter Costello
Brendan O’Regan