There are many differences between the peace process in Ireland and the peace process in the Holy Land, such as it is now. And, in my experience, few things irritate both Israelis and Palestinians as the convenient transplanting of their own conflict over land to our own. I was in Belfast at the weekend, and…

In his recent comments Leo Varadkar moved the debate on Irish unity forward. Free of the responsibilities of government, he is now encouraging all Irish political parties to move from aspiration for a united Ireland, to a stated objective. He also recommends two referendums, one to enable the people to express their views in principle,…

The Green Party’s proposal of a one-off child benefit payment of €560 for parents in the first month their child is born has met a surprising amount of opposition. Their coalition partners object because it breaches the terms of the Summer Economic Statement, which sets out spending limits for the budget. Others feel that it…

These days, Catholics are reduced to voting for the lesser of two evils in elections. It is the case in Ireland, for the most part, and certainly in the United States. Here in Ireland, there are small parties and individual candidates you can vote for with a clear conscience, but is there any plausible government…

Vanity Fair recently published an article by Kathryn Joyce with a headline designed to stir controversy: ‘Behind the Catholic Right’s Celebrity Conversion Industrial Complex.’ A bit like Kamala Harris, the article is all about the vibes and is short on details. Or rather, it is drowning in details but it does not add up to…

We live at a time when public scandals appear so ubiquitous that their shock value seems diminished; yet the case of Huw Edwards, the BBC newsreader convicted this week of viewing child pornographic images, has had a huge impact in Britain. It’s the fact that Edwards was such a decent, reassuring, familiar face in every…

A view from the Seanad Before going into politics, I spent a brief period practising at the Bar. Going in and out of the Bridewell courthouse, I was often struck by the bold inscription above me: ‘Fiat Iustitia Ruat Caelum’, i.e. ‘Let Justice be Done though the Heavens Fall’. It is an important statement of intent that should apply to every…

The new report on abuse in religious-run schools is demoralising, and yet so much good work is being done writes Michael Kelly The ‘scoping inquiry’ investigating historical allegations of abuse in religious-run schools again shines a light on a dark part of Irish history. It lifts the lid on a culture where predators abused with…