The famous Irish author had a different type of religion, writes Aubrey Malone John McGahern had well documented problems with the Church, and with his faith, but he always struck me as having a holy sense about him, even a monastic one. It was in his simple bearing, his self-effacing nature, in the frugality of…
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The stories behind our favourite carols
The Christmas carol is a truly egalitarian tradition, Dr Andrew Gant tells Ruadhán Jones Tracing the history of the Christmas carol is a rather futile exercise, but as Dr Andrew Gant’s new book shows, it can be a lot of fun. Drawing from a wide array of folk, ecclesial and national traditions, the carol is…