Blog

The joy which met the news that the Pakistan Supreme Court had revoked the 2010 conviction of blasphemy was tempered with the realisation that ‘freedom’ might be an even bigger challenge for Asia Bibi. She has become the poster-girl for Pakistan’s infamous blasphemy law. The law carries the death penalty, a verdict which has not […]

The Halloween season traditionally brings out the creepy side of life. Youngsters engage in “Trick or Treat”. Dressed in scary costumes they visit neighbours and require payment of fruit and nuts (or sweets and coins) to go away! The days of performing party-pieces are all but gone. The turnip lantern has been largely replaced by […]

In the midst of this week’s load of confusion over Brexit one voice was heard to say “We are 90% agreed”! In the middle of the remaining 10% is the problem of the Irish Border. Why is there no solution to it that keeps everyone happy? Because there isn’t one! It was last December that […]

Seldom can a Public Inquiry have produced a report of such clarity as the publication this week of the Disclosures Tribunal Report into the destruction of the reputation of Sgt Maurice McCabe. Justice Peter Charleton identified three culprits: the head of An Garda Síochána, Commissioner Martin Callinan, the Press Officer, Supt. David Taylor and the […]

Some wisdom from James (chapter 4 verses 13 to 17). Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a […]

Of all the words in the English language the word ‘sorry’ can be the hardest to articulate! It may also be the hardest word to hear or perhaps accept according to a new study from Queen’s University published at the 10th anniversary of the banking crisis. Apparently researchers have categorised into groups people who should […]

There was never a storm like it – not in all the 87 years of its existence. Never has there been the cancellation of a day’s events. Despite the fact that the Annual Ploughing Championships is held annually around the Autumn equinox such a storm as Ali was unique. There have been years when the […]

Those in the workforce have become familiar with CPD – Continuous Personal Development – which formalised into training the abilities required to cope with the developing jobscene. With the introduction of the gig economy CPD itself has been left behind and we now require to become familiar with Skillnet to stay in the race. This […]

The decline of the Post Office in Ireland continues with the planned closure of 169 of them. This week’s announcement brought a flurry of letters to the correspondence columns of the national press the vast majority of them sent, no doubt, by email! It is not possible to be on any street in central Dublin […]