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In a recent speech in Edinburgh Mary McAleese our former President `outed` the Scottish Cardinal O’Brien who had resigned, apparently when some priests threatened to expose him, last year. Mrs McAleese had the naive idea that the Cardinal should have held his ground and thus show support for the many gay priests in the ranks […]

Why do bad things happen to good people? The cry rings out again and again. It’s not fair! They have suffered enough! This week the cry was picked up by a Journalist whose father-in-law was burned out of his home on Christmas Day. As fate would have it the poor man was in the shower […]

Only a few mince pies left! But it was good while it lasted. The weather gave us a blast and now the blow-out is over. Inside the furniture has been returned to its former position and outside the branches, dislodged by the gale, have been gathered up. Normality has been restored! The Christmas story has […]

There had been hints and predictions but they were in the distant past and largely forgotten. The royal tribe of Judah had encountered bad times and been reduced to peasant stock. Not much could be expected from them. The myth of the Messiah! Country occupied by Romans. The Religious were squabbling over rights. Corrupt rulers […]

The Central Remedial Clinic was founded in Dublin in 1951 and is a National centre for the care, treatment and development of children and adults with physical disabilities. It is funded by the State and philanthropic sources. It is the alleged misuse of the latter which has kept it in the news all week and […]

Since his death on Thursday the extraordinary life story of Nelson Mandela has dominated the media. Headings like “From Prisoner to President” struggle to encompass the magnitude of all he accomplished in turning South Africa, from almost certain racial civil war, to a democracy with a substantial degree of justice and equality. Violence marked his […]

This year we have had a most glorious Autumn with the usual tinted leaves more splendid that ever. Apparently there is an explanation for the multi coloured display. Following a warm summer the leaves have had an abundance of sugar. Instead of this being absorbed by the tree there has been a surfeit which has […]

It has become something of a mantra to pose the question, “Where were you the day they shot John F Kennedy”? I expect that for many of you reading this blog the answer is – a bright idea in your parent’s minds! The reason his memory endures so well here in Ireland lies in his […]

The main news story this week has been the unfolding of the devastation created by typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Coming only four weeks after a 7.2 earthquake hit the central region this typhoon has been described as one of the most powerful storms in history. It levelled the city of Tacloban and latest reports […]