Blog

There are two States in Ireland. One with its headquarters in Dail Eireann and the other in the Vatican in Rome. Most of the time this dichotomy is invisible but with the publication of the Cloyne Report into Clerical Sexual Abuse this week it surfaced. The Religious are appointed by Rome and have their primary […]

The phone hacking of celebrities mobile phones brought an end to the tabloid paper, News of the World, this week. What had been suspected for some time was uncovered by the police investigating the disappearance of a young girl. At the murder trial it was discovered that she appeared to have used her phone after […]

As the Arab Spring gives way to the Arab Summer the momentum for change has slowed to a resolute resistance in most Middle-East countries. In Cairo the spectacle of the once all-powerful dictator Mubarak being wheeled into the courtroom on a hospital trolley, which was then parked in a steel cage, sent a potent message […]

All through the history of the Christian Church the offence of the cross has been a problem. There have been many ingenious ways to get around it, the most usual by removing the Bible’s game plan and substituting a sacramental system which, ironically, places the work of salvation into man’s hands. The week we have […]

Amid the sporting triumphs of conquering Irish men and women in recent days the achievement of Gerry Duffy received scant attention. He won UK’s first Deca Ironman Challenge after 10 days of gruelling endurance events. The 20 entrants started each of the 10 days before 6 am, swam 2.4 miles, cycled 112 miles and ran […]

When the cats away the mice do play – or should it be gamble? No sooner had the chairman of the Planning Appeals Board retired than the Board made the astonishing decision to grant permission to almost all the Casino promoters asked for. The 800-acre Tipperary Venue, close to the village of Two-Mile-Borris, will include […]

This Psalter which was found in a Tipperary bog in 2006 has now been meticulously restored and, this week, put on display in the National Museum. The book dates back to AD 800, about the same era as the Book of Kells. This book however is more intriguing regarding its origin as the velum cover […]

This time of rejoicing came round every 50 years and proclaimed liberty for both the inhabitants and the land. The inhabitants who had sold themselves into servitude were released and made free to make a fresh start. The land which had been sold was restored to the original family. This prevented permanent slavery and the […]

“Yes we can” the victory motif of the US Liberals rang out loud and clear in College Green this week as the master wordsmith worked the crowd of enthusiastic supporters. President Obama (of the Moneygall O’Bamas) was in town! He had met our president, shaken the hands of half the population of Moneygall and, along […]