Archbishop in no position to talk about groupthink
It would be grossly unfair to dismiss out of hand the words of the Archbishop of Tuam, Dr Michael Neary, spoken by way of homily on Reek Sunday at Westport at the weekend. He drew attention to what he views as media and political group think that tends to view and debate matters of religion […]
It’s probably just as well England lost Euro 2020
Joe Humphreys wrote here on Monday about the emotional reactions of most Irish people to England’s defeat at the hands of Italy at Wembley on Sunday. Correctly, he pointed out that the average Irish soccer fan had ambivalent emotions in relation to the England team’s successes. After all, Irish soccer fans are intensely involved – […]
When do we accept awful things cannot be undone?
I am not afraid of being in a minority – even a small minority. But there are a few things I would like to write here about the continued criminal investigation and prosecution of persons accused of very grave crimes in the course of the northern troubles. Let me stress firstly that I am well […]
Ireland in no position to guarantee electricity supply from renewables
When I raised the question here last week as to whether Ireland should aspire to being a leader on climate change with the most ambitious targets or be content to be in the following pack, I guessed that some feathers would be ruffled. Letters published in response claimed that to even ask that question was […]
State does not need to lead fight against climate change
The Government’s climate legislation progressing through the Houses of the Oireachtas is trumpeted by itsproposers and in particular by Green Party supporters as one of the “most ambitious” legislative instrumentsin any democracy. It is claimed that the terms of the legislation will bind future governments to achieving reductions ingreenhouse gases and consumption of hydrocarbons and, […]
What form would or could Irish unity take?
The idea that people who favour a united Ireland should say nothing on the subject is ludicrous. There simply can’t be an important area of social, political and economic controversy on which there is some form of omerta. But vacuous and ill thought out rhetoric about a united Ireland is more or less useless in […]