She was Dickensian, if Dickens had written a Gaelic warrior-waif, a hero with a voice that could thrill and comfort.
Ireland
Posted inArts & Culture, News
Irish bishop recalls the Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan for her Catholic faith and inspiration
O’Riordan, 46, died suddenly Jan. 15 in London, where she had been due to record material for a new release. Police were investigating her death, calling it “unexplained.”
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Northern Ireland’s Unionists flex muscles in Brexit talks
Britain and Ireland both want to prevent the return of a “hard border” around Northern Ireland, but that goal is difficult to square with leaving the European Union.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
Review: Searching for forgiveness in a town beset by violence and grief
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” contains enough guilt to keep the town’s confessionals busy for months.
Posted inFaith, News
Irish folklife expert says Halloween traditions began in Ireland
The ghost turnip, with its pinched angry face, was made for Halloween.
Posted inFaith, News
Irish church aims to end stigma for the children of priests
Bishops in Ireland have created detailed guidelines to address the plight of children born to Catholic priests and the women who bear them.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Theresa May receives her marching orders from D.U.P.
When it proved necessary to negotiate with the D.U.P to secure their support in the House of Commons, the money tree was found and shaken and over £1 billion of public spending promised to the Six Counties of Northern Ireland.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Dispatches from America’s ethnic enclaves
Paul Moses reviews “City of Gods: Religious Freedom, Immigration and Pluralism in Flushing, Queens” and “Irish-American Autobiography: The Divided Hearts of Athletes, Priests, Pilgrims, and More.”
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
As church influence wanes, an abortion debate arises in Ireland
Abortion in Ireland is only legal if the pregnant woman’s life is at risk, including risk of suicide, but public opinion has long been evolving.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
A maternity hospital provokes a row over church role in Irish health care
The fact that the government handed ownership of a new $330 million state hospital to a religious order has led to a national debate over the continued involvement of the Catholic Church in Ireland’s health care system.