Ireland – Page 3 – For the fainthearted . . .

When the winter ends

When does the winter end? 1st February? 1st March? The Vernal Equinox? Maybe it is a state of mind rather than a chronological or a meteorological point.

‘When the winter ends’, was what the lady had said that the very last time I had seen her.

Living in sheltered accommodation at the edge of a small seaside village, she tended to be reclusive, preferring her own company to that of her neighbours (some of whom were, admittedly, garrulous). Her main interest in life was her son, whose occasional appearance were …

William Allingham’s days are returning

It is not my task to teach ‘religion,’ it is my task, as set down by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, to teach student about religion and religious views, and to also explore non-religious views.

Whatever the educationalists’ perception of the role of the Religious Education teacher, the reality in rural Ireland is that the there is still a persistence of the old beliefs among teenagers who have grown up in a social media generation.

There would be few who did not admit to at least some belief …

A love story

For three years in the late 1980s, I drove a red Austin Metro. The car was a real Friday afternoon job – rough edges, poorly finished and badly equipped. Its greatest lack, as far as I was concerned, was a car radio. My Dad had driven cars in the 1960s with excellent radios, but this 1986 example of British workmanship had nothing.

Irish roads in the 1980s were of only marginally better quality than Austin Metro cars and journeys cross country were long and tiring. Setting out from Oughterard in …

Who wants a poisoned chalice?

‘Sir, if there is not a Sinn Fein government after the next election, there will be trouble.’

The constituency has a strongly republican electorate, two seats out of the three were gained by republican candidates in the 2020 general election, and the younger voters seem in a militant mood.

The opinion polls suggest a slippage in support for Sinn Fein, while still the strongest party, their rating had declined to 31% in an opinion poll at the weekend. There has been a tendency by pollsters to underestimate potential votes for …

Sinn Fein score an own goal

There was a moment in the summer of 2018 when the British Government was in disarray. The Conservative Party was split in two over Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May faced accusations of misleading the House of Commons, the public spending watchdog had issued a report critical of the Work and Pensions Secretary.

It was Wednesday lunchtime and the moment came for Prime Minister’s Questions. If not the chance of a hat trick, Jeremy Corbyn had an open goal opportunity to score against the Prime Minister. Had he chosen any of …

Attracted by the Hare Krishnas

Walking along Middle Abbey Street on a cold January Saturday, I passed the door of the Hare Krishna Temple. There was almost a temptation to go in and say ‘hello.’ They would be considerably more pleasant than those who now stand in O’Connell Street haranguing passers-by

The Hare Krishna people were always very distinctive: saffron trousers, white tops, short pigtails tieds at the back, drums and finger cymbals.

The Hare Krishna people were frowned upon by two men with whom I once shared a house. They went on to be …