An appeal went out for teachers prepared to provide online lessons to a student unable to attend school. Having a light timetable and having competence in two of the required subjects, I volunteered to provide two hours a week of my time.

Only when I was making the arrangements last week did I become aware that there would be paperwork completed, paperwork that related to the Department of Education paying me for the lessons.

I was baffled. How could I be paid for individual work during school time? It seemed …

It has been a delight to be given the opportunity this year to First and Third Year students. It is not one of my subjects but English teachers are in short supply and I must be judged competent to teach the junior years.

The greatest challenge in the past two weeks has been to try to get the First Years to engage in personal writing.  It seems an alien concept.

The telephone brought the decline of written communication. To read the letters written by even ordinary people a hundred years …

The €35 subscription for membership of the Irish Film Institute seemes excellent value, it entitles the holder to 10% discount in the Institute’s excellent restaurant. Even if I didn’t go to see a single film, the money saved on meals would make the subscription worthwhile.

Cinema never had an attraction equivalent to that of live events for me. Given the choice of either going to see a film or going instead to see a football match or a music concert, the latter two would always be preferred.

Cinema was much …