There’s probably been no more contentious subject in Ireland over the past six months or so than the question of mandatory facemasks. There are bigger questions, sure, on which the population is more evenly divided – lockdown or no lockdown; schools open, or schools closed; the infernal debate about “wet pubs”, and so on. But […]
As the country moves into level 5 restrictions once again, the rules are clear for everybody: Shops and businesses are closing. The Dáil continues to sit in the National Convention Centre, so that they can socially distance. Mass is too dangerous to be said. Going further than five kilometres from your own home is to […]
Every nation cherishes an image of itself. In Australia, we are often told that ours was formed on the beaches of Gallipoli, but it’s older and more complex than that. Long before the Australian union, the people of each of the Australian colonies developed self-images of their own, in great variety. Few directly referred to […]
The conclusions of Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse are seldom questioned. But the perspective which underpinned the work of the Royal Commission is indifferent, if not hostile, to religious belief. Jane Adolphe and Ronald J. Rychlak help to remedy that deficiency in the splendid study which they have edited, Clerical Sexual Misconduct: an […]
The continued spectre of ordinary people feeling overwhelmed by fear cannot be allowed to persist, if only the gatekeepers of public information were to oblige.
On Monday, October, 13, Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge announced that the Dutch government will amend its euthanasia law to permit child euthanasia — an announcement that came only three days after the news that the issue of child euthanasia had divided the Netherlands coalition government. The NL Times reported that de Jonge said the new law […]
Look, maybe it’s just me being a sap, but there has been something wonderfully moving about the efforts of the people of Dingle to find their friend, mascot, and tourist-friendly local attraction over the past few days. Nothing less than a naval task force was assembled at the end of the Dingle Peninsula to search […]
It is estimated that the number of people who will be in the 60+ age group will reach 2 billion by 2050. The resulting demographic imbalance that this will create will have a major impact not just on economic growth but on all areas of public and private health care. Many of these issues have […]
An interesting bit of polling courtesy of Ireland Thinks and the Mail on Sunday: 🚨Poll🚨Ireland Thinks/Mail on Sunday Question: Should the country move to Level 5 restrictions? Yes: 51%No: 41%Undecided: 9% (Yes I know that it adds up to 101%, but that is what is reported. 🙃) 17th October 2020 — Ireland Votes | #Vote2024 […]
Like a lot of centre left parties around the world, Jacinda Ardern’s New Zealand Labour Party entered the recent New Zealand election pledging to raise taxes on the rich. At first glance, New Zealand Labour and it’s leader is everything the Irish left dreams of having here in Ireland – a young, unabashedly liberal, female […]
A poll published in the Daily Mail this weekend shows that a majority of Irish people support moving to level five restrictions now. Do you agree? VOTE in our Poll below and leave your comments here and on social media.
On Friday, Jack Lambert, who is professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the Mater and UCD School of Medicine, was sharply critical of the actions of the government who are now being guided to a Level 5 lockdown by the National Public Health Advisory Team (NPHET). Prof Lambert was the latest in a growing number […]