Well it was nothing really, just the fact of being born of my mother and encouraged by my father. My mother was Catholicism personified, of North Manchester Irish stock, she came from Corpus Christi parish, off Oldham Road. Prior to the 1914-18 war every other house in that district was Irish and Catholic. My father was a Protestant farmer’s son… (more…)
The Church in Ireland as had to withstand a few trials by media in the last 20 years. At the time of Smythe’s exposure in the early 90s, further disclosures in the late 90s, followed by the infamous Ferns Report in 2005 and now the Murphy Report and its aftermath. The Church learnt that if it kept its head below… (more…)
Last night I witnessed the most inept, senile and out of touch display of accountability by the bishops of Ireland that has ever been known, when they set up the three stooges, McAreavey of Dromore, Brennan of Ferns and the holier and more stupid than thou, our own Jones of Elphin. Although this press conference was expected and in fact… (more…)