EASTER is early this year, after which, you could say, the academic year is more or less busted for another year.

AMERICAN stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author George Carlin, at age 102, offered the following wisdom that is deeply relevant for us all. If you don’t read this to the very end, you have lost a day in your life.

CAN anyone please tell me why there is a sudden fascination with widening footpaths all over the country? And despite objections from businesses and residents – no matter where the work is taking place – the authorities are intent on pursuing ...

LENT 2026 is a sacred season that invites humanity to enter a time of prayer, fasting, almsgiving and deeper conversion.

THE funny thing about the news cycle is how short it lasts – but the problems it highlights continue long after the spotlight has been diverted elsewhere.

WE live in turbulent times. I find it very upsetting listening to news regarding the growing polarisation and violence in the United States. How a country once viewed with such respect and regard seems to be imploding.

The sad reality is that shop closures continue.

By the end of last year, homelessness in Ireland reached record highs – for now – exceeding 16,000 people, including over 5,000 children.

THERE is a story of six people who froze to death around a campfire on a bitterly cold night. Each had a log of wood they might have contributed to the fire, but for reasons satisfactory to themselves, each person refused to give what they had.

THERE are some unspoken rules when it comes to engaging in conversation; in other words, steer clear of certain topics that might cause confrontation between yourself and friends.

THE Department of Education and Youth has launched a survey to assess demand for different types of primary schools. Its aim is to expand parental choice in education.

I LOVE a bargain as much as the next person, but I believe the whole concept of Black Friday and Cyber Monday has destroyed retailing around Christmas time.

THERE are now more Irish pubs abroad than in Ireland. In fact, there are 53 countries in the world where you can find an Irish pub, including such far-off places as Mongolia, Bolivia, Russia and Australia.

OUR definition of a medical emergency and the government’s interpretation of the same thing are totally different. Any right thinking person would view an emergency as just that – something which needs to be dealt with now. But not government.

I LOATHE the phrase ‘shop around’ when it comes to looking for a ‘deal’ for energy, life insurance, mortgage rates, Health insurance, house insurance, car insurance – the list goes on and on.

IT was a lawyer who asked Jesus in the Gospel, ‘Who is my neighbour?’ He was probably expecting a definition that would determine the limits of his obligations.

THERE were a lot of tears around the country at the weekend. The annual merry-go-round had started and that’s nothing compared to the floods of tears which will be witnessed over the coming days.

"I know shopping online can be a godsend when you can order and pay in an instant with little effort and all from the comfort of your armchair, but then we hear the horror stories of people losing thousands at the hands of scammers and wish for a less stressful time when cash was king."

POPE Leo XIV has declared St John Henry Newman a ‘doctor’ of the Church, bestowing one of the Catholic Church’s highest honours on the deeply influential 19th century Anglican convert, who remains a unifying figure among conservatives and ...

I HAVE come to the conclusion that I may be a racist without knowing it. Sounds stupid, doesn’t it, but last week I read something which got my blood boiling, leading me to that thought. It revolves around asylum seekers.