'Mental reservation' and the church's version of truthHow could twisted accounts of truth be let obscure the protection of children from abuse?Sat Nov 28 2009 - 00:00
Little to choose between FF and FG policies if election occursEven as they debate triggering a poll, Greens know power is necessary to affect climate changeSat Oct 10 2009 - 01:00
Punitive responses continue the cycle of violencePADDY BARRY, the 82-year-old Waterford pensioner who died after a break-in at his home, looks like an archetypal gentle granddad…Sat Sept 26 2009 - 01:00
Time to teach everyone the facts of deathDebate on advance care directives needs to be part of a wider review of end-of-life issuesSat Sept 19 2009 - 01:00
To tax or to cut: it's just a mess for familiesA Minister who accepts that the only priority is to make savings is not fit for officeSat Sept 05 2009 - 01:00
Young people's distress is a wake-up callThe rise in self-harm points to something seriously askew in our priorities as a countrySat Aug 29 2009 - 01:00
Trying to lose weight as mindlessly as we gain itWe are pretty clueless when it comes to evaluating what we eat. So what do we do?Sat Aug 01 2009 - 01:00
Second-level focus on points stifles creative thinkingEducation system requires students to prioritise memory skills over developing an ability to think freelySat Jun 20 2009 - 01:00
Climate change: the crisis and challenge of this generationEvery era has its blind spots and our blind spot in relation to climate change is enormousSat Jun 06 2009 - 01:00
Dunne family was failed long before that tragic weekendUNDERSTANDABLY, A great deal of the commentary on the Monageer tragedy has centred on two themes, firstly the way in which the…Sat May 16 2009 - 01:00
Our competition law is wildly inadequate and needs reformFor years consumers have been paying an unacceptably higher price on some brandsSat May 02 2009 - 01:00
Hidden trap of two incomes now exposedWHEN A ship springs a leak, the most urgent task may be to bail water, but not to the exclusion of watching whether there are…Sat Apr 11 2009 - 01:00
It seems as if religion is the last tabooReligious practice has many positive effects, and we should try and harness those benefitsSat Apr 04 2009 - 01:00
System failing to protect children at riskState bodies and NGOs as well as the church must be accountable for deficient servicesSat Jan 10 2009 - 00:00
Contemplating the educational road less travelledHome education is still very much a minority option in Ireland but numbers are growing, writes Breda O'BrienSat Sept 20 2008 - 01:00
Recession could have a silver lining for us and planetStress, excess and environmental damage are just some things we might usefully jettison in leaner times, writes Breda O'Brien…Sat Jul 19 2008 - 01:00
Same-sex relationships no substitute for marriageA gay partnership is different, as it cannot provide a child with a mother and a father, writes Breda O'Brien.Sat Jul 12 2008 - 01:00
Activists using 'homophobia' label as bullying tacticIt takes courage to champion traditional marriage, knowing it will unleash invective from alleged liberals, writes Breda O'Brien…Sat Jul 05 2008 - 01:00
It is better to avoid making hijab a major issueAs a society, we need to discuss why we have particular rules, but be careful of how we do soSat May 31 2008 - 01:00
Active lay people help church to overcome difficultiesThe Irish Catholic Church is undergoing a resurgence with the laity playing a key roleSat Apr 12 2008 - 01:00
State national schools have not been thought throughReplacing one kind of lack of choice with another is not the way forward in educationSat Apr 05 2008 - 01:00
Fear of confronting children turns parents into ATMsBeing termed by your offspring 'the worst parent ever' may mean you're doing a good job.Sat Mar 29 2008 - 00:00
Christ would not have endorsed religious humanismThe great service of the militant atheists is that they shock believers into really deciding where they standSat Mar 22 2008 - 00:00
Clinton's gender argument doesn't stand upThe former first lady is suffering because she's unable to connect with voters in a meaningful waySat Mar 08 2008 - 00:00
Nepal case highlights loss of poetry in sexualityA very nice radio researcher contacted me, wondering would I like to endorse on air the idea of removing Cathal Ó Searcaigh's…Sat Feb 23 2008 - 00:00
Commitment is key for a successful marriageOn Valentine's Day, Google's home page had a really sweet graphic of an elderly couple walking hand in hand on a beach.Sat Feb 16 2008 - 00:00
Why the faith factor is vital to US politicsIn the New York Times on Sunday last, writer Nicholas Kristof made an interesting pointSat Feb 09 2008 - 00:00
Danger of reversing women's prison reformsThe Government is planning to double the capacity of Dóchas, the women's prison, in the controversial prison development at Thornton…Sat Jan 26 2008 - 00:00
Lisbon Treaty offers Greens interesting choiceThe Green Party is facing an interesting challenge in the Lisbon TreatySat Jan 19 2008 - 00:00
Fickle personality contest will affect our fateIf attempts were made to impose the American democratic system on any other country, it would immediately result in cries of …Sat Jan 12 2008 - 00:00
Funding is core issue for schools, not patronageAh, don't you just love our political system? First, we terrorise primary schools with the threat of bankruptcy over water charges…Sat Dec 22 2007 - 00:00
Only a fool wishes it was Christmas every dayIn CS Lewis's Narnia, the reign of the White Witch means that it is always winter and never Christmas.Sat Dec 08 2007 - 00:00
Parents ignorant of realities of the virtual worldRecently, I have been struck by a number of advertisements that revolve around slightly incompetent parents being advised by …Sat Nov 17 2007 - 00:00
Middle way best in marriage rights debateIn ways, marriage is more difficult to write about than abortionSat Nov 10 2007 - 00:00
Different kind of poll gives a voice to childrenNext week, more than 200,000 children and young people will take part in the "Big Ballot", an exercise organised by the Ombudsman…Sat Nov 03 2007 - 00:00
Church must find better ways to communicateArchbishop Seán Brady's remarks at Knock have generated a remarkable amount of attentionSat Sept 01 2007 - 01:00
Being child-friendly is simple and rewardingHoliday times always make me wonder how child-friendly Ireland really is. Restaurants are among the worst offenders.Sat Jul 21 2007 - 01:00
The verdict on Hanafin: a 'steady as she goes' MinisterTeaching Matters: Ah, there's no doubt that she's a class actTue May 01 2007 - 01:00
We still need 'bloody marvellous' teachersJohn Devitt was a "bloody marvellous" teacher, according to the poet and publisher Peter Fallon, who was also a former pupil …Sat Apr 21 2007 - 01:00
Poor education in our sex-saturated cultureYears ago, I was teaching a class in their early teens part of a module on relationships and sexualitySat Mar 17 2007 - 00:00
Give the would-be politicians a hard-knock lifeTeaching Matters: Something rather odd happened to me recentlyTue Mar 06 2007 - 00:00
If we're so happy, why do we drink so much?But, are you happy? It appears the answer depends how the question is askedSat Feb 24 2007 - 00:00
Strong leadership needed on thorny issue of immigration Breda O'BrienThey carry out operations on our hearts. They serve our food. They clean our schools. They build our housesSat Jan 27 2007 - 00:00
Assessing alternative methods of assessmentTeaching Matters: Teachers are a cautious lot, not willing to throw themselves with wild enthusiasm into just any old changes…Tue Jan 23 2007 - 00:00
Greens could offer vital change of climatePat Rabbitte will probably bite the ankles of the next person who asks him the "will you, won't you" question about Fianna Fáil…Sat Jan 20 2007 - 00:00
Time for a real debate on the role of marriageThe director of the newly-founded Iona Institute, David Quinn, is a brave manSat Jan 13 2007 - 00:00
Urgent need for atheists and believers to uniteProf Richard Dawkins currently holds the chair for the Public Understanding of ScienceSat Dec 23 2006 - 00:00
