A Bruton well-versed

Where is it now,

Where is it now,

That voice which calms my soul?

Where is my faith

Upon which I was sustained?

When can we too raise our voices,

And sing of the glories of God?

This is the start and the end of the 21-line poem by Finola Bruton, of Dunboyne, Co Meath, published in the current edition of The Irish Catholic. She writes of her sorrow at the silencing of the Christian message, the difficulty for Catholics of her age declaring their beliefs among their peers, and calls on Christian leaders to make their voices heard.

She will hardly be running for election, since she calls for the written word "untouched by the mob", but will the leader of the Opposition deliver his speeches in blank verses from now on, and will the content take note of her call?

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter