We are in the jaws of 'recession' - or so it suits the men (and women) in suits to tell us so. Today the British chancellor will introduce swingeing cuts and add heavy taxes on the wee men and women of these isles and tell us all that it is the only way forward.
(2/2/2010) Mass Cards
Just reading an article in Irish News about pre-signed Mass Cards being signed by priests not in good standing in the Catholic Church. Surely, the whole idea of people having to pay for Masses is not in good standing in any context. It seems such a complete contradiction in terms to ask for a mass for some intention and then have to pay for it - is this not the privilege and duty of the priest - to say Mass? The whole thing smacks of base commercialism and flies in the face of what Christ would really want from this shepherds. It's time for the Church to put 'paid' to this sordid practice and take the mammon out of the mass.
(28/1/2010) Feigners DUPed, Marty and the rights of citizens, and Peeping Gerry
Arrogant Pete Robinson is not afraid of telling his Prime Minister, or any other minister for that matter, that he will not serve or come to a compromise no matter who takes the precious time to come to this little sad piece of God-forsaken rock to try and broker a deal. I wonder what little treat the boul mister Brown has in store for the same Pete further down the line for his arrogant outburst.
(26/1/2010) Shin Feign, the lrish language, and 'calm down'
So, as we all suspected all along. It has come to light that Shin Feign (the 'not a leg to stand on' party), despite all the bluster about their so-called 'support' for the Irish language, have only raised the issue of the Ianguage at the 'talks' on devolution of police and justice (whatever this latter means to all who have no work, unsure about the future of their children's education etc that the clowns in Shin Feign and DUP circus up in Stormont are getting a fortune to sort out?) within the last week/10 days. Typical. Take Gerry Sadam's commitment to the language. (I'm sure he won't mind me mispelling his name since he insults anyone with any allegiance to truth or the Irish language in view of the fact that he uses the language to belitte others, scoring cheap political points and in view of the fact that his 'Irish', especially as one who purports to be 'leader' of a nationalist/republican 'party' is an insult to the nation.) His 'address' to the new executive is a prime example of this. He abused the language to score cheap points against the DUP and other unionists (and maybe some in his own party who wouldn't have a lot of love for the language). This attemepted 'address' in Irish, in linguistic terms, goes down in the history of the Irish language as the greatest insult and worst form of garbage ever inflicted upon those who have any care for the language. Had the DUP done any homework on the language they could have wiped the floor with him. Now, the whole world knows what they suspected all along - the language is only an afterthought and something to be pulled out either to insult others - thus prolonging the antipathy to the language in other circles, to insult those who care for the language by using pig Irish - or as a weapon to garner a few votes at election time. If Gerry has any true commitment to the language he should spend more time learning it and less on 'autobiographies' when the world and its mother knows that he is more than conservative with the truth. It's time for Gerry and the Feigners to stop feigning any more - your true colours re the Irish language are, once again, 'shinning' through.
(4/1/2010) Death, where is thy sting?
Just been to the funeral of a young man - Liam Ó Muirí (fíor-Ghael, fíorchara, fear uasal - ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal Gaelach) - father, son, husband, brother, friend among other wonderful things. The words struck me (not for the first time) from St. Paul about the impotency of death - where is thy sting (1 Cor: 15:15) He must have lived a very sheltered life to ask such a stupid question. Did he never witness the suffering of those left behind -is that not sting enough? Get a life, Paul, wherever you are now.
(2/1/2010) 2010
Wishing you all a very happy New Year with the wish that all your dearest dreams will come true.
(23/12/2009) De Mortuo Nil Nisi Bonum (Say Nothing but Good of the Dead)
(referring to a recent event in Northern Ireland)
(16/4/2009) Holy Week
One of the abiding memories of the Holy Week celebrations is the number of words used during the Good Friday ceremony and the Midnight Mass. It reminds me of a friend who became a priest. At his first Mass in his native town his sermon started something like: ‘Two thousand years ago the Word became flesh and we have spent those two thousand years putting the Flesh back into word. So, I don’t intend to keep you too long.’
(2/4/2009) November First, the First of Samhain
(a poem dealing with the backdrop to the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland (post-Faimine era) and of the inestimable contribution the Association has made to life in Ireland ever since.
(20/2/2009) Practice and Perfect
Practice makes permanent - perfect practice makes perfect.
(16/2/2009) Damp Squib 1
So, Dublin and Tyrone ‘lit up’ Croke Park to kick off the 125 year celebration of our GAA (if it still belongs to us) – and what a feast of football so early in the season. Then we had the squibs – a full 17 minute presentation on the GAA with intermittent fireworks – a repetitive pyrotechnic show of no more than 2 or 3 motifs repeated over and over again. Thank God for the stars of Tyrone and Dublin – (and should Hector get a mention).
