The young Indian dentist who died in Galway when doctors refused to terminate her pregnancy even though she was carrying a non-viable fetus has sparked protests all over Ireland, with citizens calling for the government to consider the life of the mother in such cases. Dear Taoiseach, I have never before ‘made representations’ to my TD on any matter, and I must confess that … [Read more...] about The Last Word: Enough Sitting on the Fence
Opinion
The First Word: Hunger and Silence
“People think [the Irish] are such great talkers, but there is so much silence in Ireland about certain issues.” – Fionnula Flanagan The image of Michael Fassbender on our cover is very different to how he was seen in Hunger, the 2008 movie in which he played Bobby Sands, leader of the 1981 hunger strike in Northern Ireland. Fassbender, a Kerry native whose mother is from … [Read more...] about The First Word: Hunger and Silence
The Last Word: A Handshake on the Road to Reconciliation
The day after his groundbreaking handshake with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness delivered the following speech (which has been condensed for publication) at a Sinn Féin event in Westminster. Though he describes the handshake as political, highly significant and very symbolic, McGuinness doesn’t believe that the journey to … [Read more...] about The Last Word: A Handshake on the Road to Reconciliation
The Last Word: Stand With the Sisters
Mary Pat Kelly looks at the Vatican’s latest censorship move to silence American nuns. I am shocked and heartsick at the Vatican’s action to censor the nuns. I know a lot of nuns, I was one myself for six years. Nuns are the wise women of our tribe. We cannot let the Vatican throw them under the bus. I wrote about a visit to the Mother-house of my order, the Sisters of … [Read more...] about The Last Word: Stand With the Sisters
What America Can Learn From Ireland
The Last Word: Birth Control is a Medical Issue, Not a Religious One The Irish, a fiercely independent people ruled by another country for centuries, have a unique appreciation for irony. As an advocate for reproductive rights in Ireland, I saw the travesty in a church-sanctioned anti-contraception policy that harmed women and families in the name of saving them from sin. … [Read more...] about What America Can Learn From Ireland