Author Jude Collins

      My father still calls to me. Across the years, my ears Are ever alert to his presence. The ancestors, never let you go. No matter how rough or random Things become, the words They give you from off their tongues Help your voice, help it to rejoice In building ideas with a […]

  Like indigenous peoples in every country, our ancestors, the Celts, had a great respect for the Earth and for Creation which led them to have great love and admiration for the Creator God. That sense of compassion comes through in the prayers, hymns and writings of the Early Christian period.    One of the […]

The British Labour Party, I think it’s safe to say, is not the British Conservative Party. But some days  you’d be forgiven for thinking they are. Between October and December Starmer sold £127 million in weaponry to, yup, Israel. How come it’s OK  to pass massive amounts of weaponry to a genocidal state, but against […]

We invented it.  In the nineteenth century, Charles Boycott worked as a land agent for Lord Erne, in County Mayo. In 1880, as they pursued the Three Fs – fair rent, fixity of tenure and free sale, as well as oppossition to evictions, the Irish National Land League persuaded Boycott’s employees to withdraw their labour. […]

What a mighty man is Kevin Bakhurst, the director general of RTÉ.  He has said he has asked the European Broadcasting Union for a discussion on Israel’s participation. Well, two cheers for that. But will (the south of) Ireland compete in Eurovision this weekend, given the genocidal state of Israel will be performing? Here’s Kevin again: […]

Over the weekend, a garda was killed by a motor-bike while he was doing a road speed check.The Taoiseach praised his courage and dedication to duty.  Would it have been better to make sure gardaí intervening like this were doing so from a safe position? And why the hell do motor bikes and cars get […]

  There was great excitement throughout the world and especially in Rome last week leading up to the election of the new Pope. The excitement and joy in St Peter’s square was palpable. The 133 Cardinals, on the second day of voting, elected the new Pope more quickly than expected. He was Cardinal Robert (Bob) […]

In the green, in the green.These days, modern nationalismInward looking and self obsessedBreeds like rabbits amongst us.Planting hate like incendiary carrots.With timers  set to go off in our pockets.Exploding from the very screensOf our phones, when we are home, alone.Young or old we get the scoldingOf what we should or should not be doing.It holds […]

Today is a beautiful, sunny, near-perfect day. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Pat and I take a look at the state of the world – especially the US – and draw some grim conclusions about the future. We may have a new Pope, but will he be able to live up […]

I expect you’re familiar with the Occupied Territories Bill. No? Maybe that’s because it doesn’t exist, or at least doesn’t exist in law.Even a quick look at its history is instructive. It was tabled in the Oireachtas in 2018 by Senator Frances Black (yes, Virginia, one of the singing Blacks) and it would have banned  […]