Author Jude Collins

I never thought I’d say it but even in a subject like clerical child abuse there’s laughter to be found.  Thanks to a website called  Countmeout,  Catholics who want to leave their Church because 5% of its priests have been guilty of child abuse can now do so officially…   What’s that – you didn’t think […]

Two things have cheered my weekend so far. One was the glorious weather: once I feel the sun on my back, I begin to get positively disposed towards life, fellow-humans, animals,  and nearly every life form providing it doesn’t fly  up my nose or get stuck in my eye. The second was the item topping […]

Two things have cheered my weekend so far. One was the glorious weather: once I feel the sun on my back, I begin to get positively disposed towards life, fellow-humans, animals,  and nearly every life form providing it doesn’t fly  up my nose or get stuck in my eye. The second was the item topping […]

I’ve expressed my admiration on a number of occasions for John O’Dowd. He’s a big, unflappable, highly-capable Sinn Féin politician and some day may be among the line-up as successor to Gerry Adams. However, last night he was on television and he was made to look clumsy and ineffective. In part that’s because he was […]

I’ve expressed my admiration on a number of occasions for John O’Dowd. He’s a big, unflappable, highly-capable Sinn Féin politician and some day may be among the line-up as successor to Gerry Adams. However, last night he was on television and he was made to look clumsy and ineffective. In part that’s because he was […]

What a funny little fellow Kevin Myers is.  As a young man he was a reporter in Belfast for The Irish Times and he has never got over it.  Ever since he seems compelled, at weekly intervals,  to take a verbal trip to the north and West Belfast in particular. There he cocks his leg […]

What a funny little fellow Kevin Myers is.  As a young man he was a reporter in Belfast for The Irish Times and he has never got over it.  Ever since he seems compelled, at weekly intervals,  to take a verbal trip to the north and West Belfast in particular. There he cocks his leg […]

Some things are hard to believe and I’m struggling with this one.  On 20 April, the First and Deputy First Minister published a draft bill about assemblies, parades and protests.  In brief it says if fifty or more people plan to gather in a public area, they’ll have to give thirty-seven days’ notice. The first […]

Some things are hard to believe and I’m struggling with this one.  On 20 April, the First and Deputy First Minister published a draft bill about assemblies, parades and protests.  In brief it says if fifty or more people plan to gather in a public area, they’ll have to give thirty-seven days’ notice. The first […]

I’ve just come off the phone from talking on the Stephen Nolan Show about clerical sexual abuse of children. Dear God, but I’m weary of listening to and talking about this topic. The latest flare-up of air-time is the statement from Cardinal Sean Brady that he doesn’t plan to retire and will have a coadjudtor […]