The Israel invasion of Gaza has caused a huge reaction worldwide. Yet despite the tens of thousands of civilian deaths, it has been allowed to run for five months unabated. Over the next two issues, I want to explore the history and politics of this conflict, to bring a deeper […]
The opening line in Charles Dickens’ much-loved novel, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ is the often quoted one – ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’. Has it ever been any other way? The narrative of the book spanned the run-up to the French Revolution, […]
On November 23, 2023, Dublin bordered on the brink of anarchy. The riots fuelled by far-right propagandists and lit by criminal opportunists, racists and anarchists engulfed Dublin for a few scary hours. Scary, not by virtue of scale or duration, but because something like this, was happening in Ireland. Three […]
Jordan had been on my radar for years, as a place I was keen on exploring. It’s a country teeming with history and biblical landmarks. It has borders on the Red Sea, an ocean teeming with a kaleidoscope of colourful life, and the Dead Sea where nothing can live because […]
The great Chinese philosopher Confucius in his teachings wrote, ‘He who seeks revenge, digs two graves’. With Confucius’ advice being issued over two and a half millennia ago, one would think humanity would have learned how to interact and live side by side. The abhorrent killing of innocent Israeli citizens […]
This week many of you parents will have been subjected to disruption with the closures of preschools. More are planned for October and November. This article will attempt to explain why the providers have taken these drastic measures. Most readers will remember a time before formal pre-schooling. It’s not that […]