In Irish folk tradition, St. Brigid’s Day, February 1, is the first day of spring, and thus of the farming year. It is the festival of Ireland’s much-loved Brigid, who is often called ‘Mary of the Gael’. She built her convent in Kildare (Cill Dara, the Church of the Oak). […]
Columnists
Every January, it is traditional for columnists to write about New Year’s resolutions. However, I feel that might seem a bit presumptuous, given the year we’ve just had and the uncertainty of the year ahead. A resolution to go to the gym three times a week seems a bit tenuous […]
The Greeks are often cited as the fathers of modern philosophy. One strand of philosophy they debated centred around the nature of truth. How can we trust any information? The answer – to disbelieve everything you know and relearn it through personal experience and empirical knowledge. They also concluded this […]
Blocked fallopian tubes are one cause of why women are not able to conceive. These tubes are the pathways from the ovaries to the uterus. At ovulation, usually the middle of the month, an egg is released from the ovaries and travels though the fallopian tube to the uterus. Conception […]
I’m looking through the window at another dreary evening, waiting for it to be dark enough for my chickens to head into their house, so that I can shut them safely in for the night and then relax, all my outdoor chores done. I find these short days depressing and […]
Christmas joy has always been expressed in music and song, in poetry and art. Not only have the great masters of art depicted Nativity scenes that capture the atmosphere of the most holy of nights, but simple artists and unknown wood carvers have portrayed in the Christmas Crib the great […]