In celebration of International Women’s day on March 8, I’d like to remember my mother Caroline Dare (1954-2004). Caroline grew up in the UK and migrated to West Cork with her husband Alan in the early 80s to find a new life and raise her young family. Caroline loved working […]
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I was driving home on a sunny afternoon recently, when I spied two women walking down the road ahead of me. I did not recognise them as they neared but as is customary, I slowed down and lifted one finger off the steering wheel as I passed. Imagine my shock when […]
Travelling in India is always an adventure. This time we are in Kerala, in the very south, which the people proudly call ‘God’s own country’. Previously the Portuguese, Dutch and English laid claim here, and the Catholic church is very established. There’s quite a mish-mash of religions but everyone lives […]
Single combat was a high point of many of the old heroic stories in the Fianna Cycle and Ulster cycle of Irish Mythology. In the Táin conflict between Ulster and Connacht, Cúchulainn fought and killed many of Queen Maeve’s warriors. Finally Cúchulainn was pitted against his closest friend, Ferdia, who […]
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, […]