Death in the Novel

With the waning of religious faith and practice in Ireland, the hope of eternal salvation is no longer available to a large portion of the…

Irish Art / Culture

The Disappearing Priest

Seminarians were traditionally taught to view the body with suspicion, as a source of temptation and sin. By embracing celibacy, many priests believed they were…

Irish Literature

Evil Literature

A new survey deals with literature and sexuality in Ireland from Joyce to McGahern, taking in the background of shrill clerical warnings of moral dangers…

Everything’s A Sin

In spite of his bitterness, Dedalus nevertheless betrays a lingering fascination with Catholic vocabulary and concepts, as is pointed out by an acquaintance later in…