Ideas

The Inflection Point

Literacy in religious thinking may be necessary to tackle the world crisis

Irish Literature

Sipping from the Honey-Pot

Oliver Goldsmith was ‘an enlightened anti-imperialist’ grappling with the emerging modernity of the industrial and agricultural revolutions. His ethical universalism did not preclude cultural diversity…

Irish Literature

Midlands Enlightenment

The eighteenth century in Ireland saw the vigorous transfer of literary objects and ideas between Castle Forbes, Edgeworthstown House, and other ‘big houses’ such as…

Towards a Coalition of Hope

The Christian commitment to the core elements of a flourishing society is shared by civic republican philosophy ‑ the secular outlook which ought to underpin…

Irish Politics

Step Back, Make Space

A ‘peace’ consisting of two separate communities deterring each other from dominance in a fragile see-saw balance of power, where there is no real sharing…

Irish History

The People’s Story

A comprehensive new volume of essays on Ireland’s social history since 1740 claims to offer a new interpretation of the country’s history. Certainly it contains…

Irish History

Too Long A Sacrifice

French Catholic intellectual influences were very evident in Catholic middle class culture in early twentieth century Ireland and were openly embraced in Joseph Mary Plunkett’s…

Irish History

Scholar and Gentleman

The eighteenth century manuscript collector, historian, political activist and thinker Charles O’Conor was a remarkable figure who bridged the Gaelic tradition of his family and…

Irish History

The Civic Public Square

How should religious groups interact with the public sphere and attempt to influence policy? Or should they stay out of the political marketplace altogether? The…