Category: Uncategorized
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My Dublin family
Many years ago, in a different life, my good friend The Queen of Staines asked me a question. She’s that kind of person. ‘Would you like to be a father Peter?’, she inquired of me one day in the office we shared on Chancery Street. I thought for a moment or two and then replied;…
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Dearie me
So there I was, swanning around the Great Institution’s of Chatham Street, Merrion Row, Balfe Street, The Lotts and Wicklow Street. Having the time of it. The whole gig was going swimmingly well. Until I decided to hop onto the weighing scales. 92 kilos. Dearie me. There was only one thing for it. The Weight…
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When people of difference meet
So there I was, making my way through Summerhill and Ballybough en route to Santry and the Friday rendezvous with The Kilkenny Lady. I approached a small group of people who seemed to have most of the path taken up. I was a little surprised when there was no movement with a view to letting…
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Where exactly is ‘here’?
So there I was, having just polished off a very pleasing coffee and almond croissant in The Great Institution of Wicklow Street, also known as Le Perroquet cafe, when I had an interesting exchange with one of the waitresses. I had made my way to the counter with a view to settling my affairs and…
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Ireland united
I happened upon the BBC Radio religious programme ‘Beyond Belief‘ today. Amongst other things the show, presented from Belfast, discussed idea of a united Ireland in the era of Brexit. It seems the youth of the six counties see more practical value in being a part of Europe than the UK and so a united…
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Practice brings comfort
I’ve been getting to know a little more of late about a thing called stoicism, and am currently listening to an audiobook on the subject entitled ‘A guide to the good life’. Stoicism is an ancient Greek and Roman philosophy of life which is full of practical strategies for dealing with the ups and downs…
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A modern day Messiah
So there I was, tuning in to the bould Marty Whelan on Lyric fm when whose voice should I hear wafting gently across the airwaves only the great Michael Harding? Given that I am not much of a reader I have never read any of Mr. Harding’s books however this has never stopped me appreciating…
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Centring the marginalised
I believe in the concept of social equality. The idea that we are all the same. Of course we are not all the same and never will be. There will always be the haves and the have nots. Probably because we are all only human after all. And to be human means that we are…
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The rules of language
‘You just can’t say that anymore’. This is a phrase which seems to be used quite often these days. I was reminded of it recently in a podcast that I listened to and it also features in a storyline for the Netflix American University series ‘The Chair’, where one of the lecturers loses his job…
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Connecting
It seems to me that one of the great lessons of the pandemic has been the importance of human connection. The idea that no man is an island, that we all need each other. ‘It’s a wonderful life’ is my all time favourite movie. It tells the story of a certain George Bailey who is…
