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Shame shrouded in secrecy

IT turns out that secrecy clauses which bind the victims of clerical rape to silence were not confined exclusively to the distant past. It has been argued that in the Ireland of 35 years ago consciences were guided by different values.

Pointless escape from reality

IT is not at all clear that enough is being done about the proliferation of so-called head shops. The sight of long queues of people seeking to buy drugs, and not for medicinal purposes, is pathetic. It may yet become a symbol of a miserable society bereft of morale, just as pictures of soup queues conveyed the despair of the Great Depression.

Hurt, humility and arrogance

CARDINAL Brady's dignified and contrite public appeal for time and space to reflect on reaction to his role in the 1975 handling of two abuse cases by a serial paedophile was in contrast to provocative comments by his most vociferous defender, Mgr Maurice Dooley.

No flinching from tough decisions

JUST as we think we are plodding nicely along in the economic stakes, the spoilsport European Commission calls a stewards' inquiry and instructs us to use more whip.

Grasp nettle on sex abuse now

THE children who were sworn to secrecy in the presence of the then Fr Sean Brady were effectively being threatened with eternal hellfire if they broke the oath and told anyone about the "internal inquiry" into Brendan Smyth's abuse.

A spot check on the basics

THE question is being posed: why is it that children enter primary school full of love for learning but too often lose it along the way? Something happens following the transition from primary to secondary school and the end result is not good. A report has found that pupils make less effort in first and second year because their Junior Cert seems a lifetime away, so why bother?