Behind the shamrock smiles, ‘Kiss Me I’m Irish’ tee-shirts and ‘Top-of-the-morning’ SNL skits, a darker perception of Ireland is spreading in the United States. We Irish are fond of believing we’re the world’s favourite people.

Depending on people’s perspective, the news of the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor into Mayo might trigger different emotions.

It’s now generally accepted that for Catholics ‘the way of being Church in the future’, as Pope Francis described it and as Pope Leo has confirmed, is ‘the synodal way’.

The Celts believed that all trees were sacred; each had a special curative property or spiritual significance. Among our native trees, few were held in higher esteem than the hazel – the Celtic Tree of Knowledge.

There has always been a pious image among very religious people that certain types of people are really cut out to be priests or nuns.

A sedate and satisfied historian might suggest that there's something almost reckless about writing a history book that urges us to look at our ugliest family photographs.

If you or I spent the day walking around Dublin this coming Monday, it would just confirm what many of us already know – a great tradition is in decline.

It is better late than never. It is great to see that Mayo GAA are finally biting the bullet and going down the road of appointing a full-time chief executive officer. The advancement of such a role is long overdue.

Thanksgiving isn’t an Irish holiday. Our forefathers didn’t sail across an ocean as dance-hating, religious zealots in weird hats.

I was fortunate in recent times to be asked to provide images for a 2026 calendar. The calendar is being published by the Mill Community Cafe in south Sligo and features as its theme, 'Wildflowers of the Ox Mountains'. It was a labour of love.