The moment Jorge Mario Bergoglio stepped onto that balcony overlooking St Peter's Square in 2013, a thousand headlines were born. Here was the first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit pope, the first to choose the name Francis.

Very few, I imagine, were surprised that the death of Pope Francis provoked such a widespread public response as different constituencies of interest lined up to pay their tributes.

There is something intrinsically fascinating about observing grandparents with their grandchildren on family outings. These intergenerational tableaux reveal more about our cultural evolution than a thousand sociological papers.

Top of the morning to y’all! It’s me, the United States Healthcare System, and I thought I’d hijack Liam’s column to tell a story to you Irish, with your much maligned universal healthcare of public hospitals, GPs and medical cards.

A downside of the late Easter is that when the sixth years return to school next week, there really is very little time left before the Leaving Cert begins. Yes, the Leaving Cert. Summer is indeed coming.

A constant mantra today is that everything is changing and that all we can be sure of is that everything will keep changing. Some people are frightened by this, preferring to put the wagons in a circle and to try to keep change at bay.

It was a historic week in Westport in more ways than one.

There was a time when very few people had the telephone in their home. The priest, the doctor and maybe the local shop were the usual clients. At that time, in the Ox Mountain region, if you wanted to make a call, you went to the local Post Office.

On our emerald isle, where saints once walked and monasteries flourished like clover patches, the Catholic Church isn't dying - it's evolving.

The west is of course best, but one of the undeniable advantages of living in Dublin is its cultural vibrancy. Whether it is the galleries, or the theatres, or the wide variety of gigs and events, you can usually find something to do of an evening.