‘If he runs, it’s over, period’ — the text glared at me from my phone, and I was at a loss for words. We had just left my local Ralph’s grocery store, the evening breeze offering a welcome break from the relentless summer heat of Southern California.

John O’Mahony was a brilliant football manager and a thoroughly decent man. I was deeply saddened to hear of John’s passing early on Sunday morning.

More than ever today, we are taken with the idea of celebrity. Meeting a personal hero or having a well-known personality visit our locality is still a big deal for most people.

"This isn't a Christian thing to do!" he shouted, eyes wide in anger, his dark skin blending into the room's gloom.

Career paths aren’t always linear, but more often than not, when a person is drawn to a particular area, they end up working in that field in some shape. That’s true for Lisa Finn, owner of Enhance Consulting.

Generally speaking, I would not be the greatest or most passionate fan of soccer but seeing the way Gaelic football has developed in the past decade I have begun to take a greater interest in the game.

In Ireland's verdant fields and misty forests, a silent symphony of parental devotion plays out daily, unnoticed by most human eyes.

News that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have formed an alliance on Mayo County Council for the first time can be classed as historic but certainly not a shock.

Three weeks ago in this space, I wrote about the organised attempt by extreme traditionalists in the Catholic Church to undermine the reforms that Pope Francis is now anxious to introduce – change that was supposed to be implemented 60 years ago ...

Best be prepared, for it will be a hard day’s night.