YESTERDAY, two events dealing with abuse inflicted on the vulnerable, one at either end of the island, one historical, the other contemporary, brought into question our ability to learn from our mistakes. 

Two men burgled a pet shop and then left the doors open, exposing birds to the cold, which resulted in more than €600 worth of birds dying, a court has heard.

There seems to be a strong anti-Catholic bias in RTÉ, sometimes it is very subtle and on occasions it is quite aggressive in language and tone.

I write in response to an article in Saturday’s newspaper where abuse survivor, Marie Collins stated the cardinal should have resigned long ago.

There has been no surprise at the announcement that Cardinal Seán Brady has offered his resignation to Pope Francis. This was obligatory once he reached his 75th birthday yesterday. There are unlikely to be many regrets, because he should have resigned some years ago.

'Sworn to Silence' a recollectuion of the clerical abuse of a boy, reflects on blame and shame in 1970s Ireland, says Dan Buckley

Hundreds of thousands of people lined highways and byways in Ireland to bid arrivederci to the Giro D’Italia.

His combative style and fearlessness, while often useful in a recession-time government, proved to be his undoing, writes Mary Regan.

Catholic Bishops have released a statement calling on politicians in the North to reject an Assembly motion on same-sex marriage.

Fourteen allegations of abuse have surfaced in the Diocese of Down and Connor since 2008.

A priest facing several sex abuse allegations asked to be dismissed and went on to work in a job which gave him access to children, the church watchdog has found.

Ireland is doubling its financial aid to the disaster-struck Philippines.

Ireland is doubling its financial aid to the disaster-struck Philippines.

Cavan SFC favourites Cavan Gaels crashed to a shock 1-10 to 0-8 defeat to competition outsiders Castlerahan at Kingspan/Breffni Park.

A bequest of almost €1m from an anonymous donor was not enough to prevent aid agency Trócaire sliding into the red last year.

The Taoiseach showed leadership and political skill in handling his parliamentary party in the run-up to the Dáilvote, writes Political Correspondent Mary O’Regan

The Taoiseach has ruled out any further legislation on abortion — despite at least three senior ministers stating they favour allowing terminations in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.

The future head of the Catholic Church in Ireland has entered the row over abortion legislation by declaring that the State has no right to destroy life.

Cardinal Seán Brady left no doubt on Saturday at Knock that the Catholic hierarchy is determined to influence politicians and the electorate to defeat the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.

The Catholic hierarchy will not mount a legal challenge to the Government’s planned legislation on abortion.

A senior Catholic cleric has told a vigil for expectant mothers that abortion can never be justified.

The Irish Catholic Bishops Conference is seeking legal advice on the proposed abortion legislation.

Catholic bishops have increased the pressure on Fine Gael TDs to oppose the planned legislation allowing abortion in limited circumstances, branding the proposals “dramatic and morally wrong”.

People clinging to Catholic beliefs by their fingernails have been told to look to Bono for hope.

Alan Shatter relishes the challenge to confront issues, says political correspondent Mary Regan

There was surprise and delight in Ireland when the Archbishop of Buenos Aires was announced as the new leader of the world’s 1.2bn Catholics.

Former Dublin manager Tommy Carr criticised the current lack of involvement of players from Meath’s glory era of the 1980s and ’90s and said other counties’ weakness should not be an excuse to split Dublin.

Cardinal Seán Brady is the latest in a line of cardinals across the world facing criticism from clerical sex abuse victims for being allowed to vote for the next Pope.

It was an historic announcement that stunned both his inner circle and the wider religious world.

The Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan told mourners at murdered Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe’s funeral that he and his colleagues are committed to bringing his killer to justice.

Bishop Colm O'Reilly has described this evening's meeting with the Taoiseach and Government Ministers as respectful and helpful.

Pope Benedict’s official representative in Ireland has described 2013 as “an incredibly important” year “for the sanctity of human life” and urged people of conscience from all religions and none “to work vigorously and courageously to protect human life from conception to natural death”.

MAY

“I hope that everyone who believes that the right to life is fundamental will make their voice heard in a reasonable, but forthright, way to their representatives,” Cardinal Seán Brady stated in his Christmas message. “No government has the right to remove that right from an innocent person.”

The Catholic bishops have expressed continued dismay at the proposals made by the expert group on abortion, warning three of the proposals involve direct abortion which the hierarchy say is “morally wrong”.

A man handed bags of cocaine to a police officer’s children out trick-or-treating on Halloween night, thinking he had given them sweets, a court heard.

One of Ireland’s best-known priests has revealed the anguish the Church’s requirement of mandatory clerical celibacy has caused him.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore says the Church has “every right” to lobby politicians on abortion — and steadfastly refused to spell out his own party’s position on the issue.

SORRY to be a grump, but now that the crappy summer is over, we can look forward to even worse weather, dragging the kids back to school and yet another budget aimed at eviscerating our incomes.