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A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Bishop of Cloyne William Crean will reach the Church's mandatory retirement age of 75 in December. Picture: David Keane</p>

munster

Cloyne diocese likely to merge with Cork and Ross under single bishop

Cloyne’s 150,000 Catholics could join Cork and Ross under plans to reshape dioceses amid falling priest numbers and calls for consultation

<p>The judge said: 'I am not suggesting, at this stage, to serve the Pope but I am not ruling it out. Mr Gibson is in a better position to know better than anyone in this court'. Photo: AP/Gregorio Borgia</p>

court and crime

High Court judge 'not ruling out' contacting Pope over Canon Law in Christian Brothers abuse case

<p>Glenstal Abbey School was set up in 1927 by the Benedictine order at Glenstal Castle in Murroe, Co Limerick. File picture: Valerie O'Sullivan </p>

munster

Parents and past pupils bid to keep Glenstal Abbey School open

Gareth O'Callaghan.png

Gareth O’Callaghan: How a late wife’s final wish inspired her husband to consider the priesthood at 65

I’m an atheist and even I can see the Church is losing its way

comment-analysis

I’m an atheist and even I can see the Church is losing its way

Hosanna in the highest bid: St Vincent's Church sale agreed at €400k

commercial

Hosanna in the highest bid: St Vincent's Church sale agreed at €400k

‘He took my childhood’: Ray Noctor recounts industrial school abuse in powerful video testimony

S ‘He took my childhood’: Ray Noctor recounts industrial school abuse in powerful video testimony

In a new video, the 67-year-old returns to St Joseph’s Industrial School in Kilkenny and recalls the abuse he suffered as a child

Wed, 28 Oct, 2026

Waterford City house fire deaths

Waterford murders: Bishop Phonsie Cullinan and Fr Gerry Chestnutt lead vigil for family

Fr Chestnutt said: 'The person responsible for this has to have the courage now to stand up and admit what you did and face the consequence'

Wed, 14 Oct, 2026

Meet the Catholic priest turned Celtic monk who has lived on Inis Mór for more than 40 years

Meet the Catholic priest turned Celtic monk who has lived on Inis Mór for more than 40 years

In his new book, Dara Molloy — a former Catholic priest turned Celtic monk who has lived on Inis Mór for more than 40 years — explores Ireland’s ancient spiritual soul. Echoing the sentiments of Manchán Magan, he tells Ciara Byrne about his call to us all to embrace the Celtic way

Sun, 11 Oct, 2026

Gareth O’Callaghan: In an age of anxiety, are people turning back to Jesus for hope?

Gareth O’Callaghan: In an age of anxiety, are people turning back to Jesus for hope?

After joining a Dublin march for Jesus, Gareth O’Callaghan reflects on faith, anxiety and society’s search for meaning

Sat, 03 Oct, 2026

Patrick McDermott: The forgotten Irish missionary who helped build Catholicism in Nigeria

Patrick McDermott: The forgotten Irish missionary who helped build Catholicism in Nigeria

Newly examined correspondence sheds light on Patrick McDermott and the lesser-known Irish missionaries who helped build Catholic communities in Nigeria

Sat, 03 Oct, 2026

SEPTEMBER 11 ANNIVERSARY

S 25 years on from 9/11: How New York’s firefighters paid the highest price on September 11

From Father Mychal Judge to the 343 firefighters who died, the FDNY’s losses reshaped a department and its enduring bond

Fri, 11 Sep, 2026

A Quarter Century Later, September 11 Remains Embedded In The Fabric Of New York

S 25 years on from 9/11: Firefighters and volunteers took solace from 'little chapel that stood' among ruins

Firefighters, police officers and volunteers found food, rest, prayer and companionship at the Manhattan church beside Ground Zero

Fri, 11 Sep, 2026

Clodagh Finn: The Irish flappers who gave bishops sleepless nights by embracing jazz and fashion

Clodagh Finn: The Irish flappers who gave bishops sleepless nights by embracing jazz and fashion

New research reveals how Irish women embraced jazz, fashion and dance despite bishops’ warnings about the supposed dangers of modernity

Sat, 29 Aug, 2026

Bishop includes prayers for dead boys as hundreds attend vigil for family injured in M9 crash

Bishop includes prayers for dead boys as hundreds attend vigil for family injured in M9 crash

Bishop Denis Nulty said the community felt 'shock, fear, and grief' during the vigil for four family members whose car was struck by a vehicle driving the wrong way down the motorway in Kildare on Sunday. All five occupants of the other car have died

Fri, 21 Aug, 2026

The legs of a newborn during baptism in the church. Baptism and anointing ceremony.

Catholic baptisms fall sharply in Cork as births and religious affiliation decline

New research attributes the decline to falling birth rates and secularisation, while highlighting continued cultural Catholic identity among parents

Wed, 19 Aug, 2026

Church and State tried to silence us, but Gen-X women had new tools

Church and State tried to silence us, but Gen-X women had new tools

For survivors of Bessborough, Cindi Bonny's article was both mirror and megaphone, confirmation that what we lived through was real and an invitation to keep speaking, writes Nóra Flaherty

Fri, 07 Aug, 2026

TP O'Mahony: Slander of Mary Magdalene was a deliberate choice by early Church

TP O'Mahony: Slander of Mary Magdalene was a deliberate choice by early Church

The depiction of Mary Magdalene — who was probably an apostle — as a sex worker hardened over time in order to reduce the influence of women in the Church, writes TP O’Mahony

Thu, 06 Aug, 2026

Young woman enjoys time in kitchen with a smile while looking out the window during a sunny day

Joan Cronin: Free women often choose to remain child-free — why's that so hard to understand?

While finance can influence family planning, particularly the number of children women will have, it is rarely the sole deciding factor

Fri, 31 Jul, 2026

Woman, 50s, injured in alleged stabbing during mass at Waterford church

Woman, 50s, injured in alleged stabbing during mass at Waterford church

The attack happened at 9.45am during, or just before, Mass at Holy Cross Church at Summerhill, which is a busy location at the top of the town near a number of supermarkets.

Tue, 21 Jul, 2026

Haircuts 4 Homeless: ‘What’s shared in the chair stays in the chair’

Haircuts 4 Homeless: ‘What’s shared in the chair stays in the chair’

Trevor Hynes and other professional hairdressers treat their homeless clients exactly the same as the clients in their salons

Sun, 19 Jul, 2026

Switzerland Vatican Defiant Traditionalists

Gareth O'Callaghan: There’s nothing modern about Latin Mass — that's why I love it

Gareth O'Callaghan says the traditional Latin Mass offers reverence, beauty and continuity that many Catholics still seek today

Fri, 17 Jul, 2026

How Catholic Ireland's legacy still shapes our public toilet problem

S How Catholic Ireland's legacy still shapes our public toilet problem

Marc deFaoite says Ireland's shortage of public toilets reflects a lingering legacy of Catholic-era attitudes and decades of neglect

Thu, 16 Jul, 2026

Survivor's burial claim reignites questions over missing children at Bessborough

Survivor's burial claim reignites questions over missing children at Bessborough

A woman born in Bessborough in the 1950s says that, as a child, she witnessed an illegal burial on the grounds of the notorious Cork mother and baby institution

Sun, 12 Jul, 2026

St Augustine's Church in Cork overflows with emotion for its last-ever Mass

St Augustine's Church in Cork overflows with emotion for its last-ever Mass

There were tears as the Augustinians' 750-year history in Cork ended. But it was also a celebration of faith and good humour — including a moving rendition of 'The Banks of My Own Lovely Lee'

Sun, 12 Jul, 2026

Bessborough plan ‘inhuman’, Catherine Corless says at Tuam film premiere

Bessborough plan ‘inhuman’, Catherine Corless says at Tuam film premiere

Historian who uncovered the names of 796 children who died in the Tuam mother and baby home denounces plan to build apartments on Bessborough site in Cork

Sun, 12 Jul, 2026

The St Augustine's Christy Ring chalice 'must remain in Cork'

The St Augustine's Christy Ring chalice 'must remain in Cork'

The hurling legend donated his eighth All-Ireland senior medal to St Augustine's Church — which celebrated its final Mass today — and it formed part of the base of a now-famous chalice

Sun, 12 Jul, 2026

Young School Boy With His Hands Clasped

Slow progress of divestment shows parents want a choice of schools — not to change existing ones

The school divestment plans first mooted in 2011 have been slow and underwhelming, because policymakers misunderstood a desire for choice as a desire for change, writes Anne Marie Kavanagh

Fri, 10 Jul, 2026

Preparation to the post mortem examination.

Irish Examiner view: Technology removes need for full autopsy

Irish post-mortem services have deteriorated greatly in recent years, partially due to the increasing need, recruiting issues, poor working conditions, and a simple lack of motivation within the system

Mon, 06 Jul, 2026

Catholic sect in Cork says prayers for Pope Leo after being excommunicated by pontiff

Catholic sect in Cork says prayers for Pope Leo after being excommunicated by pontiff

The Catholic Church considers the unauthorised ordination of bishops so serious that it causes those taking part in the ceremony to be automatically excommunicated

Sun, 05 Jul, 2026

Nominations sought for humanitarian award dedicated to life of Cork priest

Nominations sought for humanitarian award dedicated to life of Cork priest

In Nazi-occupied Rome during 1943/44, the Rome Organisation Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty created provided refuge and assistance to the hunted and oppressed

Sun, 05 Jul, 2026

Cork sect excommunicated by Pope Leo to celebrate Mass 'as usual' on Sunday

Cork sect excommunicated by Pope Leo to celebrate Mass 'as usual' on Sunday

Cork SSPX (Society of St Pius X) church to celebrate Mass ‘as normal’ despite their excommunication this week

Fri, 03 Jul, 2026

US Declaration of Independence exhibition

TP O'Mahony: Liberty may live in our hearts, but it needs laws to protect it

Some may argue safeguards and guardrails of democracy have been blatantly breached by a president with scant regard for constitutional restraints, writes TP O’Mahony

Fri, 03 Jul, 2026

Noel Howard: The Cork divorce trial that gripped the Victorian world

Noel Howard: The Cork divorce trial that gripped the Victorian world

A landmark Victorian courtroom battle saw Lady Louisa Mount Cashell challenge convention and secure an extraordinary legal victory

Sun, 28 Jun, 2026

Cahirmee horse fair

How the Louise O’Keeffe case exposed the State’s response to child sexual abuse victims

Nearly three decades after Leo Hickey’s conviction, survivors say the State continues to resist meaningful accountability and redress

Sat, 27 Jun, 2026

Tributes after death of 108-year-old Cork nun Sr Colette Hickey, who was Ireland's oldest woman

Tributes after death of 108-year-old Cork nun Sr Colette Hickey, who was Ireland's oldest woman

Sr Colette joined the Good Shepherd Sisters over 90 years ago at the age of 17, and founded Edel House in 1972. She become Ireland's oldest living person just weeks ago

Wed, 24 Jun, 2026

Bishop Leahy speech

Limerick Catholics call for stronger representation of women in the Church

In a letter read out at Masses in the Diocese, Bishop Brendan Leahy said 'the most urgent priority identified was the need to engage more deeply with young people and families'

Mon, 15 Jun, 2026

Church doesn't know how many of last year's 178 abuse allegations were previously known, report says

Church doesn't know how many of last year's 178 abuse allegations were previously known, report says

The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland report says 115 respondents were deceased, while a further three were found to be 'in ministry'

Thu, 11 Jun, 2026

Keeping the faith: Cork man carries on grandmother’s Eucharistic tradition

Keeping the faith: Cork man carries on grandmother’s Eucharistic tradition

Craig Clinton is continuing a decades-old street altar tradition in Shandon, honouring the deep faith and legacy of his late grandmother

Thu, 04 Jun, 2026

The story of Pope Leo’s ‘landmark’ text on AI technology — by a member of its launch panel

The story of Pope Leo’s ‘landmark’ text on AI technology — by a member of its launch panel

Pope Leo’s text examines what it means to be human in an AI-driven world

Tue, 02 Jun, 2026

APTOPIX Vatican Pope

The Pope has moral power but won't set the global agenda on AI

The lever of capital, and the institutions that control it at scale, may be our era’s most important and least understood governance actors

Mon, 01 Jun, 2026

Leo XIV

S Sarah Harte: If we can’t make AI work for us, I’ll meet you at the barricades

Meta's layoffs of Irish staff, Geoffrey Hinton's fears about AI, and Pope Leo's encyclical have all raised fears about AI this week

Wed, 27 May, 2026

A crucifix on a book against the background of a chalkboard

Primary schools to find out next week if parents want to drop religious ethos

The first national primary school survey found that 40% of parents with children attending religious-run schools do not wish to retain their school's religious ethos

Tue, 26 May, 2026

Rosary in Girl's hands

Letters to the Editor: Religious education can open up a sense of wonder

Several readers responded to Aoife Cassidy's opinion column about religious education in schools — and, as ever, what they have to say may surprise you

Sat, 23 May, 2026

Cork Eucharistic procession to welcome relics of 'God's influencer' St Carlo Acutis

Cork Eucharistic procession to welcome relics of 'God's influencer' St Carlo Acutis

A piece of the heart of St Carlo Acutis, canonised in September last year by Pope Leo XIV, is among items that will travel to different locations across diocese as part of 100th anniversary of Eucharistic procession in Cork.

Fri, 22 May, 2026

Micheál Martin invites Pope Leo to visit Ireland during state visit to Vatican

Micheál Martin invites Pope Leo to visit Ireland during state visit to Vatican

But Martin may not be in office for such a papal visit: Taoiseach's Paris and Rome trip during a by-election campaign comes amid rumours he may step down as party leader after Ireland's EU presidency

Fri, 22 May, 2026

Pope Benedict XVI Celebrates Mass At Nationals Stadium

Aoife Cassidy: School sacraments have no place in modern education

'The entire spectacle is sustained by a primary education system still structurally organised around religious dominance'

Wed, 20 May, 2026

Cameroon Africa Pope

Pope Leo ‘endangering a lot of Catholics’ with Iran stance, Trump claims

The remarks come two days before Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, meets Leo at the Vatican

Tue, 05 May, 2026

Limerick diocese puts land between city schools up for sale for €2.27m amid financial strain

S Limerick diocese puts land between city schools up for sale for €2.27m amid financial strain

The 5.6-acre greenfield site, which is zoned for housing, is being sold to address 'sustained' budget deficit in the diocese

Wed, 29 Apr, 2026

Religious patrons to have 'ultimate say' on ethos of primary school, says minister

Religious patrons to have 'ultimate say' on ethos of primary school, says minister

It comes after a landmark survey found strong demand for more multi-denominational education

Tue, 07 Apr, 2026