We need to believe in power of honesty

Any Irish person who once believed unquestioningly in the pillar institutions of this society is entitled to feel disappointed, if not betrayed.

One by one, the great bulwarks of our country, the great organisations that we were taught to trust, the organisations that existed to organise, to protect, to educate, to administer justice, to celebrate religious beliefs, or even look after our pensions all fell disastrously short of the standards that define an honest, functioning society.

The litany of woe is so very familiar, almost tedious, that it hardly bears repeating, especially on a weekend morning as spring tries to see off winter’s rearguard. But the scale of the collapse is so great that unless it had happened, it would hardly be comprehensible.