It was great recently to meet Niamh Hanafin of Presentation Secondary School Tralee who was Highly Commended in the Oireachtas Essay Competition (Aiste an Oireachtais) 2024/25 for her essay on the theme ‘Parliamentary Politics Liberates’. Thanks also to School Principal Ms.

Today is #RedWednesday, a global day of prayer and awareness organised by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) to highlight the persecution of Christians worldwide. Last week in the Seanad, I referenced the latest biennial report, Religious Freedom in the World 2025 from @acn_int.

On the challenge of dealing with transnational sex offenders and progress made in tackling this evil. Thanks to Naomi Trewinnard, Legal Advisor to the Lanzarote Committee who moderated this session @coe_children and Mark Beavan, Head of Crimes Against Children at @INTERPOL_HQ.

Today, 18 November, is #EndChildSexualAbuseDay. I’ve been representing @PACE_News at @COE_children conference on ‘Strengthening the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse’.

I have concerns about changes being made in the Defamation (Amendment) Bill. I think the Government is relaxing, too much, the obligation to protect people who may be defamed during a live broadcast. An excerpt from last Wednesday’s Seanad Debate here. @(Minister ‘Callaghan, Dept

Who’s a clever Troy then? https://t.co/N1P8C3GHZI via @rte

Muintir Uí Chonghaile suited and booted and ready for the big occasion i gCaisleán Átha Cliath - congratulations to them all.

It’s a great review and I look forward to reading the book.

This is partisan @rtenews - Emma O’Kelly only presents one side. Banning any faith formation in schools is an attack on the faith and cultural tradition of the majority. She quotes a child who says they were ‘sad’ and ignores any voice for the selling points of faith-based

Suaimhneas síoraí di.

Social media militate against serious analysis, even when they are not deliberately engaged in disinformation or explicit attempts to manipulate, because any medium reliant on clicks is only one click away from excesses.

A brilliant piece of on-the-spot journalism by Miriam Lord, with a touching and very Irish twist at the end. https://t.co/LM5PVYo2cp

Tomorrow (Nov 1 – All Saints Day), at a ceremony in St. Peter’s in Rome (9.30 a.m. Irish time), Pope Leo will proclaim St. John Henry Newman as the 38th ‘Doctor of the Church’. Newman founded the Catholic University in Dublin in 1854, precursor of today’s @ucddublin See

I banish thee … to a property on my country estate.

The decision of 13% of people who went to the trouble of attending at polling stations to do something other than register a preference among validly nominated candidates should not be portrayed as an anti-social act. In large measure, it was an expression of dissatisfaction with

I am calling for an Oireachtas Committee to look into the presidential election nomination process, in light of this year's campaign and the widespread dissatisfaction by voters. Listen to my interview on @radiomidwest this morning below.

We need a new, more positive-sounding term than ‘Spoiled vote’ to describe something important on view today — constructive, communicated disengagement by many voters from a choice of candidates that they thought too limited. Can anyone supply a well-crafted (and polite) acronym?

Now it’s time to talk of President Connolly @catherinegalway. I have always found her to be a pleasant and gracious person. She has promised to represent all the people, including those who didn’t vote for her. She can be a great president. Go n-eirí go geal léi.

“There was no dignity in what they did.” That’s what a woman, a lifelong FF supporter, said to me about her party’s approach to the presidential nomination process. That someone like Éamon Ó Cuív, a person rooted in the traditions of the State, untainted by scandal, hadn’t a