I hear on the grapevine that we are discontinuing buying contract ticekts from Irish Rail. That's a pity. I am told we would have to be buying more to avail of the offer. But why not join in with CORI or the IMU. It might be nice if those of us using the railway on a regular basis received some sort of official notification about the new practice.
Those of you who use the railway and are not on a free pass, Irish Rail has at last decided to offer single fares. But the tickets have to be bought through their website, www.irishrail.ie. The tickets seem to be working out at half the standard return fare. Up to now, the single ticket was within €2 of the return fare - a crazy practice.
When it comes to the environment we really don't seem to be at the races.

Congratulations to Wilfrid Harrington and Gerard Norton. I attended the removal of the remains of Fr Ned Wall on Wednesday in St Mary's Tallaght. Wilfrid preached a great few words. A most inspiring man. He spoke well of Fr Wall. And Gerard conducted a prayerful and dignified liturgy.
I first met Ned in Tallaght in 1969. He was someone who always intrigued me. A man of great intelligence, who saw through so much of the clerical nonsense. And maybe because of that, he suffered. A good man has died.
'The Lives of Others' has to be one of he best films I have seen.
It is set in East Germany before the wall comes down and is about the Stasi spying on an artist. The main character has been appointed to spy on an artist and in the process turns against the system and aligns himself with the man on whom he has been spying. He pays a high price.
He sets out as a true party member, a captain in the Stasi. But he comes to see that he has been duped by the people in charge.
His boss probably believes in nothing but is seduced by control and status. Like so many people in charge, he is a nobody. No, he is worse than that as he has the power to do great harm.
The main character, the captain, experiences no human love in his life, is probably a bitter man and then sees for himself how people can live lives of love - real love.
The film reminds me in many aspects of so much that is part of the clerical life.
It has now been running in Dublin for over two months but it is still on in the Screen. I can't imagine it will run for much longer.
A great film.

Has anyone looked at the web site of the Irish Dominicans?
The computerworld has introduced all sorts of new terms, one of them being the word, 'virtual' and then 'virtual reality'. Never quite sure what it means. Certainly, reading the Dominican website, one can get some sort of clue. Has it something to do with the difference between 'real' and 'unreal'?

Hello,
I have decided to set up a blog. The blog will deal with issues and matters within the Irish province of the Dominican Order. It will be an alternative platform and hopefully it will create a space for people to speak openly and honestly about issues. It will attempt to move away from clerical language.
It may turn out to be great fun.
I edited the in-house magazine of the Irish Dominicans for close to ten years. Those who remember that can be assured of lively debates on this blog.
Michael Commane.

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