Lead us not into temptation

The 'Thinking Anew' column in The Irish Times today.

Michael Commane

Temptation.  The word evokes a myriad opinions, feelings, thoughts and indeed memories in our heads. Those of us old enough to remember the terror of hearing about the many ways the devil had for tempting us have spent our lives trying to banish such thoughts. The devil and his fire, his long forked-like iron bar scared the living daylights out of thousands of small children. No wonder we don’t want to know of him these days.

Was that the idea, to scare the living daylights out of us? If we showed such images to small children today, their parents would be up in arms. And rightly so, too.

Back in the 1980s I often heard stories about an elderly priest, who at every conversation would interrupt the flow of talk to tell the assembled group that the devil was under the table. The devil is in the detail. He’s always a nasty piece of work.

I think we can  agree that temptation plays a significant part in all our lives. Whether it’s to smoke or not, to drink alcohol, to eat too much sugary food, to drive a motorbike too fast, to slander someone, we all know what it means to be tempted. 

We all know that human beings are capable of extraordinary goodness, but we also know we are all capable of doing great harm and evil. Oscar Wilde amused many when  he said he could resist anything except temptation. Wilde’s clever wordplay often contains a nugget of wisdom. 

And then there are grades of goodness and badness. We turn the perpetrators of great evil into monsters so as to disassociate them from human beings like us. Every day’s news, national and international, brings us face to face with acts of good and evil deeds. You might say it’s the way of the world.

Tomorrow is the first Sunday in Lent. In the Gospel (Mt 4: 1 - 11) we read the well-known story of Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. While the devil tries his tricks on Jesus, Jesus tells him where to go. 

There is a long-held tradition that Lent is an opportune time to arm ourselves against the ways and temptations of the devil. Lent is a good time to do battle with our own egos. 

In the days before Ash Wednesday I was talking to a psychologist. We were discussing how it is so easy for our egos to run riot with us. She gave examples of how extremely wealthy people never seem happy with what they have, always wanting more.

Some days earlier I spotted in a national newspaper the death of a man. His death was treated as a personal tragedy, which it undoubtedly was.  I recognised his name. Some years ago, he resigned from an organisation after details emerged of how monies had been misappropriated. The report of the man’s death carried his photograph.

The newspaper report, and all that it entailed, evoked in me a terrible sense of loneliness, sadness and emptiness. Looking at the  bigger picture it was an illustration of the pointlessness of chasing rainbows.

Soon afterwards there was yet another report of ill-gotten gains. This one had a  funny side to it. A millionaire drug-dealer who managed to accumulate over €53 million lost the codes to his bitcoin accounts. He carefully  hid the account numbers in his fishing rod, which in turn was either lost or stolen. Without the codes, his access to the money is gone and now he’s in jail. You might call it rough justice.

Every day we hear of all forms and shapes of wrongdoing. Sometimes the perpetrators are caught, other times they walk away scot-free. 

Sometimes the deeds cause great harm and turmoil, on other occasions the wrongdoing is not so extreme. But every time we give in to our egos, we start down a road that does nothing for us or those who are close to us, or indeed, society as a whole.

Christianity offers us a great story about good and evil. Sometimes it’s a literal explanation, other times it might be metaphorical. But it is always the same story, advising, admonishing us to stay away from wrongdoing, not to allow ourselves to be tempted to do what’s not good for us, for our family, for our society.

Lent gives us an opportunity to think about where we stand vis-a-vis our –  at times – all-conquering egos. It’s a good time to tell our egos that we are in charge and not they. And there’s a place too for a healthy understanding of the role guilt can play in our lives. But most of all we need to reassure ourselves of the love that God has for us. God is love.

What German cyclists are doing

In Germany cars are obliged to give a distance of between one metre and 1.5 metres when overtaking a bicycle. If it is not possible to give such a space then the car is obliged to drive behind the bicycle.

In many German cities, including Berlin, cyclists have attached a long metre pole to the back of their bicycles forcing cars to give them the legal distance when overtaking.

A great idea, something cyclists should do on Irish roads.

Dublin's Leeson Street Bridge must be one of the most dangerous junctions in the world for cyclists

Archbishop Paul Gallagher meets Wang Yi in Munich

During the Munich Security Conference earlier this month Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican's Secretary of relations with States met Wang Yi, the Chinese Foreign Minister.

It was the first time for more than 50 years that such a high-level meeting has taken place between the Vatican and China.

At the meeting the provisional agreement that was signed between both parties in 2018 was discussed.

It is generally believed that candidates for the episcopate will be approved by the Chinese government with the pope having the final word on the appointment.

Dermot Brennan OP - an obituary

Fr Dermot Brennan, who died in Cork on Monday morning, was born in Mayfield on the north side of the city, on February 27, 1943.

He joined the Dominican Order in Pope's Quay in his native city in September 1960, having earlier been a student at Sullivan's Quay CBS.

The young Dermot was an altar boy at the nearby Dominican community in St Dominic's, Ennismore. He often said that the late Brother Damian Lynch was influential in his joining the Dominicans.

Dermot, was given the name Cormac when he received the habit but reverted to his baptismal name when the rule was changed and Dominicans were allowed retain the names their parents gave them.

Shortly after priestly ordination in 1967, Dermot was assigned to the Irish Dominican mission in Trinidad where he spent 11 years working in various parishes, including Port of Spain.

Dermot will be remembered most of all for his work in hospital chaplaincy.

In the 1980s he moved to Toronto where he studied clinical pastoral education. He returned to Ireland and helped set up the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education. For many years he tutored aspirant hospital chaplains.

He also worked as chaplain in the Mater Hospital in Dublin and at Marymount Hospice in Cork.

He played a vital role in setting up the norms and protocols under which hospital chaplains work today in Ireland.

He was prior in the Dominican communities in Cork, Limerick and Drogheda and was a parish priest in St Mary's Tallaght. He also spent a short time at the Dominican Priory, St Saviour's in Dublin's north inner city.

During his time as prior in St Mary's Pope's Quay Cork he was responsible for the building of the pastoral centre attached to the priory.

In its time it was a forward-looking venture but in hindsight one might question the feasibility and purpose of such a building. And as a building there was nothing aesthetic about its design.


Dermot had a large pastoral outreach and was always willing to give of his time and energy to those who came looking for his advice and attention.

He was particularly caring and considerate to Dominicans who left priesthood. On a number of occasions the wives of former Dominicans expressed their gratitude for the help Dermot had given them and their spouses, especially in times of difficulty and great stress.

Dermot was a physically big man. In recent years he experienced extended periods of ill health. Like many tall men, he suffered problems with his back.

Among his many achievements was the Dominican Biblical Institute in Limerick.

At an assembly of the Irish Dominicans in 2000 he proposed a "Scoil Luimni", a Limerick version of the École Biblique.


Tom Brodie was temporary regent of studies at the time. It was also during that period that plans for the Priory Institute first got an airing.

Dermot was the man who conceived the Dominican Biblical Institute, had the energy to build it and stayed with the project and Tom became the moderator.

Dermot was disappointed at the ease with which it was closed.

When the Irish Dominicans left Limerick, Dermot was greatly saddened and felt it was a black spot in the history of the province that it should leave a university city. The Dominicans first went to Limerick in 1226. It personally hurt Dermot that the Irish Dominicans left the city, and also the manner in which they departed.

He had strong views on many topics and when it came to discussing church and Dominican matters he could be forthright in expressing his opinions. He spoke his mind clearly and honestly. An admitable feature in today's world.

Dermot Brennan was genuinely interested in people and went that extra proverbial mile to offer a helping and kind hand to those in need and in trouble.

He was an avid follower of the fortunes of the Cork hurlers and footballers.

His funeral Mass is in St Mary's Priory church Pope's Quay, Cork on Thursday at midday.

The Mass takes place on his birthday in Cork, the city he so loved.

May he rest in peace.

Longer days, daffodils are out, clocks go forward soon

This week's Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column.

Michael Commane

Donald Trump and Danny Healy-Rae don’t believe in climate change. I beg to disagree with them. I’d like to ask both of them have they been cycling a bicycle recently. 

I’m cycling a long time and I have never seen such rainfall as I have seen in the last six months. Right through the autumn and early winter there was seldom a day when I did not have to use my rain gear. Then again I doubt the two Ds depend on a bicycle to get from A to B.

And the ever-growing power of the wind is noticeable. In the last week, while cycling, I was close to being blown out in front of a passing car.

But the changes that are happening our climate are not having any effect on the ‘rising and setting sun’.

My mother died on February 12, 1988. I can still hear and see her talk with excitement at this time of year about the stretch in the day.

She was ecstatic the first day Dad arrived home from work in the daylight. These days it is bright in Dublin at 6pm. Every day darkness is being pushed back, and since soon after New Year it’s been particularly evident in the evening time. 

But now the mornings are beginning to succumb to daylight. These days leaving home at 7am I get a sense of daylight. Maybe my imagination is running away with me. But wasn’t it Robert Louis Stevenson who said: ‘To travel hopefully is better than to arrive…’. 

And it makes sense. Did you ever notice in the middle of summer how we take the brightness for granted?

Did you know that there is approximately 15 minutes of a difference between sunrise in Dublin and West Kerry? Kerry gets an extra 10 to 15 minutes extra daylight in the evening.

I’m not saying that winter is over but all around us right now there are glimpses of what is to come. The daffodils and bluebells are thriving and the new-born lambs are gambolling in fields across the country.

Ash Wednesday is this week, the beginning of Lent. Every day of Lent will be longer.

So often we take the familiar for granted. It is a good idea to take some time out and realise the wonder and beauty that is right in front of our eyes. That’s exactly what these longer days are about.

I’m often surprised how there is not more written on the scourge of getting out of bed on dark winter mornings. While these days it’s still no walk in the park getting up any time before 6.30am but we have the certainty that it’s going to get easier.

In just over four weeks we’ll be putting the clocks forward. It seems with Brexit we’ll be holding on to the practice of changing the clocks in March and October. 

In winter it will be GMT and in summer GMT plus one. Have you noticed there is a move away from GMT, Greenwich Mean Time, to UCT, Universal Coordinated Time? A good table quiz question – ‘How many time zones are there? There are more than 24. And just in case you forget what to do with your clock. Remember it’s ‘spring forward’ and ‘fall back’. 

The again, most time-pieces these days, change automatically.

My mother’s joy at the days getting longer is one of my abiding memories of her. Simple, wonderful too.

This is a great time of year. Enjoy the now. It’s all we have.

Dermot Brennan OP, RIP

Dominican priest Dermot Brennan died in the Bon Secours Hospital, Cork this morning.

May he rest in peace.

Removal of remains from St Mary's Priory, Pope's Quay Cork community chapel to the church at 5pm onWednesday.

Requiem Mass at midday on Thursday in St Mary's Pope's Quay.

The church is a maximum 20-from minute walk from the rail station and 15 minutes from the bus station.

Obituary to follow.

Anonymity helps no one and hides the dark men

Some time back a reader posted a comment to this blog which was not uploaded.

It was sent anonymously. This is an extract from the comment: '...'obviously to fit into you (sic) martyr dialogue you will over look (sic) it.'

At the best of times anonymous comments are not helpful.

But this comment was not accurate or factual. It was at the other other end of the spectrum when it comes to having anything to do with the truth. And I know.

The blogpost to which the anonymous reader was referring was accurate and factual and indeed the writer of the post had no agenda whatsoever. If anything, the writer is in the 'opposing camp'

Anonymity helps no one and it is a dark side of so much in the Catholic Church.

There are far too many anonymous people in the church, within priesthood and religious congregations.

Yesterday's Gospel was about God being love, loving our enemy. And then there are the dark men in priesthood.

A funny old world. A funny old church.

Trump's America first philosophy helps no one

An interesting piece in yesterday's Guardian about US-West relationship.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/22/the-west-is-not-winning-and-donald-trump-america-first-is-to-blame?CMP=share_btn_link

What's forbidden in EU Parliament allowed in Dáil Éireann

When Ireland South MEP Mick Wallace used bad language in the European Parliament two weeks ago he was interrupted and chastised by the president of the parliament and told such language was not allowed in the parliament.

When Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou LcDonald used a profanity in Dáil Éireann on Thursday, the first day of the 33rd Dáil, there was not a whimper from anyone. Not a word from the newly elected ceann comharle/speaker of the parliament, Seán Ó Fearghaíl.

What does it say about our parliamentarians, about our country?

Does it augur well for the future.

Does a new normal apply?

What Dublin City Council really thinks about cyclists

This is a pothole on Dublin's Rathgar Road. For a cyclist this spells disaster and can be catastrophic.

It is one of many potholes on Rathgar Road. They are now there over one year.

On a wet day it can be filled with water and you don't see it and in you go. 

But what is most dangerous about it is that you see it just seconds before you arrive on it and suddenly swerve out to avoid it and behind you cycling too fast, too closely is another cycle. Crash.

This is a perfect example of what the managers at Dublin City Council think of cyclists. This is what all those in authority who give lip service to cyclists really think of them.

Korean film 'Parasite' well worth a watch

The South Korean film 'Parasite', showing across Irish cinemas at present, is well worth a watch.

The award winning film, directed by Bong Joon-Ho, is attracting large numbers in Dublin cinemas.

The film is what it says on the tin. It is about a poor family who manage to worm their way into a wealthy family. They all get jobs at the home. 

They pose as competent people who are not related to one another. And they use nasty methods to get rid of the genuine people who work at the home.

It's black humour. It's poor people acting as parasites and harming a wealthy family and destroying the lives of their employees. They have no scruples whatsoever and the father is the clever or maybe not-so-clever ringleader.

We learn little about the wealthy family. Are they too parasites? There are hints they are but they practise it in a much more sophisticated way.

Then there is a sub-plot, which adds to the fun and mystery of the film. The violence later in the film is lurking from much earlier on.

Maybe it could all be told in under the 132 minutes running-time.

At least two South Korean airlines are refusing to show the film on their services.

The film is sub-titled.

A priest tells a story of bullying and cruelty

The letter below appears in the current issue of The Tablet.

A story of the importance of money and lack of compassion that is so often evident in the church.

Fr Hazelwood is a priest of the diocese of Cloyne. The Catholic diocese includes east and north Cork. It includes the towns of Mallow, Youghal, Cobh and Macroom. The current bishop is Billy Crean.  

The authors of the article, “Safeguarding with compassion” (1 February), do not address the treatment of the accused in safeguarding practice. 

Some have been found guilty by the civil courts, others have been found not guilty but then tried in canonical courts, while others for a variety of reasons have never faced any inquiry but are kept out of ministry by their superiors.

There is a whole group of men who because of a lack of any process are in limbo, beholden to their diocese or order for a place to live and an income. 
They are the forgotten.

I believe it is because of the “fear of litigation and insurance claims” mentioned by the authors that institutions feel it is better to keep them out of ministry. 

In Ireland all areas of safeguarding are audited except Standard 4 which deals with the person accused. We in the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland offer support and are finding more and  more inquiries from England where no priests’ group exists.

In my experience of dealing with safeguarding authorities, when a false allegation was made against me I experienced bullying tactics, was lied to and did not receive support when I tried to clear my name. 

Surely if we speak about compassion it should apply to all.

(FR) TIM HAZELWOOD
KILLEAGH, COUNTY CORK

Surely opinion polls influence how we vote?

This week's Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column.

Michael Commane

You may remember the Met Office warned of rain and wind for election day. In spite of the warning I took to the hills. We managed to get most of the walking done before the bad weather descended. 

Back from the walk, cycling to my voting centre, I was thinking of the role that opinion-polls play in the lead-up to an election.

If you are not directly involved in politics and see that your candidate, according to the polls, has not got a chance in hell of getting elected why would you waste your number one vote on that candidate? 

And the same, if your preferred person is running away with it, why not give another person you deem would be a good representative your number one. Of course our PR system allows surpluses to be distributed.

Indeed, it was something I had discussed with a friend in the run-up to the election on Saturday.

Then on the Monday after the election well-known and seasoned journalist Justine McCarthy made exactly the same point and said that in the months ahead there might be need for a serious discussion about the power and influence of pre-election opinion-polls. And she said that as a neutral observer and not because of the Saturday result.

Later that morning on the Sean O’Rourke programme former Fianna Fáil government minister Noel Dempsey also alluded to the influence of opinion-polls and without his reference being in any way being sour grapes.

It set me thinking about how we make our minds up about anything. Why do I buy a particular washing-up liquid rather than another one? Is everything we do significantly decided by fashion and advertising?

How free are we to make up our own minds and do as we genuinely want to do for ourselves? Isn’t it remarkable to observe how conscious children are about fashion labels. The effects of advertising are even stronger on young impressionable people.

The well-known brand has to be stamped and very visible on the garment before the young fella or girl will wear it. When I was that age the label was tucked well inside the jumper for no one to see it.

Bob Dylan got it so right in his 1964 album, ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’. And with what speed, they are ‘a-Changin’ these days. 

In the days leading up to the election I spotted a Sky bus stop ad. It struck me as quite extraordinary. It’s selling Sky TV and Broadband and offering prospective customers a deal if they switch to them.

It shows you a large spacious brightly-lit family room. 

There are two adults and two children in the picture. 

Apparently a ‘happy family’. All four people are looking at screens. It’s clever. The father and son are looking at the one screen and then mother and daughter are looking at two separate screens.

Is that where family life is heading? Is that the model for the immediate future?

When advertising took off in the 19^th century, it simply showed products and explained what they did, where they could be bought and what they cost. 

Advertising companies have discovered that by wrapping the product around other desirable aspects there is a far greater chance of enticing the customer to spend money.

I’m impressed with what American philosopher Noam Chomsky says: ‘It is important to bear in mind that political campaigns are designed by the same people who sell toothpaste and cars.’

And it is good to be aware of that fact.

What Mark Twain didn't say about the ballot box

In 26 of the 39 constituencies Sinn Féin topped the poll.

Had the party put up 100 candidates across all 39 constituencies would there now be a one-party government in Ireland?

From Mark Twain - "A common complaint among residents of every country at election times is the feeling that their votes make no difference; that the powers-that-be will run affairs as they see fit, regardless of any input from the citizenry."

This expression of the seeming irrelevancy of the ballot box is encapsulated in a quote often incorrectly attributed to Mark Twain: "If voting made a difference, they wouldn't let us do it."

Munich Security Conference discusses 'Westlessness'

At the opening of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that the rise of self-serving nationalism poses the greatest risk to the world's prosperity and to the generations that will follow us.

Without naming them, he was critical of the US, China and Russia.

"Blinkers and short-sightedness will also generate higher costs for the bigger players.

German foreign minister Heiko Maas was also critical of the behaviour of the world's super powers.

The title of this year's conference is 'Westlessness' -  a sense of the growing feeling of unease about the identity, the purpose and maybe even the demise of life in the West as we know it.

Politics, toothpaste and cars

It is important to bear in mind that political campaigns are designed by the same people who sell toothpaste and cars.

                                                          - Noam Chomsky

The centre seems not to be holding

The world seems to be in strife, and angry too.

World events and trivial incidents show signs of how the centre is not holding.

US President Donald Trump refused to shake hands with the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and she in turn, tears up the president's State of the Union speech.

Catholic theologians denounce Pope Francis as a heretic. Among the group is English Dominican Aidan Nichols.

Germany's largest political party, the CDU is divided. The division is so great that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and recently resigned leader of the CDU Annegret Kramp- Karrenbauer, earlier this week publicly disassociated themselves from members of their own party in the State of Thuringia.

Elected members of Dáil Éireann sing angry and violent songs against the English.

Was there ever a time when the kindness and dignity of the message of the Jesus of the Gospel was so needed?

The disappeared insects from car windshields

Some days ago there was an item of news on RTE Television pointing out how in the past car windshields would be covered in insects after a drive. Today there never are any insects on the windshields.

This article in the Guardian is just on that topic.

It is amazing how they have disappeared and we never noticed it.

Car ‘splatometer’ tests reveal huge decline in number of insects
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/12/car-splatometer-tests-reveal-huge-decline-number-insects?CMP=

Mixing up the time

Spotted at the entrance to a Spar shop in Cherrywood.

Is this a question of having your cake and eating it or of being sure to be sure?

Covering all eventualities? Making foreigners and US military personnel feel at home?

'Do I dare to eat a peach?' - TS Eliot

This week's Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column.

Michael Commane

We had a health test at work some days ago. I know pride is high on the list when it comes to the top sins. But I’ll tempt the gods and be dangerous. 

When it came to the cardiovascular test I scored top marks. My metabolic age registered 15 years younger than my current age. There were one or two places where slight improvement is needed. Fortunately, there was no equipment to measure my mental age.

Many fellow Dominicans tell me that I will live to a ripe old age so as to annoy the Irish Dominicans as long as possible.

I may be dead before this appears on the page. I might be knocked down by that proverbial bus. Indeed, I could be told I have developed an incurable or fatal illness.

We have no idea when we are going to die. I remember the morning my mother died, while walking out of the hospital later, saying to myself I would be annoyed if some people escaped death. No one does.

Before the general election there was much talk about the pension controversy. People grow old and we have to care for our elderly.

At what stage does a person start ‘to grow old’?

When I taught English and we read TS Eliot’s ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, I never thought it had anything to do with me. It was always some older man. But now those lines are staring me in the face.

‘I grow old… I grow old…./I shall wear the bottom of my trousers rolled/ Shall I part my hair behind?/ Do I dare to eat a peach?/I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me.’

Does wisdom come with age? I have met wise older people but I have also met unwise older people. I have often heard people say that old-age is a curse. But surely older people have collected an experience over their lived years. In my case I often look back in embarrassment on my younger years and wonder how could I have behaved in such a manner.

In general, older people are less inclined to do the damage and harm that younger people do. Most of the prison population is made up of young people. Yes, there is the occasional older person incarcerated and it is terribly sad when you see them there.

Our libido seems to quieten down as we grow older. The cycle of sex, love, partnership, caring for your children, moves to the next step of being that adoring grandmother/grandfather.

And when you think of all the rules and regulations religions attach to sexual conduct I’m tempted to scratch my head and wonder.

After all, our sexual drive is part of the schema of things to make sure that it all keeps going. Sometimes I’m inclined to wonder if so much of religions’ codes and laws on sexual behaviour are all nonsense. And then, on the other hand, maybe there is great wisdom to it all. Who knows?

Society needs to keep order. The common good requires it. What happens if and when the genie is allowed out of the bottle?

Growing older allows one look at life with a certain degree of wonder, scepticism, and maybe wisdom too.

And then there is the mystery of God, eternal life.

What do we know about anything? Does growing old help? One thing is sure, life is a mystery and we all die.

Luke Dempsey OP, RIP

Dominican priest Luke Dempsey died yesterday in Kiltipper Nursing Home, where he had been a resident for over two years. 

Luke was assigned to St Mary's Priory, Tallaght, which is close to the nursing home. It made it easy for his Dominican confreres to visit him. Priests from St Mary's celebrate weekly Mass at the nursing home.

Luke was born in Kilcash, Co. Tipperary at the foothills of Slievenamon, between Clonmel and Carrich-on-Suir on February 7, 1934. Luke joined the Irish Dominicans in September 1952 and was ordained a priest in 1959.

He did postgraduate studies in Rome and spent some years teaching the history of philosophy and theology at the Dominican studium in Tallaght. In the academic year 1963/'64 he taught oriental theology to the class of young Dominicans before their priestly ordination.

In the 1970s he moved to Canada where he continued his teaching career.

Luke had a special love for English literature and had a wide and extensive knowledge of the great English writers. He enjoyed quoting from the bards and with ease he could quote extensively from Old English right up to modern poets.

It is widely rumoured that Luke got first place in Ireland in English in his Leaving Certificate Examination.

In 1977 he oversaw the publication of Miscellany to mark 300 years of the Irish Dominican presence  in San Clemente.

In the mid-1970s Luke was elected prior at the Dominican Priory at San Clemente in Rome. He went on to spend many years in Rome and during that time he was also prior of a Dominican international community attached to the University of St Thomas.

From there he moved to Santa Maria Maggiore, where he was a member of a team, who administered the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Luke was also prior of the well-known International centre of biblical studies, École biblique in Jerusalem.

In early September 1974 I travelled by rail from Munich to Rome. Some days earlier there had been a terrorist attack at Bologna Rail Station. As a result of the incident rail timetables had been thrown out of kilter.

Consequently my train arrived many hours late in Rome. There, waiting for me at Rome's main railway station, Stazione Termini, was Luke Dempsey. He had waited many hours for me at the station. We were not acquainted with one another, maybe we had met once some years earlier.

It said much about the kindness and consideration of the man. He was a gentleman. A gracious person, who was a wonderful host.

Luke had a great sense of humour, at times it could appear obtuse. He had that gift of easily confusing his listener, always done with a roguish smile.

There was not a hint of anything sinister or nasty about Luke. He always looked for the best in people.

As prior at San Clemente a small number of the community attempted to bully Luke. They were forceful and difficult people. Luke refused to be bullied and stood his ground. It was not an easy time for him but he carried his cross with grace and dignity.

The late Fr John Michael Heuston at the time commented that the walls of San Clemente were drenched in centuries of such activity.

Over the last number of years Luke was afflicted with dementia/Alzheimer's, but even bowed down with such an illness, his graciousness and wit would often shine.

He was the gentlest of men, a fine priest, a good man, who touched the lives of many people.

Before moving to Kiltipper Nursing Home he was cared for in a loving manner by the caring team and the prior of St Mary's, Donal Roche.

May he rest in peace.

Reposing in St Mary's Priory Tallaght from 3pm this Wednesday, February 12. Removal to the priory church at 5.30pm on Thursday. Funeral Mass at 11.30pm on Friday followed by burial in the community cemetery.

Luke Dempsey OP, RIP

Dominican priest Luke Dempsey died in Kiltipper Nursing Home, Tallaght this evening.

May he rest in peace.

Obituary to follow.

Uproar in Germany

German politics is in uproar.

Thoms Kemmerich, with the support of the far-right AfD party was elected premier in the East German state of Thuringia.

Kemmerich, a member of the FDP (liberal Free Democrats) also received the support of the CDU, the party of Angela Merkel.

The German Chancellor has called unforgivable what has happened. Yesterday Merkel sacked CDU Christian Hirte from his job as Federal Commissioner for the Affairs of the Eastern States. Hirte had congratulated Kemmerich on being elected state premier in Thuringia.

Barely 24 hours in the job Kemmerich has stepped down as state premier. There has been State-wide uproar on FDP and CDU accepting the support of the AfD.

It is the first time in German post-war history that a state premier was helped into office with the support of a far-right party.

It was in Thuringia in the dying days of the Weimar Republic more than 90 years ago, the Nazis first won power locally, with the help of conservative parties, before Hitler was sworn in as German Chancellor in 1933.

Kemmerich's premiership is the shortest in the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Sky ad that has everything wrong about it

This ad is appearing on bus shelters across the capital.

Does it not tell a terrible story? Would or should Sky really be proud of this reality?

Is it not the perfect picture of a perfectly managed dysfunctional family?

An attempt to turn an obscene reality into normal family life?

Jim Donleavy OP - an obituary

Jim Donleavy, who died yesterday in Beaumont hospital was born in Liverpool of Irish parents.

He was born on January 17, 1937,  joined the Dominican Order in September 1955 and was ordained a priest in 1961.

Jim was an outstanding preacher, both in his delivery and content. He was also an accomplished singer.

Shortly after priestly ordination he worked in Glasgow with the English Dominicans and then later studied voice production at Sterling University in Scotland.

While never losing aspects of his English accent, he was profoundly proud of his family roots in North Cork, to be precise the town of Kanturk, where Ededl Quinn was born. 

Over the years Kanturk was a place where he found refuge and great peace.

On returning from Scotland he studied at Maynooth University where he obtained his BA. During those years he lived and ministered as a priest in St Mary's Priory, Tallaght.

Both his parents were teachers and taught in Liverpool. Jim's father was a great devotee of Shakespeare and the Bible. Every night he read from both Shakespeare and the Bible to Jim and his brother Michael.

He lived in a number of Dominican priories and was prior in Newbridge, Limerick, Kilkenny, Athy and Drogheda.

Jim was a knowledgeable man, who kept abreast with world events, something that enhanced his preaching style.

It was easy to listen to his sermons and he would always weave aspects of North Cork life into his words.

Jim's preaching stood out at a time when sermons were boring and pro forma. They probably still are.

He had a great love for horses and was a fine horseman. Over the years he kept his own horse. 

When Jim moved to a new priory his horse would accompany him. In Tallaght and Newbridge there was plenty of scope to keep a horse. And in places where there was no field Jim would always find a place to keep his horse.

Jim had suffered bad health for a number of years. He was afflicted with cancer and also had severe heart problems. And yet he soldiered on.

On his death Jim was living in the Dominican Priory in Drogheda, his house of assignation, where he had bravely managed to keep the priory and church open.

The Irish Dominicans decided to close the Drogheda priory and church but Jim felt it was not the correct action to take and continued to live and work there. 

While in Drogheda he received help from a number of Dominicans in the carrying out of the sacramental life of the church. He was also greatly helped by Rita and Declan Hanratty, without whom it would have been impossible for him to have continued ministering.

The Drogheda experience has not been a proud moment in the history of the Irish Province. Jim Donleavy kept the flag flying as long as he possibly could.

Jim was a learned man, probably a maverick too.

Right now the Irish Dominican Province needs the imagination and vision of mavericks.

His remains are reposing at St Magdalen's next Monday and from 103.30am to 6pm.

Jim's funeral Mass in on Wednesday, February 12 at midday in Dominican Priory church, St Magdalen's, Drogheda, burial afterwards in St Peter's cemetery.

May he rest in peace.

Jim Donleavy OP, RIP

Dominican priest Jim Donleavy died in Beaumont Hospital today.

May he rest in peace.

Obituary to follow.

Railways and night-sleepers back in fashion in Europe

German Rail, Deutsche Bahn is owned by the German State and operates over 33,000 km of track. Signalling and track is also in State ownership.

In 2018 it carried 2.58 billion passengers, with a turnover of €44.5 billion.

Over the last 30 years German Rail operates an ICE service between all German cities. The fastest of these trains travels at 320km/h.

With the introduction of high-speed ICEs, German Rail gradually discontinued its night-sleeper trains.

But night-sleepers are returning to fashion and Austrian Railways are reintroducing them to their network.

People are changing their lifestyles. Instead of  thinking everything could get faster and cheaper now  there is the awareness that we are in trouble because everything gets too fast and too cheap.

At present German Rail's ICEs connect cities on an hourly basis. With the arrival of a new generation of ICEs the plan is to reduce that time to 30 minute intervals. It means there will be no need to check timetables. Just turn up at the station and hop on to your train whether you are going from Berlin to Dresden or Munich to Hamburg.

With the unification of Germany the railway company changed its name from German Federal Rail to German Rail. In German it went from Deutsche Bundesbahn to Deutsche Bahn. But it meant the logo stayed the same - DB

Before the war the railway company was known as German Kingdom Railways, Deutsche Reichsbahn - DR. After the war and the division of Germany, East Germany retained the old railway name with the logo DR. Ironic that a Communist state would include the word 'kingdom' on the name of its railway.

The East German authorities retained the German Kingdom Rail in an effort to maintain the link between the old Germany and the new GDR. As if to say the new GDR was the legitimate successor to the German State.

It would be interesting to compare the railway system in Germany with that in the UK.

Whatever about the politics, the English is bad

A poster of Independent candidate and former Fine Gael candidate Verona Murphy on display in her Wexford constituency.

Many might argue that Ms Murphy's politics are not helpful to the common good.

Whatever about her politics it is strongly advisable that no students of English should read her posters.

A few days to go before results, smiles and tears

This week's Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column.

Michael Commane

If you are an Irish or British citizen, aged 18 or over and registered to vote you should turn up at your polling station and cast your vote on Saturday between 7am and 10pm.

There are 3,366,382 people eligible to vote.

If this column prompts one person to get out and vote, then I’ll consider it a great success.

So far only one canvasser has called to my door. I notice a neighbour has an A4 sheet of paper stuck to her hall door, advising all canvassers to stay away. It takes all types.

The lead-in time to an election can be quite educational. I learned this year that a candidate can go up for election in as many constituencies as she or he wishes. Eamon DeValera was elected unopposed in Clare East and contested the Mayo East election, which he won in 1918.

Have you noticed that none of the outgoing TDs has TD after her or his name? That’s because the Dáil is dissolved. Though I have noticed that Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesperson, Jim O’Callaghan has TD on some of his posters.

If they are not TDs are they still being paid salaries? And if they are not TDs how is it that they are eligible to use Oireachtas stationery? That seems to be a moot point at present.

And then there are the TDs’ gold-plated pensions, which don’t go down well when those same people are responsible for the so-called transitional pensions for people who have paid their fair share of taxes all their working lives.

But isn’t that the way of the world, at least it’s been how things have been since time immemorial?

For instance, who suffers most in war? It is not the leaders and politicians. It’s the front line private soldiers, pregnant women, the sick and the old, the poor, the little children.

Democracy as we know it, tries in some small way to create structures that allows everyone have a say in the running of affairs.

Isn’t it healthier to have an assembly of elected people deciding matters rather than non-elected people, industrialists or bankers pulling all the strings. And didn’t we have the church controlling our lives for far too long.

Democracy has its limits but to quote Winston Churchill for the second week in succession: ‘At the bottom of all the tributes paid to democracy is the little man, walking into the little booth, with a little pencil, making a little cross on a little bit of paper - no amount of rhetoric or voluminous discussion can possibly diminish the overwhelming importance of that point.’ Churchill said that in the House of Commons in October, 1944.

But of course with our proportional representation multi-seat system we can give each candidate a vote in order of our choice.

We are still using pencil and paper in our elections in spite of former Fianna Fáil minister Martin Cullen spending €54 million of our money in buying electronic voting machines. 

Indeed, Bertie Ahern, along with Noel Dempsey supported electronic voting. Bertie famously said that we would become a ‘laughing stock’ if we continued using a pencil and paper to record our votes.

It’s worth noting that former Socialist Party TD Kerryman Joe Higgins objected to electronic voting. He felt it could be open to hacking and manipulation. That was 2002. Joe was ahead of his time.

The machines were eventually sold for scrap for €70,000.

Just a few days left. And then the count, results, smiles and tears.