Keep eye and ear open for the wonders of spring’s delights

This week’s column in The Kerryman newspaper.

Michael Commane

Driving from Dublin to Kerry, Des would always turn to his wife the moment he saw the Kerry mountains and express his delight at being back in Kerry, especially so in early spring days.

It’s a great moment when you see those mountains whether it be from car or train.

This year it would seem there has been far more rain on the east coast than in Kerry, certainly more flooding.

While travelling on the Luas last week, crossing the Liffey at O’Connell Bridge on an unusually dry day I looked up the river towards Heuston Station. It was 7.10am, light was in the sky, and just for those few seconds there was something beautiful about the Liffey. 

The mornings are getting brighter and there is a noticeable stretch in the evenings. I can still vividly recall my mother being thrilled when it would be bright when my father came home from work at 4.45pm. It was as if she were making a formal public announcement. These days I’m home from work 15 minutes later than Dad was, and guess what, it’s bright.

In recent days I’ve seen primroses, daffodils, cherry blossoms, and travelling by rail from Tralee to Dublin on Sunday I saw my first lambs of the year.

In spite of all the never-ending rain there are definite hints of spring arriving on our doorstep.

I’ve survived another winter and with the passing of every year I consider it no unsubstantial feat. I’ve made it, Alleluia.

Watching the snow-covered streets and fields across Ukraine it is beyond my understanding how the people can withstand such hardship and suffering in this time of war.

Our temperate climate makes for ideal living conditions. But what’s ahead of us with climate change? Something Donald Trump calls a hoax.

It’s that time of year when it can only get better; there’s everything to which we can look forward. The sights and sounds; the morning music of birds, almost time to cut the grass. And then at the end of this month the clocks go forward; the final stamp of approval.

That morning crossing the Liffey and looking at its beauty I was aware that everyone sitting near me on the Luas was staring into a phone. 

It  dawned on me the number of people who have closed themselves off to the sounds about them, blocking their ears with earbuds and earphones. If you stop to say hello to someone or to ask a question, you have to roar at them before they hear you. Are we losing the run of ourselves? It would seem to me the world is in a spin.

The other day I found myself checking the weather on my phone to see if it was raining outside. And it’s as mad as that. It reminded me of Bob Dylan’s words: ‘You don’t need a weather man to know which way the wind is blowing’.

But in the meantime, make the best of the days and weeks ahead. Instead of being a slave to your phone, see and hear the beauty of the world around you. A chance to do some thinking too, even daydreaming.

‘Spring is the time of plans and projects’ - Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy.

America’s Operation epic fury will be an epic mistake

Over 50 years ago the United States and the United Kingdom overthrew tMohammad Mossadeghhe democratically elected prime minister of Iran.

The Mossadegh government planned to nationalise oil, something that did not suit the British or the Americans.

Half a century ago the Americans and the British told the world their purpose was to bring about  ‘regime change’. They succeeded on the double and helped create hell.

Large numbers of people in the US depend on soup kitchens. How much does one missile cost? 

This war is great for Putin; more reason to believe that he has something on Trump. It also takes the Epstein story off the front pages of the newspapers.

Depressing news, upsetting and worrying.

History tells us America’s ‘Operation Epic Fury’ cannot succeed.

Even the childishness of giving this violence fancy names is akin to the nicknames of criminals and gangsters.

Great to see more gardaí on the beat in the DMR

Have you noticed more gardai on the streets of late, especially in the Dublin Metropolitan Region?

In the Terenure Rathgar - former P Division - there is a daily presence of gardaí simply walking about.

It is now Garda policy that a garda will be present in Rathgar and Rathgar Road all day Monday to Saturday. The system is already in place in the city centre and is about to be rolled out in other areas in south Dublin over the next number of months.

The presence of more gardaí on the beat is evident across the city.

Whether it was introduced under the previous Garda Commissioner or the current commissioner Justin Kelly, it is a most welcome policy.

Talking to rank and file gardaí, there is a general acceptance that they are well pleased with the new commissioner. Long may it last.

The new commissioner has made a positive introduction and has an impressive cv.

Turgid words make little or no sense to the casual reader

Is leisure merely a ‘battery-charger’ for our productive hours, or is leisure a good pursued for its own sake?

Generally speaking, the “work, work, work” mentality - that utilitarian assumption of modernity - is to be strenuously resisted. Ought one feel guilty about taking time out to rest? Certainly not.

Considering leisure and work from the perspective of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Doctrine, what does the Book of Genesis have to teach us? Does it not curse humanity to toil and work, even by the sweat of their brow? Is work, therefore, something always evil? Again, certainly not - in fact Adam was entrusted with work before the fall - a ‘liturgical work’. Such was Adam’s commission “to till and keep it [the Garden], which has liturgical connotations. The worship of God, the liturgy, thus serves as an exemplar for other kinds of work

This liturgical exemplar of work opens up to considering leisure, not as the absence of activity - but as recreative activity. Just as in heaven, that place of pure leisure, of pure ‘sabbath’, we shall enjoy God for all eternity through activity: knowing and loving God face to face, so too on earth, it seems that those activities which most deeply recreate us, must bear some connection to God Who alone can create in that strict sense, and thus re-create. This is not to make leisure a univocal uniformity amongst all people, as it what recreates one person must recreate another to the same degree, and as if there were no room for differences of temperament and habit (although worship at Mass is the highest form of leisure, ‘Sabbath rest’) - nevertheless it is to re-focus our attention on the true meaning and purpose of leisure. And so yes, leisure is certainly a good pursued for its own sake.

The text above is from the current issue of the free- sheet The Key. On the cover page is written: 'Irish Dominican Friars, Spring 2026.'

Part of the reason St Dominic founded the Dominican Order over 800 years ago was to speak in a language that would be understood by the people, in other words to make the story and mystery of God available to people.

It’s easy to criticise. Is it helpful to criticise? Is it appropriate or responsible to criticise ‘your own’ people?

Is it right to be negative about anyone who is trying to spread the Good News?

But this text above sounds to this reader and the many people who read it over the last number of days, ‘gobbledegook'. What meaning would this have to those who are alienated from the church, what meaning has it for the vast majority of young people? From the small survey this blog carried out during last week, it has zilch meaning or relevance to those who read it.

What in fact is the text saying?

On The Holy Cross Dominicans Tralee Facebook page is written the following: ‘The Key’ is a wonderful new publication by the Irish Dominicans intended to support the journey of formation......’

If you AI the full text it is interesting what it does with it and what it has to say about it. The word ‘scholastic' keeps recurring.

For whom is The Key targeted?

The world and its mother knows we all need recreation, we all know frenetic work is bad for us.

As a child and young person I often heard people saying about the priest’s sermon: 'he’s an intelligent and holy man but I did not understand a word he said'. As I grew older I realised just as well no one understood what he was saying.

The words pomposity and arrogance come to mind.

Is it any wonder Jennifer O’Connell could write her piece in The Irish Times yesterday. It’s an unpleasant read, not helpful, maybe close to being nasty.

Who is the editor of The Key, is there an editorial board?  Why not print these details on the publication? But it does give the name of the designer, printer and the publisher, but is the publisher a bona fide publishing company? 

Google says: Key Publishing is a magazine publishing company specialising in aviation titles, based in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England.