Talks

‘How should a Catholic think about politics?’: a talk by Bishop Kevin Doran

In February the Bishop of Elphin, Kevin Doran delivered a talk called ‘How should a Catholic think about politics? In it, he said he found it “very difficult to see how any Catholic could, in good conscience, vote for a candidate or a political party whose policy it is to legalise abortion”. He listed the areas...

Read more...

How should a Catholic think about politics? A talk by Bishop Kevin Doran

At an Iona Institute meeting in Sligo, Bishop Kevin Doran addressed the topic, ‘How should a Catholic think about politics’.I find it very difficult to see how any Catholic could, in good conscience, vote for a candidate or a political party whose policy it is to legalise abortion”, the Bishop of Elphin, Kevin Doran will...

Read more...

Aggressive Secularism: lessons from Scotland

Professor Tom Gallagher discusses aggressive secularism in Scotland and wonders if there are lessons for Ireland in the Scottish experience. He describes Scotland as a ‘one-ideology State’.  The text of his talk can be found here. A video of the talk is here and the Q & A session following the talk is here. Professor...

Read more...

The Alleged Conflict between Faith and Science

Priest and physicist Fr Andrew Pinsent spoke to the Iona Institute in February 2013 about the mistaken view that science and religion are in conflict.

Read more...

John Waters on the Abolition of God

John Waters addressed the Iona Institute in the Davenport on Wednesday 12th December 2012 on the subject Abolition of God.

Read more...

David Quinn’s talk to the IEC: The Changing Irish Family: for better or worse?

David Quinn spoke to the International Congress in June 2012 on the changing face of the Irish family, and what it means for Irish society.

Read more...

Fr Michael Drumm on the rights of denominational schools

The Chair of the Catholic schools Partnership, Fr Michael Drumm spoke to the Iona Institute on the subject of denominational schools. Fr Drumm said that some of the preliminary recommendations of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism could have the effect of badly undermining the ethos and identity of denominational schools.

Read more...

Henk Vos on the Dutch experience of denominational schooling

Mr Henk Vos, a member VGS an organisation which supports boards and directors of Christian schools in the Netherlands, spoke to the Iona Institute about the Dutch experience of faith schools. Mr Vos explained how in the Netherlands two-thirds of primary schools are Church-run and State-funded and enjoy a high degree of autonomy. The result,...

Read more...

Bishop Michael Nazir Ali on Triple Jeopardy: Aggressive Secularism, Radical Islamism and Multiculturalism

The Church of England Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir Ali, addressed the Iona Institute on 9th May 2012 on the topic of aggressive secularism. You can listen to the question and answer session here.

Read more...

Bishop Richard Clarke on the impact of cuts on Church of Ireland schools

In March, the Iona Institute hosted a conference last week on the future of denominational schools in light of Education Minister Ruairi Quinn’s Forum on the same topic. The three speakers were the Church of Ireland Bishop of Meath and Kildare, Richard Clarke; the Chair of the Catholic schools Partnership, Fr Michael Drumm; and Mr...

Read more...