Columns

Earlier this year I made the decision to take some swimming lessons at my local leisure centre. Swimming has always been my favourite form of

When I arrived home on one occasion and saw that my old national school had been lovingly transformed into the “Model Niland”, it came as

Beethoven only composed one opera, but that opera “Fidelio” is very much part of the repertory. On the other hand, Schubert composer of more than

“Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back, and instead of bleeding, he sings.” (Ed Gardner) Whatever one thinks of opera, nobody can

When Yeats said he went out to the Hazelwood because `a fire was in his head’, that was fair enough as I have done that

There is however only one New York, and from the first time I witnessed the spectacular neon outdoor advertising in Times Square/Broadway, I was in

Binky, Ben, Brack, Judy, Cindy, Biddy, Red, Sally, Pete, Rocky, Jessie, Elsa, Purdey, Jet, Dubh, Crotchet, Mimi and Kiri were just some of the dogs

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries, asylum from persecution”. One of the

“I am going to award you 2nd prize Mr. Nelson, as I feel you are actually a baritone!” This was said to me in the

Lough Gill, literally ‘Bright Lake’, is five miles long and two miles wide, and Yeats’ poetry is littered with references to this idyllic spot. A