Welcome
This is the blog of my journalism and recordings, with some extracts from my books too. I tend to sound off on Northern Ireland Politics and Culture. Some of the work here will be recent journalism, articles that have appeared in the Belfast Telegraph or elsewhere, but there is a lot of material going back a couple of years now, so please hang around and browse. Malachi
Audio Highlights
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Hi teacher. How are you doing? I am great, going back to Brazil in september, now is true. So I am doing a page dedicate to you in my blog. I wanna a “quote”, from you. Something you wanna being regonized for brazilians.
I read about the “more sexy” , I just think the writer just describe a “english intercourse”, isn’t? kakaka. Sorry is my brazilian roots.
Thanks for give the pleasure to be your pupil.
Hi Malachi, John Coulter here. Enjoyed your piece on the ECC. Did you see my IDS column yesterday? Its now on Nuzhound. I visited ECC’s 3 hour ordeal on healing to see Madden and Sullivan in action. I am now totally convinced the Florida Healing is nothing more than the Toronto Blessing Mark 2. Give me a call if you want a chat on what I heard and saw. Best wishes, John C.
Dear Mr.O,Doherty, It is about Brij Ghat India.After Haridwar and Rishikesh went to newly created state of Uttrakhand, Brij Ghat went for rapid development.Plans are to develop it on the pattern of Haridwar. Billions of ruppies are alotted for constructions
of bathing ghats temples and rest houses. Infrastructures are also improved. It is a lovely and vibrant place .
Dear Mr. O’Doherty,
I am sorry to contact you so publicly but I wanted to say that I regard it as an honour that you have read and commented on some of my blogs. I have been a great fan of yours ever since I first heard you on Talkback about 20 years ago.
Your writing and radio commentary are always extremely enlightening and engaging.
Kind regards
David
Dear Malachi
as probably one of the few priests in possession of a signed copy of ‘Empty Pulpits’ I want to say that I enjoyed the read very much. (My sister was at the launch in Belfast).
Also I took your advice regarding preaching at tragic funerals especially where a lot of
young people are present. I had the funeral of a young man who died because of alcohol and drug abuse and I made the theme of my homily – Life is difficult, recounting that one time I was told that the most difficult thing we do is get out of bed in the morning and face the struggle of life. Rarely have I got so much praise for a sermon, with people saying it was inspirational and consoling. The funeral was attended by a local journalist and he even published a summery of it in the local newspaper. So maybe you are right about connecting with experience, perhaps that was what Jesus was doing in the parables.
Regarding the book and your analysis, very briefly since Constantine made Christianity the religion of the empire Christians have been taking short-cuts with evangelisation ever since. However with the removal of the political and cultural propts we are find the true extent of real devotion. We are heading back to pre-Constantine levels of Church belonging estimated by some to have been about 10% of the then Roman population. And I believe we will be the better for it, despite it being a painful transformation.
Take care and all the best- Frank McManus
Hi malachi
Superb interview on channel 4.
Hi Malachi
I’m a journalism student in Dublin, I met you briefly at the Cleraun Media Conference last December and have been following your work ever since. I only found your blog today, one would of thought typing your name into google would have been the obvious thing to do instead of scanning the BelTel and Radio Ulster online sites!
Anyway, I’m glad to have found the blog and just thought I’d leave you a quick comment saying I’ve enjoyed and learned from the work of yours I have found in the last number of months and look forward to continuing to do so in the future.
Regards
Mark Coughlan.
Oh, and if you could sort an RSS feed for this blog it would make it much easier for people to keep up to date!
Mark
Father McManus seems a nice man and a good priest. And he may be right about Christianity declining to cult status, as has already happened in the UK, France and Spain. Speaking for myself, I have no faith and believe in no God. But it seems odd for a priest almost to wish for a return to the days of the early church, when Christians met in each others’ houses and dreamed their dream of world domination. Or is that the point? Does Fr Mac want to take us back to the start and try again? If so, let’s hope it all works out better next time around.
Greetings Malachi –
Did you get a chance to read the book, The Tides of Men, I left with you at the JHSSS after the panel discussion on Friday, 31 July?
I really enjoyed the discussion and look forward to your thoughts regarding the story of a returned Irish/American, re: a just resolution of the ongoing conflict.
Regards,
Niall
Dear Mr O’Doherty
Professor Graham Walker, School of Politics, QUB is organising a talk by Diarmuid Whelan, University College Cork, on ‘Conor Cruise O’Brien: making politics out of the personal’ on 22nd October 09 at 5pm. The talk will be held at QUB and we would like to invite you to attend.
Regards
Elaine McKay
Queen’s University Belfast
Malachi
I do hope this finds you and it finds you well, I want o thank you for your intro to my reading last night in bangor at the aspects Irish Litrature Festival 2009. The word you said to me and even just the handshke mean alot and are a great help.
I hope to make something of myself in the poetic/writing word and look forward tohear you and or meeting you again
regards
Colin T Mercer
Malachi
I do hope this finds you and it finds you well, I want o thank you for your intro to my reading last night in bangor at the aspects Irish Litrature Festival 2009. The word you said to me and even just the handshake mean a lot and are a great help.
I hope to make something of myself in the poetic/writing word and look forward tohear you and or meeting you again
regards
Colin T Mercer
Malachi
Had the pleasure of your advice and experience in the not too distant past on the Spectrum Centre, Shankill Road.
Was wondering if we are going to hear some comment on the recent BNP ‘media circus’. Less interested in your views on the BNP to be honest (they are probably the same as most of us)- moreso the media’s approach prior, during and subsequent to ‘Question Time’.
Quincey
Good to hear from you. I had a big set to with Eamon McCann on this on Good Morning Ulster.
Thanks, ill attempt to look for that. In this technological age its out there somewhere.
Quincey
hi malachi, I was at the `my story` day at bbc last week and I would like to submit something but don`t know what to send. do you think you could give me some advice as to what would be most appropriate? I haven`t been able to attend your class this autumn but perhaps I could call in this evening towards the end of class and have a word with you? I would really appreciate some advice. Hope this is ok, jo. I
email me at malachi”malachiodoherty.com and we’ll make an arrangement
Malachi
Keep up the good work. Objective journalism that is at one level descriptive and at another level analytical is a difficult task but worth doing. You have the knack of not giving answers ( though you do contextualise brilliantly) but of evoking or prevoking reflection. You have enhanced my intellectual life. You and William Crawley are main men!
I wish you well.
Joe Curran
Dear Malachi. I saw a reference to Empty Pulpits in a book I recently read. It doesn’t seem to be available here in the US so I asked a friend from Derry to send me a copy. I finished it this morning. It is outstanding. Your insights are brilliant and the way you weave various strands together creates a highly credible explanation of what has been happening in Ireland over the past few years.
I happen to be a priest. I have been to Ireland many times since 2002 because I work as a consultant for attorneys who represent victims of clergy sex abuse. Thus I have been involved in more than a casual fashion with the Irish culture, especially the religious culture. When I first started visiting Ireland I was advised by friends there to read several books that would give me insight into the role of the RC church in the Irish culture and life. I read Moral Monopoly and the McQuaid biography…Ruler of Catholic Ireland. Despot would have been far more accurate. Now I add your book as one that has given me a deeper understanding of the land and religion of my family. I agree with everything you say. I believe that the de-clericalization of Ireland can be the best thing to happen to the Irish people since the invention of sliced bread. Thank you for your work. Sincerely, Tom Doyle, J.C.D.
Thank you very much Tom. I appreciate that and wish you well in your work.
Hi Malachi, as a journalist from a nationalist background it gives me hope that somebody like yourself can be well known. I think to myself, if a dense little twat like Malachi who acts like a monkey to the unionist gallery by revealing his life `as a teenage catholic’ can make it, then anyone can. I’ve read your articles and, remarkabley, they are devoid of anything intelligent to say. Still, you can prance around like a latter-day Maura Lyons and they’ll throw you a few bannanas, you twat. Get a life, get a brain, get an identity.
How dare you. This is exactly the problem with this type of forum it gives people devoid of anything intelligent to say the opportunity to metaphorically throw up in cyberspace without revealing who they are. It is assault by internet and you should be ashamed. Malachi O’Doherty has for years been an intelligent, challenging, enlightening journalist. And Malachi has an identity – one he is happy to reveal along with his intellligent thoughts while you skulk in front of your dirty keyboard and don’t reveal yours. You get a life it’s too late for the brain.
hi malachi,
whats your view on all the inquiries, truth commissions, h.e.t., victims commissioners etc. the whole industry of finding the elusive truth.
do you think any good will come of it. i thought we were to draw a line under it all. to try to forget the horror, to let sleeping dogs lie. lets not go there again and rekindle old hatreds.
do you think any good will come of it malachi?
It’s a tricky one: Hume’s idea that we could draw a line and put th epast behind us hasn’t worked; there is too much hurt. But the piecemeal
approaches to reviewing the past have been expensive and selective and created animosity among those who feel left out. I actually thought Eames Bradley were right; a universal payment of recognition, to put everyone on a level playing field, and then a time limited tribunal to assess the past and give as much information as possible to the aggrieved.
Hello Malachi
Best Easter wishes. Good news about the new book, just read your synopsis. I look forward to picking up a copy soon.
When I get rid of the exam classes after middle of May I’ll give you a shout and we can catch up over a coffee.
Nigel Martin
Downpatrick
Hi.
Enjoyed you BT article on John Hewitt Summer School. In the City of Armagh from 22–29th August the 18th Charles Wood Summer School will take place in the cathedrals and local churches. Tjhis is a week of recitals, concerts, masterclasses, broadcasts and choral services. Last year CWSS itself provided over 500 bed nights plus those of visitors etc. Plenty of trade for those ” empty restaurants ”
Grateful if you will have a look at our web site and give us a wee mention in one of your articles. At our Gala Concert on 27th August the faure Requiem will be “signed ” by an interpreter from RNID.
Best wishes
William Lauder
Hi Malachi,
Been reading some of your stuff in recent times and I am most Impressed, Also a million thanks for keeping the Blog open on Child Abuse in the Irish Christian Brothers Schools worldwide., To Be educated is to be Enlightened. and you certainly are.,
Best Regards from a new Fan, Maitiu O’Fathaigh.
Your report, written with Jane Hardy, about the parodies of Seamus Heaney in ‘Private Eye’ with the title ‘A Poetic Injustice’ interests me very much. I haven’t seen the parodies, and I’m not commenting on them here. I cancelled my subscription to ‘Private Eye’ a few years ago in disgust after an attack on Richard Booth of the Book Town Hay-on-Wye in the satirical magazine.
I think, though, that ‘the case against’ the poetry of Seamus Heaney is much stronger than is usually supposed. My Website, http://www.linkagenet.com has, I’d claim, the most comprehensive statement of ‘the case against’ available in either print form or on the Web – well over 100 000 words – together with appreciation. The page http://www.linkagenet.com/reviews/heaneypoemcriticism.htm gives access to all my pages on Seamus Heaney – an analysis of many of his poems, general discussion of the poetry, including his latest volume, ‘Human Chain,’ reasons for thinking that Seamus Heaney’s ‘ethical depth’ (mentioned in the Nobel Prize citation) is restricted, discussion of his translations and versions, criticism of ‘Heaneyolatry.’
I’m English, but I studied in Northern Ireland at the height of the troubles and I’ve been a frequent visitor to the Province, and the Republic, since then.
Best Wishes,
Paul Hurt
Hi Malachi,
Well, so that’s it. I am the bad guy. 27 years in the prison service and I end up the bad guy. Lots of academics who seem to be experts on the prison system have emerged from the woodwork after the ceasefires and decided that I am the bad guy.
What will I do with the four medals they give me? Even Raymond Mc Cartney who I treated fairly and humanely say’s that I am not fit for purpose.
I get the blame for Night custody officers who allegedly slept while a person died. I get the blame for alleged mistakes in prisoner releases from court yet that was prisoner escort group people. Not me. Not the old warder. No the old warder was doing this job when no one would touch it. The old warder watched as his colleagues were murdered or intimidated or hit the drink, and their personal relationships disintegrated, or were forced to move house in the middle of the night.
Where’s the justice Malachi. If it’s the money then reduce my pay. If they want blood then shoot me. But this constant barrage of insults, “dinosaur”, “institutionalised” etc hurts.
I have always treated people in custody with decency and respect. I have used as my guide Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative or Christ’s sermon on the mount, even though I am an atheist, as a guide. Simply put as “treat other people as you would like to be treated”. Yet, the media and these academics now paint me as the bad guy.
I always look out for and admire your work Malachi; I find it a source of comfort in what often seems an insane world. So maybe there is some good in me.
Sincerely
Harold brooks
Some good news Malachi the poetry competition for the Fermoy International Poetry Festival is now open. Details are available from fermoypoetryfestival@gmail.com