Yesterday I was a guest on BBC Radio Ulster’s Sunday Sequence, in their new segment on spiritual places.
I spoke with host Elaine McGee about how for me running is a ‘spiritual place’, touching on the difference between training runs … Read more...
Category: Spirituality & Sport
The Future of Irish Catholicism: Special Issue of Studies
The Spring 2017 edition of Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review, is a special issue on ‘The Future of Irish Catholicism.’ My article on ‘Ireland as a Post-Catholic Religious Market?’ is one among eight contributions that reflect on the current religious … Read more...
New Post on Slugger O’Toole: On Mary Peters’ Elevation to Companion of Honour
I have a new post on the Slugger O’Toole blog, ‘On Mary Peters’ Elevation to Companion of Honour.’
The photo is me with Mary Peters, after I won a 10km race held in honour of her 70th birthday back in … Read more...
On Retreat with Fr Martin Magill: Holy Cross Benedictine Monastery
This week readers will have missed Fr Martin Magill’s regular post about his ecumenical tithing. That’s because he has been on retreat since Sunday evening at Holy Cross Benedictine Monastery in Rostrevor, Co. Down.
Many readers will be familiar with … Read more...
New Post on Slugger O’Toole: Celebrating Northern Ireland’s Olympic Past and Future
I have a new post on the Slugger O’Toole blog, ‘Celebrating Northern Ireland’s Olympic Past and Future in Antrim and Dervock.While this departs from the theme of the Church Without Walls blog, some readers may be interested to … Read more...
Alberto Salazar’s 14 Minutes: Book Review – The Miracle of Everyday Faith?
Many sports autobiographies feature a religious or spiritual element, but long-distance runner Alberto Salazar’s 14 Minutes: A Running Legend’s Life and Death and Life (Rodale 2012), has the rather unique hook that its author was clinically dead for 14 … Read more...
Picking up the Pieces Through Sport in Northern Ireland
Last summer, a student from France came to interview me about my work and research in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation at the Irish School of Ecumenics. Eventually, he asked me a question about integration in my own personal life.… Read more...
Running for the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice
I spend a lot of my leisure time running. Along with a teammate, Marty Rea, from my club, North Belfast Harriers, I’ve been asked to be an ambassador for the official charity for the 2012 Belfast City Marathon: … Read more...
Thursday 29 September in Belfast – Looking for an Evening Out? Spoiled for Choice
There are four events scheduled for Thursday 29 September in Belfast that are of great interest to me, and therefore also potentially of interest to readers of this blog. The biggest problem is how to choose where to go!
Concerned … Read more...
Belfast City Marathon–30 Years of Going the Distance
I have a new post on the Slugger O’Toole blog on the 30th anniversary of the Belfast City Marathon. It may not be obviously related to ‘building a church without walls,’ but it may be of interest to some all … Read more...
Ian O’Riordan’s Miles to Run: An Invitation to Madness?
I’ve reviewed the new book by the Irish Times’ athletics correspondent, Ian O’Riordan, Miles to Run, Promises to Keep on the Slugger O’Toole blog.… Read more...