E-mail: 3rproductions@tinet.ie

Tape Date: 3rd December 1997

On this tape we have a lot of Christmas interviews. We hear about dreams, hopes and thoughts for Christmas. Sr. Una Agnew, SSL, talks to us about Patrick Kavanagh’s peom Christmas, and poet Christopher Logue tells us why he thinks President Mary McAleese chose his poem The Edge in her inaugural address. We hear about the procedure by which the Catholic Church annuls marriages, and Siobhán Parkinson shares her own experience of stillbirth with us.

1. Crossways: News in the Church and the World. In the run up to Christmas, £67 million will be spent on toys. Trócaire and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions have jointly launched a campaign to draw attention to the plight of toy workers around the world. In our main report we hear from Annette Honan of Trócaire about the conditions of those workers are subjected to and the new campaign. The news was read by Elaine Comerford.

Time: 6.50

2. Fulfilling a Dream: Most of us remember Clement Moore's poem The Night Before Christmas. In this piece Mary Ó Broin reflects on the memories, hopes and dreams associated with the night before Christmas for her. Mary is mother of two teenage daughters and a third year theology student at Milltown Institute.

In:(Ó Broin) "Twas the night ............. ..... to hold all your dreams."Out (Ó Broin)

Time: 2.05

3. Archbishop Empey: Recently the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Walton Empey went to Spain to join in marking the centenary of an Irishman, Archbishop Plunkett. Alan McGuckian, SJ, spoke to him about the unusual connection between Archbishop Plunkett and Spain.

In: (Empey) "Archbishop Plunkett was.......about this link." Out: (Empey)

Time: 6.30

4. Christmas and its meaning for us: As Christians we are called to follow Christ, this is the meaning of Christmas. What does that mean for us and how do we do it. Fr. John Hannan, CM talked to Marie Stuart, RSM about the meaning of Christmas for him. John is a Marist priest who teaches in All Hallows College, Dublin.

In: (Stuart)"What does Christmas .............. the world in some way" Out: (Hannan)

Time: 5.27

5. Thoughts on Christmas: Archbishop Walton Empey of Dublin shares his personal thoughts on Christmas with us. He also talks to us about what he hopes Christmas will bring.

In: (Empey) "This Christmas is one of ............. the ceasefires will hold." Out: (Empey)

Time: 3.26

6. Annulments: The procedure by which the Catholic Church annuls marriages is a mystery to many people and often arouses claims that it's just 'Catholic Divorce'. Annulments have been under the spotlight again recently with the publication of Sheila Rauch Kennedy's book Shattered Faith. The book, which describes her unsuccesful attempt to prevent the annulment of her marriage to Congressman Joe Kennedy, raises many questions about the annulment process. Martin Browne put some of these to Fr. Noel Barber, SJ. Fr. Barber is editor of the journal Studies and an advocate with the Westminster Metropolitan Marriage Tribunal.

In: (Barber ) "Very Simple...................................it is barmy." Out: (Barber)

Time: 5.44

1. Reconciliation: Has sin changed?, is there any such thing as sin?, if so how does it affect our lives?. John Keating O.Carm talked to Marie Stuart, RSM about the whole idea of sin, reconciliation and moving on in our lives. John teaches at the Milltown Institute in Dublin.

In: (Stuart)"This time of year, Advent ............. sins are forgiven you" Out: (Keating)

Time: 5.47

2. Christmas & Kavanagh: It is a modern cliché to say that Christmas has become very commercial, far removed from the simplicity of Bethleham. The great Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh had a powerful feel for the deep meaning of Christmas. Sr. Una Agnew, SSL, spoke of this to Alan McGuckian, SJ.

In: (Agnew) "Kavanagh was delighted.............very human." Out: (Agnew)

Time: 5.30

3. Christ Child/Special Person: Krist Kindl, meaning Christ Child is a German tradition associated with Christmas. Many families or work situations relate to that tradition by putting all the names into a hat, then each person pulls out a name and gets a present for that person. The Coleman family from Cork adapted the custom for themselves. At the beginning of Advent each year they select what they refer to as their Special Person in the family for Advent. In this piece the parents Terry and Rosarii and their sons Declan (8) and Greg (17) talk about how it works for them and what it means to them

In (Declan) "I think the best thing ........... to be there to experience that" (Rosarii)

Time: 6.16

4. Christopher Logue: In her inaugural address President Mary McAleese quoted the poem, The Edge by Christopher Logue. Christopher was born in 1926, educated by the Christian Brothers and lives in London. As the rain played on his study window Marie Stuart, RSM, talked to him about his poetry and why he thought President McAleese choose this poem. Marie started by asking Christopher when he first started to write poetry.

(Midway through the piece Anne Hannon reads his poem 'The Edge' and it finishes with her reading an extract from another one of his poems 'A Singing Prayer'). 'The Edge' is published in "Christopher Logue Selected Poems" published by Faber and Faber.

In: (Logue) "I suppose about..............but not his heart." Out: (Logue)

Time: 5.14

5. Stillborn: Siobhán Parkinson is the author of eight books. She wrote her first book All Shining in The Spring because she couldn't find anything suitable in the shops for children who had lost siblings. She is the editor of A Part Of Ourselves: Laments for Lives That Ended Too Soon, a collection of poems and stories about the loss of a child. Siobhán had a still-born son, Daniel, six years ago. Her other son, Matthew is now 12 years old and at the time he was devastated. In this interview Siobhán shares her experience with Elaine Comerford, and tells us how Matthew coped with the fact that his brother wasn't coming home.

A Part Of Ourselves: Laments for Lives That Ended Too Soon, published by A&A Farmer, £7.99.

In: (Comerford) "You've had your..........appreciated that." Out: (Parkinson)

Time: 6.32

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