Nicky Ryan

1 month ago | thejournal.ie | Nicky Ryan

The dust has settled after the conclave, and Robert Francis Prevost has emerged as the new leader of the Catholic Church. Now known as Leo XIV, he becomes the 267th pope in a line stretching back nearly two millennia. Let’s test your knowledge of those who’ve held the office of the Bishop of Rome…Who is considered to be the first pope? John Paul II was the first pope to visit Ireland. First since St Patrick, yes.

1 month ago | thejournal.ie | Nicky Ryan

RIGHT NOW, THE dawn chorus is at its peak. From early April until the middle of May, birds of all shapes, sizes and creeds erupt into song at dawn. If you find yourself in the right place with plenty of birdlife around, you’ll encounter an incredible wall of sound. But could you tell who is singing? With a little help from the wealth of information available on BirdWatch Ireland’s website, we’ve pulled together this test for you...

2 months ago | thejournal.ie | Nicky Ryan

TODAY, AS WE’RE sure you’re already well aware, is World Curlew Day. The red-listed wader has become a symbol of how some iconic Irish bird species are under threat. A range of factors, from habitat loss to modern farming practices, leave their survival as a species hanging in the balance. To mark the day, we’ve pulled together a quiz featuring several long-billed (or, in some cases, maybe, long-beaked) birds. What is the average length of a female Eurasian curlew's bill?

2 months ago | thejournal.ie | Nicky Ryan

NORTHERN IRELAND’S SECRETARY of State has added more fuel to a row over the installation of Irish language signage at a Belfast transport hub. Protests were held after Grand Central Station, a £340 million (€400 million) station, opened in September without any Irish language signage. Infrastructure Minister and Sinn Féin MLA Liz Kimmins announced last month that the signage would be installed at the station at a cost of £120,000 (€143,000).

2 months ago | thejournal.ie | Nicky Ryan

TODAY IS GOOD Friday, which you are probably acutely aware of if you were able to nab it off work and are starting your four-day weekend. Roman Catholics abstain from eating meat today. It’s one religious tradition that has survived in Ireland among a wider audience, including lapsed Catholics and people of other or no faiths. So we’re asking: it’s Good Friday — will you eat meat today?