The voice of Catholic Church in Irish education has added a further item to the list: purpose. The church’s concern over a “loss of meaning” is shared by many in Ireland and internationally. Photograph: Culture Club/GettyThis “loss of a shared moral order” was the theme of David Brooks’s final column for The New York Times in January. None of this will guarantee a sense of meaning is passed on to children but setting an example is important. And for that, we need a national conversation on values, or better still a national conversation on the meaning of life.

Source: The Irish Times March 09, 2026 14:48 UTC