Michael Kirke

Michael Kirke was born in Ireland. In 1966 he graduated from University College Dublin (History and Politics). In that year he began working on the sub-editorial desk of The Evening Press in Dublin and in 1968 went to the newsroom of the Irish Press group of newspapers, contributing news and features to the group’s three titles – morning, evening and Sunday papers. In 1969 he went to Belfast and covered the initial unravelling of the Unionist hegemony in the province. Later that year he became the group’s education specialist. In 1973 took leave of absence to pursue postgraduate studies in education in Trinity College Dublin, where he graduated in 1976.

In 1978 he left journalism and moved into teaching. In 1981 he was appointed headmaster of Rockbrook Park School in Dublin (www.rockbrook.ie).

In 1994 made another career shift, left teaching and moved to Galway in the West of Ireland where he began working part-time in media again. He is now back in Dublin, working in media and as a freelance writer. His main interests are in cultural, political, and educational affairs, probably in that order.

What is really going on?

Michael Kirke | 12 Feb 2013

On March 27 last year, the UK’s representation in Strasbourg organised the European Council’s first “closed conference” (ie, public not admitted), to agree detailed plans for the June 2013 implementation of "equal civil marriage”, with a keynote address from Lynne Featherstone. A speech by the British judge, Sir Nicolas Bratza, then head of the European Court of Human Rights, signalled that the court was ready to declare same-sex marriage a “human right”, as soon as enough countries fell into line.

Mother of Parliaments divorces an institution it has been wedded to for almost one thousand years

Michael Kirke | 6 Feb 2013

Yesterday, Tuesday, February 5, 2013, was D-Day for marriage in the United Kingdom – well, in the England and Wales segment of it anyway. Yesterday evening (British time) Marriage was redefined in a fairly massive vote in Britain’s House of Commons after six hours of debate. The vote was 400-175. More than 70 members spoke.

Last ditch attempt to protect freedom of speech and conscience?

Michael Kirke | 29 Jan 2013

A British MP is going to table a bill in the House of Commons this week which seeks to protect “conscientious beliefs about the definition of marriage”. The bill, being introduced by Edward Leigh, will seek to amend equality legislation to protect free speech. Among other things, it addresses the perceived threat to teachers and public workers who might find the Government’s attempt to legislate for a redefinition of marriage.

Stormy weather on the horizon?

Michael Kirke | 24 Jan 2013

The pending bill would, for the first time in our state's history, redefine marriage to legally recognize same-sex "marriages." But neither two men nor two women - nor, for that matter, three or more people - can possibly form a marriage. Our law would be lying if it said they could.

Google in the dock?

Michael Kirke | 23 Jan 2013

What is going on? Now you see it, now you don’t, now you see it again. Google has been involved in some sinister censorship – or perhaps they just blundered and then caught themselves on. We know that Google supports the campaign for gay “marriage” in the US – and presumably further afield as well – but we did not suspect that they would be censoring opposing viewpoints on the issue. Are they?

Another fine mess...?

Michael Kirke | 16 Jan 2013

Two “divorcing” gay men are arguing with each other before a Canadian court, the one denying the “rights” of another because the jurisdiction in which they first registered their civil partnership does not recognise it as a “marriage” while the jurisdiction in which they now live does. With a straight face – although we have no photographs to prove it, - the Canadian judge ruled that it would be “impermissible discrimination” not to view Wayne Hincks, 44, from London, as married to his partner Gerardo Gallardo in exactly the same way as a husband and wife.

Will the barricades be rising again?

Michael Kirke | 9 Jan 2013

The French have a track record for going overboard on rational ideologies. The problem is that in their pursuit of those ideologies the can become quite. So I suppose we should not be too surprised by the latest antics of France’s new socialist government. A few weeks ago, their stubborn insistence on their ideological new tax laws plunged them into confusion and now their intolerant threats to anyone who opposes their plans to introduce gay “marriage” by next June looks like stoking old hostilities into flames again.

A bad case of double think and double standards

Michael Kirke | 2 Jan 2013

The weakness of any argument is often revealed in the reversion of its advocates to the ad hominem mode - which is just another way of avoiding the issue at the heart of an argument. While not exactly ad hominem, more a question of ad institutionem, the media onslaught on the mild but clear utterances of the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales over Christmas did little more than betray the shallowness of the gay case for the redefinition and ultimate destruction of the institution of marriage.

"Threadbare idea of equality" behind redefinition of marriage

Michael Kirke | 17 Dec 2012

Reports from Britain show that the battle in the public square there on the issue of gay “marriage” continues to gather momentum. In the London Times last week one of the country’s foremost thinkers, Roger Scruton, took the government to task for “the shallow reasoning that has dominated the political discussions surrounding this move” to redefine marriage.

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