Ionbhá or empathy is a core element of wisdom and a universal language of the soul. It brings joy to the everyday, making the unbearable bearable. "We need empathy in schools just as we need empathy in the world right now" - Cillian Murphy, Actor and Patron of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre.The wide range of contributions to the publication Ionbhá act like a compass, guiding us on things that really matter in life. Reflections on empathy illuminate its healing properties, vividly opening our eyes to the countless ways in which its power can shape us all. This collection shows that no matter how big or small, empathetic actions have a massive impact. Although we rarely appreciate how these actions affect people and their communities, they often reverberate long after we act. 89 contributors include Michael D. Higgins, Hozier, Tolü Makay, The Edge, Rachael Blackmore, Blindboy Boatclub, Mary Coughlan, Clodagh Finn, Katy Hyland, Imelda May, Brendan O'Connor, Louise O'Neill, Valery Biden Owens and citizens from all walks of life.All royalties from the sale of this book will go directly to delivering the Activating Social Empathy education programme in Irish schools and youth work organisations.

Cillian Murphy, Actor and Patron of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre Galway

Acknowledgements 10The Trick Seems to be to Work on it Cillian Murphy 12Unpacking Empathy Charlotte Silke andBernadine Brady 16Brothers Michael D. Higgins 20The Talker Rory O'Neill 26Seeing Through the Eyes of Another Pamela Joyce 29Sausage Poisoning Blindboyboatclub 32Empathy Michael Kerin 37Thoughts on Empathy's Place in Music Hozier 41Toss the Bobbin Nicola Joyce 46Empathy in Music Therapy Rebecca O'Connor 51Don't Murray, Be Happy! Cathal Murray 54My Essay on Empathy Tolü Makay 58The Light in Somebody Else's Storm Lynda Peilow 61Too Sensitive Louise O'Neill 65Empathy Checkpoint Martina Venneman 69Showing Empathy to Youth Gary Nugent 73A Traveller's Perspective Martin McDonagh 76Empathy through Food Michelle Darmody 80Reflections on Empathy and Sport Eamonn O'Shea 83Stepping in the Stirrups of Others Rachael Blackmore 87Empathy isn't Black and White Joanne O'Riordan 89Nursing in the Blink of an Eye Marie Lohan 92Empathy from My Mother Seán Campbell 95Served with Compassion Niamh Condon 98Empathy in Journalism Carl O'Brien 103Green over Blue Kiernan Forsyth 1076On the Mend John Gaffey 110The Person who Sees Ailbhe Greaney 115Empathy, Images and the Internet Mary McGill 123Empathy for the Devil and the Nuns Mark Brennan 126Educating for and with Empathy Dr Niamh Flynnand Emer Davitt 131YHTAPME Róisín Hanley 138English Class Elaine Feeney 144I Sure Hope the School around the Corner isNot the Same Pat Dolan 147Empathy in Education Hugh Fitzmaurice 151It's You I Like The Way You Are Right Now Dr Dana Winters and Dr Annie White 155A Sheep among Wolves Aisling Duffy 159The Music Medicine Woman Mary Coughlan 164Nocturne II John Kelly 167Savita Kitty Holland 168Lonely Hearths Gillian Browne 176Empathy for My Mother Dermot Whelan 177The Magic Cauldron Susan McKeown 178Does it Count as Empathy Brendan O'Connor 182Hot Wheels, Warm Heart Tara Dawson 186Empathy as an Act of Defiance The Edge 189Empathy, the Best Superpower Rabbi Zalman Lent 191My Power Called Empathy MatthewShaw-Torkzadeh 195Empathy as a Broader Understanding of Family Valerie Biden Owens 197Empathy and the Displaced Niamh Heery 202Empathy across Generations Mary Sugrue 208Our Empathy Story McDonough Family 2117All Lives Matter Uchechukwu Helen Ogbu 216Historical Empathy? Sarah-Anne Buckley 223Northern Dilemmas Alan and Elaine Smith 226A Wing-Back and a Prayer Colin Regan 228Closer to Home Eoin, Róisín& Brendan Dolan 233Who Am I to Judge? Peter McVerry 236Yesterday's Enemies Saoirse Egan 239The True Power of Sport to Really Connect HugoMacNeill 245Best Way to Human Imelda May 251Growing Up Stephanie Roche 252Radiant Empathy in the Dark Ella Anderson 257Empathy and Me Ashling Dunphy 261Broken Radios Fiona Prine 264Ingredients Nevin Maguire 269He Fell through the Cracks Rita Ann Higgins 273Citylink Tales Catherine Denning 275Thinking in Plastic Ciara-Beth Ní Ghríofa 277Courageous Conversations Ben Hughes 281My Understanding of Empathy Timmy Long 291Empathy to Me James Leonard 292Empathy can Heal our Troubled World ShaykhDr Umar Al-Qadri 294Empathy Sa Chistín Hume Family 298Empathy A True Champion of the West HannickFamily 303Managers of Empathy Paul McGrath 308Mary Elmes Clodagh Finn 311Finding Empathy Eamonn Fitzgerald 316Ciorcal Iomlán Kathy Hyland 325Luck Louis de Paor 3288No Idea what will Happen Next Tiernan Henry 332Reflections on Learning Empathy Mark Brennanand Pat Dolan 336Contributors' Biographies 346