Dear Daithi - Irish Examiner

Dear Dáithí: 'I don't want to give up my dog when I move in with my partner'

I think the fact that we collectively have one dog and two cats- who may or may not get along- has definitely been a bit of a barrier to us taking the next step.

Sun, 22 Mar, 2026

Dear Dáithí: My sister was told to return a Communion dress as another pupil had it

My sister was taken aback to get a call from the shop where she had purchased the dress to say when they checked their files, another pupil at the school had already bought the same one...and she needed to return the dress she bought

Sun, 15 Mar, 2026

Tired young woman standing at kitchen room

Dear Dáithí: How do I prepare for a visit from a judgemental friend?

While part of me would love to treat it like a visit from anyone else, the reality is I am keen to ensure the house is looking its best. But I don’t know where to start with making it more presentable

Mon, 09 Mar, 2026

Dear Dáithí: My 'nightmare' housemate pees on the toilet seat and doesn’t clean it up

He’s been repeatedly asked to lower the volume of his alarm as he wakes everybody up with it in the morning, as well as being asked to be a little bit quieter around the house. But he seems not to care at all.

Mon, 02 Mar, 2026

CLOSE-UP DIRTY AND MUDDY DOG CARPET AT HOME.

Dear Dáithí: My sister has a new dog... it's taking over our lives

We get constant WhatsApp updates on where her dog is sitting and how cute it looks begging for a treat etc

Mon, 23 Feb, 2026

Dear Dáithí: I had a pretty public outburst and now I’m so embarrassed

I don’t know if I’ll ever live it down or if people will ever forget about it

Sun, 15 Feb, 2026

Dear Dáithí: Should we attend or ignore a 'non-communion party'?

This occasion just doesn’t sit right with us at all. People who don’t get married don’t usually decide to just have a non-wedding party

Mon, 09 Feb, 2026

Dear Dáithí: A relative left our parents' lovely holiday home in an awful state

It looks like my uncle let a son of one of his golfing buddies use my parent's holiday villa. How should we sort this?

Mon, 02 Feb, 2026

Beautiful young woman enjoying coffee with her dog in pet friendly cafeteria

Dear Dáithí: Is it ‘cheating’ to go for a quick-fix weight-loss option?

Your body will give you all the praise you need, and so will the scale when you stand on it

Mon, 26 Jan, 2026

Serious and confused senior woman in glasses sitting on sofa at home. Worriedly holding the phone and documents in his hands. Pr

Dear Dáithí: How do I find a way to enjoy life without constantly calculating the cost?

I would never treat myself to a takeaway coffee because I’ve spent so long saying ‘we have tea and coffee at home and it’s cheaper that way’

Mon, 19 Jan, 2026

Multi-generation family bonding in sunny garden

Dear Dáithí: I just can't get excited about my son's partner's children at all

I do like children, and I would love lots of grandchildren that I could get to know from the moment they are born

Sun, 11 Jan, 2026

Checklist with main items, roses bouquet and golden rings

Dear Dáithí: My niece's wedding invitation came with two pages of rules and regulations. Should I even go?

This isn't normal ‘bridezilla’ stuff, this is a different level

Mon, 05 Jan, 2026

Mature woman frustrated arguing on phone, expressing irritation annoying advertising calls at home

Dear Dáithí: Is bad service just the standard these days?

I'm talking about people who seem to delight in doing a shoddy or lazy job. Whether it's businesses not answering the phone after lunch on a Friday or people who just thrive on using rules or GDPR to tell you why they can't do something really simple

Sun, 28 Dec, 2025

Grandmother arrives home to visit the family and embraces granddaughter

Dear Daithí: Our granddaughter’s new life has left us, her family, behind

She’s been home now for a year since she finished her degree but has barely come near any of us. She has a busy job and a whole set of new friends, and I believe is quite serious with a guy she met on her course. She doesn’t call to me or any of the aunties or even her own mum

Sun, 21 Dec, 2025

Senior Adult's Hand on the Steering Wheel

Dear Dáithí: Should we tell my dad he’s not driving any more?

We don’t want him to get a more serious injury or cause a bad accident. But it’s a hard conversation to have as he nods and agrees but then goes and does his own thing anyway

Sun, 14 Dec, 2025

Dear Dáithí: My husband acts like I'm a dangerous driver

if you had a video on my husband's face when he's a passenger in my car you would think he was in a Grand Prix... Are all men like this when they're passengers or do you reckon I can get him to relax a bit when I'm driving?

Mon, 08 Dec, 2025

Dear Dáithí: My brother thinks his presence is our real present every Christmas

We used to actually get along when we both lived at home but ever since he got a job in Canada he acts like he invented work

Mon, 01 Dec, 2025

Dear Dáithí: I get on better with one of my children. Am I in danger of making the others feel left out?

With my younger two, I find that they are constantly texting friends and only take a break to ask me for money or permission to go somewhere else

Sun, 23 Nov, 2025

Woman, sad and thinking on sofa by Christmas tree, trauma or bad memory with headache in home. Mature person, depression and lon

Dear Dáithí: I'll need to clone myself to cope with Christmas 'fun' without burning out

The house is full of gift sets, and boxes of chocolates squirrelled away for unexpected guests, and there are boxes of biscuits and festive drinks in the most random places

Mon, 17 Nov, 2025

Couple not speaking after an argument on the couch

Dear Dáithí: My stressed husband is overeating and cranky — can we get back on the right track?

We don't have children; the plan was to get our careers to the right place and then start a family. The way things are going, that's never going to happen. Do you have any advice?

Mon, 10 Nov, 2025

Shot of an old man looking angrily at the camera in a studio against a grey background

Dear Dáithí: Our elderly neighbour is making our life a misery

We love our house and our community, and we’d rather solve this with kindness than confrontation, but we’re running out of patience and ideas

Mon, 03 Nov, 2025

Teenager looking down while sharing problems with his girlfriend

Dear Dáithí: My teenage son feels left out of the new family dynamic

"Your teenage boy needs to know that his mother, more than anyone else in this house, has his back"

Mon, 27 Oct, 2025

Band-aid covering a heart on a blue wooden background

Dear Dáithí: I might have another chance at love after grief — how do I take it?

"I was really happy to see your letter coming in this week, and the reason why is that I think there are lots of people like you who are in this position and afraid to even think about moving on, not to mind actually doing something about it."

Mon, 20 Oct, 2025

A Senior Hispanic Silver Haired Lady is Given a Hug by Her Niece. A Moment of Latin Togetherness.

Dear Dáithí: I love my niece, but it hurts to be left out of her wedding

I can’t help feeling so hurt that she is not including me, I feel like all that investment I put into her growing up means nothing to her

Mon, 13 Oct, 2025

Mom and daughter standing back to back with serious look

Dear Dáithí: Should we charge our daughters rent?

"It’s called ‘Ó’Sé theory of get off your arse’ and it goes like this, study + part-time job + housework = happy parents."

Mon, 06 Oct, 2025

Dear Dáithí: I'm uneasy about my wife's friendship with her fitness instructor

Dear Dáithí: How do I tell my boyfriend about my friend's 'no ring, no bring' rule?

Dear Dáithí: My parents are treating my house like a second home

Dear Dáithí: Will I regret missing my daughter's first birthday to go on a girls' trip?

Dear Dáithí: 'My daughter's boyfriend treats our couch like his spare bed'

Dear Dáithí: My girlfriend thinks I’m planning to propose...but, I'm not