Columns - Irish Examiner

Denis Lehane

Denis Lehane is Ireland’s favourite farming satire writer (at least according to us!). Known for his unorthodox farming ingenuities and ideas, you never know what adventures our ‘Auld Lehane’ will be up to in Lighten Up.

Lighten Up: Will Trump head to the ploughing?

With a skilled ploughman guiding President Trump down the furrow, he will feel almost greater than an American President; he will feel like a champion Ploughman, writes our Auld Lehane.

Tue, 08 Sep, 2026

Grand Ole Opry: OPRY 100 - The Opry Remembers Dolly Parton

Denis Lehane: Saying goodbye to Dolly and hello to the lolly

A group of Irish cattle drovers travel to America to pay their respects to Dolly Parton in this week's Lighten Up

Mon, 07 Sep, 2026

Mark Zuckerberg at G8 in Deauville, France

Auld Lehane's sound farm advice for Zuckerberg

I don't want Mark Zuckerberg coming to me after twelve months saying that the bullocks I encouraged him to buy didn't leave him a bob, writes our Auld Lehane in this week's Lighten Up.

Mon, 31 Aug, 2026

Lighten Up: Auld escorts for the Rose of Tralee

At this year's Rose of Tralee, if you spot any escort looking a little long in the tooth, or perhaps with no teeth at all, rest assured — they are the men recommended by our auld Lehane

Mon, 10 Aug, 2026

Men wearing black shoes, standing in front of the red brick.

Denis Lehane: Men wearing short pants is an epidemic in West Cork this summer. It has to stop

Spotting not one, but three so-called 'cattle men' at the mart wearing short pants was too much for Auld Lehane

Mon, 03 Aug, 2026

Lighten Up: Fields of Skibbereen beat the gardens of New York any day

Our Auld Lehane's plans to launch his book in the Big Apple almost ended in disaster, in this week's Lighten Up

Wed, 15 Jul, 2026

Lighten Up: Taylor Swift's wedding, almost as good as Puck Fair

Attending Taylor Swift's wedding in New York, was almost as exciting as spending the weekend back at Puck, writes our Auld Lehane

Wed, 08 Jul, 2026

Tesla Cybertruck display at a dealership. Tesla offers the Cybertruck with driving range of up to 334 miles. MY:2025

Lighten Up: Dear Elon, any chance of a loan?

For while he knows all the tricks of the farming trade, the trick of making money out of cattle is the one trick that eludes our Denis, so he has gone to trillionaire Elon Musk for advice

Mon, 29 Jun, 2026

Small crop circle in a wheat field in Dorset

Lighten Up: Alien encounters on the farm

Auld Lehane's alien encounters could well be a case for the Mulder and Scully

Sun, 28 Jun, 2026

AI prompt chat bot. Search website to generate data, text or image. Man using computer with artificial intelligence app. Virtual

Denis Lehane: Some help with my writing from the AI man

My spelling is uafásach, writes our Auld Lehane in this week's Lighten Up

Mon, 15 Jun, 2026