Whether it is climate, corporation tax, or even elements of defence, this country has pleaded a special case and, in doing so, raced ahead of most other economies in the EU

From politics and power to sport and memoir, these books reward patience, curiosity, and time away from the scroll.

Fianna Fáil’s internal grumbling echoes past rebellions, but today’s dissent lacks vision, conviction, or any real plan beyond Micheál Martin

Thirty years of violence left a traumatised society in the North, and plenty of pain and bereavement in the south and in Britain

The HSE has finally apologised to Cork couple Rebecca Price and Pat Kiely and has announced a review

The attempt to rename Herzog Park shows how exaggerated gestures and extreme rhetoric can hinder Ireland’s credibility on Israel–Palestine

A Vat cut meant to boost apartment construction has instead exposed a circular, ineffective policy that neither lowers costs nor increases supply

Just as Alice Leahy has dedicated her time to improving lives removed from community, so Alice O’Shea has seen the benefits of living in the heart of one, giving and receiving kindness

Really, nobody should be surprised that Ivan Yates doesn’t appear to give a fig about whether his blatant conflict of interest did damage

Parents of all children up to the age of 12 are being asked to take part in an online survey to determine what kind of patronage they want for their local school. Don’t hold your breath in anticipation of change, writes Mick Clifford