Esther McCarthy: From Sober October to Cork carry on, my highlights and lowlights of 2025

Don’t be expecting deep insights or heartwarming lessons, like, it’s just random stuff that stands out amongst the haze

Esther McCarthy's nephew Kieran with his mam Ger. Kieran got a kidney transplat this year. Picture: Chani Anderson

Sat, 27 Dec, 2025 - 01:00

Esther McCarthy is a columnist covering the chaos, comedy and complexities of life for Irish women.

It is that time of year again, when columnists look back on the past 12 months because the calendar says so, and frankly, my brain now resembles my fridge on December 27 – overcrowded, faintly sticky, and full of things I no longer recognise.

So, in no particular order, here are the highlights and lowlights of 2025. Don’t be expecting deep insights or heartwarming lessons, like, it’s just random stuff that stands out amongst the haze. I literally couldn’t remember my own name the other day, so some of this may have been a dream. You have been warned.