On Tuesday, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe introduced Budget 2020. A set piece of the political year a budget is rarely radical.

Okay folks, it’s showtime! The late PJ Mara’s open invitation to electioneer and party would have nothing on President Michael D Higgins, writes Gerard Howlin.

James Ryan squirms at the idea that he might be recognised on civvy street these days.

It may, right now, seem a bit inconsequential, but we are going to choose a President

The post-war era saw a return to full production in Cork, but the economic path wasn’t always smooth. Some workers sailed to Dagenham, while those who stayed saw plenty of VIP guests.

Forgotten Patriot is the story of Douglas Hyde, the first President of Ireland under the 1937 Constitution. He founded the Gaelic League in 1893 and was therefore responsible for the “cultural proselytising from which Irish sovereignty flowed,” according to Brian Murphy.

IRISH exiles in the US knew about the Easter Rising before the news reached most of their relatives back home, writes Ray Ryan.

How this week 100 years ago was spent by the main players behind the Rising, based largely on observations of their movements by police.

How this week 100 years ago was spent by the men and women behind the Rising

Des O’Sullivan reports on the wealth of 1916 memorabilia coming up for auction prior to the centenary.

We still underestimate the crucial role played by veteran Fenians in the United States including O’Donovan Rossa and, in particular, John Devoy, writes Terry Golway

It’s a photograph that may have been seen by millions over the last 100 years – but how many people other than Pádraig Pearse did they all recognise?

Century-old secret police files released to the public for the first time reveal the efforts made to monitor suspected revolutionaries in the 11 months leading up to the 1916 Rising.

A call to illuminate a bridge linking Cork and Kerry peninsulas has been rejected on cost grounds.

A history of the world in the first half of the 20th century is contained in 17 lots from a Skibbereen autograph collector to be sold at Whyte’s in Dublin on September 20.

President Michael D Higgins said it was with “a great sense of humility and appreciation” that he had become the sixth Irish head of State to be bestowed with the Freedom of Cork City.

Final preparations are under way to confer the Freedom of Cork on President Michael D Higgins this week.

Nama are taking a court case to try and prove they are not liable to provide Freedom of Information as they are not a public body. Amazingly, this may be the first bit of truth and transparency we have had in Ireland for quite a while.

THE significance of President Michael D Higgins dining in state at Windsor castle last night is that it is the culmination of British recognition of Irish independence. It is also a full recognition of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

TAOISEACH Éamon de Valera told a dinner of the Past Pupils Union of his old school, Blackrock College, at Shannon in Apr 1957: “I have not been at a rugby match since 1913 because I do not want it being raised as a political matter and having rows kicked up about it.”

It may just be too late to relax the licensing laws to allow pubs stay open longer to allow next week’s Eucharistic Congress be celebrated with a peculiar Irish gusto — as was done at the last congress held in Ireland 80 years ago.

Using economics to justify closing our embassy to the Holy See prompted one Dublin mother to say stop, writes Mary E Fitzgibbon

In the first of three articles on the history of the presidency, Ryle Dwyer highlights the early importance of the office. It was not the partition but the head of state issue that led to the Civil War.

WAKING up at the end of a week that teased us with a whiff of excitement in the presidential race, we’re left with that empty feeling described in the opening line of Samuel Beckett’s novel Murphy: “The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new.”

The possible entry of Gay Byrne into the race for the presidency has generated a considerable amount of attention, especially in the light of recent reports that the Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has promised Mr Byrne the backing of his party, which has essentially been behind the successful candidacy of all but one of our eight presidents.

IT WAS after 10pm on April 11, 1951 when Taoiseach John A Costello made the shock announcement that Health Minister Noel Browne had resigned and President Seán T O’Kelly had accepted the resignation on the recommendation of the Taoiseach.

THERE has been talk about cutting the size of the Dáil and abolishing the Seanad, but nobody seems to have suggested abolishing the Presidency, which is the single most expensive office. How much could be save by abolishing it?

Kenny, in effect, was trying to hurt Fianna Fáil by helping Mary Lou McDonald when he criticised Garret FitzGerald for suggesting Fine Gael should transfer votes to Eoin Ryan. At the same time he was trying to have us believe that he would not deal with Sinn Féin. He can’t have it both ways

AT the end of June 1938 the world was moving inexorably towards war.

Eamon de Valera refused a “dying request” for him to attend a commemoration of Michael Collins, newly released official files reveal.

NEXT weekend marks the 90th anniversary of the 1918 general election, the last British election in which the people of the 26 Counties participated.

THE Taoiseach was afforded a magnificent stage to wind up his political career with an address to a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday. He became only the 102nd foreigner to address the two houses together.

There is the salary of the president and her staff, the cost of the upkeep of the Áras and its staff, providing the president with a car, a driver, and a police escort car, as well as extravagant pensions for former presidents, and ultimately the cost of their state funerals.

BY 1990, there was a general consensus that the office of president was worthy but dull, and there was no sign of debate or discussion in the 1980s about the possibilities of expanding the role of the president or a sense that its profile could or should be increased.

It is hard to understand the mentality of those who have made a fuss over Fr Iggy O’Donovan inviting the Reverend Michael Graham, a Church of Ireland Minister, to join in the celebration of Mass on Easter Sunday.

It is hard to understand the mentality of those who have made a fuss over Fr Iggy O’Donovan inviting the Reverend Michael Graham, a Church of Ireland Minister, to join in the celebration of Mass on Easter Sunday.

THE political correctness controversy surrounding the recent remarks of Mary O’Rourke reached ludicrous proportions. The only thing racist in relation to her comments was the criticism.

THE public opinion poll this week showing that 90% of voters are happy with the job that President Mary McAleese has been doing has exposed some of the chattering class as nincompoops.