Early governments acted as if Irish independence amounted to Rome Rule. It took the revelation of the clerical sex abuse scandal to end such deference, writes Ryle Dwyer

It is time for Ireland to stop procrastinating, show some real vision, and summon up the courage to formally recognise the state of Palestine, writes TP O’Mahony.

Ryle Dwyer recalls the assassination of Kevin O’Higgins and how, many years later, his family decided to have Mass said for his three killers

Justin Keating was Minister for Industry and Commerce in the early 1970s and a man of strong convictions, never afraid to voice his opinions. Ryle Dwyer reads between the lines of his collection of writings. 

As of 1940, primary school was the sole source of education for 90% of the population. Fifty years ago, Donogh O’Malley outlined an initiative that would finally change all that, writes Ryle Dwyer 

Soldiers in Irish units of the British Army called on to quash the fighting at the GPO,

Amnesty International seems to view abortion as a human right. Not so.

Mick O’Dea’s new exhibition at Triskel is a preamble to his major show of the 1916-23 period, writes Richard Fitzpatrick

Irish Water has been fined €500 and ordered to pay €5,300 in costs after being convicted of causing pollution to a river in Co Monaghan.

While taoiseach in 1982 Charles Haughey fulfilled the invitation to the White House for St Patrick’s Day that had been extended to his predecessor Garret Fitz-Gerald. Mr Haughey then invited the president to Ireland on a state visit.

On the 70th anniversary of the execution of Charlie Kerins by Tom Pierrepoint, Ryle Dwyer examines some of the sensational aspects of the story

Serious questions have been raised over the validity of speeding prosecutions brought to court following the use of Go Safe vans after a judge threw out another 17 cases yesterday.

The estranged husband of Bailieborough mother of four Patricia Kierans was last night charged with her murder at a special sitting of Cavan District Court.

The husband of Patricia Kierans has been charged with her murder.

A retired Fianna Fáil senator yesterday appeared, along with two others, at a sitting of a District Court on a charge of demanding money by menaces.

There can’t be too many figures of historical significance whose birthday is about to be celebrated with a curry, many hundreds of years after their death.

A PROMINENT district court judge has issued a statement refuting allegations made about him in the Irish edition of The Sunday Times and has warned that he is considering suing the newspaper for defamation.

A HAULAGE firm, in which an examination of tachograph records revealed some of its lorry drivers drove continuously for 20 hours in a single day, has been fined a total of €3,000 in a prosecution taken by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

A JUDGE described a publican as “totally lawless” as he gave him a three-month jail sentence for a breach of the smoking ban at premises in Castleblayney and obstruction of a HSE environmental official.

MORE than 23,000 people have been fined in the first eight months of the year for using their mobile phones while driving, garda figures have revealed.

A DISTRICT COURT judge has claimed that a case in which a person was taken from a Garda station, while in custody, to a bank ATM machine to get money to secure a release on bail, has made “legal history”.

DEFENDING Willie O’Dea on Monday, Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said: “I suppose Fine Gael are returning to type. They’ve always tried to get the dirt on people. I think it is despicable, to be honest.” Of course, he undoubtedly meant it is despicable to make false accusations.

CONOR Cruise O’Brien would probably have been proud to think that his passing this week would mark the end of an era.

IRELAND is to share its experience of the peace process with other countries in conflict.

CREDIT to this country for hosting in May an official diplomatic summit to outlaw anti-civilian cluster bombs. That’s good work.

BRENDAN HOWLIN and Pat Rabbitte were squabbling about what Labour will or will not do after the next general election.

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern has stated that Sinn Féin deserves credit for totally renouncing violence. Hence, Fianna Fáil would accept the backing of Sinn Féin.

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.

A SENIOR editor once said to me: “Do you know, I have no qualifications?” I have all the degrees I could get in my field, but only a person who does not have them thinks they are so important.

I SAT in Seanad Éireann for an hour one afternoon in September last year. I didn’t become a member of the Seanad or win any elections, or anything like that.

YOUR columnist Rónán Mullen (Irish Examiner, June 22) accuses Amnesty International of “engaging in unhinged political rhetoric” for daring to expose US prisoner abuse.

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.

YOUR report states that no one was charged with the murder of Garda Richard Fallon (Irish Examiner, Dec 23).

THIS week Bertie Ahern essentially admitted that he misled the Dáil in relation to contacts with the so-called Real IRA.

SOME people say Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has no real ideology. He has been accused of abandoning the republicanism of Fianna Fáil. Surely it is time that this old doctrine was laid to rest. If anything, Bertie deserves credit for not entertaining bogus republican arguments.

ALL Irish political parties have their myths. They can be useful in motivating membership and cementing internal party unity.

THE re-partition plan presented to Ted Heath in July 1972 attracted more attention than any of the other documents released this week.