Relationships

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Pictures: @BenAffleck and @JLo</p>

relationships

Don't rush to contact your ex just because JLo and Ben Affleck have done it, say experts

Bennifer might be back, but experts urge restraint after lockdown prompts ‘rekindled romance’ dating trend

<p> Louise O'Neill, author. Photograph Moya Nolan</p>

health and wellbeing

Dear Louise: My best friend and I ended up in an impromptu threesome

"In this season of Love Island, a few of the women have said they don’t fancy a male contestant because he is “too kind” and it leaves me shouting at the television"

health and wellbeing

Sex File: How can I tell my boyfriend our sessions go on for too long?

If you want to open his eyes, you need to talk to him

Dear Louise: I have been unable to maintain friendships during Covid

Adult content button through reading glasses.

relationships

'We can't pretend it doesn't happen': Why pornography is part of modern life

culture

First Dates Ireland recap: No second date with Mark in palm reader Emily’s future

The clock on the background of the couple in the bed

Sex File: I want my girlfriend to surprise me with sex

'The "up all night" sexual intensity experienced at the beginning of a new relationship is unsustainable if you have to work for a living'

Mon, 12 Apr, 2021

Louise O'Neill: 'I’d love to know when Piers Morgan has ever been quiet – we should be so lucky'

Louise O'Neill: 'I sometimes wonder if I should find a nemesis, a yardstick against which to measure my own life'

"Two of my closest friends are excellent grudge-keepers, they are like Madeline in Big Little Lies, smiling as she says, “I love my grudges. I tend to them like little pets.”"

Sun, 11 Apr, 2021

Sex File: Stop talking about sex, and just take your clothes off

"Don't overthink it for a second longer. Take your clothes off, lie down beside each other and cuddle."

Mon, 05 Apr, 2021

Sex File: My husband isn't very adventurous in bed

How can anyone this young be so set in their ways already?

Mon, 29 Mar, 2021

Distance ruins Gabriela and Graham's Transylvanian love story on First Dates Ireland

Meanwhile, Susanne continues her search for a 'Normal Person' and a nice guy gets the girl in the end

Thu, 25 Mar, 2021

rear view of a cyclist in the countryside

Learner Dad: I started going for a cycle nearly every day. I think I’m competing with my wife

My wife pointed out this morning that we’re becoming like an American couple, with our smug exercise regimen and healthy living

Tue, 23 Mar, 2021

New mothers struggling with isolation due to lockdown

New mothers are struggling because of the lack of supports available during the lockdowns, according to a leading Cork GP. Dr Mary Favier said that while some services have continued virtually, the women have become isolated.

Wed, 06 Jan, 2021

Sex File: He says he's attracted to me but he keeps losing his erection

Q. I have started going out with a guy I really like. We're in our early 30s.

Thu, 31 Dec, 2020

Urban People Outdoors Wearing Face Mask During Pandemic Virus Outbreak

Love in the time of Covid-19

Single and ready to mingle… but how do you do socially distant dating during a pandemic?

Fri, 06 Nov, 2020

Multi-Ethnic Family Walking Along Sunlit Forest Trail, Father and Daughters

The up-sides of parenting teens

Determined to look at the upside of the 'scary' teen years, Helen O’Callaghan talks to a mum of five, who – despite the challenges – finds parenting teens to be an eye-opener in the best of ways, while a psychologist explains what’s really going on for teens

Mon, 14 Sep, 2020

Kate Fenton: Never too late to find love in later life

Rowena Walsh talks to a novelist who was inspired to write a romantic comedy after falling in love again in her mid-50s

Thu, 13 Aug, 2020

Junior high age boy being bullied at school.

Learning Points: Rejection hurts just like physical pain and we are hard-wired to experience it

A recent study has shown that rejection is a far more profound and physical experience than we might think, writes Richard Hogan

Sun, 26 Jul, 2020

Sex File: Twenty years a sex columnist

Suzi Godson looks back ar her 20-year career as a sex advice columnist and the changes in relationships she has witnessed

Sun, 14 Jun, 2020

Caroline O'Donoghue: Seven thoughts on flirting

This week it finally became legal in the UK for friends to meet up, as long as they stay outside and maintain an appropriate physical distance.

Sat, 23 May, 2020

Mum's the word: Let's communicate better than Connell and Marianne in Normal People

Alison Curtis says that up until recently the way Ireland was set up made it hard for men and women to communicate well.

Wed, 20 May, 2020

Dear Louise: My boyfriend broke up with me because of the Covid-19 restrictions

While there’s never a perfect time to go through something like this, breaking up in the middle of a global pandemic has to rank amongst the worst.

Thu, 30 Apr, 2020

Caroline O'Donoghue: Seven things I've learned about father-daughter relationships

My Dad’s birthday is this week and — like pretty much every other adult in the world with living parents — I won’t be seeing him. He’s turning 70, writes Caroline O'Donoghue

Sat, 11 Apr, 2020

Sex file: No need to bristle if things get hairy in the bedroom

Suzi Godson offers up some relationship advice.

Mon, 06 Apr, 2020

Sex advice: My wife reaches for her phone straight after sex

My wife and I have been married for 10 years and for the past couple of years she seems to be on her phone all the time. It’s irritating anyway, but what I find hurtful is that she reaches for her phone immediately after sex. What should I do?

Mon, 30 Mar, 2020

Open hearts: The Buddhist approach to love and loving

For relationships to endure, we need to be loving not just on Valentine’s Day but all year round, a Buddhist teacher tells Marjorie Brennan

Sun, 16 Feb, 2020

Smart-tech way to connect with others

Philip Hogan has created Ireland's first age-friendly computer, helping families to connect easily, says Rowena Walsh

Sat, 15 Feb, 2020

Mating and dating online when you’re over 50

Suzanne Harrington doles out some practical advice on meeting new people in the digital age

Thu, 13 Feb, 2020

Inside the proposals of couples who met, fell in love and lived happily ever after

As we look forward to Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating romance of the fairytale kind.

Tue, 11 Feb, 2020

Sex File: ‘Boyfriend smiling during sex off-putting’

This feels like a strange thing to complain about, but my partner smiles most of the way through sex. I know I should be pleased that he looks so delighted, but I find it off-putting. Should I tell him?

Mon, 27 Jan, 2020

Sex File: Partner’s rhythm method hitting a bum note

Suzi Godson offers ups some relationship advice.

Fri, 27 Dec, 2019

Close encouters: Going offline to find your love match

Dating apps are now the most popular way for people to connect. But as the new movie ‘Last Christmas’ portrays, real-life romances still exist and, according to Deirdre Reynolds, even flourish.

Fri, 15 Nov, 2019

Alcohol really is no excuse for bad behaviour – research reveals you're still the same person after a drink

Many of us know that feeling of waking up, headache in tow, struggling to remember what we said and did after that extra drink the night before. And then suddenly, the memories vividly resurface, writes Kathryn Francis.

Fri, 23 Aug, 2019

Gaslighting: from partners to politicians – how to avoid becoming a victim

President Donald Trump’s statement on the horrific mass shooting in El Paso on August 3 that killed 22 people and injured 24 covered a lot of ground.

Thu, 15 Aug, 2019

Why the friendship love triangle is becoming more common

Befriending your ex’s new partner, while long taboo, is slowly becoming mainstream, writes Rita de Brún

Sun, 30 Jun, 2019

This Twitter user melts hearts with insightful six rules for marital success

Twitter user Ryan Stephens has become somewhat of an overnight hit after posting a series of tweets in relation to marital success.

Thu, 07 Mar, 2019

A fear of regret can lock us into bad relationships, jobs and habits – here's how to break free

How many times have you thought about starting a company, taking a year out to write that novel or leaving a loveless relationship but ended up doing nothing about it?

Mon, 18 Feb, 2019

Irish celebs reveal the secrets to a long lasting marriage

A new book explores the secret to a long lasting relationship – by asking couples that have spent decades together to share their love stories. Ciara McDonnell reports

Thu, 07 Feb, 2019

Sex advice with Suzi Godson: I think she might just be too sexy for me

I’ve started dating a really gorgeous, passionate woman. We haven’t had sex yet and she jokes about how buttoned-up I am. To be honest, I am worried she is right. I really fancy her — I can’t believe my luck. But I’m feeling so intimidated that I have been putting off sex with her.

Fri, 01 Feb, 2019

Sex advice with Suzi Godson: Our first time didn’t go well — it was really awkward

I started seeing a new woman recently. We took it quite slowly at the beginning, and waited to have sex.

Fri, 07 Dec, 2018

Worried you are dating a psychopath? Signs to look for, according to science

It may sound like a scene straight out of a horror movie, but statistically you are not that unlikely to end up on a date with a psychopath, writes Calli Tzani Pepelasi.

Fri, 30 Nov, 2018

Learning Points: Parents separating need not tear a family asunder

My 15-year-old son seems to be getting in a lot of trouble at the moment.

Thu, 29 Nov, 2018

Sex advice with Suzi Godson: I just go through the motions in bed

Suzi Godson offers more relationship advice.

Fri, 02 Nov, 2018

Facebook relationship status single. U ok hun?

Modern life poses many perplexing questions. Like where is the start of the Sellotape, and why beige shoes are called nude while not all nude people are beige, writes Suzanne Harrington

Mon, 22 Oct, 2018

End of the line: Moving on when love breaks down

One of the most difficult relationships to navigate is the one we have with our ex-partner in the immediate aftermath of a separation.

Thu, 11 Oct, 2018

Sex advice with Suzi Godson: Distraction can help you find a way back to intimacy

My husband and I are going through a stressful patch in our lives, and our sex life has suffered. We know it’s important to be physically close and we miss the intimacy. I think I am more affected by it than him. What can we do?

Fri, 17 Aug, 2018

Here's a mental health workout that's as simple as ABC

While we take physical workouts very seriously, there is much less said about the “workouts” that help us remain mentally agile and healthy.

Wed, 15 Aug, 2018

Getting back in the saddle with Ireland's first ever speed dating cycle

Specialised dating sites and events are becoming more and more popular, as Deirdre Reynolds discovered when she signed up for Ireland’s first ever ‘speed dating cycle’.

Tue, 14 Aug, 2018

I’m ‘losing’ my 16-year-old daughter to a controlling boyfriend

My 16-year-old daughter has been dating her boyfriend for four months. She was always such a bubbly, outgoing girl, but she has changed and I am very concerned about her.

Thu, 26 Jul, 2018

Loneliness is contagious – and here's how to beat it

Loneliness is a common condition affecting around one in three adults.

Mon, 16 Jul, 2018

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