A former Irish nurse in the latter stages of MS has spoken movingly of her wish to die when her suffering becomes too great.

The Irish have had an ability to make a mark all over the world, not just in the big emigration destinations of Britain, USA, Canada and Australia.

We have 4,000 actors in this country, but most earn less than €12,000 per year. How do they survive? Colette Sheridan meets five actors and finds out