We take a sideways look at the election.

Aontú has raised its threats to disrupt a planned seven-way leaders TV debate tonight, the first between the leading parties as the election campaign reaches its midpoint.

The Meath West TD left the party in 2018 following a row over the abortion referendum.

The founder of a food bank who was honoured for her community work by local authorities just 18 months ago has now been told by the same council that she can no longer make food hampers for those in need from her own home.

The light from a strong winter sun shone down on the funeral cortege as it arrived at the church.

THE man on the radio said Niall Tóibín could be regarded as Ireland’s Billy Connolly, which established that the man giving the tribute was probably less than half Tóibín’s 90 years and, as a result,recalled the performer mainly from appearances on The Late Late Show, where he did the equivalent of stand-up before stand-up was cool.

Tributes flooded in yesterday for “comic genius” Niall Tóibín who has died after a lengthy illness.

Remembered as an actor, comedian, raconteur and mimic without parallel, Niall Tóibín died today after a long illness, a week shy of his 90th birthday.

DURING the week, two executives of Quinn Industrial Holdings said the border region was “perilously close” to becoming lawless. During the Troubles, the region was pretty lawless, or so it appeared when novelist Colm Toibin met Seán Quinn in 1987.

Peadar Tóibín says if his candidates are successful in the North, they will not take their seats in the British Parliament.

Meat processors continued legal efforts to stop protests at their facilities, with Meat Industry Ireland admitting that some export markets have not be served in recent days due to the blockages at processing facilities.

Peadar Toibin, the Meath West TD, stood up in the public gallery during the call-over of cases and said he wished to inform the court that some named defendants had not been served with and had no knowledge of the proceedings against them

The leader of Aontú has accused the Health Minister of using appalling language in relation to the Cervical Check scandal last week.

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is being accused of attempting to sweep an alleged "illegal abortion" under the carpet.

A couple whose baby was aborted at the National Maternity Hospital after it was wrongly diagnosed as having a fatal foetal abnormality have claimed that an "illegal abortion" was carried out, a TD has told the Dáil.

Newly formed party Aontú said it would welcome migrants fleeing war-torn countries or economic hardship here and accused the Fine Gael-led government of hollowing out rural Ireland.

Joyce Fegan looks at the rising number of females on the ballot paper, and meets first-time candidates.

Former Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín’s new, yet-to-be-named pro-life, republican political party, is eyeing Donegal as one of its “target” constituencies as it tries to make a breakthrough in May’s local elections.

Sinn Féin TD Peadar Toibin has made clear he will defy the wishes of his party and vote against legislation to allow for abortion. However, he said he he will not leave the party over the issue.

Renegade pro-life Sinn Féin TDs Carol Nolan and Peadar Tóibín are facing mounting pressure to decide if they will remain as party members or quit after colleagues voted to further liberalise Sinn Féin’s abortion policy.

Sinn Féin faces two crunch votes today on competing plans to back unrestricted access to abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy or to allow members to formally oppose the official position in a move that could ultimately see at least two pro-life TDs quit the party.

The no side of the Eighth Amendment referendum was plunged into disarray last night after a leading member of the campaign pulled out of a televised debate at the last minute.

The No side wanted lawyer Maria Steen to represent them in tonight's TV debate; RTE had previously announced Cora Sherlock would represent the No side with Sinn Féin's Peadar Toibin.

Sinn Féin could suspend pro-life TDs for six months if they refuse to vote in favour of unrestricted access to abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy should Sinn Féin support the policy.

Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín has said it is his understanding that the IRA was responsible for the Kingsmill massacre in which 10 Protestant men were shot dead.

Colm Tóibín is an awful man for getting inside your head, writes Michael Clifford. 

Fianna Fáil could now look to poach Sinn Féin’s Peadar Tóibín after his party rejected his calls for a free vote on abortion.

This Saturday at 8.30pm the Sinn Féin ard fheis will go live on RTÉ from the RDS. Gerry Adams will share his intentions and timeline for stepping down as party leader, writes Gerard Howlin. 

The chairwoman of the Oireachtas committee on the Eighth Amendment says pro-life groups are refusing to attend as part of a wider strategy to undermine the referendum debate.

The chairwoman of the Oireachtas committee on the Eighth Amendment says pro-life groups are refusing to attend as part of a wider strategy to undermine the referendum debate.

International music performers benefiting from multimillion-euro concerts in Ireland should be forced to pay their tax liabilities here, amid concerns they are leaving the country without settling fees.

Irish novelist, journalist, and essayist, Colm Tóibín, is this year’s winner of a US lifetime achievement award that celebrates the power of literature to foster peace, social justice, and global understanding.

Irish novelist, journalist and essayist Colm Tóibín is this year's winner of a US lifetime achievement award that celebrates the power of literature to foster peace, social justice and global understanding.

Colm Tóibín will address the themes of emigration and exile at the upcoming Immrama festival of travel writing, says Marjorie Brennan.

It’s unseemly to view the artefacts of the past on display at the NMI when staff are being harassed in the present. Complaints have been ignored by the Department of the Arts, writes Clodagh Finn.

Concerns have been raised about the potential €8.5m cost of building a new presidential library in the hometown of a former holder of the office, Mary Robinson.

Ireland could be stepping back to the days of 19th century hiring fairs as tens of thousands of workers take casual jobs when and where they can get them, minister of state for jobs Ged Nash has warned.

The longlist for the International DUBLIN Literary Award has been announced with seven Irish novels among the 160 titles that have been nominated by libraries worldwide.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan should give evidence to a Stormont inquiry into Nama’s sale of its Northern property empire, Sinn Féin has said.

Fr Declan Hurley, a priest in Navan, Co Meath, yesterday intervened to stop a brawl between members of the Travelling community that erupted outside the church after 1pm Mass.

Sinn Féin's Enterprise Spokesperson Peadar Tóibín says he believes Sinn Féin and Fine Gael are the parties to beat in the next election.

Billy O’Callaghan looks at two collections of short stories, one uneven and the other a series of enduring, almost timeless classics.