Once again we are having an adolescent conversation in Ireland and resolutely fail to learn from the mistakes of others.

Visions of cars that drive themselves without emitting a bit of pollution while entertaining passengers with online movies and social media took centre stage at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Congratulations on publishing Margaret Hickey’s excellent summary on timeless Church teaching/tradition and how it relates to present events.

With everything from karate for kids to computers for the silver surfer, this year’s Cork Lifelong Learning Festival is fun, fascinating and — best of all — free.

Dara O’Briain and Ed Byrne begin a new travel show, Dara And Ed’s Great Big Adventure, on RTÉ One on Thursday.

It’s that time of year for good cheer; goodwill to all men and, oh, begrudgery on behalf of the non-believing community. Just in case we were too optimistic, Gordon Cunningham (Letters, December 12) sought to put a damper on proceedings.

Many people were rightly repulsed by Richard Dawkins primitive/less-than-enlightened views on the treatment of Down Syndrome infants. Having said that, in many ways Dawkins views are merely reflective of what emerges from a doctrinaire adherence to Darwinian theories. Not evolution, per se, but this particular deviant variant. Darwins adherents have always had a less than benign view of what their perverse ideology regards as lesser forms of life.

From Cancun to the Costa Navarino, here we tip ten of the top destinations to visit this year. And it’s not all armchair travel, either...

Irish team manager Des Donnelly, said Katie Taylor is focused and ready for first assignment next Monday when she will meet either Queen Underwood (USA) or Natasha Jonas (Great Britain) for a bronze medal.

A bank yesterday appointed receivers to one of the country’s largest shopping centres, built by a prominent Cork family involved in property development for almost half a century.

The Emerald Expo 2012 is now one of the great landmark shows on the annual agricultural calendar organised by the Irish Holstein Friesian Association in association with Alltech Ireland.

Courtney Love claims her landlady made her cry when she last visited her.

AS a believer (and recovering atheist), I am constantly bemused by the irrationalities/contradictions of my former comrades.

ALEXANDER Skarsgard is hungry for flesh.

Treacherous road conditions are being reported right around the country again this morning following a night of sub-zero conditions.

I HAVE long admired the great contribution of the many admirable women religious who have so enhanced the stature of the Catholic Church over the centuries.

ENVIRONMENT Minister John Gormley failed to engage in any adequate consultation with local landowners before issuing directions overturning the designation of lands in Carrickmines as a “district centre”, the Commercial Court has been told.

A FEW days in New York leaves you wondering – what recession? No point in chipping up to one of the hot restaurants without a reservation.

Rugby sevens and golf were today confirmed as new Olympic sports for the 2016 Games.

IN response to Andrew Lally (‘Sexual orientation has nothing to do with abuse of children’, Letters, June 22), firstly let me say that if he was bullied at school I would have been the first to defend him. I came across the type also and despise all bullies. But that is where the common ground between us ends.

I’M sure most of the outrage resulting from the Ryan report on institutional child abuse is genuine.

THE recent baying from certain sections of the media for all kinds of action against Bishop John Magee of Cloyne and the church in general is in stark contrast with the strangely muted response to recent revelations of horrific neglect of vulnerable young people in State care.

AT last a voice of commonsense (Paul Doran, Letters, January 28).

FAR be it from me to cast aspersions on the historical bona fides of your esteemed columnist Diarmaid Ferriter.

THE furore over the launch of Hermann Kelly’s book, Kathy’s Real Story, prompted me to buy it.

DCC is forecasting double digit growth in its adjusted earnings per share for the firm’s current financial year, which runs to the end of March.

I WOULD like to thank most sincerely all the kind people who contributed to my many collections for Medjugorje orphanage.

Steven Spielberg has been criticised by the only surviving Palestinian terrorist behind the massacre at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, because the director failed to consult him over his new movie dramatisation of the tragic events.

Congratulations to Sean and Dorothy Walsh and all the team at the Village Greengrocer in Castlemartyr on winning the Bord Bia Best National Green Grocer Award in Dublin.

WHAT appears to be unfolding is that Al-Qaida and Eta may have been be jointly responsible for the Madrid outrage.

Suddenly everybody's favourite bubbly blonde - she of Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail - shows she can act in a grown-up film.

THEY’VE been around for decades but The Rolling Stones can still satisfy their eager fans.

British Immigration officials are trying to track down 21 athletes from an African Commonwealth Games squad who vanished after the games, the Home Office said today.

THE world of women's middle distance running may be buzzing in advance of the showdown between defending champion Sonia O'Sullivan and Paula Radcliffe in tonight's 10,000m final in Munich, but the newly crowned Commonwealth Games champion played it down yesterday.