comment and analysis

This is my father and it's the first time we met
This is my father and it's the first time we met
Sam Callinan lifts the Sam Maguire 26/7/2026
Are GAA players the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders of Ireland?
Although they are dedicated, committed, and  train as hard as many professional athletes, cheerleaders and GAA players are both staggeringly underpaid

Wed, 29 Jul, 2026

Pubs are often the heart of rural communities — why is the Government making it so hard to run them?
Pubs are often the heart of rural communities — why is the Government making it so hard to run them?
Any further above-inflation increase in the minimum wage, or increases in alcohol excise in Budget 2027, could trigger an avalanche of pub closures across rural Ireland, writes Cork publican Michael O'Donovan

Wed, 29 Jul, 2026

Judicial reviews are a fundamental part of democracy — not a dig at the Government by greedy lawyers
Judicial reviews are a fundamental part of democracy — not a dig at the Government by greedy lawyers
A judicial review is any case taken against any public body that may have broken the law — it's the separation of powers working as intended, writes Cathal Malone

Wed, 29 Jul, 2026

Slievenamon wildfire
Fires in Slievenamon, Connemara and Killarney show our hills are on life support
We should invest in mountains like we invest in schools, roads and hospitals, and acknowledge Slievenamon, along with all other hills, has been sick for some time and needs help if it is going to recover

Wed, 29 Jul, 2026

Photographer taking photos of crime scene by the river
Michelle Dunne: Society, not crime fiction, normalises violence against women
The reason we pay such close attention to news stories about violence against women is because they reflect the fear that’s always churning just beneath the surface — crime fiction gives women a safe way to process that fear, writes author Michelle Dunne 

Wed, 29 Jul, 2026

Elevated view of the coastal city with the cruise ship "Scarlet Lady" of the Virgin Voyages anchored in the harbor of Genoa, Lig
Jonathan deBurca Butler: Why was a gay cruise ship turned away from Turkey and Egypt ports?
News of a gay cruise ship being refused entry to not one but two ports earlier this month should make all of us wary says Jonathan deBurca Butler.

Tue, 28 Jul, 2026

Aughinish Alumina refinery
Donnacha Ó Beacháin: Refusal to act on Aughinish is deeply damaging to our reputation in EU
This is not about one industrial plant in rural Limerick. It is about whether Ireland is prepared to confront the consequences of its failure to act, writes Donnacha Ó Beacháin

Tue, 28 Jul, 2026

Ireland's EU presidency must reclaim housing as a democratic project
Ireland's EU presidency must reclaim housing as a democratic project
Debate on housing and who has access to it is being rapidly filled by far-right extremists — Ireland can use this opportunity to shape an inclusive discourse, writes Valesca Lima

Tue, 28 Jul, 2026

John O'Brennan: Ireland could be crucial to Montenegro's EU accession chances
John O'Brennan: Ireland could be crucial to Montenegro's EU accession chances
Like Ireland in 1973, Montenegro is small, peripheral and insecure, in a world of increasingly volatile international relations and a multilateral order in retreat

Mon, 27 Jul, 2026

Environmental issues, Washed up used single use paper coffee cup at the shoreline of a beach.
Richard Jacob: Whatever happened to the latté levy?
Ireland passed a law and issued some press releases, but unlike France, never bothered actually banning single-use coffee cups in most restaurants, writes Richard Jacob

Mon, 27 Jul, 2026

Dior Homme - Runway - Paris Fashion Week - Menswear Fall/Winter 2026-2027
Patrick Holloway: Jonathan Anderson's Dior show in Dublin is my World Cup
The Northern Irish designer bringing one of the world's biggest fashion events to Trinity College is something worth celebrating — even if you are clueless about lapels or silhouettes

Sun, 26 Jul, 2026

Labour leadership
Changing faces: Maintaining Ireland's relationship with Britain's prime minister
Andy Burnham's election represents the sixth prime minister with which relations have to be forged in the last decade

Sat, 25 Jul, 2026

Businesspeople Getting Bored In Office
Margaret E Ward: Why fixing the workplace is harder than reaching Mars
Margaret E Ward says that better leadership, not bigger budgets, is the proven answer to employee disengagement and burnout

Sat, 25 Jul, 2026

Maria Crowe: A week in my life searching for public toilets
Maria Crowe: A week in my life searching for public toilets
Maria Crowe suffers from a painful bladder condition which means she often urgently needs to use the toilet. Finding a toilet dictates all her decisions, she writes

Fri, 24 Jul, 2026

Kevin Keegan and Henry Cooper advertising Faberge Brut product
Kevin Keegan — the footballer who invented the personal brand
Decades before Beckham and Ronaldo, Kevin Keegan's natural ability as a television performer and self-deprecating humour established him as a personality beyond football

Thu, 23 Jul, 2026

Shona Murray: The EU has imposed sanctions on Russia, yet they fail to do so on Israel
Shona Murray: The EU has imposed sanctions on Russia, yet they fail to do so on Israel
This week the EU rightfully proudly announced the passage of the 21st sanctions package against Russia. Yet the banning trade with Israeli settlements has yet to happen

Thu, 23 Jul, 2026

Nigel Farage and Count Binface among 34 candidates in Clacton by-election
Could Count Binface actually beat Reform's Nigel Farage in Clacton?
Polling suggests voters are not impressed with the Reform leader's £5m gift from a donor, or with his decision to call an election 

Thu, 23 Jul, 2026

Bohemians FC shows power of community — the EU could learn from it
Bohemians FC shows power of community — the EU could learn from it
Badges of belonging matter — they are symbols allowing us to express intent, and bolster action 

Thu, 23 Jul, 2026

Irish Government's Summer Economic Statement
Summer Economic Statement: Ministers won't have anything like €8.5bn for Budget 2027
Jack Chambers and Simon Harris will have €7bn to play with after €1.5bn in tax cuts. But much of it is already accounted for. And watch out for public sector pay demands, writes PAUL HOSFORD

Wed, 22 Jul, 2026

Game of Thrones
AI will supercharge surveillance capitalism — and we're not ready
Where social media inferred your inner life from behaviour, AI receives it directly in your own words and in real time 

Wed, 22 Jul, 2026

Visionary Female Leader Speaking at a Global Economic Strategies at International Business Conference. Public Speaker Sharing Pr
Female leaders don't benefit from charisma like men do, and that's down to our blind spots
Our University of Limerick research uncovers food for thought for promotion processes, candidate selections, and board appointments

Wed, 22 Jul, 2026

Sex-for-rent laws must be followed with resources and action
Sex-for-rent laws must be followed with resources and action
Legislation must be backed by Government action to truly end sexual violence

Wed, 22 Jul, 2026

Jillian Godsil: Online networking is fine, but we still need to meet in person
Jillian Godsil: Online networking is fine, but we still need to meet in person
Screens are excellent at transmitting information, but not always connection. It is difficult to build trust, friendship or genuine rapport when every interaction is confined to a rectangle on a screen

Wed, 22 Jul, 2026

Euro Sign in front of ECB Headquarter
Frédéric Oudéa: European financial regulation is too stringent to be competitive
If Europe wants to protect its economic sovereignty and stop relying on foreign financial institutions to fund our future, it needs its own global financial champions

Wed, 22 Jul, 2026

The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: Sex-for-rent is finally made illegal — Ann Murphy
The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: Sex-for-rent is finally made illegal — Ann Murphy
With a new law introduced to tackle this form of exploitation, Irish Examiner reporter talks to Deirdre about her investigations into the sex-for-rent practice, the campaign for legal change, and whether she thinks women will be protected under the new law

 Listen | Tue, 21 Jul, 2026

 Listen |
Female entrepreneur with headache sitting at desk
Sean O'Sullivan: Why do we lionise entrepreneurs?
The true entrepreneurs today are are the accountants, middle managers, executives and politicians who are involved in transferring wealth from the general public to private wealth hoarders

Tue, 21 Jul, 2026

Ciarán Cannon: A new law is not the solution to e-scooter problems
Ciarán Cannon: A new law is not the solution to e-scooter problems
Ireland's immediate response to every incident is a new law — what about implementation, enforcement and evaluation?

Tue, 21 Jul, 2026

ATLANTIC SALMON, leaping, Scotland, UK.
Jack Power: Irish salmon are in big trouble
Atlantic salmon populations are in collapse all around their range. Jack Power wonders why we are so indifferent to their imminent extinction

Tue, 21 Jul, 2026

Andy Burnham becomes new PM
Paul Hosford: Events leading up to Andy Burnham's elevation contrast with our humdrum politics
Sources in government expect Andy Burnham to carry on in much the same way as Keir Starmer when it comes to Ireland

Mon, 20 Jul, 2026

Louise Burne: Time the Government stopped 'pleading with industry and retail' on e-scooters
Louise Burne: Time the Government stopped 'pleading with industry and retail' on e-scooters
The Government's proposed e-scooter crackdown will achieve little unless existing laws are consistently enforced by retailers, parents and gardaí.

Mon, 20 Jul, 2026

New ‘inclusive special’ classes aims to provide more flexibility to support students
New ‘inclusive special’ classes aims to provide more flexibility to support students
Despite concern’s from Ireland’s autism charity, the new educational model has potential, provided it works in tandem with the current autism class model

Mon, 20 Jul, 2026

Data center server racks. IT modern hardware server room, data storage center, database information system. Hosting, it data bac
AI can create better employment, although it may be a bumpy ride
New technologies generally create more jobs than they displace so let’s create the jobs that harness AI and other new technologies to deliver better value for all of us

Mon, 20 Jul, 2026

Limerick’s superblock trial needs everyone’s buy-in
Limerick’s superblock trial needs everyone’s buy-in
Since first being introduced in Spanish cities like Barcelona and Vitoria-Gasteiz, the superblock system has been the biggest phenomenon to hit urban planning since the advent of the city bike scheme

Mon, 20 Jul, 2026

SEX online
Pornography's influence on men's sexual desires is killing women
Given its explicit nature, and the fact that this content is being used primarily by men, has led researchers to conclude that mainstream pornography is responsible for the wholesale normalisation and eroticisation of sexual violence, writes Ruth Breslin

Mon, 20 Jul, 2026

'Do the right thing': Over 1,000 brave heat to protest over plans for Bessborough site
'Do the right thing': Over 1,000 brave heat to protest over plans for Bessborough site
As the Taoiseach says a memorial park would be an appropriate use of the grounds, survivors and protesters say they are afraid to hope for justice

Sun, 19 Jul, 2026

World Cup 2026: How soaring ticket prices put football beyond the reach of many fans
World Cup 2026: How soaring ticket prices put football beyond the reach of many fans
Record ticket prices have left many local football fans watching from afar despite the World Cup unfolding in their city

Sat, 18 Jul, 2026

The Dreyfus Affair: Lessons from the scandal that divided France 
The Dreyfus Affair: Lessons from the scandal that divided France 
The Dreyfus Affair stands out as the epitome of miscarriages of justice, an historical benchmark against which to measure similar examples, many of them seen in Ireland

Sat, 18 Jul, 2026

ARGENTINA-FBL-WC-2026-FANS
World Cup 2026: It's more than just football — the magic still exists
Real legacy of this tournament will be found in billions of people, for 90 minutes at a time, remembering that football still possesses a rare and precious ability to bring us together, writes Colin Sheridan

Fri, 17 Jul, 2026

Why America's ageing politicians are facing growing calls for term and age limits
Why America's ageing politicians are facing growing calls for term and age limits
The debate over ageing politicians has intensified as Americans increasingly question whether Washington reflects the country's future or its past

Fri, 17 Jul, 2026

The Mick Clifford Podcast: Football feast or sports washing with Colin Sheridan
The Mick Clifford Podcast: Football feast or sports washing with Colin Sheridan
Do we care if we keep watching it, which is exactly what everybody did. 

 Listen | Fri, 17 Jul, 2026

 Listen |
judgement of judge about legislation, authority, crime, government, justice, punishment, verdict at court decision by gavel. ham
Court psychiatric reports can lead to lifelong consequences for minor offences
At the heart of this issue lies a simple but vital principle: medical confidentiality. It is the foundation of trust between patient and doctor. Without it, people do not speak freely. Without it, care breaks down

Fri, 17 Jul, 2026

Preschool teacher in classroom greeting new student
Childcare is more than a cost centre
High-quality and consistent childcare should be a right for every child — it's not just a cost-of-living issue, writes Teresa Heeney of Early Childhood Ireland

Fri, 17 Jul, 2026

eGate at Dublin Airport
Mick Clifford: Jim O'Callaghan's crusade against legal aid will damage access to justice
Most adjournments are caused by the State failing to do its job properly, not by solicitors seeking a bigger payday 

Fri, 17 Jul, 2026

Joanna Donnelly: Our cynical relationship with fine weather is born of experience
Joanna Donnelly: Our cynical relationship with fine weather is born of experience
The reason there are only a few really memorable heatwaves to recall in Ireland is because of our temperate, Goldilocks climate

Fri, 17 Jul, 2026

Catherine Connolly 18/6/2026
A lot done with last-minute bills, but Government will have more to do on Dáil's return
Politics is a hamster wheel of issues, new ones always arriving to keep the wheel spinning, writes Paul Hosford

Thu, 16 Jul, 2026

How Catholic Ireland's legacy still shapes our public toilet problem
How Catholic Ireland's legacy still shapes our public toilet problem
Marc deFaoite says Ireland's shortage of public toilets reflects a lingering legacy of Catholic-era attitudes and decades of neglect

Thu, 16 Jul, 2026

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