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
Paul Hosford: FG’s position on political spectrum is a matter of perspective
Paul Hosford: FG’s position on political spectrum is a matter of perspective
Whether Fine Gael is 'woke' really depends on how broadly you define that phrase

Mon, 09 Nov, 2026

Shoulder patch of a soldier from the Irish Army on camouflaged uniform.
Dorcha Lee: The triple lock was never the problem — only the third lock
In assuring our own sovereignty, we must acknowledge how the world really is — not how we would wish it to be, writes Dorcha Lee

Mon, 09 Nov, 2026

The red fox, Vulpes vulpes, in the waterlogged autumn taiga, Finland
Ciaran Brennan: European Union is gaslighting us all with its simplification agenda on climate action 
We can blame the European Commission all we like for watering down environmental measures, but there doesn’t seem to be much pushback from EU nations. In fact, it’s the opposite, with Ireland enthusiastically taking up the baton.

Mon, 09 Nov, 2026

Having a child is a radical act of hope, not a pension plan
Having a child is a radical act of hope, not a pension plan
A new addition to the family in a week of good news makes Catherine Conlon consider population challenges, sustainability — and how hope is the most important value

Mon, 09 Nov, 2026

TOPSHOT-NEPAL-DISASTER-FLOOD
COP31 has many issues to resolve but recent events provide hope
The repeated criticisms of the COP summit are ever-present, but the recent election win in Brazil and Donald Trump's trouncing in the US midterms proves that seemingly insurmountable tides can be turned

Sun, 08 Nov, 2026

Elaine Loughlin: Simon Harris appears to have chosen a side — now can he bring Fine Gael with him?
Elaine Loughlin: Simon Harris appears to have chosen a side — now can he bring Fine Gael with him?
The Fine Gael ard fheis in Cork has heard complaints from elected members about a lack of political direction and messaging from party HQ.

Sun, 08 Nov, 2026

The Mick Clifford Podcast at the Fine Gael ard fheis: Where does the party go next?
The Mick Clifford Podcast at the Fine Gael ard fheis: Where does the party go next?
The Irish Examiner political team take the temperature of the party at the Fine Gael ard fheis

 Listen | Sat, 07 Nov, 2026

 Listen |
Big Brother Eviction Night
Gaby Hinsliff: Russell Brand’s conviction is a victory for every woman told her ‘no’ did not matter
The conviction raises questions about consent, workplace harassment and the media industry that repeatedly indulged Brand’s behaviour

Sat, 07 Nov, 2026

Bomb scares and cyber attacks: Ireland's response to threats hampered by neglect 
Bomb scares and cyber attacks: Ireland's response to threats hampered by neglect 
Despite successive years of 'record' defence funding, Ireland is still languishing at the bottom of the EU table for defence spending, far below the EU average

Fri, 06 Nov, 2026

Terry Prone on RTÉ bomb scare: Taking Marty Whelan off the air was a step too far 
Terry Prone on RTÉ bomb scare: Taking Marty Whelan off the air was a step too far 
We used to take bomb threats in our stride, but now we're going to be back to scanners and handbag searches everywhere

Fri, 06 Nov, 2026

Couple,Meeting,Architect,For,House,Construction
If fertility treatment is healthcare, why are people using their holidays to access it?
While the State now funds some fertility treatment in Ireland, employment law hasn’t caught up

Fri, 06 Nov, 2026

Russell Brand court case
Enda Brady: Russell Brand has joined a long list of abusers hiding in plain sight
His downfall has been a long time coming, given that the first of the allegations went back to the late 1990s before he was a household name

Thu, 05 Nov, 2026

With war ongoing, Ukrainians can't go home — so why have we withdrawn our support?
With war ongoing, Ukrainians can't go home — so why have we withdrawn our support?
The war is more dangerous than ever for Ukrainian civilians who fled Putin's invasion. They can't go home — so why have we withdrawn our support, asks Kate Durrant

Thu, 05 Nov, 2026

From Tralee to Limerick and all over Ireland, we are barred from the countryside
From Tralee to Limerick and all over Ireland, we are barred from the countryside
Tarmacked greenways are not the solution to opening up our countryside, writes Tim Hannigan 

Thu, 05 Nov, 2026

Oireachtas Media Committee
5 things we learned from RTÉ's latest grilling at the Oireachtas
Ger Gilroy podcast (and the lack of women's voices on it), Patrick O'Donovan's €20m budget cut, and 'Fair City' all featured in today's episode

Wed, 04 Nov, 2026

New Hampshire Residents Cast Ballots With Control Of House, Senate At Stake
Elaine Loughlin on the US midterms: Democrats have broken the mould. Now they must follow through
If they are to build or even retain the momentum of these elections, Democrats must follow through on the positive pre-election messaging which has clearly resonated with voters.

Wed, 04 Nov, 2026

12/3/2018 Gardai Checkpoints
Decision not to prosecute garda over imported gun parts shows little has changed within the force
A DPP decision not to prosecute a garda over a private gun club deal raises fresh concerns about internal investigations and accountability

Wed, 04 Nov, 2026

Snout of a cow leaning out of the ventilation window of a cage truck.
Does the profit justify the suffering? The case for changing the live transport of animals
Ireland must use its presidency to champion stronger, science-based animal transport legislation, including shorter journeys, effective temperature limits, adequate space, improved protection for vulnerable animals

Wed, 04 Nov, 2026

CC HEALTH COMMITTEE
Suzanne Crowe: A decade on, we must learn lessons from Sláintecare 
Before the Government embarks on its next great health reform project, it must confront the lessons of this one

Wed, 04 Nov, 2026

An empty refrigerator at a SuperValu supermarket in Dublin
A SuperValu fridge is an odd target for a cyberattack — but it is a warning to everyone
Any device that's linked to the internet can be hacked — that means vulnerabilities in the most unlikely of places, writes Ronan Murphy 

Tue, 03 Nov, 2026

Engineering man showing blueprint detail for people buying house.
Ireland has the weakest short-term letting rules in Europe
The latest attempt by Government to regulate short-term letting and bring long-term homes back into use looks set to be as useless as its predecessor, writes TD Eoin Ó Broin

Tue, 03 Nov, 2026

DRCC consent ad shows it's a huge risk to tell the State something it doesn't want to hear
DRCC consent ad shows it's a huge risk to tell the State something it doesn't want to hear
The justice minister's assertion that Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's WeConsent campaign 'didn't reflect the views of Government' went almost unnoticed in the storm 

Tue, 03 Nov, 2026

Scales of justice and Gavel on wooden table and Lawyer or Judge working with agreement in Courtroom, Justice and Law concept
To stop victims falling through the cracks, we must establish a national support service
Other countries have a single body that provides 'general' and 'universal' victim support. Here, we could have Victim Support Ireland

Tue, 03 Nov, 2026

Industrial strike
Louise Burne: Unions have the upper hand — and could embarrass Government at flagship EU event
Government needs to strike a deal and avoid a strike on Thursday, November 12, coinciding with the Dublin meeting of the European Political Community

Mon, 02 Nov, 2026

Abdullah Khan court case
'Jihadi' Abdullah Khan is first person to be convicted of an Islamist attack in Ireland
Detective Chief Superintendent Brian Woods said An Garda Síochána remains 'exceptionally alert' to the threat from terrorism and violent political extremism

Mon, 02 Nov, 2026

Cork Airport is going from strength to strength. Now we need to improve how people get there
Cork Airport is going from strength to strength. Now we need to improve how people get there
The airport supports some 13,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, with a substantial number of those in tourism and hospitality

Mon, 02 Nov, 2026

Limerick council’s tourism video an example of AI’s grim reality
Limerick council’s tourism video an example of AI’s grim reality
A quick poster to advertise your business? Give AI a few seconds. Fancy a video of yourself dancing with Michael Jackson to Thriller? Not a bother.

Mon, 02 Nov, 2026

Elderly care old and young
The terminally ill must choose to end their life in a way that is clandestine and unnecessary
The Government needs to change the law so the one-way ticket to Switzerland is not the only option open to those who want to die on their own terms

Mon, 02 Nov, 2026

‘Clear eyes, full hearts’: Can James Talarico pull off a historic Democratic victory in Texas?
‘Clear eyes, full hearts’: Can James Talarico pull off a historic Democratic victory in Texas?
The Democrat is seeking to break a three-decade Republican hold on the Senate seat, campaigning on affordability, immigration and political corruption

Sat, 31 Oct, 2026

Oman Strait of Hormuz
The Suez crisis exposed British decline in the '50s. The Iran conflict could be doing the same for the US
Like the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal is a vital waterway for global trade. Both crises raise the same question: how far can geopolitical power outrun economic power?

Sat, 31 Oct, 2026

We all know the answer teacher!
Despite appetite for change, the status quo remains in schools
The State asked hundreds of thousands of parents what they wanted for their children’s education, then abdicated its responsibility for any real reform

Fri, 30 Oct, 2026

'They had their heads shaved and they were branded like they were cattle’
'They had their heads shaved and they were branded like they were cattle’
Seeking justice for LGBT+ survivors of Colombia’s armed conflict

Fri, 30 Oct, 2026

TOPSHOT-OLY-YOUTH-2026-SEN-FLAME
Development aid to countries in Africa is an investment in global stability
Growing instability in the Sahel region, and the growing influence of Russia, means that it’s not just neighbouring West African countries like Senegal and Ghana who have to deal with the consequences but also Europe, writes the minister of state with responsibility for international development and diaspora Neale Richmond

Fri, 30 Oct, 2026

Student accommodation investment
Paul Hosford: Simon Harris-Patrick O'Donovan call leaves many questions unanswered
Tánaiste took to RTÉ and Newstalk in a bid to quell the most damaging allegations about his phone call to culture minister

Thu, 29 Oct, 2026

I’m an atheist and even I can see the Church is losing its way
I’m an atheist and even I can see the Church is losing its way
I think the decision to cancel a Nathan Carter Christmas concert in St Joseph’s Church in Boyle raises a big question for the Catholic Church

Thu, 29 Oct, 2026

As we dare to feel more European, our deep ties to the US through trade, culture and history will remain
As we dare to feel more European, our deep ties to the US through trade, culture and history will remain
Deep contradictions remain at the heart of our European identity, even as the world rapidly shifts around us, writes Carole Coleman

Thu, 29 Oct, 2026

AFGHANISTAN-TALIBAN-ANNIVERSARY
We must stand with the Afghan women resisting the Taliban
Roshana Dadgar, an Afghan woman living in exile in Pakistan, from where she highlights the brutality of the Taliban regime and its treatment of woman, tells Clodagh Finn about the danger she faces daily

Wed, 28 Oct, 2026

Water supply problems from Kerry to Norway show our planet is under pressure
Water supply problems from Kerry to Norway show our planet is under pressure
It is clear that this government is completely out to lunch on the gravest crisis of the 21st century, writes John Gibbons

Tue, 27 Oct, 2026

'I want to be a bloody dentist for Halloween — why are the 'girl' costumes always cute?'
'I want to be a bloody dentist for Halloween — why are the 'girl' costumes always cute?'
Halloween highlights how boring and unimaginative dividing clothes into 'boys' and 'girls' is, writes 10-year-old Alice Griffin 

Tue, 27 Oct, 2026

UN General Assembly Israel
Israelis go to the polls today to decide the fate Benjamin Netanyahu
What has allowed the Israeli prime minister to remain through prosecution, political defeat, and the Hamas attack and catastrophic security failure of October 7, 2023?

Tue, 27 Oct, 2026

Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit to Australia - Day Four
S Terry Prone: Hidden dread over allegations against father cast Meghan Markle's image in new light
As the duchess of Sussex's patience was been painted as coldness in the eyes of many, the media now owes her some sympathy

Mon, 26 Oct, 2026

US-POLITICS-VOTE-TEXAS
How candidates are quietly talking about climate change — three strategies you’ll see in US midterm elections
Voters’ current concerns about inflation could make climate messages involving affordability especially effective and will offer some insight into whether Democrats’ energy affordability message will resonate in the 2028 presidential election

Mon, 26 Oct, 2026

TOPSHOT-VATICAN-RELIGION-POPE-AUDIENCE
TP O'Mahony: The Vatican has never hesitated in serving its own interests
If we are expecting the American pope to fight Maga, we are probably looking in the wrong place, writes TP O'Mahony

Mon, 26 Oct, 2026

PALESTINIAN-ISRAEL-CONFLICT-WEST BANK-SETTLERS
‘You don’t cut down a blessing’: Why Palestinian olive trees represent family, history and resistance
As settler attacks and restrictions threaten Palestine’s olive harvest, novelist Susan Abulhawa explains the trees’ deep ties to family, identity and survival

Sat, 24 Oct, 2026

Irish Budget 2027
Legal aid reforms: Tackling 'perverse incentives' or creating a 'false narrative'?
Justice minister Jim O'Callaghan and solicitors are as far apart as ever on the issue of free legal aid payments

Fri, 23 Oct, 2026

Removing right to cook from Trabolgan's Ukrainian residents denies their humanity
Removing right to cook from Trabolgan's Ukrainian residents denies their humanity
In the 2010s, there was a media storm set off by reports that the thousands of people in Direct Provision were not permitted to cook for themselves. The State was forced to concede, yet here we are again.

Fri, 23 Oct, 2026