Irish Examiner view: Delay is the word of 2023 so far

Delays have become the new normal, and there is barely an aspect of modern life which escapes the baleful shadow

For drivers booking NCTs, the next available date offered online for Cork’s Blarney centre is June 26, while for Little Island it is June 30, Charleville is June 28, Macroom July 7, Skibbereen June 19, and Youghal July 18.

Every year various organisations, often those who publish dictionaries or operate search engines, vie with each other to nominate a word or phrase which best sums up our collective experience over 12 months.

“Goblin mode” was a favoured choice in 2022. Other popular selections have been “gaslighting”; “perma-crisis” “endemic” and “doomscrolling.” None of them are cheerful.