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<p>‘Father Ted’ writer Graham Linehan said US authorities should put pressure on the Irish Government to open a debate on the 2015 Gender Recognition Act.</p>

S columnists

Mick Clifford: Ireland should think twice before embracing the new left-right political divide

As culture wars intensify abroad, Ireland should resist importing polarisation, extremism and political certainties that corrode democratic debate

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SGareth O'Callaghan: What weeks in Cork University Hospital taught me about fear, faith and survival

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SJennifer Horgan: St Brigid sorted me out last Sunday — However, I wish she didn't have to

Michael Moynihan

SMichael Moynihan: Technology to maintain the flow of traffic would surely benefit us all

SFergus Finlay: Hard-fought apology shows just how great is the debt we owe industrial home survivors

STerry Prone: Four wheels on each foot was a child’s rite of passage to freedom

Bord Bia farmers protest

S Mick Clifford: Blaming Met Éireann for floods shows performative politics is all the rage

The blaming of Met Éireann for the floods by housing minister James Browne shows performative politics is all the rage these days, writes Mick Clifford

Sat, 31 Jan, 2026

Concept of a narcissistic and egoistic man

S Gareth O'Callaghan: Even the godfather of AI is warning us about artificial intelligence now

From Grok nudification to as-yet unknown perils of 'artificial general intelligence', Geoffrey Hinton says AI is 'extremely dangerous'

Sat, 31 Jan, 2026

Waitress Serving Drinks To Group Of Friends Sitting At Table In Pub Garden Enjoying Drink Together

S Colin Sheridan: Saying please and thank you is common courtesy — but let’s draw the line at AI

Having been put in his place by his daughter (something all parents will recognise) Colin Sheridan figures we should err on the side of kindness and courtesy

Sat, 31 Jan, 2026

Protests after federal agents killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, January 2026

S Jennifer Horgan: We need to stop looking across to America — we have little in common

In stark contrast to America, Ireland’s gardaí continue to police our streets unarmed — human lives matter to us and that is reflected in our policing. Let's keep it that way, writes Jennifer Horgan

Fri, 30 Jan, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Cork’s Lord Mayor embracing AI raises serious questions about leadership

S Michael Moynihan: Cork’s Lord Mayor embracing AI raises serious questions about leadership

The Lord Mayor’s embrace of ChatGPT highlights ethical, environmental and democratic risks when artificial intelligence replaces human judgement

Thu, 29 Jan, 2026

Gareth O'Callaghan: The Ryan Tubridy scandal was never really about Ryan Tubridy

S Gareth O'Callaghan: The Ryan Tubridy scandal was never really about Ryan Tubridy

Gareth O'Callaghan on fame, institutional failure and why Ryan Tubridy paid the price for RTÉ’s collapse in trust

Sun, 25 Jan, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Council responses show they can't see the wood for the trees

S Michael Moynihan: Council responses show they can't see the wood for the trees

Residents of Knockfree Ave in Cork are angered by council plans to cut down mature trees in their area

Thu, 22 Jan, 2026

FRANCE-ELON-MUSK-LAUNCH-GROK-ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE-NEW-VERSION

S Fergus Finlay: We must block Grok, it’s that simple — so why aren’t we doing it?

Being told to turn to Hotline.ie in the face of non-consensual image abuse isn't good enough: We need political will to face down social media giants and internet service providers

Tue, 20 Jan, 2026

Terry Prone: Should we burn books after finding out the author is a fraud?

S Terry Prone: Should we burn books after finding out the author is a fraud?

t’s a tough time to be a publisher... and a reader

Mon, 19 Jan, 2026

Mick Clifford: Elizabeth Berney’s death marks the end of Ireland’s revolutionary generation

S Mick Clifford: Elizabeth Berney’s death marks the end of Ireland’s revolutionary generation

Elizabeth Berney’s death closes a living link to the revolutionary generation and invites reflection on Ireland’s past, present and political culture

Sat, 17 Jan, 2026

Jennifer Horgan: Engagement rings are a powerful symbol — but what do they symbolise, exactly?

S Jennifer Horgan: Engagement rings are a powerful symbol — but what do they symbolise, exactly?

Beyoncé's lyrics, 'If you like it then you should have put a ring on it', are empowering but in a depressing way, implying ownership, and not something women should celebrate

Fri, 16 Jan, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Is there a coded message in the weather forecast's choice of random suburbs?

S Michael Moynihan: Is there a coded message in the weather forecast's choice of random suburbs?

Or is there some even more subtle message being conveyed by the sequence of Cork suburbs being used? Why Mahon and then Douglas? Why Knocknaheeny and then Frankfield? Is this some kind of sublime trolling from Dublin, an attempt to sow discord in the southern capital?

Thu, 15 Jan, 2026

Greenland France

S Fergus Finlay: Europe must tell Donald Trump there's a line he can't cross

It’s not unreasonable to look for comparisons with Trump in the emergence of the Third Reich, writes Fergus Finlay

Tue, 13 Jan, 2026

Fast Fashion Waste Is Choking Ghana With Mountains of Trash

S Terry Prone: Diversity, inclusion, and sustainability are real issues, not 'woke' drivel

We have to hope the next business generation in Ireland sticks with their belief in real underlying values

Mon, 12 Jan, 2026

Donald Trump

S Mick Clifford: Ireland’s economic model looks fragile as Trump tests the limits of the Western alliance

Whether it is climate, corporation tax, or even elements of defence, this country has pleaded a special case and, in doing so, raced ahead of most other economies in the EU

Fri, 09 Jan, 2026

31st Annual Critics Choice Awards - Show

S Jennifer Horgan: Jessie Buckley's speech a timely reminder of arts' power for good

Buckley believes the arts can hold our suffering and our grief. In our secular world, it’s possible that they now do more than that — they hold us together

Fri, 09 Jan, 2026

Michael Moynihan: Why has the Crawford Art Gallery project ballooned from €30m to €93m?

S Michael Moynihan: Why has the Crawford Art Gallery project ballooned from €30m to €93m?

The Crawford’s redevelopment matters, but a year-long delay and tripled costs expose a deeper problem in public project planning

Thu, 08 Jan, 2026

Fergus Finlay: Donald Trump has driven world into a might is right phase

S Fergus Finlay: Donald Trump has driven world into a might is right phase

The overnight invasion of Venezuela was not an act of liberation, it was a further piece of the global corruption that the world’s greatest democracy appears to be reduced to — an act of cowboy piracy

Tue, 06 Jan, 2026

A general view of Pairc Ui Chaoimh ahead of the game 12/5/2019

S From bad coffee to missing buses, 50 Cork things we need to fix — lovingly, loudly and now

From buses and bathrooms to scones and signage, a Corkman’s hopeful, grumpy and affectionate wishlist for the city

Thu, 01 Jan, 2026

US-POLITICS

S Fergus Finlay: What could 2026 hold for Donald Trump? Wrong answers only

Trump dominated the news last year, and he’s going to do it again next year, writes Fergus Finlay

Tue, 30 Dec, 2025

Christmas table place setting. Tableware with evergreen twigs, cone and spice

S Terry Prone: I am desperately envious, but I am also smart, so I play the odds on where I might compete

My sister is a pain the arse at the most mundane of times, but she comes into her own over Christmas

Mon, 29 Dec, 2025

Mick Clifford: Put away the phones and lose yourself in these four books from 2025

S Mick Clifford: Put away the phones and lose yourself in these four books from 2025

From politics and power to sport and memoir, these books reward patience, curiosity, and time away from the scroll.

Sun, 28 Dec, 2025

Dog walker crossing the road

S Jennifer Horgan: This year, I'm making resolutions for other people — that means you

No apologies if any of the following relate to you — offence very much intended

Fri, 26 Dec, 2025

Fergus Finlay: One thing I've learned is that life is about making the most of what you've got

S Fergus Finlay: One thing I've learned is that life is about making the most of what you've got

If I’ve discovered one thing over the years, as a husband, father, and in my work as a trade union official and in the political world, it’s that there may not be a lot of point in trying to plan your life out

Tue, 23 Dec, 2025

Jennifer Horgan: Rob and Michele Reiner were deeply committed parents

S Jennifer Horgan: Rob and Michele Reiner were deeply committed parents

From 'Stand by Me' to Sleepless in Seattle' to 'Being Charlie', Rob Reiner explored what it means to be a parent, and showed incredible empathy in his films and in his private life

Fri, 19 Dec, 2025

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