Dolores Keane’s honesty about her demons was as piercing as her singing
Being the custodian of so much was no easy path, but she knew she could not stop singing
Diarmaid Ferriter
Diarmaid Ferriter columns
How Micheál Martin should handle Trump for St Patrick’s Day: ‘Lie back and think of Ireland’
From ‘silence, guile and cunning’ to ‘don’t go’, here’s some advice for the Taoiseach on how to survive the Shamrock Ceremony
Iran war displaces millions, homelessness in Dublin and the new Elvis Presley movie
Early Edition with Andrew McNair – our top stories on Friday
Real legacy of Elvis may be contested, but his story recalls a better America
It is the vitality and soulfulness of Elvis on stage that lingers in Baz Luhrmann’s film, a powerful antidote to the usual preoccupation with his private demons
Donald Trump’s pressure-cooker approach to Iran was always going to explode
It suits Iranian militants to prolong confrontation by drawing their enemies into protracted regional conflicts
Fianna Fáil’s founding aims haven’t aged well for the party
Unity, a social system offering equal opportunities and fair distribution of land were among them
Few predicted just how deep AI’s race to the bottom would go
ChatGPT is the scourge of educationalists and others who care about research, writing, intellectual autonomy, truth and accuracy
Garret FitzGerald had flaws but he also had something novel: a vision for Ireland
He badly mishandled the abortion referendum in 1983 and failed to oversee the legalisation of divorce in 1986, but what he always had was a vision
Micheál Martin’s caution has become a screen he hides behind
Martin argues that confronting Trump is counterproductive, but decrying the current fascism is matter of morality
Ireland needs a better strategy than ‘hope’ when it comes to flood prevention
Concrete is at the centre of the Irish flooding dilemma, but it is not the solution either. We need to look to nature
Irish ignorance about the Holocaust isn’t new but social media has supercharged it
Instead of censorship, we have an abundance of distortion, lies and denial, as history, or what purports to be history, is weaponised
Diarmaid Ferriter: Trump’s coveting of Greenland is an update of Danish imperialism
This is not the first time a powerful force has suggested Greenlanders are ill-suited to controlling their own lives
Irish people have always demanded too much of RTÉ – and it usually delivered
Responsibilities were presumed to include reviving Irish, selling everything ‘from sausages to sweep tickets’, and providing a living for writers and musicians
Here’s one thing to look forward to this year: the release of the 1926 census
Opening of this material will facilitate much research, and for many the chance to place our own family story in context
Iris Murdoch went to pains to hide poems on her bisexuality. Was it wrong to publish them?
Management of literary estates following an author’s death raises tricky ethical questions
Catholicism may be raising its head high but the body underneath is ailing
St Mary’s has been elevated to a cathedral at time when Dublin’s Catholic Archdiocese faces financial meltdown
Like Neville Chamberlain in 1938, Donald Trump is the errand boy of gangsters
The British leader pledged ‘peace in our time’ after appeasing a tyrant – will history repeat itself?
Border was confirmed a century ago but the blame game is still a live issue
Negotiations led to deep feelings of betrayal on the part of nationalists in Northern Ireland with enduring implications
Books of the year 2025: Authors and critics pick their favourites
Roisín O’Donnell’s Nesting, Helen Garner’s How to End a Story and Liadan Ní Chuinn’s Every One Still Here are among the year’s top choices
Enoch Burke’s ferocious desire for martyrdom has roots in Irish life
Catholic anti-divorce crusaders deliberately made outrageous analogies and used modern tactics, too
Catherine Connolly makes a strong case against political spindoctors
Authenticity matters more, and charisma cannot be contrived
‘Prone to lose the run of himself’: Ireland’s taoisigh, from de Valera to Micheál Martin
Diarmaid Ferriter reviews The Taoiseach: A Century of Political Leadership, a collection of essays on the State’s 16 political ‘captains’
Anglo-Irish breakthroughs have always been intentionally vague
The Anglo-Irish Agreement, signed 40 years ago this week, didn’t bring the reassurance that was hoped for, but ultimately was a significant milestone
Sr Stan asked a question in 1985 – it still hasn’t been answered
At the time of her death, more than 16,000 people were in emergency accommodation across the country
Talk of reforming the presidential nomination process is likely to fizzle out
Spoiled votes and lack of candidates has renewed focus on the presidential nomination process
Giving all artists a basic income means they can get on with the bloody work
For every €1 invested in the pilot scheme, €1.39 is generated
Jim Gavin’s name on the ballot paper raises troubling questions
We need clarity about what constitutes a ‘special difficulty’ in relation to the administration of elections
Charles Haughey’s fate was sealed by the 1990 presidential election. Is Micheál Martin next?
Brian Lenihan debacle of 35 years ago spelled the beginning of the end for Haughey
Martin Mansergh: Mandarin who quietly nudged this island towards peace
On his secret talks with Sinn Féin in the late 1980s, he said: “I was given the instruction just to listen but I’m afraid I did a great deal more than that”
Two out of three candidates for the presidency can’t speak fluent Irish. That matters
During the 2011 general election campaign, the leaders of the three main parties debated in Irish. That can’t happen now
UCD’s debating society rescinding an award to John Boyne is an odd decision
L&H rescinds plans to offer Joyce medal to author due to what many regard as his offensive views on transgender issues
What’s the point of party think-ins when the same social problems persist?
Participants will undoubtedly focus on the presidential election campaign, which is a short-term diversion from long-standing and worsening social issues
Teachers should refuse to pass pickets of secretaries and caretakers
The unions have over 86,000 members between them. If they stopped working, the strike would soon end
Motivation for Netanyahu’s hideous war on Gaza is not only self-interest. It’s far worse
An iron response to Israel’s war crimes will not come from America. Britain and and EU member states are also compromised
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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