The far right likes to say everything is broken. Rage thrives on simple stories
I have deep faith in incompatible truths, in complexity and an instinctive resistance to childish tales of good and evil
Weekend
Stories that appear in the Weekend section of The Irish Times print edition
Words and phrases of 2025: Romo, forked, grey rocking and the Gen Z stare
Did you ‘floodlight’ on a first date? Were you ‘aura farming’ on Instagram? Some terms, once heard, couldn’t be unheard
I blame Little Women and Louisa May Alcott for my unrealistic expectations of Christmas
The book’s family scenes emit an unmistakably warm glow, but ‘sweet home peace’ was mostly a fantasy for the author, as it is for many of us
A pipe is to be laid from Tipperary to Dublin and a lot of people will be affected
Planning permission is being lodged for the biggest water project in the history of the state and a lot of people are going to be affected
The climate crisis in 2025: When scientific and political realities diverged
‘Climate adaptation’ became the new buzzwords but there was much evidence of business as usual
Michael Keegan-Dolan: ‘Manchán Magan was my very good friend . . . I’m doing this in honour of him’
The choreographer and dancer on agreeability, the pursuit of happiness, and his superpower
Christmas is a time to remind ourselves not to rely on our emotions to make decisions
We often rely on our feelings to make decisions at this time of year but research shows that we tend to be pretty bad at predicting our own future emotions
2025 in Irish politics: A messy Dáil start, more housing woes and, finally, a new president
Discord dominated in the Dáil, Fianna Fáil tripped up in the race for the Áras and housing hasn’t gone away, you know
‘Reflecting on 2025, there’s an ominous sense that even greater disasters await us’
Year of deepfakes, drones, masculine energy and bad weather also brought first babies of Generation Beta
The UK’s prime minister, its king and their new annus horribilis
Keir Starmer’s 2025 was turbulent as Reform UK kept up the pressure, while King Charles dealt with the fallout of his brother Andrew’s association with Jeffrey Epstein
In with the new: an Irish citizenship ceremony in pictures
People born in India were the single largest group taking Irish citizenship this December
Happy birthday, Jane Austen: 250 years of undermining the romantic novel
The works of the 18th century author are about so much more than love, exploring female friendship, power struggles and survival in a patriarchal society
Sample the slow travel gems on our doorstep – they are better for you and the planet
Overseas holidays bring unexpected stress, but ones closer to home mean you can really relax
Playwright Seán O’Casey’s daughter: ‘He never seemed old to me... he was quite adventurous’
Seán O’Casey’s daughter Shivaun, a living link to one of our most famous playwrights, has written a memoir that includes previously unpublished letters from her father
Photo story: Behind the scenes with Moulin Rouge at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
Go behind the scenes at this stage version of Baz Luhrmann’s lavish 2001 film
Inside the Dunnes Stores apartheid strike: Bad blood, life-defining moments and doldrums
Academic’s new book tells how the Dunnes Stores strike of 1984–87 led directly to a government ban on the importation of South African fruit and vegetables
Lost Christmas: From TV guides to sending cards, some traditions fade while others endure
We do some things during the festive season because we always have – not because we enjoy them
If you drink reindeer urine after they have eaten these red mushrooms, you’ll get high apparently
Eye on Nature: Eanna Ní Lamhna on flying reindeer, avian winter visitors and fossilised limestone
Justin McCarthy: ‘There is a can’t-do attitude to the big problems we have in this country’
Newly announced RTÉ Radio 1 Morning Ireland co-presenter on his strongest childhood memory and who would play him in a biopic
Here is how Ireland could become Europe’s renewable Norway
We have the opportunity, but do we have the ambition and know-how to harness the power of the Atlantic?
Local news in crisis: ‘We spend all of our money all of the time so we’re always short and scrambling’
It’s a tough time for the local titles, but they have one ‘superpower’ - the trust of their community
This ‘Irish Whale’ has been spotted off Donegal and the coast of North America
Ella McSweeney: A small encouraging sign these waters might hold value to such rare magnificent creatures
How Donald Trump’s ‘peace deals’ are driven by US economic interest
One year on, the US president remains neither a peacemaker nor a friend of Europe
What’s better for the environment – a real or a fake Christmas tree?
An artificial tree used over many years can be better for reducing emissions than buying a real one every year
Striving to perform an ideal Christmas is costly in every way
People tend to behave worse at home, among family, than with friends and colleagues
Thalidomide: A shock finding in the Irish State archives
Department of Health papers refer to concentration camp scientist who helped develop German drug linked to birth defects worldwide
Irish dancehalls then and now: reviving a cultural cornerstone in Donegal
Edwina Guckian’s production The Devil’s in the Dancehall started with a look at Ireland’s 1935 Public Dance Hall Act
Lacklustre response to Michelin awards coming to Dublin reflects wider State indifference to restaurant sector
Lack of joined-up agency thinking in relation to Michelin is symptomatic of wider State indifference to restaurant sector
In Ireland, the ‘working poor’ will determine future elections
Life in Ireland today looks nothing like it did when benchmark metrics were defined
Alice Taylor at 87: ‘Life happens, things go wrong, but look for the good in people and appreciate things’
The beloved author’s new book, Weathering Storms, is a reflection on loss, ageing and community
Let’s be ambitious for a plan to establish a real record of the majestic Shannon’s condition
If 14 countries can come together to understand the Danube, surely Ireland can do the same for a far shorter river?
The WFH parents balancing work and childcare: ‘I struggle with it. The two things don’t mix at all’
Some parents say they have no choice, but is working from home with no formal childminding arrangements feasible, or even acceptable?
Returning home to Syria after 13 years: A writer reflects on her journey to Damascus after fall of Assad
A year on from the collapse of the Assad regime, Syrian-Irish writer Suad Aldarra reflects on her return to Damascus in 2025
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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