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
Diarmaid Ferriter on Speaking My Mind by Leo Varadkar: Jaunty but superficial and lazy at times
Former taoiseach provides gossip and entertaining titbits but displays detachment about matters of substance
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
What did Éamon de Valera ever do for us?
Ireland’s memory of Éamon de Valera is complicated by many factors. Diarmaid Ferriter assesses the competing perspectives
Inevitability in presidential elections of over-promising and under-reading of the Constitution
Candidates may mean well in vowing to act on big social issues, but the reality of being president is different
Entrenched views remain barrier to a proper discussion about Irish unity
Much has changed since partition ‘marooned’ Northern nationalists, but much has stayed the same
Daniel O’Connell: A ‘coward’ with a complicated legacy
Early 20th century republicans revered his contemporary critics but their grandparents lived through the era of O’Connell as ‘the Liberator’ and champion of Catholic emancipation