The lilting Cork accent in my local Lidl reveals a truth about automated voices
Plus, filling in the blanks and the real meaning of life
Devil in the detail: Frank McNally on the diabolical reputation of St Dunstan
The 10th century holy man’s demonic pact is blamed for the occasional frost around his feast day
Here are 20 things I have learned in 20 years of writing An Irish Diary
Deadline fears, the law of typos and becoming a master diarist are just some
Ballinode to Joy: Frank McNally on quiet roads, noisy weather and the perils of Monaghan football
A fellow county man has taken on the challenge of getting people out on their bikes in Monaghan - although not, alas, on Inniskeen Road
All Well and Good – Frank McNally on the holy (and unholy) waters of Kilmainham
Nearby and unseen, the holy well gurgles on
Suspended sentence – Frank McNally on English revisionism and 1916 executions
If any Methuen editors are reading, there are two problems with your footnote
Strained relations – Frank McNally on the usefulness of Irish for keeping track of your cousins
Did the Irish system of accounting for family arise from Brehon Law?
Unchained melody: Nocturnal declamping is part of the soundtrack to city life
Eavesdropping can bring you into a world of fascinating speakers and conversations
Clouds in cuckoo land: Frank McNally on the meteorological ‘scaraveens’ of May
Caught unawares by the sudden cold spells that happen this time of year? Blame the cuckoos
All about the Bass – Frank McNally on a Joycean angle to a million-pound question
No small beer for winner of TV quizshow’s jackpot
Any portent in a storm: Frank McNally on dogfights, doomsday and a tale of two Dundalks
Robert Ross, royal diplomacy and linguistic battles over whiskey
Road to perdition: Frank McNally on the strange, tragic fate of a Kerry historian in 1920s America
A new documentary tells the story of Patrick Foley, who left Dingle in 1909 and died violently in mysterious circumstances
Walpurgis Night: Frank McNally on the superstition of April 30th
The sinister reputation of the date has origins in folklore of northern Europe
Cultural exchange: Frank McNally on the mutual benefits of being an occasional tour guide
I suggested my guests look up Raglan Road on a well-known Swedish institution
The mood in Brussels is poised between worried and smug
Mood in Brussels, as detected during two days of press briefings at least, was poised between worried and smug