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The human brain cannot easily cope with very high levels of power. Why?

The human brain cannot easily cope with very high levels of power. Why?

It’s doubtul the Fifa president feels himself constrained by anything bigger than his ego

Progress that appears solid can be all too easily undone

Progress that appears solid can be all too easily undone

If parading regulation unravels, Drumcree would not be the only reawakened flashpoint

Dolly Parton’s death proves shared cultural reference points act as a social adhesive

Dolly Parton’s death proves shared cultural reference points act as a social adhesive

Millennials, Gen Z and Boomers are united in their valorisation of the most popular woman in the world

Photographing the first day of school will freeze the moment but not the memory

Photographing the first day of school will freeze the moment but not the memory

Remembering is an active process. Each time we revisit an event, we reconstruct it

We’re not the best or worst, but we could be great if we were as brave as our emigrants

We’re not the best or worst, but we could be great if we were as brave as our emigrants

Nothing like Dublin in the drizzle to ignite dreams of moving Down Under or somewhere closer

Ireland is hopelessly undefended

Ireland is hopelessly undefended

We need to radically review roles for the Defence Forces

Will Ireland continue to take TikTok’s money after M9 crash? Too bloody true we will

Will Ireland continue to take TikTok’s money after M9 crash? Too bloody true we will

We are living off the immoral earnings generated by deliberately addictive and toxic content aimed at children

What will you say when a child asks: ‘Why are we driving a vehicle that is killing our planet?’

What will you say when a child asks: ‘Why are we driving a vehicle that is killing our planet?’

The car industry is still promoting all sorts of ‘eco’ labels, hybrid models and plug-ins which are nowhere near as good as electric vehicles

It seems we will tolerate any wrong so long as it is small

It seems we will tolerate any wrong so long as it is small

‘Sure look, it’s not that bad’ can be seen as a national strategy of its own, regardless of political or financial agenda

With Meta’s ‘pervert glasses’, we really are going through the digital looking glass

With Meta’s ‘pervert glasses’, we really are going through the digital looking glass

Like a phone held aloft filming, the device places a layer between the wearer and the real world

August is the strangest month, the ‘Sunday of the year’

August is the strangest month, the ‘Sunday of the year’

Sometimes I want August to be over. It begins to feel like a waiting time, too much anticipation and not enough result

The discourse around super-thin is fraught: Could we replace it?

The discourse around super-thin is fraught: Could we replace it?

On SkinnyTok, a TikTok subsection devoted to ‘thinspiration’, people claim extreme caloric restriction is the new mindfulness

Opinion: As Trump poll ratings slide divisions threaten to fracture Republican Party

Opinion: As Trump poll ratings slide divisions threaten to fracture Republican Party

World View: The party has always been a fractious coalition, but more recently a split has emerged between the libertarians and a putative ‘national conservative’ tendency

We can and should do better for Gaza students seeking to study in Ireland

We can and should do better for Gaza students seeking to study in Ireland

What is needed is a funded partnership model between the Government and the institutions backed by fee waivers and donor support

Madonna should invite Micheál Martin over for dinner – they have a lot in common

Madonna should invite Micheál Martin over for dinner – they have a lot in common

After all, both performers continue to flourish despite being in the twilight of gilded careers

College entry system is rigged in favour of comfortable classes

College entry system is rigged in favour of comfortable classes

Our system of admissions to higher education is designed to sort students into colleges and courses starkly divided by class

Are we a nation of flaming hypocrites?

Are we a nation of flaming hypocrites?

Answer not straightforward: Sociologists categorise religious faith as having three aspects – belief, behaviour and belonging

How do we explain joy that went beyond traditional supporters when Mayo won All-Ireland?

How do we explain joy that went beyond traditional supporters when Mayo won All-Ireland?

Rite and Reason: The reaction when the county’s footballers finally won the Sam Maguire was unpredictable

There are lies, damned lies and AI: why I despise ‘artificial intelligence’

There are lies, damned lies and AI: why I despise ‘artificial intelligence’

Quackery, fakery and deceit are all too obvious in this modern frontier of machine-learning

M9 crash: Why does extreme risk-taking appeal to some young people and what can we do about it?

M9 crash: Why does extreme risk-taking appeal to some young people and what can we do about it?

Psychology helps us understand why rewards of excitement, recognition or social status can temporarily outweigh appreciation of consequences

Huguenots’ legacy written across fabric of Ireland, including Waterford’s famous ‘blaas’

Huguenots’ legacy written across fabric of Ireland, including Waterford’s famous ‘blaas’

August 24th marks anniversary of massacre of Huguenots in France

Ireland may not have mutant Blitz attitude to climate crisis but we have our own potent version

Ireland may not have mutant Blitz attitude to climate crisis but we have our own potent version

Any kind of climate scepticism has shrivelled in the dry heat of another scorching summer

Martyn Turner

Martyn Turner

Saturday, August 22nd, 2026

I’m now a lecturer at the college that didn’t offer me a place when I did my Leaving Cert

I’m now a lecturer at the college that didn’t offer me a place when I did my Leaving Cert

Being rejected from NCAD at 17 felt devastating, but more than two decades later Rachel knows one letter did not determine her future

M9 crash exposes limits of rules on social media giants when it comes to online harms

M9 crash exposes limits of rules on social media giants when it comes to online harms

Deaths of five teenagers linked to popularity of high risk-taking for ‘likes’ and affirmation

Few embrace athletics to get rich, but we are indebted to them for their achievements

Few embrace athletics to get rich, but we are indebted to them for their achievements

Memoirs of notable athletes contain triumph, but most are punctuated with much punishment

Stephen Collins: Water rationing is probably inevitable unless people are made to pay for it

Stephen Collins: Water rationing is probably inevitable unless people are made to pay for it

The existing system of unlimited free public water for all households is unsustainable in the long term and unfair

We reached ‘peak-woke’ in 2020-2023. Today that looks ridiculous

We reached ‘peak-woke’ in 2020-2023. Today that looks ridiculous

Participants subtly try to distance themselves from their 2020-2023 behaviour in shaping groupthink mindset

Sláintecare is meant to move us towards universal healthcare, so why has this not happened?

Sláintecare is meant to move us towards universal healthcare, so why has this not happened?

Private health insurance firms are entrenched behind slick advertising, reminding people they will be safeguarded as long as they can pay

A strict approach to citizenship would be a policy of inclusion

A strict approach to citizenship would be a policy of inclusion

Citizenship is mocked by near-identical forms of non-citizenship for non-citizens

What a shameful, disreputable clown Donald Trump is

What a shameful, disreputable clown Donald Trump is

The idiot king has stabbed his South Korean ally in the back because a nuclearised North Korea is showing him respect

Ireland’s approach to religious-run schools breaches many families’ constitutional rights

Ireland’s approach to religious-run schools breaches many families’ constitutional rights

If we are serious about every child feeling a sense of belonging in school this needs investment and political leadership

M9 crash: Grown-ups had a role to play in dangerous actions by children

M9 crash: Grown-ups had a role to play in dangerous actions by children

No parables of good versus evil, or yelps of outrage are going to change those broken lives

Bad political leadership is blocking Ireland’s path to energy efficiency

Bad political leadership is blocking Ireland’s path to energy efficiency

Plans and strategies will pave the way to climate hell, unless they are actually implemented

Irish Government remains silent on a shameful game - and it’s not against Israel

Irish Government remains silent on a shameful game - and it’s not against Israel

Unlike the soccer team’s bad luck in being drawn against Israel, Cricket Ireland did this – excuse the pun – entirely off its own bat

Help to Buy scheme is a money pit that benefits higher earners

Help to Buy scheme is a money pit that benefits higher earners

The Coalition could invest wisely in building more social housing directly, as just 16% of this valuable stock was built by councils last year

The Phoenix Park has an identity problem. But there is an easy fix

The Phoenix Park has an identity problem. But there is an easy fix

It is a park that neither accentuates Dublin city nor switches it off; it is merely a way to commute through the middle

Ireland needs an agriculture policy. Instead it has an agri-food industry

Ireland needs an agriculture policy. Instead it has an agri-food industry

Denmark no longer has an agriculture minister – Ireland should follow suit

Big brother can be protective. As a driver and cyclist, I like cameras

Big brother can be protective. As a driver and cyclist, I like cameras

I’m not in favour of state surveillance, but more cameras on our roads would save lives

Why you should quit the coding job and retrain as a philosopher for hire

Why you should quit the coding job and retrain as a philosopher for hire

US philosophy graduates are more likely to have jobs than their computer science peers

Twenty years on, Amanda Knox is still in trouble for laughing

Twenty years on, Amanda Knox is still in trouble for laughing

Knox was wrongly convicted of the murder of Meredith Kercher before being acquitted in 2011, yet she seems to be the only person not entitled to have a view on it

Patrick Honohan: Why Anglo bankers were never sanctioned like those at INBS

Patrick Honohan: Why Anglo bankers were never sanctioned like those at INBS

Just two banks, INBS and the much larger Anglo Irish, account for all of the net cost to the Government of €37 billion

The Danube ran dry, and revealed an overblown metaphor

The Danube ran dry, and revealed an overblown metaphor

Its water levels have sunk so low that dozens of wrecked Nazi warships have been exposed. It’s hard not to see this as an extreme metaphor

Europe can’t have it both ways on migration

Europe can’t have it both ways on migration

Europe cannot ethically base its economy on the availability of cheap migrant labour while demonising those who seek better lives

Christian Brothers are an easy target but I am slow to stand in judgment

Christian Brothers are an easy target but I am slow to stand in judgment

Rite & Reason: I think of what it must be like for the small number of men who are still in the Order now to have all this ignominy poured on them

A brief history of the PDs, Ireland’s most influential small party ever

A brief history of the PDs, Ireland’s most influential small party ever

For 14 of their 23 years of existence, the PDs were in government. Whatever you think of their ideology, they came with an agenda and they changed Ireland

Lara Marlowe: Putin’s pact with the Russian people is fraying and his paranoia is deepening

Lara Marlowe: Putin’s pact with the Russian people is fraying and his paranoia is deepening

A former news editor from Russian state television claims journalists prepare a special news broadcast for Putin nightly, shorn of anything which might anger or upset him

To see the woman convicted of my sister’s murder pictured with President Connolly broke me

To see the woman convicted of my sister’s murder pictured with President Connolly broke me

The fetishisation of the Troubles by Kneecap is part of the same normalisation

To manage migration, Europe should help African countries improve their citizens’ lives

To manage migration, Europe should help African countries improve their citizens’ lives

Worldview: Ceuta exemplifies how political surprises cut through the best diplomatic preparation

Martyn Turner

Martyn Turner

August 15th, 2026

Opinion

EditorialsAn Irish DiaryLettersCartoon

Promo Image

Newton Emerson

Progress that appears solid can be all too easily undone

Newton Emerson
The human brain cannot easily cope with very high levels of power. Why?

The human brain cannot easily cope with very high levels of power. Why?

By Ian Robertson
Photographing the first day of school will freeze the moment but not the memory

Photographing the first day of school will freeze the moment but not the memory

By Ciara Greene and Gillian Murphy
What will you say when a child asks: ‘Why are we driving a vehicle that is killing our planet?’

What will you say when a child asks: ‘Why are we driving a vehicle that is killing our planet?’

By Eamon Ryan

Promo Image

Finn McRedmond

Dolly Parton’s death proves shared cultural reference points act as a social adhesive

Finn McRedmond
Promo Image

Kathy Sheridan

We’re not the best or worst, but we could be great if we were as brave as our emigrants

Kathy Sheridan
Promo Image

Michael McDowell

Ireland is hopelessly undefended

Michael McDowell
Promo Image

Fintan O’Toole

Will Ireland continue to take TikTok’s money after M9 crash? Too bloody true we will

Fintan O’Toole
Promo Image

Una Mullally

With Meta’s ‘pervert glasses’, we really are going through the digital looking glass

Una Mullally
Promo Image

Pat Leahy

Madonna should invite Micheál Martin over for dinner – they have a lot in common

Pat Leahy
Promo Image

Breda O'Brien

Are we a nation of flaming hypocrites?

Breda O'Brien
Promo Image

David McWilliams

Huguenots’ legacy written across fabric of Ireland, including Waterford’s famous ‘blaas’

David McWilliams
Promo Image

Diarmaid Ferriter

Few embrace athletics to get rich, but we are indebted to them for their achievements

Diarmaid Ferriter
Promo Image

Stephen Collins

Water rationing is probably inevitable unless people are made to pay for it

Stephen Collins
Promo Image

Finn McRedmond

We reached ‘peak-woke’ in 2020-2023. Today that looks ridiculous

Finn McRedmond
Promo Image

Newton Emerson

A strict approach to citizenship would be a policy of inclusion

Newton Emerson

LETTERS

Single adults and over-45s are among those overlooked in the housing crisis

Opposing views on Palestinian student visas

Absolutely, maybe

Recent tragedy is devastating reminder of need for legislative action on wrong-way driving

Ireland’s changing demographics point to social and political instability

Stairway to Heaven – Frank McNally on how our favourite painting became a TikTok sensation
An Irish Diary

Stairway to Heaven – Frank McNally on how our favourite painting became a TikTok sensation

EDITORIALS

A timely warning on AI from Bill Gates

Dolly Parton: no better American life

Lessons must be learned from the Skyclarys saga

US economic sanctions on trade with Iran are a blunt weapon


Cartoon

Martyn Turner

Martyn Turner

Saturday, August 22nd, 2026


It seems we will tolerate any wrong so long as it is small

It seems we will tolerate any wrong so long as it is small

By Sinéad O’Sullivan

The discourse around super-thin is fraught: Could we replace it?

The discourse around super-thin is fraught: Could we replace it?

By Clare Moriarty

As Trump poll ratings slide divisions threaten to fracture Republican Party

As Trump poll ratings slide divisions threaten to fracture Republican Party

By Jack Sheehan

We can and should do better for Gaza students seeking to study in Ireland

We can and should do better for Gaza students seeking to study in Ireland

By Emma Stokes

College entry system is rigged in favour of comfortable classes

College entry system is rigged in favour of comfortable classes

By Barra Roantree

How do we explain joy that went beyond traditional supporters when Mayo won All-Ireland?

How do we explain joy that went beyond traditional supporters when Mayo won All-Ireland?

By Fr Brendan Hoban

There are lies, damned lies and AI: why I despise ‘artificial intelligence’

There are lies, damned lies and AI: why I despise ‘artificial intelligence’

By Richard Pine

M9 crash: Why does extreme risk-taking appeal to some young people and what can we do about it?

M9 crash: Why does extreme risk-taking appeal to some young people and what can we do about it?

By Dean McDonnell

Ireland may not have mutant Blitz attitude to climate crisis but we have our own potent version

Ireland may not have mutant Blitz attitude to climate crisis but we have our own potent version

By Mark O’Connell

I’m now a lecturer at the college that didn’t offer me a place when I did my Leaving Cert

I’m now a lecturer at the college that didn’t offer me a place when I did my Leaving Cert

By Rachel O'Dwyer

M9 crash exposes limits of rules on social media giants when it comes to online harms

M9 crash exposes limits of rules on social media giants when it comes to online harms

By Liz Carolan

Sláintecare is meant to move us towards universal healthcare, so why has this not happened?

Sláintecare is meant to move us towards universal healthcare, so why has this not happened?

By Myles Balfe

Ireland’s approach to religious-run schools breaches many families’ constitutional rights

Ireland’s approach to religious-run schools breaches many families’ constitutional rights

By Emer Nowlan

Bad political leadership is blocking Ireland’s path to energy efficiency

Bad political leadership is blocking Ireland’s path to energy efficiency

By Sadhbh O'Neill

Help to Buy scheme is a money pit that benefits higher earners

Help to Buy scheme is a money pit that benefits higher earners

By Lorcan Sirr

The Phoenix Park has an identity problem. But there is an easy fix

The Phoenix Park has an identity problem. But there is an easy fix

By Sinéad O'Sullivan

Ireland needs an agriculture policy. Instead it has an agri-food industry

Ireland needs an agriculture policy. Instead it has an agri-food industry

By John Gibbons

Twenty years on, Amanda Knox is still in trouble for laughing

Twenty years on, Amanda Knox is still in trouble for laughing

By Rachel O’Dwyer

Patrick Honohan: Why Anglo bankers were never sanctioned like those at INBS

Patrick Honohan: Why Anglo bankers were never sanctioned like those at INBS

By Patrick Honohan

The Danube ran dry, and revealed an overblown metaphor

The Danube ran dry, and revealed an overblown metaphor

By Mark O’Connell

Christian Brothers are an easy target but I am slow to stand in judgment

Christian Brothers are an easy target but I am slow to stand in judgment

By Fr Tony Flannery

Putin’s pact with the Russian people is fraying and his paranoia is deepening

Putin’s pact with the Russian people is fraying and his paranoia is deepening

By Lara Marlowe

To see the woman convicted of my sister’s murder pictured with President Connolly broke me

To see the woman convicted of my sister’s murder pictured with President Connolly broke me

By Ann Travers

To manage migration, Europe should help African countries improve their citizens’ lives

To manage migration, Europe should help African countries improve their citizens’ lives

By Paul Gillespie

Why are AI firms bulk buying and pulping books? Because it’s cheaper than paying writers

Why are AI firms bulk buying and pulping books? Because it’s cheaper than paying writers

By Liz Carolan

To most, YouTube comments are a cesspit. To me, they’re a glorious accidental archive

To most, YouTube comments are a cesspit. To me, they’re a glorious accidental archive

By Jack Sheehan

Ireland’s tech workers are learning the hard way about the risks of our economic model

Ireland’s tech workers are learning the hard way about the risks of our economic model

By Eoin Hayes

Belfast’s fleadh found space for Britishness in a celebration of Irishness

Belfast’s fleadh found space for Britishness in a celebration of Irishness

By Matthew O'Toole

Europe needs to start treating the climate emergency as a threat to our national security

Europe needs to start treating the climate emergency as a threat to our national security

By Patrick Bresnihan

Encouraging public servants to take more risks is a terrible idea

Encouraging public servants to take more risks is a terrible idea

By Eddie Molloy

Maybe it’s better if we never know the full cost of hosting the Ryder Cup in Ireland

Maybe it’s better if we never know the full cost of hosting the Ryder Cup in Ireland

By Sinéad O'Sullivan

What would happen if Ireland followed Vienna by designing housing with women in mind?

What would happen if Ireland followed Vienna by designing housing with women in mind?

By Lorcan Sirr

‘Spermageddon’: The male fertility crisis we need to talk about

‘Spermageddon’: The male fertility crisis we need to talk about

By Margaret E. Ward

The Dunsink plan shows Ireland has a lesson to learn from the Soviets

The Dunsink plan shows Ireland has a lesson to learn from the Soviets

By Sinéad O'Sullivan

If Elon Musk is right and AI makes jobs extinct, what will we do with our free time?

If Elon Musk is right and AI makes jobs extinct, what will we do with our free time?

By Ian Robertson

Limerick’s experiment with a directly elected mayor may be last of its kind

Limerick’s experiment with a directly elected mayor may be last of its kind

By Cormac McQuinn

The number of Pioneer pins has fallen – but so too has alcohol consumption

The number of Pioneer pins has fallen – but so too has alcohol consumption

By Finola Kennedy

Netanyahu’s career may be coming to a close, but what follows will not be much better

Netanyahu’s career may be coming to a close, but what follows will not be much better

By Patrick Smyth

An 18m crater on the Moon is the smallest of our Elon Musk-shaped problems

An 18m crater on the Moon is the smallest of our Elon Musk-shaped problems

By Liz Carolan

When I briefly left home to go to a refuge, my housing assistance payment was stopped

When I briefly left home to go to a refuge, my housing assistance payment was stopped

By Sanaa Qaddi

Donald Trump is right for once. The EU is soft on slave labour

Donald Trump is right for once. The EU is soft on slave labour

By Alan Eustace

Ireland needs better hostels and more serviced camping sites

Ireland needs better hostels and more serviced camping sites

By Sadhbh O'Neill

Why is the US engaged in a ‘forever war’ with the International Criminal Court?

Why is the US engaged in a ‘forever war’ with the International Criminal Court?

By Raymond Murphy

Sardine Girl Summer: Now AI is deciding what we wear. Is that so bad?

Sardine Girl Summer: Now AI is deciding what we wear. Is that so bad?

By Rachel O'Dwyer

We are living longer. This is how workplaces need to adapt

We are living longer. This is how workplaces need to adapt

By Rose Anne Kenny

How can Ireland build a nuclear reactor when it can’t even manage a children’s hospital?

How can Ireland build a nuclear reactor when it can’t even manage a children’s hospital?

By Sinéad O'Sullivan

The scale of corruption in Trump’s second administration is head-spinning

The scale of corruption in Trump’s second administration is head-spinning

By Jack Sheehan

Risks from Ireland’s ‘fire triangle’ are being exacerbated by human actions

Risks from Ireland’s ‘fire triangle’ are being exacerbated by human actions

By Yvonne Buckley

Micheál Martin thinks voters reward delivery. Simon Harris is not convinced

Micheál Martin thinks voters reward delivery. Simon Harris is not convinced

By Jack Horgan-Jones

Pope Leo is right. There is no such thing as a ‘just war’

Pope Leo is right. There is no such thing as a ‘just war’

By Brendan Butler


Inside Politics

Inside Politics

Our politics team's behind-the-scenes take on events of the day. Sent Monday to Friday when the Dáil is in session

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