Churches are half-empty. So why does the Catholic Church still control so many of our primary schools?
Catholic Church’s influence on Irish life is waning, yet only Israel spends more time on religious education at primary level
A selection of the best human interest reporting, interviews, opinion and lifestyle features.
Catholic Church’s influence on Irish life is waning, yet only Israel spends more time on religious education at primary level
Ireland is a country with first-world income but third-world infrastructure. We have the opportunity to rectify this. Our problem is not a lack of cash, it’s a lack of courage
Plans to restrict the sale and advertising of vaping products and ban single-use vapes are in train but challenges lie ahead
Eighteen things we have learned or should not forget about governance failures, foot-dragging and bungling at the national theatre
Intermezzo author reflects on Joyce, how Christianity has shaped her thinking, and her dislike of the limelight
Victor Mee sale offers much of interest to collectors of branded mirrors, jugs and rare enamel signs
Earl Jones was proud of his Irish, African-American and Native American heritage, but childhood trauma left him with a stammer
Sally and James North suggest the Druidic tradition and Brehon Law enshrined magic in Gaelic culture and injected public affairs with mysticism
The differences between ‘farmed’, ‘organically farmed’ and ‘wild’ salmon may be unclear to shoppers while imports from Scotland, Norway and the Faroe Islands can be labelled as Irish
Seats are already very limited, but if you’re going or thinking of it, here’s a survival guide
The €13bn lying in an escrow fund could help give those hit by the homelessness crisis a way back into society
A rake of pints. Sure look, you know yourself. Yer man. The unique joy of Hiberno-English should be celebrated, never taken for granted
Chic, refined and definitely posh – this quietly luxurious brand is poised to shake up make-up bags across the country
Mary Osakwe moved seven times in six years before finding her current scheme and has now changed her focus to building community
Borrowers on variable rates and those coming off fixed rates or looking for a new mortgage may have to wait for any benefit
Junior minister suggests ‘Dublin (Shannon)’ could be sold as a travel destination but do overseas comparisons stack up?
The Government is to discuss expanding it while Sinn Féin pledges to phase it out
As more people question their smartphone use, some are consciously turning their backs on the virtual world in favour of real life
Tell Me About It: ‘What more I can do before I end up a widow, or a carer for a seriously disabled man, before my time?’
The self-employed can operate either as sole traders or a limited company and there are advantages to both
What people like Macpherson – who claims that she cured cancer ‘holistically’ – forget is that arsenic, cyanide, and uranium are ‘natural’ too
There are about 300 St Stephen’s Greens’ worth of private garden space in Dublin city. Garden offices are allowed, but garden homes are not. This is a missed opportunity
We called the predatory paedophile in my school Little Plum. We all learned early the required habits of toxic silence
Man once sent woman 50 text messages in five hours, Dublin District Family Court hears
Parents share their daily financial struggles, after ESRI estimates reveal nearly 230,000 children lack basic food and clothing
Six senators to be elected in future by all graduates of higher education institutions - but not until 2030
Restrictions on flavours appealing to children planned, but work remains to be done on implementation
New to the Parish: Morgan Savidan moved to Dublin from Paris in 2021
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but certain dietary patterns are more associated with longer lives than others
A new book casts light on how MI5 and British governments were determined to keep their intelligence-led plans under wraps at any cost
Swedish public health authorities aim to promote healthy development but some experts wonder whether parts of the guidance are unrealistic
Ask the Expert: Is there a way of stopping him doing this without being critical?
Unthinkable: The ‘evil twin’ of the placebo effect could shed light on why people say consuming the news makes them feel worse
Everything you need to know about budgeting and being clever with cash for the next stage of your life — the third-level years
Proposal costed at €40m would mean more applicants able to claim highest payment of €30,000
A narrow approach to measuring students’ aptitudes may contribute to high dropout rates
It has become quite common for people around my age, in their mid to late 20s and early 30s, to cultivate these impossibly bulging calendars. It’s not for me
Patricia Craig admires this assured scrutiny of literature for younger people
Kilkenny cyclist finishes ahead of Noor Dekker and 2023 winner Manon de Boer
Violent and emotional abuse are part of the rich tapestry of wrongs done to children by the State and its agents
Call it ‘emotional labour’, the ‘economy of feelings’ or the ‘mental load’, women are expected to be especially good at it
Soon, when the tax boom bottoms out, there could be an epic battle over who pays the bills
The author of the memoir Notes to Self writes a personal essay about her experience of perimenopause
The presenter and self-described ‘oddball loner’ is bursting with energy despite his ‘more serious than normal’ prostate cancer
Ask Roe: There are certain incompatibilities in our ideals – he wants kids, I want to adopt
Our latest round-up includes novels involving US dystopia, post-liberation Paris, Nazi Germany, serial murderers and folk horror
No one glared disapprovingly. Any looks we got were kindly, but perhaps tinged with: you didn’t know?
Enthusiasm - another word in US politics for ‘donations’ - is not something readily associated with Irish elections, but if we can take a lesson from US politics, it’s that a single, unifying vision can motivate voters
The Gallagher brothers embraced the logic of capitalism so wholeheartedly that they have made its flaws luridly, even dangerously visible
Former OPW manager, who examined excessive spending, believes a type of commercial semi-State body could better manage properties
It’s an interesting challenge to start something without the aim of mastering it
The Protestant men-only club survived the War of Independence and the Civil War to become a popular venue in the 1980s. Now, its building on Camden Row is to be sold
Outside basic welfare payments, there are two schemes specifically focused on easing the financial burden on parents of young children
Deciding to live in a highly desirable location is always going to have its downfalls but hoarding parking spaces with traffic cones is not on
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices