When Pat Ingoldsby met Vivienne – a Dublin love story
She picked up one of his books and was surprised at how easy it was to read before putting it back down
An Irish Diary
An Irish Diary
Getting our oar in: Frank McNally on the perils of linguistic imperialism
Their eccentricity might be charming if it wasn’t for the assumption that everyone else speaks that way
Shakespeare’s dialect is alive and well in south Derry
We have good raisin to curse the divil in my native area
Ernie O’Malley’s century-old memoirs now read like a nature writer at war
In his memoirs, the former IRA organiser wrote in unique detail about the Irish landscape as he travelled the country
Haunted by Hamlet: The sad story of Ireland’s greatest Shakespearean scholar
When Belfast-born William John Lawrence died in penurious English exile at the start of the second World War, his manuscript on the origins of Hamlet was lost too
Why experts believe Shakespeare may have had an ‘Oirish’ accent
Linguistic detectives believe Shakespeare would have said ‘divil’ instead of ‘devil’ and would have drunk a cup of ‘tay’
My AI chatbot tried to gaslight me into thinking Pope Francis is still alive
What started out as a fun photo-editing endeavour quickly turned very confusing
‘O, the drenching grey weather’: Irish rain in 40 wonderful phrases
From October to April, the walls of Limerick glistened with the damp
A history of Ireland, as told through the medium of... rain
It has rained in Ireland every day of 2026 so far. From Samuel Beckett to Flann O’Brien, the country’s literary heritage is awash with the stuff
From daring raids to a sudden absence, where have all of Dublin’s pesky seagulls gone?
‘I have long been slightly paranoid about seagulls and would not be surprised if they’re running night drills for an all-out attack on the civilian population’
How a game of giant marbles on ice became an Olympic sport
All curling stones at the Winter Olympics originate from a once rat-infested, Christmas pudding-shaped rock off Scotland’s west coast
Conservation funding for Belfast’s historic Assembly Rooms marks a turning point
Once a hub of civic life and culture, the building has lain derelict for over 25 years
Watching the Winter Olympics, it’s nice to wonder what might have been
Could I have been a ski jumper? A bob-sleigher? A speed skater?
‘Home Rule in athletics’: Ray Burke on the GAA’s ‘ban on foreign games’
The ban survived the Civil War and was rarely challenged at conventions, enabling the GAA to avoid splits
Books of revelation: Frank McNally on a surprise twist in the Drumcondra book skip saga
In sharing a photograph of the redbrick terrace, I unearthed a hitherto unknown family connection
Rough diamonds: Frank McNally on a geometric oddity unique to Ulster (and Pennsylvania)
While most towns have squares, for some reason they’re called diamonds in the North – whatever shape they are
Not on your life: Frank McNally on the Northern Ireland football star who said no to This Is Your Life
When Tottenham captain Danny Blanchflower was ambushed by Eamonn Andrews and his big red book in 1961, he turned and ran
Gone aground: Cian Flaherty on the centenary of a Waterford shipwreck
Guessing it was a ship in distress, he roused his family to get help and hurried into the storm
Street wise: Ray O’Donoghue takes an evening stroll around Dublin city
It is a thriving, booming city. We just need to join the dots
Weird fishes: Alison Healy on obscure competitions and the contestants they attract
Fancy your chances at fish flinging? The knack is to fold the fish first
Piste off: Denis McClean on the hazards of taking up skiing in later life
I picked up so much speed that it would have meant instant death if I simply fell over
Stage IRA Man – Frank McNally on the real and pretend 1916 Rising of actor Arthur Shields
He went to the Abbey Theatre to collect a rifle hidden under the stage and join the fighting
Taxing times: Frank McNally on what links Thomas Kinsella, TK Whitaker and Myles na gCopaleen
It all started in December 1965, when Revenue returned a cheque sent by the curmudgeonly Irish Times columnist
‘As Irish as the pigs of Drogheda’ – Frank McNally on rise and fall of street singer Mary Connolly
After the Easter Rising, her patriotic ballads struck a chord with the public
Pucking for peace: Frank McNally joins the Irish Friends of Canada on a trip to watch ice hockey in Belfast
There was no violence at the ice hockey on Sunday, I’m happy to report
Firm foundations: Colette Sheridan on a Cork architectural dynasty
Three generations of the same family made important contributions to the culture and commercial life of the city
Brought to book: Alison Healy on some unwise rejections of authors’ manuscripts by publishers
An American publisher dismissed them as unfunny, senseless and dull
Born-Again Brigit - Birthday boy Frank McNally on the rebranding of February 1st
Unlike St Patrick, there is no historical record of her life, so her identity can be endlessly refreshed or reimagined
Poolbeg Lighthouse – Frank McNally on the death of a much-loved Dublin barman
According to the pub’s official statement, Noel’s reign behind the counter was 49 years
Abbey Theatre riots: All theatrical hell broke loose at The Plough and the Stars 100 years ago
Critic Joseph Holloway witnessed the chaotic scenes, where actors broke character to forcibly remove audience members from the stage
Turbulent priest: Frank McNally on fascism, real and fictional, in 1930s America
Born in Canada of poor Irish emigrants, Fr Coughlin began broadcasting sermons to counter the anti-Catholicism then rife in the US
Rain, hail or shine? Áine Ryan on trying to predict the weather before the phone-app age
With the help of a hot whiskey or two, I somehow divined that one of the island’s fishing boats was making a run to Roonagh
Highland fling: Mae Leonard celebrates Robert Burns birthday in Scotland
The poet’s legacy lives on in poetry and music
The spat between Elon Musk and Michael O’Leary was more than just a spat
Despite being widely considered a bit of a loudmouth in Ireland, the Ryanair boss has been practising self-deprecation for decades
Who fears to speak of ’76? Frank McNally on US Independence, the Catalpa rescue, and the Battle of Little Bighorn
British army deserter McNally joined the Fenians, which earned him a sentence of penal servitude for life in Australia
The other Lemass shooting: Frank McNally on a dark moment in the life of a future taoiseach
His sister Ciara heard a bang, then saw the child fall, with a fatal wound to the head
Life Imitating Art: Frank McNally on the Art O’Neill challenge, recreating an actual 1592 jailbreak
Confusingly for some of us, the pursuers had set off earlier on Friday night, before the escapees
In floods: Colette Sheridan braves the storm for Hamnet
The portents were not good: grey clouds and enveloping darknessnd enveloping darkness
Work out: Alison Healy’s advice to those thinking of changing jobs at this time of year
If you are considering pulling the emergency evacuation lever on your own career, timing is crucial
Terminal Condition – the unfortunate origins of Dublin’s Townsend Street
We are where we are, as the politicians say
Did ‘divine intervention’ on Merrion Street lead to a cure for leprosy?
As with many great discoveries, there was an element of chance involved for Cork-born scientist Vincent Barry
Fool’s paradise: Frank McNally on a cliche beloved of obituarists
Not a day passes when a writer does not note that the deceased ‘didn’t suffer fools gladly’
A Tale of Two Hospitals – Frank McNally on the architectural dramas of Kilmainham
Royal Hospital there was built as home for old and wounded soldiers at time of relative peace
The small patch of Dublin where the Jameses – Joyce and Connolly – passed each other by
Both men had considerably different views on life, but their worlds intersected through writing
Golden years: Colm Keena on why Dublin was the best place to be growing up in the 1970s
What surprised me was how much I liked the guns - and I also learned how to throw grenades
The pledge: Denis McClean on the pitfalls along the way to giving up the demon drink
Trust your instincts and know that one must always be on guard against the begrudgers
Rewrites and Wrongs: Frank McNally on reinterpreting Thin Lizzy for a new generation
I may have been lulled into a false sense of senility by the opening verse
Sinners’ redemption: Frank McNally on vampires, Irish music and the Ku Klux Klan
Ryan Coogler’s film Sinners features trad music and vampirism, and has macabre echoes of a real-life event 100 years ago
Good (and Bad) Vibrations – Frank McNally on Vibe for Philo, immersive James Joyce and 4DX Avatar
Some Lizzy veterans must have worried they’d slipped into the next world
Stepping out: How the wondrous benefits of walking have been brought to book
Stephen Graham’s maxim was: ‘The less you carry, the more you will see’
Blood simple: Alison Healy on the vital importance of a selfless, life-saving act
Irish people should be world leaders at offering our blood to strangers but, unfortunately, we are not
Hibernian Rhapsody: Frank McNally on the rise of a great football anthem, Sunshine on Leith
You might question the wisdom of the ballad’s central metaphor as a guarantor of success in relationships or football
Just the ticket: Why tangible mementoes will always have a place in a digital world
The barcodes on the tickets seemed intact, though there was always a chance they wouldn’t scan properly on the day
Tony Soprano was right, the best is over: An Irish Diary on the decline of regional papers
Connacht Tribune had worldwide scoop when aviators Alcock and Brown landed outside Clifden in 1919
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices