Weekend
Stories that appear in the Weekend section of The Irish Times print edition
The Screamers: the controversial cult that operated out of Donegal for nearly two decades
While researching my new novel, I became fascinated with the people who chose to join a group whose belief system and way of life were at odds with so much of Irish society’s standards
Sometimes a liar needs more trust, not more humiliation
The adults in my life had cause to doubt my word, because I did a lot of imagining and I wasn’t always sure what I’d made up
Anne Gildea: ‘I’m afraid of losing my vision completely. It’s created an edginess in my life’
The comedian on being too agreeable, moving from London to rural Sligo as a child, and why Sydney Sweeney would play her in a biopic
‘We are just about holding it together’: Overcrowding, mould and rats in Ireland’s social housing
Nearly a decade after a European monitoring body found the human rights of local authority tenants in the State were being violated by inadequate, unsafe housing, little has changed
Richard Nairn: How green are greenways?
The proposed Wicklow to Greystones Greenway route runs right along the edge of the ecologically sensitive coastal area known as the Murrough Wetlands
Where did this duck come from and why is it in Ireland?
Readers’ notes and queries for Éanna Ní Lamhna
Photo essay: Foaling season begins at the Irish National Stud and Gardens in Kildare
Irish Times photographer Dara Mac Dónaill meets Toffee the foal, Talk of Freedom and Phoenix of Spain at the stud’s reopening
‘They’re missing out on so much’: How screens and Covid are shaping childhood in Ireland
Basic skills such as playing, pretending and conversing have been affected by tech use and pandemic isolation
The world has put too many financial eggs in a country run by a basket case
Concentration of global risk in one country – the US – is a source of enormous jeopardy
What is happening to Irish rental laws?
Rental market reforms in Ireland will come into force from March
Anton Savage: ‘I was Tubridy’s stand-in. My father got appointed chairman of RTÉ, and that ended’
The Newstalk presenter on old wounds, new plans and stepping down from The Communications Clinic
A princess, her son and a royal scandal: Norway’s trial of the century begins next week
‘Little prince’ Marius Borg Høiby faces up to 10 years in jail on 38 charges including rape and violence
The helmets and hi-vis for cyclists are symptoms of the Irish problem, not the solution
You’ll see very few helmets on cyclists in the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium, certainly no laws mandating their use
When it comes to discarding used batteries, there’s a right way and a dangerous way
Batteries are considered hazardous and require special handling. The good news is they can be recycled for free
Human rights lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher on surviving a car accident and her ‘dear friend’ Amal Clooney
The international human rights barrister wants to establish a centre of excellence in Ireland for the many ‘talented, very brilliant’ young lawyers here
Challenger, 40 years on: the space shuttle disaster watched live by millions of children
Nasa’s avoidable tragedy exemplified 1980s overconfidence and haunted a generation, but the allure of space exploration endured
Podcaster Dylan Haskins: ‘I auditioned for a film with Brad Pitt as a child’
The multi-award-winning podcast commissioner with the BBC on never dwelling in anger, the death of his father in 2006, and his ‘condensed’ Covid wedding
David McWilliams: In a trade war between the EU and the US, what happens to a city like Galway?
Donald Trump may have made a U-turn on Greenland, but the rupture between Europe and the US is permanent
Taiwan is booming, but unease is creeping in amid Beijing threats and potential Trump abandonment
Despite Taipei’s bustling bars and a buoyant economy, thoughts of invasion are never far due to relentless Chinese military pressure and ‘cognitive warfare’
Strangulation porn: How it became mainstream and its distorting impact on Irish teenagers
Frontline domestic violence services, gardaí and Government officials fear a girl in Ireland could die at the hands of a boy who does not fully understand what he is doing to her
What’s the beef with the latest twist in the EU-Mercosur trade deal?
MEPs this week voted to refer the agreement to the European Court of Justice for a legal review
The Dublin half hectare that became a self-sustaining sanctuary for nature
Bequeathed to the nation, the Grove in Donnybrook has been a haven for plants and wildlife. The intention was to keep it that way
Is this big fella a common raven? He was very light on his feet
Eye on Nature: Eanna Ní Lamhna on roving ravens, sunbathing butterflies and spotted dogfish
Storm Éowyn one year on: ‘It took away the last few things my son enjoyed ... his world really narrowed’
People who were affected by the storm are already dreading the next big weather event
I’m not saying it’s wrong to wear a weighted vest while running, but...
When the technology of 19th-century prisons is sold to us as healthful, it’s worth asking some questions
What to do with unwanted gifts - including the ones you haven’t bought yet
Before you buy, think of the resources, energy and pollution that go into making and transporting those reindeer head slippers
Pete Briquette: ‘My DNA test said I’m 99% from a particular part of Ireland’
The bass player of The Boomtown Rats on the band’s creative process in Ibiza, his annoyance at political leaders, and his biggest personal regret
Photo essay: A long road to priesthood – the journey of a Capuchin brother
The ordination in Dublin of Br Anthony Kurian was a milestone for the Kerala native, his family and the Capuchin Franciscan Order in Ireland
The rise and fall of Twitter: From a hub for democratic discourse to a bigoted, toxic sinkhole
Elon Musk’s site has evolved from one that influenced culture and helped foment revolution to one where users ‘get nothing back except rage’
‘There was blood everywhere’: Senator Pauline Tully on being brutally attacked by her husband in 2014
The Sinn Féin politician was lucky to survive a frenzied stabbing attack by her estranged husband, former IRA man Pearse McAuley, as their two sons hid upstairs, on Christmas Eve 2014
Ryan Tubridy: ‘I’m a different person now to who I was a couple of years ago. I’ve evolved’
The former Late Late Show host on his exit from London, his need for therapy after his RTÉ downfall and how his now wife shone during his darkest moment
Have you any idea what this colourful fly is?
Eye on Nature: Eanna Ní Lamhna responds to your wildlife queries
‘With Irish people I feel understood, a connection’: In Greenland, talk of US takeover is deeply triggering
Resentment of Denmark runs deep, drawing on dark revelations from colonial days
Who do you trust more with your money: Jerome Powell or Donald Trump?
Although it might seem arcane, issuing criminal proceedings against the head of the Federal Reserve is a huge move of global significance
Trump’s shop of treasures: From a bling Trump clutch to a Maga dog bowtie, the choices are endless
From pyjama sets for women to kitchenware and deck chairs, you could furnish an entire house and clothe your family on Trump Store
The Silver River has been badly devalued but it could thrive again
A stretch of the Slieve Bloom river fails even minimal legal standards but other magnificent parts offer a glimpse of what could be
How the rise of Ozempic is reversing the progress on body positivity
Perceptions around weight and beauty have been transformed, with society’s poorest the big losers
What is all this talk of an Irish Maga?
There was a lot of admiration for Trump at a recent conference hosted by ex-financial adviser, Eddie Hobbs
Famine board game creator: ‘I do not expect a single Irish person to buy this game’
Architect and part-time game designer behind The Great Hunger hopes game will educate more Americans on the famine
Was it for this? Conor Pope gets ‘whisked’ in a sauna at Bolands Mills
Here, where De Valera made a stand for Ireland, our writer surrenders to the sweaty fad sweeping the country
Midlife has come with a liberating loss of self-consciousness
Is it possible to care a little less about what other people think without a lessening of attention to how other people feel?
Five small ways you can help the planet in 2026
From reducing your laundry to taking slightly shorter showers, you have the power to make a difference
Irish students in Germany explain Killorglin’s Puck Fair to dropped jaws
Ireland’s schools utilising EU funds to send students to Germany are pushing at an open door
Inside the Caracas military base: ‘The windows rattled, the power went. I just thought: Explosions. War. We’re being invaded’
Venezuelans living near the epicentre of US forces’ assault on the biggest military base in Caracas tell of their ‘terrifying’ experience
When Dry January becomes permanent: ‘Even though I was fit and energetic the weekends were gone’
Weight loss, better skin, some questions – three people share experiences of dry January and beyond
From the French Foreign Legion to learning to walk again: ‘I lived one life until I was 26, then life changed’
Galway man Liam Cullinane’s life had been one of adventure and physical activity, but one day all that came to an abrupt and horrifying halt
Film critic Mark Kermode: ‘I don’t really do anger any more, and I’m very glad not to’
Broadcaster, podcaster and musician on his middle name, Irish pubs and craving the innocence of not knowing anything about Donald Trump
‘I spotted this owl near my home in Co Kilkenny. What type of owl is it?’
Readers’ notes and queries for Éanna Ní Lamhna
‘The raging shadow side of humanity’: Gothic fiction is a way of mapping the imagination
An interest in this kind of literature is a passing thing for most people, but throughout my life I have returned to the world of the in-between
We are witnessing a change that may be as dramatic as the end of the Cold War
Donald Trump is rupturing the world order and replacing it with something else but what that may be, we do not yet know
In pictures: Aftermath of US strikes in Venezuela
Venezuela reels after US missile strikes leave homes wrecked, power outages and lives in flux
Denis Staunton: What next after a Trump strike that shook the world?
As Europe plays balancing act on Greenland and Ukraine, US president continues to cause panic and doubt
Boy (7) strikes it lucky by finding one of the world’s rarest minerals near his home in Cork
Within seconds of handing it over to an expert, it was clear quartz discovery was very special
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











































