A history of Ireland, as told through the medium of... rain
He excused himself on account of the rain, but the excuse did not satisfy the saint
Flann O’Brien
Even the most pinch-mouthed Ulsterman is yearning for a rain-free moment
Rain does a lot for popular culture. You’ll see a fair bit of it in Wuthering Heights if you check it out
Ireland’s weather has been like our tax regime – a nice little arrangement. Until now
Delusion that climate change might take the edge off Ireland’s rubbish weather has finally been laid to rest
The Irish Times view on the price of a pint: not so plain
Guinness is a multinational product, a cultural artefact and a shorthand for everyday affordability
Art in 2026: 10 shows to watch out for, from Phil Collins to Hilma af Klint
Echoes of the past haunt the year ahead. Are there lessons to be learned?
Annemarie Ní Churreáin: ‘There’s a deep respect embedded in Gaeltacht culture for troublemakers’
Poet reflects on how here upbringing has shaped her works, including her latest collection Hymn to All the Restless Girls
New poetry: Jessica Traynor, Molly Twomey, Alan Gillis, Dean Browne
Martina Evans on New Arcana; Chic to be Sad; Over Here; Afterparty
For Irish women writers, James Joyce was never a shadow but a light
Many Irish women writers have engaged with Joyce - both challenging and building on his legacy in their fiction. In studying them, I was also studying myself
Skipping pages – Frank McNally on trawling through the discarded library of a lifetime
A full-blown bibliophile, the deceased was said to have had up to 100,000 volumes
Ballet Go Backwards – Frank McNally on Patrick Kavanagh’s short-lived career as a dance librettist
This strange incident came about because of another surprising phenomenon little remembered today
Bloomsday was a sporadic, boozy and ill-mannered affair before becoming an annual event in 1994
In 1954 Flann O’Brien, Patrick Kavanagh and Anthony Cronin embarked on a drunken pilgrimage including public urination on Sandymount Strand
This is a housing strategy written by Flann O’Brien
Renters such as students who have to move each year will get hammered by this provision, while other tenants are more likely to stay put
Throwing shapes: Frank McNally on the mysteries of the Hiberno-English ‘gimp’
Ever since hearing the term applied to myself a while back, I’ve been wondering what it means too
Burning Issues: Frank McNally on an unfortunate metaphor, and the continuing mysteries of the ‘Flannagram’
Copies of At Swim-Two-Birds fell victim to the German fire-bombing of a London warehouse in 1940
Farren Away - Frank McNally on how the dreaded phantom ‘Flann’ picture struck again
Recurring misidentification is in one way an apt tribute to O’Nolan, who spent his career pretending to be other people
Non Habemus Librum: Frank McNally on Flann O’Brien’s unwritten epic about the election of an Irish pope
Like many unwritten masterpieces, the book was born and died in a Dublin pub
All Flowers in Time Bend Towards the Sun review: 19 artists united by Flann O’Brien’s avant-garde multiplicity
Lee Welch and Paul Hallahan’s show exhibits dynamic interplay between impermanence and sensuality
Tom Garvin obituary: Political scientist, author and inspiring teacher
One of a group of academics, along with Brian Farrell, Maurice Manning, Richard Sinnott and Fr Feargal O’Connor, who cemented UCD’s reputation for fresh political thinking
Molecules, metaphors and the place of science in culture
One is contained within the other, but how does that manifest itself?
Between Plymouth Rock and a hard place – Frank McNally on a Sunday night in Boston
An Irishman’s Diary
Room to Disimprove – Frank McNally on the demise of the drawing room and other social tragedies
An Irishman’s Diary
Royal Irish Vocabulary – Frank McNally on the OED’s latest update, which includes bockety, bean an tí and Old Segotia
An Irishman’s Diary
Clear the Decks - on Horslips, hairdressers, and painful memories
A teenage gig when Carrickmacross was called the ‘Nashville of Ireland’
New visitor centre at Custom House explores a wealth of history
The Custom House is seen as one of the most important buildings in Dublin
The year of Ulysses: 2022 marks centenary of Joyce’s experimental masterpiece
Beloved by millions, incomprehensible to millions more, the novel is now firmly embedded in Irish culture
David O’Doherty, the anti-Tommy Tiernan, is funny by osmosis
TV review: Along for the Ride with David O’Doherty, a perfect vehicle for his quirky wit
Scotch Broth – Frank McNally on whiskey-soaked summer schools, the Lough Ness monster, and Flann O’Brien’s poetic mews
An Irishman’s Diary
Courting Controversy – Frank McNally on literary laundering, political beachball, and the history of an infamous street
An Irishman’s Diary
Sporting Passions: Roddy Doyle on his enduring love for Chelsea
‘It’s never boring following them. Even this season has had ridiculous twists and turns’
Rise of Ireland’s far right relies on abandoned social conservatives
Nativist politics have not played a big role in recent Irish elections. Might that change?
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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