Does Ireland need another public holiday?
State has fewer than European average of 12 but more than near neighbours, who only have eight
Weekend
Stories that appear in the Weekend section of The Irish Times print edition
Ireland has too much money and is fiscally incontinent
There is no cost control. And no one seems to care about what we are getting for all this spending
Debt shame: ‘I was going to lose my home ... It was one of the darkest times’
Thousands of households are trapped in long-term mortgage arrears, and now fuel debt and buy-now-pay-later schemes are affecting many more
A Trumpian guide to war: Don’t tell the public, ignore international law, and forget about maps
Here it is, Mr President: a simplified guide on how to sell a war to faithful followers, having told them up to now you would not launch one
Photo essay: In the footsteps of ancient pilgrims in Co Donegal
We follow a route used since the Middle Ages to St Patrick’s Purgatory on the shores of Lough Derg
Ella McSweeney: Cornafulla Bog is a gold mine. Let’s not squander it
Siting wind infrastructure on the Shannon bogs is too high a price to pay for renewable energy
Our streets can be made safer for children to walk, scoot, cycle and play outside
If you grew up on a street, a road or an estate in the 1980s, you will probably have plenty of memories of playing outside
Meet the man on a mission to clean up one of Dublin’s dirtiest rivers
John Stack, senior executive engineer with Dublin City Council, knows this waterway like the back of his hand
I have many beloved friends, but I’ve never been part of a gang
Friends who can look thoughtfully on conflict and sadness and trouble and still find charity and curiosity are precious
From Rasputin to Putin: Why Russia will never learn from its history
Antony Beevor says Rasputin was a historically important figure who accelerated the demise of the Romanov dynasty
RTÉ’s Kate McDonald: ‘At the moment, life and death feel quite close together’
RTÉ’s Clarity Correspondent on pregnancy, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and losing her wedding outfit
New National Concert Hall boss: ‘I hope to be here for the grand reopening’
New chief executive Nigel Flegg hopes the NCH’s long-planned redevelopment will start in 2028 and transform it into a ‘cultural mother ship’
Ireland’s retrofit reality: From ‘amazing’ home energy results to ‘miserable’ and costly experiences
Retrofitting offers cosy home and energy cost cuts but can also come with financial burdens and bureaucratic nightmares
The head of Michael D Higgins: John Coll on the making of a presidential bust
Sculpture of the ninth president now sits in Áras an Uachtaráin, alongside those of his predecessors
Irish public ‘emotionally checking out’ after succession of crises
Instead of panicking in the face of global turmoil, people are emotionally checking out, survey suggests
David McWilliams: Sinn Féin’s class-war language is more British than Irish
Voters wary as Mary Lou McDonald’s party beats all-or-nothing, Marxist drum on housing
Deer pressure: I need a licence to cull
Ella McSweeney is not a natural-born killer but she will shoot deer next month for the first time. It’s for the woodlands
This Common toad is now considered to be an invasive species
Your notes and queries for Éanna Ní Lamhna
Moonstruck: A geologist’s playground, an elite retreat or a staging post to a new frontier?
From megalithic art to science fiction, Earth’s sole natural satellite has compelled us, scared us and been the site of our fantasies
Why is it a big week for unions in Ireland?
This is unlikely to be a quiet conference season for unions
My ears prick up when someone says ‘to tell you the truth’
I like the way replacing but with and invites me to think. It’s an invitation, not a command
Putting unused medicines in bins, toilets or down the sink is making the planet sick
Improper disposal of pharmaceuticals, often through bins or flushing, leads to contamination of water and soil
Richard Hogan: Birth orders absolutely define us; they impact how we talk to ourselves
The author and family psychotherapist on his strongest childhood memory, wanting his grandmother back and his biggest regret
Grieving abroad: ‘Every Irish emigrant expects and dreads the phone call they know will come’
For emigrants the death of a loved one in Ireland is compounded. Three Irish abroad tell their stories
Clive Myrie: ‘The best journalists are the ones who behave like human beings’
The BBC news anchor and Mastermind host films the quiz show in Belfast and is a regular visitor to Ireland
‘Every day is a milestone’: How specialist schools support teens in deep mental health crisis
Specialist schools support children and young people experiencing mental health difficulties who are temporarily absent from mainstream school
Ireland’s skylarks were disappearing but this simple solution could bring their song back
A new project will involve skylark plots on farms along the south coast from Kinsale to Wexford
History shows oil shocks are followed by recessions – will it be any different this time?
Ireland remains highly dependent on fossil fuels despite experiencing previous oil crises
Photo essay: Irish contemporary photography showcased in Miami exhibition
Talamh brings together works by eight Irish artists who are part of the Island Photographers group
The black guillemot looks completely different at this time of year
Eye on Nature: Your notes and queries for Eanna Ní Lamhna
I’m driving less. I don’t want to see the world through a driver’s eyes any more
Before I began driving less, I had long had a melancholic sense that the city lifestyle I lived was cut off from the seasons and nature
The Irish working for US firms: ‘Friday 4.30pm and somebody is trying to kick off a project’
US firms employ more than 245,000 people here but working for one entails straddling time zones and negotiating different attitudes to work-life balance
My fear rose up and my trust faltered on the mountain
It’s not a bad lesson at any age, to know how to take our pleasures at a lower altitude
Bike theft can mean a real loss of independence for teenagers
A new scheme from Fingal County Council aims to ensure children can continue cycling despite the losses of their bikes, bringing many benefits to them and us
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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