Ferris Bueller was right: life moves pretty fast. If you have children in school, you could miss it
There is nothing quite like having a sixth year in the house to remind you how quickly the years go by
Christmas
‘My sister’s boyfriend never left us alone at Christmas. Should I confront her?’
Tell Me About It: Should I confront my sister, tell her what I really think about her boyfriend? I worry about losing her, too
Using the right bin can save money and reduce environmental impact
Our recycling rate has not improved in a decade: here’s some tips on how to dispose of our waste properly
Jeff Bezos might not be to blame, but Amazon’s Prime Video has made a mess of a Christmas classic
The streamer’s cut version of It’s a Wonderful Life is an abomination – but perhaps not a woke bowdlerisation of the original
The new rules: what’s in and what’s out for 2025
Some things should be ushered into the new year like a much-loved guest being shown into the good room. Other things should be discarded like Christmas cardboard refuse
When Rickey Henderson died, baseball mourned the passing of one of its most eccentric characters
Henderson didn’t believe in warming up before games. Famously, he never bothered to learn the names of team-mates or assistant coaches
An old friend asked if I was ‘still at the writing’. ‘When I can get the ink,’ I said
A cosy evening by the stove lay before me dispatching messages to loved ones penned in my elegant poetic backhand
My sister was dying of cancer. A Christmas gift helped to process it
Julie had been diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer at 59-years-old. Early on, her oncologist had told us we’d be lucky to have five more Decembers together
Mother who fled home with children on Christmas Day gets protection order against husband
Drink, drugs and mental health issues are factors in many applications under Domestic Violence Act
A tree is not just for Christmas. Was getting a real tree the right choice?
Tending to a tree all year can be rewarding – plus it’s better for the environment than the plastic variety
Women are far more likely to re-gift unwanted presents than men
Sizeable percentage of Irish shoppers also unsure of rights when returning faulty goods, notes study
‘There used to be queues round the block’: Staff outnumber shoppers four to one in one Grafton Street store
Staff outnumber shoppers four to one in one Dublin store with bargain-hunters thin on the ground for St Stephen’s Day
Ireland weather: Mild Christmas conditions forecast to turn dramatically colder
Relatively mild and settled conditions to continue until the weekend
Home alone at Christmas – Helen O’Rahilly on a delightfully peaceful celebration
To be relieved of the burdens of shopping, food preparation, cooking and cleaning up for the gang was a joy
Winter sales: Do they still offer value in the era of year-round discounts?
Winter sales are a great chance to bag high-quality bargains that last for years, experts say
A berry merry Christmas for the birds
Many native trees and shrubs provide natural bird food over several months in the winter
Terrifier 3 review: Everyone is on Art the Clown’s naughty list
Gruesome horror film has generated reports of fainting and vomiting at early screenings
Megan Nolan: A conversation with a man in his late 30s made clear the realities of this new era in my dating life
Family, career, friends or adventure? Only the truly wealthy can attempt to have a bit of everything
Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas Special review: Unkillable comedy’s wit is as sharp as a mouthful of Brussels sprouts
Television: Brendan O’Carroll’s slapstick purgatory remains a Bacchanalia of single entendres and fnarr-fnarr gags
First babies born on Christmas Day bring festive joy to families
Last Christmas Day, 75 babies – 38 boys and 37 girls – were born in the State, according to the CSO
Tailbacks from Forty Foot stretch for miles as Christmas swimmers descend
Atmosphere at popular bathing spot bouncing on Christmas morning with music, mulled wine and costumes
‘What has you here?’: Eight years dead and safe in a Galway graveyard, yet here Grandad was standing before me
‘What has you here?’: eight years dead and safe in a Galway graveyard, yet here Grandad was standing before me
On Christmas Day, what family and friends believe about Christ will be irrelevant
Rite & Reason: What makes Christmas religious is that regardless of their specific beliefs, people come together to celebrate the mystery and beauty of life
Holly most popular name for girls born over last 10 Decembers - CSO
Noah tops the list for most popular boy’s name last December
Ireland weather: Dry, mild and dull conditions forecast by Met Éireann for Christmas week
Christmas Day will be mild and quite cloudy, though some brighter breaks will develop
‘My grandad is dead. I am going to tennis today’: Christmas letters to my son, 1997
My family spent Christmas 1997 in New York. I recently found the letters that my then seven-year-old’s classmates wrote to him
Indiana Jones should be on the sex offenders’ register: Some Christmas films age better than others
Some of the beloved hits of your youth have not aged well. Many were far darker than you imagine
We like the ideal of Christmas. The reality, though, is often strained, sad and weird
We like the ideal of Christmas. Of childhood, family, rest. The reality, though, is often strained, and sad, and weird
Donald Trump, millennials and vegans: An A-Z guide on Christmas conversation killers
Our essential guide includes advice on what to say – and what not to say – if you want to make it unscathed through Christmas Day with family and loved ones
Róisín Ingle: My profound, challenging, surprisingly joyful, life-changing year
I haven’t written a personal column for around a year. There have been difficult days. I’ve also had one of the best day’s of my life
Older Irish people in London: ‘It is so important to have something to get people out of the house. It breaks down the loneliness’
The networks of ‘joy and friendship’ helping the older Irish community in London
Fostering at Christmas: ‘We once had two boys, age 9 and 11, who had never had a Christmas tree’
Almost 4,000 foster carers in Ireland have welcomed children from all backgrounds into their homes and cared for them like their own
Christmas TV and movie guide: the best shows and films to watch
December 24th-27th: including new Christmas specials of Doctor Who, Outnumbered, Gavin & Stacey, and Wallace & Gromit
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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