#Opinion
A teacher and her Sixth Year students debate To Kill A Mockingbird's place on the syllabus
We asked our anonymous teacher to share her views and those of some of her students on the recent controversy surrounding To Kill A Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men in light of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Opinion: Dublin City Council's decision to cut Local Property Tax will only favour the wealthy
Dublin City Council councillors last night voted in favour of retaining a 15% cut. Here, Michael Pidgeon argues why he believes this to be a regressive step.
Column: Ireland's forestry industry has hit a blockade - here's a way we can get through it
Ireland needs a new model for forestry that does not damage nature, writes Minister of State for Agriculture Pippa Hackett.
'The taking of the knee is now not dissimilar to a fancy hashtag or a nice pin badge,' says Ferdinand
Les Ferdinand feels the gesture’s ‘message has been lost’.
Opinion: People seeking absolutes in times of uncertainty are falling for conspiracies online
Disinformation analyst Ciaran O’Connor says extremist groups online are offering simple answers to complex questions at a time when many people are frustrated.
Larry Donnelly: The country of my birth is broken. Can it be fixed?
Larry Donnelly says based on recent events in his home country, it’s hard to argue that America is still the ‘land of opportunity’.
Opinion: The road ahead is a bleak one when it comes to climate change
Climate commentator John Gibbons outlines the critical state of the planet globally and urges us to embrace radical action to face down climate change.
Neale Richmond: Brexit was no one hit wonder - the Tory party fostered this toxic sentiment over many years
Neale Richmond says the UK has become a slave to insular thinking and it has led them to Brexit and the current mess it has caused.
Tomorrow I'll climb my 50th peak as part of a lockdown-interrupted charity challenge. Here's what I've learned
At times drumming up the publicity needed to generate funds turned out to be harder than the actual mountain-climbing, writes Dermot Behan.
Mary Lou McDonald: Confusion, mixed messaging and punch-down policies - this government is out of touch with reality
The Sinn Féin leader says in a pandemic and now recession, the lack of clarity from Government is the last thing the country needs.
Opinion: Boris and his friends are living in a post-truth 'Alice and Brexitland'
Former ambassador Bobby McDonagh says Johnson’s team have used every excuse to cover their breach of international law, short of the PM eating his own homework.
Opinion: Foster care is in trouble in Ireland and its privatisation is not the answer
Green Party TD Patrick Costello says foster care in Ireland has been at breaking point for some time and it cannot be ignored any longer.
Retired Colonel Dorcha Lee: Is a Sinn Féin Minister for Defence really that unthinkable?
Lee says he feels conflicted about the possibility of a Sinn Féin government but admits the party now has a mandate that deserves recognition.
Opinion: Is Britain on the path to becoming a rogue state?
The UK government this week told the Commons that it would be breaking international law in relation to Brexit in ‘a limited and specific way’. Rights campaigner Emma DeSouza says she’s seen this before.
Tom Clonan: The messaging from this new government has been an omnishambles
Its communications strategy has been a mess at a crucial time for public health, Brexit and the economy, writes Clonan.
Opinion: 'I tried to take my own life more than once and felt the compassion of staff begin to fade'
On World Suicide Prevention Day our reader details her struggles and experience of the Irish mental health services.
Opinion: As Moria camp burns, we cannot stand over the EU's neglect of refugees any longer
Jack Sheehan says the EU’s policy on refugees is inhumane and that Irish citizens must hold MEPs to account.
Cheap clothes are cheap clothes, but fast fashion is the real environmental problem
Carolyn Moore says the government’s Waste Action Plan rightly tackles fast fashion – which encourages mass consumerism, exploitation and waste – but says that doesn’t mean cheap clothes are in the firing line.
Brexit: The adults are no longer in charge in Downing Street
Former ambassador Bobby McDonagh says the Cummings-driven cabal of ‘weirdos and misfits’ are now steering the UK onto a dangerous path in the Brexit negotiations.
Kenny needs time to reshape the Irish team - ignore anyone who says otherwise
It is much too early to judge the new Irish boss, although that hasn’t stopped some.
Leaving Cert student: Waiting for today's results feels like an anti-climax
Poppy Kane is a sixth year pupil about to receive her Leaving Cert results like thousands of others today. She shares her thoughts on the last six months.
Player ratings: How the Boys in Green fared against Finland
It was a disappointing evening for Ireland in Stephen Kenny’s first game in charge.
Larry Donnelly: It's now 'Game On' in the Biden vs Trump race
Larry Donnelly says we are in a crucial phase of the US election cycle and if the Democrats don’t tackle Trump’s fear-based message, they could be in trouble.
Ireland at the UN Security Council is uniquely placed to take a stance on Hezbollah
Sir Ivor Roberts warns of the dangers of a stronger Hezbollah in Lebanon and urges Ireland and the EU to take a tougher stance against the group.
Jamie Oliver shares two delightful recipes from his new book
Try a butter chicken dish and broccoli quiche, courtesy of the world-renowned chef.
An Irishman in Berlin: There's a housing shortage here too, despite a different approach
Irishman William Campbell lives in Berlin and says despite how we hold up the German housing market as one of the best, it has developed some serious flaws.
Player ratings: How the Boys in Green fared against Bulgaria
Ireland had to settle for a 1-1 draw in Stephen Kenny’s first game in charge.
Living with an eating disorder: The last few months have brought unwelcome challenges
Ciara lives with an eating disorder. She says the health service is not fit for purpose when it comes to these illnesses.
Opinion: Blaming young people for making mistakes with this virus is unfair and unhelpful
Dr Laura Durcan says it’s not just young people spreading Covid-19 – it’s lunch, brunch, christenings and all manner of social gatherings.
Trump's presidency has weakened the electoral college - time for it to go
Caoimhín de Barra looks at the dual US voting system and says the electoral college has the potential to cause major upheaval now and in future.
'Babies don't wait': How the National Maternity Hospital coped in the early days of Covid
Mary Brosnan, the director of nursing & midwifery, writes: “Babies wait for no one, even in a pandemic they will be born.”
Living with the 'new normal' is extra difficult with a disability - here are some small changes that would help
Carrie Williams, who lives with a debilitating illness outlines the challenges Covid-19 has brought for people with disabilities.
Beirut blast: 'I heard BOOM as a pink mushroom cloud spread above me, eating the city alive'
Tania Khalil was in Beirut when the blast happened on 4 August.
Opinion: If we do it the right way we can avoid a school run clogged up by cars
Jane Hackett of the Green-Schools Travel Programme is urging parents to avoid slipping back to the overuse of the car because of concerns over Covid-19.
Parents: 'We're both excited and nervous about the return to school'
With many of Ireland’s schools reopening this week, we asked a number of parents from around the country to share their thoughts on what’s ahead.
'He was born to coach and manage' - Quiet man Crawford the perfect fit for Ireland U21s
Conan Byrne predicts a continued run of good form for the side under Jim Crawford’s stewardship
The long wait for autism assessment: 'From cautiously optimistic to desperately worried'
‘Starting primary school was always going to be difficult but now I am concerned that it will be deeply traumatic and damaging.’
Shane Ross: What on Earth was a Supreme Court Judge doing at an Oireachtas members’ golf outing?
Former minister Shane Ross says the recent ‘golfgate’ event in Clifden has the familiar ring of political and judicial cosiness.
Opinion: 'Golfgate' shows that we need an independent body to investigate complaints against judges
Dr Laura Cahillane and Dr David Kenny say the controversy around Judge Seamus Woulfe’s attendance at the recent Clifden event shows the need to tidy up our oversight of the judiciary.
Opinion: Clifden opened wounds, but we must resist the urge to lock down Irish life entirely
Consultant Geriatrician, Professor Rónán Collins says it’s more important to ‘add life to years’ than ‘add years to life’ and that Irish life must go on, despite Covid-19.
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