# Opinion
# Opinion
Do you agree with our Ireland team to face Latvia?
Stephen Kenny has some tough calls to make amid a crucial international window.
Last week
12th March 2023 - 18th March 2023
Voices
Opinion: The Inspection of Places of Detention Bill promises reforms but doesn't go far enough
Dr Ian Marder and Dr Joe Garrihy look at the new prisons and detention bill and assess its potential impact on prison oversight.
Voices
Opinion: We have many lost Irish woodlands - let's document, cherish and protect them
The best place to rebuild our native woodlands is from the remnants of ancient ones which still exist, writes Ray Ó Foghlú.
Voices
The Bee Guy: It's Mother's Day soon, so let's pause and thank the original mother - this planet
Paul Handrick of The Bee Sanctuary pays tribute to his late mother and the way she inspired him to champion biodiversity.
Voices
Opinion: If global leaders can't agree on the origin of Covid then what hope for future crises?
As global superpowers continue their war of words over the origin of Covid, Seána Glennon says the lack of cooperation doesn’t bode well for the future.
This month
March 2023
Voices
Opinion: 'Phones have become a battleground for parenting in the age of social media'
Mum Margaret Lynch looks at the question of smartphone use for children and shares her own experiences.
Voices
Donnacha Ó Beacháin: 'Young people are fighting to reverse Georgia’s authoritarian trajectory'
As protests erupt in Georgia, the DCU Professor of Politics says the country is at a crossroads but wants to lean into the West.
Voices
Oakeshott and Hancock: Betraying a confidential source damages journalism
University professor questions whether the actions of Isabel Oakeshott will put others off acting as sources or whistleblowers.
Voices
Financial expert: 'Never give up your tracker' may not be the best advice anymore
Mark Coan of moneysherpa has some advice for those on a tracker mortgage.
Voices
Dog behaviourist: Dogs are complex - here are some tips on communicating with them
Suzi Walsh looks at the emotional makeup of dogs and offers some advice on how best to read their behaviour.
Voices
Teacher: 'We've handed over the sexual education of a generation to the porn industry'
Eoghan Cleary’s students gave him an honest account of the pornography they were exposed to every day.
Voices
Family Meals: Ciara Attwell shares three recipes from her new book
The My Fussy Eater author has some simple recipes that might help boost the fun at family mealtime.
Voices
Dr Deirdre Lundy: Menopause may be 'natural' but that doesn't mean you have to put up with it
The sexual and reproductive health doctor addresses the myths around HRT and menopause and outlines what treatments are on offer.
Voices
Student: Instead of enjoying our childhood, we're forced to protest over climate change
Eva Bresnihan will join thousands of students tomorrow, 3 March in a global Fridays for Future climate protest.
Last month
February 2023
Voices
Opinion: Identity politics dominated Britain's Brexit - let's not make the same mistakes
Peter Flanagan looks at our neighbours’ decision to leave the EU and whether we can learn the lessons here.
Voices
Analysis: Government supports are welcome but will they improve living standards long-term?
Taking the temperature of the global economy, Economist Victor Duggan asks whether government support offered this week will be adequate.
Voices
Opinion: The Greek model of responding to drug use is worth keeping an eye on
Tony Duffin of Ana Liffey project and his long-time friends, Dr Brian Melaugh and Dr Austin O’Carroll visited Athens to see how drug use is handled there.
Voices
Opinion: 'Sending Gardaí clubbing will not reduce drug harms, minister'
Dr Cian Ó Concubhair and Dr Ian Marder respond to comments on drug use made in the Dáil this week.
Voices
Local MLA: 'There's a black cloud over Omagh today - one we'd hoped had gone forever'
The SDLP’s Daniel McCrossan says the people of Omagh are shocked that such violence has once again visited them.
Voices
Opinion: Menopause is a workplace issue - it must be addressed as such by employers
According to employment expert Katie Ridge BL, a culture shift regarding menopause is underway, although change is slow.
# Opinion
Man United fans' feelings about potential Qatari takeover should not be complicated
Current owners the Glazers announced in November they were open to a sale or investment.
Voices
Opinion: 'You've never fled from your country - you've gone away, but you weren't forced'
Filmmaker Dennis Harvey writes about what drove him to make a documentary about migration – both his own, and friends from abroad.
Voices
Eyewitness: One man had seen the bodies of his wife, kids and parents brought out of the rubble
There was also a huge shortage of coffins and body bags, writes midwife Aisha Harbalieh from Azaz in northern Syria.
Voices
Opinion: 'I mourn the loss of my younger years when I couldn’t embrace my Traveller identity and culture'
Nora Corcoran of the Galway Traveller Movement and Teresa Lavina explain why Lavina’s new documentary on Irish Traveller culture, Mincéir, is so important.
# Opinion
Ranking the 16 remaining teams in the Champions League
Man City, PSG and Real Madrid are among the favourites to prevail.
Voices
Opinion: As Valentine's Day approaches, spot the romanticisation of stalking in popular culture
Members of the Active*Consent team take a look at how popular movies can make behaviours like stalking look ‘romantic’.
Voices
Analysis: Sinn Féin's mortgage interest relief proposal is a terrible idea
Mortgage interest relief is anti-poor, almost by definition, writes Ciarán Casey.
Voices
Larry Donnelly: If Biden's speech is anything to go by, he wants four more years in office
Our columnist looks at the US President’s State of the Union address and asks, what now?
Voices
Opinion: I'm telling the story of Ann Lovett on screen because it must be told
Director Ciaran Creagh writes about the process of bringing his film about Ann Lovett to the big screen.
Voices
Opinion: Attorney General's nursing home fees report largely side-steps the actual criticisms
Máiréad Enright of the University of Birmingham examines the Attorney General’s recent report on refunds on illegal nursing home charges.
Voices
Opinion: The Bell - the almost-forgotten Irish literary journal that 'took on the sacred cows'
Phyllis Boumans writes about why the literary journal The Bell was so important to Irish writing.
Voices
Recipes: Pastry chef Shane Smith has some seasonal dishes for you to try
If baked cheese and tasty biscuits work for you, you’ve come to the right place.
Voices
Opinion: Enough talk - we need to decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use
Criminologist Dr Ian Marder proposes a paradigm shift away from criminalising drug use and towards a health-led approach.
Voices
John Gibbons: Shell made record profits as the planet burns - welcome to the toxic oil industry
The environmental campaigner questions how a global fossil fuel giant can record its highest profits ever in the shadow of a climate crisis.
Voices
The Sultans of Ping: 'It was a crazy sight to behold - every gig was exciting'
Paul McDermott traces the musical journey of Cork band The Sultans of Ping.
Voices
Vision-impaired woman: 'Please legislate to keep e-scooters off footpaths'
Anne Marie Kearney is vision impaired and uses a cane. She says e-scooters must never reach a footpath.
January
January 2023
Voices
Bad Bridget: Uncovering the secret lives of Ireland's emigrant women
Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick, authors of the book Bad Bridget, share the story of an Irish emigrant who was sent to prison for seven years for stealing a watch and money.
Voices
Larry Donnelly: How will Irish politicians cope with an increasingly angry electorate?
Our columnist says the Donohoe affair and protests of recent weeks show that the political mood here has darkened.
Voices
The squeezed middle: What we should learn from the Great Recession of 2007-2013
By studying and learning from the effects of the Great Recession, policy makers can gain valuable insights into how to respond to the cost-of-living crisis.
Voices
Mary Lou McDonald: CAMHS is not working - we need to act urgently to reform how it operates
The Sinn Féin leader reacts to the CAMHS report this week and outlines her ideas for change.
