After all the headlines about the supposed defeat of Isil, anyone who doesn’t believe a word of it may seem a bit of a spoilsport. But whenever I read that victory has been declared – whether it be of the Bush “mission accomplished” variety or the “last Isil stronghold about to fall” fantasy – I […]

Americans are frustrated by the inaction of their federal government on comprehensive immigration reform and border security. So are we. We both represent districts on Long Island, and we have both worked on immigration-related issues for over 25 years — one of us, Representative Suozzi, from the perspective of immigrant’s rights as a mayor, as […]

Joy Byrne is one of those bubbly women who brightens your day, no matter what’s going on. She’s full of energy, has a great sense of humour and lots of enthusiasm. But in truth her back story is not only gruelling, it spans decades. It began soon after she was born, when her mother Frances […]

To the Editor: Re “The New Science of Cuteness” (Sunday Review, March 17): Like Pagan Kennedy, I, too, am childless by choice. I have been called selfish for not wanting to have children. I had a 32-year career in public school special education as a speech-language pathologist and have dedicated most of my life to […]

It’s Monday morning and your alarm clock is shrieking at you. The numbers read 7 a.m., but that’s impossible — you’re foggy-headed, but you swear it should only be 5 a.m. Eventually, you either hit the snooze button, bury your head under your pillow, and hurl your alarm across the room, or begrudgingly, roll out […]

The realisation that an Irish woman could be radicalised into a cause hell-bent on destroying western society is shocking because it is so rare. It is reinforced by the fact Lisa Smith was also a trusted member of the Defence Forces who once served canapés on the Government jet to the Taoiseach, President and senior […]

It’s impossible for me to catalog all the times I’ve been in a professional setting when someone thought it appropriate to tell me about my appearance. Most recently, I was at a literary festival in Georgia. I had just talked about my book for a little under an hour: the 10 years of work I’d […]

I was backing my wife’s car out of our driveway when I realized I wasn’t watching the backup camera, nor was I looking out of the rear window. I was only listening for those “audible proximity alerts” — the high-pitched beeps that my car emits as I approach an object while in reverse. The problem […]

“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” my 15-year-old son shouted from his room. “I’m playing Xbox with a friend.” “Who’s your friend?” I inquired. “A guy named Scuzzball,” he replied. “Oh, what’s Scuzzball’s real name?” I asked. “I have no idea,” he said, slightly annoyed. “Where’s he from?” I continued. “Somewhere in Canada, I […]

It’s only four months since Fine Gael members gathered for their Ard Fheis, the highlight of which was seeing ministers “spin the wheel” in the most cringeworthy video of 2018. But, undeterred, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is having another ‘Fine Gael fest’ this weekend. The looming elections have knocked the normal run of political conferences out […]