Topical-Opinion

I’m a blow-in and have been for the past thirty six years. So like all migrants nobody is aware of my pedigree. Or lack thereof. Thankfully such concerns have never featured greatly on my radar. I grew up in a family where you made your own…

If somebody else makes more money than you solely from the work you perform on a daily basis, you are a serf. The only time this isn’t true is if you have a real love for what you do for a living. But: At the same time, it’s clear that the…

In 1990, the band They Might Be Giants put out the album Flood, which featured a song called "Your Racist Friend". I liked the song, but to my naive and sheltered 17-year old self, the idea of socializing with anyone labeled "racist" was…

When the exit polls were released for the referendum on the Eighth Amendment, I was speechless. Never in my wildest dreams, had I considered such a strong Yes vote. On May 25th I would say I was cautiously optimistic, but even that hesitant…

Many exceptionally talented and world-changing people have led disgraceful personal lives. In fact, the list is probably too long to count. Winston Churchill was an outspoken champion of chemical warfare. Bill Cosby — “America’s Dad” — is a…

1. May is my favourite month. The days stretch out improbably and the skies clear and you can just believe that perhaps the sun might shine for the whole summer long. It’s all promise and opportunity, and if it rains you can still call it…

When it comes to abortion, the truth of Ireland’s wild hypocrisy emerges. Proudly progressive yet darkly conservative, it's time modern Ireland decides what kind of country it wants to be. Ireland was the first country in the world to…

Remember when people strived to be cool? People used to go out of their way to manufacture an air of coolness about themselves. There used to be a universal understanding that if you remained calm and kept your ego-laden-opinion to…

Campaigning for the referendum to Repeal the 8th Amendment is now in full flow. I have not thrown myself into the debate in any meaningful sense because I think there are already many people to make the case for Repeal in much better…

Twig-sized models in skimpy bikinis relishing giant bites of hamburger. A lovely young woman who looks to be about 18, clinging seductively to a man easily in his late 50s to early 60s. A Victoria's Secret “Angel” languishing on a bed,…