Stephen Collins: Do we really want seven referendums?The votes have the potential to further undermine representative democracyThu Sept 28 2017 - 05:00
Stephen Collins: Martin’s courageous stance on Sinn Féin is correctGetting a Dáil foothold would be Sinn Féin’s first step to acquire total power in the StateThu Sept 21 2017 - 05:00
Age discrimination in taxation is a ticking time bombPoliticians may face a youth backlash if system’s unfairness is not addressedThu Aug 24 2017 - 05:00
Ireland needs to reject the fantasy of no hard BorderWe are deluded if we think the EU will not insist on post-Brexit checks on the islandThu Aug 17 2017 - 05:00
Shadow of 1917 Irish Convention hangs over BrexitDebates around free trade and customs barriers as key 100 years ago as nowThu Aug 10 2017 - 05:00
Stephen Collins: An Irishman’s Diary on a fond farewell to Cape ClearChuck Kruger will remain on the island for this year’s storytelling festival which runs from September 1st to the 3rdWed Aug 09 2017 - 06:00
Stephen Collins: Varadkar’s Brexit spat is pointlessThere is nothing to be gained by adopting an aggressive stance with British governmentThu Aug 03 2017 - 05:00
Stephen Collins: Parties begin coalition moves for next electionFianna Fáil eager to bury talk of Sinn Féin coalition before election campaign startsThu Jul 27 2017 - 00:12
Stephen Collins: We should be happy Irish politics is boringOur current Dáil is a paragon of common sense by comparison with the CommonsThu Jul 20 2017 - 05:00
Stephen Collins: Budget battles await honeymooning VaradkarTaoiseach should use summer respite to steel himself for tough decisions aheadThu Jul 13 2017 - 05:00
Ireland’s interests lie in strengthened EU after BrexitState has vested interest in supporting EU negotiating stance on UK exitThu Jul 06 2017 - 05:00
Stephen Collins: Fine Gael risks core values by appeasing Shane RossRoss is nearest thing we have to an Irish Donald TrumpThu Jun 29 2017 - 05:00
Des Hanafin: conviction politician who opposed liberal agendaFormer FF senator to the forefront of abortion and divorce campaigns over decadesThu Jun 22 2017 - 18:48
Stephen Collins: Varadkar right to defend Whelan moveWobble on inherited appointment decision would have worsened bad situationThu Jun 22 2017 - 05:00
Helmut Kohl was forever grateful for Irish support during EU presidencyChancellor paid tribute in 1996 to Charles Haughey’s role in German unity processSat Jun 17 2017 - 01:00
Can Leo Varadkar actually seize his opportunity?It remains to be seen if the Taoiseach has the ability or temperament to achieve his goalsThu Jun 15 2017 - 05:00
Stephen Collins: Varadkar cannot afford to drop veteransCabinet choices will inevitably provoke resentment among those who fail to make cutThu Jun 08 2017 - 01:00
Varadkar’s victory: nothing personal, just businessDecisive majority of Fine Gael TDs judged potential gain in seats was worth riskThu Jun 01 2017 - 05:00
Varadkar will need a lot of courage and a dollop of good luckStephen Collins: First test will be to avoid wasting recent gains on spending splurgeThu May 25 2017 - 05:00
Stephen Collins: New FG leader must keep Independents on sideGood chance of instability before new FG leader makes it to the Taoiseach’s officeThu May 18 2017 - 05:00
Stephen Collins: Enda Kenny underestimated throughout his careerAlong with achievements on world stage, Kenny has prove a successful leader at homeThu May 18 2017 - 01:00
Stephen Collins: Macron victory shows the value of embracing EUGovernment must be open about the complications of membership as Brexit talks unfoldThu May 11 2017 - 10:35
Stephen Collins: State has the right approach to BrexitBritish government’s antagonism and delusion shows why our interests lie with the EUThu May 04 2017 - 05:00
Stephen Collins: Kenny has delivered on first round of Brexit talksTaoiseach has ensured Irish concerns will be at centre of EU negotiators’ mandateThu Apr 27 2017 - 05:00
Ireland set to secure unique measures to soften Brexit blowTaoiseach to press for retention of EU benefits for Irish citizens in North at summitThu Apr 27 2017 - 01:00
Stephen Collins: FF and FG embrace for fear of falling into abyssCoveney and Varadkar emerge from water debacle with leadership aims enhancedThu Apr 13 2017 - 05:00
Water charges debacle shows failure of new politicsStephen Collins: Collapse of Government over water charges absurd but possibileThu Apr 06 2017 - 05:00
Sinn Féin exploits Brexit worries to keep united Ireland centre stageStephen Collins: Coming weeks will show if party has shifted strategy on NorthThu Mar 30 2017 - 05:00
Lesson for Irish political press in US coverage of Kenny speechState’s media must avoid distorting lens that turns criticism to destructive cynicismThu Mar 23 2017 - 11:26
Nationalists have learned little over the last 100 yearsBy using Brexit to campaign for a united Ireland nationalism has repeated an old mistakeThu Mar 16 2017 - 09:37
A short history of taoisigh visiting the White House on St Patrick’s DayTaoiseach’s trip to US on St Patrick’s Day became most significant during peace processSat Mar 11 2017 - 13:37
We may be used as Brexit pawns in British negotiating gameImproved Anglo-Irish relations belie danger of us being used as pawns in British exit talksThu Mar 09 2017 - 05:00
Fianna Fáil reverts to the worst kind of populist politicsApproach to water charges demonstrates they remain unfit for governmentThu Mar 02 2017 - 08:47
Decline of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil real story of electionPerformance of Martin’s party surprised many but combined vote hit record lowThu Mar 02 2017 - 01:00
Fine Gael pulls back from the brink of bloodbathParty almost ‘tore itself apart’ much like the period before Kenny became leaderThu Feb 23 2017 - 06:00
Stephen Collins: Enda Kenny’s time draws to an end as TDs begin to lose faithFear of an election convinces many backbenchers that a new leader is neededThu Feb 16 2017 - 09:25
Stephen Collins: Donnelly move shows futility of being an Independent‘Oppositionist’ TDs are in electoral danger if they get serious about trying to governThu Feb 09 2017 - 09:06
Kenny got it wrong on Sinn Féin but right on TrumpUS president inadvertently rescues Taoiseach from embarrassing political faux pasThu Feb 02 2017 - 05:00
Chief Supt Ned Coogan’s plea for justice after 1941 Garda purgeState Papers 2016: Father of historian Tim Pat Coogan one of nine gardaí forcibly retiredTue Jan 31 2017 - 00:00
Stephen Collins: Water charges to dictate future of Irish politicsVictory for populist parties would call two largest parties’ viability into questionThu Jan 26 2017 - 02:00
Theresa May’s speech ends wishful thinking about BrexitIt is now abundantly clear that the hardest possible Brexit is coming down the tracksThu Jan 19 2017 - 05:00
Stephen Collins: May puts an end to wishful thinking about BrexitAvoiding hard Border will require significant concessions from EU partnersThu Jan 19 2017 - 01:00
Stephen Collins: Coming year will test traditional party politicsInstead of saying the system is broken, politicians need to show it’s workingThu Jan 12 2017 - 01:00
Normal politics in the North still a pipe dreamThere were problems from the very beginning in the powersharing arrangementsTue Jan 10 2017 - 17:45
Phil Hogan urges Ireland to keep distance from UK on Brexit‘Real risk’ Ireland’s relationship with Europe could be defined by relationship with BritainMon Jan 09 2017 - 00:16
Anglo-Irish Agreement was subject at table of London clubState Papers 1986: diplomat Richard Ryan and two Tories talked politics over portSat Dec 31 2016 - 00:00
Adams ‘always more interested in the political approach’Cahal Daly’s views sought about possible end to Sinn Féin’s abstentionist policy on seats in Dáil and any Northern assemblySat Dec 31 2016 - 00:00
Thatcher told FitzGerald to take all Northern nationalists southState papers 1986: Documents outline talks between taoiseach and British leaderFri Dec 30 2016 - 11:43
John Bruton objected to sending Queen Victoria statue to SydneyEx-finance minister said figure outside Leinster House was ‘part of our heritage’ in 1986Fri Dec 30 2016 - 00:01