Breda O'Brien

Breda O'Brien columns

Children don’t need bouncy castles so much as to feel part of something bigger

Children don’t need bouncy castles so much as to feel part of something bigger

Breda O’Brien: There should be more to life than being manipulated by algorithms to consume more

By Breda O'BrienSat May 27 2023 - 05:00

When do children first get exposed to pornography? When they get a phone

When do children first get exposed to pornography? When they get a phone

Embarrassing as it is, research shows children want their parents to speak to them about pornography

By Breda O'BrienSat May 20 2023 - 05:00

A chatbot that can advise teenagers how to hide pot and lose their virginity? Nothing creepy about that at all

A chatbot that can advise teenagers how to hide pot and lose their virginity? Nothing creepy about that at all

Breda O’Brien: Teenagers, not known for their extensive fact-checking or emotional balance, are expected to train Snapchat’s My AI monster for free

By Breda O'BrienSat May 13 2023 - 03:00

Breda O’Brien: Why is it so hard to believe anti-abortion people are just as motivated by human rights?

Breda O’Brien: Why is it so hard to believe anti-abortion people are just as motivated by human rights?

Let’s stop presuming bad faith. The gulf between those who are pro-choice and pro-life isn’t as wide as it sometimes appears

By Breda O'BrienSat May 06 2023 - 03:00

Breda O’Brien: Abortion review is right about one thing – women’s needs are not being met

Breda O’Brien: Abortion review is right about one thing – women’s needs are not being met

Women are being failed on systemic level, leading some to feel that their only, despairing choice is abortion

By Breda O'BrienSat Apr 29 2023 - 00:45

Ireland has a chance to learn from other countries on assisted dying

Ireland has a chance to learn from other countries on assisted dying

Breda O’Brien: Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium are troubling indicators of what could happen in Ireland

By Breda O'BrienSat Apr 22 2023 - 00:00

Spirituality and critical thinking

The expansion of critical thinking allows us to move beyond mysteries and explore our reality

Wed Apr 12 2023 - 03:30

Family is the most important factor in having a belief in God

Family is the most important factor in having a belief in God

Where people were raised by people with visible, sincere, practical faith, they were far less likely to lose their faith in God

By Breda O'BrienSat Apr 08 2023 - 12:00

Pope Francis puffer jacket image suggests we are in trouble when it comes to AI disinformation

Pope Francis puffer jacket image suggests we are in trouble when it comes to AI disinformation

Francis is earnestly trying to provide a moral compass, an antidote to the individualism and consumerism that is posing an undeniable threat to our shared, fragile planet

By Breda O'BrienFri Mar 31 2023 - 13:32

Breda O’Brien: Micheál Martin needs to swot up on home education before he speaks out

Breda O’Brien: Micheál Martin needs to swot up on home education before he speaks out

The Burke family are far from representative of the diverse homeschool movement, which in some cases can be far more effective than school

By Breda O'BrienSat Mar 25 2023 - 00:00

Breda O’Brien: Pope Francis wants a church that gets its hands dirty

Breda O’Brien: Pope Francis wants a church that gets its hands dirty

Church must offer an alterative to contemporary values if it wants to help teenagers grappling with anxiety and frightening levels of meaninglessness

By Breda O'BrienSat Mar 18 2023 - 00:00

Referendum will make women who work full-time in the home feel even less valued

Referendum will make women who work full-time in the home feel even less valued

Referendum is likely to devalue the work of mothers and fathers even more, by subsuming their specific roles into a generic caring role

By Breda O'BrienFri Mar 10 2023 - 13:15

State needs an honest investigation of its abortion counselling services

State needs an honest investigation of its abortion counselling services

Are women being informed about all their options - such as continuing a pregnancy or considering adoption - by State-provided services?

By Breda O'BrienSat Mar 04 2023 - 00:01

Nicola Sturgeon stepped away from ‘brutality’ of politics. Kate Forbes stepped right into it

Nicola Sturgeon stepped away from ‘brutality’ of politics. Kate Forbes stepped right into it

Breda O’Brien: It is not enough for Kate Forbes to be talented. She must also avoid thoughtcrime

By Breda O'BrienSat Feb 25 2023 - 00:00

Ireland must advocate for Nicaraguan prisoners who resisted Ortega’s ‘dictatorship’

Ireland must advocate for Nicaraguan prisoners who resisted Ortega’s ‘dictatorship’

Persecution of Catholic Church, including jailing of Bishop Rolando Álvarez, must be challenged

By Breda O'BrienSat Feb 18 2023 - 00:00

Breda O’Brien: The Leaving Cert Class of 2020 are still dealing with the Covid shock

Breda O’Brien: The Leaving Cert Class of 2020 are still dealing with the Covid shock

Mental health has been deteriorating for years among the young but this cohort has had a particularly rough time

By Breda O'BrienSat Feb 11 2023 - 00:00

Breda O’Brien: Brigid of Kildare is not a Rorschach inkblot

Breda O’Brien: Brigid of Kildare is not a Rorschach inkblot

Brigid can be revered as a goddess and as a saint but the abbess of a powerful monastery cannot be erased in favour of a goddess with scant sources

By Breda O'BrienSat Feb 04 2023 - 05:00

Breda O’Brien: ChatGPT is the ultimate plagiarism tool. How can teachers respond?

Breda O’Brien: ChatGPT is the ultimate plagiarism tool. How can teachers respond?

Reforming the Senior Cycle to allow for more continuous assessment has suddenly become a lot riskier thanks to this pioneering piece of AI

By Breda O'BrienSat Jan 21 2023 - 00:00

Breda O’Brien: Cardinal George Pell’s complex legacy

Breda O’Brien: Cardinal George Pell’s complex legacy

Australian cleric won respect for the dignity with which he endured 404 days in prison, mostly in solitary confinement, for crimes he did not commit

By Breda O'BrienSat Jan 14 2023 - 00:00

Breda O’Brien: If Sinn Féin fails when in power, Ireland’s smug status quo could be at risk

Breda O’Brien: If Sinn Féin fails when in power, Ireland’s smug status quo could be at risk

Sinn Féin is benefiting from politics of houses trumping history. But what if it fails?

By Breda O'BrienSun Jan 01 2023 - 00:01

Breda O’Brien: School hiring rules need to be reformed to make it easier to find substitute teachers

Breda O’Brien: School hiring rules need to be reformed to make it easier to find substitute teachers

Easing restrictions and other reforms are essential at a time when demand for teachers is outstripping supply

By Breda O'BrienSat Dec 17 2022 - 00:00

We have a cooling-off period when shopping, so why not when accessing abortion?

We have a cooling-off period when shopping, so why not when accessing abortion?

Allowing women the space to reflect on a matter of life and death is something both sides should agree on

By Breda O'BrienSat Dec 10 2022 - 00:00

Breda O’Brien: Ableist legislation shows lives of those with Down syndrome are less valuable

Breda O’Brien: Ableist legislation shows lives of those with Down syndrome are less valuable

In run-up to Repeal referendum, some 56% of babies diagnosed in-utero with Down syndrome were aborted

By Breda O'BrienSat Dec 03 2022 - 00:00

Breda O’Brien: Junior Cert results delay another symptom of teacher shortage crisis

Breda O’Brien: Junior Cert results delay another symptom of teacher shortage crisis

Government must provide incentives to people to remain in or enter teaching to address significant issue

By Breda O'BrienSat Nov 26 2022 - 00:00

Tolerance only of those with whom you agree is no tolerance at all

Tolerance only of those with whom you agree is no tolerance at all

The Catholic Church richly deserves opprobrium for acts of horrifying evil, but that does not mean religious orders should have no right to speak or even exist

By Breda O'BrienSat Nov 19 2022 - 00:00

Breda O’Brien: It’s nonsense to say violent porn damages children but is fine once viewers are over 18

Breda O’Brien: It’s nonsense to say violent porn damages children but is fine once viewers are over 18

Women and men are being conditioned to see practices such as strangulation as normal, and women are dying because of it

By Breda O'BrienSat Nov 12 2022 - 00:00

Breda O’Brien: The online world was broken long before Elon Musk

Breda O’Brien: The online world was broken long before Elon Musk

Truth cannot compete with an evermore rapidly spinning toxic brew of tweets, clips and soundbites

By Breda O'BrienFri Nov 04 2022 - 00:00

Breda O’Brien: Pope John Paul II had many friends, including women, which proves nothing

Breda O’Brien: Pope John Paul II had many friends, including women, which proves nothing

A ‘Panorama’ documentary about the pope’s ‘secret ’ relationship with Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka tells a one-sided story

By Breda O'BrienSat Feb 20 2016 - 04:12

Ireland Says Yes: The Inside Story of How the Vote for Marriage Equality was Won – Book Review

This insightful account shows how uniting, strategic, and effective the campaign was

By Colm TóibínSat Oct 31 2015 - 13:00

State subsidies for childcare must deliver for children not just employers

State subsidies for childcare must deliver for children not just employers

Care must be taken in drawing lessons from Quebec study linking subsidised childcare to crime rates

By Teresa HeeneyFri Oct 02 2015 - 07:54

Kitty Holland: Efforts to house refugees may help homeless Irish families too

Kitty Holland: Efforts to house refugees may help homeless Irish families too

The predictable chorus that we ‘must look after our own first’ is depressing

By Kitty HollandSat Sept 12 2015 - 05:00

Why do many Irish mums ignore message that ‘breast is best’?

Having breastfed three babies, I can guess their answers

By Mary FeelySat Aug 08 2015 - 02:30

Mary Feely: The local post office offers a safe haven from the banking scandals

Mary Feely: The local post office offers a safe haven from the banking scandals

‘My bank doesn’t want me cluttering up its premises. It makes this clear by closing most of its teller windows, keeping the queue long and slow’

By Mary FeelySat Aug 01 2015 - 04:20

Miriam Lord: How about a few awards to lighten the campaign mood?

Miriam Lord: How about a few awards to lighten the campaign mood?

The marriage referendum created some new heroines as clowns played on

By Miriam LordSat May 23 2015 - 12:16

Referendum counts: Coverage on irishtimes.com

Referendum counts: Coverage on irishtimes.com

Live blog starts at 8.30am with in-depth analysis and political reaction over the weekend

Fri May 22 2015 - 22:10

No campaign attacked over ‘dishonest’ and ‘scurrilous’ tactics

No campaign attacked over ‘dishonest’ and ‘scurrilous’ tactics

Barnados chief Fergus Finlay says the media ‘needs to get real about this too’

By Patsy McGarryThu May 14 2015 - 18:49

Claire Byrne Live: This isn’t really the audience’s show, it’s Claire’s

Claire Byrne Live: This isn’t really the audience’s show, it’s Claire’s

Presenter chairs new RTÉ show with emotive discussion on same-sex marriage

By Laura SlatteryTue Jan 20 2015 - 08:34

Confusion over exclusion of poor households from water credits

Confusion over exclusion of poor households from water credits

About 190,000 short-term unemployed will get no water support payment

By Kitty HollandThu Oct 16 2014 - 08:48

Unemployment scheme is outsourced to private firms

Unemployment scheme is outsourced to private firms

Coalition’s JobPath initiative will be operated on a payment-by-results basis

By Eoin Burke-KennedyFri Oct 10 2014 - 01:00

‘Programming’ of young minds

Wed Jul 23 2014 - 01:25

Catholic school guidelines on inclusion to be published later this year

Catholic school guidelines on inclusion to be published later this year

Bishops welcome Department’s rejection of ‘one-size-fits-all’ model

By Joe HumphreysWed Jul 02 2014 - 17:21

BAI upholds RTÉ’s right to apologise to Iona Institute and Waters

BAI upholds RTÉ’s right to apologise to Iona Institute and Waters

Watchdog says broadcasters have right to deal with potential defamation actions

By Ronan McGreevyFri Jun 13 2014 - 17:40

Waters challenges RTÉ statement on Panti row

Waters challenges RTÉ statement on Panti row

RTÉ says it is standing by its ‘account of events as published earlier this week’

By Patsy McGarryFri Feb 07 2014 - 19:32

Taoiseach dismisses call to make RTÉ answerable to the Dáil

Taoiseach dismisses call to make RTÉ answerable to the Dáil

RTÉ defends decision to pay €85,000 to John Waters and Iona Institute members

By Ronan McGreevyWed Feb 05 2014 - 11:11

‘Irish Times’ columnist says RTÉ libel payment was not about the money

‘Irish Times’ columnist says RTÉ libel payment was not about the money

Breda O’Brien said right of reply to homophobia claim was ‘completely inadequate’

By Ronan McGreevyMon Feb 03 2014 - 01:00

RTÉ payout ‘damaging in the extreme’

RTÉ payout ‘damaging in the extreme’

Public broadcaster condemned at rally for paying €80,000 over homophobia allegation

By Ronan McGreevySun Feb 02 2014 - 20:10

Hundreds gather to mourn murdered Castleknock man

Hundreds gather to mourn murdered Castleknock man

Priest says O’Gorman ‘cared about ideas and issues and concepts because he cared about people’

By Joe HumphreysSat Jan 25 2014 - 01:00

Friends of Tom O’Gorman speak warmly of murdered man

Friends of Tom O’Gorman speak warmly of murdered man

“He didn’t fit neatly into left or right”

By Peter MurtaghTue Jan 14 2014 - 01:00

Say No to Seanad abolition and the Coalition’s reform charade

Say No to Seanad abolition and the Coalition’s reform charade

Opinion: There is no intention to create a single-chamber parliament that will hold the executive to account

By Fintan O’TooleTue Oct 01 2013 - 12:02

There is no evidence to suggest we should abandon traditional marriage as basis of our society

There is no evidence to suggest we should abandon traditional marriage as basis of our society

Children raised by biological parents in low-conflict marriages fare best

By John MurrayWed Jul 03 2013 - 01:00

1
2
3
4
...

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

Crosswords & Puzzles

Crosswords & Puzzles

Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained

Common Ground

Common Ground

How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands

The Gloss

The GlossOpens in new window

Read the digital edition of The Gloss magazine now

Family Notices

Family NoticesOpens in new window

Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices

Opens in new window

Opens in new window

Why Subscribe?
Subscription Bundles
Subscriber Rewards
Student Subscription
Subscription Help CentreOpens in new window
Home DeliveryOpens in new window

Contact Us
Help CentreOpens in new window
My Account

Advertise
Contact Us
The Irish Times Trust
Careers

ePaper
Crosswords & puzzles
Newspaper Archive
Newsletters
Article IndexOpens in new window
Discount CodesOpens in new window

MyHome.ieOpens in new windowThe GlossOpens in new windowRecruit IrelandOpens in new windowIrish Times TrainingOpens in new windowRIP.ieOpens in new window

Irish Times on WhatsApp Irish Times on Facebook Irish Times on X Irish Times on LinkedIn Irish Times on Instagram

Terms & Conditions

Cookie Information

Cookie Settings

Community Standards

© 2025 The Irish Times DAC