My dad’s not around for Father’s Day but I know how we’d spend it if he was
I am now ready to relate the story of the time I massacred my late father’s tropical fish collection
Emer McLysaght
Emer McLysaght columns
Sarah Maria Griffin: ‘I will be trying to figure out what the internet means to me for the rest of my life’
The author on her new novel, Eat the Ones You Love; the importance of libraries; and her love of video games
Shout out to the woman who trapped me in my car in Tesco car park
It seems there’s little or no policing of bad motorist behaviour – so I guess I’ll have to go on my own personal traffic patrol
I’m the most efficient person to ever go through airport security. Here’s why
Will the bag-sizer of doom topple my crown for Best Girl at the Airport?
I’m a late convert to the charms of the self-important little dog
My friend’s dog rips through toys like he’s making a wage doing it. He steals shoes. He piddles on the curtains. He’s perfect
I decided to buy almost nothing in 2025. Here’s how it is going
In the local freecycle and swapping groups, anything goes – and the audacity of some of the posts are breathtaking
Now that I am a bus driver extraordinaire, I can pass my wisdom on to you
There’s no point in daintily pumping the huge brake pedal with your toes because next thing you’ll be through the window of a Spar
Smartphones at Pope Francis’s funeral didn’t feel out place to me. It’s 2025
We love to plonk a dead relative in the sittingroom for a day or two
Squirrels don’t hibernate? This information shook me to my core
These creatures have made a laughing stock of me. There’s an army of them working shifts, and I’m not the only local feeding them
Two decades after Weight Watchers, I still have unhealthy attitudes to certain foods
Weight Watchers is floundering but the damaging diet culture it spawned is going nowhere
The Irish live for a sunny day, but with it comes the pressure of having the ‘perfect’ day
Our fetishisation of a bit of sun causes me to retreat, to resent
Emer McLysaght: Fighting Big Tech, Big Landlord and Big Pharma seems insurmountable
I do care about Complete Aisling books being used by Meta to train its AI systems. I just feel helpless to do anything about it
Emer McLysaght: Five lessons Dublin can learn from Zurich
Before a work-related trip to Zurich, I received the usual ‘very dear’ warnings. And with good reason
A ‘middle-aged rave’ that ends before midnight? I’ll get my dancing shoes
Events are springing up for those who want an old-school club experience without the attendant exhaustion the next morning
Emer McLysaght: The best way to enjoy the hotel breakfast buffet and why I love a dry fry
Many poor, harmless fools will choose a nice, rounded time such as 10am. So, you want to aim for 9.20am or 9.50am
Is it hypocritical of me to go to a funeral but not a Communion?
I am church-averse but I know the comfort that religion can bring
I’m not ready to let Bridget Jones go just yet. She has been a constant comfort to me and so many women I know
Watching the fourth instalment of the series required meticulous preparation - and the film didn’t disappoint
I’ve had enough of men smashing into me with their backpacks
In less than an hour, no fewer than four men with substantial backpacks burst past me. After being clobbered by the first two, I was incredulous
I replaced a dripping tap all by myself and only cried four times. I am now unstoppable
I am a woman of the world, I reasoned. I could take on a pesky tap
‘When faced with the ugliness of Dublin, it’s hard not to worry about tourists thinking they’ve been sold a pup’
Plenty of other countries are green but get much less excited about it
Five years ago I entered a psychiatric hospital with an eating disorder
I’m not recovered from my eating disorder and the mental challenges behind it
I finally realised what was behind my ‘Maybe I like the misery’ approach to other people’s driving
Imagine landing down to some place in the country and being asked to move a car, only to have to admit you only drive automatic
My night at the bingo hall: I was waiting on one number. My heart was in my mouth
Wherever bingo happens, it’s taken seriously, but what a gorgeous way to spend an icy January evening
When the 46A ends in two weeks I will say goodbye to those first feelings of freedom and adulthood
A month after we thought we were saying farewell for good, the poor 46A is still traversing Dublin city, handbag in hand and mortified about all the fuss
The seven deadly things you should never buy a child at Christmas
Consider this a free life-lesson in what not to buy for a child. Or, alternatively, what to buy for the child of a sworn enemy
Tiny bowls are the secret to happiness. There’s little in life they don’t improve
Miniature things deliver such a shot of dopamine into our brains. I know you’ve giggled at those tiny Nutellas
If you haven’t already sorted your festive waste management plan, you might be beyond help
Anyone serious about their waste collection strategy has been Jenga-ing cardboard into the green bin since late October
You are one of six types of people – and your Spotify Unwrapped results will reveal which one
Your Spotify Unwrapped for 2024 is due: Best to fess up to the Sabrina Carpenter
There’s great drying out. Unless you live in an Irish apartment
In Ireland, property management companies seem wedded to ludicrous standards about what is and isn’t acceptable to be seen
Here are 14 reasons why teachers deserve all the respect in the world
Fine Gael is under pressure over comments about teachers by Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary
Emer McLysaght: I often wonder what impact having a female president had on my generation of little girls
Emer McLysaght: Former president of Ireland Mary Robinson in her ninth decade continues to work tirelessly for peace and climate justice
‘Irish tapas’: These pub delicacies must be what heaven feels like
These divine snacks are just waiting to be pulled down and spread wide open for all to feast upon (is anyone else blushing?)
Salad days: When rocket came to Ireland
Before the peppery sprig entered the national food chain, my leaf knowledge was mostly limited to butterhead and iceberg
I’m a walking, talking example of how driving home the message of the Catholic Church in schools does not work
At a time when school divestment should be ramping up, it seems like boards of management are digging their heels in
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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