Who decides what the common good is in Ireland? The uncommonly privileged, that’s who
For most people, reality is a constant battle, but our masters of the universe are seldom spotted entertaining everyday hassles
For You
A selection of the best human interest reporting, interviews, opinion and lifestyle features.
I have given up on self-improvement for 2026. I will be the same lumpen, bad tempered hobgoblin
I do not want to be the most optimised version of myself, with a pert Pilates bottom and the perfect slicked back bun. Instead, I want to be useful
If you earn more than €20,000 you will now have to pay into a pension scheme
Auto-enrolment is designed to provide better retirement income for around 760,000 workers who are not members of occupational schemes
Irish homes now selling for 52% more than pre-Covid levels, says Daft.ie
Housing crisis to drag on as building lags demand, Prof Ronan Lyons says, as estate agents seek €423,000 for average family home
Welcome to 2026, year of the pigeon – those gutsy, mangle-footed postmen of the sky
Leave them alone: ‘vermin’ such as pigeons and seagulls and rats are just trying to survive in a world where humans are the invasive species
This was a dismal year for anyone hoping to buy a house. Will 2026 be better?
Cheapest nationwide average new tenancy rent for a one-bed apartment is higher than a first-time-buyer mortgage on a one-bed house
Can breathwork change your life for the better?
Conscious connected breathwork is a technique that can help release stress and deeply held emotions
Twelve of the best new restaurants in Ireland from 2025
From Brazilian chefs to Ukrainian bakers and Irish professionals who have worked abroad, the international influence on this year’s new spots is clear to see
Should we ban social media for under-16s? Irish teens share their thoughts
Australia’s ban on social media for children under 16 is being closely watched around the world - and also by young people
‘Made in Bangladesh’: the reality of a garment industry that fills Ireland’s shops
Bangladesh is one of the biggest exporters of garments - Ireland’s shops are filled with products of its labour
Twenty years ago, The Irish Times tried to predict 2025. It got quite a few things right
Irish Times writers correctly foresaw rises in WFH, sea levels and right-wing politics by 2025 but they didn’t see e-scooters coming, and the home Olympics still haven’t happened
Patrick Freyne: From the removal of joy to global destruction, 16 reasons I hate AI
The weird billionaires behind artificial intelligence are desperately trying to shoehorn AI chatbots into every bit of technology you own
A very grand room and a piece of furniture I’m now bereft to have to live without
I didn’t write a book at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, but I allowed myself the space to think, make notes, write paragraphs, draw and colour
Bike sheds, Molly Malone and ghost buses: the things we talked about in 2025
Future generations will be shaped by a vocabulary of learnings and vacation - and some notions that are resolutely Irish
Separated family Christmas: ‘Choosing between my mum or dad. It always felt like I was going to disappoint one’
Logistics dilemmas, stress and sparing people’s feelings: what it’s like to be a child of separated parents at Christmas
The perfect little Christmas Day playlist: Louise Duffy, Steve Wall, David Kitt reveal their festive favourites
Making a song list and checking it twice? Some well-known names from the music world on their perfect festive tunes
An Irish emigrant’s letter to Fairytale of New York
Dubai resident says Pogues song brings her feelings of hope and second chances
Marty Supreme review: Timothée Chalamet is bravely abrasive in Josh Safdie’s stunning film
Study of an insufferable table-tennis prodigy is an intelligent entertainment as generously stuffed as the greatest 19th-century novel
Elle Fanning: ‘Someone called their dad for the first time in years after Sentimental Value’
The actress stars in Joachim Trier’s acclaimed Sentimental Value, which is an awards-season favourite
Children with dyslexia ‘denied’ chance to learn Irish due to lack of support in schools
Wexford parent says there is a sense of the Irish language ‘not being all that important, so you can opt out’
In a post-truth world, the magic of Christmas is in a category of its own
There’s plenty of pressure, not only to believe in the magic, but to conform during the festive period, to have a holly jolly Christmas and not wreck the vibe
An Irish man in Paris: ‘When you live here it feels like no more your city: a mistress but never a partner’
Wild Geese: Patrick Scallon, Paris
‘My partner and I are in a sex lull. How do we get out of it?’
Ask Roe: ‘On holidays we have much more frequent sex, but never manage to take that renewal home with us’
Christmas howlers: Irish comedians share their funniest moments from Christmases past
From chaotic ferry crossings to ruined toys, some of Ireland’s funniest people share the Christmas moments that still make them howl
Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley: ‘There was an undeniable energy and chemistry between us’
The stars of Hamnet, Chloé Zhao’s Oscar-tipped film, talk Shakespeare, acting and growing up in different Irelands
Is Strictly Come Dancing nearing its last waltz?
The clue is in the title: this BBC show moves people
Mark Moriarty’s Christmas menu plan: two simple dessert classics with wow factor
Delivering a festive wow factor doesn’t have to involve loads of fiddly effort
It is right to be careful about our language after Bondi. But we can’t fall silent on Gaza
Jewish people are not the State of Israel, no more than Irish people were the IRA. Equally, the people of Gaza are not Hamas. But hatred has no respect for logic
Last-minute beauty gifts that still deliver the ‘ooh’ factor
Simone Gannon’s expert picks for presents that feel personal, even when time is short
The only way I could afford to come back to Dublin is if the Irish Government hired me for a very specific role
The only way I could afford to come back to Dublin is if the Irish Government hired me for a very specific role
Letters home: ‘I could barely afford groceries in Ireland, never mind a mortgage’
Yasmin Rather in Melbourne: I’m learning so much. Nurses here have time to show me stuff, back home it was so busy
Life on a remote Danish island: It is the same as west Cork in many ways
I can’t get enough of the outdoors and the crisp cold Scandinavian air that sparkles its power into my lungs
Things larger family members and friends might want you to know this festive period
There’s a pretty strong chance they’re dreading feeling like the literal elephant in the room this Christmas
‘I love being home for Christmas – but my dad uses it as an excuse to drink excessively’
Tell Me About It: I’m bringing my partner home for the first time. He’s not Irish, and I’m worried he’ll judge my family
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
The GlossOpens in new window
Read the digital edition of The Gloss magazine now
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices