In a Word
‘Call me Ishmael, at your peril’: Classic novels with great opening lines – now improved
In a Word: Improvement
In a Word... June
June began to ‘clean’ my place weekly after she had done the same for my landlady. ‘Weakly’ might be a more appropriate term
The internet is packed with kind offers. And they say there are no decent people left
In a Word ... Offers
Trump trades in coarse insults. Other politicians show a more graceful way to prod your opponents
While the current US president takes to social media to hurl obscenities at his enemies, politicians have not always been so graceless
In a Word ... Iran
Pity the Iranian people caught between a barbarous regime at home, Washington and an Israel bent on elimination once again
Whenever I return from the seemingly eternal wintry waterfall outside, I refuse to shower again
In a Word ... Shower
In a Word ... Word
More exciting news about double consonants and double vowels - I really should get out more
A packed Ambassador laughing as Ali McGraw died in Love Story. Ah, those were the days
In a Word ... Retreat
The first quarter of the 21st century is nearly over. How quaint the millennium bug feels now
In a Word ... Retrospect
Mother a God: how Mary and Joseph found room at the inn
Mary was convinced the inn keeper had turned them away because they were from Nazareth
The immaculate misconception: today’s Catholic feast day is not what you think it is
It is frequently assumed to be about the conception of Jesus to a supposed virgin. Not so
In a Word... Birthday
It’s probably time I decided what to do when I grow up: assume a role, be somebody/something
Why did the Irish Constitution not recognise our third language?
You can’t go anywhere in Ireland – Gaeltacht or ‘Galltacht’ – without hearing it spoken
Should I risk disturbing the hungover young woman or meekly go look for another seat?
In a word ... train
Pithy is just not enough to make wit great, it must also advance the meaning of a sentence
In a Word ... Wit
In a Word...Phobia
Conventional phobias of small spaces, flying or spiders are out. What about arachibutyrophobia, the fear of peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth?
Ireland is officially one of the least sunny places in the world – and that can only make it more popular
In a Word ... Tourist
The greatest Frenchman of the 20th century and the Irish blood that flowed in his veins
In a Word ... France
In a Word...Homonyms
How do you explain to a foreign national the meaning of the word ‘grand’, as we use it?
In a Word...Food
When it came to food, we lived in a very monochrome Ireland, spuds with everything, cabbage and carrots with most, plus meat or fish
In a Word...Patrick
When I joined this newspaper years ago, I announced: ‘I am Patsy and by this name shall I be known heretofore. Hear ye me!’ And, lo, so it has been
In a Word... Coffee
A coffee shop experience something of a trial - here is some advice to navigate those exotic menus
In a Word ... Generation
You might say that, by any objective standard, the current designation of ‘a generation’ has become absurd
In a Word ... Youth
A report has found that Irish 15-year-olds smoke less, drink less alcohol and exercise more than their European peers. This is disgraceful
In a Word ... Cork
Cork people believe they have it so good they are not bothered about making an impact on the national consciousness at all. To them, clearly, Cork is all
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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Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices