A critic of this column thinks there’s too much negativity about Ireland, not enough about Australia’s beaches
That reader should know that, even though I live 3½ hours from the coast, I am taking her concerns on board
Australia offers me a more dignified life than the one I had in Ireland. It’s not unpatriotic to say so
Like many emigrants, the reality is that I am more invested in Ireland than the country I have moved to
Australia is so very far from Europe and US, and yet is as deeply rooted in Anglosphere norms, customs and culture
If you’re having an out-of-body experience, pasta and cheese may not strictly fix it, but they certainly won’t do you any harm
Like many two-year-olds, my nephew hates socks and loves blueberries. He’s also unlike other little boys
Tom is not the problem. It’s the rest of us
Laura Kennedy: Australians respond differently to nature compared to Irish people
I awoke early one morning in Canberra to a bizarre sound. What the actual f**k is that, I thought, a pterodactyl? It was a magpie, but not like the ones I’d known
This could be a crazy week. Here’s one way to stay sane
The best way to stay sane this week is, as Marcus Aurelius recommended, to extend more generosity to other people’s crazy
When you return home to Ireland from abroad, you notice that everyone is a little changed
Laura Kennedy: It shouldn’t take a trip back to realise that home is, above all, people
Laura Kennedy: Long-haul flight tips from snore-proof ear plugs to tummy-friendly food
Since friends or family giving Irish emigrants helpful information is forbidden in our culture, you can rely on me to do it for you
I received an autism diagnosis at 34 and sat quietly with it in some discomfort
It may help explain why I have so often been described as ‘aloof’ or rude, or not having the expected emotional responses in various contexts through my life
Choosing to leave home can leave people you love feeling slightly rejected
Laura Kennedy: When I return from Australia to visit home, I sit in the consequences of that choice to leave
I got Limericked before I even made it out of Shannon Airport – a record, even for me
It’s a joy to be home, but sometimes I wish Ireland would just let you love it without all the complexity
Is the notion of settling down a luxury my generation can’t afford or take for granted?
When you make the decision to emigrate, you’re forced to think about your life and future in a way that you can avoid more easily in familiar surroundings
I felt an urge to ‘scroll’ past some living people. My online and offline lives had blurred
Unthinkable: We have become more interested in the representations of things than the reality of those things
Five accessible reads to begin with if you’re new to philosophy
If you’re not already an enthusiast, don’t start at Kant or Nietzsche
As an Irish person in Australia, I can try to think of myself as suave and worldly, but I’m nothing of the sort
If you’re Irish, you’re always Irish in every situation. We can’t be anonymous anywhere