Can an EV replace a VW Golf GTD estate?
Motors help desk: Practical advice on your motoring queries, from buying, selling or issues you have with your current car
Advice
‘My son has intense meltdowns, including hitting, when asked to do reasonable things’
Ask the Expert: Things can escalate so quickly that it is frightening
‘I have four children and feel overwhelmed all the time’
Ask Roe: At 53, I feel like a hamster on a wheel. I’m stressed, anxious and resentful of taking on more tasks, even if they are essential
‘I’m on the verge of walking away from my friend who seems to be a narcissist’
Tell Me About It: I was aware they had become distant from other friends in the past, but never knew exactly why
Which small used automatic car is best for a learner driver?
Practical advice on your motoring queries, from buying, selling or issues you have with your current car
‘Our children are grown and I don’t know what is left in our marriage without them’
Ask Roe: If the distance between you feels considerable, that does not necessarily mean the relationship is over
Your gardening questions answered: Is there a quick way to germinate parsnip seed?
It will need a fine, friable, stone-free, weed-free, moist but free-draining soil in full sun or very light shade if it’s to germinate well
A professional’s approach to clearing a home following bereavement
‘Older people care more about someone else appreciating what they really appreciated and worked hard for’
‘Some days I genuinely feel like my life would be happier without my husband’
Tell Me About It: I don’t like my husband right now, and I’m scared I’m moving further from a place of liking him
We’re trying to sell our home but there’s a problem with the title deeds. What can we do?
We’re bogged down in what seems like an extreme bureaucratic quagmire
‘Can I say something to my son and daughter-in-law about their parenting?’
Ask the Expert: My son says his child is getting an ADHD assessment, but I think they’re making too big a deal of his problems
‘I had an affair and ended my marriage, and I keep obsessing over why’
Ask Roe: I am now in midlife, regretful that I wasted years, and broke my own moral code. I am grieving for many reasons
‘My long-time friend implied to my spouse that I was having an affair’
Tell Me About It: A long-standing pal implied to my spouse that I was seeing other people, which was a complete lie
My elderly mother’s neighbour has blocked access to the side of her home. What can we do?
They built a shed and removed all access to the gutters and windows at the side of her home
Which is the best robot car to buy?
Practical advice on your motoring queries, from buying, selling or issues you have with your current car
‘I’m in my 30s and I want so badly to have a first love, but I am losing hope’
Ask Roe: I want so badly to have a first date, a first kiss, a first love, and am finding it harder with every year that passes to stay hopeful
‘Am I better to be truthful to my teenage son and tell him about his dad?’
Tell Me About It: My son was conceived from a sexual assault, there was no relationship, and his father was never there for me in any way
Should I buy a used car privately or through a dealership?
Practical advice on your motoring queries, from buying, selling or issues you have with your current car
‘We’re worried about our daughter, who’s in sixth class and has difficulty making friends’
Ask the Expert: The teacher says she spends a lot of lunchtimes alone
‘I can’t find any interesting men in Ireland. They are emotionally and sexually conservative’
Ask Roe: I travel a lot and at home I find the talent available never left Ireland for more than a holiday
‘I rarely bring up my sexuality in front of family, for fear they will not love me’
Tell Me About It: ‘I am not sure if I should be confronting them, or continuing to shut down during these conversations for the sake of peace’
Should I fit a dashcam, and which one should I get?
Motors help desk: Practical advice on your motoring queries, from buying, selling or issues you have with your current car
‘My girlfriend regularly texts her ex-boyfriend. Am I being too insecure about it?’
Ask Roe: She explained that before their relationship they were just friends and she wanted to keep that friendship
‘I want to continue to give up alcohol, but I’ve relented due to pressure from my spouse’
Tell Me About It: I no longer enjoy drinking and would really like to cut it out. What should I do?
Do I pay the service charge on my car-park space, or is it my landlord’s responsibility?
The owners’ management company insists the payment must be made by the landlord
How can I import a car from Northern Ireland, and avoid VAT and import duty?
Practical advice on your motoring queries, from buying, selling or issues you have with your current car
‘My 14-year-old daughter wonders if she is gay and feels confused’
Ask the Expert: Stating clearly your love and acceptance gives your daughter some freedom to discover her sexuality and identity without judgment
I’m in my 60s with a pleasant companion – is it asking too much to want more?
Ask Roe: I’m beginning to wonder if we are just friends. We never sleep together
‘Most people are thinking about themselves’: Inspiring women share their life lessons
To mark International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the power of hindsight as a range of influential women give advice to your younger selves
‘I was away for the weekend, looked at the doorbell camera and could see my boyfriend moving out’
Tell Me About It: I am in my mid-30s, and I know I want commitment. Do I wait in hope for my boyfriend, or move on?
Where have all the affordable seven-seater cars gone?
Practical advice on your motoring queries, from buying, selling or issues you have with your current car
The neighbours won’t replace a roof that is causing a leak in our home. What can we do?
Our neighbours are put out as they say they’re not seeing any water coming through their roof
‘My partner lives in terror of Covid-19. We even had to cancel our wedding’
Ask Roe: ‘She insists I wear a mask all day, and we have separate bedrooms and bathrooms’
‘My sibling turns every family event into a scene where they are the star’
Tell Me About It: ‘They are never satisfied with the level of attention they get – so I don’t really bother trying’
How do I buy second-hand petrol or hybrid car under €25,000?
Practical advice on your motoring queries, from buying, selling or issues you have with your current car
A designer’s tips on building the garden of your dreams
With some careful thought and a clear plan, even the simplest garden can be transformed
‘I feel sexually muted but I don’t want to blow up my marriage’
Ask Roe: Sex with my husband has always been fine, nothing more. It’s familiar to the point of numbness
‘I left my husband, but things are messy ... everything is about money now’
Tell Me About It: Seek professional support now and begin the process of creating separate lives
How did someone apply for planning permission on my father’s land without his knowledge?
Property Clinic: The prospective buyer didn’t have written or even verbal consent
I don’t like the way our owners’ management company is being run. What should I do?
I’ve always had a difficult relationship with the OMC, and have questions about its decisions
I’m in my 50s and want to start over with the one who got away
Ask Roe: It had been years since we met, and in our 20s we were in love with each other
How can I start growing my own plants from seed this spring?
Is it worth investing in an electric propagator?
Relationship experts on secrets to long-term love
Love isn’t something you secure once and protect from change. It’s something you keep on creating
‘My siblings did not inform me of my mother’s death’
Tell Me About It: ‘Since I disclosed familial sexual abuse, I have been estranged from my parents and siblings’
I spent over €5,000 on repairs to our new roof but it’s leaking still. What should I do?
Property Clinic: What rights do I have when my builder does not do the job I have paid them for?
‘My boyfriend is so kind and loving, but I feel a bit bored’
Ask Roe: I’m worried if I leave I won’t find someone as caring as him, but I also feel stuck
‘I’ve had a traumatic event, but my best friend has not really shown up for me’
Tell Me About It: ‘This person has changed from caring to much more hard-nosed’
How do I convince my boyfriend to stay connected to his difficult family?
Ask Roe: He can’t understand how I can associate with family and friends who think differently to me
‘My son spends hours gaming and on YouTube. He has become slightly overweight and I am worried’
I am worried that my older son will suffer because we do not have the bandwidth to make sure he is getting what he needs
Will our timber-frame home extension last or will it need to be demolished and rebuilt?
Property Clinic: Would we be better off building with traditional masonry?
‘I am a separated dad and my 15-year-old daughter won’t talk to me’
Ask the Expert: I’ve tried talking to her mum about this but she says there is nothing she can do
When it comes to discarding used batteries, there’s a right way and a dangerous way
Batteries are considered hazardous and require special handling. The good news is they can be recycled for free
‘Can I raise doubts about my relationship without ending it?’
Ask Roe: Marriage and children are on the horizon for us but I’ve started to question whether it is what I want
‘None of what I intended to do with my life has materialised but I struggle to make a decision to change it’
Tell Me About It: ‘For the umpteenth time I have questioned what I am doing there and how I should change my life to something more meaningful’
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices