Volunteers: ‘Our Christmas dinner is the one we share with everyone, and it’s very special’
‘I just want to make sure we are looking out for our neighbours. You don’t know who needs a smile’
ALONE
‘Loneliness’ main reason behind calls to Alone’s national helpline last year, charity says
About one third of people experiencing loneliness told Alone they did not have someone to visit them
We asked a renter, a landlord, a pensioner, a carer and a wheelchair user what they want from Budget 2025
‘It was alright before my husband died. But on my own, coming into the winter, I am worried’
Housing ‘steadily increasing’ as key concern for older people, committee told
Alone charity provided 535 interventions to support older people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness last year
Dying alone: ‘There’s a huge epidemic of loneliness and these cases are just the thin edge of that wedge’
The discovery of the body of Co Kerry farmer Michael Sheehy over Christmas - six months after he was seen alive - shows the challenges of watching over older people who lead reclusive lives
Vodafone rings in the changes with €3m shop revamp
Telecoms company partners charity to launch Friday drop-in sessions for older customers
Charities for elderly risk becoming ‘overwhelmed’ as Ireland faces ageing population
‘Huge problem coming for housing needs of older people,’ says Alone chief executive
Emergency hubs may be needed for elderly if housing crisis persists, charity warns
Alone chief executive says report seeks to punch through narrative that older people own their homes
More than 40% of older renters expect to rent for the rest of their lives - report
Threshold and Alone report shows 42% of participants are highly stressed over the insecurity of their accommodation
‘If you haven’t returned to doing things you love, I’m encouraging you to do so’: CMO writes letter to older people
Many older people ‘apprehensive’ about socialising following pandemic
‘Loneliness is dangerous. It’s been likened to smoking 15 cigarettes a day’
Lack of social interaction is linked to increased risk of dementia, poorer physical health, lower psychological wellbeing and reduced cognitive functioning
Loneliness: ‘It was awful watching out the window, hoping that somebody would be coming’
By the time Annette Egan was in her late 60s, she had reached ‘rock bottom’ after living alone in her Dublin childhood home for 27 years
‘We are Not English, We Are Scouse’ – Why Liverpool boo the anthem
‘Feed the Scousers’ chants are imbued with anti-migrant and anti-Irish sentiment
Private rental model will see number of older homeless people increase - Alone
Older person’s support group to tell Oireachtas committee 20.5% of people they support have housing issues
Sailing Indonesia’s Raja Ampat islands on a Kardashian-approved superyacht
This isn’t just a boat trip. It’s an access pass to a world where we don’t belong
Twitter staff have an ‘acute consciousness’ of its role on gender-based harassment
Social media can be force ‘for bad as well as for good’, says managing director
Grammy awards 2022: Olivia Rodrigo and Silk Sonic triumph
Ukraine’s president Zelenskiy makes cameo at scandal free ceremony after Oscars chaos
Shane Murphy was a ‘virtuous’ and ‘honest’ man, funeral hears
Murphy was devoted to his family who were rightly proud of his achievements, priest says
Government to consider further action to help with rising energy costs – Tánaiste
There are many other demands for funding, says Varadkar in response to Sinn Féin
Privacy and data security top concerns for older people using the internet – research
Study finds three-quarters worry about making payments in error
Advocacy groups welcome costs measures but criticise lack of targeting
‘Most vulnerable will continue to suffer’, lone-parent organisation One Family says
Jazz musician Brian Dunning dies aged 70
Dublin-born flautist was among the first to fuse jazz and Irish traditional music
Do differences in Christian doctrine or dogma matter anymore?
People have died for their belief in transubstantiation or papal infallibility
Milltown residents say build-to-rent scheme will create ‘a ghettoised population’
Development of 97 apartments on three blocks planned for former Murphy & Gunn site
Emily in Paris? The French call it Leave Me Alone, You Illiterate Sociopath
Patrick Freyne: She has no French yet she’s thriving in a Parisian marketing firm?
Elf is at hand: Seasonal apps to keep your Christmas spirits up
These apps will help you stay calm, organise your gift list, track Santa or dance like an elf
Jarlath Regan: ‘If I can get back to Ireland for Christmas, I’ll go big’
‘We’ll have a Christmas tree with a compulsory Lego Christmas village underneath’
Eddie Howe’s absence sums up typical Newcastle chaos but hope has returned
New manager was isolating in a hotel while watching his side draw 3-3 with Brentford
We need to calm down about Irish people and their accents
Emer McLysaght: We have an odd national obsession with how our celebrities speak
Dear World winners: Irish Times children’s climate writing competition
The entrants held smart, well-informed views on the challenges facing the planet
Evanna Lynch: I never planned for anorexia to be my thing
The Irish actor, best known for the Harry Potter movies, on the early stages of an eating disorder
Core social welfare rates to increase by €5 a week from January
Budget 2022: Weekly fuel allowance going up from midnight by €5 a week to €33
Vodafone to invest €2m in digital training programme for older people
Fears about privacy and online security primary concerns among older age cohort
Ireland faces ‘significant population’ of false widow spiders in next 20 years
NUI Galway’s venom study examines effect of growing colonies of spiders in urban areas
Plans to proceed with raising State pension age meet stiff resistance
Pensions Commission set to recommend retirement age should not increase until 2028
Can the smoky fuels ban be made to work environmentally? What about fuel poverty?
Changes essential to improved air quality but poor must not pay the price
We felt guilty travelling around a beautiful island while Ireland was in lockdown
We spent a year in Taiwan, one of the few places that initially managed to contain Covid-19
Charities and business groups say Housing for All will alleviate crisis, if it is implemented
Ibec welcomes plan, saying lack of housing supply affects Irish competitiveness
Roxy Music’s Avalon gets a pretentious but illuminating overview
Music book reviews: Jon Savage reissues and Will Sergeant memoir among other highlights
Confusion at Cannes as Spike Lee reveals Palme d’Or winner too soon
French director Julia Ducournau’s serial killer odyssey Titane wins top honour
‘To one lonely and isolated person I can change their world’
Volunteers make a ‘huge difference’ in combating loneliness and supporting older people
What happens when Generation Rent grows old?
As buying a home becomes increasingly difficult, renters face challenges in retirement
The best books of 2021 so far: Novels, memoirs, short stories and more
Authors and critics choose the books that have moved and impressed them this year
An Garda Síochána awarded for viral Jerusalema video
Video of dancing gardaí received almost 5.5 million views on Facebook alone
Alone helpline received ‘up to 1,100 calls a day’ at height of pandemic
Older people’s mental health severely impacted by cocooning, committee hears
Free counselling set up for Eastern Europeans struggling with addiction
Cork-based initiative aims to support Poles and Romanians falling through cracks due to language barrier
Act of desperation is ultimate expression of fan powerlessness
There is a yearning among disconnected supporters simply to feel something again
Alonement: Learning solitude skills to make time alone fulfilling and pleasurable
The time is always right for solitude skills: journaling, scheduling time for yourself, treating yourself well ...
Suicides have not increased during pandemic, figures indicate
Mental health experts warn, however, that the fallout post-Covid could be worse than anticipated
‘With borders closed, I’m locked up in a giant playground’
Irish-Belgian Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll climbed into the record books this month following a successful expedition across Patagonia’s highest peaks
The Secret Teacher: I envy the breakfasts I see being delivered during 9am class
Bizarrely, it seems easier to get children into school than on an online class
Stuart Staples: ‘The wrench of leaving a small town was very defining’
Tindersticks singer on Nottingham, TV Personalities cover, Eimear McBride and new lp
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