Breda O'Brien columns
Thirty principals recently published a list of circumstances faced by their students. It includes a parent in prison, suicide in families, neglect of every conceivable kind
How did we get here, where a successful woman’s deepest desire is to lick milk from a saucer on the floor under orders from her intern?
A 2023 study found that young people in State care, particularly girls, were being targeted by older men who plied them with gifts, drink and drugs and then exploited them sexually
It is impossible to understand the former US president without taking seriously his faith, which underpinned his whole life, both public and private
Cynics suffer more depression, drink more heavily, earn less money and die younger; hope is what helps us endure
If even Ebenezer Scrooge can change, perhaps there is hope for the rest of us and for our planet
There is no incentive for students to admit to using AI and every incentive to cheat, while teachers have been woefully underprepared for a revolution likened to Gutenberg’s printing press
Rather than foist assisted suicide on healthcare professionals who don’t want it, why don’t we do something progressive?
It is less easy to hate someone with baffling ideas when you know and like them as a person
By embracing abortion in the 1970s, feminism accepted that pregnancy is damaging to women’s lives, rather than something fundamental to human experience
The top five costs for schools have nothing to do with education but just keeping the buildings heated, lighted, clean, safe and insured. And they’re increasingly unsustainable
People need, want and deserve a proper accounting of the successes and failures of the handling of the pandemic
While being young and female is still no picnic, young men are struggling in multiple ways
Everyone wants senior cycle reform to succeed, but if junior cycle is an indication, there are real grounds for concern
Traditionally, the only non-bishops with voting rights were 10 members of male religious orders but Pope Francis has changed that to five men and women religious
Same students facing frustration at mediocre marks in the Junior Cycle are about to be the guinea pigs for the new Senior Cycle. This is doubly unfair
Our culture is not breastfeeding friendly. We should focus instead on changing that instead
The Catholic Church cannot and should not attempt to compete with a spirituality which is essentially whatever a couple wants it to b
The proliferation of ugly, misogynistic, violent porn online is testament to the fact that sexuality without love or boundaries is damaging
Lina Khan, the Biden-appointed chair of the Federal Trade Commission, has enemies on both sides of the aisle
Seeing teachers as human being who deserve respect would help a great deal to allow more teachers to do what they truly love
Many patients could benefit from an approach that focuses on the whole person rather than just their disease
Divisions over parenting have been grotesquely magnified by the insane algorithmic dance of the internet
They claim to applaud the principles of Christianity while professing none of its faith
Vance does not so much flip-flop as ruthlessly shed anything that does not serve his ambition
Covering up the mosaics of Fr Marko Rupnik seems infinitely preferable to covering up crimes
In Ireland, you can tell people abortion figures won’t rise and still be unaccountable when they double
If enduring weekly injections, nausea and potential muscle loss seems better than being fat, something other than personal choice is at play
The housing crisis, difficulties of balancing parenting with paid work, declining marriage rates and the limitations of assisted fertility all have a negative effect
While people may remain silent in public on controversial issues, in the polling booth things may be different
Aid for those in Palestine should not be based on religion, but Christians face specific challenges
There used to be more than 20 mandatory student practicals in the science subjects but in the new specification there are just 10 to 12 experiments
But students cheating on essays is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to artificial intelligence and plagiarism
Instead of chanting incendiary slogans, I would like to see pro-Palestinian supporters endorsing the work of organisations like The Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF) involving bereaved families from both sides
A culture of diminishing habits of kindness to strangers teaches children there is no obligation to make even small sacrifices for others
A recent programme about Ireland’s abortion services reminds us there are other systemic flaws at the broadcaster beyond financial mismanagement
Hatred is an emotion or an attitude that surely only constitutes criminality when it results in actions that harm others. Intent must also matter
Exam reform is badly needed. But not like this, with vague learning outcomes and too much scope for use of ChatGPT
Jonathan Haidt’s new book has four suggestions for reducing anxiety in teenagers. But he doesn’t go far enough
Why do we persist in believing we can restrict this when other countries have failed?
Whether wanting to be a president or just to secure the right to flexible work or work full-time in the home, it is not easy to be a woman or mother in 2024
Two Irish Times columnists argue the merits and demerits of the proposed changes to the Constitution
The government has failed to demonstrate that the amendments are worthy of being included in our fundamental statement of values
Attention has been focused on the havoc AI can wreak on elections. But maybe we should have been concerned with its impact on war
Advocating for marriage or even stable, two-parent families is seen as mean-spirited, judgmental and meddlesome, but ignoring the evidence helps no-one
Late Taoiseach wondered why the Irish reaction to a challenge to the consensus was to look for ulterior motives
While many Irish people have reservations about the Coalition’s immigration policy, this unease is not the same as racism
The Chosen has over 200 million unique viewers and has been translated into more than 50 languages. But you’ve probably never heard of it
Recent RTÉ documentaries on the Last Priests and Last Nuns in Ireland showed signs we are ready to embrace the positive contributions of the Catholic Church
A cynic might think the proposed wording reflects that the prospect of owning a home is slipping out of reach for so many
The state of the internet isn’t merely depressing. Given that the US, India, the UK and more than 35 other countries possibly including Ireland are facing elections this year, it is also scary
If you look at the original nativity scene, you do not see the weight of toxic individualism and judgment
We don’t need assisted suicide. We need a functioning health service with palliative care for all
In interviews, principals are asked what they would do if confronted by two students trapped in a lift, a parent calling about a child alleged bullying and three teachers off sick when the inspector arrives. That’s a quiet morning
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices
