Throwing shapes: Frank McNally on the mysteries of the Hiberno-English ‘gimp’
Ever since hearing the term applied to myself a while back, I’ve been wondering what it means too
Flann O’Brien
Burning Issues: Frank McNally on an unfortunate metaphor, and the continuing mysteries of the ‘Flannagram’
Copies of At Swim-Two-Birds fell victim to the German fire-bombing of a London warehouse in 1940
Farren Away - Frank McNally on how the dreaded phantom ‘Flann’ picture struck again
Recurring misidentification is in one way an apt tribute to O’Nolan, who spent his career pretending to be other people
Non Habemus Librum: Frank McNally on Flann O’Brien’s unwritten epic about the election of an Irish pope
Like many unwritten masterpieces, the book was born and died in a Dublin pub
All Flowers in Time Bend Towards the Sun review: 19 artists united by Flann O’Brien’s avant-garde multiplicity
Lee Welch and Paul Hallahan’s show exhibits dynamic interplay between impermanence and sensuality
Tom Garvin obituary: Political scientist, author and inspiring teacher
One of a group of academics, along with Brian Farrell, Maurice Manning, Richard Sinnott and Fr Feargal O’Connor, who cemented UCD’s reputation for fresh political thinking
Molecules, metaphors and the place of science in culture
One is contained within the other, but how does that manifest itself?
Between Plymouth Rock and a hard place – Frank McNally on a Sunday night in Boston
An Irishman’s Diary
Room to Disimprove – Frank McNally on the demise of the drawing room and other social tragedies
An Irishman’s Diary
Royal Irish Vocabulary – Frank McNally on the OED’s latest update, which includes bockety, bean an tí and Old Segotia
An Irishman’s Diary
Clear the Decks - on Horslips, hairdressers, and painful memories
A teenage gig when Carrickmacross was called the ‘Nashville of Ireland’
New visitor centre at Custom House explores a wealth of history
The Custom House is seen as one of the most important buildings in Dublin
The year of Ulysses: 2022 marks centenary of Joyce’s experimental masterpiece
Beloved by millions, incomprehensible to millions more, the novel is now firmly embedded in Irish culture
David O’Doherty, the anti-Tommy Tiernan, is funny by osmosis
TV review: Along for the Ride with David O’Doherty, a perfect vehicle for his quirky wit
Scotch Broth – Frank McNally on whiskey-soaked summer schools, the Lough Ness monster, and Flann O’Brien’s poetic mews
An Irishman’s Diary
Courting Controversy – Frank McNally on literary laundering, political beachball, and the history of an infamous street
An Irishman’s Diary
Sporting Passions: Roddy Doyle on his enduring love for Chelsea
‘It’s never boring following them. Even this season has had ridiculous twists and turns’
Rise of Ireland’s far right relies on abandoned social conservatives
Nativist politics have not played a big role in recent Irish elections. Might that change?
Ménage à Trois – Frank McNally on the rule of three, hendiatris, and a plan to change the Olympic motto
An Irishman’s Diary
Struggling to get your head around NFTs? So is the rest of the world
Growing market for NFTs are a boon for digital artists, most of whom sell work for considerably less that $69m
Future Imperfect – Frank McNally on Patrick Kavanagh’s 1950s vision of the year 2021
An Irishman’s Diary
Arts&Antiques: Rare Jack B Yeats book in sale for bibliophiles
Private library of John Wyse Jackson goes under the hammer at Purcell auctioneers
Game, Set, Mismatch – Frank McNally on journalism’s favourite word, Billy Brennan revisited, and a tale of two Zoom events
An Irishman’s Diary
Training session – Frank McNally on the Irish-American cyclist who set a (train) track record
An Irishman’s Diary
Blindboy Boatclub: ‘I had the choice of being a psychotherapist or a mad bastard’
Mask-wearing podcaster and author is first guest at the Irish Times Winter Nights Festival
No Irish Need Apply – Frank McNally on the national hang-up about capital punishment
An Irishman’s Diary
Third Degree Byrnes – Frank McNally on an unexpected revelation in Myles na gCopaleen’s favourite pun
An Irishman’s Diary
On a literary journey with the main protagonist (within 5km)
An Irishman’s Diary travels from Fowler to Flann, via Shelley and Keats
Number of the Beast – Frank McNally on auspicious dates, inauspicious horses, and the theme of fertiliser in Flann O’Brien
An Irishman’s Diary
How lockdown has helped us to save money - and find new ways to spend it
Pricewatch: Meal kits and takeaway pints have become the new camping holiday
Grandeur with magical gardens on Blackrock terrace for €2.75m
The internal proportions at 2 Avoca Terrace are remarkable and the wow factor continues into the garden
The Irish Times view on artists’ incomes: pay them fairly
The arts are poorly paid in Ireland – and many artists are regularly asked, and expected, to work for free
Auction results and forthcoming sales
Yeats wedding tokens, diamonds and a William Scott for €150,000
Have yourself a very vintage Christmas: antique gifts for all
The most sustainable choice of all could also be a good investment
‘In Toronto I paid a man to speak Irish with me for an hour every week’
Why I made the decision to return to Ireland after 25 years in Canada
Paul Merton: Boris Johnson stopped being funny when he became prime minister
Have I Got News For You star on a career in comedy, Boris Johnson and his Irish revolutionary grandfather
Don’t judge a book by its coverage
Donald Clarke: BBC’s ‘novels that shaped our world’ list is terrible in a very particular way
Sailing Ireland’s west coast: the wild, watery Atlantic way
A journey through ancient isles, myths and deadly seas along the western coast of Ireland
Blindboy: ‘Being recognisable is absolute hell’
The Rubberbandit talks politics, podcasts, his new book, and angry men with Patrick Freyne
Worldcon mad: a collision between science fiction and Flann O’Brien
Important principles from the catechism of cliché and a parallel development
At Swim-Two-Bobs – Frank McNally on the mysteries of numerology in the work of Bob Dylan and Flann O’Brien
At Swim-Two-Birds pays extended homage to the number 3 with three beginnings, three ends and a similar number of plots in between
Second-generation Irish: ‘We were outsiders among the English – and the Irish too’
Ian Duhig’s parents emigrated to England in the 1950s in search of a better life. In this essay, he looks at growing up under the influence of Ireland and never feeling quite at home
How Flann O’Brien can help you get a better social life
Step one: Loan your copy of the Third Policeman to someone. If they don’t like it, ditch them
Fintan O’Toole: The Flann O’Brien guide to understanding Brexit
O’Brien’s The Third Policeman – with its unending, hellish plot – is the Brexit Code
Ugly, dated Dublin: Learning to love our concrete jungle
Ellen Rowley is rediscovering the beauty of some of the city’s once-disliked buildings
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