Born-again poet – Frank McNally on the confused centenary of Frank O’Hara
New Yorker had two ‘birthdays’, one of which was to spare his parents’ blushes
An Irish Diary
An Irish Diary
Pidgeon homed – Frank McNally on the repatriation of an Old IRA man from 1970s London
Souvenirs from traditional military salute for veteran at Glasnevin risked an awkward explanation or two
Write on: Eamon Maher on the legacy of novelist John McGahern, who died 20 years ago
The writer’s trajectory was not always a smooth one, but his star continues to rise
The road to Prague is paved with bad memories. I swore I would never do it again
I swore I would never do it again
The Irish airman who survived one of the most dangerous jobs of the second World War
O’Dwyer and his colleagues were on the front line of an intelligence war
The mystery of flying ships in ancient Meath that ended up in a Texas newspaper
Perhaps the strangest twist in the tale’s evolution is the one by which it turned up in 1890s Texas
High-level hyperbolics: Frank McNally on the Irish approach to bigging things up
Be it song lyrics about a beautiful place or the fight to rebuild a public toilet, use of language is always key
Railway rivalry: A race between two trains with an unexpected ending
Even while competing for valuable, and sometimes smelly work, old steam trains crews took pride in their job and skills
Brought to book: Colm Keena on the joys to be discovered by joining a public library
One read takes me back to a winter reporting stint in post-Soviet Romania
Cuckoo land: Alison Healy on a unique clock exhibition that’s coming to Waterford
David Boles has spent more than two decades writing the ultimate guide to the world of Irish horology
I was thankful I had filed away the obscure detail of who finished second to Ronnie Delany in 1956
Not that The Irish Times team needed any help crossing the finish line first to claim victory in the annual Dublin Rape Crisis Centre corporate quiz night
‘Die roaring’: What we can learn from the demise of Doran’s bull and Orwell’s elephant
Orwell’s account was partly corroborated by a police colleague of the time
Double trouble: Frank McNally on the dramatic effect of saying the same thing twice
An ordinary person might ask you to ‘cease’ doing something. A lawyer will require you to ‘cease and desist’, and then you’re in trouble
Frank McNally on a posthumous anthology from a ‘reluctant businessman’ and literary wit
Intrepid investigation reveals Frank O’Dowd and I did indeed cross paths
A cast of characters: Hamnet, Hamlet, William Shakespeare and James Joyce
I did what I could to connect the playwright with Ireland, but it was a stretch
The long and melodious trail from a sweet English barmaid to a former Irish finance minister
The long and colourful path from a sweet English barmaid to a former Irish finance minister
Frank McNally on the lasting legacy of George Boole, a celebrity victim of the Irish climate
He walked the three miles from home to university during a downpour, and then delivered a lecture in drenched clothes
Pipe dreams: Sylvia Thompson on how a music teacher played his way into the record books
Nonstop organ-playing feat spawned interschool music festival now celebrating its 50th anniversary
Voices from the Grave: The mixed paternal legacy of ‘Irish tenor’ Jeff Buckley
The other big influence, on the last two members of the family at least, was the absence of a loving father figure
Murphy’s law: A US Navy Seal, Iran and the Irish connection
Lieut Michael P Murphy came under intense fire and was mortally wounded in Afghanistan in 2005
When Pat Ingoldsby met Vivienne – a Dublin love story
She picked up one of his books and was surprised at how easy it was to read before putting it back down
Getting our oar in: Frank McNally on the perils of linguistic imperialism
Their eccentricity might be charming if it wasn’t for the assumption that everyone else speaks that way
Shakespeare’s dialect is alive and well in south Derry
We have good raisin to curse the divil in my native area
Ernie O’Malley’s century-old memoirs now read like a nature writer at war
In his memoirs, the former IRA organiser wrote in unique detail about the Irish landscape as he travelled the country
Haunted by Hamlet: The sad story of Ireland’s greatest Shakespearean scholar
When Belfast-born William John Lawrence died in penurious English exile at the start of the second World War, his manuscript on the origins of Hamlet was lost too
Why experts believe Shakespeare may have had an ‘Oirish’ accent
Linguistic detectives believe Shakespeare would have said ‘divil’ instead of ‘devil’ and would have drunk a cup of ‘tay’
My AI chatbot tried to gaslight me into thinking Pope Francis is still alive
What started out as a fun photo-editing endeavour quickly turned very confusing
‘O, the drenching grey weather’: Irish rain in 40 wonderful phrases
From October to April, the walls of Limerick glistened with the damp
A history of Ireland, as told through the medium of... rain
It has rained in Ireland every day of 2026 so far. From Samuel Beckett to Flann O’Brien, the country’s literary heritage is awash with the stuff
From daring raids to a sudden absence, where have all of Dublin’s pesky seagulls gone?
‘I have long been slightly paranoid about seagulls and would not be surprised if they’re running night drills for an all-out attack on the civilian population’
How a game of giant marbles on ice became an Olympic sport
All curling stones at the Winter Olympics originate from a once rat-infested, Christmas pudding-shaped rock off Scotland’s west coast
Conservation funding for Belfast’s historic Assembly Rooms marks a turning point
Once a hub of civic life and culture, the building has lain derelict for over 25 years
Watching the Winter Olympics, it’s nice to wonder what might have been
Could I have been a ski jumper? A bob-sleigher? A speed skater?
‘Home Rule in athletics’: Ray Burke on the GAA’s ‘ban on foreign games’
The ban survived the Civil War and was rarely challenged at conventions, enabling the GAA to avoid splits
Books of revelation: Frank McNally on a surprise twist in the Drumcondra book skip saga
In sharing a photograph of the redbrick terrace, I unearthed a hitherto unknown family connection
Rough diamonds: Frank McNally on a geometric oddity unique to Ulster (and Pennsylvania)
While most towns have squares, for some reason they’re called diamonds in the North – whatever shape they are
Not on your life: Frank McNally on the Northern Ireland football star who said no to This Is Your Life
When Tottenham captain Danny Blanchflower was ambushed by Eamonn Andrews and his big red book in 1961, he turned and ran
Gone aground: Cian Flaherty on the centenary of a Waterford shipwreck
Guessing it was a ship in distress, he roused his family to get help and hurried into the storm
Street wise: Ray O’Donoghue takes an evening stroll around Dublin city
It is a thriving, booming city. We just need to join the dots
Weird fishes: Alison Healy on obscure competitions and the contestants they attract
Fancy your chances at fish flinging? The knack is to fold the fish first
Piste off: Denis McClean on the hazards of taking up skiing in later life
I picked up so much speed that it would have meant instant death if I simply fell over
Stage IRA Man – Frank McNally on the real and pretend 1916 Rising of actor Arthur Shields
He went to the Abbey Theatre to collect a rifle hidden under the stage and join the fighting
Taxing times: Frank McNally on what links Thomas Kinsella, TK Whitaker and Myles na gCopaleen
It all started in December 1965, when Revenue returned a cheque sent by the curmudgeonly Irish Times columnist
‘As Irish as the pigs of Drogheda’ – Frank McNally on rise and fall of street singer Mary Connolly
After the Easter Rising, her patriotic ballads struck a chord with the public
Pucking for peace: Frank McNally joins the Irish Friends of Canada on a trip to watch ice hockey in Belfast
There was no violence at the ice hockey on Sunday, I’m happy to report
Firm foundations: Colette Sheridan on a Cork architectural dynasty
Three generations of the same family made important contributions to the culture and commercial life of the city
Brought to book: Alison Healy on some unwise rejections of authors’ manuscripts by publishers
An American publisher dismissed them as unfunny, senseless and dull
Born-Again Brigit - Birthday boy Frank McNally on the rebranding of February 1st
Unlike St Patrick, there is no historical record of her life, so her identity can be endlessly refreshed or reimagined
Poolbeg Lighthouse – Frank McNally on the death of a much-loved Dublin barman
According to the pub’s official statement, Noel’s reign behind the counter was 49 years
Abbey Theatre riots: All theatrical hell broke loose at The Plough and the Stars 100 years ago
Critic Joseph Holloway witnessed the chaotic scenes, where actors broke character to forcibly remove audience members from the stage
Turbulent priest: Frank McNally on fascism, real and fictional, in 1930s America
Born in Canada of poor Irish emigrants, Fr Coughlin began broadcasting sermons to counter the anti-Catholicism then rife in the US
Rain, hail or shine? Áine Ryan on trying to predict the weather before the phone-app age
With the help of a hot whiskey or two, I somehow divined that one of the island’s fishing boats was making a run to Roonagh
Highland fling: Mae Leonard celebrates Robert Burns birthday in Scotland
The poet’s legacy lives on in poetry and music
The spat between Elon Musk and Michael O’Leary was more than just a spat
Despite being widely considered a bit of a loudmouth in Ireland, the Ryanair boss has been practising self-deprecation for decades
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