Advertisement

Readers like you keep news free for everyone.

More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.

For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.

Support us today
Not now
Sunday 1 October 2023 Dublin: 18°C

# Read Me

All time
The Irish For: Cabbage in bed and fruit in a sock - a few lost rituals to help find a suitor
Here are some traditions described in an Irish poem that claim to help find a suitor.
From the Garden: Eat your (locally grown) vegetables this Christmas
There is always a price to cheap food, writes Michael Kelly.
'Feeder school' league tables: Here's why they give parents a distorted view of what constitutes a decent school
‘Feeder Schools’ tables show that students who attended private fee-paying schools go on to attend third-level education at higher rates than others.
Saoirse McHugh: Carbon tax is a red herring, the real climate culprit is the global tax system
It’s time for governments to fix the global tax system, for the sake of the planet.
The Irish For: Don’t like Ulster Scots? Catch yourself on
When seeing Ulster Scots writing, many people are surprised by how much of it appears readily intelligible to them.
From the Garden: Buying a real Christmas tree supports local jobs and brings a certain magic to the home
A real tree is a much greener option than one made from plastic, writes Michael Kelly.
The Irish For: How a fada can make all the difference
The Royal Bank of Scotland did not mention the meaning as Gaeilge of their online banking app Bó.
From the Garden: How to get the most out of your leek crop
Some advice on growing leeks and a delicious recipe for a potato and bacon bake to include them in.
Saoirse McHugh: The end of turf-cutting brings opportunities to increase our energy independence
Here on Achill Island, saving turf is not just simply a way to secure fuel, but a way of life, writes Saoirse McHugh.
The Irish For: The enduring genius of artist Louis le Brocquy
The Irish artist’s painting Táin was sold for €102,253 at an auction earlier this week.
From the Garden: The debate about sustainable foods is getting louder... I've even found myself shouting at the TV recently
This week’s gardening column features tips for growing your own herbs and a recipe for root veg pie.
The Irish For: Are Irish names really that difficult to pronounce?
We should look at names we don’t understand as something exciting to be figured out, writes Darach Ó Séaghdha.
Opinion: Disabled people in Ireland need the right to personal assistance
Assistance is often the difference between existing and living for many of us, writes James Cawley.
From the Garden: Making the most of polytunnel growing this winter
I feel blessed to have so much delicious, nutritious food to hand, writes Michael Kelly.
Opinion: I went to the Saoradh party conference to see where radical republicanism is going
Saoradh is an attempt to give a political face to the growing republican dissent in nationalist areas north of the border, writes Dieter Reinisch.
Saoirse McHugh: We need to talk about capitalism
There will be no climate justice until we move to a different economic system, writes Saoirse McHugh.
Philip Boucher-Hayes: What to expect from an RTÉ programme about the climate crisis
The journalist has spearheaded a programme on Ireland’s climate crisis to be aired on RTÉ1 this Tuesday.
Lynn Ruane: Harm reduction should always come first with criminal drug policy
We should decriminalise possession of drugs for personal use, writes independent senator Lynn Ruane.
Extract: 'Birds are vessels for a lasting happiness that can be hard to find in other avenues of life'
I’ve seen species from my bedroom window that I haven’t seen anywhere else, writes Conor W. O’Brien in an extract from his book.
From the Garden: Food could be the biggest asset of all if climate change worsens
Growing your own food could be even more important in the future, writes Michael Kelly.
Larry Donnelly: Biden, Sanders or Warren look set for nomination... why hasn't the Democratic primary been more competitive?
Huge support for just three Democrat front runners in the race for nomination is unusual, writes Larry Donnelly.
The Irish For: How did Irish céilí dancing end up with a waltz but no tango?
Dances and words travel between cultures in a similar way, writes Darach Ó Séaghdha.
From the Garden: Using celeriac in more than just mashed potatoes
As Winter begins, there’s no better time to pickle some chilis or cook with more root vegetables, writes Michael Kelly.
Saoirse McHugh: The Shannon LNG should not be considered any further by the government
The Shannon natural gas terminal could lock us into further decades of fossil fuel reliance.
The Irish For: Rings, cloth and matchsticks - the secrets of the bairín breac
Oíche Shamhna (Halloween) is fast approaching, which means it’s nearly time for a slice of brack.
From the Garden: Sow your garlic before Halloween to ensure a plentiful crop by next June
Although traditionally sown in December, putting the garlic in the ground now gives it the best chance of thriving in cold weather.
Lynn Ruane: Uniting movement groups in Ireland could lead to long-term change
There is common ground among different movement groups in Ireland, writes Lynn Ruane.
The Irish For - Doomed tales of unrequited love in Irish literature
The tale of Úna Bhán and Tomás Laidir is one of many sad stories in Irish literature, writes Darach Ó Séaghdha.
'It's going to be difficult to establish a solution to the problem that the DeSouza case creates'
The issue about more than citizenship and identity, writes Sarah Creighton.
Saoirse McHugh: Fast fashion is hard to escape, but it is damaging our environment
There is no room, environmentally or socially, for fast fashion anymore, writes Saoirse McHugh of the Green Party.
The Irish For: The varieties of cailín and the deductive Coleen Rooney
Coleen is derived from cailín, the Irish word for a girl, writes Darach Ó Séaghdha.
From the Garden: Using seaweed to compost at home before winter hibernation
Roasting root vegetables has become a staple in our house, writes Michael Kelly.
'I turned to my husband Niall and asked if we could bring the baby back to the hospital'
New mum Nicola Fallon speaks of her experience suffering from post-natal depression.
Lynn Ruane: 'We can't keep failing young people with inadequate sex education'
We are hopefully moving towards a country with a more positive attitude to sex and relationships.
The Irish For: Vegans, vegetarians and the battle of translating modern words
It’s easy to lose the wordplay on English words when translating into Irish.
From the Garden: Harvesting, storing and pickling fresh pears this season
It’s difficult to tell when pears are ripe but there is a knack to it, writes Michael Kelly.
Saoirse McHugh: Community-led rewilding could bring life back to the countryside
It is important to allow nature to do its own thing.
The Irish For: Cuddly mammals and furry predators
The Irish language has many names for different creatures in the wild.
Larry Donnelly: Removing Trump from office is still a remote possibility
How one sees the state of play depends, as ever, on which side of the aisle he is on, writes Larry Donnelly.
The Irish For: How has censorship affected Irish language books?
The banning of Irish language books was less frequent even though the authors produced writing which dealt with provocative themes.