Journalists

Make your way pronto to Porto - Portugal's seductive second city 

With air access booming from Ireland, Anna Coogan visits Portugal's second-largest city.

Global village: Melanie Griffith stays mellow in Aspen 

Oscar-nominated Melanie Griffith took some time out to go skiing in Aspen, and the 59-year-old glowed with health while spending time in the posh Colorado ski resort.

Global village: Lottie lives it up in Barbados 

Kate Moss's half-sister Lottie is fast making a name for herself in the modelling world. Already, the 18-year-old has modelled for Calvin Klein and has graced the cover of British Vogue.

Global village: Adele is heading to Australia 

Chart-topper Adele is set to tour Australia - and why not. Edreams.com has listed some reasons why you might consider going Down Under too.

Global village: Catherine chills in Mexico 

Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones jetted out to Mexico for a break recently, taking her husband Michael Douglas along with her for some sunshine and relaxation.

France: Charming Collioure casts its spell 

The best recommendation for a holiday destination is the reaction you get when you say you're heading there. Whenever I said I was off to Collioure, the faces of those who'd already been went soft and dreamy.

Switzerland: Go on, feel the Bern 

I had completely underestimated the appeal of the common onion.

Nine out of ten cats prefer... Kilkenny 

Going down the country on the train is always great fun. There's the chat, bags of crisps, and watching the fields whizz by - and me and my pal are in relaxed holiday form when we're met by James Doran in Kilkenny. James is our driver for the weekend, and on his taxi tours he regularly shares his knowledge of the area with tourists, and it seems quite a few visiting Dubs.

Silver Muse on the Med: An ultra-luxury cruise with butler and Bvlgari 

Sometimes you find yourself thinking about money, which is exactly what I'm doing while looking up at the €300m Silver Muse, Silversea Cruises' new flagship, which is docked in Marseille in France.

Spain: On the coast in Catalonia 

I'm not sure I'm capable of driving a two-wheeled self-balancing vehicle for 6km through a vineyard owned by the Giro Ribot family in the beautiful Penedes region on the Costa Barcelona.

Global village: Madonna chills in Cuba 

Madonna rang in her birthday with a family holiday to Havana earlier this year. You might want to consider visiting the island too.

Global village: Stella soaks up Parisian sights 

Fashion designer Stella McCartney and hubby Alasdhair Willis enjoyed the sights of the French capital following her show at Paris Fashion Week.

Global village: Gwyneth is hip in The Hamptons 

Gwyneth Paltrow supported her ex-husband Chris Martin and his band Coldplay when they played at the Stephen Talkhouse in The Hamptons, New York.

Global Village: Beach life looking pretty for Pippa 

There's a reason British millionaire hedge fund manager James Matthews has been whisking Pippa Middleton - little sister of the Duchess of Cambridge - off to the Caribbean island of St Barts.

Anne Doyle on her RTE departure: 'I live a less stressful life and I simply have less pressures' 

Former RTE newsreader Anne Doyle is posing for photos on a sunny morning in St Stephen's Green. Pedestrians take a second look while passing her by and once they have determined that they are indeed looking at the woman who once read the news in their living room, they immediately smile widely.

Hollywood's calling ... but life is not imitating art for creative Caroline 

Author Caroline Grace-Cassidy is priming herself for a positive midlife crisis. "Not something overly dramatic," she says confidently, over a latte in the light-filled Atrium in The Westin Hotel where we're discussing her fifth novel, which is all about a woman having a midlife crisis.

Global village: Amy lives the high life in Hawaii 

Comedian du jour Amy Schumer recently hung out with her close gal pals Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn in Maui, Hawaii. So, what could three spirited and lively stars get up to on their holiday in Maui?

Global village: Melania Trump's home for the holidays 

Slovenian beauty Melania Trump has her heart set on the White House, along with her husband Donald. But what does her country of origin have to offer as a holiday destination?

Global village: Jerry judges France a winner 

Newlyweds Jerry Hall and Rupert Murdoch recently took a honeymoon stroll in the French village, Saint Paul de Vence.

50 fab holidays for 2016 

With a choice of so many destinations, there's something for families, couples and singles on all budgets.

Travel: Global village - Nicky Hilton adores Amalfi Coast 

Fashion designer and heiress Nicky Hilton, who married British banking heir James Rothschild at Kensington Palace last July, went on to spent a good deal of the month of August on the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

Global Village: Christie chills out on Capri 

Christie Brinkley and her daughter Alexa Ray Joel added some extra beauty to the stunning scenery of Capri when they enjoyed a yacht vacation around the gorgeous Italian island.

Brescia: Stunning Italy down the centuries 

We could say Brescia in Northern Italy is a middle child, stuck as it is between the better known cities of Milan and Verona on the map.

Global village: Nicole lives it up in London 

Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman has been receiving standing ovations for her performance in Photograph 51 on London's West End. She's even been cheered on by her Aussie hubby and singer Keith Urban, who flew to the English capital to see his wife perform on stage.

Beth joins the family business 

The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. You could even say it's sitting snugly at the bottom of the tree trunk in the case of Beth Cooke, a 20-something-year-old who happens to be the daughter of Sorcha Cusack; the granddaughter of Cyril Cusack; the niece of Sinead, Niamh and Catherine Cusack, and who will soon take the lead role in an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's Oscar-winning film Through A Glass Darkly at the Project Arts Centre.

Travel - Global village: Jennifer's bliss in Bora Bora 

Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux apparently enjoyed their honeymoon in Bora Bora so much that they now want to make holidaying there an annual tradition.

The global village: Sarah Jessica relaxes in Ibiza 

SATC star Sarah Jessica Parker recently became the latest celebrity to choose Ibiza as her holiday destination. She joined the likes of Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Orlando Bloom, who have already been spotted on the beaches of the Balearic island, considered to be one of the trendiest sun spots on the planet.

Karen's design eye has been honed 

Irish creatives and designers are punching above their weight, according to Karen Hennessy, chief executive of Irish Design 2015 (ID2015), which so far this year has seen our design community of clothes designers, architects, graphic and textile artists exhibit in New York, Milan and London.

Hunting terrorists by day, apple-pie mom by night 

Mostly we let other people think about war. It means we need daring news reports and great performances like that from Jessica Chastain as an intelligence officer in Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar-winning film Zero Dark Thirty to shake us out of our complacency.

Three debuts you will want to dive into 

It is summertime, and the reading from three debut authors is highly engaging, and yet exceedingly different.

What are the most romantic things that happen to us abroad? 

Men are more likely to propose to a partner while away, according to a Travelchannel.com report on the most romantic things to happen to us overseas.

Top 10 reasons we fight on holidays 

Ever had a tiff whilst traveling? A hot debate on holidays? A domestic at your destination?

Global Village: Travel quotes to broaden the mind 

"To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted," wrote Bill Bryson in The Best American Travel Writing.

Top Five... The Best of Brazil 

As Daniella Moyles travels to Carnival in Brazil, we take a look at some of the best things the Brazilians have given the world

Delightful debut set in Dublin in the 1960s 

Historical novels are a kind of knight in shining armour for those of us who need dramatics as opposed to a list of dusty facts to make the past come alive.

Global village: Enjoy an espresso wherever you go 

Fancy an espresso while on the go? The Minipresso is a compact espresso machine which you can slide into your bag or backpack, and means you'll never be hostage to an espresso craving ever again.

River Cruise: A mystery solved on the Blue Danube 

Style, attention-to-detail, and the height of service are all in store for Anna Coogan on a cruise through Austria and Hungary.

Global village: The May Queen welcomes summer 

The annual Beltane Fire Festival is a popular pagan-esque festival in Edinburgh which celebrates the beginning of summer by re-enacting the ancient Gaelic traditions of elemental dancing and dazzling fire displays.

Flying High: Nicole Kidman takes to the skies for Etihad 

Nicole Kidman is the latest celeb taking to the skies.

Global Village: How to obey the rules of flying 

One in five people has done business with someone they met on a plane according to a survey carried out by Virgin Atlantic. Yet how do we make a good impression on the person sitting beside us on a plane?

West Cork: Trains, buses and taxis to Inchydoney Island 

Middle-aged, non-driver needs to get to Inchydoney. GSOH, will bring her own sweets, and can be relied on to wind down the window and ask for directions should the need arise.

Wrap up travel tiredness in a scarf 

The first ever scarf with a built-in inflatable neck pillow has arrived on the market. The aim is to let you nod off on long journeys, while keeping you looking stylish every inch of the way.

Global Village - Pippa's break on Mustique 

Pippa Middleton recently enjoyed a family holiday on the Caribbean island of Mustique, along with her sister Kate and brother-in-law Prince William and nephew Prince George.

Man and dog tale makes for great debut 

If ever you wondered who needed rescuing the most, a mangy dog in a pound or the person looking for canine companionship, you'll find yourself coming to a clear answer as you are drawn into the heart of the decrepit middle-aged male narrator of Sara Baume's debut novel Spill Simmer Falter Wither.

River Cruise: Recline and dine on the river Rhine 

Anna Coogan joins the AmaCerto for her first river cruise - a voyage down the River Rhine through France and Germany.

Global village: Beyonce and Jay Z thrill in Thailand 

Beyonce and Jay Z recently holidayed in Thailand with their three-year-old daughter Blue Ivy, and the family was spotted having fun together on a beach.

Cindy Crawford raw: as you've never seen her before 

It's Cindy Crawford uncut and as we have never seen her before.

Global Village: Julianne reigns while in Rome 

Award-winning actress Julianne Moore has been holidaying in Rome, and we've got travel tips for parents, vegetarians and travel breath!

Campaigner Rosita Sweetman reborn 40 years later with bestseller back on shelves 

Every so often things happen in life which make us feel reborn, and this is one of those times for feminist, activist and author Rosita Sweetman. Her eyes fill with absolute delight when she recalls the relaunch of her novel Fathers Come First in the city centre's Origin Gallery.

Arts... 10 ways to love Yeats in 2015 

'There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met" William Butler Yeats said once, and Yeats2015 - a year-long programme of cultural and artistic events to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Nobel prize-winning poet - will undoubtedly make new friends out of gathered strangers.

Global village: The skinny on luxurious bootcamps 

If money is no object, and you want to work off the excesses of the festive season, why not consider a trip to La Réserve Ramatuelle, a luxurious bootcamp located a few minutes from the village of Saint-Tropez?

Global Village: Amal puts the fancy in Venice 

All eyes were on Venice when George Clooney married his stunning bride Amal Alamuddin there in September. And now we anticipate a lot of couples will be heading to the Italian city this year, if not for their nuptials, then certainly for romantic getaways.

Global Village: Faroe Islands expects the last solar eclipse in Europe for decades 

Excitement is brewing over the fast-approaching spring solar eclipse, probably because it's the last eclipse expected to be seen in Europe for decades to come.

Global Village: Vietnam comes top of the class 

Looking for holiday ideas for 2015? TripAdvisor has revealed the spots around the world which have received the greatest increase in positive feedback from TripAdvisor members, year after year.

Global Village: Movies to take you far and away 

Popular travel website Worldofwanderlust.com has nominated its best travel movies, which are guaranteed to take you far away even if you decide to stay put in the house.

Global Village: Katy lets out a loud roar in Oz 

Roar singer Katy Perry has performed in both Melbourne and Sydney on her new tour, but which one did she enjoy the most?

Global Village: Forget peas, it's a passenger pod 

Pod hotels are big business in Tokyo and can now be booked in New York. Yet are you ready for travelling in a pod seat on a plane?

Global Village - Don't be a bag lady in the dark 

Do you often find it impossible to locate things at the bottom of your bag? And have you at times come close to sticking your head into your bag in desperation in your search for your wallet or your phone.

Travel Gadgets: Get snap happy with hybrid camera 

PACKING a camera t go on holidays is a bit old-fashioned, with so many of us now relying on our smartphones for taking holiday snaps.

Global Village: Uma lights up Stockholm as she jets in to get award 

ACTRESS Uma Thurman glowed with  happiness when she turned up at the Stockholm International Film Festival to pick up the Bronshästen Award for her contribution to film, including roles in Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction.

Global Village: When a cave is an early art gallery 

When it comes to checking out art on holidays, Cueva del Pindal in Cantabria in Spain contains some of the world's oldest etchings which are thought to date back to the Lower Paleolithic and Bronze Age.

Travel Gadgets: Earmuffs for easy listening 

Multi-tasking earmuffs which keep ears warm and also allow the wearer to listen to music and take phone calls will be a must-have for young techies taking to the ski slopes.

Things which give us air rage... 

According to TripIt.com, a travel organising app which has surveyed travellers on their pet peeves, being left with less leg room isn't the thing we dislike most about our fellow plane passengers.

Global Village: Jessica Biel takes a hike on hols 

MUM-TO-BE and actress Jessica Biel recently joined her husband Justin Timberlake in New Zealand where the singer was on tour, and to celebrate the couple's second wedding anniversary...

Hilary swanks it up in Malibu 

Oscar winner Hilary Swank and her French boyfriend of two years, Laurent Fleury, enjoyed a beach day in Malibu recently with real estate broker Laurent's two young children.

Travel Gadgets: Introducing the 'Selfie Stick' 

So your arm's not long enough to nab the perfect selfie? Have no fear. The 'Selfie stick' is here.

Global Village: Beyonce loves Paris in the Fall 

Beyonce recently enjoyed a break in Paris with husband Jay Z and their two-year-old daughter Blue Ivy. And in spite of recent split rumours, Beyonce, below right, and Jay Z looked happy in the holiday snaps they posted online from their sojourn in the French capital.

Global Village: Kate favours a new paradise 

Kate Moss has often been photographed on the holiday island of Ibiza, yet this year she spread her wings a little further by taking to the beaches of Formentera.

Clara Kelleher welcomes thousands to improve the world 

Clara Kelleher isn't mad about being described as a serious young woman, yet she concedes she is highly driven, and that her default setting is 'naturally hardworking.'

People: Ben Richards wants to rock like it's 1988 

Actor Ben Richards looks a picture of good health while on a break from preparing for a performance of the musical Rock of Ages at the Theatre Royal, Brighton.

Global Village: Jessica plays mum, and Lisdoonvarna's Willie plays matchmaker 

Stunning screen star Jessica Alba recently hit the beach in Cancun, Mexico, with her family. The Sin City actress was pictured having fun with hubby Cash Warren and eldest daughter Honor (6).

Reality TV star Danielle Hope divines her Irish roots 

Reality TV show winner and musical star Danielle Hope couldn't be less diva-esque if she tried. The 22-year-old winner of BBC's talent contest Over The Rainbow is all about the great opportunity which has come her way since winning Andrew Lloyd Webber's TV search for his perfect Dorothy for The Wizard of Oz, when she beat 9,000 other young performers for the starring role at the London Palladium.

Travel: Giants bring party onto the streets 

The town of Douai is home to one of the most extraordinary summer festivals in France - a parade of giants during which huge human effigies are carried through the northern French town, much to the delight of tens of thousands of locals and visitors.

Like George Clooney, Lake Como is only lovely... 

Look to your left and after the church spire and the very tall cypress tree you will see a villa with a lot of chimneys and that is his villa.’

Flip-flops in which to stash your fortune 

Nobody should have a problem walking along a white sandy beach in an exotic location. The last thing on your mind should be what to do with your credit card, room key or cash.

Raise a glass to bubbles of a different kind 

HOW often have you left behind a bottle of wine you really wanted, and yet were afraid it would break in your suitcase and stain your clothes, never mind leaving them reeking of alcohol into eternity.

LA and the stars 

STYLE icon Alexa Chung recently holidayed in Los Angeles, yet the question is whether she dropped in on any of her fellow stars for a coffee or perhaps something a little stronger.

A Taste of Luxury: 100 Getaways around the World 

Taschen's new book, 100 Getaways around the World, is jam-packed with glossy photos of some of the best hotels in the world – and by 'best', Taschen doesn't mean the most expensive or the most heavily promoted, but hotels which give guests that little bit extra – be it a balcony with breathtaking views, or a sumptuous bed and hand-ironed linens, or freshly cut flowers in your room.

Travel - Global Village: Where the celebs hang out 

The question is whether Ibiza will again this year be the celebrity hotspot it was last year, and whether celebs such as Rita Ora, Liam Gallagher and Denise Van Outen will again make the Mediterranean island their number one summer destination. Other well-known faces who last year holidayed on the island, which is famous for its club scene, though considered to be one of the most stunningly beautiful islands in the Med, included Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch, and footballer Peter Crouch along with his wife Abbey.

Get ready for take off, with a handy Aero-Tray 

TIME is of the essence when you're on a work deadline, especially when you're on an airplane.

Global Village: Pining for postcards 

Now we're all snapping photos of our holiday destinations on our mobiles while we're away, and texting them to people, how many of us are bothered to send postcards?

Global Village: Bon vacances for young guests 

The notion of a kiddies' club has just got an upgrade at five-star Le Royal Monceau Raffles Hotel in Paris, where children staying in the luxurious hotel are offered a cultural programme and visits around the City of Light's many attractions.

'Unlikely' opera star whose career is hitting high notes 

WITH her cascading pop star curls and her Indie music funky dress style, it's not surprising Claudia Boyle elicits astonished responses when she reveals she's an opera singer whose everyday job involves singing arias in Italian.

Global Village: Try out a holiday before you buy 

Soon we'll be able to check out a holiday destination before making a booking. Virtual reality headsets will allow us to visit our dream holiday spots before ever boarding a flight, according to a new report on the future of travel.

Godard makes a return to Cannes film festival 

AFTER three years of absence, renowned French director Jean-Luc Godard will return to the Cannes Film Festival this year with the film Goodbye Language (Adieu au langage).

Stars flock to Maui 

YOU can tell a lot about a holiday resort by the type of star power it attracts. And of Hawaii's many islands, Maui seems to attract the most celebrity visitors, whether it's Paris Hilton to top up her tan, or Megan Fox (inset) to tie the knot with Brian Austin Green in an outdoor ceremony on the island's romantic coast.

Enjoy the taste of Paris with a palatable book 

Anyone who enjoyed the movie Julie & Julia, about the American chef Julia Child who spent time learning to cook in Paris, will want to get their hands on Ann Mah's new book, Mastering the Art of French Eating: Lessons in Food and Love from a Year in Paris. Mah is a diplomat's wife – as was Child – who found herself upping sticks to move to Paris when her husband Calvin was stationed there for three years.

'My hope is that others will find this book useful' 

LOUIS Hemmings and his wife Liz were doing their best to get their first-born son Lawrence ready for the arrival of a new sibling, encouraging the toddler to kiss his mum's protruding belly and talk to the new baby.

Great-grandson traces history of Great War brothers-in-arms 

THE remarkable story of eight Sligo brothers who fought in the First World War has finally been recorded for posterity by one of the soldiers' great-grandsons.

WHAT THE STARS SAY 

Award-winning choreographer Dame Gillian Lynne, aged 88, has released an exercise DVD for "oldies", arguing that it is "absolute death" to sit around doing the crossword.

There's so many ways to help find your perfect match 

Anna Coogan on some ways to find love

California dreaming with Coachella 

EVERY young thing who fancies themselves as the next big thing – be it musically, as a model or a media personality – takes themselves off every year to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Field, in Indio, California.

Host of talent set to debate at Franco-Irish festival 

A STARTLING thing about hearing an author speak is that sometimes they sound so completely different to the voice which was in your head while you were reading their work. The Franco-Irish Literary Festival is a fantastic opportunity to put an actual voice on some of the newest Irish writers on the block.

Three friends find perfect harmony as The Evertides 

Three young women are preening and posing in a sunlit house in Ranelagh, and the atmosphere is playful as The Evertides get ready to have their photograph taken. When the talk turns to how these three talented young performers, all classically trained musicians, feel they have such cracking chemistry on stage, you just know this is no mere PR line. "The three of us sang Scarlet Ribbons at the Theatre Forum in Galway in 2011, and it was instinctive, we each knew where to come in," says Alma, 29, of the moment the girls gelled as performers.

Night at the opera 

Torture, murder and suicide – you can find it all in Puccini's opera Tosca, which was first enjoyed by audiences in January 1900. It's based on Victorien Sardou's 1887 French-language play, La Tosca.

Sofia's Sydney sojourn 

ACTRESS Sofia Vergara turned heads recently when filming scenes for the sitcom Modern Family in Sydney.

Size matters when choosing backpack 

The backpack was once the humble symbol of the budget traveller.

Check-in change will cut down on stress 

Want to avoid the early- morning queues at check-in? Aer Lingus has come up with a solution which may make the airport experience much less stressful for travellers.

Global Village: When Rover just has to come too 

Leaving the family pooch behind can ruin a family break. You miss their friendly eyes and doggy hugs, and find yourself calling out their name on long lonely walks in the countryside. Ireland's Blue Book has come to the rescue with a list of pet-friendly houses and restaurants for anyone who considers their canine companion an essential part of any getaway.

Travel: Be romanced by the Venice Carnival 

IT'S time to come out from underneath your umbrella after a long winter, and Venice Carnival 2014 is probably the best excuse at this time of the year for letting your hair down – or putting it up for a series of balls.

When love blooms later 

MARIE STAUNTON & CHRISTOPHER HEAVEY

Obituary: Betty Cooper - Modest, jolly shopkeeper cast into sectarian boycott of 1957 

An announcement of the death of Betty Cooper last week described her as "the life and soul of (the Wexford village of) Fethard".

Travel: Global Village 

Updates -- from the tropical island of Mauritius to the troubled state of Egypt.

Anglo Tapes one of year's biggest Twitter storms 

THE Anglo Tapes scoop, the election of Pope Francis and the Seanad referendum were the topics that got people talking on Twitter this year.

Woven into history - the story of the 1913 Lockout 

THE dramatic story of the 1913 Lockout has been captured in 30 giant and colourful tapestries.