Ian O'Doherty

Ab fab: Richard Bruton shows off his six-pack in Howth

It's never good news when the nanny state flexes its muscles

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Hang on - is that Vladimir Putin?

Brolly good: Seamus and Sue Watters from Crossmaglen refuse to let the rain spoil their day out as they enjoy a coffee in the rain on Berkeley Road in Dublin. PHOTO: FRANK McGRATH

Ian O'Doherty Opinion The national mood is always linked to the weather - and it's been nothing but rotten

Now is the summer of our discontent.

Ian O'Doherty Opinion The national mood is always linked to the weather - and it's been nothing but rotten

Now is the summer of our discontent.

Nothing Else Matters: Metallica were the first band to go after Napster for 'stealing' their songs

Ian O'Doherty Opinion Q closes and cassette tapes return? This is one very weird year

Another one bites the dust.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin leaves after the first face-to-face EU summit since the COVID-19 outbreak, in Brussels, Belgium July 19, 2020. John Thys/Pool via REUTERS

Ian O'Doherty Opinion Let's be honest for once - 2020 is a bust, but if we're not careful, 2021 could be just as bad

We're only a few weeks into the life of this new Government and, it's fair to say, things haven't been going well for them.

Masked man: Taoiseach Micheál Martin arrives for a Cabinet meeting at Dublin Castle. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins

Ian O'Doherty Opinion Let's be honest for once - 2020 is a bust, but if we're not careful, 2021 could be just as bad

We're only a few weeks into the life of this new Government and, it's fair to say, things haven't been going well for them.

Making it up on hoof: Micheál Martin’s Coalition Government has had a rocky ride from the beginning

Ian O'Doherty Opinion Let's be honest for once - 2020 is a bust, but if we're not careful, 2021 could be just as bad

We're only a few weeks into the life of this new Government and, it's fair to say, things haven't been going well for them.

Summer school date: Mary Kenny created a Twitter storm after asking if she needed to quarantine in Ireland. Photo by Tony Gavin

Mary Kenny, a summer school and desperation to find something new to gripe about gave us the best silly season story in years

There was a time when being a journalist, or even a rakishly handsome columnist (ahem), was rather difficult during the slow summer months.

Ecstasy: Ray Houghton scores against England in Stuttgart in Euro 88. PHOTO: SVEN SIMON

Ian O'Doherty Opinion Thank you, Jack - you were responsible for the greatest single moment of my life

As the old saying goes, nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

Restaurant no-shows are really taking the biscuit - time to make them pay

After enduring months of enforced isolation as a result of the lockdown, it was no surprise that people wanted to let loose and relax last weekend.

Murky pool: JK Rowling has come in for criticism after expressing her views on transgender issues

Witch hunt against Rowling shows the mob is never happy

Oh, what a tangled web they weave.

Bad TV and 80s music: our quirky lockdown obsessions

Banana bread. Connell's chain. Sourdough starters. Joe Wicks. There was just something about lockdown that encouraged us to become utterly obsessed with random things. And some of our obsessions were a little more random than others. Here, four Irish Independent writers reflect on the fixations that have helped them pass the time:

‘Do as we say, not as we do’: Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald during the funeral of Bobby Storey at Milltown Cemetery in west Belfast. Photo: PA

Ian O'Doherty Opinion We should be grateful to Sinn Féin for reminding the people of its true colours

In a properly functioning democracy, we would currently have a stable government with a united vision, a clear mandate and the willingness to park petty squabbles and personal pride in their efforts to help the nation in our current hour of crisis.

Picnic spot: the weather seldom matched the scenery in Kilmore Quay. Photo by Steve Humphreys

Staycation or vacation? On second thoughts, I'll just stay indoors

To fly or not to fly. That is the question.

Spare a thought for the people we really missed most in lockdown: hairdressers

Here are some of the things we thought we would miss most during lockdown: pubs, restaurants, gigs, football and friends.

Unlikely allies: The new Cabinet has emerged under Taoiseach Micheál Martin after weeks of talks between Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Green Party. Photo: Frank McGrath

Ian O'Doherty Opinion There may be trouble ahead but our shaky new government needs to be given chance

It's rare that this column finds room to mention Barry Manilow but in the context of the tortuous formation of a new government for this country, his song 'Looks Like We Made It' seems as apt as any other.

An aerial view of a mother working on a laptop in her office at home with her young daughter string on her lap.

Ian O'Doherty Opinion Working from home seems great now - but wait until November

I was speaking to a friend the other day and she was in great form altogether. The reason for her good cheer? Well, she had just been informed by her boss that she wouldn't be expected back in her office until next January.

US President Donald Trump (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Ian O'Doherty Opinion One's a headcase, the other may have lost his mind… US debate will be great

'This election is going to be an exercise in King Hell weirdness. Neither candidate is fit for office. One is too frail and the other is too mad."

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the launch of a public awareness campaign on the wearing of face masks. Picture; Gerry Mooney

Ian O'Doherty Opinion We are in for a world of trouble unless a new government is formed this week

We need a new government and a new Taoiseach by next Saturday or this country is screwed.

Inevitable backlash: The BBC pulled an episode of sitcom Fawlty Towers

In this arms race of outrage, we will all be losers

Well, that's OK then. It was a close call, but we finally made it. Yes, after all the revulsion at the death of George Floyd in police custody and the eruption of grievances which followed, we're now safely back on track.

Pubs have been closed since March (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

What if you opened a pub and nobody turned up?

Well, we're nine days away from the reopening of many pubs.

Wishful thinking?: Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar and deputy leader Simon Coveney speak to the media at Government Buildings, Dublin, yesterday. Photo: Leon Farrell

Ian O'Doherty Opinion Finally there's some light - but how long can a coalition of the unwilling really last?

Are we there yet?

Nostalgia: Davina McCall, the host of Big Brother during its Channel 4 heyday

Ian O'Doherty Opinion Big Brother seems so innocent now next to its ugly siblings

'Big Brother House, this is Davina. You are live on Channel 4; please do not swear."

Be very wary of those who would erase history and decide what you can watch

If you ever find yourself in the lovely city of Budapest, I urge you to visit Memento Park.

Back open: A shopper walks past a window display of a reopened Zara shop on Grafton Street, Dublin. Photo: PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty Images

Ian O'Doherty Opinion Politicians should take a leaf from us good citizens and prioritise the national interest

So, as we emerge, blinking and unsure, into the daylight of phase two, are we witnessing the beginning of the end?

So if you really want to get the most out of your new working arrangements, why not get a dog from your local rescue shelter?

In these strange days, where would we be without our pets?

A survey was released on Wednesday that claimed that 61pc of respondents felt their pet had boosted their mood. The only surprise in that statistic was that the figure is so low.

Long tradition: A protester outside the US Embassy in Dublin this week. Photo by Frank McGrath

Black Lives demo was a lockdown mistake, but protests are still vital

Well, it looks a bit of common sense has finally broken out in this country. Let's all be thankful for small mercies. I'm referring to the large march that was planned for Dublin city centre this afternoon in support of Black Lives Matter. Under pressure from politicians and the cops and, one would hope, many of their own supporters, it was decided that with the not-so-small matter of lockdown restrictions still in place, it might be better to do your protesting from home.

Fraught negotiations: ‘Brexit, forgotten but not gone, is waiting just around the corner like a patient but implacable mugger.’

Ian O'Doherty Opinion As coalition talks stumble on, voters won't forget who deliberately dragged their feet

Welcome to day 115. If this were the 'Big Brother' house, the contestants would have been released on purely compassionate grounds by now.

Referendums have changed the law, but not our politics

The last week or so has seen the anniversary of the two most important referendums of our lifetime, but because everyone's attention is focused on matters Covid, they've passed with relatively little attention.

Relaxing: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar enjoys the sunshine in Phoenix Park, Dublin

Ian O'Doherty Opinion Confusion reigns supreme as even the Taoiseach breaks own rules to have picnic

There hasn't been much to laugh about for the last few months, but the news that Boris Johnson's widely loathed chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, had been busted for breaking lockdown rules not once, not twice, but allegedly three times certainly brought a grim grin to many people's faces.