Journalists

Ian O'Doherty: 'Further uncertainty will only lead to more chaos and bad choices as Brexit reaches its endgame' 

Like many things to have been thrown overboard in the wake of the Brexit vote two and a half years ago, the old adage that "a week is a long time in politics" now seems hopelessly naive.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Calling for a United Ireland? Be careful what you wish for' 

An interesting thing happened up North the other day.

Ian O'Doherty: 'There are no easy answers in the Lisa Smith case' 

To revoke or not to revoke?

Ian O'Doherty: 'Biden could beat Trump, but not his own party' 

There's a reasonable school of thought that if Joe Biden had run against Donald Trump in 2016, we would now be talking about President Biden and laughing at the chutzpah of a TV presenter thinking he could become president.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Lent is the latest easy target for people who think they're being edgy' 

I didn't realise that this week featured Ash Wednesday until the day itself. Normally Pancake Tuesday provides an obvious clue but I don't eat pancakes so the whole thing passed me by.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Once again McGrath has walked into his own punch - but the crazy times we're in mean he won't get the ministerial P45 he deserves' 

As we look across the water to the greatest calamity in modern political history, a range of emotions spring to mind - bewilderment, scorn and downright contempt being the most prominent.

Ian O'Doherty: 'What we're seeing is the battle between the cranks and crackpots' 

One of the great guilty pleasures of life is delving into conspiracy theories.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Lads stop moaning, nobody is out to get you' 

We live in a post-rational age.

Ian O'Doherty: 'As we hurtle towards the Brexit cliff edge, Ireland's caught in trap that even Houdini couldn't escape' 

'How has it comes to this?"

Ian O'Doherty: 'Trump should visit and people should protest - that's democracy' 

If cutting off your nose to spite your face ever becomes an Olympic sport, then we can look forward to increasing our usually abysmal medal count.

Ian O'Doherty: 'It feels like someone is striking down the icons of our youth' 

If there's one thing that remains a curse on human perception, it's "false pattern recognition".

Ian O'Doherty: 'Social media is the Wild West of the internet - but looking to the Government to play sheriff is a mistake' 

When the so-called Momo craze began to capture the nation's imagination a few weeks ago, it became merely the latest in a long line of internet-related scare stories.

O'Gorman finds happy ending in Bantry 

Most people tend to cross the street when they see rough-looking types or homeless beggars. It may not be particularly kind, but that's the way things are.

Ian O'Doherty: 'The Oscars were incredibly ­boring... but were you surprised?' 

Everyone loves a good controversy. It gives us something to get our teeth into, allows us to demonstrate our moral credentials and makes everyone feel important.

Ian O'Doherty: 'There's not much fun to be had when you're in your 40s' 

There aren't many upsides to being in your 40s, particularly when you remain as immature and lacking in impulse control as you were in your 20s. Yet that's the grim position myself and some friends now find ourselves in.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Nobody has the right to gather outside someone's home' 

It's fair to say that this Government is becoming increasingly unpopular with each passing day.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Hate crime or hoax? Smollett row is fascinating' 

One of the more unusual stories to come out of the lunatic asylum that is America 2019 occurred recently with the alleged attack on Empire actor Jussie Smollett.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Populism threatens our island with catastrophe - and Sinn Féin is cynical enough to profit from it' 

There was once a popular TV commercial for an insurance company which boasted the famous promise "we won't make a drama out of a crisis". Oh, to now have such clear heads at the tiller in this country, where it's becoming increasingly clear we have already left mere "crisis" behind and are heading full speed into a catastrophe.

Ian O'Doherty: 'We've gone back to the future with all the nuclear sabre rattling' 

With RTÉ currently showing the wonderful German drama Deutschland '86, we're looking at the very recent, and quickly forgotten history of the Cold War and how close we came to Armageddon.

Ian O'Doherty: 'There's an easier solution than the mob piling in on Liam Neeson' 

One of the interesting aspects of the current cultural climate is that while people have become far more socially liberal than before, they've also become far more judgmental of others. It's hard to imagine that any rational, sane person thinks it's acceptable that someone's career can be ruined in the time it takes to send a single Tweet, or say something the baying mob doesn't like.

Ian O'Doherty: 'There are no easy answers around issue of euthanasia - but it's time we started asking the hard questions' 

As the nation girds its loins and tries to figure out just how bad the next few post-Brexit months are going to be, the traditional Irish fear that our destiny is once more out of our hands has returned with a vengeance.

How colliding continents and mega-floods shaped our lives 

In recent years, so called 'Big History' books have created their own genre. On one level, this can probably be traced back to the globe-spanning success of Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, which was published in 1988.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Churchill row shows it's not just snowflakes keen to stamp out dissent' 

In times of revisionism, such as the one we're currently experiencing, all bets are off - and that can only be a good thing.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Of course we're shocked by callous M50 footage - but not surprised in an age of moral bankruptcy' 

Another week, another litany of deaths on our roads. The crash in which four young men died in a single-car accident in Donegal on Sunday night brought the death toll to 10 for the last week.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Fighting Fyre with Fyre: a lesson in why millennials are so boring' 

I don't know if you've watched either of the documentaries which came out last week about the infamous Fyre Festival catastrophe.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Progessives turn on each other in Terf war of words' 

Oh, what a tangled web we weave.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Our 'message to world' in first Dáil still resonates as days of the free, sovereign nation appear numbered' 

The birth of any nation is seldom smooth, and those first, tentative baby steps into independence are the most perilous of them all.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Joyless vegan fundamentalists just love to wag their fingers' 

Ask most people if they like children, and you won't necessarily be able to predict the answer. Ask most people if they like animals, and you're much more likely to get a positive response.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Gaeilgeoir brigades still turning people off learning Irish' 

Like many people, I grew up with a fairly visceral dislike for the Irish language.

Ian O'Doherty: 'McDonald reminded us of Sinn Féin's true colours when she defended the Venezuelan dictatorship' 

It's unlikely that Sinn Féin's party motto is 'when in a hole, stop digging'.

Ian O'Doherty: 'When did stoicism and competitiveness become a bad thing?' 

Right, first up, the apology. I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry.

Ian O'Doherty: 'It looks like the secession bug has spread and we're entering the last days of the EU' 

As we look on and tremble while the Tories continue to amaze us with the depths of their stupidity, it's understandable that we haven't been paying attention to developments elsewhere in the EU.

Ian O'Doherty: Rees-Mogg, Johnson and other Tory grandees don't know what they're doing - and don't seem to care 

It's happened to all of us at one time or another - you witness a friend, colleague or loved one making a demonstrably bad decision, yet every time you try to rationalise with them, they stick their fingers in their ears and start humming to themselves until you walk away in exasperation.

Ian O'Doherty: 'The new year has only just begun and the war on comedy continues' 

Last year ended in a ridiculous controversy over 'problematic' songs and the new year has begun with a ridiculous controversy over 'problematic' jokes.

Ian O'Doherty: 'It's time to expose the quacks and the frauds' 

If there's one thing you can say about the Irish, it's that we're not short of strong opinions.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Brexit, melting glaciers and a Biden vs Trump showdown...' 

Well, it's that time of the year when we all try to peer into the crystal ball to see what's coming down the pipe for the next 12 months.

Difficult histories: a year of defining centenaries 

It was a year for anniversaries, centenaries and commemorations.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Calamity Shane and "Beast from the East" - 2018 remembered' 

After a mild end to 2017 it looked as if we had escaped the worst of the predictions for a bad winter. How wrong we were.

Ian O'Doherty: 'If Trump thought 2018 was bad, he ain't seen nothing yet - and you can bet it's going to be bloody' 

These are testing times for Donald Trump. His staff are being interrogated, his former lawyer has been sentenced to jail, and the Mueller investigation into collusion with Russia is nearing its endgame, which could see him not just indicted, but arrested.

Ian O'Doherty: Song controversy is about control so let's stop indulging 'moral guardians' 

There has been acres of coverage devoted to the controversy surrounding both 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' and 'Fairytale of New York'.

Ian O'Doherty: Christmas is coming... time to panic and look busy? 

Well, 10 days to go.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Brexit has become a brutal Tory civil war - and now Project Fear is becoming Project Apocalypse' 

There's a famous story from the time 'Seinfeld' and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' creator Larry David worked as a writer on 'Saturday Night Live' in New York in the 1980s. Frustrated at the producers undermining him and leaving all his ideas on the cutting-room floor, he lost his temper one night, unleashed a volley of abuse at his boss and walked away from the show.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Nothing says an Irish Christmas quite like the phrase: "welcome home"' 

I must admit, I love Christmas.

Ian O'Doherty: 'A small commitment to limit the amount of plastic you use will actually have a direct and positive impact' 

Sometimes when you're trying to win an argument, change minds and, apparently, save the planet, you need to bring out the big guns.

Ian O'Doherty: 'We've stumbled into a new Victorian era, in which 'liberals' stalk the land looking for things to ban' 

The problem with hysteria is twofold. For starters, it's extremely infectious. Secondly, those who succumb to this most unfortunate condition seldom realise that they are being in any way hysterical. In fact, they tend to angrily deny any suggestion that maybe, just maybe, they are overreacting in quite a massive and extremely silly way.

Ian O'Doherty: You have to hand it to the FAI - they're full of surprises 

It's one of those unfortunate quirks of sport that, just as Irish rugby reaches heights of optimism which are unprecedented in the history of the game, Irish football is intent on lurching from one crisis to the next.

Ian O'Doherty: It's that time of the year again - please go to a rescue shelter 

It doesn't take much to make Irish people outraged, but then I suppose there's plenty to be outraged by.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Joe Schmidt hasn't just brought success to Irish rugby, he has liberated us from 'moral victory' psyche' 

So, it's a case of - nearly - farewell Joe, and thanks for the memories.

A humbling trek across Trumpland 

There is no doubt that America is now more polarised than ever before. That divide has been widened by the current mantra that anyone who votes for someone you don't like is not just guilty of having a different opinion, but is obviously both evil and morally inferior.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Middle-aged white men on track for a medal in the Victim Olympics' 

Did you know that when Collins dictionary recently added a bunch of new words to their latest edition, they were happy to include a racial slur?

Ian O'Doherty: 'This is what happens when we think we're all stars in our very own biopic' 

Every generation rebels against the people who went before them and gives out about the people who come after them.

Ian O'Doherty: 'New court-reporting restrictions protect the rights of citizens from some fool with a Twitter handle' 

To tweet or not to tweet? That is the question.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Are we witnessing the rise of mob rule?' 

There was a time when calling American politics the "greatest show on earth" was just a turn of phrase.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Whether you agree with wearing a poppy or not, it's only right that we honour a generation of young Irishmen killed in foreign fields' 

As has become our wont, this year's presidential campaign was a bruising and, some would say, farcical affair.

Ian O'Doherty: Apu controversy is another sign of the comedy-police 

Like many people, I now watch The Simpsons with a mixture of sadness and a sort of subdued anger - sad that it has become so incredibly lame, and angry that it's still being made.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Immigrant 'caravan' heading for the States puts our own illegals under US microscope' 

In AN alternate universe which is the stuff of many Irish nightmares, this country is currently girding its loins for the visit of Donald Trump, where he will be warmly greeted by our newly installed President Casey.

Radio: Politicians who don't know whether to spin or to waffle 

If last Friday's election taught us anything, it's that you should never underestimate the sheer, obdurate crankiness of the Irish people.

Ian O'Doherty: 'Vegan hate mob are latest to play the victim card' 

One of the more baffling elements of modern society has been the way we're all told that we're victims.

Ian O'Doherty: 'The poppy - a symbol of fascism or just respect for the fallen?' 

Every now and then a story comes along which is so odd, and just so... ignorant that you have to check to make sure someone isn't pulling your leg.

Ian O'Doherty: Peter Casey's strength was the main parties' weakness - now he wants to take it all the way to the Dáil 

THIS time last week, Peter Casey was propping up the presidential polls and hovering between 1pc and 2pc.

Halloween traditions have changed - regrettably 

For many of us growing up in the 1980s, Halloween was, as they say, a more innocent time.

Ian O'Doherty: In this ramshackle election, he who shall come last shall be... grabbing all the headlines 

One of the most common gripes heard from Irish politicians is their despair at the cynicism of the average voter.

Um, can someone tell me what year it is? 

One of the unfortunate but rather unavoidable consequences of growing older is that you often look around and think to yourself - the world is going mad, it's full of crazy people and things used to be much more sensible.

Don't worry - our seven-year itch will soon be scratched 

Okay, take a deep breath, gird your loins and just keep on trucking - only six more days to go.

We need to stop caring so much about so many trivial things 

Last Sunday provided perhaps the biggest TV event of the year so far - controversial, divisive, eagerly-awaited and eagerly-condemned in equal measure.

#MeToo is going the way of all other revolutionary movements 

Well, happy birthday to #MeToo, you've come a long way in your first year.

Thirty years since Rushdie's verses and we've learned nothing 

For a variety of coincidental reasons, 2018 has been very much the year of remembering times past.

Winter is nearly upon us - we may as well try to embrace it 

Well, that's that.

UK cops guilty of some truly criminal stupidity 

There is a very handy rule of thumb which suggests that if you give someone power they haven't earned, they will always, always abuse it.

Capitalism let us down - do you think the alternative is better? 

Doesn't a decade fly when you're having fun?

Ian O'Doherty: Law that bans filming of on-duty gardaí will never happen – but it's worrying a justice minister should even allow idea to be put forward' 

THEY were scenes which seemed to belong in the Ukraine or Crimea.

The best response to anarchists? Why, mockery, of course 

It's fairly obvious at this stage that we're living through a time of unprecedented tumult - some of that is good. Much of it is very, very bad. What's worse, much of it is incredibly stupid.

Ian O' Doherty: If you need quotas then you don't deserve the gig in the first place 

I was slightly taken aback by this quote during the week, and I'm sure you can see why: "I have refused to see gender throughout my career. I have just operated as a person working in the industry. Maybe it's the bullish part of me, but I just keep on keeping on. I refuse to see those things and if I do see them, I just brush them aside and keep going. I believe that the best weapon you...

Comment: Electric Picnic litter reminds us that every generation is filthy and messy 

There are certain inescapable patterns in life — we don’t mean to follow them, it just happens that way.

Comment: EP litter reminds us that every generation is filthy and messy 

There are certain inescapable patterns in life - we don't mean to follow them, it just happens that way.

The far left and the far right - more in common than they like 

It's often been said that the main difference between the far left and the far right is that the left usually has better music and that is true - given a choice between Billy Bragg and, say, Skrewdriver, I'd be with Bragg all the way.

Fishy tales and a great initiative for September 

One of the more baffling aspects of the contrary Irish nature is our inherited disdain for fish.

Comment: There's no excuse for anyone to contract measles these days - rise is down to fear, ignorance and arrogance 

There are some things which we have happily consigned to the dust bin of history.

A bygone era when the Pope came to town 

What a difference, um, 39 years makes, eh?

The best fairy tales are truly terrifying 

I can never figure out whether overprotective parents are that way inclined because they're genuinely worried for their brood, or because they are weak themselves. The problem with weak people is that they have an unfortunate habit of creating weak children, and thus the new generation of weaklings comes along and repeats the cycle.

Television: Marching on with Miriam... and the rise of President Rock? 

It has already been dismissed in some circles as Northern Ireland For Dummies, but the Miriam O'Callaghan-presented The Long March (RTÉ One, Tuesday), which charted the emergence of the Northern Irish Civil Rights movement was always on a hiding to nothing.

I don't think I'll ever be past my Prine 

There's something tremendously depressing about getting older.

Boris puts his foot in it - not for the first time 

Whoops, he just did it again. Again.

If you look to be offended, you'll find something 

Isn't it odd how some people are only popular when they're victims?

Miggledy is right - betting apps are a bloody scourge 

If I'm perfectly honest, I don't have a lot of time for our President's brand of politics.

Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk - Dystopian satire with a stark warning for US 

The 'Fight Club' author returns to form with this novel about an America fractured along the lines of identity politics

Rural life is fine - but I miss the noise of the city 

I went down to the west of Ireland last week for a variety of reasons, but most of them involved the wife telling me that I had to.

Silly season is turning us all into Mary Whitehouse 

When I was a teenager, I had a bit of an obsession with Mary Whitehouse and her campaign group, the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association.

Trump better have an appetite for humble pie 

How does the old saying go again: the more things change, the more they stay the same?

In an age of madness, common sense is a radical position 

Did you ever think you would see the day when nearly 10,000 Irish people would turn up at a concert venue just to look at a bunch of 'racists, bigots and Nazis' expound their toxic world view?

Against all expectation, this has been a truly brilliant World Cup 

Well, it wasn't supposed to end like that, was it?

Wolf-whistling a hate crime? I've heard it all 

I must admit, I'm obviously not very good at being a traditional bloke.

If you're offended by 'Love Island', you need help 

It's a sad day indeed when you have to use a reality TV show to point out the absurdities of modern life. It's an even sadder day when the people watching the show are actually more awful than the contestants.

Why are people surprised that the Church is conservative? 

'All it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing."

On your bike, cycling cranks... 

We've always been a cranky sort of people, happy to play the poor mouth and claim victimhood whenever something doesn't go our way.

The World Cup is on - time to eat ribs and watch three games a day 

I've never been one for remembering dates or anniversaries.

Rewriting history - Bill Clinton's literary collaboration 

Bill Clinton has teamed up with one of the world's biggest-selling authors and created a strangley dated and far-fetched Washington romp.

Moz picks the wrong martyr in Robinson 

Oh dear, he's at it again.

Forget means testing - just stop allowance after second child 

Steady there, Regina - stand back and take your fingers away from the socket.

The world burns while the courts obsess on Trump tweets 

There are times when it's hard to escape the impression that the universe is deliberately screwing with us.

Ian O'Doherty: All hail the House of Markle - America has a new biracial queen 

Everyone loves a good royal wedding - even those who say they hate them.

Pop stars should never apologise 

They sure don't make pop stars like they used to.

Logic leaves the building as the Middle East burns 

If there's one thing politicians hate and fear more than anything else, it's the dreaded law of unintended consequences.

Wasting time on a victimless crime 

What goes on behind between consenting adults is their own business, is it not?

Ian O'Doherty: After abortion, euthanasia will be our next burning social issue 

For obvious reasons, the last few weeks have seen various words and phrases tossed around with gay abandon.