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Ian O'Doherty Opinion As a nation, we have lost our ability to take a joke – yet we laud cod-Irish stereotypes perpetuated in ‘Banshees of Inisherin’

Offensive. Racist. More anti-Irish bigotry from Hollywood. That was the general response to the recent Saturday Night Live sketch that seems to have left so many of us foaming at the mouth with a weird, incandescent rage.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion Tories can’t rail against cancel culture and at the same time call for the BBC to sack Gary Lineker

It’s a rare day when you stumble across a story and realise absolutely everybody involved is in the wrong.

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Ian O’Doherty Opinion There’s a lot to be angry about in Ireland – but the homeless crisis is our great shame

It’s very easy to be angry at this country. It could be anger at the often rotten state of our politics. It could be anger at the way big tech companies seem to rule us. It could be anger over the environment or the lack of interest in tackling the climate crisis.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion Invoking God and going solo on nuclear arms – why unhinged Russian president Vladimir Putin’s erratic rant should worry us all

Friday will mark a year since the Russians launched what was supposed to be a brief “special military operation” in Ukraine, and the situation just seems to get worse.

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Ian O’Doherty Opinion US military and politicians are taking UFO incursions seriously – strange times indeed

Let’s face it, the last few years have been rather odd, to say the least.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion A dog is not just for lockdown – but sadly, countless people never got that message

The news was depressing but not surprising. According to this week’s report from Dogs Trust Ireland, 397 people have “surrendered” their dogs since Christmas – a 33pc increase on what they would usually experience at this time of the year.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion It saddens me to say it, but even Brexiteers must now admit they’ve been sold a pup

They say time flies when you’re having fun. Yesterday marked the third anniversary of the completion of Brexit, and while it seems time has flown by, nobody has been having any fun.

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Ian O’Doherty Opinion The bloody battle for Ukraine has the potential to become even more horrific if Vladimir Putin gets his way

Well, are you bored yet?

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion Gender-neutral awards? Virtue-signalling Hollywood celebs should be careful what they wish for

Well, it’s that time of the year. No, I’m not referring to the fact that the weather is miserable, everyone is broke and just wants to stay in bed, and the general mood is one of a vague despondency.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion When brothers collide – Britain’s Prince Harry is fighting a war he can never win on a desperate mission to bring down the monarchy

When I was younger, my father and his brother had a massive falling out that lasted for decades. It was toxic and vicious and, in hindsight, utterly pointless.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion When it comes to Love Island, resistance is futile

It’s safe to say that we’ve all endured a pretty rotten couple of years. First there was Covid and the lockdowns that resulted in a new form of social confinement and isolation. That inevitably resulted in our economic slump, which the experts all agree is going to get worse before it gets better.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion Unlike in the UK, a solidarity exists here – so let’s hope 2023 is a year of real progress for our people

That was one rotten year, wasn’t it? Last year seemed to be its own conveyor belt of misery as bad news followed bad news. That’s why the annual release of previously classified State Papers is always a welcome diversion.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion Why I’m so excited about the chance to sit back and enjoy the extended boredom

So, how are you feeling? Still stuffed from the turkey? Still a little bit hungover? Still wondering how, or even whether, you should apologise to that immensely annoying family member you had a massive row with when the conversation turned to politics?

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion I have only one resolution: skip New Year’s Eve

So, how was it for you?

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion The World Cup final was glorious, by all accounts – boycotting it broke my heart but I’m still glad I did

Not for the first time, the joke was on me. I spent last Sunday grumbling and muttering to myself as I pottered around the kitchen, making the dinner and reading the papers.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion It’s hard to feel festive this year but we have to give it a shot

So, are you feeling it yet?

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion The sneakily taken video of Leo Varadkar in nightclub is another example of sinister digital voyeurism – he deserves his privacy

It’s a rare day when a controversy occurs and absolutely nobody emerges with any credit.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion The real winner of the World Cup? Roy Keane

It’s rare that one man can unite a foreign nation in rage and hatred against him.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion Before demonising all big dogs, remember that behind every bad pet is a worse owner

Who let the dogs out? Quite a lot of people, it would appear. There seems to have been a massive increase in dog attacks in the last few months in both Ireland and the UK and it’s genuinely concerning.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion Credit to Harry and Meghan, their new show is a must-watch

Set your faces to stunned, as they didn’t quite say on Star Trek.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion Christmas comes earlier each year, but maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all

Well, it’s that time of the year again. In fact, it seems to have been ‘that time of the year’ for the last few weeks.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion At last, assisted dying is about to get the attention it needs

Well, about time. For many people, it’s probably too little, too late, but when Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl announced this week that we would finally see a special Oireachtas committee designed to look at assisted dying “as soon as humanly possible”, many campaigners will have rejoiced, albeit reluctantly.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion Infantino’s infantile speech adds insult to injury as World Cup sullied by slave host nation

‘Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arabic. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel like a migrant worker.”

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion Trump has turned into the Jim Jones of US politics

"Ah, look man. You’ve had a bit too much and you’ve been here for way too long and now you’re just boring people and to be honest, you’re freaking them out a bit. It’s nothing personal, but you’re making the others feel uncomfortable. Can you please just leave before things turn ugly?”

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Ian O’Doherty Opinion As the population explodes, we’re living longer – and heading for a total disaster

The news from the United Nations that the world’s population has hit eight billion certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion I won’t watch a minute of this grotesque World Cup

I hear you’re a racist now, father!

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion Why my lack of surprise at these disgusting revelations? Well, I’m a past pupil of Templeogue College

It just never stops, does it? The lies, the sexual abuse, the physical abuse, the intimidation, the mealy-mouthed and half-hearted apologies. Just when we think we’re out, we’re dragged back in.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion What exactly is hate speech? Maybe I’ll find out in court

Here we go again with another new law from the Nanny State’s bandwagon.

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Former Loaded editor James Brown: ‘Going out with the Irish players was like being a Beatle’

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Depending your perspective, that is. Yes, we’re talking about the 1990s, a decade Eddie Izzard recently condemned as “toxic”.

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Ian O'Doherty Opinion The dark winter months are cold and depressing – which is why we must find ways to let the light shine through

Winter is coming. The three most depressing words in the English language and not just because various characters in Game Of Thrones used to utter that phrase with a sense of dread and despondency.