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Budget 2027: Fifteen years on, it’s time to rethink the USC

The Universal Social Charge was introduced as an emergency measure, but workers still pay it on every payslip. Budget 2027 should start a serious...

latest 7

TheJournal

Nick Charalambous

Making housing a human right is the reset we need to succeed

A new Bill tomorrow puts the Housing Commission’s recommendation for a referendum back in the spotlight.

yesterday 10

TheJournal

Rory Hearne

Is coffee good for you? Yes, but don't drink too much or have it too hot

Research suggests moderate coffee consumption may have surprising health benefits, but there are some reasons not to overdo the caffeine.

yesterday 10

TheJournal

Dr Stephen McWilliams

Data centres and the midterms: Trump’s AI gamble is becoming a political liability

America’s tech billionaires once promised an AI-powered economic boom, and Trump bought it. Now data centres are becoming a key election issue.

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TheJournal

Marion McKeone

Ireland can't move forward unless its young people stay and it embraces migration

An ageing population, a looming labour shortage and a housing crisis are colliding with a generation increasingly wondering if they can build a future...

previous day 10

TheJournal

Kelly Earley

Ireland says it stands with Palestine. So why did we play Israel?

The FAI’s handling of the Nations League fixtures shows that when it comes to standing up for those who have no voice, words are not enough. It’s...

monday 10

TheJournal

Fintan Drury

Burnham's new man in Belfast hasn't been here long enough to grasp how big a 's***show' this is

The return of an Orange parade to the Garvaghy Road has reopened old wounds after 28 years, and has exposed the deep political and community divisions...

monday 10

TheJournal

Brian Rowan

When did filling the supermarket trolley become an ethical head melt?

Trying to feed a family now while navigating nutrition, animal welfare, sustainability, global politics and the ever-rising cost of the weekly shop...

monday 10

TheJournal

Niamh O'Reilly

Money Diaries follow-up: A fintech worker on €65K living in Dublin

This week, our reader beats the post-holiday blues by getting stuck into work, watching some good TV and running a half-marathon.

27.09.2026 10

TheJournal

The Journal Reader

Taking CAP from 'hobby farmers' is not going to strengthen Ireland's food security problem

The battle over who qualifies for EU CAP supports exposes a bigger problem in Irish agriculture, in that we export huge quantities of food while...

27.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Dr Pippa Hackett

Hot school lunches need a rethink. Could including cold options be the answer?

Ireland’s new hot school meals scheme may have its challenges, but it could help transform children’s eating habits, and cold lunches might just...

26.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Dr Catherine Conlon

Dublin City Council not at war with Christmas, but with basic organisation and communication

Which is worse, by the way.

26.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Carl Kinsella

It doesn't make any sense, but I fell in love with this 'not-really-a-car' car

After a three-week fling with the oddball Citroën Ami, Ballycotton is sad to see it go.

26.09.2026 30

TheJournal

Paddy Comyn

Trump keeps on Trumping as midterms approach, but that doesn't mean the Dems are a shoo-in

As an embattled Trump wages war on the media ahead of the midterms, the question is whether voter anger will translate into support for his opponents.

25.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Larry Donnelly

Is zero the most powerful number in politics?

From The Traitors to Ireland’s water supply and the State’s corporate-tax windfall, zero evidence can sometimes feed into political decision-making.

24.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Gavan Reilly

Professor John Nolan: Could your eyes hold the clues to your brain health?

What began as research into a little-known pigment in the eye has led to new insights into nutrition, vision and healthy ageing, as well as a new...

24.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Professor John Nolan

Pensions and future planning: The hidden financial risk of living into your 90s

We are all living longer, but in Pensions Awareness Week, Ralph Benson examines the impact this has on our pension pots, and what we should be doing...

23.09.2026 10

TheJournal

Ralph Benson

Vincent Browne’s Magill: The magazine that changed the face of Irish journalism

How Vincent Browne’s upstart magazine, launched in the bleak 1980s, challenged the establishment and launched a generation of journalists.

23.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Professor Kevin Rafter

Trump’s war with the press has finally met some resistance

The Trump Show has always needed the press, but on Donald’s terms. This time around, the press is finally saying no.

22.09.2026 10

TheJournal

Marion McKeone

The last thing anyone needs after a long day at work is a lecture on a bus

Little did we all know, everyone on the 39a is hurtling towards hell, rather than Blanch, Kelly Earley recounts a recent commute with a preacher on...

22.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Kelly Earley

Hear Me Out: How bad has Ed Sheeran's response to the backlash been?

The Journal writers discuss and debate Sheeran’s attempt to navigate a backlash.

21.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Carl Kinsella

Why does discovering and listening to music have to mean screen time for kids?

The Walkman gave a generation of children musical independence. Why is it now that the joy of listening to music has become so heavily linked to...

21.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Niamh O'Reilly

Money Diaries: A chef on €43K living and working in Dublin

This week, our reader is working long hours in the kitchen while putting money aside with the aim of starting their own business.

20.09.2026 10

TheJournal

The Journal Reader

Ireland didn't find peace alone, so why should we venture towards unity on our own?

Donald Trump threw a spanner in the works by calling for a united Ireland. Rather than recoil from such intervention, should we instead take advice...

19.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Emma Desouza

Donald Trump called for a united Ireland. What exactly were we expecting to happen next?

Also this week: Ed Sheeran has made a right balls of it, eh?

19.09.2026 30

TheJournal

Carl Kinsella

Be honest with yourself when it comes to working out the costs of your motoring

The gap between what we think our cars cost and what they actually cost is bigger than most people would be comfortable admitting.

19.09.2026 30

TheJournal

Paddy Comyn

Every field has a story: Meet the family behind Ireland’s ‘Clarkson’s Farm’

The Stewart family have farmed in Longford since 1938. Their new book tells the stories of the animals, characters and everyday dramas on the farm.

18.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Farmers Liv And Phil Stewart

What do you do when 'I can’t face school today' becomes a daily struggle?

A teacher and parent on understanding school reluctance, what may be behind it and how parents can support children without letting anxiety take the...

17.09.2026 30

TheJournal

Antoinette McGuinness

A million people can now vote in Seanad elections, but they're not signing up

The biggest reform to Seanad elections in a generation has opened the university panels to graduates from more than 80 institutions. So far, it’s...

17.09.2026 30

TheJournal

Gavan Reilly

Another Eurovision boycott: RTÉ, the FAI and Ed Sheeran are all learning you can't avoid politics

RTÉ did not have to announce its Eurovision boycott today, but with the heat on the FAI and Ed Sheeran this week, as in every political crisis, there...

17.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Johnny Fallon

Hyrox diarrhoea drama: When nature calls, you really need to listen

The Hyrox ‘poop incident’ in Beijing highlights why sporting rules must protect competitors and spectators when an athlete suffers an acute...

17.09.2026 30

TheJournal

Dr Catherine Conlon

Opinion: Ed Sheeran says he’s apolitical. His Macklemore decision tells a different story

The controversy over the dropping of Macklemore from the UK star’s US tour has rumbled on all week, leaving Sheeran in a sticky spot.

16.09.2026 30

TheJournal

Peter Flanagan

Stars and Swipes: Donald Trump Jr, The Bahamas wedding and the Russian connection

It’s reported that Putin-linked oligarch Umar Kremlev paid hundreds of thousands of dollars towards Donald Trump Jr’s wedding, prompting concerns...

15.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Marion McKeone

Kelly Earley: Say what you like about Fair City, but Carrigstown forges real Irish talent

We don’t talk enough about how many Irish actors have gotten their start on Fair City, writes Kelly Earley.

15.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Kelly Earley

Raising them right: After 14 years learning Irish, it's safe to say... níl a fhios agam

From Peig to podcasts, how Irish is taught in this country has changed dramatically. Now my children are teaching me to see our native language...

14.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Niamh O'Reilly

Money Diaries: An IT consultant on €76.5K living in the southeast of the country

This week, our reader has a busy week of commuting to Dublin for work while making time to see friends and doing some online training.

13.09.2026 20

TheJournal

The Journal Reader

Rural pubs: We need to save them, but not for the sake of the alcohol industry

If rural pubs are to be saved, and they are worth saving, supports that will benefit local communities are needed – not those that will increase the...

13.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Dr Catherine Conlon

Thomas Duffy: Don’t blame the cows for farmers not growing carrots

Ireland’s veg growers are in deep trouble. Between several bad policy decisions and consumer complacency, we’ve now got the farming system we pay for.

13.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Thomas Duffy

We can never get up early enough to truly satisfy them

This week’s targets include poor children, imaginary lazy people and, of course, immigrants.

12.09.2026 30

TheJournal

Carl Kinsella

Why every second import you meet these days seems to have come from Tokyo, not Tottenham

Back in 2019, the UK supplied 95% of all the used cars imported into Ireland. All is now changed.

11.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Paddy Comyn

The big visit: After an eventful week in the US, the Trump show comes to Ireland

As Donald Trump prepares to visit Ireland, the country he encounters is increasingly distant from the USA it once knew and admired.

11.09.2026 30

TheJournal

Larry Donnelly

Gavan Reilly: Six months by law. 24.3 months in reality. Ireland's disability numbers don't add up

The eye-watering numbers of children waiting for Assessment of Need in this country expose a broken system offering little hope to families.

10.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Gavan Reilly

Stars and Stripes: 'The towers suddenly came into view, only the bottom halves were visible'

Marion McKeone recalls the cacophony of shouts and sirens in Lower Manhattan on 11 September, 2001.

10.09.2026 30

TheJournal

Marion McKeone

Supporting patients in distress: Doctors can’t predict suicide, but we can try to prevent it

Around 500 people die by suicide each year in Ireland. As healthcare workers caring for patients with many challenges, we have found that suicide is...

10.09.2026 30

TheJournal

Dr Stephen McWilliams

Lise Hand: 9/11 was televised. I was in New York that day. I’m glad I didn’t have a phone

The horror of September 11th was burned into the memories of those who witnessed it, including myself. Imagine how different and more grotesque it...

09.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Lise Hand

Fuel costs: Increase the carbon tax. Cut excise instead - it's what makes sense

Diesel prices hitting €2 shouldn’t be answered by postponing the carbon tax, writes Kevin McPartlan of Fuels for Ireland.

09.09.2026 30

TheJournal

Kevin McPartlan

It’s time that Irish people learn some walking etiquette

Somehow, we have completely normalised having zero self-awareness in public.

08.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Kelly Earley

Raising them right: Aren’t all families secretly a bit like The Traitors?

Many parents up and down the country are watching The Traitors with their kids, so as fun as the show is, how do we explain all the lying?

07.09.2026 30

TheJournal

Niamh O'Reilly

How is your budget looking at the moment? Would you like to keep a Money Diary for us?

We’re asking readers to keep a diary to let us know how your finances are looking.

06.09.2026 20

TheJournal

The Journal Reader

Niamh O'Reilly: Will the Lindsay Clancy case change anything for mums in crisis?

The trial of Lindsay Clancy has reignited questions about postpartum mental health, and we should look closer to home to address our own failings in...

06.09.2026 20

TheJournal

Niamh O'Reilly