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The school’s electricity bill was €3,000 – and some of that was during the holidays

02.02.2025 10

Breda O&x27Brien

Nicole Kidman’s Babygirl isn’t the ‘hottest film this year’. It might be among the most depressing

26.01.2025 10

Breda O&x27Brien

As UK grapples with Elon Musk’s interventions, there’s no room for complacency here on child protection

19.01.2025 10

Breda O&x27Brien

Jimmy Carter went to Mass in Waterford in 1995 - a sign of a deep faith that was often overlooked

12.01.2025 10

Breda O&x27Brien

Don’t be so cynical. It’s bad for your health

The time between Christmas and new year ought to be a time of relaxation, lulled into pleasant somnolence by good food and good company,...

28.12.2024 10

Breda O&x27Brien

It’s a pity more of us don’t identify with Scrooge, the skinflint who was capable of change

Whether we are more inclined to “God bless us, every one”, or “Bah! Humbug!”, it is impossible to avoid the influence of Charles Dickens’s A...

22.12.2024 4

Breda O&x27Brien

Norma Foley’s approach to AI in the classroom is breathtakingly naive

The OECD, Unesco and EU have all urged extensive training in AI for educators, considering the challenges, risks and benefits. On April 1st (I did...

15.12.2024 10

Breda O&x27Brien

Instead of talking about assisted dying, we should prioritise palliative care

A vote to note the Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying, which recommended legislation to allow assisted dying, was rushed...

08.12.2024 2

Breda O&x27Brien

Forget Bluesky and pre-Musk Twitter. Friendship is the only true antidote to polarisation

Right now, Bluesky, the X alternative, has 23 million users, and by the time you read this, it will have even more. Forgive me if I do not get too...

01.12.2024 3

Breda O&x27Brien

Opposition to abortion is seen as a position of the right, but it’s not that simple

It is part of an opinion columnist’s job to get people to think. A comment in a recent column by my colleague Justine McCarthy did just that....

24.11.2024 1

Breda O&x27Brien

The principal can’t sleep for worrying. If she paid all the bills on her desk, she couldn’t open the school

After a particularly harrowing adult suicide in west Tallaght, the bewildered bereaved did not gather in a parish hall, community centre or even a...

17.11.2024 6

Breda O&x27Brien

Covid-19 left deep scars in Irish society. Those whose lives were lost or upended deserve better

The amount of space allocated in our social memory to historical events is strangely uneven. Pandemics seem more than usually susceptible to social...

10.11.2024 4

Breda O&x27Brien

Men are suffering a crisis of meaning. And some are finding answers in orthodox religion

Decades ago, when I studied theology in college, the female-to-male ratio was about nine women to every man. I think I half-ironically took it as a...

03.11.2024 1

Breda O&x27Brien

Students from Republic missing out on UK places because of junior cycle marking

After a recent article I wrote questioning why it is so hard to achieve high marks in junior cycle (JC) exams, a reader contacted me to point out a...

27.10.2024 2

Breda O&x27Brien

Stop framing breastfeeding versus bottle-feeding as a question of mothers at war

Breastfeeding inspires strong feelings, including at times vicious exchanges between mothers. Those who feed their children with formula often feel...

06.10.2024 3

Breda O&x27Brien

Why do so many people want spiritualist wedding ceremonies?

There have been extraordinary changes in how people celebrate their weddings, not just in terms of expense, but in the rise in “spiritual but not...

29.09.2024 2

Breda O&x27Brien

Attempts to clamp down on the influence of Big Tech may hinge on the fate of one woman

Donald Trump does Kamala Harris a great favour by being a narcissistic, rambling, touchy old man who soaks up media attention because thus far, her...

14.09.2024 2

Breda O&x27Brien

Palliative care is about so much more than end of life. It should be central to healthcare

Even the thought of palliative care can cause fear. The healthy may shudder at the connotations of a terminal illness, while some doctors are...

18.08.2024 2

Breda O&x27Brien

The good news for parents is you’ll never be perfect and you can’t fully shape your children

Parenting never ends. It just changes, akin to when you get fired from a job but then get rehired as a consultant, with better hours and less...

11.08.2024 1

Breda O&x27Brien

‘Cultural Christians’ Elon Musk and Richard Dawkins undermine Christianity’s very foundations

Karl Marx was writing about the French Revolution and its aftermath when he quoted Hegel’s saying that all great world-historic facts and...

04.08.2024 2

Breda O&x27Brien

What does JD Vance’s Catholic conversion tell us about Donald Trump’s running mate?

When I think of JD Vance, Trump’s choice of vice-presidential candidate, the image that comes to mind is of one of those skilful circus performers,...

28.07.2024 20

Breda O&x27Brien

Breda O’Brien: What should the Vatican do when the world’s most influential religious artist is accused of sexual abuse?

Fr Marko Rupnik is probably the most influential religious artist in the world, famous for his large-scale mosaics that are found everywhere from...

21.07.2024 2

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The school’s electricity bill was €3,000 – and some of that was during the holidays

Breda O&x27Brien

Nicole Kidman’s Babygirl isn’t the ‘hottest film this year’. It might be among the most depressing

Breda O&x27Brien

As UK grapples with Elon Musk’s interventions, there’s no room for complacency here on child protection

Breda O&x27Brien

Jimmy Carter went to Mass in Waterford in 1995 - a sign of a deep faith that was often overlooked

Breda O&x27Brien

Don’t be so cynical. It’s bad for your health

Breda O&x27Brien

It’s a pity more of us don’t identify with Scrooge, the skinflint who was capable of change

Breda O&x27Brien

Norma Foley’s approach to AI in the classroom is breathtakingly naive

Breda O&x27Brien

Instead of talking about assisted dying, we should prioritise palliative care

Breda O&x27Brien

Forget Bluesky and pre-Musk Twitter. Friendship is the only true antidote to polarisation

Breda O&x27Brien

Opposition to abortion is seen as a position of the right, but it’s not that simple

Breda O&x27Brien

The principal can’t sleep for worrying. If she paid all the bills on her desk, she couldn’t open the school

Breda O&x27Brien

Covid-19 left deep scars in Irish society. Those whose lives were lost or upended deserve better

Breda O&x27Brien

Men are suffering a crisis of meaning. And some are finding answers in orthodox religion

Breda O&x27Brien

Students from Republic missing out on UK places because of junior cycle marking

Breda O&x27Brien

Stop framing breastfeeding versus bottle-feeding as a question of mothers at war

Breda O&x27Brien

Why do so many people want spiritualist wedding ceremonies?

Breda O&x27Brien

Attempts to clamp down on the influence of Big Tech may hinge on the fate of one woman

Breda O&x27Brien

Palliative care is about so much more than end of life. It should be central to healthcare

Breda O&x27Brien

The good news for parents is you’ll never be perfect and you can’t fully shape your children

Breda O&x27Brien

‘Cultural Christians’ Elon Musk and Richard Dawkins undermine Christianity’s very foundations

Breda O&x27Brien

What does JD Vance’s Catholic conversion tell us about Donald Trump’s running mate?

Breda O&x27Brien

Breda O’Brien: What should the Vatican do when the world’s most influential religious artist is accused of sexual abuse?

Breda O&x27Brien