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Sophie Clarke

Sophie Clarke

The Irish News

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Why are we queuing for chain restaurants like Wingstop and Chick-fil-A while Belfast’s best independents struggle?

Why are we queuing for chain restaurants like Wingstop and Chick-fil-A while Belfast’s best independents struggle?

THERE is something oddly revealing about the queues that form whenever a new chain restaurant opens in the north. Over the past year we have watched...

21.03.2026 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Belfast’s transport system is failing the city it wants to become

Belfast’s transport system is failing the city it wants to become

Over the last few days, while taking a somewhat unreliable bus service into Belfast city centre, we have stopped at a set of traffic lights beside a...

14.03.2026 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Sophie Clarke: A tale of two cities: Why Belfast can’t ignore Derry’s revival

One of the best subject lines you can see land in your inbox on a quiet day in the office often begins with two simple words: press trip. It can mean...

07.03.2026 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Sophie Clarke: The Belfast buildings we walk past every day – and why they must be saved

Earlier this week I found myself standing inside a building I had walked past hundreds of times without ever really noticing. The Scottish Mutual...

28.02.2026 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Anthony Boyle, Lola Petticrew and the rise of Northern Irish actors on screen

THE Irish Film and Television Academy Awards took place last night, with a good representation of Northern Irish actors among the nominees,...

21.02.2026 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Closure of historic Co Antrim business signals the cost of convenience

Earlier this week it was announced that the historic, family-run Ballymena shoe shop McKillens will close its doors after 100 years in business....

14.02.2026 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

£86,000 to enforce a four-dog limit at a Northern Ireland council - but will it actually work?

08.02.2026 8

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

‘Belfast’s bars and restaurants look busy - but short-sighted decisions ignore the quiet reality’

30.01.2026 8

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Sophie Clarke: Brooklyn Beckham’s Instagram fallout highlights a troubling new trend in modern family life

24.01.2026 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

How Stranger Things’ Conformity Gate revealed our fear of thinking differently

11.01.2026 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Sophie Clarke: January’s wellness noise is doing more harm than good

05.01.2026 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Why we struggle to say we did something well

27.12.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Why does society keep silencing the next generation?

20.12.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

The rise of ‘performative chill’: Why we’re exhausted from pretending not to care

13.12.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

The Christmas consumerism machine is costing us more than money

07.12.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Why your screen time is ruining screenwriting

30.11.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Sophie Clarke: Northern Irish accents aren’t exotic or incomprehensible and it’s time people stopped pretending they are

23.11.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Wicked: For Good review - Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande lift an otherwise disappointingly flat second act

20.11.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Why having a boyfriend isn’t embarrassing... even if Vogue thinks it is

15.11.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Why fireworks are fun for you – but hellish for our pets

08.11.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Sophie Clarke: Is Belfast’s nightlife dying? Why a once-iconic club scene is struggling to survive

25.10.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Casio’s AI pet Moflin might be cute – but it’s no replacement for the real thing

20.10.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Sophie Clarke: Lola Young is the latest example of how the music industry lets its stars burn out

04.10.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Are food influencers ruining our towns and cities’ ‘hidden gems’?

27.09.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Sophie Clarke: Why ‘shrekking’ shows just how low our dating standards have fallen

21.09.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

It’s time to admit Wuthering Heights doesn’t belong on screen

13.09.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Sophie Clarke: Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy deserves better than cheap shots

06.09.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

The unwritten rules we’re forgetting and why it matters more than ever

30.08.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Strictly’s so-called ‘nepo baby’ isn’t the contestant you think

24.08.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Sophie Clarke: Why autumn feels like the real start of the year

16.08.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Sophie Clarke: Is Michaella McCollum’s comeback a sign of a broken fame culture?

09.08.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

When careers collide: The Paddy Kielty and Cat Deeley split raises a key question about modern relationships

02.08.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Progress in Pride: Why we still have work to do for our LGBTQ+ community

26.07.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

From The Open to Oasis: Why true fans keep losing in the battle for event tickets

19.07.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Sophie Clarke: Forty years after Live Aid, has fundraising lost its power to unite?

THIS weekend marks the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, the landmark 1985 concert that became a defining moment in the history of humanitarian...

13.07.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Glastonbury had its usual chaos, but Lewis Capaldi gave it soul

05.07.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

As Glastonbury kicks off, I’m choosing comfort over camping

29.06.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Why Big Zuu is the role model we didn’t know we needed

22.06.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Greta Thunberg’s Gaza flotilla was a statement, but was it the right one?

15.06.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Why everyone is obsessed with Labubu: The viral toy taking over TikTok

08.06.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Why my fear of driving feels more justified than ever

01.06.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Ireland needs Bruce Springsteen to bring back Eurovision glory

27.05.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Is a heatwave really what we want? Why the Irish weather may be better than we think

18.05.2025 9

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

I’m sorry cat lovers but there’s a reason why dogs are man’s best friend

12.05.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

The price of perfection: How the selfie obsession is leading to deadly risks - Sophie Clarke

10.05.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

A small act of kindness on my commute reminded me what good service really means - Sophie Clarke

03.05.2025 20

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Mickey Rourke’s Big Brother exit: A predictable disaster waiting to happen

20.04.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Lost the plot? Why I’m sick of bad TV show endings

12.04.2025 10

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

Keep your hands off Molly Malone - would we allow a male statue to be groped?

05.04.2025 9

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke

The world needs more people like Eddie Jordan and Billy Monger and fewer like Elon Musk

30.03.2025 9

The Irish News

Sophie Clarke