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The Private and Public Shame of Cervical Cancer
Does anyone remember Jade Goody? She, was the young, mouthy, English Big Brother star, who lived her time from diagnosis to death from cervical cancer on the small screen. Jade found out she had cervical cancer while on Big Brother India in…
Death of an Irish Town Revisited | The tragedy of Creeslough
“Is it hard to see death when it is disguised and tricked out in the surface trappings of life?”
These words were written by a journalist named John Healy in 1967 in reference to the decline of his native Charlestown in Mayo over the…
Rewind the Clock | The Problem with Populism
Populism is tricky to define for what we see as a populist move here in Ireland, might not seem populist in Hungary.
The term Populism is traditionally seen as a person or party who pertains to be looking out for the concerns of the…
Trump Anxiety Disorder | How political paranoia birthed a real phobia
The current president of the United States is fond of taking credit for accomplishments that aren't his. One namesake he's definitely earned, however, and something he'd probably rather not hang his name on, is something mental health…
Letting Go | Stories from the Mexico-United States Border
Neil* is a US army veteran of Native American descent who worked in El Paso for 18 months. He came to Ireland in 2017.
“I lived two miles from the border, up in the Franklin Mountains in eastern El Paso. I used to sit on my balcony,…
The Gifted Paradox | Understanding giftedness in children
"I'm really worried about your daughter," the teacher told me. "She's developmentally delayed. She's definitely got a problem with maths, and she has no social skills. I'd be worried about her language, as well. She doesn't say very much."…
Empathy Machines | How can virtual reality change journalism?
You are standing alone in a small cell, 6 by 9, listening to bangs and shouts echoing down the corridor. As you look around to get your bearings – a bed with a thin mattress, a toilet, a table screwed to the floor – you hear voices. They…
The Selfless Myth | Narcissistic mothers and their daughters
"I was four – nearly five – years old when I realised my mother didn’t love me," Sarah* recalls.
"I’d got lost on the beach, and she came after me. She was annoyed – accusing me of 'wandering off', and 'not paying attention'. I started…
United States of Anxiety | Why conservatism is ruining American kids
School is how we train our kids for what to expect from life when they reach adulthood. We should be concerned, then, about what exactly we’re teaching them.
Between helicopter parenting, jarringly early starts to the school day,…
Change Comes In May | May 26th 2018
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May is my favourite month. The days stretch out improbably and the skies clear and you can just believe that perhaps the sun might shine for the whole summer long. It’s all promise and opportunity, and if it rains you can still call…