Two factors helped Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to pull off something remarkable in recent elections
One was the unprecedented level of transfers between the two parties and the other was the splintering of the anti-Government vote
Rishi Sunak gets a bad rap but he was good for Ireland
Part of the reason the British right and its media cheerleaders hate Sunak is that, in Brexit-related discussions, he abandoned the futile jingoistic posturing of his predecessors
Opting for a spring election would be an act of political insanity by Simon Harris and Micheál Martin
Coalition’s standing will hardly have improved after the usual winter hospital crisis and a further influx of asylum seekers
Notion that Sinn Féin would take radical steps to dismantle the current social order is fanciful
During the Davy/Sinn Féin jaunt to London, Pearse Doherty assured investors that his party would not attempt to upend the Irish economic model
Micheál Martin’s political enemies have been waiting to move. They may have to wait longer
It would be a massive blunder for Fianna Fáil to force Martin out. He is widely respected by the public for his performance as Taoiseach
When Harris chickened out of moving McEntee, he lost the chance for a new approach to immigration
Mount Street operation to clear unsanitary tent city begs the question of how the camp was allowed to develop in the first place
Electing ‘characters’ as MEPs could do Ireland real harm
A segment of the electorate regards the European elections as an opportunity to vent their frustrations by voting for mavericks
Notion that Fine Gael would benefit from a period in opposition is absurd
The clear lesson from history is that once the party forfeits power there is no guarantee it will get it back anytime soon, if ever
Varadkar’s decision to step down represented a refreshing burst of humility
The focus of the Opposition and much of the media following Varadkar’s decision has been on his failures and mistakes, with little reference to his achievements
‘Not the usual dire warning’: Why a prediction about Russia invading the EU spooked diplomats
Irish waters in the Atlantic represent a black hole in western defences. The idea that Russia might decide to take its war to Europe’s exposed flank is a far-fetched scenario but not impossible
Let’s be real. If Russia ever targets Irish undersea cables, we will turn to the Royal Navy
Official doublethink has left us with a warped definition of neutrality that has confused the public and left the country defenceless
Friends of Bruton recall ‘a man so without guile he’d never have organised a good conspiracy’
Outpouring of praise in recent days is something he never experienced during his political lifetime but that did not dim his enthusiasm for politics
Politicians do not have much faith the referendums will pass. Shouldn’t they be more worried?
Even among politicians, support for the proposed changes to the Constitution is lukewarm at best
Confident predictions about upcoming elections are worthless
The choice confronting voters will be whether the attraction of change outweighs the stability and general prosperity offered by the Government parties
A swathe of the population believe they live in a hellhole, but the evidence suggests otherwise
The pervasiveness of the Sinn Féin narrative is partly down to its adept use of social media to promote its unremittingly negative version of reality