Welcome to this week’s IT Sunday, a selection of the best Irish Times journalism for our subscribers.
The Italians had the Renaissance. We have the Re-Bert. And as Dublin City University prepares to confer an honorary doctorate on Bertie Ahern, we should all rejoice at the regeneration of our very own Dr Who Me? We can never have too many reminders of how this place was run for so long, writes Fintan O’Toole on the return of the former taoiseach to the political scene following his rejoining of Fianna Fáil earlier this month. As a living relic of old indecency, Ahern is a valuable reminder of how things used to be in Ireland, he says.
This week David McWilliams tried the app ChatGPT, the intelligence of which is “breathtaking”, he says. “Ask it to write an essay, article or blog and the quality of the material spewed out is impressive — and terrifying. . . .One thing is clear: the development of AI and the likes of ChatGPT means we must shift our education system from rote learning and regurgitation. . . In a world of AI, the Leaving Cert is redundant.”
Ireland secured an impressive win over France in last weekend’s Six Nations tournament, but it was Les Bleus who won the prize for atmosphere at the stadium. On such a great occasion for Irish rugby, it was a shame to hear the fans being outsung by the visitors’ massed ranks, writes Gerry Thornley. “When it comes to gouging visitors for concerts or major sports events, Dublin hoteliers are right up there with Cardiff, London et al. But one of the knock-on effects is that fewer supporters are coming from Connacht, Munster and Ulster, and that has diluted the passion of the home support. . . If last Saturday’s game couldn’t engage a crowd at the venue, nothing will.”
Fears of leaking and cramps, and an inability to use tampons yet, are just some of the reasons parents gave when Jen Hogan asked if their daughters missed out playing sports because of their periods for her article on girls, sports and periods. Elite athletes are acknowledging the challenges, but are we doing enough to support our preteen and teen girls to ensure they don’t feel the need to miss out on sports when they’re menstruating? Encouraging younger athletes to talk about their bodies’ normal functions could help them maintain their sporting activities, Hogan writes.
The Government is about to decide on whether to extend the ban on private landlords evicting their tenants. As we are in the middle of a housing crisis, there is little doubt that they will extend the ban if only in a desperate attempt to keep up poll ratings now that their term is more than halfway expired, writes Michael McDowell. Private landlords in Ireland have little choice but to exit the market, he argues, and offering small landlords in particular accelerated depreciation on cookers and washing machines is a laughable response.
After years of economic growth, redundancies are once more back on the table, with many larger tech firms looking to respond to falling demand by letting staff go in their thousands. Irish workers tend to be faring better than those in other countries where big tech firms have bases, but Microsoft, Dell, Twitter, Stripe and Meta are just a few of those companies introducing redundancy programmes in Ireland. If you have been selected for redundancy, or have been offered a package, what can you expect to receive? Fiona Reddan outlines your entitlements.
If you’d like to read more about the issues that affect your pocket, try signing up to On the Money, the new weekly newsletter from our personal finance team, which will be issued every Friday to Irish Times subscribers. You can read the latest edition of the newsletter here in which Dominic Coyle explains what you need to know when it comes to tax on bringing a car into the State.
Trish Murphy advised a reader this week who is pregnant and for the first time finds her partner’s unpredictability no longer attractive. “What I liked about him when we first met is now a cause for concern . . . His actions would now suggest that he is not planning to follow through on his promises. This is not a situation where a smile and a trip to a five-star hotel will relieve him of his commitments.” You can read Murphy’s reply here.
And finally, in her column, Roe McDermott also advises a woman who is having issues with her partner. She believes her husband is attracted to a friend and is at breaking point. “I genuinely feel he is walking all over our marriage and the beautiful relationship and trust we have achieved over the last 25 years”. Read McDermott’s reply here.
As always, there is much more on irishtimes.com, including rundowns of all the latest movies in our film reviews, tips for the best restaurants in our food section and all the latest in sport. There are plenty more articles exclusively available for Irish Times subscribers here.
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