Rachel Flaherty

Rachel Flaherty

Rachel Flaherty is an Irish Times journalist

A crash between the motorbike and the car took place on the R336 between Inverin and Spiddal on Saturday about 8pm. File photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times
Motorcyclist dies after crash in Co Galway

Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to the incident on the R336 to come forward

Two men arrested after gardaí seize €30,000 of cocaine in Ennis

The drugs were found during a planned search in a house in Co Clare on Friday

One of the passengers in the car, a 25-year-old man, was taken to Wexford General Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. File photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times
Young man dies in road crash in Co Wexford

Driver and two other passengers injured in the single car incident

A driver died after a road crash in Co Glway on Saturday morning. File photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times
Man in his 30s dies after road crash in Co Galway

Road is closed as forensic investigators examine the scene near Carraroe

Met Éireann issues a yellow weather warning for low temperatures and ice: A a woman walking her dog in the snow near the port town of Larne, Co Antrim. Photograph: Peter Morrison/AP
‘Potentially dangerous conditions’ forecast as national weather warning issued

Met Éireann forecasts icy conditions as temperatures falling below freezing

Adare Manor has won Ireland’s Leading Hotel at the World Travel Awards 2020.
Adare Manor named Ireland’s top hotel at World Travel Awards for a second year

Irish museum Epic wins Europe’s leading tourist attraction over Eiffel Tower and Collosseum

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly arriving at RTÉ’s Donnybrook studio on Sunday. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Covid-19: 814 new cases and two further deaths reported as Taoiseach warns of ‘challenging weeks ahead’

Taoiseach says Level 3 restrictions can curb the spread of the virus if people work together

‘We can make Level 3 work’: Taoiseach says Ireland has the resources to cope with Covid

Stark warnings from public health officials after 1,012 new cases reported on Saturday

A Garda spokeswoman said the ‘hit-and-run collision’ happened on Fortunestown Lane about 8.30pm. File photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Boy hospitalised with serious injuries after hit-and-run in Dublin

Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to the incident in Fortunestown Lane, Tallaght to come forward

Waves crash over Ireland’s Eye on Thursday afternoon at Howth in the wake of Storm Ellen. Photograph: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin
Storm Ellen: About 8,000 properties still without power

Cool, sunny and breezy temperatures forecast for the weekend

People enjoy the sunshine in Bray Co Wicklow during the August Bank Holiday. Photograph: PA
Summer sun: Temperatures set to soar to 26 degrees

Met Éireann forecasts sunny, mild weather for most of next week, as UK basks in heatwave

Catherine Hamilton and her family flying into Milford Sound, New Zealand.
The Covid-19 pandemic changed how I feel about living away from Ireland

The top stories from Irish Times Abroad this week

Catherine Hamilton and her family flying into Milford Sound, New Zealand.
‘Living abroad never felt so hard.’ The emigrants who can’t come home this summer

How are Irish people overseas coping without their annual visits to family and friends?

Carmel Mangan, Siobhán Kates and Elizabeth Gallo, three Irish members of the nursing staff at St John’s Episcopal Hospital in Queens, New York. Photograph: Lauren Crothers
Irish nurses in New York: ‘It was horrendous. I’ve never seen anything like it’

The top stories from Irish Times Abroad this week

Pedestrians walk past a billboard featuring New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern in Christchurch, New Zealand. Photograph: Mark Baker/AP
Irish abroad: We’re back to alarm clocks, rushing and being busy - I don’t like it

‘Covid-19 is gone but it has changed our lives’: Readers share experiences of life after lockdown

Yvonne Cassidy at the beach at Fire Island, New York last summer.
‘Maybe I was arrogant thinking Covid-19 wouldn’t affect me as badly as it did’

The top stories from Irish Times Abroad

Danielle Norton: ‘In keeping with Thai culture, public feeling during the pandemic has been quite calm.’
‘Everyone’s temperature is taken going into shops’ - Irish abroad on emerging from lockdowns

The top stories from Irish Times Abroad this week

Coronavirus: ‘Guilt is a familiar feeling for emigrants. Mine is worse now’

The top stories from Irish Times Abroad this week

Sarah Costello with her husband, Stephen, and children Heidi and Harlee.
Coronavirus: ‘Should I stay where I live or return to Ireland?’

The top stories from Irish Times Abroad this week

Elizabeth Quinn at Lund University, where she studies, in Sweden
Irishwoman in Sweden on coronavirus: ‘It’s an alarmingly different approach’

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week

Ronan O’Sullivan (left) and Emmet Quinlan were quarantined following a St Patrick’s Day celebration in Vietnam.
Quarantine in Vietnam: ‘Our first night was a little rough, it was very hot’

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week and the latest coronavirus updates

Doctors Aoife Page, Luke Hughes, Rachel Kearns, Hilary Coyle, Deirdre Ryan and Eva Tallon arrive back in Dublin Airport from Perth, Australia on Thursday. Photograph: Crispin Rodwell/ The Irish Times
Covid-19: ‘We wanted to come back and help’- almost 100 doctors return

The top stories from Abroad this week

Scientist Doireann Loughlin- Waldron (front) with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (L) and Minister for Health Simon Harris (R) when they visited the National Virus Refrence Laboratory in Dublin where testing for Covid-19 takes place. Photograph: Aidan Crawley/EPA
‘My heart is broken in two’: Irish healthcare workers abroad respond to Ireland’s call

‘I want to come back and help in the coronavirus crisis, but how do I get home?’

An Aer Lingus plane lands at Frankfurt Airport, Germany this week. Photograph: Thorsten Wagner/EPA
Irish abroad on short-term visas or insecure work urged to consider returning

The coronavirus pandemic has killed about 10,000 people globally and infected more than 244,000

Trinity College Dublin went green for St Patrick’s Day last year. Photograph: Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Test your Irishness in our big St Patrick’s Day quiz for 2020

Meet the inspiring unofficial ambassadors of Ireland from around the world

Margaret Molloy
Here’s to Ireland’s unofficial ambassadors flying flags around the world

Celebrating the men and women flying flags for Ireland from Auckland to Rockland, Paris to Belgrade

Operators of the Milanese Environmental Services Company (AMSA) sanitise the square of the Central Station using a disinfectant diluted water to avoid further spread of the COVID-19 on Friday. Photograph: Marco Ottico/EPA
Coronavirus: ‘It’s surreal, life as I know it has completely changed’

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week

A man, pulling a trolley filled with bottles of water, crosses a deserted street on in Milan, Italy on Thursday. Photograph: Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images)
‘People fear me as much as I fear them’: The reality of life under lockdown

Living with coronavirus: Irish Times readers in Italy on the challenges we now also face

A woman wearing a face mask in Monterey Park, California. Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images
Irish in California on coronavirus: ‘The supermarkets have empty shelves’

California has declared a State of Emergency in response to the Covid-19 outbreak - Readers share what life has been like since

Travellers wear protective face masks at Central Station, Milan, Italy. Photograph: Matteo Bazzi/EPA
Irish in Italy on coronavirus: ‘The city is in a bit of panic – the streets are empty’

Readers in Milan and Venice on how life has changed since the Covid-19 outbreak

James Fitzgerald, director of the Two Thumbs Wildlife Trust, inspects his bushfire-scorched koala reserve on earlier this month in Peak View, Australia. Photogrpah: John Moore/Getty Images
Irish backpackers in Australia can extend visas to help bushfire recovery

‘We need boots on the ground’: New rules on working holiday visas come into immediate effect

(left to right) Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin, Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald during the final TV leaders’ debate at the RTÉ studios in Donnybrook, Dublin. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Irish abroad on Election 2020: ‘My mother understands why I would choose not to come back’

‘I’ve worked so hard, only for the Government to make it impossible to come home’

Rachel Flaherty: ‘Rewards for reaching goals are now embracing new experiences I would have previously shied away from’
I’d felt so alone but I read your article and thought ‘that’s me’

Rachel Flaherty: Since I started this column, your encouragement and advice on weight loss and fitness has been inspiring

Britain’s Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage drinks a beer on the sidelines of a European Parliament plenary session in Brussels on Thursday. Photograph: John Thys/ AFP/Getty Images
Irish in Britain on Brexit day: ‘I don’t regret voting Leave and I’m full of hope for the future’

Irish readers living in the UK have their say on how they feel about impending Brexit day

‘When we arrived in Toronto we had no family or friends, no support system.’ Photograph: iStock
‘Sadly my marriage ended, but it was the kick I needed to start my own journey’

The top stories from Irish Times Abroad

A pilates session at Live and Breathe Pilates in Dublin.
‘Pilates made me more aware of how my body works’

Despite my preconceptions, the practice has altered how I move in my daily life

Rachel Flaherty: It’s been two weeks since I stepped on the scales and decided to cut back on the sugary snacks, reduce portion sizes of my meals and try different types of exercise
Openly acknowledging my poor eating and fitness habits was empowering

I’m once again enjoying finding my way to my natural weight

Fire crews burn off brush near Jerrawangala, Australia. Photograph: Matthew Abbott/The New York Times
Irish in Australia: My partner is a firefighter. He told me it looked like the end of the world

Irish people tell us about experiencing some of the worst bushfires in Australia’s history

The Luas passing over O'Connell Bridge in Dublin city. Photograph: iStock
Irish abroad return: ‘Dublin seemed more tired and stale this year’

Readers who came home from overseas at Christmas share their thoughts on Ireland

Happy New Year from Irish Times Abroad!

Brexit, returning to Ireland and Dublin: Top 2019 stories from Irish Abroad

Most-read articles were personal stories about moving home, life after Brexit vote and the best cities in the world to move to

Clare Doherty: ‘Christmas on Waiheke is pretty special.’
Emigrant Christmases: ‘I miss home but I’ll whack on The Pogues and have a drink’

How Irish around the world are celebrating Christmas from Taipei to Boston

Doireann McMahon: ‘I’ve lived in London for 16 years and I will be voting Labour’
Irish in Britain on election: ‘An amazing, bizarre and painful time to be here’

Irish readers living in the UK have their say on who should form the next government and why

People Christmas shopping on Grafton Street, Dublin. Photograph: iStock
‘How many hoops does a returning Irish citizen have to jump through?’

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week

Jessica Toal: ‘Everyone was so welcoming, warm and hospitable.’
Irish living in the world's best city: 'I miss the Irish weather'

Is Taipei really the top destination to move to work and live? Four Irish residents of Taiwan's capital share their views

The Custom House next to the River LIffey in Dublin. Photograph: iStock
Dublin ranked the worst city in the world to move to for housing

Revealed: Best and worst cities to live and work in 2020

Rainbow over the ha’penny bridge in Dublin’s city centre today. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos
‘Since my mother died my relationship with my birthplace has changed’

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week and a chance to win a €250 book hamper

Early snow on Toronto’s Yonge Street in Canada.
Why I returned to Ireland after 25 years in Canada

The top stories from Irish Abroad

Independent TD Noel Grealish raised the issue of personal remittances sent from Ireland to other countries in the Dáil this week. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
‘Rural Ireland would not have survived’ without money being sent home by emigrants

‘Disappointment’ from Irish emigrant groups at Noel Grealish’s comments on immigrants sending money home

Residents defend a property from a bushfire at Hillsville near Taree, north of Sydney. Photograph: Peter Parks/ AFP
Irish in Australia: ‘Fires are spreading, the sky is bright red and the winds are hot’

‘It’s very scary today, there’s a haze like fog and the distinct smell of burn in the air’

According to 1848 records of the Lady Kennaway, the complement of 191 Irish orphan girls were well behaved and in excellent health, enjoying the benefit of a full allowance of rations on the 85-day voyage. Although few could read and almost none could write, they were given a prayer book and testament from their poorhouses. Image: Wikicommons
Famine orphan girls shipped to Australia faced anti-Irish sentiment and abuse

Top stories from Irish Abroad this week

Belfast. Photograph: iStock
Returning to Ireland: ‘I have no idea where I’m supposed to slot in’

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week

An anti-Brexiteer holds an EU flag near pro-Brexit banners outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, central London on October 17th, 2019. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images
Irish in Britain: ‘I’m really worried about the future’

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week

Emigrants returning back to Ireland in crisis need more protections, says new report. Photo: iStock
Returning home in crisis: ‘Many fear being judged a failure’

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week

Crosscare report said those who return to Ireland in crisis generally face a great deal of stress and physical and psychological burnout. File photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times
‘Vulnerable’ returning emigrants: ‘I try not to let my children see me cry’

New report shows Irish emigrants returning in crisis often face poverty, homelessness, isolation

Lainey Broderick with her husband holding a Mayo flag in Macchu Piccu in Peru.
Getting an Irish passport: ‘But you’re not really Irish?’

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week

I’ll never forget my hiking holiday in the Austrian Alps – and not just because of the schnapps

Why on earth did I think the misery of hiking every day for a week would be a good idea?

Michael Russell and his wife Sinead on Skellig Michael, Co Kerry.
Want to return to Ireland? You don’t go back to life you left years ago

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week

Joseph Tuohy: his story echoes those of other emigrants who went to England and lost their way.
The story of a forgotten Irish emigrant: ‘He died with nothing’

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week

Rachel Flaherty in Croke Park, Dublin, over the summer
‘My weight loss goal has drifted into the background as I’ve felt healthier and stronger’

Rachel Flaherty: Here are my top tips for getting back on track after the summer

Irish parents on childcare abroad: ‘We pay €90 per month and child allowance is €130’

‘I took 12 months paid parental leave, my husband took six months ... childcare is €90 per month ages 3-6 but child allowance is €(...)

Dubliner Jack Cane at at Nunobiki Falls, in Kobe, Japan.
Irishman in Japan: 'Keep a keen eye out for snakes and wild boar'

Emigrant vote faces delay and other top stories from Irish Abroad this week

Mairead McDonough speaks about crying her way through Dublin Airport with a one-way ticket to Australia.
Moving abroad alone is ‘daunting and lonely’ but worth it

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week

US vice president Mike Pence (L) beside Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (R) after making a press statement after their talks at Famleigh House in Phoenix Park, Dublin this week. Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP/Getty
Irish eyes suddenly stop smiling as Mike Pence endorses Boris Johnson

The top stories from Irish Times Abroad this week

Rachel Flaherty: My sleep and energy levels have improved since easing off on the calories before bed
I’ve decided not to eat for two hours before bed. It’s working

My weight-loss journey: Acknowledging an old habit has helped me return to my new healthy normal

Claire Morrissey running the 101km Eiger Ultra Trail in Switzerland last July.
Meet the Irish people taking part in a 171km ultra marathon

‘If you don’t have the mental strength you’ll just want to sit down on the ground and cry’

‘When people ask me how I’m settling in, I’ve finally found an answer that will satisfy them and myself. I tell them “it’s great and it’s hard”.’
As a returned emigrant, I will always be ‘the one who left Ireland’

Top stories from Irish Times Abroad this week

Waiting at arrivals at Dublin Airport. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill / The Irish Times
Moving home? New online service for returning Irish emigrants

Citizens Information aims to help Irish emigrants with driving licences, tax, passports and more

Luke Prendergast: ‘I have yet to meet a single British person who has made me feel anyway unwelcome’
Anti-Irish sentiment in Britain: ‘I feel like I am back in the 1980s’

We asked readers in Britain if they had encountered anti-Irishness. Never, said some. Yes, said others

Brexit, Leaving Cert and how the 'longing for home' never goes away

Top stories from Irish Times Abroad this week

Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Photograph: iStock
Leaving Ireland after Leaving Cert: ‘Probably the worst day of my life’

‘It was immensely daunting ... but moving abroad was hands down the best decision I ever made’

Rachel Flaherty on the top of Galtymore in the heavy rain and strong winds last weekend
For months, I have been self-sabotaging my previous weight-loss success

On a tortuous hike I learned the importance of being present in the here and now

The gap of Dunloe in Killarney, Co Kerry.
The best way to explain Ireland to people who’ve never heard of it

The top stories from Irish Times Abroad this week

Jeffrey Ryan Gravley from Mid-Atlantic in action against Chad Nelson (left) and John Kenney of Heartland in their Hurling Native Born tournament game this week. Photograph: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Brexit, GAA World Games and unusual wedding traditions abroad

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week

Lisa Loughnane of Australasia in action against Emma Carroll, left, and Eimear Clarke of Middle East in the Renault GAA World Games Camogie Irish Cup. Photograph: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
GAA World Games: ‘The competition has been fierce’

Finals between eight teams in hurling, camogie and football under way in Croke Park

Rachel Flaherty: ‘My goal is to focus on the here and now, take time to figure out what caused me to self-sabotage so I can be prepared for it the next time.’
‘Instead of losing a pound I put on a stone. I needed to figure out why it happened’

Self-sabotage was a strange comfort zone but I’m glad I’m tackling it

Lisa McNamee: A rose crown was placed on the bride’s head, and she was seated in the centre of a large circle.
Unusual wedding traditions around the world: ‘They cut the groom’s socks off’

‘The bride can be stolen and held for ransom ... the Irish bridesmaids kept a close watch’

Alexandra Burke says The Bodyguard has been the hardest show of all the musicals she has done.
Alexandra Burke: Taking on a Whitney Houston role makes me ‘proud forever’

The Bodyguard: Even if you’re not fan of Whitney, you can’t beat her songs

Britain’s new prime minister Boris Johnson outside Number 10 in Downing Street, London. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Irish in Britain on Boris Johnson: ‘No one can believe this is happening’

The top stories in Irish Times Abroad this week

Boris Johnson leaves the Conservative Party headquarters after being announced as the party’s new leader. Photograph: Neil Hall/ EPA
Irish in Britain on Boris Johnson: ‘We are in a heap of trouble’

‘Boris Johnson is a genius ... it is we who are the fools now’- readers react to new Tory leader

Keith and Keran Byrne.
Irish in London come together to mourn and reactions to US immigrant crackdown

The top stories in Irish Times Abroad this week

US president Donald Trump said: ‘People come into our country illegally, we’re taking them out legally – very simple’. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Undocumented Irish in America: ‘Come in legit or stay at home’

US immigration officials begin a sweep on thousands of undocumented immigrants

Ben Kelly (L) and Alan Flanagan (R)are members of the Vica campaign ahead of he emigrant vote referendum. Photograph: Dave Meehan/ The Irish Times
‘To be Irish is not something that stops when you get on a plane’

Emigrant vote: Campaigners for Yes meet with TDs and Senators ahead of referendum

Alan Flanagan (L) and Ben Kelly (R) speaking at the launch of the Vica campaign ahead of the emigration vote referendum. Photograph: Dave Meehan/ The Irish Times
Irish diaspora divided over extending vote to emigrants for presidential elections

Top stories from Irish Times abroad this week

Conor McGregor was ranked 65 in the annual Forbes Celebrity 100 list. Photograph: PA Wire
Conor McGregor and Rory McIlroy make the Forbes top 100 celebrity rich list

Singer Taylor Swift shakes off Kardashian clan as highest-paid celebrity

Anti-extradition bill protesters wearing helmets gather outside the Legislative Council building on the anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China in Hong Kong. Photograph: Tyrone Siu/Reuters
Irish in Hong Kong: ‘The situation is getting dangerous’

A group of protesters stormed Hong Kong’s legislature on the 22nd anniversary of city’s return to China

A boy cools down a fountain in Berlin, Germany during the heatwave. Photogtaph: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/AP
Top stories from Irish Times Abroad this week

Irish people around the world share their stories on the heatwave, protests and the upcoming voting referendum

How does a person go from hating running to loving ultra-marathons?

As someone who whinges through the first 1km of a run, I’m totally in awe of the runners who take part in the gruelling 171km Ultr(...)

Ciarán Staunton of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform in the US said the bill giving undocumented Irish the right to get a driver’s licence was ‘fantastic news’.
Thousands of undocumented Irish become eligible for driving licences in New York

‘This is fantastic news for the Irish here ... it will make a big difference in their day to day lives’

Rachel Flaherty: ‘From being someone whose body ached from excess weight and being sedentary to feeling my body surge with strength is brilliant and I’m grateful.’
The GP advised two weeks off exercise - I took three months

Rachel Flaherty: It was so tempting to use my injury as an excuse to do nothing

Sr Moira Keane, who has been working with Irish prisoners as part of the Irish Chaplaincy, is the 2019 winner of Irish in Britain’s Individual Volunteer award.
Galway nun who helps Irish prisoners in UK wins award

Irish in Britain awards highlight the work of Irish volunteers in communities

Yes, move more and eat less is the simple answer to losing weight – but it can be much more complex than that. Focusing on my mindset has been key to me
The five ‘hidden’ reasons that stopped me losing weight

Rachel Flaherty: Without a target or goal, it is easy to drift away from healthier habits

Garda dog Lazar after finding carjacking suspect in a ditch in Co Cork. Photograph: An Garda Síochana
Garda dog finds suspect in ditch after Cork carjacking

Man allegedly threatens woman with knife while her car was stopped at traffic lights

Sorting votes at the Dublin count centre for European election at the RDS. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Elections 2019: What we know so far

Varadkar refuses to rule out early general election while Green wave sweeps through locals

Rachel Flaherty taking part in the workout by the main stage at Wellfest in Dublin.
I used my weight as an excuse to miss out on opportunities

Rachel Flaherty: I thought I couldn’t be bothered with a wellness festival – then something clicked

Gardaí have made a fresh appeal for help to find missing 13-year-old Chantelle Doyle, who was last seen in Dublin city centre last Sunday.
Gardaí renew appeal to find missing 13-year-old girl last seen on Sunday

The teenager from Co Kildare was last seen on O’Connell Street in Dublin

Rachel Flaherty hiking along Lough Tay in the Wicklow Mountains in Co Wicklow.
I lost more than 3st but why was I still holding on to my ‘fat’ clothes?

Rachel Flaherty: Letting go of clothes that no longer fit me, that made me feel bad about myself, was exhilarating

Rachel Flaherty in New York City. ‘I’m still overweight but bit by bit, I’m chipping away at changing behaviours that don’t benefit me.’
I had a destructive unhealthy relationship with ‘clean eating’

Rachel Flaherty: Allowing myself to make mistakes along the way has brought me inner peace

Rachel Flaherty hiking up to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar during her military fitness bootcamp.
‘I know how to get people fit’ – how I survived a week of special-forces-style training

Rachel Flaherty: Military fitness week focused on reaching small goals and building confidence

Rachel Flaherty: ‘As I set off for the second half of the walk the sun came out and the views across Dublin Bay were spectacular.’
After five hours and 35,000 steps across Dublin my sore feet felt good

Rachel Flaherty: Finishing a task that I had put off for years was overwhelmingly satisfying

More articles