Brianna Parkins columns
Irish emigrants in Sydney have been taken in by all the social media of Bondi sunrises without realising a lot of travel influencing is a total swizz
We have to teach young men that sex is not a thing you win. It is not the result of how well you negotiate or argue your case
Knowing you’re underachieving at the sport of underachieving tends to crush your ego
There’s a hint of something in this school of thought. Maybe it’s classism. Maybe it’s jealousy. But it gets at me
Instead, life feels about as comfortable as wearing a pair of scratchy, sucky-in knickers after a 12-hour wedding
The main reason working-class often people find themselves locked out of entertainment industry roles is poor or no pay for early-career creatives
I have seen kind, mature people part ways with mutual care and respect because they didn’t wait to resent each other
This year my hope is that I have more difficult conversations, even if it means inviting more confrontation into my life
There are many good men but that’s not the point. All it takes is one bad one, one look to make your insides drop
As someone who grew up buying most of their household bits from ‘2 dollar shops’ without any shame, I will argue that they are a lifeline for some communities
When a doctor came out carrying the green whistle, only seen after the worst of rugby tackles, I knew it was bad
Some things should be ushered into the new year like a much-loved guest being shown into the good room. Other things should be discarded like Christmas cardboard refuse
I worked in festive retail for many years and have a few tales to tell
Danny Dyer becoming the sex symbol of 2025 was not on anyone’s bingo card but it proves how radically the female gaze swerves from its male counterpart
Top of the list are people who don’t vote. How dare they whinge about how things are run if they haven’t done the one thing that could have influenced it?
I am quietly awed by Nikita Hand and others like her who stand up outside a courthouse to address the media
What are opponents to voting abroad so afraid of? The explanations of ‘it’s too hard’ or ‘it’s too risky’ feel threadbare and lazy
What better way to spend a hot sunny day than in the park, staking out two strange couples’ proposals?
The girl sprinting for the ferry in Sydney late on a Saturday night was meanly cut off, prompting an unusual display of social solidarity
Our relationship, one of the happiest of my life, was largely contingent on the fact we have the radiators on all day
Is this how it feels to have been a man for the best part of the 20th century? Because it’s been pretty great
If you’re the only person you know who’s gone to university it can be isolating trying to find your way with no one to guide you
There’s an odd sort of morality tied to doing hard things, even if they are entirely unnecessary
A rake of pints. Sure look, you know yourself. Yer man. The unique joy of Hiberno-English should be celebrated, never taken for granted
Home improvement TV breathes undeserved confidence into a generation of flippers
I’ll have to introduce my neighbours to fluffy house socks, squirty cream in a can and the cultural importance of the Real Housewives series
The Rose of Tralee is all well and good, but expecting one competition to laud all deserving Irish women might be asking a bit too much
Young Irish people don’t need an insulting €750 tax break; they need reasons to feel hopeful again
I have seen so many good women drained by men who could not or would not meet them at their level
Brianna Parkins: Sometimes, when you’re a big distance from home, it’s the small things that give you comfort
It is very crowded between me, my partner and the GAA but I’ll still be in a pub wearing an ugly bucket hat at 2am next week, watching my partner’s mistress on telly
You will need patience, resilience and the self-control required not to headbutt the public
It’s rarely a good idea to get what your young heart desires. I would have been negative craic with terrible tattoos and a vacuous existence
Case of Natasha O’Brien shows up keyboard warriors who want to frighten women, to shut us up, to stop us from calling men out on their behaviour
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Get the latest news, analysis and match reports from the M6N and W6N championships
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices
