Paul Colgan

Iran conflict tests Ireland’s global role Inside Politics: The tumult in the Middle East will again drive discussion about the ‘triple lock’ and moving closer to Nato

Ireland's on-going security debate will be fuelled by Trump and Israel's assault on Iran - along with oil and gas prices.

Inside Politics digest looking at the week ahead.⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Episode 14 of Farm 999 airs tonight on BBC NI. Some advice on how to avoid getting the tractor stolen. ⤵️

Carlingford Lough’s Narrow Water Bridge to usher in new era on both sides of the Border Linking Warrenpoint in south Down to Omeath in north Louth, bridge is expected to have transformative effect

Narrow Water Bridge is coming soon - I've been talking to those on both sides of Carlingford Lough about the potential it has to change business, travel and tourism. ⤵️
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...

The trouble with the Deposit Return Scheme: ‘They’re sitting on a pile of unclaimed deposits’ As Irish households get used to retaining empty receptacles, smaller producers raise concerns about the workload

Most read on Irish Times digital today - I look at the Deposit Return Scheme two years in.

The trouble with the Deposit Return Scheme: ‘They’re sitting on a pile of unclaimed deposits’

www.irishtimes.com/life-style/2...

Icon faces big test after share price tumble Dublin-based clinical trials firm’s shares have plunged in the past week

Analysis of the huge slump in the share price of Irish clinical trials company Icon.

I talk to the man who made a 20% return this week on buying the dip.⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/business/202...

Episode 13 of Farm 999 on BBC NI tonight. ⤵️

What is happening with gold prices and will it last? The yellow metal is trading near record high, yet it is far from clear the gains are sustainable

Who has been buying gold and why?

Reported analysis for The Irish Times. ⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/business/202...

Irish adviser’s resignation may not be enough to save Keir Starmer Democrats in US are getting worked up about what Donald Trump might do in advance of November’s midterm elections

Today's Inside Politics digest for The Irish Times - looking at the week ahead.

Starmer staggers, the EU frets and Trump scares the Dems.

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Episode 11 of Farm 999 on BBC NI at 730. Up in Down with Mourne Mountain Rescue.

Willie Aherne on setting up a brewery to rival Guinness and Heineken: ‘We wanted to be masters of our own destiny’ The Palace Bar owner and fellow publicans established Changing Times as an alternative to ‘Big Stout’

A chat in the upstairs snug of Dublin's Palace Bar - about taking on 'Big Stout' and preserving Ireland's pub culture. ⤵️

Willie Aherne: ‘We wanted to be masters of our own destiny’.

www.irishtimes.com/business/202...

BBC Audio | Red Lines | Mrs Little-Pengelly goes to Washington But who else will join her in DC this year?

The Irish government is going all-out with its St Patrick's day blitz in the US this year.

I discuss why - and whether it should at all - with @markcarruthers7.bsky.social and @markdevenport.bsky.social on BBC NI's Red Lines podcast.

bbc.com/audio/play/p...

Michael Flatley: Why the Lord of the Dance was in a Belfast court In the News podcast: World’s best known Irish dancer fought civil case and won

Michael Flatley obtained an emergency injunction today after Lord of the Dance was reportedly cancelled.

Here's an explainer podcast I did on the saga for the Irish Times on Friday.⤵️

Michael Flatley: Why the Lord of the Dance was in a Belfast court

www.irishtimes.com/podcasts/in-...

‘A biologically driven brain disease’: Will new laws protect children from gambling ads? One former addict fears late-night games during the Fifa World Cup will lead to reckless gambling with special offers

Gambling firms are betting on a big World Cup in 2026.

I look at the task awaiting the new Irish regulator.

‘A biologically driven brain disease’: Will new laws protect children from gambling ads?

www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...

Episode 11 of Farm 999 airs tonight on BBC NI.

I meet the Welsh farmer forced to shoot dead two XL Bullys - and the efforts to track dangerous dogs through DNA. ⤵️

Nervousness pervades the Irish jobs market as days of strong multinational sector growth recede Almost 20,000 more people are out of work last month compared with December 2024

With unemployment edging up, I took a look at the Irish jobs market for the Irish Times Biz pages. ⤵️

Nervousness pervades the Irish jobs market as days of strong multinational sector growth recede

www.irishtimes.com/business/202...

Poll blow for Micheál Martin amid Trump tightrope Fellow Fianna Fáilers Jim O’Callaghan and Darragh O’Brien have been out promoting what they’ve been doing

I take a look at the Irish political landscape this lunchtime for The Irish Times' Inside Politics. ⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

For how long can Ireland embrace both Boston and Berlin? It’s getting tougher to sell the Irish message of ‘careful now’

A look ahead at a potentially pivotal week for Ireland and the EU's future relationship with the US. Boston or Berlin?

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

‘If you’re doing it, we will know about it’: How Revenue is watching Ireland’s influencers The latest guidance from Revenue makes it clear that all social media income-generating activity is taxable

‘If you’re doing it, we will know about it’: How Revenue is watching Ireland’s influencers.

A look at the taxman's crackdown on social media earnings.⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/media/2025/1...

Neighbours at war: ‘I always try to talk people out of court. But sometimes it becomes an obsession’ Court is an increasingly common destination for warring neighbourts after a law change, but solicitors and judges are becoming increasingly weary

Neighbours at war: ‘I always try to talk people out of court. But sometimes it becomes an obsession’.

I report on the 'deluge' of cases coming before the Irish courts.⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/20...

Uber in Dublin: Are taxi fares about to become a lot cheaper? Global transportation giant has started offering Irish customers fixed rates – but on Friday, drivers seemed reluctant to accept them

Uber in Dublin: Are taxi fares about to become a lot cheaper?

Not necessarily. I look at the fixed fare row that pits Ireland's taxi drivers against the global transportation giant.⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...

Downsizing in Ireland: ‘It was horrific stuff. There has to be an easier system’ People whose children have flown the nest often want to move to a smaller home, but finding one and organising finances and timing can be stressful

Downsizing in Ireland: ‘It was horrific stuff. There has to be an easier system’.

I report on how difficult it is for older people to trade down to a smaller home. ⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/ireland/hous...

Filibustering or scrutinising? Slow passage of the defamation Bill through the Oireachtas Legislation seeks to end to lawsuits designed to stymie comment and coverage on particular individuals or organisations

Ireland's new defamation laws are grinding their way through the Seanad.

Why so slow - and what change will they make? Reporting for The Irish Times. ⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Crypto is in freefall, so what has gone wrong? More than $1tn has been wiped off the combined $3.2tn crypto market in recent weeks and analysts think it could fall another 20%

Crypto is in freefall, so what has gone wrong?

Analysis for The Irish Times.⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/business/fin...

Farm 999 Episode Three airs on BBC One NI tonight.

I reunite the crew of a Scottish air ambulance with the woman whose life they saved in the Highlands.

Ireland’s Changing Suburbs: Balbriggan is young, diverse and growing fast Some residents worry a lack of youth facilities leaves teens at a loose end around the area

My contribution to the The Irish Times series on Ireland's changing suburbs.

Massive population growth and change in Balbriggan. ⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/ireland/hous...

Is putting some of corporation tax windfall into long-term funds the right thing to do? And will we resist pressure to raid these reserves as happened to the National Pension Reserve Fund during the financial crisis?

The Irish State's investment plans for its sovereign wealth funds await sign off.

I spoke to the people who managed their ill-fated predecessor - the NPRF. ⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/business/202...

Episode Two of Farm 999 screens tonight on BBC1 NI.

Available on BBC iPlayer.

Farm 999 debuts tonight at 730 on BBC One NI.

Available on BBC iPlayer.

The ‘Cable Cowboy’: The US billionaire who made Ireland his home-from-home ‘Cable cowboy’ also owns two large estates, at Humewood in Wicklow and Castlemartin in Kildare, and regularly stays at both

Now that 'Cable Cowboy' John Malone has more time on his hands - what does this mean for his Irish assets and VMTV in particular?

My article in The Irish Times business pages. ⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/business/202...

‘It is not an easy street for families’: Ireland’s diplomatic reshuffle Partners of ambassadors struggle to continue careers while simultaneously playing unpaid support role

Some big moves were announced in Ireland's diplomatic service last week.

My piece on what life is like on the ambassadorial merry-go-round. ⤵️

www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...