POLITICS is a brutal business at the best of times, but it's difficult to think of a politician who has come in for so much sustained and personalised criticism as Tánaiste Mary Coughlan.

Dubbed 'Calamity Coughlan' in the media, her verbal gaffes, her language, her clothes, her cheery ... more

The first thing that becomes apparent once inside the Leprechaun Museum is that the venture is misnamed. This is really a folklore museum, and all the better for it. In fact, the museum, located across the road from the back entrance of Jervis Street shopping centre in Dublin, is attempting ... more

'IT'S whatever you are used to. You know nothing different, so to you… it's normal."
How do you summarise a childhood destroyed by sexual, physical and emotional abuse at the hands of alcoholic parents? How do you explain survival in a world without loving care, or the most ... more

SOCIAL affairs minister Mary Hanafin has emerged as the most likely person to fill the expected new jobs and economic planning department in the upcoming cabinet reshuffle.

Hanafin had not been regarded as a Cowen favourite and was seen as initially reluctant to deliver on the necessary cutbacks in government ... more

DEFENDANTS in criminal trials are entitled to the personal details of the jury deliberating in their cases leading to major concern about potential intimidation and calls for a change in the law as "a matter of urgency".

The Sunday Tribune revealed last week that Natasha McEnroe, the partner of convicted ... more

THE Green Party will this week look to Taoiseach Brian Cowen to get it off the hook created by its internal 2007 arrangement to rotate its ministers halfway through the term of the government.

It is understood that supporters of Ciaran Cuffe have "dug in" and insisted on the deal ... more

Education minister Batt O'Keeffe's much-publicised report into grade inflation in the education system failed to examine whether it has become easier for third-level students to pass their degrees over the past 10 years, the Sunday Tribune has learned.

The review of grading trends also did not analyse the ... more

A MAJOR industrial relations row has broken out at the National Gallery in Dublin after a secret camera was installed in a staff locker area.

The camera was found three months after it was first covertly installed, disguised as a motion sensor in a wall.

The hidden device was found ... more

CELIA Larkin, the former partner of Bertie Ahern, said she was "disappointed" she did not get the chance to contest a personal injury claim taken against her beauty salon Beauty at Blue Door.

Carmel Brierty of Ratoath, Co Meath last week settled a personal claim against Larkin's firm for ... more

Fresh concerns have emerged about potentially serious patient safety issues at Tallaght hospital, this time involving consultant referral letters for X-rays and other procedures going missing from its appointments system last year.

However, the hospital – which was last week forced to admit that thousands of GP referral letters went unreviewed ... more

THE family of Terence Wheelock have released photos of injuries he is believed to have suffered in garda custody as they called for a public inquiry into his death.

Gardaí have repeatedly said that Wheelock left Store Street garda station without any physical injuries apart from a ligature wound to ... more

Almost 97% of motorists in Dublin city are breaking the controversial new 30kmph speed limits, according to a traffic survey conducted by the Sunday Tribune.

The results have fuelled further calls for a U-turn on the contentious Labour party initiative, which was introduced last January. The new law placed restrictions ... more

Dozens of pubs around the country have slashed prices on alcohol and are offering special deals on certain nights.

One well-known Dublin nightclub, Krystle, is planning to offer almost all drinks at just €2 on Tuesday for a St Patrick's Eve party. Owner Rangan Aruch­evlan said: "We are ... more

Irish people are among the least likely of Europeans to holiday at home, according to a survey of planned holiday destinations for 2010.

Just 14% of Irish people said they intended to take their main holiday at home this year as against almost two thirds (64%) of Spaniards, who intend ... more

A Garda dog which stopped a knife-wielding youth on Dublin Bus three years ago has become the first canine to receive an award for bravery.

Eight-year-old German Shepherd Heskey was recently presented with the award along with his handler, Garda Con O'Donovan.

"I was on the way down Dame ... more

DETECTIVES believe that drug dealers with loose associations with Dublin gangs are carrying out 'copycat' arson attacks on headshops around the country rather than the one criminal gang orchestrating the spate of incidents.

In the past month there have been four arson attacks on head shops, which sell a range ... more

GARDAÍ have been asked if the getaway driver in an armed robbery in Donegal last year was an official garda informer as he was visible in CCTV footage,, but no one has been charged with the crime.

Some €108,000 was stolen when three masked and armed men held postmistress ... more

THE estranged husband of murdered Latvian Baiba Saulite will be released from prison in six weeks' time as the DPP has directed that Hassan Hassan should not face charges of conspiring to murder his wife.

Detectives investigating the murder had been confident that Lebanese national Hassan would be charged with ... more

THE Houses of the Oireachtas spent close to €100,000 on promotional brochures and films to help "engage with the public".

The Oireachtas was intent on making its day-to-day operations more accessible to the public, and commissioned a series of short films and new literature, it said.

According to figures ... more

Keith Duffy, Boyzone/Coronation Street actor

I have a great mammy. She never had any girls, it was just me and my brothers, and sometimes I think she wished I was actually a girl. She was a hairdresser when I was younger and would always put blonde streaks in my ... more

A CASH-STRAPPED local authority has decided to spend taxpayers' money on giving its councillors lessons in archaeology and architectural awareness.

Roscommon County Council has slashed its spending on essential services such as housing and roads in recent months and is considering closing some of its libraries.

But the council has ... more

• During the first Lisbon referendum campaign, Coughlan twice claimed, mistakenly, that larger EU member states were entitled to two EU commissioners. Given that she had a lot of experience of EU negotiations for farmers when she was agriculture minister, this was an avoidable slip-up. She soon disappeared from the 'Yes ... more

Is the tánaiste being excessively criticised because of her gender? To address this question, one must consider the gendered nature of political institutions. Gendered institutions are those where gender is present in the processes, practices, images, ideologies and distribution of power.

Gendered institutions have traditionally placed women in a ... more

MINISTER for Health Mary Harney's two-week-long trip to New Zealand for St Patrick's Day was likened to 'the Lord of the Rings trail' last week.

"The only thing missing from it is an invitation for dinner hosted by Bilbo Baggins," blasted Labour leader Eamon Gilmore on Thursday, during ... more

To tweet or not to tweet, that is the question facing poli­ticians these days. After all, a tweet brought down a minister. How long will it be before tweeting makes a minister as well?

Tweeting, for those of you who have real lives, happens on the social networking site ... more

GARDAÍ were yesterday investigating an incident in Co Clare where shots were fired outside a house.

The incident took place early yesterday morning when shots were fired into the air outside the address in Clonlara.

Nobody was injured as a result and gardaí were said to be in the area ... more

AN American organisation representing victims of clerical sex abuse is holding a vigil across the US this weekend in recognition of several European scandals, including Ireland.

SNAP – the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests – has called on other countries to mirror investigations into complaints carried out here.
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GARDAÍ in Cork have issued an appeal for information on the whereabouts of a 25-year-old woman who has been missing since last Wednesday. Elzbieta Ewa Konik, who was last seen in Kinsale on Wednesday at around 6pm, is described as being around 5'4" in height with brown eyes and ... more

The Department of Finance is expected to seek millions of euro in verifiable savings from public servants in return for some form of pay increase next year. It will outline its plans when talks between the two sides resume tomorrow.

To ensure that the discussions commence in a cordial atmosphere ... more

THE eldest victim of the Roscommon 'House of Horrors' incest case has said his five siblings are angry that many other charges against their parents were never proceeded with.

In an interview with the Sunday Tribune, the 20-year-old – who suffered extreme sexual and physical abuse at the hands of his ... more

A large majority of women TDs and senators believe that Tánaiste Mary Coughlan is a victim of sexism, an extensive survey carried out by the Sunday Tribune reveals.

Labour TD Kathleen Lynch last week said that while Coughlan "hadn't done an extraordinarily good job", there was "a little ... more

IARNRÓD éireann's plans to embark on its first railway closures since the 1970s look set to cause a further rift between Fianna Fáil and the Green Party.

Green Party TD Ciaran Cuffe has indicated that his party will oppose the closures, which will sever direct railway links ... more

A 1,600km relay marathon across Ireland in promotion of the Irish language is due to conclude in Galway this Friday.

Rith 2010 is a new national festival taking place between the 9-17 March as a central aspect of the Irish Language Week.

The race begins in Belfast and incorporates ... more

Dozens of fans lined up outside Celtic Note at Dublin's Nassau Street yesterday afternoon to catch a glimpse of internet sensation Crystal Swing.

The family trio were launching their hit single, 'He Drinks Tequila' after appearing on the Late Late Show on Friday night.

Speaking about appearing on the ... more

RTé has been accused of breaking an agreement with Fair City actors over the internet broadcasting of the popular soap. The dispute, between the broadcaster and the actors' union Equity, has kept Fair City off RTÉ's online player since before Christmas.

Equity said an agreement was made that neither ... more

A man in garda custody over the alleged plot to murder a Swedish cartoonist wrote an email to the mastermind of the conspiracy 'Jihad Jane' saying he had already twice attempted to become a martyr, saying: "I tried twice but I wasn't successful…[but] I will…try until Allah ... more

Aer Lingus's plan to sack its cabin crew and re-hire them on lower rates of pay would, if successfully implemented, "establish a road map for all employers to slash and burn workers' pay and conditions with impunity", a leading employment law solicitor has warned.

Richard Grogan said he had ... more

THE Department of Foreign Affairs is to introduce 'Our Man in Havana'-style foreign embassies with just one diplomat attached to them, in a further effort to cut their costs.

However, the department has ruled out the possibility of closing any embassies as part of a rationalisation plan for Ireland ... more

A government task force set up to oversee the disposal of the state's now defunct e-voting machines met just three times last year, and is only due to meet for the first time in 2010 next week, environment minister John Gormley has revealed.

Although seven storage leases for the ... more

DUBLIN City Council is coming under increasing political pressure to cease its dealings with Veolia, the French operator of the Luas rail system, due to its involvement in illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank.

Motions for a cessation of the relationship – which are to be presented to numerous councils ... more

There are a lot academic arguments in favour of quotas, but I come at it from a different perspective as a practitioner and as somebody who has the experience of having to fight to get elected in politics.

There is no doubt that politics is dominated by a somewhat patriarchal ... more

After a week of celebrations for International Women's Day it is a good time to ask ourselves how far we have progressed towards equality in Ireland. The answer? There's still a long way to go.

In 2010 women still earn 17% less than men and are under-represented in ... more

SEARCHES are continuing this weekend for a missing teenager who disappeared from his home in west Dublin more than two weeks ago.

Daniel McAnaspie (17) was last seen drinking in a housing estate in the Blanchardstown area of Dublin in the early hours of Friday 26 February .

Around 60 garda ... more

GARDAÍ sealed off a house in south Dublin yesterday after a viable pipe bomb device was thrown into the premises.

The explosive device was thrown through the window of the home in Whitechurch Place, Ballyboden at around 7.15am and exploded. Although the house is understood to have been occupied ... more