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Latest

Last year
2022
Voices
Irish lecturer in US: 'The shadow of campus shootings has loomed large in our lives for years'
CaoimhĂ­n De Barra says threats to safety on campus are always on your mind when you work as a teacher in the US.
9.9k
3
May 26th 2022, 8:00 PM
Voices
Opinion: Raising your children through Irish is the best way to learn the language yourself
The best strategy for creating a bilingual family environment is for one parent to speak the minority language exclusively, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
16.3k
43
Mar 2nd 2022, 7:00 PM
Voices
Opinion: The drive for re-election is a major flaw of modern democracy
CaoimhĂ­n de Barra looks at democracy and asks if it prevents politicians from pushing for real change.
12.9k
13
Jan 23rd 2022, 7:30 AM
All time
Voices
Opinion: We should build a 'Gaelollscoil' in the Gaeltacht as a means of reviving the Irish language
On Seachtain na Gaeilge, CaoimhĂ­n De Barra highlights international examples of the rejuvenation of languages and says Ireland should consider similar steps.
21.3k
58
Mar 9th 2021, 7:00 AM
Voices
Opinion: Trump has been a disaster for democracy - he has laid the ground for fascism
CaoimhĂ­n De Barra looks at Trump’s legacy and the impact his presidency has had on democracy.
29.9k
64
Jan 8th 2021, 7:00 AM
Voices
Trump's presidency has weakened the electoral college - time for it to go
CaoimhĂ­n de Barra looks at the dual US voting system and says the electoral college has the potential to cause major upheaval now and in future.
25.2k
64
Sep 1st 2020, 7:00 AM
Voices
Opinion: Many would like compulsory Gaeilge taken off the Leaving Cert, but it's a slippery slope
CaoimhĂ­n De Barra says if we take compulsory Irish off the curriculum, we’re undermining our language and our identity.
27.5k
281
Mar 6th 2020, 7:00 PM
Voices
Opinion: 'Taoiseach, discussing a united Ireland is still possible - despite the RIC debacle'
CaoimhĂ­n de Barra looks at the possible compromises we would face if a united Ireland became a reality
14.4k
81
Jan 14th 2020, 7:00 AM
Voices
Opinion: 'The poppy argument in Ireland is an ideological battle that's been raging since the 19th century'
CaoimhĂ­n de Barra looks at nationalism and unionism, and the conflicting emotions people have around the use of the poppy.
38.1k
133
Nov 7th 2019, 7:30 AM
Voices
Opinion: 'History's special status at Junior Cert level should be celebrated, but the curriculum has major blind spots'
Aspects of Irish history are conspicuous by their absence from the syllabus, writes CaoimhĂ­n de Barra.
10.7k
14
Oct 3rd 2019, 7:00 AM
Voices
Opinion: Why it's important to call out people referring to Shane Lowry as British
CaoimhĂ­n De Barra argues that it’s something to get exercised about.
73.5k
96
Jul 27th 2019, 8:30 PM
Voices
Opinion: The Leaving Cert might not be perfect but it is fairer than many other systems
The university bribery scandal in the US shows how far some parents will go to secure their child’s college place, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
24.1k
53
May 31st 2019, 7:00 AM
Voices
Opinion: Independent Ireland was established through violent revolution - there were few peacemakers
It is important that we don’t judge the events of the Irish revolution against fictional, sanitised versions of the Irish past, writes Caoimhín De Barra.
17.0k
82
May 15th 2019, 7:00 AM
Voices
Opinion: What does it take to raise your children through Irish?
My daughter speaks mostly in English but there are also lots of words that she only knows the Irish for – so she mixes them in, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
21.7k
51
Mar 15th 2019, 7:00 AM
Voices
Opinion: 'You often hear that the Irish language is badly taught in our schools but that is not true'
Compared with other subjects Irish is not badly taught. More students got a B1 or higher in Irish than in French and German combined, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
42.8k
128
Mar 1st 2019, 7:00 AM
Voices
Opinion: How could a second Brexit referendum be undemocratic?
Changing your course of action based on your circumstances is considered common sense for individuals, companies, and governments, so why should Brexit be any different?
23.1k
86
Jan 8th 2019, 7:00 AM
Voices
Opinion: There are some striking similarities between Irish independence and Brexit
Irish negotiators had to agree that Ireland would remain within the British empire while May’s deal could keep the UK trapped in the EU indefinitely, writes Caoimhín De Barra.
28.0k
54
Dec 10th 2018, 7:00 AM
Voices
Opinion: 'Of course, no one ever admits to being prejudiced against Travellers'
Bigotry never openly acknowledges its existence, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
31.7k
0
Oct 28th 2018, 8:00 AM
Voices
The manner in which Gemma O'Doherty's candidacy was railroaded reinforces her main arguments
Political power in Ireland is held entirely in the hands of a small elite, who govern largely in their own interest. The rest of us are on the outside looking in, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
49.5k
98
Sep 26th 2018, 7:00 AM
Voices
Opinion: Our Celtic identity might not be what we think it is
Author CaomhĂ­n De Barra asks about Ireland’s Celtic past, and whether it really is what we think it is.
67.9k
66
Aug 26th 2018, 8:45 AM
Voices
Sinn FĂ©in and abstentionism: 'The party will eventually need people to take oaths for Ireland'
Abstentionism has been a central policy of Sinn Féin since the party’s foundation in 1905, but condemnation of the practice has sharpened since the Brexit referendum, writes Caoimhín De Barra.
46.8k
142
Jul 24th 2018, 7:00 AM
Voices
'The seriousness with which Americans take their flag and national anthem is unusual'
Trump continues to exploit this sensitivity to try and boost his popularity, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
46.3k
61
Jun 11th 2018, 7:00 AM
Voices
Do you guys have pizza in Ireland?: 'Most Americans I met knew almost nothing about Ireland'
Their Ireland is the Ireland their ancestors left, often untouched by the changes that have taken place since then, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
106k
146
Mar 17th 2018, 9:30 AM
Voices
'Militant, hard-liners or Nazis' - How those challenging the status quo are labelled
Language is used in a manipulative way to make one side of the debate seem practical and free of ideological bias and the other side as completely unreasonable.
20.8k
73
Feb 26th 2018, 6:30 AM
Voices
'There's a deep-rooted hatred toward the indigenous culture of Ireland, above all its language'
When Northern Ireland was formed, unionist were determined to kill off the Gaeltacht communities, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
74.8k
155
Feb 17th 2018, 9:00 AM
Voices
Column: 'There should be a presidential election and Michael D shouldn't run'
We live in an extraordinary moment for democratic government, where confidence in the honesty of political leaders is seemingly at an all time low, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
32.5k
107
Jan 11th 2018, 7:00 AM
Voices
'1918 was a year of monumental importance that had plenty in common with 2018 Ireland'
Here is a look back at that year, with some reflections on the similarities and differences with the Ireland of today, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
21.7k
10
Jan 1st 2018, 7:00 AM
Voices
Brexit: 'The DUP’s hardline policies could be the quickest road to a united Ireland'
“Constitutional integrity” is a myth. The UK has been built on constitutional divergence, writes Caoimhín De Barra.
67.2k
100
Dec 7th 2017, 7:00 AM
Voices
Opinion: 'Our indifference to our flag and anthem is actually healthy'
Placing legislative restrictions on how our anthem is used would be an unnecessary limitation on our freedom of expression, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
12.4k
82
Oct 23rd 2017, 6:30 AM
Voices
Catalan independence: 'Ireland came into being as a result of a similar "illegal" action'
To deny Catalans the right to a referendum will likely only win converts to the cause of independence, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
16.8k
78
Sep 22nd 2017, 6:30 AM
Voices
'The Leaving Cert is a valuable life lesson. If you want something, you need to work hard to get it'
I have never forgotten the idea that I needed to put in long hours if I wanted to achieve something, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
4.9k
65
Jun 5th 2017, 9:30 AM
Voices
Northern Ireland: 'Most people would probably welcome a redrawn border'
All options, radical or otherwise for Northern Ireland, need to be weighed up, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
14.8k
157
Apr 14th 2017, 9:30 AM
Voices
Border poll: 'Nationalists will say the recent Assembly elections show things are trending in their direction'
Nationalists may be fobbed off in the short term, but this will lead to demands for clarification from the British government about what conditions will permit a border poll, writes CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
687
79
Mar 18th 2017, 9:30 AM
Voices
Opinion: 'To say Britishness is authentic, while denying Irishness is quaffing one’s own Kool-Aid too deeply'
Melanie Phillips tried to use history to delegitimise the nationalist aspirations of Sinn FĂ©in and the Scottish Nationalist Party, writes Caoimhin De Barra.
890
115
Mar 9th 2017, 7:00 AM
Voices
The case for ending state support of Irish language is littered with dubious 'facts'
For starters, we don’t spend €1.2 billion in preserving An Ghaeilge each year, says CaoimhĂ­n De Barra.
1.5k
95
Feb 4th 2017, 7:00 PM