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Latest

Last year
2022
Voices
Tom Clonan: Putin's running out of conventional military solutions to impose his will on Ukraine
The security analyst writes that on the other hand, the Ukrainian motivation to fight is high.
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Oct 5th 2022, 11:30 PM
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Tom Clonan: Russia's decision to locate off Ireland gives the two-fingers to the US, EU & NATO
The security analyst says it also demonstrates Ireland’s failure to meet the minimum standards of our Neutral status.
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Updated
Jan 25th 2022, 9:43 PM
All time
Voices
Lyons Tea: Is it as Irish as we think?
The history of Lyon is not what you might expect, writes Tom Clonan.
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Aug 23rd 2020, 8:00 PM
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Tom Clonan: 'My whistleblower journey in the Defence Forces has ended. I am back in from the cold'
Dr Tom Clonan met with the Defence Forces Chief of Staff today about a reconciliation process. ‘Unusually for Ireland, this whistleblowing story has a happy ending,’ he writes.
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Nov 28th 2019, 12:05 PM
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Opinion: 'Lisa Smith needs to be exploited to the maximum as an intelligence source on her return'
“While Smith was living with IS during 2016, 135 European citizens were slaughtered in 10 separate attacks that year,” security expert Tom Clonan writes.
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Apr 10th 2019, 7:00 AM
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Tom Clonan: Deal or no deal, the border will be our problem this time. And we aren't ready for it
The Irish Defence Forces is already on its knees and will be unable to patrol any border on this island, writes Tom Clonan.
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Mar 29th 2019, 7:00 AM
Voices
'The threat posed by Islamist terrorism is waning dramatically... but what do we worry about next?'
Tom Clonan looks at the latest risk assessments around Europe.
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Dec 31st 2018, 9:30 PM
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'With relative garda silence on Dundalk attacks, speculation and Islamaphobia swept across Internet'
Proactive, public engagement and dynamic crisis communication are built into the emergency response planning of the police forces within most EU states, writes Tom Clonan.
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Jan 4th 2018, 6:21 PM
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Tom Clonan: 'Leo knows we get up early in the morning to bathe, toilet & spoonfeed our loved ones'
We need to radically transform the narrative around disability and equality, writes Tom Clonan.
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Sep 20th 2017, 9:00 PM
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Tom Clonan: 'There was a level of support and pre-meditation to this sinister attack'
In Manchester, in attacking an Ariana Grande concert, the deliberately chosen target was children, writes Tom Clonan.
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May 23rd 2017, 8:30 PM
Voices
Tom Clonan: Truth of what happened in Troubles can't be allowed die with major figures like McGuinness
The untimely death of the Sinn Féin politician has brought Ireland’s faltering peace process into sharp focus, writes Tom Clonan.
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Mar 22nd 2017, 8:51 PM
Voices
Tom Clonan: Nerve, blood and choking agents sending state-sponsored message of terror
VX is a weapon of incredible cruelty and terror, writes security expert Tom Clonan.
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Feb 25th 2017, 7:00 AM
Voices
'Get ready for a rollercoaster': Tom Clonan on Trump’s Cabinet and Defence Secretary
There has been much economic analysis around the likely impact of Donald Trump’s presidency but there are important security concerns too, writes Tom Clonan.
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Nov 25th 2016, 7:00 AM
Voices
Tom Clonan: Why we should care about gang members killing each other
If these crimes were committed during the Troubles they wouldn’t be tolerated – so why are they now?
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Sep 2nd 2016, 8:00 PM
Voices
Tom Clonan: Heavy bombers dropping 'full payload' have horrific effects on those below
More little boys like Omran Daqneesh will be butchered while the global implications of force projection are discussed in Moscow and Washington, security expert Tom Clonan writes.
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Aug 18th 2016, 7:02 PM
Voices
Tom Clonan: Why it's time to have an open and honest debate about our neutrality
Security expert Tom Clonan says any decisions about our status must be taken by the Irish people in a transparent and ethical manner.
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Aug 15th 2016, 7:00 AM
Voices
Isis sows seeds of inter-ethnic conflict to give its perverted ideology some sort of twisted logic
Security expert Tom Clonan writes from France, where he and his family were holidaying when Thursday night’s attack happened in Nice.
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Jul 16th 2016, 6:00 AM
Voices
Thanks to Brexit, the fragile peace in Ireland is under threat
Security expert Tom Clonan writes that a referendum on Northern Ireland may lead to sectarian tensions in the six counties.
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Jun 26th 2016, 7:00 AM
Voices
Orlando shooter was a homophobic killer, deliberately using the 'Isis' name
“We need to rally around our LGBTI brothers and sisters… and to defy the absolute evil [of] groups like Islamic State,” writes security expert Tom Clonan.
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Jun 13th 2016, 7:30 PM
Voices
What's missing in the gangland crisis? The political will to solve it
Security expert Tom Clonan writes that the government needs to do more to tackle the ongoing crisis.
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May 25th 2016, 8:23 PM
Voices
Maurice McCabe was subjected to "whistleblower reprisal" - Irish style
The treatment of Sergeant Maurice McCabe shows us that the Ireland of 2016 remains a cold house for whistleblowers and truth-telling, writes security analyst Tom Clonan.
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May 18th 2016, 9:00 PM
Voices
A shocking, sobering report leaked and then selectively reported upon by our national media
Some apologies are now in order. And they aren’t the ones you’ve heard about, writes Tom Clonan.
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May 12th 2016, 8:00 PM
Voices
Opinion: Women have shown time and time again that they are a more deadly species than the male
Security expert Tom Clonan explains why armies across the world need female soldiers and officers, in all positions.
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May 5th 2016, 8:00 AM
Voices
'Gardaí being left in the dark about terror threats to Ireland. That's worrying'
In Ireland, there is no terrorism alert system or threat level assessment that we know of. This is a grave concern, writes Tom Clonan.
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Apr 17th 2016, 8:00 AM
Voices
Tom Clonan: 'Islamic State will consider today’s attacks a great success'
Columnist Tom Clonan takes an in-depth look at the aftermath following today’s attacks in Brussels and what it means for security in Europe.
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Mar 22nd 2016, 8:30 PM
Voices
'We need to assess the threat to the 1916 commemorations'
There needs to be a carefully choreographed evacuation plan with an event of this size, writes Tom Clonan.
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Mar 13th 2016, 6:30 PM
Voices
'They say the Hutch, Byrne and latest Ryan shooting are not linked. I disagree'
These murders are part of the same phenomenon of gun and drugs related crime that has blighted decent communities across Dublin, writes Tom Clonan.
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Mar 2nd 2016, 8:00 AM
Voices
'The risk of another revenge killing will rise exponentially during Eddie Hutch funeral'
There was a very heavy garda presence at David Byrne’s funeral on Monday, and it’s essential there is one today.
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Feb 19th 2016, 8:00 AM
Voices
Regency Hotel shooting was choreographed to send a clear and explicit message
Pictures have been widely circulated of gunmen carrying Kalashnikov weapons into the Regency Hotel. The pictures are significant for a number of reasons, writes Tom Clonan.
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Feb 8th 2016, 5:43 PM
Voices
'Power is a drug': Alan Kelly's recent interview showed the true colours of Irish politics
We need more than narcissism and hubris in Irish politics, writes Tom Clonan.
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Feb 7th 2016, 8:00 AM
Voices
'Ireland’s gang killings are remarkably similar to ISIS murders'
That seems like an extreme statement but Tom Clonan has taken a look at the evidence.
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Jan 29th 2016, 5:09 PM
Voices
It's now more difficult for Irish journalists to hold those in powerful positions to account
Ireland’s small community of hard-pressed crime journalists are up in arms, writes Tom Clonan.
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Jan 24th 2016, 8:00 AM
Voices
In this Irish Cancer Society debacle, let's remember they provide services that our government should
Ireland is the only EU country that relies on charity and philanthropy to provide essential services to our most seriously ill citizens, writes Tom Clonan.
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Jan 17th 2016, 8:00 AM
Voices
My simple New Year's wish is for my son to live in a truly equal Ireland
One of my boys, Eoghan, suffers from a rare neuromuscular disease. He cannot walk. As a parent, I am becoming increasingly concerned for his future. What will happen to him when I die?
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Dec 31st 2015, 8:00 PM
Voices
Drafting in the army to tackle the flood waters shows lessons have been learned from past disasters
The weather conditions are predicted to persist in the coming days, but we are a lot better off than we were back in 2009 and 2010.
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Dec 13th 2015, 8:00 AM
Voices
Tom Clonan: Video means it's official - Ireland is a target for Islamic State
“Ireland fits precisely the target profile that attracts ISIS terrorists.”
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Nov 25th 2015, 9:13 PM
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Tom Clonan: 'Ireland is on the brink of a perfect storm in our health services'
Minister Varadkar needs to do ‘the bleeding obvious’ and demonstrate real leadership, writes Tom Clonan.
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Nov 16th 2015, 8:45 PM
Voices
'To kill so many people, so deliberately, in such a short time shows determination and training'
This will not be the last such attack in France or elsewhere in the EU, writes columnist Tom Clonan.
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Nov 14th 2015, 1:00 PM
Voices
Tom Clonan: Who? How? Why? Figuring out the Russian plane crash
The Russian plane crash on the Sinai Peninsula has a lot in common with other bombings, writes columnist Tom Clonan.
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Nov 5th 2015, 8:30 PM