Cathal Mac Coille: World watches to see who wins in Facebook face-off with Australia
The move to make social media companies pay for news generated by national and international media could have direct implications for Ireland
Cathal Mac Coille: Johnson is gaslighting unionists, Ireland and the EU alike
Political stability in the North is best served by close cooperation between the Irish and British governments, not brazenly irresponsible duplicity on the part of the British prime minister
Cathal Mac Coille: New Covid strains make credible travel restrictions essential
Public disillusion will increase if official ‘advice’ is seen as ineffective and loopholes regarding international travel remain unaddressed
Cathal Mac Coille: How Trump and social media fuelled a mass-delusion event
The attack on the Capitol Building in Washington DC didn’t happen in a vacuum but, instead, was the product of years of poisonous disinformation being spread online
Cathal Mac Coille: Epic scientific achievement is a beacon of hope for the future
The science community’s response to the pandemic has been nothing short of inspirational – and will hopefully encourage the next generation of Stem professionals
Cathal Mac Coille: Sinn Féin's version of history ignores a basic fact
The IRA had no mandate, North or South, for its 37 years of armed struggle
Cathal Mac Coille: High profile non-compliance leads to the same from others
The handling of the RTÉ social distancing controversy was flawed but, even then, the national broadcaster made things worse for itself
Cathal Mac Coille: SF discovers harsh winds blow across the moral high ground
Sinn Féin’s move against Leo Varadkar over Leakgate led to a vociferous response by Fine Gael
No border poll for now, but we need a discussion on Irish unity
Comment: Sinn Féin is the only party calling for a border poll, and such a step is unlikely in the short term. But that doesn‘t mean discussions should be shelved
Scale of US electoral chicanery shouldn’t blind us to our flaws
Arrangements for voting are largely controlled by each state in the US which is allowing Republican-run administrations to organise voter suppression
Comment: Disagreements over Troubles change few voters’ minds
Micheál Martin’s reasonable criticism of Sinn Féin’s view of the past misses a key point: a growing number of the Republic’s voters are unconcerned by the party’s occasional outbursts glorifying the IRA
Cathal Mac Coille: Ministers need to listen to the experts now more than ever
After a week of political muddles and mistakes, the value of good old-fashioned expertise is clear
Long-term unemployed must not be ignored in virus fallout
No matter how well the economy recovers after Covid-19, the reality is a lot of people will end up without work. They should be included, not marginalised
An effective recovery must offer proof that we are all ‘still in it together’
Topping up ministers’ salaries while scheduling cuts in pandemic unemployment payments is bad politics
Cathal Mac Coille: Government’s credibility vital as Covid-19 complacency spreads
The circling of the wagons on Barry Cowen’s driving misdemeanours was to be expected. But the government needs to be able to deal with worse problems if it is to survive
Green Party’s internal disagreements may put the new coalition under strain
The contest for the party leadership won’t help the Greens to adjust to the pressures of governing in a crisis
Cathal Mac Coille: We don’t just need a coalition deal, we need a new social contract
A future of hard economic and social choices looms, and voters’ priorities have changed utterly since the general election
Radical action needed now to minimise long-term fallout of pandemic
Universal Basic Income, a four-day week and other flexible options are among the initiatives the government should consider to help heal the economy
Cathal Mac Coille: Next government needs to under-promise when it comes to recovery
The state can’t possibly meet the demands of every sector hit by the virus – especially when we don’t know what a post-Covid world will look like
Cathal Mac Coille: Repairing the damage of coronavirus will require tough choices
Any review of actions taken before and during the pandemic is likely to result in major policy changes, while recovery is likely to be slow and arduous