Our writers and bloggers comment on the latest news and life in rural Ireland.

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'Start as you mean to go on'
Ask Miriam
This week, Miriam hears from two readers in response to a recent letter from a reader who was feeling pressure to move in to a granny flat beside her boyfriend's parents.
'Start as you mean to go on'
Katherine's Country: a big day in the farming world
20 September 2023 Katherine O'Leary
Katherine's Country: a big day in the farming world
Scanning the cows is a big day on the farm. The results dictate the plan for spring 2024. Katherine O'Learly writes.
Katherine's Country: patient care has many faces
13 September 2023 Katherine O'Leary
Katherine's Country: patient care has many faces
A nurse’s kind gesture meant that I was relaxed going into theatre for surgery, writes Katherine O’Leary
'My family bought me a hoover for my birthday'
This week, Miriam responds to a reader who was left disappointed by the gift that her family chose for her significant birthday.
6 September 2023 Ask Miriam
Craughill barn birthday celebrations
A barnyard birthday is a reminder that celebration keeps us going, even in the toughest times. Katherine O'Leary writes.
6 September 2023 Katherine O'Leary
'I don’t want to move into granny flat on the farm'
Dear Miriam, my in-laws have offered their granny flat to us, but I need my own space
30 August 2023 Ask Miriam
Family rituals and the pull of an invisible string
When trauma hits a family, it is important to find ways of explaining things to young children. Katherine O’Leary’s friend helps her out with a special book.
30 August 2023 Katherine O'Leary
'She should not feel guilty for listening to her mind and body'
This week, Miriam hears from readers sharing their personal experiences after a recent letter regarding postnatal depression and anxiety
23 August 2023 Ask Miriam
Katherine's Country: a sorry state of affairs
Transparency matters as seen in the stories about RTÉ and the Bank of Ireland technical glitch recently, writes Katherine O'Leary
23 August 2023 Katherine O'Leary
'Should I destroy old love letters found in the attic?'
Miriam hears from a reader who faces a predicament about what to do with his teenage love letters
16 August 2023 Ask Miriam
Dealing with hot topics; and cold water
The importance of the discussion group in our farming lives cannot be stressed enough, writes Katherine O'Leary.
16 August 2023 Katherine O'Leary
Katherine's Country: Sometimes normal English just doesn’t cut it
Katherine O’Leary’s grandson, Ricky, has a particular understanding of farming words that are reserved for the farmyard and fields
9 August 2023 Katherine O'Leary