Ask Miriam

Dear Miriam: ‘I’m restless now I’ve retired, did I make the wrong choice?

A reader in Co Kerry tells Miriam she isn't sure she made the right choice retiring from her job as a nurse, as she feels restless and out of the loop with nothing to do.

ASK MIRIAM 30 December 2025

Dear Miriam: ‘I’m restless now I’ve retired, did I make the wrong choice?

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Dear Miriam: how can I get out of hosting my bully brother for Christmas?

Dear Miriam: how can I get out of hosting my bully brother for Christmas?

ASK MIRIAM 17 December 2025

Dear Miriam: ‘how can I cope with the cost of Christmas after financial setback?

Dear Miriam: ‘how can I cope with the cost of Christmas after financial setback?

ASK MIRIAM 10 December 2025

Dear Miriam: ‘I find Christmas is such a struggle without children of my own’

Dear Miriam: ‘I find Christmas is such a struggle without children of my own’

Dear Miriam: ‘I find Christmas is such a struggle without children of my own’

ASK MIRIAM 3 December 2025

Dear Miriam: How do I say no to an unwelcome Christmas Day invite?

Dear Miriam: How do I say no to an unwelcome Christmas Day invite?

Dear Miriam: How do I say no to an unwelcome Christmas Day invite?

ASK MIRIAM 26 November 2025

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Dear Miriam: 'a jury summons for our deceased uncle is re-traumatising family'

Dear Miriam: 'a jury summons for our deceased uncle is re-traumatising family'

A Westmeath reader tells Miriam of her anger at her deceased uncle receiving a jury summons in the post a few months after he passed away suddenly, which has reignited the pain of his loss.

ASK MIRIAM 8 October 2025

Dear Miriam: 'Close relative claims to support gay rights – but won’t accept me'

Dear Miriam: 'Close relative claims to support gay rights – but won’t accept me'

Miriam advises a reader in Longford to set a homophobic relative straight on the unacceptability of his nasty remarks in private which contradict his public support of LGBTQ+ rights.

ASK MIRIAM 8 October 2025

Dear Miriam: mother's weight jibes have left me with shameful Ozempic secret

Dear Miriam: mother's weight jibes have left me with shameful Ozempic secret

Pressure from her family leads a reader in Co Cork to turn to the weight loss drug Ozempic but it's a secret as they think her slimmer figure is down to her attending a gym.

ASK MIRIAM 8 October 2025

Dear Miriam: ‘Reading in bed is starting to cause nightly rows with my wife’

Dear Miriam: ‘Reading in bed is starting to cause nightly rows with my wife’

Miriam advises a husband in Tipperary to invest in either a Kindle or a night light to minimise the disruption his bedtime reading habit is having on his wife's sleep.

ASK MIRIAM 8 October 2025

Dear Miriam: Am I selfish for wanting a life beyond motherhood and the farm?

Dear Miriam: Am I selfish for wanting a life beyond motherhood and the farm?

Miriam urges a reader who is struggling to juggle the farm, family and work as a nurse to take time to herself which rather than selfish is essential to maintain her mental and physical health.

ASK MIRIAM 8 October 2025

Dear Miriam: 'no answer from nursing home on mum's changed behaviour'

Dear Miriam: 'no answer from nursing home on mum's changed behaviour'

Miriam advises a reader who is concerned over her mother's isolation in a nursing home to speak with the person in charge to determine why there has been a change in her behaviour and routine.

ASK MIRIAM 8 October 2025

Dear Miriam: My adult children have moved home but won’t pull their weight

Dear Miriam: My adult children have moved home but won’t pull their weight

A reader asks for Miriam's help in taking her adult children to task for their refusal to clean up after themselves, having moved back into the family home after a period of living independently.

ASK MIRIAM 8 October 2025

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Irish dairy’s green advantage across the globe

Our success in export markets depends not only on finding new buyers, but on protecting the strong and hard-fought position we occupy on the global stage.

Irish dairy’s green advantage across the globe

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