The particular way the days fell this Christmas brings its advantages. Many of the visitors to the west for the season will not be heading back to work and life until the 5th January.

The Irish wake is a unique ritual held after a death and before a funeral, sometimes lasting a few days, where family and friends gather to mourn and celebrate the life of the deceased, and support the bereaved family.

Just when we thought the American political saga had reached its maximum absurdity, the Trump administration has managed, with barely concealed sleight of hand and a wry smile, to turn the First Amendment into both a delayed Fourth of July ...

People lived, worked and died on the Inishkea Islands over a period of 4,000 years and perhaps even longer, writes BRIAN DORNAN.

In defence of a country I’ve spent the last year criticising.

Those of us who are fortunate to have our roots anchored in this little slice of heavenly beauty in the West of Ireland may count ourselves blessed, writes DAVID FARRELL.

Next month marks the centenary of the first-ever All-Ireland senior football championship to be won by a Connacht county. In Ballinasloe in November, Galway hosted a celebration of the first of their nine All-Ireland titles.

The contribution of boxers connected with Mayo to the sport in the United States is truly quite remarkable, writes KEVIN MARTIN.

The whole point of Christmas is to step back from life's daily grind and to remember that we are not machines, but people who need each other, CONOR McGUIRE

For Christians everywhere, Easter is reputed to be the most important feast of the year. And, officially it is, but, truth to tell, in the public consciousness, Christmas wins hands down.