Passing on the backpack baton from mum to son – how Interrailing has changed since my days of print maps and guide books I was 19 years old, with an Interrail ticket, a pouch full of traveller’s cheques, a credit card (only to be used in emergencies) and a thirst for adventure.

A few words in today's @independent.ie about some of the many adventures (and scrapes) I had with my trusty backpack and how it has now been revived for another generation.
m.independent.ie/life/travel/...

Thanks Joe! 😊

Arlene Harris: Growing up above a bar in east Clare, Moya Brennan’s voice was the soundtrack to my childhood Growing up in the small town of Scarriff in east Clare, I had something of an unconventional childhood.

A few words in today's @independent.ie about my memories of the wonderful Moya Brennan who was a regular visitor to my house when I was a child. RIP to the First Lady of Celtic Music.
m.independent.ie/opinion/comm...

Heart transplant: ‘You never give up on the hope of life’ Garda and golfer Séamus Patton (57) is among those in Ireland hoping the donation of an organ will give them more time

In today's @irishtimes.com this garda and avid golfer told me that after feeling 'out of puff', he went to see his GP. He was shocked to learn that he needed, tests, treatment, surgery and eventually a heart transplant. He says we should never ignore the signs.
www.irishtimes.com/health/your-...

‘Motor neurone disease had never crossed my mind, but in that moment I was told, my life changed forever’ When Lorraine Kelly Donnelly felt a cramp in her left hand at the start of 2025, she didn’t think anything of it.

In @independent.ie this woman told me how, what started as a cramp in her hand, turned out to be Motor Neurone Disease. As she learns to adjust to huge changes in her life, she urges people to be aware of the signs and to support MND research @imnda.bsky.social
www.independent.ie/irish-news/m...

‘My PMS got really bad, I struggled for two weeks each month – so I developed an app to help other women’ “I’ve always had really painful periods. I was put on the contraceptive pill when I was in my teens to try and manage the pain and then, in 2020, was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome and was g...

In today's @independent.ie I spoke to the Irish woman who, after years of painful periods and exhausting PMS, developed an app which not only tracks your menstrual cycle, but also helps to maximise wellness according to individual lifestyles.
www.independent.ie/life/health-...

a woman in a white dress with a veil on her head is holding a flower ALT: a woman in a white dress with a veil on her head is holding a flower

#journorequest - looking to talk to women who got married at a young age. DM if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

Today is #65RosesDay raising awareness for #Cysticfibrosis. In today's @irishexaminer.bsky.social I spoke to the family of a young girl with CF about how much joy she brings to their lives, how her condition shaped the family, & their hopes for her future.@cfireland.bsky.social

In today's @independent.ie I spoke to parents who have joint birthday parties for their children and friends in order to share costs and responsibility.
www.independent.ie/life/family/...

‘Life is too short to eat crap chocolate’ – Nine famous faces share the Easter eggs they’ll be tucking into this Sunday Easter is one of the most important dates in the Christian calendar. But, with families and loved ones getting together, it is also associated with food. And, whether it’s spring lamb, boiled ham, lee...

In today's @independent.ie I spoke to well known people about their Easter memories and their favourite chocolate treats.
www.independent.ie/life/food-dr...

‘She asked me why I wasn’t eating my lunch, and it triggered a wave of emotions in me’: My recovery from an eating disorder “It started towards the end of secondary school – and at the time, I thought I was just a picky eater, but didn’t realise how much it was starting to intertwine with my life. I hated eating anything s...

In today's @independent.ie this woman told me about the eating disorder that affected her younger years and how a chance conversation with a nurse helped her to get on the road to recovery.

www.independent.ie/life/she-ask...

How to not have a kitchen nightmare when you renovate this all-important room Drawers beat doors, don’t put your sink on the island, and think about adding a workspace if you work from home

In today's @irishtimes.com I spoke to experts about how to design the perfect kitchen and the simple hacks which can elevate your current space without breaking the bank
www.irishtimes.com/property/int...

How working from home could take the steam out of the energy crisis With the war in the Middle East still causing instability and spiralling fuel prices across the world, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has recommended working from home as one of the immediate r...

In @independent.ie I spoke to people with long commutes who are feeling the pinch as higher fuel prices continue to cause concern.

www.independent.ie/life/how-wor...

Is too much screentime damaging children and teenagers’ brains? A recent US study claims the younger generation has become ‘cognitively stunted’ by an overreliance on digital technology

In today's @irishtimes.com I spoke to parents and experts about the impact of too much screen time on developing brains and why limiting time on devices and allowing children to be bored is beneficial. @cybersafekids.bsky.social

www.irishtimes.com/health/your-...

a cat is sitting in a car with its paws on the steering wheel ALT: a cat is sitting in a car with its paws on the steering wheel

#journorequest - looking to talk to people in Ireland who have a daily commute which is longer than an 80 or 90 minute drive. Have you started taking the train, are you working from home or are you affected by rising fuel prices. DM ASAP today if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

a cartoon lizard is standing on a rock and smiling ALT: a cartoon lizard is standing on a rock and smiling

#journorequest - looking to talk to people who have been living outside Ireland for a year or who moved to Ireland a year ago. DM if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

‘My condition has allowed me to teach my child more emotional things: to be kind, helpful, and empathetic’ Content creator and advocate uses her platform to raise awareness of rare neurological condition

In @belfasttelegraph.co.uk this woman told me how, after giving birth, she experienced debilitating symptoms which doctors said was normal for new mums. After more advice she was diagnosed with a rare condition. She urges people to trust their instincts.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/weekend...

‘A Daffodil angel, as I called her, walked into a house full of very sad people’ Almost 9,800 deaths every year in Ireland are as a consequence of cancer

In @irishtimes.com I spoke to an Irish Cancer Society
night nurse and a woman whose family availed of their services. She urges people to support the charity on #DaffodilDay and help them to continue to provide support for cancer patients & their families.
www.irishtimes.com/health/your-...

‘I’m very lucky’: How a delayed hospital appointment turned out to be good fortune Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day fundraising aims to raise more than €6m

Today is #DaffodilDay and in @irishtimes.com
this woman told me that despite being fit and healthy and with no symptoms whatsoever, she was diagnosed with cancer after a routine scan. She urges people to be vigilant and seek advice if any concerns.

www.irishtimes.com/health/2026/...

Vašek Zebuna Míša Svobodobá GIF ALT: Vašek Zebuna Míša Svobodobá GIF

#journorequest - looking to talk to people in Ireland who have been married for one year and also to someone who has been married for 20 years. DM if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

‘Everyone says hello to each other here’: Why leaving Dublin for a different life was the best move for me and my family “One day I realised that I was spending almost my entire salary on creche and after-school fees. My husband Damien and I worked full-time, so in order to get three small kids up, dressed and fed, our ...

In today's @independent.ie this woman told me about the pros and cons of relocating from the city to the countryside.
m.independent.ie/life/everyon...

a cartoon of homer simpson driving a pink car with his family in the back seat ALT: a cartoon of homer simpson driving a pink car with his family in the back seat

#journorequest - looking to talk to parents in or from Ireland who have made changes to their life for their children - perhaps stopped drinking/smoking or taken up new hobby, changed your job or home. If you want to take part in this piece, send me a DM. Shares appreciated

Trigeminal neuralgia: Unimaginable pain strikes without warning. It’s like touching an electric fence to the power of 10 Most people know the debilitating pain of a toothache or headache and many of us are floored with migraines so bad that even turning your head feels tortuous.

In today's @independent.ie this man told me how, following a relatively insignificant knock to the jaw, he developed an excruciatingly painful condition, which was only cured following brain surgery.
www.independent.ie/life/health-...

‘It’s nice to have someone else in the house’: The upsides of taking a lodger into your home There is no denying that affordable rental accommodation is in short supply in Ireland, with the latest rental report from daft.ie showing that market rents up to September 2025 had risen by 4.3pc and...

As shortages continue in the #rental market, in today's
@independent.ie I spoke people who have opened their homes to lodgers and to someone who is renting a room in someone else's house about the pros and cons #housing
www.independent.ie/life/its-nic...

‘I’d never heard of pancreatic cancer until Mammy was diagnosed with it. It’s a very cruel disease’ Each year around 600 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in Ireland – and while the figures are relatively low, so too are the survival rates, with only around 10pc of patients surviving beyon...

In today's @independent.ie this woman told me how the 'tummy bug' her mother thought she had turned out to be pancreatic cancer. She urges people to know the signs and seek advice if any concerns.
www.independent.ie/life/health-...

Dublin cleanfluencer Brandon Stone: ‘My followers have told me that cleaning is a type of therapy when they’re not feeling the best’ He may have inherited his love of cleaning from his mother Gemma, but Brandon Stone has taken the art of tidying up to a whole new level by videoing the process and uploading it on social media. And t...

Ahead of an upcoming programme on @virginmediaireland.bsky.social in today's @independent.ie
this man told me about his love of cleaning, the mental and physical benefits it brings and how his weekly routine keeps his followers on TikTok entertained.
www.independent.ie/life/health-...

a little girl is standing in front of a bunch of balloons and holding a yellow balloon . ALT: a little girl is standing in front of a bunch of balloons and holding a yellow balloon .

#journorequest - looking to talk to parents in Ireland who have teamed up with other parents to have a joint birthday party for their children to save on cost and effort. DM if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

Three hotels in Tenerife: My tour took me north, south, to some delicious meals and a ‘Burren by the sea’ With grey skies, the threat of storms and the feeling that winter will never end in Ireland, the prospect of jetting away to the sun has never been more enticing.

A few words in the @independent.ie about my recent trip to Tenerife and the contrast between north and south of the island.
www.independent.ie/life/travel/...

Multilingual families: ‘Many still feel pressure to leave parts of themselves at the door’ More than 70 languages are spoken in Ireland and the Mother Tongues festival is helping pass them on to the next generation

In today's @irishtimes.com I spoke to multilingual families around Ireland about the importance of keeping native languages alive and the benefits of the upcoming Mother Tongues festival celebrating language and culture.
www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

The great kids-in-restaurants row: Should children be welcome everywhere we eat? A fierce debate erupted on social media last week after former BBC newsreader Jan Leeming took to the airwaves to complain about an unruly toddler ruining her dinner in a smart hotel restaurant.

In @independent.ie I spoke to parents and people in the hospitality sector about bringing children to restaurants, with strong opinions from all - and psychologist, Dr Malie Coyne
offered expert advice on how to keep everyone happy.
www.independent.ie/life/family/...