What goes into the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup? More than you'd think. Rebecca Kammgoes behind the scenes with some of the busy key players charged with bringing it all together

Whether you like oysters or not, the annual Oyster Festival is a great time to visit the city of Galway on the west coast of Ireland.

Balancing tax and spending is not a task we can afford to cede to appointed experts...

I find myself in the strange position, at the moment, of feeling vaguely homesick for a place that isn't really my home.

A New Zealand journalist who works for Rupert Murdoch's axed News of the World tabloid says it's been "utterly, completely cleaned up" up over the past few years and "is not the newspaper I work for".

Mandatory closing times is not necessarily the answer to society's drinking problems, says Don Kavanagh.

The impacts of the global financial crisis hit are ingrained in our communities.

The Queen was given a warm welcome during an emotional visit to Ireland's Croke Park sports ground, site of an infamous 1920 massacre.

Ireland's National Heritage Council protects and enhances the nation's built, natural and cultural heritage, so the activities on offer during National Heritage Week are incredibly diverse.

Rory McIlroy is a natural choice to wear the coveted Masters green jacket, writes Wynne Gray.

The north of Ireland has acres of space and weather by the bucket, writes Peter Calder.

This deserted village tells a story of hardship and exile, writes Pamela Wade.