Why the failure of Noël Browne’s mother and child scheme still matters 75 years later

Proposals for free, universal healthcare were successfully blocked by the medical profession with support from the Catholic Church

Seán Lemass, The Lost Memoir: Leadership, Ireland’s economic transformation and Fianna Fáil

Ronan McGreevy’s new book edits 22 hours of private recordings to reveal the inner workings of the former taoiseach’s mind

James Ryan: the most influential minister not to have become taoiseach

Michael Loughman’s James Ryan and the Development of Independent Ireland, 1892-1970 is an eminently readable biography of an unjustly neglected politician

How St Stephen’s Green went from a mucky marsh to Dublin’s most famous square in 400 years

Roaming pigs and geese, the obnoxious Whaley family, one of Ireland’s first Michelin stars and ‘shocking destruction’ of the city’s built heritage from the 1960s ... the green has seen it all

Ramping up home building isn’t impossible - we’ve done it before

From 1948 to 1964, roughly 137,000 dwellings were built with State aid, 63,000 of which were by local authorities

Noël Browne had a vision for a healthy, compassionate Ireland. The church and the medical profession blocked him

Television: Alan Gilsenan’s film The Seven Ages of Noel Browne profiles the ‘problematic’ minister, champion of the mother-and-child scheme

TV guide: 12 of the best new shows to watch, beginning tonight

New drama series starring Sigourney Weaver, Celebrity MasterChef is back, and more

Miriam Lord’s Week: Leo’s Chinese lantern sparks security alert at Leinster House

Luckily, Tánaiste was in Chile for Paddy’s Day when suspicious package arrived

Video

Fintan O'Toole: A real republic should not have charity delivering public welfare

Maternity hospital ownership is essential to end culture of deference

‘You have only to say the word’ – An Irishman’s Diary on Tom Barry and former revolutionaries

‘Dear Diary, I am 21 today. Had a wonderful day, though I spent it in bed’

My Aunt Mary’s diary from her 11 months in a sanatorium has echoes of today’s pandemic

From TB to polio: GAA is no stranger to disease disruptions

For decades TB stalked Ireland like a spectre and claimed a number of GAA players

In a Word: Silver

Even incorrigible optimists know that every silver lining comes with a cloud

Robert Ballagh at 77: still stamping his mark on Irish art

The musician-turned-artist got an early break designing stamps and banknotes – then the stage beckoned