The labelling of cocaine use in Ireland as an epidemic is an exaggeration
By Emma Browne

The Irish media has extensively covered the Madeleine McCann case, yet there has been no mention of 79 children currently missing in Ireland
By Emma Browne

Up the Poll: Great Irish Election Stories by Shane Coleman, recounts Irish elections back to 1917. By Ursula Halligan 

One thing's for sure: the Irish love their general elections. The lust for power by some candidates guarantees not only great moments of controversy but also plenty of laughs and lots of entertainment for the public.

The Social Welfare payment provided to asylum seekers in Ireland has not increased in the last eight years. It is the only social welfare payment never to have increased. Asylum seekers receive accommodation and food and a weekly allowance of €19.10 for adults and €9.60 per child. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work so they have no way of boosting this weekly income. The Irish Refugee Council is calling for the payment to increase to €60 per week for adults and €35 per week for children in this year's Budget.

A new website has been launched, just in time for the Christmas shopping frenzy. Spa-Ireland.com is a one-stop shop for Irish spa goers. Alison Bell the, woman behind the service, came up with the idea when she decided to go on a Spa break and was surprised by the lack of information available for customers. The site also has its own online store full of luxurious beauty goodies. Bell charges commission on bookings made through the site but assures her customers that they will get the best deal.

Since 1996 138 women have been murdered in Ireland, a majority of these relating to domestic violence. Far more women have been murdered by domestic violence than there have been gangland killings and yet the latter gets all the media and political attention. Research, by Women's Aid shows that nearly 48 per cent of the murders were committed by a husband, ex-husband, partner or ex-partner.  And 63 per cent of the women were killed in their own homes.

What was a fox doing last week walking around the car park of a supermarket in the afternoon – in the suburb of Dublin, Foxrock? Shoppers were amazed to see it in daylight showing no fear of humans at all.

On 9 October Waterford City Council evicted twelve Traveller families from a halting site in Kilbarry, forcing them to locate to by the side of the road with no access to water or sanitary facilities.

Around a million pairs of Woodpigeon breed in Ireland every year but just around this time of the year (winter) their numbers are boosted by the arrival of hundreds of thousands more from the continent.

Ireland sent its most talented and best prepared team to Rugby World Cup 2007. The team fared worse than any previous Irish team in the competition and worse than all but a handful of teams at the tournament. How it went wrong, what is now needed and why Eddie O'Sullivan should be retained for now. By Brent Pope