Short listed for this year's Bisto Book of the Year Awards, The Gods and their Machines is a first novel by Oisín McCann – and what an impressive and assured debut it is.

We didn't go to Connemara this past long weekend. It's the second time we haven't gone and now the guilt is growing that my husband and daughter haven't made it to Paul Henry land yet and they over three years in the country.

It doesn't matter if voters say No to the EU Constitution – their governments will either ignore them or make them vote again

The outcome of the elections are a good barometer of increased segregation in the political landscape, writes Fergal Keane from the campaign trail

My store of optimism had been fast depleting with the increase in stories and incidents illustrating the continued hypocritical stance in this country about children, families and which ones are "worthy" of care and state protection.

He may be the scourge of the liberal media, but Rupert Murdoch wants to offer young people a revolution in the way they access news. Conor Brady reports

The response of western governments to the threat of terrorism is "out of all proportion" to the threat itself, and is a "devastating challenge" to human rights, civil liberties and press freedom, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has said.

Rick Moody, author of The Ice Storm, tells Sinéad Gleeson why he dislikes being labelled, has visited Sandymount, and thinks going to church isn't 'totally uncool'

All that aside, the myrtle's most stunning attribute is its gorgeous cinnamon coloured bark, which peels away to reveal creamy white patches.

The Green Party is becoming the butt of much fun and scorn these days. At the PD conference Mary Harney ruled out doing business with them because she said their policies were "crazy" while Fianna Fáil regularly exults in recycling John O'Donoghue's put-down that Ireland needs the Greens like a head of lettuce needs slugs.