Michael Cronin's insights about the crucial role translation has played in shaping debates about identity, language and cultural survival provide an impressive statement of intent, says Eamon Maher

To quote from the press release: "Deep in the cellars of the O'Brien Press is a safe that contained stories too horrible to be read. But somebody has broken into the safe and the stories have been released." The Evil Hairdo is one of these stories and it certainly lives up to expectations .

Just a block-and-a-half from where Cory Lidle's plane smashed into the centre of a 42-storey building in New York last Wednesday, there is a small, almost-forgotten reminder of what it means to be in a city of surprises.

Those of you who have grown weary of the daily routine of Starbuck's, property prices and traffic jams will know that there are few corners of Ireland where one can find shelter from consumerism.

Elizabeth Royte is unsure who The Tree was written for but she thoroughly enjoyed this homage
to our leafy friends

Sean O'Connor, grandson of Sean Lemass and nephew of Charles Haughey, will run as an Independent in the Seanad election. By Justine McCarthy

Despite two 'seiges' since the Barr report on John Carthy's death at Abbeylara was published in July, the government has no plans to discuss it in the Dáil. By Justine McCarthy

For the last five years, US foreign policy in the Middle East has been the international issue which has garnered the most media attention – with the invasion and occupation of Iraq being the obvious focus for most of the coverage. On Wednesday 12 October, the Lancet published the results of an epidemiological study into excess deaths in Iraq. It examined the death rate, in the periods before and after the invasion, in 1,819 randomly selected households.

Marú, TG4's series about well-known Irish murder cases, is invasive and cynical, says Dermot Bolger

I have a declaration to make. I once almost accepted a favour from a friend who was also a businessman. Some years ago, having been embroiled for several months in hugely costly family-law proceedings in two jurisdictions, I was staring bankruptcy in the face. For a while it looked as if I might lose my home in Dublin and I was already trying to sell a second property I had purchased for family reasons in London. As the market had slumped since I'd bought this house, it was proving somewhat difficult to shift.