Opinion: Robert Allen argues for a new direction for green politics in Ireland Free article

More than half the people born in Ireland since the famine have left the country. Free article

A poll in Wednesday's Irish Times, taken with three days remaining in the Irish Presidential election, showed further consolidation of Mary McAleese's lead. Free article

Were it not for the discovery of copper, gold and silver on their island, the people of Bougainville might well have avoided colonial occupation, mass murder and environmental disaster. In fact, the 200,000 people on this tiny island to the north-east of Australia may well have been left alone, and in peace. Free article

Seoladh teachtaireachtaí comhbhróin ó mhaithe agus móruaisle nuair a fuair Geoge Thomas, an Bíocunta Tonypandyt, bás an mhí seo caite. Sé lá roimhe sin d'éag Cliuff Bere (a rugadh i 1915). Pobal de chineál eile ar fad a chronaigh é siúd. Free article

1997 really is the best of times and the worst of times. The turmoil on stock markets in Hong Kong and South East Asia which caused a knock-on spiral of falling share prices and frenzied crises in Wall Street, London and even Dublin (where £2.5 billion was knocked off the value of shares in one day) showed just a glimpse of the chaos we could face if the global economy falters. Free article

It may seem like an eternity (over a year) but Glasgow Celtic are back on top. In what is now a 13-match unbeaten run manager Wim Jansen fielded the same eleven that beat Hearts 2-1 in Edinburgh last week. Suberb performances from Regi Blinker and Jackie McNamara on the wings and goals from Simon Donnelly and Henrik Larsson in the first half were enough to secure the points. Free article

25 years ago on 29 October 1972, seven men tunnelled their way from the cells of the Curragh prison camp. They were Thomas McGrath (Coalisland, Co Tyrone), Patrick Quinn (Coalisland), James Hazlett (Dungiven, Co Derry), James McCabe (Rathfarnham, Co Dublin), Christopher Murphy (Rathblaney, Co Limerick), Michael McVerry (Ravensdale, Co Louth) and Colm Murphy (Belleek, Co Fermanagh). Free article

THE five seats won by Sinn Féin in last week's assembly election have, without any doubt, shaken the opponents of the republican cause and equally heartened its supporters. Free article

From Civil Rights to Armalites: Derry and the birth of the Irish Troubles By Niall O'Dochairtigh Published by Cork University Press. Free article