The punk has thrown his hat into the ring as a contender for the Áras, and JOHN DOLAN traces Bob Geldof's connection to Leeside

Paying under €300 for the length of the Premier League season, as I am, is a reasonable deal - and I know this because I wrote an article about how much I was paying to watch Premier League soccer 18 years ago on this very page... and it was much more. 

The government simply cannot allow any delay to the four-year apprenticeship to be normalised, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

We’ve all seen the statistics, but they still have the power to stop us in our tracks: Cork has lost more than 360 pubs since 2005 - more than one in three licensed premises - and there is no sign of an end to the decline.

What a time to be alive and in Cork that must have been, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

Next week marks 40 years since the beginning of the moving statue of Ballinspittle phenomenon. 

If this damp squib of a race continues in this vein, there is a real danger the turn-out at the polls in November will be on a par with the ratings for Oireachtas TV, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

As frustrating as that might be for us journalists who love a good story - and a good news story in the current climate is certainly worth its weight in gold - you have to give kudos to the anonymous recipient of the largest ever jackpot in Irish history, says JOHN DOLAN. 

This universal sense of outrage on the single most important facing the country is very bad news for the sitting government parties, especially the leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

Many pubs are struggling to stay afloat, while consumers can’t get enough of their caffeine fix, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

Way back in the 1990s, me and ‘the lads’ were 24-hour party people. Now we were a bunch of paunchy, middle-aged men with various hair-related hang-ups, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

Figures on fare-evading on buses and trains this week revealed it is common practice - JOHN DOLAN believes a crackdown is required to nip the issue in the bud

The Eurovision Song Contest Final takes place in Basel, Switzerland, tonight, with coverage live on RTÉ1 from 8pm. JOHN DOLAN assesses the acts in the order they appear on stage - and picks his winner.

Bono totally deserves the monicker of national treasure, he has earned the respect and love of everyone in this country, but, bafflingly, he just doesn’t reap it. Why, asks JOHN DOLAN. 

When will the rest of the country, and particularly Dublin, wake up to the fact that Cork holds the answers to so many of this nation’s problems, asks JOHN DOLAN. 

226 performers from the Aideen Johnson School of Dance in Macroom lit up the Opera House this week - and proud dad JOHN DOLAN was among the audience

Out here in the real world, many people already feel like they are struggling to get by, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

I have used this tried-and-tested theory to come up with a few winners down the years, writes JOHN DOLAN in his weekly column. 

In the UK's London Weighting system,  the salaries of some civil servants and public sector workers in the city are bumped up - weighted upwards - compared to the wages of the same staff elsewhere, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

William Murphy’s sacrifice in the war against Adolf Hitler’s Nazi fascism came to mind this week, as the last surviving pilot of the Battle of Britain, Dubliner John ‘Paddy’ Hemingway, died aged 105, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

JOHN DOLAN reckons his idea would have the backing of that Cork icon who nobody messes with - Roy Keane.

Cora Murphy's Douglas Street home featured in last Sunday's The Great House Revival, and one obstacle she faced in the TV show was striking - as it related to Cork city’s local authority, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

When the time comes to find a successor to Pope Francis, just 138 cardinals will be eligible to participate in the conclave. Will a proud grandson of Cork win the day, asks JOHN DOLAN. 

A survey has found a quarter of motorists avoid driving at night now because of the intensity of these new-fangled headlights, writes JOHN DOLAN

We’ve had nine presidents so far - and the closest we have come to the role was the fact the first one, Douglas Hyde, had his historical family seat in Cork. That's not good enough boy, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

JOHN DOLAN chats to the star of the viral hit which became the saved page on many students' Bebo sites back in the day. 

If we are to expect more severe storms in the years ahead due to climate change, how can we make our power lines more reliable, asks JOHN DOLAN in his weekly column. 

Ireland in the rugby, Cork in the hurling, plus a feast of soccer... JOHN DOLAN previews the TV sporting highlights for Saturday

For all the powerful TDs that have represented Cork in recent decades, Leesiders still have a sense that we get nothing down here compared to up in Dublin - and across in Kerry for that matter, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

The Cardiff Hall sank at the Seven Heads Peninsula during a ferocious storm 100 years ago this week, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

JOHN DOLAN recalls a time when smoking was commonplace in offices as a new ban on outdoor smoking comes into effect in Milan. 

What the Government needs to do is to force down the premiums we have to pay, writes JOHN DOLAN in his weekly opinion column. 

The Rebel County has had a year to remember, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

Schools and teachers today are just so much better at staging these kinds of events than they were in my day, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

JOHN DOLAN has been busy planning the Christmas TV special which comes out next Wednesday, and to give you a sneak preview, he's selected 12 TV shows you must not miss (and a couple of radio options).

The Apathy Party really should be seeking to lead a coalition in the next government, but I guess that would be just too much like hard work, writes JOHN DOLAN. 

Anyone who was young in the 1980s will remember the impact that song had on the world of music and culture, writes JOHN DOLAN

Having vowed to use Cork Airport more often after a positive experience this year, JOHN DOLAN writes that the announcement of a new destination from the airport for summer 2025 has certainly piqued the interest. 

In his weekly column, John Dolan looks ahead to the upcoming elections and asks why climate isn't to the forefront for many ahead of polling day. 

The debate about a need for a security presence on our buses and trains has been reignited, writes John Dolan, who shares personal experiences on public transport

John Dolan

It's 25 years since Cork said goodbye to 'The Real Taoiseach' writes John Dolan

Our government spends money like a drunken sailor. Trust it with €13bn? I wouldn’t trust it with my old penny jar, so says John Dolan

Children have access to hardcore porn just a tap of their phone away. What are we going to do about it? So asks John Dolan in his weekly column

After the Oasis concert sale storm, JOHN DOLAN priced up tickets for today's big soccer match, and asks: Are we paying over the odds, or is it a simple case of supply and demand? 

Millions are thrilled at the band's reunion - but not everyone, says John Dolan

John Dolan reflects on another winter ahead of rising fuel prices and tells us who is really to blame?

Skateboarding in Collins Barracks, golf at the Old Head and beach volley ball at Garrylucas, John Dolan gives suggestions on where Cork could host the Olympics

Couldn’t we change our voting system to one that doles out real power? So asks John Dolan

The new Cork-Limerick route will see travel times reduced significantly, which is good news for the environment and for drivers - but then they go and spoil the good news by throwing in a toll, says John Dolan