Arlene Harris

‘Everyone says hello to each other here’: Why leaving Dublin for a different life was the best move for me and my family “One day I realised that I was spending almost my entire salary on creche and after-school fees. My husband Damien and I worked full-time, so in order to get three small kids up, dressed and fed, our ...

In today's @independent.ie this woman told me about the pros and cons of relocating from the city to the countryside.
m.independent.ie/life/everyon...

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#journorequest - looking to talk to parents in or from Ireland who have made changes to their life for their children - perhaps stopped drinking/smoking or taken up new hobby, changed your job or home. If you want to take part in this piece, send me a DM. Shares appreciated

Trigeminal neuralgia: Unimaginable pain strikes without warning. It’s like touching an electric fence to the power of 10 Most people know the debilitating pain of a toothache or headache and many of us are floored with migraines so bad that even turning your head feels tortuous.

In today's @independent.ie this man told me how, following a relatively insignificant knock to the jaw, he developed an excruciatingly painful condition, which was only cured following brain surgery.
www.independent.ie/life/health-...

‘It’s nice to have someone else in the house’: The upsides of taking a lodger into your home There is no denying that affordable rental accommodation is in short supply in Ireland, with the latest rental report from daft.ie showing that market rents up to September 2025 had risen by 4.3pc and...

As shortages continue in the #rental market, in today's
@independent.ie I spoke people who have opened their homes to lodgers and to someone who is renting a room in someone else's house about the pros and cons #housing
www.independent.ie/life/its-nic...

‘I’d never heard of pancreatic cancer until Mammy was diagnosed with it. It’s a very cruel disease’ Each year around 600 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in Ireland – and while the figures are relatively low, so too are the survival rates, with only around 10pc of patients surviving beyon...

In today's @independent.ie this woman told me how the 'tummy bug' her mother thought she had turned out to be pancreatic cancer. She urges people to know the signs and seek advice if any concerns.
www.independent.ie/life/health-...

Dublin cleanfluencer Brandon Stone: ‘My followers have told me that cleaning is a type of therapy when they’re not feeling the best’ He may have inherited his love of cleaning from his mother Gemma, but Brandon Stone has taken the art of tidying up to a whole new level by videoing the process and uploading it on social media. And t...

Ahead of an upcoming programme on @virginmediaireland.bsky.social in today's @independent.ie
this man told me about his love of cleaning, the mental and physical benefits it brings and how his weekly routine keeps his followers on TikTok entertained.
www.independent.ie/life/health-...

a little girl is standing in front of a bunch of balloons and holding a yellow balloon . ALT: a little girl is standing in front of a bunch of balloons and holding a yellow balloon .

#journorequest - looking to talk to parents in Ireland who have teamed up with other parents to have a joint birthday party for their children to save on cost and effort. DM if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

Three hotels in Tenerife: My tour took me north, south, to some delicious meals and a ‘Burren by the sea’ With grey skies, the threat of storms and the feeling that winter will never end in Ireland, the prospect of jetting away to the sun has never been more enticing.

A few words in the @independent.ie about my recent trip to Tenerife and the contrast between north and south of the island.
www.independent.ie/life/travel/...

Multilingual families: ‘Many still feel pressure to leave parts of themselves at the door’ More than 70 languages are spoken in Ireland and the Mother Tongues festival is helping pass them on to the next generation

In today's @irishtimes.com I spoke to multilingual families around Ireland about the importance of keeping native languages alive and the benefits of the upcoming Mother Tongues festival celebrating language and culture.
www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

The great kids-in-restaurants row: Should children be welcome everywhere we eat? A fierce debate erupted on social media last week after former BBC newsreader Jan Leeming took to the airwaves to complain about an unruly toddler ruining her dinner in a smart hotel restaurant.

In @independent.ie I spoke to parents and people in the hospitality sector about bringing children to restaurants, with strong opinions from all - and psychologist, Dr Malie Coyne
offered expert advice on how to keep everyone happy.
www.independent.ie/life/family/...

Cancer diagnosis: ‘This is not good news, you need to be admitted right away’ HPV vaccine is not a silver bullet when it comes to this dreaded disease, but it improves the odds of survival

In @irishtimes.com I spoke to the recipient of the most recent Laura Brennan Award and to experts about the importance of knowing the signs of gynaecological cancers and seeking advice if any concerns.
www.irishtimes.com/health/your-...

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#journorequest - looking to talk to parents in Ireland about kids birthday parties. Do you share the date with others to save cost and time? Or do you do the whole thing on your own. DM if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

‘I was sleeping in a tent’: German man who ran away to Clare aged 14 Michael Denninger used money from his confirmation to travel from Coburg to Clare in 1980

In @irishtimes.com this man told me how, aged 14, he travelled solo from Germany to Clare to find the friends he met at a summer camp and fulfil his dream of visiting Ireland. Now, over 40 years later, he created and dedicated a free album to the people of Ireland.
www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

Going the extra mile to help beat childhood cancer When Aoife Lucey was 10, high-risk leukaemia turned her world upside down. Now, she’s running 10 half-marathons to help children facing cancer today

In today's @irishexaminer.bsky.social this woman told me how, after battling cancer as a child, she is undertaking a running challenge to raise funds and awareness for Childhood Cancer Ireland, to help others diagnosed with the disease.
www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/he...

‘I lost 12kg on Ozempic – then it all came back’: The hidden side of weight-loss drugs Ozempic has become a buzzword for effective weight loss, but while there is no doubt that many people have found the drug (along with similar medication like Mounjaro, Wegovy, Trulicity and Victoza) t...

In today's @independent.ie this woman told me how, after losing weight on #ozempic, as soon as she stopped, the weight came back, faster than ever. And experts at Beyond BMI
explained the importance of understanding obesity and how to manage it.
www.independent.ie/life/health-...

a little girl is feeding a little boy a cookie with the number 3 on his shirt ALT: a little girl is feeding a little boy a cookie with the number 3 on his shirt

Looking to talk to parents in Ireland about bringing their children out to eat in restaurants. DM if any thoughts. Shares appreciated.

Here’s a holiday hack I’ll be repeating next year – and it included a flight for €15pp Lots of people enjoyed a long break over Christmas and have spent January back at work. But what if you turned that routine around?

A few words in today's @independent.ie about my recent trip to Spain and how, if sunbathing weather isn't a top priority, a January break here is not only warmer and brighter, but so much cheaper and quieter.

www.independent.ie/life/travel/...

Living with Alzheimer’s disease: ‘I feel for our children and seeing them cope is the hardest thing for me’ According to The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, there are currently over 64,000 people living with dementia in Ireland and over 4,000 of those have an early-onset form of the condition, which means the...

Ahead of a moving new documentary on @tg4.bsky.social
in today's @independent.ie I spoke to a family who are coming to terms with early onset Alzheimer's, about their love for each other and also the Irish language. @alzheimersocirl.bsky.social
www.independent.ie/life/living-...

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#journorequest - looking to talk to a primary school teacher in Ireland for a piece. DM if any thoughts. Shares appreciated. #teacherlife #teacher #Education

If you fancy a short break without having to travel too far, here are a few suggestions in YOU magazine about my recent visits to Waterford, Edinburgh and Kildare.

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#journorequest - looking to talk to people who are lodging in someone's house or have done recently - perhaps you're a student or a young professional? Also, looking to talk to someone with a lodger or who had one recently. DM if any thoughts. Shares appreciated. #studentlife #housingcrisis #rent

‘Switching gas provider has saved us over €100 a month. All it involved was someone coming to the house to update the meter’ At the end of each month, there is no getting away from the fact that household bills need to be paid – none of us like to do it, but it is a necessary evil. But while handing over our hard-earned mon...

In @independent.ie
this woman told me how she managed to save over 100 euro a month by switching gas provider. 'All it took was a phone call and someone coming round to update the meter'. #savingmoney #switchingprovider
www.independent.ie/business/mon...

a cartoon drawing of a house with a green roof and a green door ALT: a cartoon drawing of a house with a green roof and a green door

#journorequest - looking to talk to people in Ireland who have a lodger or who have had one in the past. DM if any thoughts. Shares appreciated. #housingcrisis #HousingMarket #renting #accommodation

Initial breathlessness turned out to be incurable cancer: ‘My initial reaction was shock’ When Ilana Hastings first noticed symptoms in July 2024, she thought her breathlessness might be a sign of Long Covid

In today's @irishtimes.com this woman told me how the breathlessness she thought was due to Covid, turned out to be incurable lung cancer. Previously a healthy, non-smoker, she urges people to be aware of the signs and seek advice if any concerns.
www.irishtimes.com/health/your-...

Can’t get enough of Heated Rivalry? Meet the Irish ice hockey players – and discover how the sport is related to hurling It’s the buzziest, steamiest show streaming right now. With many people gripped by the action both on and off the ice rink in the top HBO series Heated Rivalry – which sees two Canadian major league i...

As #heatedrivalry hots up, in @independent.ie I spoke to Irish players and fans about the appeal of ice hockey, the dedication it takes and why its roots may have come from Ireland.

www.independent.ie/sport/cant-g...

a small house with a sign that says open ALT: a small house with a sign that says open

#journorequest - looking to talk to people in Ireland who are (or have been) lodging in someone's house or have had (or currently have) a lodger in theirs, about the experience and how it works etc. DM if any thoughts. RTs appreciated.

What do chefs really think when you ask to go ‘off menu’ in their restaurants? A salad without the salad? Most chefs will try to accommodate special requests as long as they don’t turn a dish into something it’s not

Ever been to a restaurant and asked for an ingredient to be excluded or added to a dish? In today's @irishtimes.com I spoke to chefs around the country to find out exactly what they think about customers going 'off menu'.
www.irishtimes.com/food/2026/01...

‘All forms of heritage connect children to their past and help them make sense of the present’ The Heritage in Schools scheme encourages children and teachers to investigate local heritage through place-based learning

Learning about our past is important and in today's
@irishtimes.com I spoke to facilitators and teachers about the importance of heritage and why it needs to be taught in schools #heritage
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/educ...

Switching electricity provider: ‘There was a €50 charge to end our existing contract but we knew the money would be made back quickly’ Being self-employed can be a tough role at times, but it can also have its benefits as running your own business and knowing the importance of keeping costs down and the ways in which it can be achiev...

In today's @independent.ie this man told me how, by switching energy provider, he has managed to make savings both at home and in his bakery business in Clare.
www.independent.ie/business/mon...

‘I saved almost €1,400 on my car insurance and 10pc on my electricity bills, just from shopping around’ We all love saving money, with some people better at it than others. But while making savings on grocery bills is becoming more and more difficult as prices continue to rise, there are ways in which w...

In today's @independent.ie this woman told me how she was able to save a significant amount on her car insurance and home energy bills by shopping around and switching provider.
www.independent.ie/business/mon...