Paul Rush, a roving hobbit, discovers the true meaning of the 'craic' in the west of Ireland.

Auckland can learn a lot about hosting big sports events and New Zealand should heed the lasting damage of a housing collapse, writes Brian Gaynor.

Christoph Driessen samples black gold at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.

Ancient tombs, historic homes that played backdrop to combat - Ireland boasts loads of history to relish away from the paddock, writes Brendan Manning.

Italy is now the only western European country that does not recognise either same-sex marriage or civil unions.

A top Irish Catholic leader said the Church needs a "reality check" as the predominantly Catholic nation voted to approve gay marriage.

Linda Moser's nuptials are all shades of green, as she braves the elements - and aunties - of Ireland.

Mils Muliaina is continuing to train with his professional Irish team, despite an allegation of sexual assault hanging over his head, his agent has confirmed.

In the lobby of Ireland's Agriculture Department in Dublin, a flat-screen TV displays a digital clock counting down the seconds until April 1.

An Irish court has temporarily legalised certain class-A drugs after a law governing the possession of controlled substances was ruled unconstitutional.

Some readers said we should take heed of the Celtic Tiger's demise, while others were more inclined to point out how different our economic situation is.

Precisely the same factors that plunged Ireland into its housing crisis last decade are now in play in NZ and could spark a big correction, says a leading Auckland fund manager.

Hobbling at the back of the pack (with one broken shoe) Jini Reddy hikes the heights of Connemara - home to staggering landscapes and well-earned seafood suppers.

A Dublin court has ruled in a landmark decision that a clinically brain-dead pregnant woman's life support machine be switched off.

Brian O'Driscoll, the former Ireland and Lions midfielder, believes the All Blacks will win next year's World Cup because of their much higher skill factor relative to other nations.

The real story about the song of wartime longing turns out to have a more earthy meaning, Peter Calder discovers.

The ex-wife of a struck-off Papakura lawyer - who fled NZ during a SFO probe - is unable to bring a claim here to establish her stake in an Irish country estate.

A $611 million unsolicited takeover proposal for Chiquita Brands could lead to the scrapping of its pending merger with Irish competitor Fyffes.

Ireland finally struck offshore oil, or so it seemed in 2012. But two years on, the company behind the find still hasn't found a partner to develop the oil field.

Jameson Irish Whiskey has staked its future in a new distillery. It hopes it will double sales to compete with the world's biggest whiskey brands, such as Jack Daniel's.

Medical device maker Medtronic, is poised to become the biggest firm to escape the US tax system by shifting its incorporation abroad.

Tax breaks for Apple, Starbucks and Fiat are under investigation in a clampdown on special treatment for companies.

Dublin's economic revival starts at places like 23 William Street South. The old building is filled with tech startups in a city once dominated by bankers and real-estate agents.

The Irish government is launching a full-scale investigation into controversial Catholic homes for unmarried mothers, following revelations that up to 800 infants died in one such institution over a 35-year period.

In Dublin, Ewan McDonald settles into the front-parlour of Irish folk music.