Is it character-building to let a 7-year-old walk home alone?

When mum-of-three Joanne Byrne was growing up, no one expressed concern about the level of freedom and independence her parents gave her.

Cleo the whippet jumped from a cliff and lived to tell the tale

The Corcoran family adopted Cleo from the DSPCA as a puppy and she settled well into their household. She's a gentle, good-natured animal, getting on well with everyone.

Will neutering calm a hyper dog into an easy going mutt?

When Ann decided to get her first family dog, she chose carefully. Her son, Jack, suffers from mild asthma, so she wanted a non-shed dog. A Standard Poodle would have been too big for their home, and she didn't want a tiny Yorkshire Terrier.

Pigging out with Josie down on the farm, and a horse that really takes the p*ss...

I WAS standing in the middle of Josie's field armed with a pitchfork as you do. The wind was screaming across the plains of Kildare and my eyes were watering in the freezing cold.

The scary reality of credit card companies raising those limits

Marissa Mackle

'Never get a credit card,' my dad once said to me. I sure wish I'd taken his advice. When I got my first job, my bank advised me to get a credit card. So I took their advice and not dad's.

'Out with the old' is what makes for a happy new year

Marisa Mackle

> Indoor cats live safer lives than outdoor animals, but accidents can still happen

Not everyone is focused on the new year's celebrations

Coffee Morning Whispers: There are times when the thought really doesn't matter at all

Marie Carberry

WITH 2015 only hours away, most of us are looking forward to it with hope, resolve and perhaps the chance of new beginnings.

> Dogs don't understand the risk of running close to trains

The turkey and the guests start to stink after a few days

Marisa Mackle

You know what they say. Fish and guests start to stink after three days.

Slugs and snails cause coughing

A cough is a natural reflex to clear the airways: just as most humans cough from time to time, so do many dogs. When Smudge began to cough occasionally, Robyn didn't worry too much.