A paper released today by Social Justice Ireland says that the current welfare state will support only middle class and wealthy people in the years to come. The paper said the poor are likely to lose out if “challenges facing the welfare state are not addressed comprehensively".

The paper, written by directors of Social Justice Ireland Seán Healy and Brigid Reynolds, was presented at a conference today on The Future of the Welfare State.

With the popularity of President Barack Obama waning and the upcoming November elections predicted to be disastrous for Democrats, Race of a Lifetime looks back to Obama’s historic journey to the presidency. The book captures the madness and drama of the US presidential election and reveals the candidates' private reactions to their campaign difficulties. By Sean Carroll.

Scuffles between Gardai and protestors broke out today at a rally against Tony Blair in Dublin (see video below). Four men were arrested and later charged with public order offences at to Store Street Garda station. By Sean Carroll. Additional reporting by Malachy Browne

The Catholic Church’s controversial recent document Normae de Gravioribus Delictis put the sin of ordaining female priests on a par with child abuse. The document has reignited the debate on the role of women within the Church and society as a whole, as well as the role of feminism. By Sean Carroll.

In the late twentieth century feminism galvanized many young women into demanding fundamental change. The movement questioned ingrained ideology and aggressively advocated women’s equality.