Megan Roantree

2 weeks ago | irishexaminer.com | Megan Roantree

If I were to conjure up an image of my dad, he’d be sitting in his armchair, surrounded by books. He’d be smoking a rollie, reading the paper or one of the several books he’d have on the go. ‘Dad’s room’ was sort of a study/sitting room, filled corner to corner, floor to ceiling, with books. Topics are vast — there’s a shelf on history and geography, another with classic novels, a whole shelf dedicated to books about ships and maritime matters.

1 month ago | irishexaminer.com | Megan Roantree

Mugshots were such a massive part of pop culture when I was growing up. From Lindsay Lohan to Paris Hilton and Mischa Barton, all our favourite celebs wereregularly photographed in bright orange jumpsuits, which weā€™d see splashed across the front pages of magazines. I never exactly idolised these people, but I understood that they were very famous, and very popular. These celebs had adoring fans all over the world, even when they were caught up in driving or drug offences.

2 months ago | irishexaminer.com | Megan Roantree

A hot topic of conversation among my friends at the moment is alcohol. But we’re not talking about our favourite cocktails or a new bar opening, instead, we’re asking: ‘Is it really worth it?’Most of us never drink at home, we could easily go weeks without alcohol, and we’re not secretly sculling spirits unbeknownst to our loved ones. So while we don’t have what you might call a drinking problem, many of us are examining our drinking.

Mar 15, 2025 | irishtimes.com | Megan Roantree

As an authentic symbol of Irishness that you can wear on your finger – or in your ears or on your clothes – without the paddywhackery of a shamrock, the Claddagh ring has been enjoying a renaissance, riding on the new wave of pride in Irish culture. In “Come get a Claddagh ring with me” videos on TikTok, influencers take their followers with them to make their special purchase. Teens unboxed the rings at Christmas to delight. The classic Claddagh has become cool.

Mar 14, 2025 | irishexaminer.com | Megan Roantree

Cian Griffin was described as a ‘show pony’ when he was little. “There are pictures of me from when I was like eight, playing with kids on the green,” he recalls. “There was a big dress-up box and I’m in this, like, Spanish flamenco dress.”Growing up in Wicklow, Griffin says he always loved the spotlight and entertaining, until he started to feel different from his peers, and began to switch off that part of himself.