Roe McDermott

Roe McDermott

Contributor

Roe McDermott, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes a weekly column in the Magazine answering readers' queries about sex and relationships. A writer and Fulbright scholar with an MA in sexuality studies from San Francisco State University, she is researching a PhD in gendered and sexual citizenship at the Open University and Oxford

I don’t want to be someone who breaks up with a loving person for struggling with finances and anxiety

I don’t want to be someone who breaks up with a loving person because they struggle with finances and anxiety

‘I’ve realised I’m attracted to women – but my friends are reacting weirdly’

Ask Roe: ‘I don’t feel comfortable taking to them about dates I’ve been on, or girls I like’

The child-parent dynamic in my relationship with my boyfriend has us both feeling stuck

Ask Roe: We may feel more fulfilled if we separated, but my partner is not emotionally ready. I have moments of intense doubt

‘Ireland is lagging behind’: How third-level students estranged from their families must fight for grants

Many face a maze of paperwork and rules to access Susi support, leaving some at risk of dropping out

Femonomics by Corinne Low: What does marriage do for women? The answer here is damning

Low strips away the myth of marriage as a natural haven for ambitious women in this exhilarating read

‘My husband’s family operate like a cult, with my mother-in-law as leader’

Ask Roe: ‘How do I cope with this domineering and manipulative woman?’

Our long-time friend has become a judgmental gossip. Should we confront her?

Her comments are making us wonder if she is worth the bother

Should I tell my friend of the rumours about his girlfriend?

Ask Roe: I worry people might be exaggerating or inventing things out of dislike for her

‘A friend who ghosted me before has flaked again. Should I cut her out completely?’

Ask Roe: I both dread being asked and not being asked to her wedding

We’re married with three kids and have had sex once in the past year

Ask Roe: I’ve tried talking about us finding some middle ground, but my wife avoids the conversation

‘It’s a monster’: How generative AI is forcing university professors to rethink learning

As students turn to ChatGPT, educators warn that critical thinking, academic integrity and the future of the humanities are at stake

10 ways to refresh your life this September

‘Eat the frog first thing in the morning’, start a new notebook, and see self-care as a necessity not an indulgence

I ghosted a friend nearly two decades ago – should I reach out and apologise?

Ask Roe: ‘I just couldn’t cope at the time being single and a bit hopeless’

My partner is having an affair with a colleague but says she wants another baby

Ask Roe: After the last miscarriage and a period of high conflict, I discovered my partner is having an affair with a colleague

‘My friend monitors her boyfriend’s phone and eavesdrops on his therapy sessions’

Ask Roe: ‘She hasn’t cloned his phone but has speculated about doing so’

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