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Declan McVeigh

Declan McVeigh

Staff Opinion Writer
Declan McVeigh is a staff opinion writer at The National. Working in Belfast, London, Athens, Istanbul and the Gulf, Declan specialises in foreign affairs and security stories, but also writes for The National about music, sport, travel and culture. Originally from Northern Ireland, Declan has been a journalist for more than 20 years.
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Articles

Even Japan, an economic powerhouse famous for its rigorous work culture, is questioning some old assumptions about the work-life balance. AFP
All work and no play can deplete the ego

Stress and burnout are common in modern societies and the workplace but there are other ways to live

December 16, 2024
A motorist in Dubai uses a mobile phone while driving. Many drivers have an exaggerated sense of being in control while behind the wheel. Pawan Singh / The National
My car was hit three times this year. What's behind such bad driving?

Overestimating our ability to multi-task and a flawed understanding of risk are to blame

December 03, 2024
An artist's impression of a lunar base. The time has come to think harder about agreed rules to avoid a dystopian future. Photo: ESA
It's time to lay down the law on space exploration

Without setting some rules, we risk adding to our long and ignoble history of conflict over resources

October 22, 2024
Great Britain's Terry Bywater and Lucy Shuker in Paris for the Paralympics. Smarter promotion of these games suggests society is moving closer to truly appreciating disabled sports. PA
The Paralympics are about sport, not sentimentality

Ignorance and misunderstanding have dogged disabled sports for years but today's athletes are shaping their own narratives

August 27, 2024
A Grauer’s gorilla in Kahuzi Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2019. There is little doubt that humanity's relationship with the great apes is complicated. Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund via AP
Should apes have human rights?

Some say that to protect our evolutionary cousins, we must rethink our definition of personhood

June 04, 2024
Giving an 'easy' English name while ordering a coffee is one thing, but the marginalisation of certain other names has been linked to prejudice and disadvantage. The National
It's 2024, and most software still can't handle non-English names

Equality campaigners and academics say the othering of non-Anglo identities is more than just an irritating nuisance

April 30, 2024
Despite the challenges, the goal of a society that has largely thrown off the self-inflicted sickness, addiction and death caused by tobacco is a worthy one. Christopher Pike / The National
How the world can quit smoking – forever

Graduated, age-linked tobacco bans could save countless lives and billions in healthcare costs

March 26, 2024
A Gaelic football game in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Photo essay: Playing Gaelic games in Dubai

Ahead of St Patrick's Day on Sunday, The National joins the Irish sporting community for a spot of hurling and camogie

March 15, 2024
A woman prays at the Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Philip the Apostle in Sharjah. Millions of Orthodox Christians in the Middle East will begin their Lenten fast on Monday. EPA
Fasting is the pause button for our 21st century lives

In this era of unparalleled - if unequal – plenty, traditions such as Ramadan and Lent encourage mindfulness about food, ourselves and our fellow human beings

March 14, 2024
A transport safety board investigator examines the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 that was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday. Reuters
Is flying still safe? The Alaska Airlines incident shows that it is

Flight 1282's passengers had a frightening experience but modern aviation remains arguably one of the most successful examples of global human co-operation

January 11, 2024
Actors Sir Patrick Stewart, left, and Brent Spiner debate the morality of political violence in their roles as Cpt Picard and Lt Commander Data in a 'Star Trek' episode that first aired in 1990. The episode was not shown unedited on UK television until 2007. Paramount Television
A united Ireland isn't approaching at warp speed but it's far from being a fantasy

A 1990 episode of 'Star Trek' predicted Irish unification in 2024. Although north and south still have some way to travel before coming together, the idea is firmly back on the political agenda

December 27, 2023
Teaching children the fundamentals of investing now seems less like a drab imposition than an important form of empowerment. Getty
Let kids be kids, but prepare them for the financial jungle

Schools and parents teach children how to use the internet effectively but safely – the same should apply to online investing

December 21, 2023
Currently it is only GCC citizens who enjoy free movement between the bloc’s six nations, but for everyone else getting around the region might be about to get easier. GDRFA Dubai
How a single GCC visa could revolutionise Gulf tourism

Imagine a travel permit that would help visitors explore the Arabian Peninsula in all its variety

November 01, 2023
Federal National Council election candidates register in Sharjah. Campaigning has its ups and downs, but it is an experience that offers challenge and fulfilment. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Standing for election is tough but someone's got to do it

Decision-making benefits from having a diverse range of voices and experience

August 25, 2023
People play beach volleyball on a July evening in Dubai. The assumption that it’s too hot to keep active during the UAE summer is one that is being challenged, bit by bit. AFP
How the Emirates became a year-round country for all

Summers in the UAE are changing and the idea of a 'dead' season from June to September has lost ground

August 11, 2023

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