There were 30,532 entries for a lottery to experience Winter Solstice 2014 at Newgrange in Co. Meath. Fifty names were drawn, and each of those fifty people were invited along with a guest to gather at dawn (8:58 a.m.) from December 18th to December 23rd. Newgrange is the best known Irish passage tomb and dates to around 3200 B.C. At dawn on the winter solstice, the shortest … [Read more...] about Winter Solstice in Newgrange
Rising Sea Levels A Danger for Ireland
In a global warming special on RTÉ’s environment series Eco Eye, experts warned about the catastrophic dangers of climate change on Ireland. They predicted that rising sea levels would bring significant coastal damage and the extinction of many plant and animal species, and large areas of country could disappear into the ocean. The show’s presenter Duncan Stewart travels to … [Read more...] about Rising Sea Levels A Danger for Ireland
U.S. Lifts Ban on Irish Beef
The U.S. agreed last year to lift the ban on Irish beef. The ban had been in place for 16 years, following a Europe-wide ban in the late 1990s due to an outbreak of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. Ireland is the first country in the European Union to regain access to the U.S. beef market and the reaction in Ireland is one of jubilation. “This is a … [Read more...] about U.S. Lifts Ban on Irish Beef
News in Brief
Gay Priest Comes Out Father Martin Dolan, a priest at the Church of St Nicholas of Myra in Francis Street in Dublin's city for 15 years, came out as gay to his parishioners during a Sunday Mass in early January while calling for same-sex marriage equality in advance of the country’s May referendum on the issue. He received a standing ovation from his parishioners. The Dublin … [Read more...] about News in Brief
Hop Into Dublin
Is there a better way to take in Ireland’s capital than sitting back with coffee on a hop-on hop-off coach tour while a great Irish storyteller fills you in on the history? Unlike many major cities Dublin is small, but perfectly formed, with its center measuring just over 44 square miles. The first settlement on the site dates back to prehistoric times. Tales of battles, … [Read more...] about Hop Into Dublin