Setbacks Send Sinn Féin Reeling Having been at the center of the peace process and made huge electoral gains north and south of the border, the year has begun disastrously for Sinn Féin. A series of unrelated events has put the party under intense scrutiny for its policy and attitude towards crime and paramilitary violence. Public interest in the case of the so-called … [Read more...] about News From Ireland
Hibernia
News in Brief
TAOISEACH Bertie Ahem led a 200-strong trade delegation to China in an effort to increase trade and develop investment opportunities between the two countries. Contacts between Dublin and Beijing have increased significantly since 1998, and last year Chinese premier Wen Jiabao and vice-premier Huang Ju visited Ireland. Irish businesses foresee expanded opportunities in the … [Read more...] about News in Brief
Oscars and Golden Globes
The Hollywood award season is in full swing, and the Irish are making their usual strong showing. Up for an Academy Award for best screenplay is Hotel Rwanda, which also was up for a Globe as best drama. Rwanda, written by Terry George and Keir Pearson, and directed by George, is the story of a hotel owner who takes in over a thousand Tutsi refugees in their struggle against … [Read more...] about Oscars and Golden Globes
Making the Universal Story
Colum McCann's writing is so intensely visual that adapting his work to the visual realm is a delicate task indeed. This year, Gary McKendry, a young director from Northern Ireland, succeeded in the task with help from Colum and several pints of Guinness at their favorite Irish pub. The pair have been so successful in their efforts that they have secured an Oscar nomination in … [Read more...] about Making the Universal Story
Irish Raise Funds for Tsunami Relief
Two Irish nationals were listed among the dead in the massive toll from the December 26 tsunami in Far East Asia. The bodies of Eilis Finnegan, 27, from Dublin and Conor Keightley, 31, from Cookstown, Co. Tyrone were retrieved from the debris following the disaster. Several more Irish nationals are still missing, feared dead. Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern visited … [Read more...] about Irish Raise Funds for Tsunami Relief