Desmond Connell, Archbishop of Dublin, met with victims of clerical sexual abuse in an attempt to defuse widespread anger with the Church's handling of abuse cases. Two victims, Marie Collins and Ken Reilly, had said they would organize a protest march to the archbishop's residence and demand that he stand down. In response, Cardinal Connell invited them to discuss the … [Read more...] about Cardinal Meets Abuse Victims
February March 2003 Issue
February Launch
for Galway Hooker
A transatlantic voyage with a difference is what Steven Mulkerrins has in mind. Now living in Chicago, the 40-year-old carpenter from Connemara is applying finishing touches to a traditional Irish boat – a 47-foot Galway hooker – so that he can fulfill his dream of sailing from America to Ireland in the craft.
"It will certainly be the first hooker to sail west to east with … [Read more...] about February Launch
for Galway Hooker
Search Begins
for New US Ambassador
President George W. Bush is expected to begin the search for a new ambassador to Ireland following the imminent departure of incumbent Richard Egan and his wife Maureen Fitzgerald. The outgoing ambassador tendered his resignation to President Bush after just 15 months in the job and his request to stand down sent shock waves throughout diplomatic circles considering he only … [Read more...] about Search Begins
for New US Ambassador
Jobless Figure Rises Steeply
Despite the Republic of Ireland economy maintaining a respectable growth rate of 4.3 percent, figures for 2002 closed with the highest number of layoffs in over a decade. Published data from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment reveal that almost 25,000 people lost full-time jobs, the highest number since the mid-1980s. Gloomy predictions from the Economic Social … [Read more...] about Jobless Figure Rises Steeply
McAleese Injured
in Skiing Accident
President of Ireland Mary McAleese has been restricted to limited official engagements following a skiing accident in Austria on Christmas Eve. During a short vacation with her husband Martin and their three children, she fell when trying to board a ski lift on the resort slopes of Bad Hofgastein, near Salzburg. Her ankle bone shattered on impact and she received emergency … [Read more...] about McAleese Injured
in Skiing Accident