The years 2006 to 2015 saw the highest average rainfall in Ireland in the past 300 years, according to a study performed at Maynooth University led by Conor Murphy (right). The data, collected from Irish and U.K. records dating back to 1711, confirms what weary residents had already intuited – these ten years saw Ireland’s rainfall nearly double from 42.5 inches per year for … [Read more...] about Ireland’s Wettest Decade
Issues
New Viking Finds at Site of Dublin Hotel
Archaeologists have discovered a significant number of Viking-era artifacts and architectural remains during the building of Dublin’s new Hodson Bay Hotel in the Coombe. Among the architectural findings were the ruins of 11th century Hiberno-Norse houses with post-and-wattle fences, as well as later settlements from the 13th to 14th centuries. The team also found … [Read more...] about New Viking Finds at Site of Dublin Hotel
World Happiness Report: Ireland Happier than U.S.
According to the 2018 World Happiness Report published in March, Ireland has outstripped the United States by four rankings in terms of national glee, coming in as the 14th happiest country. The list, which analyzed statistics from 156 countries, is compiled annually and is based on residents’ perception of their nation’s performance in six areas: average income per capita, … [Read more...] about World Happiness Report: Ireland Happier than U.S.
Reflections on the Good Friday Agreement
Signed on April 10, 1998, the landmark Good Friday Agreement helped to bring to an end the 30 years of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles. Twenty years on, Deaglán de Bréadún looks at how the agreement came about, the American role, and the current state of play. In the early 1990s, the blood-soaked contest between the Irish Republican Army … [Read more...] about Reflections on the Good Friday Agreement
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s First Official U.S. Visit
Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar upheld the 65-year-old tradition of presenting the U.S. president with a bowl of shamrocks in March as part of his first state U.S. visit. His week-long trip included meetings with Vice President Mike Pence, Texas governor Greg Abbott, and New York City mayor Bill DeBlasio. Varadkar also attended an event honoring the 20th anniversary of the … [Read more...] about Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s First Official U.S. Visit