President Michael D. Higgins’s Christmas New Year message, broadcast from Aras on Uchtairan on December 31, remembered the Irish abroad, those who assist them, and the communities which have welcomed them. Higgins also encouraged those “who may be feeling distressed or lonely to look beyond the long dark nights, to the promise once again, of the dawning light of Spring,” adding … [Read more...] about The President’s New Year Message
Issues
100,000 Protesters March Against Water Charges
Up to 100,000 protesters opposed to the introduction of water charges brought Dublin to a standstill in December when they rallied outside the Irish parliament building. The December 10th protest was the largest yet in what has become an increasingly strife-filled argument between the Irish government and the taxpayers. The charges, which are mandated by the 2010 E.U. bailout … [Read more...] about 100,000 Protesters March Against Water Charges
Winter Solstice in Newgrange
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