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
Issues
Search Begins
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
Slow Recovery
for Irish Tourism
Preliminary figures released by the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation suggest a minor increase in visitors to Ireland through 2002. The Confederation reports a two percent increase in volume through what has been a very difficult year for the travel industry all over the world.
An increase in visitors from the UK (up six percent) was offset by a 10 percent fall-off in … [Read more...] about Slow Recovery
for Irish Tourism
Catholic Growth Continues
in Northern Census
The latest census for Northern Ireland indicates that the numerical gap between Protestants and Catholics is steadily narrowing. According to this year's figures Protestants comprise 53 percent of the population in the North with Catholics making up 44 percent. The census tallies with a familiar trend of a growing Catholic community with the number of Protestants in … [Read more...] about Catholic Growth Continues
in Northern Census