Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani girl who survived a violent attack by Taliban gunmen in retaliation for her advocacy of girls’ education, is the recipient of the 2012 Tipperary International Peace Award. Yousafzai, a native of the Swat Valley region of Pakistan, gained prominence in 2009 after writing a blog for BBC Urdu chronicling her experience of the Taliban’s … [Read more...] about Pakistani Schoolgirl Activist Wins Tipperary Peace Award
News from Ireland
Ireland Begins Six-Month EU Presidency
The New Year marked the start of Ireland’s six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union. The transition began with a ceremony at Dublin Castle on New Year’s Eve, at which Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Táiniste Eamon Gilmore and Minister of State for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton laid out Ireland’s agenda for the months ahead. Kenny emphasized that the presidency … [Read more...] about Ireland Begins Six-Month EU Presidency
Belfast Rocked By Union Jack Protests
Loyalist protesters in Belfast have been marching against the City Council’s decision that the United Kingdom’s flag, the Union Jack, will no longer be flown above City Hall year-round. The decision, reached by a council vote on December 3, came from a compromise motion proposed by the centrist Alliance Party that the Union Jack would be flown on 17 designated days – including … [Read more...] about Belfast Rocked By Union Jack Protests
Quiet Man Pub for Sale
Pat Cohan’s bar in Cong, Co. Mayo, where John Wayne and Victor McLaglen brawled and raised pints in John Ford’s The Quiet Man, was recently put up for sale. The asking price is €300,000, and auctioneer Vincent Walsh informed the Irish Independent that the majority of interest thus far is from overseas – the US and the UK in particular. The bar’s current owner is said to be in … [Read more...] about Quiet Man Pub for Sale
Dáil Survey Shows Positive Attitude Towards Immigrants
It’s an issue of significant division within the US government, but a recent survey of Irish elected officials found largely positive attitudes towards reforms that would benefit immigrants living in Ireland. The survey, led by international research agency Millward Brown, polled a sampling of 71 Irish TDs (the elected officials of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish … [Read more...] about Dáil Survey Shows Positive Attitude Towards Immigrants