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
News
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
Judge Questions “Colombia Three” Verdict
Although the whereabouts of the so-called `Colombia Three' remain a mystery, a judge on the three-member appeal tribunal has publicly questioned the guilty verdict returned against them. The three Irishmen -- Niall Connolly, James Monaghan and Martin McCauley (pictured above) -- were accused of assisting FARC rebels in Colombia and passing on expertise gained from IRA … [Read more...] about Judge Questions “Colombia Three” Verdict
Ballymun Makeover Begins
Visitors to Dublin will notice a major change to the skyline on the next approach to the city's airport. Demolition has begun on high-rise apartment blocks nearby in Ballymun. The first high block to be knocked was the 15-story Sean MacDermott Tower, named after one of the signatories to the 1916 Proclamation. Hundreds of Dubliners gathered to watch the controlled explosion, … [Read more...] about Ballymun Makeover Begins