Emerald Extracts


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Emerald Extracts

by IrishCentral Columnists
Bite-sized Irish blog gives snapshots of Ireland's news, culture, entertainment and everything in between.

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Emerald Extracts for January 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011 at 12:46 PM

Two serving of broccoli a day keeps cancer away

According to the Irish Cancer Society, almost 40 percent of cancers are linked to the quality of food that we consume.

Research conducted by the University of Illinois shows that eating two servings of broccoli a day can reduce the risk of lung, stomach and colon cancer by up to 50 percent.

Broccoli contains a sulphur compound called sulforaphane which combats cancerous cells. 



Monday, January 31, 2011 at 03:35 AM

Funniest Irish video ever? - SEE VIDEO

Is this the funniest Irish video ever? It could well be.

Newswhip.ie discovered this clip on an Irish comedian David O'Doherty's Twitter page.



Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 10:21 AM

YouTube Irish Government 'apology' goes viral- SEE VIDEO

A video featuring a mimic apology by the Irish government has gone viral on the Internet.

The You-Tube video shows Justice Minister Brian Lenihan and the former Fianna Fail leader Brian Cowen among other cabinet leaders, as cartoon characters performing a version of Elton John’s track “Sorry seems to be the hardest word”.

The video opens with the title “Special broadcast on behalf of the Irish Government, Fianna Fail & Green Party”.



Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 07:54 AM

American rapper celebrate an alcoholic, IRA loving Ireland with a poor record in football – SEE VIDEO


MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - "Irish Celebration" (Official Music Video) from Stephan Gray on Vimeo.

Macklemore, an Irish American rapper’s song “Irish Celebration” describes the Irish people as a bunch of “freckled-face husters”. In this video he speaks about drinking pints and features footage of old men drinking stout in pubs and men in balaclavas throwing petrol bombs.

Is this really his image of Ireland?



Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 08:02 AM

Jim Corr tells Ireland about his conspiracy theories - SEE VIDEO

Jim Corr, musician and member of the Corrs spoke about his conspiracy theories on Ireland's most popular chat show "The Late Late Show". 

Jim, one of the founding members of the Corrs, along with his three sisters spoke about:



Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 04:37 AM

Top Irish pub songs of all time

Whiskey In The Jar

Wild Rover



Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 10:15 AM

70 percent of Irish unemployed plan to emigrate by 2012

A new report, called "The Lost Generation", says that 70 percent of young unemployed will emigrated by 2012.

The survey carried out by the National Youth Council of Ireland also found that nine out of 10 of Ireland's unemployed youth believe that unemployment has a negative effect on their well-being. Fifty percent also said that they found the quality of information and support available to them was below par.

James Doorley, Assistant Director at the National Youth Council of Ireland told the Irish Examiner "This research confirmed to us that the consequences are severe for young people if the high and rising level of unemployment is not dealt with quickly and effectively...The current services provided by FÁS and the Department of Social Protection are not co-ordinated, incoherent, over-stretched and in many cases unsuitable or not geared towards the needs of the young people it is meant to serve."



Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 09:01 AM

50,000 to emigrate from Ireland in 2011

The Economic and Social Research Institute has estimated that 50,000 people will emigrate from Ireland in 2011. They also calculate that 25,000 jobs will be lost but that the economy will grow by 1.5 percent with exports increasing by six percent.


They estimate that employment in Ireland will average at 13.5 percent this year but that is will drop slightly in 2012 to 13 percent.

The number of people emigrating (50,000 in 2011) is compared to the 44,000 people who left Ireland at the height of the 1980s emigration.



Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 07:40 AM

Dalai Lama visit plans to bring peace to troubled Limerick city

The Dalai Lama plans to visit Limerick in an attempt to bring some peace to the troubled estates in the city.

He will be visiting Ireland in association with a number of charities who work with children caught in conflict. Sources have revealed that he will visit Southill.

Since 1959 the Dalai Lama has received 84 honorary doctorates and international awards and has written more than 72 books.



Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 07:32 AM

Irish Times cartoon sums up Brian Cowen's position in Irish Government


Today's carton in the Irish Times, by the ever witty and brilliant Martyn Turner, sums up Prime Minister Brian Cowen's position in parliament.

On Tuesday night Brian Cowen was victorious in a vote of confidence taken in the Fianna Fail party meeting. Currently the parties popularity lies at 14 percent while Cowen's is at a record low of eight percent.

A general election will likely take place in March.



Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 09:57 AM

Small rural Irish schools may be shut down to save money

Two-teacher Irish schools may be shut as part of the Department of Education’s value for money review. There are 570 of these smaller rural schools in Ireland.

The Irish Independent reported that these smaller schools make up one sixth of all the facilities in Ireland despite the fact that some of them only have seven students.

Although the department has said that it does not plan on carrying out a large-scale school closure they also pointed out that these schools receive over €30,000 in grants which cost the government over €20,000.



Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 09:51 AM

Ireland breaks records - 800,000 homes powered by wind

Ireland has reached a record with wind powering 800,000 homes across the island, Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan told the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.

He said As I was leaving Ireland yesterday, we reached a new record in electricity coming from our wind…Wind energy output was 1,250 MW, powering over 800,000 homes.”

“In just over three years, we have doubled the amount of renewable energy in Ireland, while at the same time reducing electricity prices. We have insulated over 110,000 homes and will soon be launching a plan to reach one million Irish homes over the next decade.”



Monday, January 17, 2011 at 12:06 PM

Bank of Ireland paid millions in bonuses since guarantee

Ireland’s Attorney General has begun an investigation into bonus payments paid to Bank of Ireland employees.

Over the weekend it emerged that the bank had been untruthful regarding the extent of bonuses given to staff, the AG and the Department of Finance are now investigating the matter.

The Irish Bank signed a subscription agreement when the government bailed the troubled bank out in 2009 where they agreed to disclose all payments of bonuses between the years 2006 and 2008.



Monday, January 17, 2011 at 09:05 AM

GAA players emigrate in massive numbers


GAA clubs across Ireland are losing 250 players a month to emigration. Over the last couple of years GAA clubs in London and New York were struggling to field teams but now they are seeing a huge surge in members.

The number of players who have asked to transfer from Irish clubs to GAA clubs overseas in 2010 jumped by 45 percent. There were 960 applications made last year which is up 300 on the numbers who applied in 2008.

According to the Sunday Business Post Ireland’s GAA has lost 2,290 players since 2008.



Friday, January 14, 2011 at 01:03 AM

Up to 300,000 Irish homeowners are in negative equity

A massive 300,000 homeowners could be trapped in negative equity according to the Irish Mortgage Corporation.

As a result, many homeowners are being forced to stay with their existing loan provoiders.



Friday, January 14, 2011 at 01:03 AM

Irish is taught well in only 50 percent of Ireland’s schools

The Irish language is taught  to a good or very good standard, in only half of primary schools inspected, according to research conducted for the Government's 20-Year Strategy for the Irish language.

In one third of classrooms, Irish was taught through the medium of English.



Friday, January 14, 2011 at 01:03 AM

Disney store to open in Dublin

Disney has announced that it plans to open highly interactive stores in upmarket shopping streets Dublin.

Jim Fielding, president of Disney Stores Worldwide said told the Independent “We feel if we offer one great store in the city of Dublin that will really create a true Disney destination, even in the face of challenging economic times, we can still be successful.”

They plan to open at least 25 new and remodeled shops in North America and Europe this year. The plan is that these stores are more entertaining to shoppers, such as more play areas and interactive activities.



Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 01:35 AM

Irish consumer confidence hits rock bottom

The people of Ireland have become even more pessimistic about their spending power since December's budge and the IMF / EU bailout package.

According to a poll carried out in December shoppers have become more gloomy since November. They are now less likely to buy goods and services.

Seven of every ten people interviewed believe their household finances will become worse over the next year. Only three percent expect an improvement.



Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 01:35 AM

Roscommon farmer wrote to Charles Haughey over marital dispute

A Roscommon farmer who was having marital difficulties with his wife of four years, wrote to the then Prime Minister Charles Haughey, according to recently published state papers.

In the letter he told Mr Haughey she had no money when they married her but she “has refused to have a child, cook, wash or clean the house. All she does is walk the roads and lie in bed all day. When I ask her what she intends doing, she tells me mind my own business that she will do as she likes.”

The farmer explained he tried to lock her out of the house but she managed to gain access.



Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at 01:05 PM

Number of Irish applying for Australian visas up by 60 percent

Numbers of Irish citizens attempting to gain permanency in Australia soared by 60 percent in the last year.

Visa agencies have recorded a significant increase in the number of Irish families making enquiries about immigrating to Australia.

There were 2,000 applications from Ireland for permanent residency visas in Australia last year alone. This figure is expected to rise to more than 3,000 over the coming year.



Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at 11:20 AM

Irish students invent an iPhone portable defibrillator

Two secondary school student from Dublin have invented a portable defibrillator attached to an iPhone. The students believe that a pharmaceutical firm could develop a potentially life-saving tool from their prototype.

The students Owen Killian and Lucas Grange, from Belvedere College, have entered their incredible invention into the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in Dublin along with entrants from 346 other schools around Ireland.

The device would give three electric shocks to restart the heart and then key data could be relayed through an iPhone application. They believe that sudden deaths of sports stars such as GAA player Cormac McAnallen have shown that cardiac arrest could happen at any time.



Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 12:46 AM

Hard working Irish do not use all their holiday days

Almost two-thirds of Irish workers do not use up their entire allocation of annual leave, a new survey has shown.

The new survey from Hotels.com has revealed that 49 percent of Irish employees have between two and three days of holiday time left over at the end of the year, while almost 17 percent  have more than a week remaining.

Being too busy at work was the main reason cited for not using up all of the allocated holiday time, while others said they worried about taking time off because of work related pressures.



Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 12:46 AM

Numbers of homeless in Ireland continues to rise

Homelessness and street begging is on the rise in Dublin city center according to the Dublin Simon Community.

The Irish organization has recorded rises in its figures every quarter over the past two years.

The Simon Community have two shelters located in Dublin’s city center which caters for almost 50 people, which are generally full every night.



Monday, January 10, 2011 at 07:56 AM

Irishman loses top spot in world record for sheep shearing


World champion sheep shearer Cam Ferguson has claimed Irishman, Ivan Scott's top spot have created a new world record for strong wool lamb shearing.

Ferguson, a Hawke's Bay shearer, is now the reigning Golden Shears champion having sheared 742 lambs in eight hours. This knocks Irishman Ivan Scott of the top spot. Scott's record was just 736 in eight hours.



Friday, January 07, 2011 at 01:34 AM

Unemployment in Ireland is at 13.4 percent

For the first time since August, the number of people signing on the Live Register has increased with more than 5,000 people signing on in December alone, new figures show.

The Central Statistics Office said that the figures were comprised by 4,800 men and 400 women and means the total number of people on the Live Register now stands at 444,000.

They added that “standardized unemployment rate in December was 13.4%, up from13.2% in November”.



Thursday, January 06, 2011 at 01:12 AM

Over 21,000 apply for 5,000 temporary jobs on Irish census

The Irish Census 2011 is due to take place in four months. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) received 21,000 pre-registrations applications for the 5,000 temporary jobs in just 24 hours.

By 5pm on Tuesday, the day applications opened, they had received 7,000 applications. The CSO will cut-off applications at 15,000.



Thursday, January 06, 2011 at 12:52 AM

Deaths on Irish farms increase by 127 percent

Last year saw a 127 percent increase in the number of farm deaths, a new report has revealed.

According to data from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), a total of 25 people were killed in farming accidents in 2010, up from 11 in the previous year.

The HSA said that tackling accident rates in the agriculture sector continues to be a high priority. They added that the number of inspections would increase this year.



Wednesday, January 05, 2011 at 03:11 AM

Swine flu in Ireland rises threefold

The number of cases of swine flu (H1N1) in Ireland has tripled from 30 to 91 cases in one week according to the Health Protection Surveillance Center (HPSC).

On December 30th 2010 36 people with swine flu had be hospitalized. Five of these are now in intensive care.

Swine flu is officially the most prevalent type of flu in Ireland. Its symptoms include sudden fever, headache, muscle aches, a dry cough and sore throat. Infection can last from 10 to 14 days.



Wednesday, January 05, 2011 at 03:11 AM

Four-year-old children in Ireland treated for anorexia

Children as young as four-years-of-age are being treated for anorexia in Irish eating disorder clinics.

Doctors have warned that the age of children presenting with disorders is getting younger and there is an increasing demand for services.

The founder of the Marino Therapy Centre, Marie Campion said she has seen patients as young as four presenting with cases of eating disorders.



Tuesday, January 04, 2011 at 01:39 PM

Ireland lost 1,000 jobs per week in 2010

Newly released figures have shown that more than 60,000 people were made redundant in Ireland last year.

“In excess of 60,000 redundancies were notified to the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment and an average of 1,075 jobs were lost in this country every week in 2010,” said Director of the Small Firms Association (SFA), Avine McNally.

The service industry continues to be the hardest hit with 21, 287 job losses in 2010.



Tuesday, January 04, 2011 at 09:27 AM

Record numbers of Irish went to the movies in 2010


The top ten movies in the Irish box office took in over $5 million more than their counterparts in 2009. They took in an incredible $49 million.

James Cameron’s “Avatar” was the highest grossing film on the planet last year and it took in $8.25 million in Ireland.

Ireland has to second-biggest cinema going popular in the world with 4.5 annual cinema trips per capita. The United States are the top cinema goers with 4.3 admissions per person.



Tuesday, January 04, 2011 at 02:02 AM

Increasing numbers of Irish women cross the border to give birth

Almost 200 babies were born to mothers with addresses in the republic of Ireland at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry in 2010.

Between January and December 23 of last year, 193 babies were born at Daisy Hill Hospital to mothers who resided in the Republic according to a spokesman.

There are already 61 women from the Republic booked for 2011 deliveries at the same private hospital.



Monday, January 03, 2011 at 01:53 PM

1,300 Irish pubs have shut down in the last five years

READ MORE- An old pub, a cold day, a warm welcome - despite all the hard times, Irish spirits still up

Pub licences in Ireland have decreased by 1,300 over the past five years in Ireland, amid claims by publicans’ groups that the cheap availability of alcohol is causing “death of the Irish pub”.

The decline in the pub trade has been most widespread in counties Cork, Dublin, Mayo, Kerry and Limerick, according to figures from the Revenue Commissioners.



Saturday, January 01, 2011 at 06:21 AM

IrishCentral's Top Irish Tunes of 2010

It has been a triumphant year for music in Ireland with many Irish bands achieving global success. Here is a look at some of Ireland's most popular tracks from 2010. From the powerful vocals of Imelda May, to chart topping hilarious Rubber Bandits, as always, Irish music tailors for all tastes.

The Divine Comedy- At the Indie Disco
Marking the tenth album for this Northern Irish band, Indie Disco proved to be one of the most popular tracks for their 2010 album “Bang Goes the Knighthood”. Lead by front man Neil Hannon, the band have been on the go since 1989.

Ham Sandwich- Ants
On the go since 2003, this is one Irish band who have enjoyed success this year. The Indie rock band released their second album, “White Fox” in October of this year,





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