IrishCentral Current Irish news and opinion - b5cc3275d518416eacb61d676e8d84d1

JJ Watt wags his finger and spits on the logo of the team that hung 83 points on his defence (IrishCentral)

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 05:30:55 PST

JJ WattAnd so it goes, the NFL playoffs move forward to the final four, with many a hard lucky story and many a pretender left floundering in the wake of the four remaining teams Where do we stack the Houston Texans? If their double-capitulations in New England are anything to go by, firmly in the latter ‘Pretender’ bracket At least most of the Texans took their beating(s) like men In general the Texans complimented the New England Patriots and promised they would improve next season READ MORE

Bradley Cooper has a new date for the Oscars, his mother Gloria (IrishCentral)

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:31:04 PST

Cooper and Cooper at the OscarsThe 'Silver Linings Playbook' star - who won the award for Best Actor in a Comedy at the Critics Choice Movie Awards on Thursday - has revealed he will walk the red carpet with his mother Gloria before the prestigious ceremony next month after recently splitting from his girlfriend of more than one year Zoe SaldanaThe 38-year-old actor told E! News his mother claimed his plus-one ticket for the Academy Awards on February 24 long before he was even nominated in this year's Best Actor categoryHe said: "Oh yeah, that was done One night, when I started the profession, [my mom said], 'If you ever [get nominated], I am the date READ MORE

New England Patriots v. Baltimore Ravens - What has changed since last season's championship game? (IrishCentral)

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 08:32:03 PST

The 2012 AFC Championship has been set. After victories over the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos, the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens will meet in Foxboro next Sunday to decide what team will represent the conference in the Super Bowl. READ MORE

New England Patriots v. Baltimore Ravens - who needs to step up in the AFC Championship Game (IrishCentral)

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:47:31 PST

Roughly 12 months ago, then New England Patriots' defensive back Sterling Moore made the biggest play of the AFC Championship game. READ MORE

New York Times paints a picture of a mythical 'green' Ireland (IrishCentral)

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 04:45:59 PST

Electric car charging point - they're not hard to find in Ireland,but you're more likely to see a unicorn than to see someoneusing one of thesePerhaps over Christmas you came across a NY Times article about Ireland and carbon tax The article essentially claimed that the Irish people had swallowed Al Gore's Kool Aid en masse and have experienced an environmental and economic miracle thanks to our new found environmentalismIf you did happen to see that article you were hopefully asking yourself one key question: is any of this true? The answer, in a word, is 'no READ MORE

Matt Ryan and Tom Brady the nowhere men after defeats to 49ers, Ravens (IrishCentral)

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 05:00:55 PST

New England Patriot's QB Tom Brady (Photo:Globe)End of the line for Tom Brady in Super Bowl appearances?At one point it appeared likely that the two greatest Irish American quarterbacks of their generation, Matt Ryan of the Falcons and Tom Brady of the Patriots, would meet in Super Bowl 47That was when the Falcons had jumped out to a 17 point lead against the 49ers and looked to be cruisingMeanwhile Brady’s Patriots were favored to defeat the Ravens at home, leaving a mouth watering clash of two great quarterbacks as the story of the Super BowlIt was not to be READ MORE

Apostolate Notes (IrishCentral)

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:01:28 PST

By Fr Brendan DugganBaptism of JesusLast Sunday we celebrated the Baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan You know this is an unusual feast Why was Jesus baptized? All accounts agree that John the Baptist was a Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin READ MORE

New and Old Favorites Come to the Irish Cultural Centre (IrishCentral)

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:01:30 PST

ICC Canton Ceili, Sunday, January 13th, 3 pm to 7 pm READ MORE

No 2013 Super bowl ring for Patriot’s Tom Brady but check out his $20 million mansion - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 05:16:17 PST

Tom Brady and Gisele's mansionTom Brady may have missed out on the Superbowl this year, but the completion of his new $20 million LA mansion may be some consolationThe lavish home of Brady and his wife Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen, includes a moat, a common medieval fortification systemThe Patriot’s star new 22,000 square feet pad also includes its own swimming pool, playground, six-car garage, basketball court, weight room, and wine cellarRead More: Tom Brady says he thrilled his sons now have a sister to teach them about womenhttp://www READ MORE

New York Yankees find possible solution to A-Rod problem (IrishCentral)

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:01:08 PST

So, I guess we know why the New York Yankees really signed Kevin Youkilis Perhaps they knew something other than regular injury was up with their third baseman Alex Rodriguez Turns out A-Rod has been abusing the juice, again Yes, one of the greatest frauds to have ever walked on a Major League Baseball diamond, has once again, been caught with his pants down, and with a giant steroid needle stuck firmly in his backside READ MORE

“Bang Bang” Obama shoots himself in the foot with gun photo -- Ridiculous effort to have it both ways backfires badly on him (IrishCentral)

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 04:16:21 PST

Barack Obama shooting "skeet" at Camp David (Getty)It is Barack Obama’s “I didn’t inhale” moment when he looks silly, dumb and plain stupidI’m talking about the picture of our president shooting off some kind of gun at Camp David and pretending he is somehow on the side of gun ownersHe’s not and he knows it and so does the worldSome clever(?) PR guy wanted it both ways and released the old photo of the president skeet shooting, whatever that is READ MORE

CA woman takes to craigslist to find Irish man from infamous Coppers nightclub (IrishCentral)

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 05:31:20 PST

Copper Face JacksA Californian woman has posted on Craigslist in the hopes she can be reunited with an Irish man she met in a notorious Dublin nightclub last yearDescribing herself as “The Girl from California,” the female posted on the popular American website last Saturday as a ‘w4m ‘ or ‘woman looking for a man’ she met in Copper Face Jacks on December 28th lastRead More: Top ten places to meet the Irish love of your life in Ireland - PHOTOSShe wrote:“Dear Irishman,“On December 28th, you crossed the bar and kissed me before saying a word We ended up at a hotel where all of the rooms were named after Irish celebrities READ MORE

The murder of police officer Adrian Donohoe and Sinn Fein hypocrites (IrishCentral)

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 06:01:26 PST

The widow of murdered Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, Caroline Donohoe, leaves St Joseph's the Redemptorists Church in Dundalk after his funeral Mass last weekThe callous, almost casual, murder of a detective Garda (police officer) here more than a week ago united the country in outrage and grief It also made it a very uncomfortable week for the reformed IRA gunmen in Sinn Fein who now sit in the Dail (Parliament) Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was part of one of the usual two-man security details that accompany significant cash transfers here READ MORE

Dramatic photo shows lightning striking St. Peter's Basilica hours after Pope announces his retirement - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:16:37 PST

Lightning strikes St Peter's Basilica on the evening that Pope Benedict XVI retiresJust hours after Pope Benedict XVI announced his retirement, due to failing health, St Peter's Basilica, in the Vatican, was struck by lightingThe event was photographed by Alessandro Di Meo, and a colleague initially READ MORE

9/11 first responder FDNY’s Martin Fullam’s death and the health damage the World Trade attacks cause (IrishCentral)

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 05:01:41 PST

First responders carry the lifeless body of Father Michael Judge from the wreckage of the World Trade Center on 9/11It is one of the enduring images of 9/11, the lifeless body of Father Mychal Judge carried from the dusty chaos by five men layered in debris This was just before the North Tower collapsedIrish American NYPD Lieutenant Bill Cosgrove was among the men carrying Judge Cosgrove later credited Judge with posthumously saving his own life because all five of the men carrying Judge in that photo were alive on the morning of September 12, 2001 READ MORE

Bolting the stable doors in Ireland - laughing at the horse meat scandal while the food industry suffers (IrishCentral)

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 05:16:45 PST

Horse meat controversy continues in EuropeDon't you love the way the Irish laugh in the face of adversity? Whatever the problem is, you can count on us to turn it into a joke And let's face it, this horse meat scandal was just made for it READ MORE

Suspicious reaction to Pope Benedict’s retirement among betrayed and disappointed Irish Catholics (IrishCentral)

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 05:16:46 PST

Illustration by Caty BartholomewOur aunt Marytee went to Rome to see the Pope the year that I was about 10 and she brought me back a special gift, then unique in Ireland It was a one-inch thick flickerbook with a photo of then Pope Pius XII giving his papal blessing on every page of hundredsWhen you riffled the pages there was the optical illusion of his hands moving as he delivered a very personal blessing to the viewer That was a very special gift to bring home to a Catholic boy in the fifties READ MORE

Why women talk more than men - the biological reasons for a Chatty Cathy (IrishCentral)

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 06:01:50 PST

Is there a chatting woman in your life READ MORE

The 'national shame' of the Taliban Tabernacle - Ireland’s recent history of the Magdalene Laundries (IrishCentral)

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 05:17:09 PST

Supporters of victims of the Magdalene laundries gathered in Dublin last week in advance of Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s speech about the issueLast week Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny delivered an emotional apology in the Dail (Parliament) to the women who had spent time in the notorious Magdalene laundries in Ireland, mainly in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s The name of the Magdalene laundries -- called after Mary Magdalene, the fallen woman or prostitute who was forgiven by Jesus -- gives you a good idea of what Irish society of the time thought of the women who were locked up in these grim institutions But very few if any of them were prostitutes READ MORE

The damaging and downtrodden - the political and moral patriarchy over the women and children of Ireland (IrishCentral)

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 05:17:10 PST

Taoiseach Enda Kenny (Google Images)Patriarchy, literally the rule by the fathers, is a social system in which the male is the primary authority figure Daddy calls the shots in political leadership, moral authority, the control of property, and over women and children Sound familiar?If you haven't noticed, patriarchy is not what it once was In the Irish context the experience of patriarchy has played out for centuries in the empires that ruled us, the church that molded us and in the state that (most often) sent us to war or sent us packing READ MORE

No shortage of ways to be Linkedin to Ireland and the Irish worldwide (IrishCentral)

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 07:02:00 PST

LinkedIn - the 7th most visited site in IrelandThe seventh most visited website in Ireland, Linkedin has over 200 million members in over 200 countries, over 26 million company pages and about two new members joining every secondAnd it has Groups, lots of Groups, about 16 million online gatherings of people, usually with something professional in common where members share news, tips, links, questions and comments READ MORE

Queen Elizabeth is right not to go green at Buckingham Palace for St. Patrick’s Day (IrishCentral)

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 05:16:59 PST

Queen Elizabeth made the right choice refusing to go green for St Patrick's DayJudging by the 1,500 Facebook likes our story on the Queen refusing Buckingham Palace going green for StPatrick’s Day got, it seems it has struck a chordFor once I’ll side with Her Majesty and her court READ MORE

Irish surfers could fetch $65,000 for ball of whale puke (IrishCentral)

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 05:32:22 PST

Alan Davey (38) and Brian Miller, both from Co Clare could earn big with a ball of whale vomite (Photo: Star)Two Irish surfers are hopeful they can cash in on a rare lump of whale vomit that could be worth up to 50,000 euroThe Irish Daily Star reports that Alan Davey (38) and Brian Miller, both from Co Clare, found the hardened lump of vomit on the beach in Lahinch“Who knows what we could get — we have our fingers crossed,” Alan said last nightThe vomit could contain a substance called ambergris which is produced in the digestive system of sperm whales READ MORE

800 Irish schoolboys break Guinness World Record for largest human shamrock (IrishCentral)

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 05:04:18 PST

800 Irish schoolboys form world's largest human shamrock (Irish Independent)Hundreds of students in Dublin gathered together to set a Guinness World record for forming the largest human shamrock just in time for St Patrick’s Day, all while raising money for charityThe Irish Independent reports on the endeavor that saw 800 schoolboys from Blackrock College and Willow Park schools in Dublin assembled on the lawns of Blackrock CollegeOnce in the shamrock formation, the Irish schoolboys had to hold their positions for five minutes in order to adhere to the Guinness World Record’s strict guidelines READ MORE

Seventh Son on call - curatics gifts and lores, the healing hands of an ancient package (IrishCentral)

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 05:17:15 PST

Somewhere out there, maybe most likely in Boston, New York or Chicago, the traditional Irish American heartlands, there quietly still dwells the last of your Seventh Sons, those mighty ancient healers and possessors of curative gifts and lores the modern world knows little about If you are acquainted with such a special man then treasure the friendship because it is rare and priceless You might be even doubly fortunate in knowing a Seventh Son who is himself the child of a Seventh Son That is special indeed nowadays READ MORE

Enda Kenny urges Britain to stay in EU at packed London School of Economics address (IrishCentral)

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 05:17:26 PDT

Kenny: urges Britain to stay inEuropean Union in keyLondon addressIrish Prime Minister Enda Kenny used a highly anticipated speech at the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE) yesterday afternoon to urge Britain to stay in the European Union (EU) and to set out Ireland's vision for the remainder of its presidency of the organization"We regard Britain's contribution to the EU as being of exceptional importance," the Prime Minister told the packed crowd"And I share Prime Minister Cameron's view that Britain should remain a part of the Union"Kenny - who like most Irish political leaders wants Britain to remain in the European Union despite a promised referendum on the matter - said that the countries' shared history meant that membership of the Union was a matter of common interest for the two neighbours READ MORE

Why Irish Americans should save thousands and go to college in Ireland - World class education at a fraction of the cost (IrishCentral)

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 04:02:14 PDT

Trinity College Dublin's entrance in the heart of the cityOne of the most vexing issues facing tens of millions of American families at present is the exorbitant cost of higher education Surprisingly, it didn’t feature very much in last year’s presidential election Cynics might say that Democrats are reluctant to spend much time on the issue because well-paid college and university academics and administrators are among their most strident activists and generous donors On the flip side, those same cynics might say that Republicans’ blind faith in market forces and the fact that high tuitions aren’t much of an issue for their wealthy base make it less important for them READ MORE

Animated short examines Ireland's ‘emigration generation’ and the true Irish spirit - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:32:14 PDT

‘Origin,’ a short animation, tells the story a young man in Dublin who, on the brink of emigration, comes to realize the spirit he’s leaving behindScreen shot from 'Origin'The short animation was directed by James Stacey and produced by Souljacker Films with the support of the Irish Film Board‘Origin’ was nominated for Best Animation at the 2012 IFTA’s, and was the winner of the Best Animated Short at Blackrock Animation Film Festival of 2012The animation was scripted by Matthew Darragh and James Stacey, with an original score by Rónán Ó Snodaigh of Kíla READ MORE

Truths about the shamrock for St. Patrick’s Day - everything you think you know about the symbol of Irishness is a lie (IrishCentral)

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:47:30 PDT

Illustration by Caty BartholomewI hope you have a bottle of good strong Irish whiskey stashed away already to fortify you for the St Patrick's Day parade and for the ritual drowning of the shamrock through the big day If so, then my advice to you is to take a good shot from the bottle here and now before you read the rest of this quite shocking story You will need it READ MORE

Irish Foreign Minister was wrong to boycott men only event in Savannah over St.Patrick’s Day (IrishCentral)

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:47:23 PDT

In Atlanta on Friday, Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore (right) presented Don Keough, former president of Coca-Cola, with the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish AbroadIrish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore canceled a proposed trip to Savannah, Georgia for St Patrick’s Day on the grounds that he would not attend the men-only Hibernian Society dinner there “Count me out — I'm not doing it," Gilmore told The Irish Times READ MORE

Good old reliable Ireland - depressed Irish continue paying massive bank debt with no end in sight (IrishCentral)

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 05:17:32 PDT

Ireland turned green for St Patrick’s Day on Sunday, but problems still persistHere's hoping you all had a great St Patrick's Day READ MORE

Joe Biden challenges Irish Americans to help undocumented Hispanics become legal - Says discrimination against Irish generations ago same as against Hispanics today (IrishCentral)

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 04:17:26 PDT

Vice President Joe Biden speaking on Thursday at Irish American Hall of Fame eventJoe Biden threw down a challenge to Irish Americans to come in behind the Hispanic lobby and seek immigration reform because of the shared history of discrimination against the two groupsSpeaking in New York on Thursday at the Irish America Hall of Fame hosted by our sister publication Irish America magazine, Biden challenged Irish Americans to remember their own pasts and to use that knowledge to fight discrimination todayHe quoted from a rabidly anti-Irish editorial from 1892 in The New York Times depicting the Irish as drunks and thieves He also stated that the Ku Klux Klan was founded to smear Irish Catholics as well as blacks READ MORE

Cardinal Keith O'Brien was turned in by his priest boyfriend (IrishCentral)

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 05:32:23 PDT

Cardinal Keith O'BrienWhen will this charade ever end? That's the question most people are asking about O'BrienI'm not talking about the duplicitous, vindictive and amoral villain on PBS's Dontown Abbey, although on reflection I suppose I might as well beI'm talking about former Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien, until last month the most senior Catholic in the United KingdomYesterday morning I involuntarily dropped my spoon into my porridge reading about the real reason for O'Brien's downfall: his ex-boyfriend, a priest, turned him in READ MORE

Chicago congressman in disfavor with Obama contender for Ambassador to Ireland? Rep. Dan Lipinski discussed widely as favorites fail vetting process (IrishCentral)

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 04:17:36 PDT

Congressman Dan LipinskiCould Congressman Dan Lipinski of Illinois be appointed Ambassador to Ireland? While on the surface it appears unlikely, it was Lipinski’s name that was most on the lips of Washington insiders at the St Patrick’s bash in the White House last weekThe Lipinski boomlet was fueled by speculation that several likely candidates had failed the stringent background checks and had dropped out One, a former Irish American politician was said to have been among the favorites READ MORE

Rory Staunton continues to save lives even though he is gone from us - One year later, remembering a brave boy who touched so many people (IrishCentral)

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 04:02:30 PDT

Kathleen Staunton, Rory Staunton and Alana O’Dowd at the end of January, 2012, at the United Irish Counties dinner in Queens(Credit:Margaret Purcell)One year ago, on April 1, 2012, death, like a thief in the night, stole my beloved nephew Rory Staunton He was 12-years-old and like the season he died in, was full of promise The thrill of life was everywhere about him READ MORE

Washington State legalized recreational marijuana has hit some dogs pretty hard (IrishCentral)

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 05:17:39 PDT

Medicinal MarijuanaVotes have consequences In one state the vote might hit some dogs pretty hardLast November, voters in Washington State legalized recreational marijuana Now, police departments throughout that state say that their drug sniffing dogs have to be retrained or possibly lose their jobs READ MORE

The endless war on death - Folly of Iraq war hits home (IrishCentral)

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 05:32:30 PDT

The War in IraqIn the fourth year of the Iraq war I was walking home one day with my partner It was June 2007, about five in the afternoon, and the sun was shining We had been shopping at the farmer’s market in Union Square and we’d picked up some seasonal vegetables and a French loafIn a continental flourish I had picked up a bottle of white wine READ MORE

The leprechaun’s gold at the bottom of the rainbow right? Not in Paris (IrishCentral)

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 05:17:41 PDT

A horizontal rainbow pictured above the Paris skyline (Photo: Bertrand Kulik)A horizontal "fire rainbow", rarely seen in Europe but common in the United States appeared about Paris, next to the breathtaking Eifel Tower, on St Patrick's DayLocal Bertrand Kulik (33) snapped the unusual display out of his apartment window on March 17th, sadly no leprechauns made an appearanceKulik told the Daily Mail "I have never seen a rainbow like that before READ MORE

Cyprus? Been there, done that - EU leaders brass necks insist European’s money is safe (IrishCentral)

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 05:17:43 PDT

Protests against the bailout of bond holders, such as this one in Dublin on March 16, happen regularly in IrelandThe raid by the Cypriot government on bank accounts in Cyprus has sent shudders of fear through ordinary people across Europe And that includes Ireland Time and again EU leaders have told us that no matter what happens in the ongoing financial difficulties in Europe, bank deposits are safe READ MORE

Entertaining my first guests in Ireland and proudly showing off my new beloved home (IrishCentral)

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 05:17:45 PDT

Ranelagh Gardens in DublinYou know how nothing makes you appreciate where you grew up more than leaving it? Well, the other half of that must be that nothing makes you appreciate your adopted country more than showing it to othersThis past week, two of my friends from college come over for a visit (Spring Break at its dampest) After an incredibly hectic journey over with multiple close calls and an unplanned layover in Manchester, they were determined to stay up the whole first day One of my favorite things to do when I’m in a new place is to go to the grocery store, and see all the different brands and flavors and packaging READ MORE

Why I hope Irish American Steve Lynch is the next US Senator from Massachusetts (IrishCentral)

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 05:17:46 PDT

Irish American Steve Lynch potential next US Senator from Massachusetts (Photo: AP)On the 30th of April, Massachusetts voters will have the opportunity to choose the Democratic and Republican general election candidates to succeed John Kerry, now US Secretary of State, in the US Senate Two US Congressmen, Steve Lynch and Ed Markey, are battling it out for the Democratic nomination; three Republicans, former US Attorney Michael Sullivan, Massachusetts State Representative Dan Winslow and ex-US Navy Seal and businessman Gabriel Gomez, are seeking the GOP nod Polls show that Michael Sullivan leads his two rivals, while Ed Markey is currently the Democratic frontrunnerAn ocean away here in Ireland, however, I will be casting a ballot for a man who’s been an underdog his whole life, Steve Lynch READ MORE

Hard labor ahead of Christine Quinn - New York Mayoral hopeful to fight on topics of paid sick leave and NYPD’s “stop and frisk” policies (IrishCentral)

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 05:17:49 PDT

New York City Council Speaker Christine QuinnThis Wednesday, March 27, the newly renovated New York City Department of Records Visitor’s Center is hosting an event celebrating the contribution Irish American men and women have made building this great cityIrish Consul General Noel Kilkenny and City Council Speaker and mayoral candidate Christine Quinn were among those expected to attend and talk to the audience The event is co-sponsored by the New York City Department of Records and the law firm of O’Dwyer and Bernstien READ MORE

Bill O'Reilly reinvents his own past to blast Bill Clinton over DOMA (IrishCentral)

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 05:32:37 PDT

Bill O'Reilly looks back and sees only other people's folliesWrite this down: Bill O'Reilly has accused his namesake Bill Clinton of 'sleazy' political pandering to the gays Clinton, O'Reilly said, was a 'phony' because he signed the Republican written and introduced (and Republican Party platform endorsed) Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996 rather than face the wrath of voters over the issueIn a further bit of impressive historical revisionism O'Reilly then accused Clinton of signing DOMA, a toxic bit of homophobia barely disguised as a bill, because it was 'popular' rather than principled 'You can change your mind on the issue, but you have to explain that in context other than politics,' said O’Reilly READ MORE

When the Easter Rising happened the British establishment were all at the racetrack - My grandfather, too, attended the Grand National horse race on that historic day (IrishCentral)

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 04:02:54 PDT

Easter Monday races at FairyhouseFairyhouse, County Meath: Back on April 24th 1916 the British establishment showed up here on Easter Monday for the horse racing highlight of the year in Ireland, the Irish Grand NationalLike most Irish events of the time it was a pale version of the British Grand National horse race, the greatest race on the racing calendarContemporary accounts reflect a grand old time, the British military officers in particular, on break from the First World War, were in fine humor enjoying the spectacle of the dayIt was a day known for the height of fashion as the Dublin ladies tried to catch the eye of the dashing military officers READ MORE

Is Senator Marco Rubio now trying to kill immigration reform after first supporting it? - Latest objections could mean he has turned rail on achieving immigration breakthrough (IrishCentral)

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:02:47 PDT

Sen Marco Rubio (Credit: AP)Is Marco Rubio gagging on immigration reform? The Florida senator has been attacked in a Washington Post editorial for sitting on the fence and in Newsweek on line for “cowardice”This is a remarkable shift in tone from the late January coverage when Rubio was hailed as the bravest of all the Republican senators for speaking out for immigration reformHowever, this week Rubio has suddenly turned cautious and began talking about more hearings and re-examining the bipartisan bill which has reached critical mass stage READ MORE

End to Ireland’s disastrous bank guarantee - an achievement at the expense of the Irish State (IrishCentral)

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 05:02:45 PDT

Irish graffiti former Finance Minister Brian Lenihan and former Taoiseach Brian CowenAt midnight last Thursday the disastrous blanket guarantee given to the Irish banks in September 2008 by the last government reached the end of its extended term and finally came to an end The present government believes that the banks are strong enough now to function without the guarantee and will be able to access the funding they need without state back-upThat remains to be seen In the meantime, the ending of the guarantee last week was hailed as evidence of the success of the present government's policies READ MORE

Donegal Council meeting suspended after Sinn Fein member demands the Tricolor be raised above building (IrishCentral)

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 05:17:53 PDT

An Irish tricolorA local town council meeting in Donegal was disrupted on Tuesday after a councilor demanded an Irish Tricolor be raised above the building before the meeting commencedThe Tricolor is usually flown above official Government buildings in the RepublicThe Donegal Democrat reports before the start of the monthly town council meeting on Main St Bundoran, Sinn Fein Councillor Dermot Doherty demanded that the Tricolor be flownCllr READ MORE

Drunk Irish teen charged with threatening to kill Guyanan president - 17-year-old told bodyguards he'd like to shoot Donald Ramotar (IrishCentral)

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 05:02:52 PDT

Crosson: booze fulled threatto kill Guyana's president landsteen in legal troubleAn Irish teenager on a gap year in the small South American state of Guyana has been charged with threatening to kill the country's presidentCillian Crosson, now seventeen years old, was a high-achieving student at his hometown of Dundalk, and has plead not guilty to the offense before a hearing of the local magistrate's courtProsecutors allege that the teen remarked that he would like to shoot incumbent president Donald Ramotar in the head, but lawyers for Mr Crosson have argued that the remarks were not intended seriously and were made in the course of a drunken conversationThe Irish teen was drinking with two of the president's official bodyguards, but as they didn't carry any identification, Crosson doubted they were READ MORE

Today's Irish news roundup (IrishCentral)

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:25:35 PDT

By: IrishCentral Staff Writers

Today's top Irish news stories:

Saving lives with Reilly – Irish Health Minister takes on sacred cows - A different kind of health minister rings the changes in his job (IrishCentral)

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 05:47:47 PDT

Irish Health Minister Dr James ReillyDublin: Irish Health Minister Dr James Reilly has become a favorite whipping boy of the Irish media which, given his portfolio, is hardly surprisingHowever, like much in the Irish media these days, the good news is covered up in favor of sensational headlines that draw a few gasps and more media tattle READ MORE