Dessie Ellis, a Sinn Fein member of the Irish parliament, has been linked with 50 murders committed during the Troubles according to new documents released by the British government.

Ireland’s Catholic Bishops have been accused of hating women by a leading female Labour Party Senator.

Today's top Irish news stories:

A new Millward Brown poll in Sunday’s Independent has found that only 11 percent of people polled would choose a Fine Gael / Labour coalition should a general election be called.

Irish government ministers have admitted to ‘difficulties’ in their bid to renegotiate the terms of the bank bailout deal with the European Central Bank.

It was confirmed earlier this week that 16 of Ireland’s ministers will be heading abroad for St. Patrick’s Day to promote the message that “Now is the time to invest in Ireland’s recovery.”

Two new opinion polls have offered differing views of the current state of the government parties in Ireland – with one suggesting as many as 50 Fine Gael and Labor Party deputies would lose their seats in a snap election.

Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore may face a threat to his position after the Meath East by-election which saw Helen McEntee win her late father Shane’s seat.

Sinn Fein leaders have warned Dissident Republicans to lay down their arms – and claimed the Irish and British governments are treating the peace process with complacency.

The Irish government has been urged to call a referendum as quickly as possible after the constitutional convention voted overwhelmingly in favor of extending marriage rights to same-sex couples.

Irish people living in the countryside should be allowed to apply for a gun license to protest themselves and their property, according to a Kerry TD.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a Paris-based economic think tank, is warning that more action needs to be taken within Ireland to get young people off the dole in hopes of preventing long-term high unemployment rates.

A senior Vatican official has told Irish politicians they should resign rather than vote for abortion, Msgr Jacques Suaudeau, scientific director of the Pontifical Academy for Life at the Vatican, told the Irish Catholic newspaper.

Fine Gael’s woes over the abortion debate are now hitting them with the public – Fianna Fail are neck and neck with the senior government partners in the latest opinion polls.

Fianna Fail has staged a remarkable comeback to reclaim its status as the most supported political party in the Republic of Ireland as support for the current coalition has slipped, the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll has revealed.