The revelation that British intelligence documents suggested that current Sinn Fein member of the Irish parliament Dessie Ellis was responsible for 50 murders during the IRA campaign has led to a major stand-off between Sinn Fein and Fine Gael, the main party in government.

It has been quite the year with a new term for President Barack Obama and the same old outcome in Senate and House.

A new survey has revealed that less than one in ten of the general public surveyed in Ireland found that businesses and government remain severely distrusted, with only a third of people prepared to say that they trust businesses and slightly less than a quarter trusting the government.

Imagine alien economists landing from another planet to assess the state of the Irish economy. (Don’t laugh, for many Irish that is what the last few years have felt like, as troika economists – highly respected and capable but with very different frames of reference to most Irish people – have visited our shores). What would those alien economists say?
                   
The first thing they’d have difficulty understanding is why an island nation of 6.5 million people on the edge of Europe has been split into two separate tax, currency and legal systems.

The Antrim native turned Hollywood royalty, Liam Neeson, admitted he would be interested in playing the controversial figure of Reverend Ian Paisley in a biographical movie.

Northern Ireland communities are separated by walls which are better known as the ‘peace walls but according to a recently released Government draft they may be down by the year 2022.

Peacemaker Martin McAleese has resigned as an Irish senator to spend more time with his wife Mary, the former President, in Rome.

Sinn Fein’s proposal for a Border vote on a United Ireland would end in rejection, according to a new opinion poll, with only 17 per cent in favor.

After a decade long struggle for justice, the Irish State admitted its role in the virtual enslavement of thousands of Irish women in the notorious Magdalene Laundries Tuesday, but Prime Minister Enda Kenny declined to issue a formal apology.

A new report by the Open Society Justice Initiative shows Ireland is one of the 54 countries which facilitated the CIA’s secret detention, rendition and interrogation of al-Qaeda suspects and innocent people in the years following the 9/11 attacks on New York City.

Fine Gael wants to remain in power for the centenary of the 1916 Rising – and is planning a general election date to ensure it stays is government.

A woman dies in a Galway hospital after a termination that may well have contributed to her death. Result: A twitter storm outrage, worldwide condemnation and calls for Ireland to scrap or change its regime of legal protection for unborn children.

Irish leader Enda Kenny has announced a deal with the European Central Bank which will convert the former Anglo Irish bank debt of €28 billion into long term bonds. The interest rate will drop from 8 per cent to 3 per cent with much longer to pay.

There is mounting pressure on the Irish leader to issue a full state apology to the thousands of Magdalene Laundries survivors.

In a supplement for The Irish Times this week, U2’s frontman Bono writes a piece in which he envisions not only Ireland, but the entire world ten years on in 2023. The piece is a part of The Irish Times’ support for Hireland.

The Irish economy is to receive a $30billion boost after the government successfully renegotiated the promissory note deal on Anglo Irish Bank payments.

Independent deputy Clare Daly is to take action against the Irish police force after she was cleared of drink driving last month.

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny will hear demands for a state apology when he meets survivors of the Magdalene Laundries on Monday.

A car belonging to loyalist flag protest chief Willie Frazer has been burnt out – hours after he received a death threat.

A top Republican lawmaker has said he would support granting children of undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship.

The Irish public overwhelmingly supports the government’s plan to legislate on abortion, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll.

A full state apology by the State over its role in the Magdalene Laundries would be be “an enormous step forward,” say victims.

By the prophecies of Irish St. Malachy the next pope will be last, will be known as Peter of Rome and a great Armageddon will happen on his watch.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has firmly shut the door on any power sharing arrangement with Sinn Fein as his party surges in popularity.

Northern Ireland farm authorities may use agricultural drones to spy on money grabbing farmers.

The Irish leader Enda Kenny made an historic apology to survivors of the Magdalene Laundries on Tuesday.

Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald has travelled to Moscow to fast-track talks on an adoption deal between Ireland and Russia – after US citizens were banned from adopting Russian children.

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has confirmed that an agreement of the sale of Irish Life to Great-West Lifeco (Canada Life) has been reached, to the sum of $1.7 billion (€1.3 bn). An additional dividend of €40 million is being paid to the State prior to completion.

More than 4,000 representatives of 70,000 nurses, Gardai (police), firefighters and prison officers have signaled that emergency personnel are prepared to take industrial action to protect their pay.

Survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries have expressed their relief and gratitude over the Irish leader’s official state apology on Tuesday.

Dublin Sinn Fein TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh tabled a new bill, the Public Holidays (Lá Na Poblachta) Bill 2013, on Thursday at the Dail which looks to create a national holiday in Ireland to commemorate the April 1916 Rising.

In a bizarre twist, a Westminster seat in Northern Ireland will be competed for by a man once accused of killing the father of another candidate.

Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore has been calling American politicians hoping to put the pressure on to create a deal in the US for illegal Irish immigrants.

Kate Middleton and her husband Prince William are to visit Ireland in 2014.

The social structure that allowed for forced labor and misery in Magdalene Laundries to occur is part of the Irish psyche, according to Sunday's Irish Independent Op Ed.

Writing for the newspaper, journalist Emer O’Kelly states that the Irish society should feel guilty for perpetuating a system that allowed for women to be sent to Magdalene Laundries.

When Irish leader Enda Kenny last week made an abject apology on behalf of the Irish state for the mistreatment of Irish women treated like slaves in the Magdalene laundries, Pennsylvania-based Mari Steed, 53, the director of the advocacy group Justice for Magdalenes, knows all about it.

The bank guarantee deal that collapsed the Celtic Tiger economy will expire at the end of March.
Ireland’s Finance Minister Michael Noonan has announced that the infamous scheme will cease to exist at midnight on March 28.

Egging the Taoiseach
A 22-YEAR-old Castlebar student has been given a formal reprimand by authorities at University College Dublin after being involved in the throwing of eggs at fellow Castlebar man, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny, last November.