Valentia Island Lighthouse will be officially open to the public for the first time this June.

Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny said on Tuesday that, although he couldn’t be definite, he was confident the government would have abortion legislation enacted before the summer recess.

On the International Day for Monuments and Sites, the Heritage Council has called out the Irish Government for an unfair division of the declining funds to protect tangible history in Ireland.  In 2008, there were 20 million euros for the protection and repairs of historic sites and monuments in Ireland compared to 5.7 million euros today. 

On the weekend of May 31st to June 4th, 2013, Valentia will host an event entitled “The Transatlantic Communications and Light Gathering.” This will include the launch of an International Heritage project, celebrating the historic contribution that Valentia has made to technology of the modern age - linking Europe to North America with the Transatlantic Cable. As part of this weekend the importance of Valentia’s link to the Transatlantic Cable and the opportunity to explore its significant International heritage will be looked at.

After a long winter of preparation, New York's newest GAA club, the Manhattan Gaels, will send out its first ever team for a competitive clash on Sunday April 21.

On the day and time that RMS Titanic dropped anchor in Cork Harbour over 101 years ago (Thursday 11 April 1912), a poignant collection of a number of passengers and survivors of the luxury liner’s maiden voyage was unveiled at the Titanic Experience, the permanent visitor attraction in Cobh, Co. Cork.
 
Among the items that will be on permanent display at the Titanic Experience Cobh is a beautiful 20th century blue leather suitcase, purchased at Harrods for the journey on board Titanic. The suitcase was the personal property of Mrs. Lily Odell, a first class passenger on board the ill-fated ship.  Lily Odell traveled with some members of her family, including her son, Jack and sister in law, Kate and her two brothers, Richard and Stanley May. The Odell family party disembarked the Titanic at Queenstown, now Cobh, and collected a hire car from Johnson & Perrott Motors to travel around the south of Ireland. 
 
Managing Director of the Titanic Experience Cobh, which is located in the original White Star Line building, Gillen Joyce said, “We endeavor to make the Titanic Experience as authentic as possible in providing information about Titanic, and depicting the story of the passengers on board.  With this in mind, we felt that it was vital to include artifacts from the liner to ensure a true visitor experience here in the original White Star Line building in Cobh. We are delighted that our hard work has paid off and it is an honour for us to have the Odell Collection exhibited here at the Titanic Experience”.
 
On hand to formally open the exhibition was Tommy Barker, property editor of the Irish Examiner and grandson and namesake of Thomas Barker, the Cork Examiner photographer who captured some of the best known images of RMS Titanic and her Irish passengers while in Cobh.
 
There are a number of photographs in the Odell collection, including the original photo postcard showing Titanic survivors, Millvina Dean as a baby, with her brother Bertram in a pram and their mother, Eva. Another photograph shows young Jack Odell, in a Star Laudaulette automobile hired from Johnson and Perrott with Mr May (Lily Odell’s brother) and their luggage.
 
A hand painted and signed French silk lace and mother of pearl fan in its original silk covered box used on board the Titanic is also on loan to the collection by Titanic Experience Historian, Vincent McMahon.
 
Titanic Experience Historian, Vincent McMahon gave a short talk at the unveiling of the Odell collection, which took place at 1.30 pm to coincide with ‘Titanic’ weighing anchor on this day on Thursday, 11th April 1912, 101 years ago.  McMahon described the journey of the Odell family who traveled on board ‘Titanic’ on the 10th and 11th April 1912. 
 
“The loss of Titanic with so many lives has always been a very sad story. Today we recall the passengers on board.  It is a privilege to exhibit items carried on board Titanic on that voyage from Southampton via Cherbourg to Queenstown. The Titanic Experience Cobh looks forward to keeping their memory alive through this Odell collection going on display today.” added McMahon.

The Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said the reconstruction of the Twin Towers site is “symbolic of the path Ireland is taking” on its path to economic recovery.

The Tara Circle, an Irish heritage group, has some people questioning motives as the group may make millions selling a historic manor.  The group is entertaining a few offers on the Alder Manor, a mansion built in 1912 that is on the National Register of Historic Places, in Westchester, New York.

The genetic mother of twins born through a surrogate pregnancy has won her court battle to be declared the legal mother on the children’s birth certificates.

A valuable hoard of gold coins dating back to almost 400 years have been discovered hidden in soil beneath the floorboards of a pub in Tipperary.

Illinois’ Governor Pat Quinn presided over a packed room in a south side Chicago immigrant center on Sunday January 27, when he signed into law a much vaunted bill that will provide temporary drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants in his state. 

Campaigners are confident that a museum to commemorate the 1916 Rising will be opened on an historical site at the centre of controversial rebuilding plans.

Donegal County Museum is appealing to the public to help find two missing items - the Glennagivney stone cross slab from Moville Parish Church and a bronze First World War memorial dedicated to Captain James Douglas Gaussen MacNeese .

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READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/roots/the-celtic-times/presidential-tidings-and-flying-the-flag-for-ireland-123801524.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/roots/the-celtic-times/presidential-tidings-and-flying-the-flag-for-ireland-123801524.html Tue, 14 Jun 2011 04:10:10 PDT
It is good to learn of the recent news that one of the two original tricolors unfurled at the GPO buildings during the 1916 Easter Rising is now in the good hands of the folk at the American Irish Historical Society Some comment has been raised about such a historically precious artifact, so central to the narrative of Irish independence, belonging on Irish soil, but to raise such heckles is to be totally oblivious to the point that Irish America was also at the heart of this independence movement That the American Irish Historical Society, with its traditional warm welcome and its dedication to the motto of its founding patrons, “That the world may know” now hosts the flag is entirely appropriate The Society’s mission since the time of Teddy Roosevelt’s involvement and before to Thomas Hamilton Murray in the 1880s has been to bring to light the history of the Irish people READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/roots/finnegans_awake/dialed-down-st-patricks-day-117914204.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/roots/finnegans_awake/dialed-down-st-patricks-day-117914204.html Sun, 13 Mar 2011 09:00:20 PDT Dear readers, I've been sorely remiss in blog posts, but rest assured that Irish themes are never far from my brain and my life I've started a full time job as a reporter in Manhattan, and last week my reporting duties took me to the American Irish Historical Society on 5th Avenue on the Upper East Side The society is housed in a strikingly beautiful Beaux-Arts style townhouse, meticulously restored and grandly appointed with such trappings as 18th century Irish-crafted tables and treasures like the original flag that flew over the General Post Office during Easter Rising in 1916As I sat on an antique chair in front of a modernist styled maple coffee table chatting with the Executive Director, it occurred to me how easy it is to take Irish heritage for granted READ MORE ]]>