A rundown of the latest and greatest books out of Ireland and Irish America.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheál Martin, T.D., today announced further details of the Global Irish Economic Forum, which is to be held in Farmleigh on the weekend of 18th-20th September, 2009.

      DOZENS of victims of child abuse in institutions run by religious orders wept openly and with joy when President Mary McAleese apologized profusely to them on behalf of the people of Ireland for the suffering they had endured. In one of the most emotional occasions in the history of

Ireland's Easter Rising has come into the digital age! Eneclann, a Dublin-based history and heritage company, has released a CD of the “Sinn Féin Rebellion Handbook,” which details the events surrounding the Easter Rising 1916.

  Oscar-nominated American actress Amy Adams is in Dublin shooting a new film, “Leap Year.” The “Doubt” star was seen last week at

"Has no one a skitter o' dignity left?" asks Flor, the exasperated old timer in Irish actor Pat Kinevane's remarkable one-man show "Forgotten," which opened in New York for a limited run on January 10 before returning to New York for a longer scheduled run later this year. In an indelible solo performance that sees Kinevane bringing to life four very distinct male and female characters, "Forgotten" tells the interconnecting stories of four elderly people living in retirement homes and care facilities around Ireland, who range in age from 80 to 100 years old. Although on paper this might sound like a challenging enough concept for a play (and in truth it is), it is also one of the most unexpectedly witty and dramatically rewarding works of the theater you are likely to attend this year.

Guinness Store House
This is expensive (adult tickets are €13.50, or almost $19), but no trip to Dublin is complete without a visit. Simply every tourist in Dublin seems to come here at least once.

Dublin: The wind and rain lashed furiously on the tarmac at Dublin Airport, rocking our Aer Lingus Airbus like a gondola exposed to the elements on a mountaintop. We hadn't packed any sun block for this post-Christmas 2000 family trip to Ireland, but no one had told us we'd be landing in the monsoon season. It had proved impossible to land at Shannon Airport in the west, where the storm was said to be really raging.

Ireland is a small country that's big on charm, wit and hospitality. And, thanks to a booming economy and the infusion of millions from multi-national companies, Ireland East and Dublin is one of the most rapidly expanding areas in Europe today. Ireland has breathtaking scenery, luxurious five-star resorts with world-class spas, gourmet cuisine and more than 400 top-notch golf courses, but the Emerald Isle is also known for its advanced networking, conferencing and exposition facilities and is a leading destination for today's mobile business traveler.

News : Ahern to Address U.S. Congress

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern will address a joint session of U.

IRISH-born singer Carly Smithson, nee Hennessy, advanced to the Hollywood stages of Fox TV's American Idol season seven last Tuesday, January 22, when her powerful vocals won the hearts of the three judges.After performing a spectacular rendition of "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan on Tuesday, Paula Abdul said, "That's what we wanted to hear," while waving her hands in the air approvingly. Simon Cowell added, "That wasn't as good as two years ago," but he gave her the thumbs up for Hollywood.

Irish literature and lore shows Mulligan little respect. The very opening sentence of James Joyce's acclaimed Ulysses introduces Buck Mulligan, a ribald braggart who, before many pages, is borrowing a quid to "get gloriously drunk so as to astonish the druidy druids," making an utter fool of himself in a "jester's dress of puce and yellow and a clown's cap" and identifying Shakespeare as "the chap that writes like Synge."

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From sipping a pint of Guinness, known as the "black stuff",  in the Guinness Storehouse's Gravity Bar, to gazing at the stunning architecture of Trinity College, a tourist in Dublin won't be stuck for things to

Ireland's long and troubled past make it a good choice for history buffs. Its history is far more complex than might first appear - as such, it's the type of place where a bit of local knowledge can go a long way.