Secretary of State Hillary Clinton played a major role in securing the release of Irish priest Fr. Michael Sinnott. The priest was kidnapped 32 days ago by a radical group of Islamic militants called the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Former Progressive Democrat and junior minister, Tom Parlon has denied tipping a chauffeur $2,620 while on a state trip to Atlanta as part of the St. Patrick Day celebrations in 2006.

Irish Voice Senior Editor Debbie McGoldrick answers your immigration questions, queries and concerns. This week: passport issues.

During his visit to the U.S. last week, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin announced the allocation of $2.68 million in grants for Irish organizations throughout the U.S. The Emigrant Support Program, managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs, provides the grants.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Michéal Martin writes about the Global Irish Economic Forum that is being held in Dublin from September 18-20

I HAVE two children born in New York. My husband is from Ireland. We just received their Irish passports. I would also like one, but I understand I cannot get one. I am from the U.S. and have no Irish link but my husband.

A 20-year-old Irish man who was in Canada for the summer on a working visa drowned on Tuesday morning while out for a morning swim in shallow waters with two friends from Ireland. The young man, whose name has not yet been released, was due to finish up his summer in Canada next week and return home to

An Irish man was apparently shot dead after he rammed his tractor through a neighbor's gate. John Michael O'Sullivan, 47, originally from County Kerry, was shot dead in Fiddletown in Amador County, around 45 miles from Sacramento, the state capital.

The three young Texas men who were refused entry into Ireland by the Garda (police) National Immigration Bureau over a week ago were photographed happily sipping pints of Guinness at the Dubliner Bar hours after clearing immigration in Dublin Airport on Tuesday, July 14.

Thanks to IrishCentral, three backpackers from Texas who were refused entry into Ireland last week have been offered an all-expense paid trip back to the Emerald Isle by an Irish hotel group, and now an ad featuring a cowboy is being made in their honor.

Sharon Commins, a 32-year-old Irish aid worker, was abducted in Kutum in northern Darfur on Friday. The Irish woman, who works for charity organization Goal, was taken at gunpoint with a Ugandan colleague.

Irish Nobel prize winner Mairead Maguire and compatriot Derek Graham have been detained by Israeli authorities. The pair was onboard the Spirit of Humanity which was bound for Gaza when it was intercepted by Israeli forces.

In Tim Pat Coogan's last article about "the disaster area that is the Irish Fishing industry," he outlined Round One of hisunsuccessful efforts to save from scrappage a small fleet of Irish fishing trawlers. An "even more deplorable" Round Two has since occurred.

Ireland urgently needs to “harness the global Diaspora and to pull together high achievers from many different countries” says Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin in an exclusive interview with IrishCentral.com.

The Irish Government is calling on the Diaspora for help in getting Ireland on the road to economic recovery

There is no limit to the number of Irish students and graduates who can apply for the J visa this year, U.S Embassy says.

A remarkable meeting took place in Donegal between former fighters from Israel and Palestine

Widespread confusion about the rules covering the new J visas for Irish and American students has led to a very low take-up on both sides of the Atlantic.

Confusion about the new J visas has led to a very low take-up on both sides of the Atlantic. Dearbhla O'Brien, commercial director of USIT in Dublin, said that there was a “huge interest initially” in the visa because the “Irish authorities promoted the new visa as being similar to the Australian 12 month working holiday model.” This, said O’Brien, was a mistake. “It is not at all like the Australian visa,” she said.

An Irishman who survived today's earthquake in Italy, which may have killed more than 100 people, described the experience as “absolutely terrifying.” The Cork native, who wished to be identified only as Jimmy, was staying in a bed-and-breakfast near L’Aquila

  New York's Senator Charles Schumer is the new chairman of the Senate Immigration-Sub

  Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen will use his forthcoming trip to New York and the White House to promote Irish trade and investment and to highlight the plight of the Irish undocumented living

"I AM eligible for Irish citizenship because my grandparents were born in Ireland. My mother was not born in Ireland but she has become an Irish citizen and I am planning on doing the same. Are my children eligible for Irish citizenship because their grandmother is an Irish citizen? Will it make any difference once I am granted Irish citizenship?"

ACCORDING to a spokesperson at the Irish Consulate in New York, a person with a great-grandparent born in Ireland - as is the case with your children - could be eligible for Irish citizenship if this person's parent (in this case, yourself), acquired Irish citizenship before the person was born.

"I want to become an Irish citizen. My grandmother was born in Co. Westmeath in 1900.