Category Archives: Ireland

Irish taoiseach looks to spring after lifting one of Europe’s longest Covid clampdowns

Posted on by

‘Humans are social and we Irish more than most,’ Micheál Martin tells country after ending 20 months of social restrictions

Ireland has ended what has been one of the longest and strictest set of coronavirus restrictions in Europe, with the end of lockdown declared “a good day” by the country’s prime minister.

In a televised address to the nation the taoiseach, Micheál Martin, announced that the “the majority of public health measures” would be swept away from 6am on Saturday after the cabinet concluded they were no longer justifiable.

Continue reading...

Ireland announces annual bank holiday to honour Covid victims and workers

Posted on by

Government will also give tax-free bonus of €1,000 to frontline staff in hospitals and nursing homes

Ireland is to get a bank holiday as a national commemoration of those who have lost their lives to Covid and to recognise those who worked on the frontline of the pandemic, the government has announced.

Frontline healthcare workers in hospitals and nursing homes are also to receive a €1,000 (£830) tax-free bonus for their contribution to the national pandemic effort as part of a package of measures agreed by the cabinet on Wednesday.

Continue reading...

Irish police arrest second man in Ashling Murphy case

Posted on by

Man held in relation to potential withholding of information as police continue to question murder suspect

A second man has been arrested in connection with the killing of the schoolteacher Ashling Murphy while she was out jogging in rural Ireland.

The man is reportedly known to the 31-year-old man who was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of Murphy’s murder. The second male was detained in relation to potential withholding of information contrary to the Offences Against the State Act and can be held for up to three days.

Continue reading...

Ashling Murphy: Irish police arrest man on suspicion of teacher’s murder

Posted on by

Suspect in his 30s was detained after being treated for unexplained injuries in a Dublin hospital

Irish police investigating the death of Ashling Murphy have arrested a man in his 30s on suspicion of murder.

Murphy, a primary school teacher, was strangled on a canal path near the town of Tullamore while out jogging last Wednesday afternoon. Her funeral was held on Tuesday.

Continue reading...

Calls for action on gender-based violence after Ashling Murphy killing

Posted on by

Ireland’s minister for justice promises new strategy by March and a zero-tolerance approach

Campaigners have called for the end of the “scattered” approach to gender-based violence in Ireland after the murder of 23-year-old Ashling Murphy.

Irish police are still hunting for the killer of the primary school teacher, who was strangled on a canal path near the town of Tullamore while out jogging on Wednesday afternoon.

Continue reading...

Irish foreign minister orders inquiry into champagne party during lockdown

Posted on by

Photo shows department officials drinking Moët & Chandon in June 2020 while strict rules were in force

The Irish foreign minister, Simon Coveney, has ordered an inquiry into a champagne celebration involving officials in his department at the height of the first Covid lockdown.

A photo of the celebration in June 2020 showed about 20 officials drinking Moët & Chandon champagne, without wearing masks or social distancing.

Continue reading...

Hundreds join vigil in London for murdered teacher Ashling Murphy

Posted on by

Killing of the 23-year-old while out running reignites debate about violence against women

Hundreds of people gathered in London on Saturday for a vigil to remember Ashling Murphy, a primary school teacher murdered while she was on an afternoon run in Ireland last week, and call for an end to violence against women.

Murphy, a talented amateur musician and athlete, was attacked on the banks of the Grand Canal in Tullamore, County Offaly. The area is known as Fiona’s Way, in memory of another local woman who disappeared 25 years ago, while seven months pregnant. Her death has renewed debate about women’s safety, in Ireland and beyond.

Continue reading...

Ashling Murphy: thousands attend vigils across Ireland for teacher killed going for run – video

Posted on by

Thousands have gathered in towns and cities across Ireland after the 'senseless' killing of the 23-year-old teacher, with echoes of the national reckoning that was sparked in the UK last year by the murder of Sarah Everard. Murphy was killed on Wednesday afternoon while going for a run along the banks of the Grand Canal in Tullamore in County Offaly

Continue reading...

Ashling Murphy: thousands attend vigil for Irish teacher killed going for run

Posted on by

Killing of 23-year-old in County Offaly has provoked outpouring of grief and anger in Ireland and beyond

Thousands have gathered in the town of Tullamore in Ireland as a vigil was held for Ashling Murphy.

Other memorials were also held across Ireland after the “senseless” killing of the 23-year-old teacher, with echoes of the national reckoning that was sparked in the UK last year by the murder of Sarah Everard.

Continue reading...

Son of Sinéad O’Connor dies at age of 17 after going missing

Posted on by

Irish musician says Shane O’Connor, last seen on Friday morning, ‘was the very light of my life’

Sinéad O’Connor’s 17-year-old son has died, two days after he was reported missing.

The musician shared the news on social media, writing that he “decided to end his earthly struggle” and asked that “no one follows his example”.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

Continue reading...

Trinity College Dublin begins €90m project to relocate vulnerable books

Posted on by

Restoring and moving 750,000 volumes and ancient manuscripts expected to take five years

It is known as Ireland’s “front room”, where esteemed visitors including the Queen, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been taken to get a sense of the “land of saints and scholars”.

Biden, vice-president at the time, was so moved by the atmospherics in the dimly lit, barrel-vaulted hall when he visited Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in 2016 that he came back a year later to contemplate the history of its old library, known as the Long Room.

Continue reading...

UK and Irish foreign secretaries meet over Northern Ireland Brexit impasse

Posted on by

Liz Truss and Simon Coveney meetup comes before talks on protocol with EU Brexit negotiator

The UK foreign secretary, Liz Truss, and her Irish counterpart, Simon Coveney, have had a “good and friendly” first meeting over the vexed issue of the Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland, Irish government sources have said.

They met for the first time over dinner in London on Thursday night and discussed the Northern Ireland protocol, the wider relationship with the EU, and UN security matters including the crisis in Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

Continue reading...

Maureen Byrne obituary

Posted on by

My grandmother Maureen Byrne, who has died aged 86 of lung cancer, was devoted to her family and was a much-loved member of the Irish community in Wood Green, north London. She was a devout Catholic and followed the words often attributed to Mother Teresa: “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”

Born Ann Dalton in Cabra, Dublin, but always known as Maureen, she was one of nine children of Annie (nee Foy) and Michael Dalton, a tailor. Two siblings died in infancy and her mother died when Maureen was 10.

Continue reading...

EU countries cut Covid isolation periods in Omicron balancing act

Posted on by

Ireland latest to change guidance for boosted, as surge across continent threatens economic paralysis

Ireland has become the latest EU country to cut the isolation period for many people who contract Covid-19, as record infection numbers spark fears of crippling staff shortages in essential public services, as well as retail and hospitality venues.

Spain, Portugal and Greece reduced isolation times this week while others, such as Germany and France, are considering doing so and Italy cut its quarantine for fully vaccinated people who come into contact with someone who has tested positive.

Continue reading...

‘Not if … but when’: Sinn Féin on path to power in Ireland

Posted on by

The party is riding high in polls and could complete a seismic shift in Irish politics in three years’ time

Just 30 years ago the IRA was bombing Downing Street, launching three mortar bombs at No 10 while John Major presided over a cabinet meeting.

In 2021, Sinn Féin, the political party associated with the IRA for much of the Troubles, has moved into pole position to lead the Irish government in what could be the biggest shake-up of the state’s politics since its foundation 100 years ago.

Continue reading...

Operator seeks changes to Irish lottery after no jackpot win since June

Posted on by

Controversy leads to parliamentary inquiry, calls for ‘must-be-won’ draw similar to UK’s – and Shergar jokes

It has been said that even the dead racehorse Shergar has a better chance of winning Ireland’s national lottery than a member of the public.

For six months the jackpot has yet to be won, prompting calls for an investigation, a reduction in the number of balls to increase the chances of a win and on Wednesday, a parliamentary inquiry.

Continue reading...

A look at the Irish: photography in Ireland from 1839 to now – in pictures

Posted on by

In Our Own Image: Photography in Ireland, 1839 to the Present is the first in a series of exhibitions forming the first comprehensive historical and critical survey of photography from across the island of Ireland. Coinciding with the centenary of the establishment of modern Ireland, In Our Own Image draws on material from from archives, private collections and contemporary commissions, charting how the medium has both reflected and shaped Irish cultural identity.

In Our Own Image: photography in Ireland, 1839 to the present curated by Gallery of Photography Ireland in partnership with Dublin Castle / OPW is at The Printworks, Dublin Castle until 6 February

Continue reading...

UK proposes US-style waivers for EU citizens crossing Irish border

Posted on by

Plans for foreign citizens to need pre-clearance to enter Northern Ireland denounced as ‘hardening of border’

EU citizens and other non-Irish or non-British nationals who cross the border from the republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland will have to get pre-clearance under new rules being proposed by the UK government.

They will require a US-style waiver known as an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to cross the border as part of the new post-Brexit immigration nationality and borders bill.

Continue reading...

Owners of crumbling Irish homes ‘disgusted’ by compensation plan

Posted on by

Campaigners say government leaves major shortfall for those affected by housing built with too much mica

Homeowners in Ireland living in houses built with defective blocks that “crumble like Weetabix” say a compensation scheme unveiled by the government will still leave them with devastating bills of up to €80,000 (£60,000).

A long-awaited redress scheme for the estimated 6,000 people living in homes that have to be demolished and rebuilt was unveiled by the government earlier this week. The government says the scheme will cost €2.2bn and means homeowners will bear no upfront costs.

Continue reading...

Google to pay £183m in back taxes to Irish government

Posted on by

Firm’s subsidiary in Ireland agrees to backdated settlement to be paid in addition to corporation tax for 2020

Google’s Irish subsidiary has agreed to pay €218m (£183m) in back taxes to the Irish government, according to company filings.

The US tech company, which had been accused of avoiding hundreds of millions in tax across Europe through loopholes known as the “double Irish, Dutch sandwich”, said it had “agreed to the resolution of certain tax matters relating to prior years”.

Continue reading...