Tag: Irish

  • Irish PM Leo Varadkar promises to leave office as soon as his successor is selected

    Irish PM Leo Varadkar promises to leave office as soon as his successor is selected

    Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar says he will quit as leader of the country once a new leader is picked.

    Varadkar said on Wednesday that he is stepping down right away as the leader of the Fine Gael party, which is part of the government in Ireland. He will be changed as the top leader of the country after a competition within his political party.

    He said he had personal and political reasons.

    Varadkar, who is 45 years old, has been the prime minister of Ireland twice. First from 2017 to 2020, and then again since December 2022.

    He was the youngest leader ever elected in the country and also the first openly gay prime minister of Ireland. Varadkar is the first biracial taoiseach of Ireland. His mother is Irish and his father is Indian.

    “I am happy that we have made the country a fairer and more modern place,” he said when he resigned in Dublin.

    This news story is still being updated. Come back later for more information.

  • Irish PM accepts loss in vote on women’s and family-related constitutional changes

    Irish PM accepts loss in vote on women’s and family-related constitutional changes

    The Irish Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, conceded on Saturday that he had been defeated when two proposed modifications to the constitution did not succeed.The changes were about how a family is defined and removing language about a woman’s role at home.

    Varadkar wanted to change the constitution to make it more fair for men and women. He also wanted to update it to reflect how families are today. He said that the voters gave the government a big surprise by voting against them twice.

    “He said that we made a mistake. ” The saying goes that many people want to take credit for success but no one wants to take the blame for failure. But I believe that when you lose by a lot, a lot of people made mistakes, including me.

    Critics said the changes to the laws were not clear enough, and people were unsure about the options, which could cause unexpected problems.

    The vote was seen as part of Ireland’s change from a strict, mostly Catholic country where divorce and abortion were against the law, to a more diverse and open-minded society. The number of people who are Catholic has gone down from 94. 9% in 1961 to 69% in 2022, according to the Central Statistics Office.

    The Irish Constitution, which was made in 1937, has been modified to reflect changes in society. The country was not officially called the Republic of Ireland until 1949. Irish people voted to allow divorce in 1995, to allow same-sex marriage in 2015, and to remove the ban on abortions in 2018.

    The first question was about a part of the constitution that promises to keep families safe and important in society. Voters were asked to change the constitution to say that families can be started through marriage or other strong relationships, instead of just through marriage. It would have been the 39th change to the constitution if it passed.

    A proposed 40th amendment would have taken out a mention that said women should stay at home because it is better for society than the state providing care. It also would have removed a statement that said mothers should not have to work if it means they can’t take care of their family at home. It would have said that the state will try to help family members take care of each other.

    Siobhan Mullally, who teaches law and leads the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the University of Galway, said it was disrespectful for Varadkar to plan the vote on International Women’s Day, assuming people would use the day to remove the language about women in the home. The care amendment wasn’t very easy.

    Voters want to get rid of the old idea that women should only stay at home. They also want new words that show the state helps with family care, even from people who aren’t family. Some people who support the rights of disabled people and fairness in society were against the rule because it was too strict in that area.

    Mullally said it was a big chance that was missed. “Many people want to get rid of sexist language from the constitution for sure. ” People have been asking for this for a long time, and it’s finally happening with a referendum. But they suggested using a very restricted and weak rule for taking care of it instead.

    Varadkar said that his team had not succeeded in convincing people that the vote was necessary, regardless of the problems with how the questions were asked. People who wanted the change and people who didn’t both said that the government didn’t explain why the change was needed or promote it strongly.

    Senator said that the government did not understand what the people wanted and presented ideas that they didn’t explain well and that could have bad effects. Michael McDowell, who is not part of any political party, disagreed with both plans and said this to the Irish TV channel RTE.

    Ivana Bacik, the leader of the Labour Party, said on RTE that she supported the measures, even though she had concerns about how they were written. She also said that the government did not do a very good job promoting the measures.

    The debate was not as intense as the arguments about abortion and gay marriage. Ireland’s major political parties all agreed to the changes, including the centrist government partners Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, as well as the largest opposition party, Sinn Fein.

    Aontu, a political group that broke away from Sinn Fein because they support legal abortion, asked people to vote against it. Aontu leader Peadar Toibin said that the government’s choice of words was unclear and will cause legal disputes. He also thinks that most people don’t understand what a durable relationship means.

    Surveys showed that many people were in favor of saying “yes” in both votes. But on Friday, many voters said they didn’t understand the issue well enough to change the constitution.

    Una Ui Dhuinn, a nurse in Dublin, said it was too hurried. “We didn’t have enough time to think about it and do some reading on it. I thought it would be safer to not make any changes.

    Caoimhe Doyle, a student getting a doctorate, said she voted yes to change the family definition, but no to the care amendment because “I don’t think it was explained very well. ”

    “She’s concerned that they’re making it so the state doesn’t have to take care of families anymore,” she said.

  • Irish government to fulfil its financial commitment to A5

    Irish government to fulfil its financial commitment to A5

    The Irish government is getting ready to fulfill its funding promise of £400m for the A5.

    The project is to make the road between Londonderry and Dublin better.

    An important Irish government official told the BBC that all the money will be given back after the cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

    The taoiseach was asked last week to give more money to the government, and people hoped he would.

    Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said in the Dáil that they will think about giving more money to finish the big upgrade, because the funding was cut a lot during the financial crash.

    In answer to a question from the Sinn Féin TD for Donegal, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Mr. Varadkar said the government would soon be able to “promise more money for the A5 road. ”

    “We didn’t fully cancel our promise, but we did cut it a lot because of the financial crisis here,” he said.

    “The situation has changed, and our country is now in a much better financial position. The Northern Ireland Executive is also operating again. ”

    “I talked to Minister O’Dowd about this when I visited Stormont last Monday. ”

    “We can make a new promise to give money to the A5 in the next week or two. ”

    The Irish government promised to give $400 million for a big road project, but later they said they would give less.

    The road is very dangerous on the island of Ireland. More than 50 people have died there since 2006.

    The project to improve the road by making it wider has not started yet, even though it was announced 16 years ago. There have been many delays.

    If done, the big update would be the biggest road ever made in Northern Ireland, with a cost of about £1. 6 billion

  • State funeral to be held for former Irish PM John Bruton

    State funeral to be held for former Irish PM John Bruton

    A big funeral to be held for former Irish prime minister John Bruton on Saturday.

    The 76-year-old Fine Gael politician passed away in the Mater Hospital in Dublin on Tuesday.

    Mr Bruton was the leader of Ireland from 1994 to 1997.

    He played an important role in helping Northern Ireland make peace. He worked with the Prime Minister of the UK at the time, John Major, to create a plan for peace in 1995.

    Mr Bruton’s body was taken to St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Church in Dunboyne, County Meath, on Friday.

    The funeral service will be at 11:00 on Saturday and then they will bury him in Rooske Cemetery, Dunboyne.

    Some important people who were at the event were EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness and a few government ministers.

    President Michael D Higgins and current Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will be at Saturday’s event with other important people.

    Mr Varadkar will give a speech at the graveside.

    About 180 members of the Defence Forces will be part of the service, and Mr. Bruton will be buried with special military recognition.

    Mr Bruton was born in Dublin on 18 May 1947. He was elected to the Irish Parliament to represent Meath in 1969.

    As the leader, he led a government made up of three different political parties but lost the 1997 election to another party.

    While he was the leader, he guided a vote that allowed divorce to be legal in Ireland.

    He was in charge of Fine Gael until 2001, and then he worked as the EU ambassador to the United States.

    People from all different political beliefs have shown respect and admiration for the former prime minister.

    Sir John Major said he was very sad to hear about Mr. Bruton’s death He said Mr. Bruton was a strong leader for Ireland and worked hard for peace.

    Leo Varadkar said that Mr. Bruton was someone who gets things done and thinks deeply. He also made a special effort to connect with the unionist community.

    Irish President Michael D Higgins said he was lucky to work with Mr Bruton who he said was a very hardworking leader and a dedicated politician.

    Book of condolence

    Mr. Bruton’s replacement as leader, Bertie Ahern, who was in charge of Ireland when the Good Friday Agreement happened, said that Mr. Bruton’s interest in Northern Ireland was always real.

    Stormont’s top leaders, Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly, expressed their sympathies to his family and friends.

    A book where people can write their condolences for Mr. Bruton has been opened in Dublin at the Department of the Taoiseach. There is also an online version of the book.

    Flags are being lowered halfway down the pole on all government buildings until after the funeral.

  • Irish weather alert still in effect despite delays

    Irish weather alert still in effect despite delays

    More than 200,000 homes and businesses in Ireland don’t have electricity after Storm Isha.

    Several roads in the country are closed because trees and power lines have fallen. This is causing problems for some people who are trying to travel after the storm.

    A warning for strong winds is still in place for six counties until 7:00 pm on Monday.

    ESB Networks reported that around 235,000 buildings have been impacted, with the worst problems in the northwest of the country.

    Technicians have been working since early morning to fix the power where it’s safe to do so.

    “We want to make sure our customers get their electricity back as soon as possible, while keeping them safe. This is our main focus,” someone said.

    “We thank you for being patient and understanding as we deal with the difficulties caused by Storm Isha. ”

    Strong winds with speeds of over 80mph (130km/h) were measured in County Donegal during the night.

    Valentia Island, which is far west in Ireland, had wind gusts of 71mph. Cork Airport had wind gusts of 66mph.

    Dublin Fire got a lot of calls on Sunday because of trees and poles falling down.

    “Improved image” for air travel.

    Storm Isha’s damage has caused more problems for people trying to travel.

    On Sunday, the company that operates Dublin Airport, DAA, said that 166 flights were cancelled because of strong winds.

    Graeme McQueen, who works for the company, said the last day has been really tough.

    But on Monday morning, the wind changed direction and it was a “much better picture,” he said on BBC NI’s The Nolan Show.

    “However, there is still some chaos – many airlines have their planes in the wrong places today because of yesterday’s situation. ”

    On Monday morning, 29 flights were canceled, but Mr. McQueen said he hoped there wouldn’t be many more.

    “He said we’ll have to wait and see what happens for the rest of the day. ”

    The storm damaged some Irish Rail services, causing disruptions.

    The train service between Dublin Connolly and Belfast is running late, and other trains have fewer seats available.

    Another warning for strong winds has been announced for the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday.

    It will start in seven counties in the northwest and west of the country from 12:00 until early on Wednesday morning.

    The rest of the country will have a yellow alert starting at 5:00 PM.

  • Dublin riot: More arrests as authorities review CCTV

    Dublin riot: More arrests as authorities review CCTV

    Irish politicians have been informed that additional arrests of those connected to the incident in Dublin on Thursday are expected as police continue to go through 6,000 hours of CCTV footage.

    After a knife attack outside a school injured three kids and a school care assistant, there was unrest.

    In the chaos, stores were plundered and cars were set on fire.

    The most riot police in Irish history, according to Justice Minister Helen McEntee, were sent in to quell the rioting.

    She reportedly informed her fellow ministers on Friday night that Irish police were watching hours of CCTV and would undoubtedly make further arrests.

    She had earlier defended the actions of the police following remarks made by Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, who expressed her lack of trust in Ms. McEntee and Irish police chief Drew Harris.

    Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, or Taoiseach, stated at a speech on Friday that the disturbance involved roughly 500 individuals.

    Claiming to have “brought shame” upon Ireland, he pledged to enact new laws in a matter of weeks to hold those responsible accountable.

    A “lunatic, hooligan faction driven by a far-right ideology” was the cause of the unrest, according to Mr. Harris.

    34 people were taken into custody by police after businesses were robbed and cars were set on fire. A large number of those detained are scheduled to appear in court on Friday to face charges including possession of stolen goods and carrying firearms.

    On Friday night, there was a noticeable police presence in Dublin’s city centre. Following many altercations, cops made several arrests on O’Connell Street.

    The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has sent two water cannon to the Irish police, in case there are any more protests.

    What transpired during the stabbings in Dublin?

    Attackers targeted a five-year-old child and a school employee who “used her body as a shield” on Thursday after 13:40 local time. The young girl’s status at the hospital is still critical.

    In the heart of the city, outside Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire, the children’s school, was the scene of the attack.

    It is believed that a man stabbed a bunch of young children who were lining up.

    The attacker was fought off by a number of bystanders, one of which being a Brazilian food delivery man who used his bike helmet as a weapon.

    Police have identified a man in his late 40s who was also critically hurt as a subject of interest. They declared that, in regards to the attack, they are not searching for anybody else.

    The school released a statement in which it expressed its “deep shock and sadness” at the event and said that its thoughts were with the injured students and creche provider.

    What was the course of the Dublin riot?

    Shortly after the knife attack, rioters set fire to eleven police cars, severely damaging thirteen stores, and looting additional ones during their altercations with riot police.

    Over three hours of nonstop violence resulted in the destruction of three buses, a tram, and multiple injuries to police personnel.

    According to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, “hateful assumptions” based on material that went viral online following the stabbings caused the “extraordinary outbreak of violence”.

    It is acknowledged that erroneous allegations that the assailant was a foreign national were included in that.

    The guy accused of carrying out the attack is an Irish citizen who has been residing in the nation for 20 years, according to sources who spoke with the media.

    The garda commissioner declared, “These are scenes that we have not seen in decades.”

    The violence on Thursday night, according to Irish President Michael D. Higgins, “deserves condemnation by all those who believe in the rule of law and democracy”.

  • Irish playwright to stage adaptation of The Hunger Games in London

    Irish playwright to stage adaptation of The Hunger Games in London

    The Hunger Games is a really popular book series and movie franchise. Now, a playwright from Ireland has been selected to turn the story into a play. He feels honored and motivated to work on it.

    Conor McPherson will be introducing the first part of Suzanne Collins’ science fiction series on stage in London for the first time next year.

    In a future where everything is really bad, the story is about Katniss Everdeen fighting to stay alive in a very dangerous competition.

    The book inspired a very successful series of movies, with Jennifer Lawrence as the main actress.

    The Hunger Games movies were about the people of Panem who were being treated badly. These movies made almost $3 billion (£2. 5 billion) all over the world.
    The show in London will be the first time ever that Collins’ work is being performed on stage.

    Her trilogy, which takes place in a future America after a catastrophic event, is believed to have been influenced by Greek mythology and reality TV, as well as Collins’ own childhood as the daughter of a Vietnam War veteran who served in the air force.

    Before the adaptation, Collins expressed her excitement to work with McPherson and the show director Matthew Dunster. They aim to bring a fresh and creative interpretation to the West End.

    Matthew Dunster, who used to work at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre, said the adaptation could be the most thrilling job he has ever had.

    Adding Conor McPherson, one of our best playwrights, and seeing him show great respect for the character Katniss Everdeen has been a wonderful honor.
    Conor McPherson, who was born in Dublin, has been nominated for the Tony award five times and The New York Times has called him the best playwright of his time.

    He is famous for creating plays like Girl from the North Country, The Seafarer, and The Weir, and also for making films such as Saltwater, The Eclipse, and Artemis Fowl.

    He said that it is both humbling and inspiring to get Suzanne Collins’ approval to make a stage adaptation of The Hunger Games.

    She made a timeless tale that still has a strong impact today. The Hunger Games shows important values like strength, independence, and seeking the truth, which are especially important for young people in a world where it’s hard to know what to believe.

  • Irish woman fired over post regarding ‘terrorist state’ of Israel

    Irish woman fired over post regarding ‘terrorist state’ of Israel

    The Prime Minister of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, said that if a woman was fired for a post on social media about the Israel-Gaza war because of her political beliefs, he would suggest that she consult a lawyer for advice.

    Courtney Carey lost her job at an Israeli technology company called Wix. Wix has around 500 employees in its office in Dublin. Courtney got fired because she called Israel a “terrorist state” on social media.

    She later expressed that she disapproves of any type of violence, no matter who does it.

    The president of Wix, Nir Zohar, said that their company is open-minded and tolerant, and they will never try to restrict anyone’s political opinions.

    But, he said that the employee was told not to post anything offensive again after recently posting something similar, and the company later decided to let go of Ms.

    The problem was discussed in the Dáil (Irish parliament’s lower house) on Tuesday. Varadkar said that he didn’t know the specifics of the situation, but he advised Ms. Carey to get advice because it’s against Irish employment law to fire someone because of their political beliefs.

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    “I think that is not right and I would suggest that the woman should get advice from the WRC, a trade union or a solicitor. It might be considered as unfair firing and there are ways to fix it,” he said.

    The Irish Times said that Wix made a chat group for employees to talk about supporting Israel’s story on their messaging app, Slack.

    The text says that the employees were encouraged to participate in a company project to make videos and campaigns that would change how people around the world think about the Israel-Gaza war.
    Mick Barry TD brought up Ms. Carey’s firing in the Irish Parliament and asked the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to comment on the situation.

    This could scare many workers in our country who want to speak against a very cruel war. “It also sets a bad example where workers can lose their jobs for sharing their political opinions,” he said.

    Richard Boyd Barrett, a member of People Before Profit, found the case very disturbing when he talked about it in the Dáil.

    In other places, the deputy prime minister Micheál Martin has said it’s not okay for someone to lose their job just because they have their own opinions.

    “We are in a democracy where we can freely discuss and express our thoughts. Everyone has the right to express their opinions, and there are different opinions on these matters,” he said to the reporters on Tuesday.

    “People unknowingly being prejudiced against Israel”

    The conversation is happening at a time when Ireland and Israel are having difficulties in their diplomatic relationship.

    Last week, Irish President Michael D Higgins talked to reporters in Italy and said that Israel broke international law when they retaliated against attacks and kidnappings by the Palestinian group Hamas.

    Israel’s ambassador to Ireland, Dana Erlich, was criticized for calling Mr Higgins misinformed in a way that was not helpful.

    Ms Erlich also expressed doubts about Ireland’s neutrality on the war. In an interview with the Sunday Independent, she mentioned that there is a strong belief in Israel that Ireland has an unconscious preference for other sides and is unfavorable towards Israel.

    In another place, a high-ranking diplomat from Israel claimed that the Republic of Ireland supported Hamas financially. However, this statement was later removed from social media.

    Adi Ophir Moaz, who works for the Israeli embassy in Dublin, said on X (previously known as Twitter) that Ireland provided money for the underground passages used for harmful purposes in Gaza.

    A representative from the Israeli embassy explained that they deleted the post because it did not reflect the views of Israel or the embassy, and because the wording was incorrect.

  • Irish lady discovered dead in New York after being shot

    Irish lady discovered dead in New York after being shot

    A 39-year-old woman from Ireland was shot and killed at a house in New York.

    Denise Morgan, who came from Tullyallen in County Louth, was found dead on Saturday morning.

    The New York Police Department (NYPD) reported that a man and a woman were discovered with gunshot injuries to their heads in the borough of Queens in New York City.

    A person who speaks for the police said that officers were called at 02:44 in the morning on Saturday, or 07:44 in the morning in another time zone.

    The man and woman were declared dead at the location.

    The police found a gun near the dead man, who they said was named Joed Taveras and was 33 years old.
    Ms Morgan’s relatives expressed their sadness and grief by sharing messages about her on the internet. They mentioned that they were feeling very devastated.

    People also prayed for her during a church service at the Church of the Assumption in Tullyallen.

    The local priest, Father Seán Dooley, said prayers to bring comfort to the family and friends of Ms. Morgan during this very difficult and painful period they are experiencing.

    The government department in Ireland that deals with foreign affairs knows about the situation and is helping the person involved.

  • Irish government grants Donegal fishing industry €12 million

    Two boats that fish in Killybegs to receive more than €12m (£10. 4m) in grants from the Irish government. This money is part of a larger €50m (£43. 3m) investment in the port.

    The port in west Donegal is a very important place for fishing in Ireland.

    The fishing industry in Ireland was greatly impacted by the Brexit agreement between the EU and the UK.

    The government has created a fund with support from the EU to lessen some of the effects.

    Gallagher Bros and Killybegs Seafoods, who sell fish, have received the most money from the program – a total of €12. 1m (£105m) They are using a total of €31m (£26. 8m)

    Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the seafood development agency, explained that they are investing in Killybegs to make it a better place for fishing boats to bring their catch. This will help prevent the fish from being taken to other countries like the UK, mainland Europe, Norway, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.

    David Gallagher, who is a director at Gallagher Bros, stated that the funds will be used to buy new equipment so that we can automate our processing tasks and also enhance our energy efficiency.

    “He said that we were going to upgrade our plans before Brexit happened, but then everything stopped. ”

    The Brexit Process Capital Support Scheme grant from BIM gave us the boost we needed to be more bold.

    “We feel really happy and enthusiastic about what lies ahead. “

  • Growth in Irish economy ‘slows after Covid-19 pandemic’

    The Irish economy is not growing as fast as it was before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a respected organization that studies economic issues.

    The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has changed its prediction for how much the economy will grow this year. They originally thought it would grow by 3. 5%, but now they think it will only grow by 1. 8%

    It means that the economy is not doing well because of inflation, higher interest rates, and less people wanting to buy certain exports.

    But the ESRI said that the economy is still running at full capacity.

    It means that there won’t be many people without jobs for a long time.

    The ESRI said that despite the usual activity happening within the country and the decrease in international trade, the Irish economy is currently working to its full potential.

    Specifically, when talking about industries that require a lot of workers, such as construction, it stated.
    The prediction is made before the Irish government’s budget, which will be announced next week on 10 October.

    The budget will have €5. 2bn (£44bn) more money for important things and also some extra money to help with energy costs.

    Irish Finance Minister Michael McGrath said that there are four main areas that are most important in the budget: the cost of living, housing, competitiveness, and long-term financial planning.

    Ireland will have extra money in its budget in the future because it will receive a lot of additional tax money from big international businesses.

    Even though the economy is doing well, the group in charge is having a hard time winning support from the public. This is because housing prices are high and public services are stretched thin, causing many people to feel like they are not benefiting from the country’s success.

    The job market is doing really well and unemployment has stayed around 4% for the past year. This means that the economy is almost completely providing jobs for everyone who wants one.

    The amount of things produced in Ireland is calculated using something called Modified Domestic Demand (MDD).

    MDD is a measure that removes the effects of multinational companies from the calculation of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    Normally, GDP says the Irish economy is growing more than it actually is, but the ESRI said that’s not true right now.

    “At this moment, we think that modified domestic demand, which is a better measure of activity within our country, is increasing by 1. 8% in 2023 However, we expect GDP to decrease by 1. 6%”


  • Four men appear in court after narcotics seizure in Cork

    Four more men have showed up in court charged in association to final week’s cocaine seizure off the Irish coast.

    Seven individuals have presently been charged in association to the greatest drugs seizure within the history of the Irish state.

    The four men showed up at Mallow Area Court in Plug.

    All four are charged with contriving together to have cocaine for the reason of providing the medicate, at a time when their advertise esteem was more than €13,000 (£11,284).

    The men, 48-year-old Cumali Ozgen, from the Netherlands, 37-year-old Saeid Hassani, from Iran, and 30-year-old Mykhailo Gavryk and 31-year-old Vitaliy Vlasoi, both from Ukraine were blocked from applying for safeguard since of the nature of the charges they confront.

    The judge remanded all of them in care for a week.

    They are due to seem in court in Mallow following week.

  • Two guys accused after cocaine find off coast of Cork

    The drugs, which Gardaí (Irish police) said had an estimated street value of €150 million, were seized from a bulk carrier off the coast of County Cork on Wednesday.

    In court were Jamie Harbron, 31 years old, of South Avenue, Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, England and Vitaliy Lapa, 60 years old, of no fixed residence but originally from Ukraine.

    Both men appeared at a special hearing at Waterford District Court on Friday night.

    Gardaí said the arrest was the largest in the history of the Irish state.

    Both men were charged with conspiracy to import drugs. Neither responded when charged. They have been remanded in custody and will appear before Wexford District Court on Monday, via video link.

    Two men have been arrested after being taken to safety from a fishing vessel off the Wexford coast after the vessel ran aground on a sandbar on Sunday evening.

    They appeared in court following a major ongoing investigation into illegal drug trafficking, which this week focused on the activities of the cargo ship MV Matthew.

    The Panama-registered bulk carrier, which left South America last month, was intercepted and escorted to Cork port on Tuesday by a joint Irish task force, comprising gardai, navy, military forestry, tax and customs officers. It is suspected that the ship intended to join the fishing trawler stranded off the Wexford coast.

    Five other men also arrested in the operation remain in custody

  • Largest Irish narcotics haul ever discovered following ship raid

    Irish police have said that the recent discovery of over two tonnes of cocaine off the coast of Ireland is the biggest drugs capture in the country’s history.

    Officials found 2,253kg of drugs after they took control of a ship called MV Matthew, which is registered in Panama, and kept it to investigate on Tuesday.

    Officials said the cocaine was worth around €157m (£136m) when sold on the streets.

    Garda Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly said that a dangerous South American cartel group provided the drug.
    The top soldiers from the Army Ranger Wing attacked the boat with help from the Navy, Air Force, Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, and customs officers.

    Mr Kelly said it was a very important and widespread operation involving several countries, including the United States, UK, France, and Portugal, working together to fight drug trafficking.

    He said the drugs were going to Ireland and other parts of Europe.

    Three older men, aged 60, 50, and 31, were taken into custody as part of the operation.

    The boat had around 25 people working on it and the police said that more people might be arrested and they will continue searching.
    A big group of different agencies worked together after they received a warning that a fishing boat got stuck on the east coast on Sunday night.

    The boat asked for help, so different groups like the Irish Naval Service, police, a lifeboat crew, and a Coast Guard helicopter came to assist.

    Two men were rescued and brought to safety from the sinking ship.

    It is stuck on a sandy area near the coast of Rosslare in County Wexford, which is in the south of Ireland.

    Irish TV station RTÉ shared that a rescue mission turned into a big security operation.

    The Irish Defence Forces asked for help and sent a ship, two helicopters, and two planes.

    The Irish authorities had been following MV Matthew for a few days.

  • Irish university to grant degrees in persuasion

    Irish university to grant degrees in persuasion

    A college in the southeast of Ireland will be the first in the country to provide a degree in social-media influencing.

    The Bachelor of Arts in Content Creation and Social Media program at Southeast Technical University in Carlow will start accepting applications in November.

    It will start accepting its first group of students in September 2024.

    During the four-year course, you will learn about business skills, editing videos and audio, studying different cultures critically, and writing creatively.

    Dr Eleanor O’Leary, who teaches media and communications at the university, said more people are becoming interested in this field. This includes both students who may want to study it and employers who may want to hire people with expertise in this area.

    Dr O’Leary stated that after completing the course, students will be prepared to either work independently as an influencer or create content for a company or organization.

    According to Dr O’Leary, the sector has grown twice as much since 2019 and is estimated to be worth around €14bn-€16bn (£12bn-£14bn) worldwide.

    “She said it’s a field that requires certain abilities. ”

    “It uses skills related to media, PR, and marketing that already exist. However, it is also a new field by itself. ”
    Dr O’Leary explained that although some people accidentally become influencers, the course will teach students how to keep an audience and collaborate with businesses to make money.

    “She mentioned that individuals who create content alone or at home may not be familiar with the contract, agency, and business aspect of the industry. ”

  • British and Irish citizens unwell after eating Bordeaux sardines in France

    British and Irish citizens unwell after eating Bordeaux sardines in France

    Some British and Irish people have gotten sick from eating sardines in a French restaurant and are now in the hospital.

    A 32-year-old woman has passed away and a few other people are getting medical care because of a rare illness caused by contaminated food in Bordeaux.

    The government health group in France, called Santé publique France, said the person who owns a wine bar in France had stored homemade sardines.

    The Irish Embassy in Paris is telling people who ate at the restaurant and feel sick to see a doctor right away.

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    The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) was told that a few British people went to a bar called Tchin Tchin Wine Bar in Bordeaux from September 4th to September 10th.

    People who the French authorities have found and who have come back to the UK are getting medical help.

    The statement says that there might be more people in the UK who ate at the Bordeaux restaurant, but the French authorities cannot find them.

    Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) said they knew about a few Irish people who were affected and getting treated in France.

    Both health organizations advise anyone who went to the restaurant from September 4th to 10th and currently feels sick to go and see a doctor right away.

    According to the NHS, botulism is a serious and rare condition that can be life-threatening. It is caused by toxins made by bacteria. These toxins usually develop when food is not preserved correctly.

    These harmful substances can damage the nervous system and lead to paralysis. This can then move to the muscles that help us breathe.

    It takes some time for this illness to show symptoms, which can be as short as a few hours or as long as a few days. If it’s not treated correctly, it can cause death in 5 to 10% of cases.
    People who really like something a lot and live in the same place

    Bordeaux is hosting some Rugby World Cup games. There are many Irish fans in the city for the team’s match against Romania on 9 September.

    A doctor at Pellegrin hospital in France said that they are treating people from Ireland, America, and Canada.

    Benjamin Clouzeau said that a person from Germany and a person from Barcelona had gone back to their homes to get treatment for the sickness.

    Five out of the 12 patients who were getting treated needed help with their breathing as of Wednesday morning.


  • Ireland’s finance minister announces tax “giveaways” in budget

    One of the greatest giveaway budgets in Irish history has been unveiled by the finance minister of the nation.

    Ireland’s significant budget surplus, according to Paschal Donohoe, put him in a position to do so when he addressed the Dáil (Irish parliament).

    Most of that comes from a huge increased tax-take from corporations, particularly a small number of American tech companies.

    Some of that income is to go towards a “rainy day” national reserve fund.

    Mr Donohoe announced an income tax package to the value of more than €1.1bn (£963m).

    Unlike the UK, Ireland is not borrowing to fund tax cuts.

    Euros
    IMAGE SOURCE,PA MEDIA Image caption, People will now start paying the higher 40% rate of tax on income over €40,000

    The minister said his budget was focused on helping families and businesses facing the cost-of-living crisis arising from the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

    “As one of the most open economies in the world, we benefit when things are going well internationally, but when they reverse, we are also one of the most exposed,” he said.

    Mr Donohoe also said that headline inflation in Ireland is now running at “highs not seen in many decades”, adding that the Department of Finance has updated its forecasts to headline inflation of 8.5% for 2022, and just over 7% for 2023.

    People will now start paying the higher 40% rate of tax on income over €40,000 (£35,731).

    Tax credits will be given to homeowners for fuel, and tax on petrol and diesel at the pump will remain unchanged.

    Other announcements include:

    • Electricity credits for all households totaling €600 (£536) will be paid in three installments of €200 (£179)
    • An additional payment of €500 (£447) to those in receipt of the Working Family Payment will be paid in November
    • There will be €12 (£11) a week increase for those in receipt of social welfare
    • A packet of 20 cigarettes will go up by 50 cents (45p)
    • VAT on newspapers will be reduced from 9% to 0%

    Mr Donohoe said there were many risks to the country’s finances but he concluded: “We can and should be confident about our future.”