Tag Archives: Ireland

The BBC reports: The Cranberries lead singer Dolores O’Riordan has died in London at the age of 46, her publicist says. The Irish musician, originally from Limerick, led the band to international success in the 90s with singles including Linger and Zombie. A statement from her publicist said: “The lead singer with the Irish band The Cranberries was in London …

Business Insider reports: Donald Trump’s golf resort in Ireland has received permission to build two seawalls to prevent water from eroding part of the course. Local authorities in Doonbeg, Ireland, gave Trump International Golf Links the go-ahead on Thursday to build the two long barriers along a nearby coast. One wall will be 2,000 feet long, while the other will …

Reuters reports: Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar attended a gay rights event on Saturday during his first official visit to Northern Ireland, upsetting some social conservatives in the only region of the United Kingdom where same-sex marriage is still illegal. Varadkar, who became Ireland’s first openly gay leader when he took office in June, joined activists preparing for Northern Ireland’s …

History!!! The Independent reports: Leo Varadkar is the new leader of Fine Gael and on course to become Ireland’s first gay Taoiseach. The Social Protection Minister got the support of 51 TDs, senators and MEP to get over the line despite losing the popular vote. Massive cheers greeted Mr Varadkar as he arrived at the count centre in the Mansion …

This didn’t get enough attention yesterday, mostly thanks to Sean Spicer’s daily meltdown. The Independent reports: Taoiseach Enda Kenny told Mr Trump that he holds the “future of America, and indeed the world, in your hands”. After handing over the traditional bowl of shamrock, he said the US President was taking up a job that “is exceptionally demanding and difficult”. …

The Irish Times reports: US First Lady Melania Trump is not due to appear alongside husband Donald Trump when he meets Taoiseach Enda Kenny at the St Patrick’s Day ceremony next week. Mr Kenny and his wife Fionnuala have previously appeared at the shamrock ceremony in the White House alongside former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama but …

Bloomberg reports: Apple Inc. was ordered to repay a record 13 billion euros ($14.5 billion) plus interest after the European Commission said Ireland illegally slashed the iPhone maker’s tax bill. The world’s richest company benefited from a “selective tax treatment” in Ireland that gave it a “significant advantage over other businesses,” the European Union regulator said Tuesday. It’s the largest …

ITV News reports: Church leaders have held crisis talks over fears that trainee Catholic priests in Ireland are using the gay dating app Grindr. Ireland’s Catholic Church hierarchy admitted concerns about an “unhealthy atmosphere” at the country’s main seminary. As a result Church leaders have ordered a review of the “appropriate use of the internet and social media” at a …

Irish Central reports: The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has announced that he will not send trainee priests from his own diocese, the largest in Ireland, to the national seminary at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. When asked about his decision to send three seminary students from Dublin to the Irish Pontifical College in Rome instead of Maynooth later this …

The Irish Post reports: A Catholic priest who raped a boy in the 1980s with a crucifix has been sentenced to two years in prison. Anthony Walsh, 63, who first gained notoriety in Britain and Ireland through his Elvis impersonations as part of Father Michael Cleary’s All Priests Show was found guilty of forcing the child to have sex twice. …

The Irish Journal reports: The UK’s decision to leave the EU means Sinn Féin will press for a border vote in the North. Both Northern Ireland and Scotland voted to remain in the EU, but the leave campaign was able to convince Wales and England to leave the union. “We have a situation where the north is going to be …

Clip recap: VIVA stars Héctor Medina as Jesus, a young hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub that showcases drag performers, who dreams of being a performer himself. Encouraged by his mentor, Mama (Luis Alberto García), Jesus finally gets his chance to take the stage. But when his estranged father Angel (Jorge Perugorría) abruptly reenters his life, his world is quickly …

Yesterday Queen Elizabeth issued her holiday message. Today we get a holiday message from Ireland’s monarch, Queen Panti Bliss, which was delivered via the national broadcaster, RTE.  The Independent reports: The Queen of Ireland, Panti Bliss, has delivered a rousing alternative Christmas Day Message to rival the Queen of England’s annual message. Panti’s ten minute speech called on the nation …

Irish civil rights goddess Panti Bliss has been ranked at #12 in Politico‘s annual list of the 28 most-influential Europeans. From their bio: The outspoken queen captured the public imagination in a country that didn’t decriminalize gay sex until 1993. O’Neill was surprised himself. He charts it up to the fact that drag queens, often considered “fun” and almost “cartoonish” in …

A few days ago Ireland made it illegal to fire teachers for being gay. As it turns out, that action was an attack against the Baby Jesus. Breitbart wails: Ireland has stripped away laws which protected the rights of people to freedom of religion when in conflict with gay rights. The move comes just weeks after the first Irish gay …

Big news for LGBT teachers in Ireland, where the Catholic Church runs most public schools. From the Irish Journal: The Dail has passed a Bill that will make it illegal for religious-run schools to discriminate against LGBT teachers over their sexuality. The Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 amends the provisions of Section 37(1) of the Employment Equality Act. It has …

Sinead O’Connor has been hospitalized under a suicide watch after posting a rambling Facebook message this afternoon in which she claimed to have overdosed because her husband and children have abandoned her. Irish news outlets have tweeted that O’Connor was found “safe and sound and is getting medical assistance.” O’Connor has apparently lost custody of her children, which appears to …

Entertainment Ireland reports: It was a night for the locals as U2 welcomed a few familiar faces on stage at 3Arena last night. During a performance of Mysterious Ways, the stage got 100% more fabulous when Panti Bliss strutted on stage and shook what God gave her. As the song finished up, Bono and Panti shared a few words on …

Ireland’s same-sex marriage law went into effect yesterday and weddings began this morning after the required 24-hour waiting period. The first couple to marry was Richard Dowling and Cormac Gollogly. RTE reports: The couple who have been together for 12 years got married in Clonmel, Co Tipperary this morning. Senior Registrar for south Tipperary Mary Claire Heffernan confirmed they were …

Ireland’s same-sex marriage law went into effect this morning and weddings will commence tomorrow after the required 24-hour wedding period. Via the Independent: More than 300 same-sex marriages are expected to take place in the first fortnight after the new Marriage Equality Act comes into force. Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald will today sign the commencement order, with the first same-sex …