Rising star Saoirse Ronan is to play an Irish immigrant in 1950s America in an upcoming movie. The film is an adaption of the 2010 Colm Tóibín novel, Brooklyn which has been adapted by Nick Horby. Irish director John Crowley has been signed up to shoot the movie. In an interview with Bleeding Cool (via… Continue reading Saoirse Ronan to play Irish immigrant
Author: Michael Kehoe
English celebrate St Patrick more than St George
People in England are more likely to know the date of St Patrick’s Day and the US Independence Day than that of their own patron saint, St George. They’re also far more likely to take time off work to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. Thousands of people take part in St Patrick’s Day marches in England,… Continue reading English celebrate St Patrick more than St George
Irish prison officers bare all for charity
A group of Irish prison officers have sent female pulses racing by stripping off for a charity calendar. Eleven members of the Irish Prison Service were brave enough to bare all in order to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society. The calendar also features a couple of famous Irish sportsmen with Wicklow footballer Ciaran… Continue reading Irish prison officers bare all for charity
Should Ireland call time on Arthur’s Day?
Tomorrow is Arthur’s Day and while many people in Ireland and across the world are looking forward to marking it with a pint of Guinness, there are a growing number of dissenting voices hoping to call time on the celebrations. Some health campaigners say it encourages excessive drinking and puts huge strain on hospitals. Arthur’s… Continue reading Should Ireland call time on Arthur’s Day?
Irish Health Groups want increase in tobacco tax
Health groups in Ireland are calling on the Government to increase the tax on cigarettes at a higher rate than inflation to help cover the costs of smoking related illnesses. The Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) and the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) say that smoking related illnesses cost the country around €2bn per year. The tax… Continue reading Irish Health Groups want increase in tobacco tax
Ireland asks England to return precious manuscript
The Irish government are hoping to persuade Oxford University in England to return an ancient manuscript to their shores. The Annals of Inisfallen took 300 years to produce. They tell the history of Ireland from AD 433 to AD 1450. Monks at Inisfallen Abbey, Co Kerry, started writing the documents in the 1100s. The monks… Continue reading Ireland asks England to return precious manuscript
Newgrange – Ireland’s most important monument
The ancient site of Newgrange has been named as the most important historical monument in Ireland in a National Heritage survey. The underground chamber, which is part of the Brú na Bóinne site in Co Meath, received 12% of the vote. It finished ahead of areas with striking scenery such as Glendalough and the Cliffs… Continue reading Newgrange – Ireland’s most important monument
Two Walls and a Roof…..
John Michael Cahill was born in a tiny house in a narrow alleyway. Now he has written a book about his childhood called Two Walls and Roof. It’s a wonderful story of an Irish childhood … sometimes sad, sometimes funny but always fascinating. Here he tells how he came to write it. I have always… Continue reading Two Walls and a Roof…..
Obama’s ‘Irish homestead’ goes public
The home where US President Barack Obama’s Irish ancestors used to live has been opened to the public. The President visited the house in Moneygall, Co Offaly in May last year. His ancestors, Joseph and Phoebe Kearney and their son, Falmouth, had lived there in the 1850s before emigrating to The USA.
Copy of Proclamation of Irish Republic sold for €124,000
An original copy of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic has been sold at auction for €124,000. It is thought to be one of only 50 out of 2,500 original copies to still exist. The document is one of the most important in Irish political history.