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In 1922, the Vatican promulgated an instruction to do with what it called crimen solicitationis (the crime of solicitation within the confessional) and what it called the ‘‘worst crime’’ - the sexual abuse of children. The document was issued in Latin. No authoritative version was produced in English. The document was circulated only to bishops and under terms of strict secrecy. A new version of the guidelines was produced in 1962, but this, according to the Murphy Commission, was unknown within the Dublin diocese until some time in the 1990s. Desmond Connell, the former archbishop, told the commission he had...

Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has apparently issued an ultimatum to four bishops embroiled in the Irish Catholic Church child sex abuse scandal — to either quit or be fired by the Vatican.

“We were devastated as a family. We were destroyed,” says Séamus T. “We went to court expecting some compassion. The system is upside down and backwards. The judge was worried about the rapists staying in school, getting evaluated, getting counselling and transportation. Everything is lavished on them. Nobody knocked on my door and said, ‘I’ll show you through the system’.” Séamus T’s appeals to first lady Michelle Obama, Maryland governor Martin O’Malley and state attorney John McCarthy have gone unanswered. He was treated with kindness by the Irish Embassy, which promised to intervene if he felt he was not being...

An Irish company, Steorn, today began public demonstrations of an ‘over-unity’ device powered by rotating magnets. Developed over a six year period, the Orbo technology provides a new energy source to power electrical devices and cars. It is claimed to produce more energy than it consumes at a ratio of 3:1, which has led to considerable skepticism from the scientific community. In a Press Release, Steorn announced a six week period for public examination and evaluation in Dublin Ireland from December 15 to January 31, 2010. Plans exist to develop the Orbo technology for commercial production and distribution. If the...

THE IRISH Catholic Church faces major reorganisation following yesterday’s meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and senior church figures. Following his meeting in the Vatican with Ireland’s Catholic Primate Cardinal Seán Brady and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, a statement from Pope Benedict said “the Holy See takes very seriously the central issues raised by the [Murphy] report, including questions concerning the governance of local church leaders with ultimate responsibility for the pastoral care of children.” Pope Benedict would be issuing a pastoral letter “to the faithful of Ireland” in which he will “clearly indicate the initiatives that are to be...

The Government is to incorporate into law recommendations made by the Law Reform Commission (LRC) which would allow the use lethal force in defence of the home. In proposed legislation, which will publish tonight, the commission recommends that a person who kills an intruder should be acquitted of a charge of murder. This should be subject to certain conditions, it says. Speaking on RTÉ radio this afternoon, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said the Government had prepared a Bill on the matter in 2007 but shelved the legislation pending the publication of the report by the Law Reform Commission. Describing...

Dublin, Ireland, Dec 12, 2009 / 11:29 am (CNA).- Irish Catholics can expect "major reorganization" within the Church following the meeting between the Pope and Irish prelates on Friday regarding child sexual abuses by clergy in the Archdiocese of Dublin, according to an article published in the Irish Times. It is not yet known how far reaching these structural changes will be. Archbishop of Armagh Sean Cardinal Brady and Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin attended a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, papal nuncio to Ireland Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, and other leaders from Vatican dicasteries to voice concerns and discuss solutions...

A new dissent Republican group may be forming in Northern Ireland. The organization would include dissidents that have defected from the Continuity IRA and the Real IRA. The group will not have a name, with the deliberate aim of confusing members of the security forces.

The Saudi Arabian government will open an Islamic secondary school for hundreds of Muslim students and Christian converts in Dublin. These plans were revealed in Arabic on the website for the new Saudi embassy in Dublin. The Saudis intend to use the embassy to "further develop our political, trade and cultural relations with Ireland." The Saudi ambassador to Ireland, Abdulaziz Aldriss, said, "Many Saudi students have found Ireland as a friendly destination to improve their English language skills and pursue their second and third-level education." Ireland has a Muslim population of more than 40,000 people, but there are only about...

STRASBOURG, December 10, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pro-life advocates involved in the "A, B and C v. Ireland" case fear that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is preparing to issue "an activist" decision that could lead to the abolition of the pro-life amendment of Ireland's constitution. The ECHR heard arguments yesterday in the case that has been described as the "Roe v. Wade of Europe." Three women, two Irish nationals and one Lithuanian, who live in Ireland and obtained abortions in the UK, have complained to the Court that had they been allowed to have had abortions in...

The Saudi Arabian government has announced that it plans to open an Islamic school in Dublin. However, overseas Saudi high schools have come under heavy criticism in recent times. Schools in London, Bonn and the US have come under fire for providing text books that could be interpreted as advocating violence against other religions.

Dublin, Ireland – As the United States engages in a heated debate over gay marriage, European Union countries are rapidly striding toward total recognition of same-sex civil unions, if not marriage. The most recent example is Ireland.Last Thursday saw Ireland become the latest country to edge toward marriage equality for homosexual couples. The Irish parliament read and debated the Civil Partnership Bill 2009, introduced by Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern.Despite Ireland’s socially conservative image, opposition to the bill is virtually non-existent and will likely pass into law this month with widespread support from opposition parties Fine Gael and Labour as...

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg Strasbourg, France, Dec 9, 2009 / 02:18 am (CNA).- Ireland’s constitutional amendment protecting the unborn could be overturned in a “pivotal” case before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Some are calling the case “the Roe v. Wade of Europe.”Three women who sought abortions in Ireland sued under the European Convention on Human Rights to overturn the country’s legal protections for pre-born children. The three women, who obtained abortions in Britain, are trying to establish a “right” to abortion in Ireland in a case titled A, B, and C v....

Evangelical Alliance Ireland has controversially suggested that Christians should support a Bill that would extend the rights and privileges of marriage to homosexual couples who register their partnerships. The suggestion has drawn fire from other evangelical groups. The Irish Government’s Civil Partnership Bill would grant welfare and tax benefits on a par with marriage to homosexual and heterosexual cohabiting couples who enter a civil partnership. Evangelical Alliance Ireland’s General Director, Sean Mullan, claimed in a statement: “The Government is seeking to legislate for greater justice and fairness for co-habiting couples, both same-sex and opposite-sex couples. As Christians we should support...

Irish folk singer Liam Clancy, called the "best ballad singer I'd ever heard in my life" by singer Bob Dylan, is dead at the age of 74, his manager said.

One of Ireland's best-loved priests, Father Brian D'Arcy, has called for the resignation of clergy who knowingly covered up for child sex-abuse priests. "This is not just in the Diocese, this goes right to the top in Rome," he said.

The Irish Justice Minister today demanded a rematch after a blatant handball by French striker Thierry Henry beat Ireland and put France through to the World Cup Finals. Dermot Ahern lashed out at governing body Fifa after the Republic of Ireland were cruelly beaten by the controversial extra-time goal. Dubbed 'Le Hand', Barcelona star Henry confessed to using his arm to control the ball before squaring for teammate William Gallas to finish. The Irish Justice Minister today demanded a rematch after a blatant handball by French striker Thierry Henry beat Ireland and put France through to the World Cup Finals....

The giant deer, also known as the giant Irish deer or Irish elk, is one of the largest deer species that ever lived. Yet why this giant animal, which had massive antlers spanning 3.6m, suddenly went extinct some 10,600 years ago has remained a mystery. Now a study of its teeth is producing tantalising answers, suggesting the deer couldn't cope with climate change. As conditions became colder and drier in Ireland at the time, fewer plants grew, gradually starving the deer. The discovery is published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. The giant deer (Megaloceros giganteus) has become famous over...

SNIPPET: "An Irish jihadist living in Pakistan’s Swat valley says he is preparing to wage war against British and allied troops in Afghanistan. Khalid Kelly, a former altar boy from the Liberties area of Dublin who used to be known as Terry, told The Sunday Times he is undergoing weapons training in Pakistan’s mountainous tribal region in order to fight jihad against the enemies of Islam. His dream is to face a British soldier in combat, although he would “settle” for an American, he said. “I’m already on the path to jihad. I’ve already picked up a gun and done...

Men with an Emerald Isle brogue came top in a poll of 5,000 women worldwide, while the French accent only came fourth, just ahead of Australian.

Now THAT'S a doggie bag: How customs officers found a cheeky chihuahua in hand luggage By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Last updated at 12:48 PM on 24th October 2009 Customs officers sniffed out a pet chihuahua being smuggled into the country stuffed in a small bag. The tiny dog, hidden in a cage, arrived in Dublin Airport from a flight from Madrid with a Bulgarian man. It was found when his hand luggage was scanned through an X-ray machine and the image of the animal flashed up on screen. X-ray: The tiny dog, hidden in a cage, was revealed when the...

A section of Dublin's 900-year-old Viking city wall has been put on public view for the first time at the city council's civic offices on the Southside. When the Viking settlement site -- built in the 10th century AD near Christchurch Cathedral -- was first excavated over 30 years ago it caused huge controversy. The city wall at the time was earmarked for demolition and storage at another site but thousands of people demanded that the historically important area be preserved from a development that was designed to house the Dublin City civic offices. Measuring just under 20 metres in...

London (dpa) -- A woman has been injured in an apparent murder attempt when a bomb exploded under the car she was driving in the Northern Irish capital Belfast, police said Friday. No group made any immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but Northern Ireland has seen an upsurge in activity by dissident Catholic republicans who are opposed to the province's ten-year-old peace process. Northern Ireland witnessed 30 years of civil strife and violence between mainly Catholics opposed to British rule in the province and the majority protestant population, until a peace agreement was signed in 1998. Over 3,000...

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has held a series of meetings in Washington with leading Democrats and Republicans on the issue of US immigration reform. Senior Republican Senator John McCain said he was still committed to a comprehensive deal. He said he hoped Congress would address the issue early next year. Senator McCain also said he was particularly anxious to resolve the difficulties facing up to 50,000 undocumented Irish in the US.

THIRTEEN CARS and three buses wound their way to Farmleigh and another piece of history was made as the first US secretary of state to make a dedicated visit to Ireland emerged from an armoured 07 BMW. She came dressed in a royal blue “pantsuit”, feminised with a ruffle, a large silver necklace and black kitten heels, none of which detracted from that formidable gaze as she and the Taoiseach swapped diplomatic phrases under a lowering sky.

Irish children told to bring loo roll to school to save costs Children at an Irish primary school have been asked to bring their own lavatory roll in order to help save money. Published: 7:00AM BST 07 Oct 2009 Pupils at a St John's girls' national school were asked to bring their own supplies of toilet roll Photo: GETTY Pupils at a St John's girls' national school, in Carrigaline, in the southern county of Cork, were asked to bring their own supplies in one of the starkest examples yet of the death of Ireland's "Celtic Tiger" economy. Catherine O'Neill, the...

Lech Kaczynski, Poland’s president, has signed the Lisbon treaty, leaving the Czech Republic the only country yet to ratify the controversial European Union reform plan. Flanked by José Manuel Barroso, the head of the European commission, and the Polish president of the European parliament, Jerzy Buzek, Mr Kaczynski put his signature to the treaty in Warsaw. “The fact that the Irish people changed their minds meant the revival of the treaty, and there are no longer any obstacles to its ratification,” said Mr Kaczynski in a short speech, adding that it was a “historic” day for both Poland and the...

The facts outlined below will prove that the Lisbon Treaty Referendum of 2/10/09 is Null and Void under Irish and European law. I present two separate points that shall subsequently be proven: I. Numerous violations of Irish Referendum law and discrepancies that call into question the security and validity of the votes themselves, default the Irish vote to the result of the last Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. II. The Irish Government, alongside the European Commission ran a fraudulent and illegal campaign for the Lisbon Treaty Referendum. If everybody reading this downloaded the printable version and filed it with the...

n a contest watched closely in Europe but largely ignored in America, the Irish voted on Friday to approve the Lisbon Treaty. The European establishment is celebrating what is supposed to become a stronger European Union. But the fat (Czech) lady has yet to sing. Five years ago members of the EU advanced a continental constitution to create a consolidated government in Brussels, with a president and foreign minister, increased "competencies," or responsibilities, for the EU, and fewer national vetoes over other issues. But in 2005 the Dutch and French peoples voted no. After that democratic debacle, the Eurocratic elite...

Ireland voted strongly in favour of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty, overturning a stunning No vote and taking a key step towards ending the 27-nation bloc's deadlock, ministers said Saturday. Europe Minister Dick Roche told AFP he expected "overwhelming" backing for the treaty in a second referendum, called after a June 2008 No vote, while Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin predicted a "convincing win." The No camp conceded defeat even before official results were published, after informal exit polls pointed to a 60 per cent vote in favour of the treaty -- designed to streamline decision-making in the expanding European...

Bloodied by the recession, and struggling under 20 billion euros of public debt, Ireland has reversed its earlier rejection of the controversial treaty It was lashing with rain but that wasn't the full reason Paul Callaghan was finding it hard to muster up the enthusiasm to mark his X. "I'm here because I have a vote and, basically, I've been told what to do with it," he said gloomily as he stood outside one of Dublin's polling stations in O'Connell Street on Saturday afternoon. "Look at the state we are in now," he said. "A year ago I had a...

The 2,000 Irish employees of accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), while munching on their prawn sandwiches during a lazy lunchtime last week, received an email from senior management urging them to vote Yes in the upcoming Lisbon Treaty referendum, writes Hermann Kelly. While Ireland still has the benefit of the secret ballot it most certainly does not have the benefit of equal campaign funding for both sides. Incidentally, not all Yes campaigning companies are canvassing the same way. Microsoft Ireland managing director Paul Rellis said his company’s public Yes position on the treaty was well known, and "you don’t have to...

The Irish love their dogs, but aren’t a big fan of cats, according to a new study about pet ownership in Ireland. Research by University College Dublin (UCD) found that 36 percent of homes in Ireland have a dog, while just one in 10 homes own a cat. The dog-to-cat ratio is much more drastic than in most other countries. For instance, in the U.S., 37 percent of homes have dogs while 32 percent have cats, while in Britain, the split is even smaller with 22 percent dogs and 18 percent cats. But Ireland is unequivocally a nation of dog...

There will be no winner of the Irish referendum – not at the level that matters most. But there will be a loser: the European Union. What matters most for the future of the EU is that it create popular support for integration. It is failing to do so. The most striking thing about opinion across Europe today is the decline of idealism about integration and the resurgence of a kind of nationalism. Calling a second Irish referendum to achieve the “correct” decision has strengthened perceptions of the EU as managerial, even undemocratic. If the Irish vote Yes, there will...

The Mad Hatter told Alice that "words mean what you want them to mean." He would have been at home in the European Union, where "no" means "yes" and political propaganda is passed off as information. If Ireland votes No to the Lisbon Treaty, the EU will continue and Ireland will be part of it, but if they vote Yes the Irish will find they have even less leverage in Europe than today. In the course of the second referendum campaign in Ireland some extraordinary claims have been made about the economic consequences of voting No: it would frighten investors,...

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) - Plans to close Guantanamo are not sitting well with the Sept. 11 victims' relatives who sat stunned while two alleged terrorists declared they were proud of their role in the plot.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three detainees held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been sent to Ireland and Yemen, the Justice Department said on Saturday, the latest transfers as President Barack Obama tries to close the facility by January. Yemeni Alla Ali Bin Ali Ahmed was sent to his home country, while two other detainees were sent to Ireland, the U.S. government said, adding it would not identify the two at the request of the government of Ireland. There are still some 223 detainees at the prison. Some are expected to be transferred abroad while others could...

Audience gasps as Irish rock star tells Mary Coughlan she has great gamsControversial rock star Bob Geldof infuriated female delegates at the Global Irish Forum in Dublin Saturday when he told deputy Prime Minister Mary Coughlan that she had lovely legs. Coughlan visibly blushed when Geldof made his announcement and there was an audible gasp from members of the audience. Geldof "went way over the line," said one female delegate who asked not to be named. "That was a blatantly sexist remark about a woman who is doing a professional job at the very highest level." Another woman said she...

"EU funding 'Orwellian' artificial intelligence plan to monitor public for "abnormal behaviour" The European Union is spending millions of pounds developing "Orwellian" technologies designed to scour the internet and CCTV images for "abnormal behaviour"." SNIPPET: "A five-year research programme, called Project Indect, aims to develop computer programmes which act as "agents" to monitor and process information from web sites, discussion forums, file servers, peer-to-peer networks and even individual computers. Its main objectives include the "automatic detection of threats and abnormal behaviour or violence"." SNIPPET: "Project Indect, which received nearly £10 million in funding from the European Union, involves the Police...

A mother and son subjected to a horrifying ordeal when they feared terrorists would turn them into human bombs have been praised for their bravery. The south Down woman was driving a horse lorry through trouble-hit Lurgan when she was hijacked at gunpoint on Saturday night. The terrorists told her they had strapped explosives to the vehicle and ordered her to drive it to the Co Armagh town’s police station. The woman and her teenage son were making their way home from a showjumping event at Portmore Equestrian Centre when dissident republicans, rioting for the third night in a row,...

A mystery revolving around President Barack Obama’s Irish roots was solved when a tomb containing the remains of Obama’s Irish ancestor was discovered in the Irish medieval city of Kilkenny. After a painstaking search, film maker Gabriel Murray, who is in the process of making a documentary on Obama's Irish roots, finally found “Obama’s Lost Tomb” inside the 13th century St. Canice’s Cathedral.

YOU could have been reading a chapter of Dan Brown's best-selling novel The DaVinci Code. Two people painstakingly deciphering the Latin words on hundreds of tombs inside one of the oldest places of worship on these islands. Using a centuries-old map to identify a vault hidden under the floor of the 13th Century gothic building with tower attached, they solved a mystery that had surrounded the Irish ancestors of US president Barack Obama. It's the stuff of dreams, but it has become a reality in Kilkenny, Ireland's medieval city. And so it was to St Can-ice's Cathedral that Kil-kenny film...

Thousands of people have signed an online petition hosted by the British Government to remove the late Ted Kennedy's knighthood. The petition's creator Stephen Clements says he started the petition because he claims that Kennedy supported the IRA. "Ted Kennedy throughout the 70's and 80's actively supported groups whose sole purpose was to financially support IRA families," he said. "This support enabled the IRA to continue its muder (sic) campaign against UK citizens for a longer period than would otherwise have happened and contributed to the number of deaths on both sides. "It is highly unlikely that the US Government...

It says much about humanity’s basic urge to be ruled by dynasties that Teddy Kennedy came anywhere near being elected president in 1980. Whatever his other qualities, his behaviour at Chappaquiddick eleven years earlier, where he might have been able to save Mary Jo Kopechne’s life but instead chose to save his own career by waiting until his blood/alcohol level reached a legal level, would have ruled out anyone else from becoming local rat catcher, let alone leader of the greatest nation on earth.But after the murder of his brothers John and Bobby, Teddy became America’s atheling – until the...

Agribusiness Correspondent FARMERS have called on Justice Minister Dermot Ahern to rethink gun laws that have just been introduced. No new handgun licences will be issued under the legislation, with limited exceptions for Olympic shooting sports. A Garda superintendent can now inquire into the medical, including mental, health of an applicant. Those seeking licences will need to have character references and proof of having installed secure storage for their guns. IFA countryside chairman David Wilkinson said all gun owners are required to invest a huge amount of time satisfying complex and confusing red tape requirements. "This new system is a...

Note: The following text is a quote: August 21, 2009 Former IRA militant deported to Ireland Pol Brennan was convicted of transporting firearms and explosives for the Irish Republican Army HARLINGEN, Texas - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported a former Irish Republican Army (IRA) militant and convicted criminal to Ireland on Friday. Pol Brennan, 56, was deported following a series of criminal convictions in the United Kingdom and the United States. Brennan's case received full review and consideration by the immigration court system. On order of the Immigration Judge and the Board of Immigration Appeals, Brennan was detained...

The number of new cases of human swine flu in Ireland is increasing, with around 1,800 reported in the week to last Sunday. According to new figures from the Department of Health, 12 more patients have been hospitalised; a total of 62 people have received hospital treatment to date. Department officials said this evening that 19 people remain in hospital, including four in intensive care. Two people have died from the virus in the Republic. The HSE says that it expects to have a licensed vaccine around the end of September and that it will be given to the whole...

Call it the third green wave. It is a much smaller migration than its predecessors - the historic westward flow that gave Boston its Irish identity, and then, in recent years, the return home of thousands of Irish emigrants seeking to ride the Celtic Tiger, the roaring Irish economy. But now, with Ireland deep in recession, far deeper even than ours, thousands of its residents are again heading abroad; nearly twice as many people left Ireland in 2008 as four years earlier. And some of them are heading to the United States for the second time

To a certain type of New Yorker,every Dumpster is a potential treasure chest,right up there with thrift stores and stoop sales. But if the scavenger gods offer only a finite number of prizes, Julie Finch might have claimed one of them. Last month Ms. Finch stood on her toes to peer into the Dumpster outside her building on West 26th Street and found a blue wooden harp distinguished mainly by caked layers of grime and dust and a snarl of broken strings. “It was this old thing with wires going in all directions,” she said.“It didn’t look like anything anybody...

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern has signed new gun control legislation into law. The act bans handguns in Ireland and also introduces a requirement for referees, background medical checks and standards for the safe keeping of guns in the home for all firearms licence applicants. It also makes it an offence to brandish a realistic imitation firearm in public. Mr Ahern says the legislation is designed to halt the emergence of a gun culture in Ireland.