Free Republic

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is seeking to reset relations at home and abroad. During a visit Sunday to Edinburgh, that he billed as an “immediate reset” with the regional governments of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, Starmer said he would also seek to improve the U.K.'s “botched” trade deal with the European Union. “I do think that we can get a much better deal than the botched deal that (former Prime Minister) Boris Johnson saddled the U.K. with,” he said in reference to the pact negotiated after Brexit. […] Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said Sunday on Sky News that...

A Neolithic passage tomb in the Boyne Valley, County Meath in Ireland was discovered in 1699AD and became a tourist attraction long before it was excavated and restored from 1962AD to 1975AD by the late Professor Michael J. O'Kelly, Professor of Archaeology at University College Cork... According to ancient.eu, Newgrange was built long before Stonehenge, the Mycenaean culture of ancient Greece and the pyramids in Giza. The construction took place about 3200BC and is part of one of the most important megalithic complexes in Europe. Two other ancient structures are also present, Knowth and Dowth as well as thirty seven...

While investigating an illegal immigrant encampment in Ireland, journalist Andy Ngo was told to "go back to China." He's not Chinese.According to The Post Millennial, where Ngo is a senior editor, the incident occurred in ultra-liberal Dublin's city center on June 19. The individual who hurled the racist remark at Ngo was an illegal immigrant living in one of the 100 tents lining the Grand Canal. The encampment sprung up along the waterway reportedly consists of all adult male foreign nationals, mainly from the Middle East and Africa.As Ngo was reporting on the European nation's border crisis, the newly arrived...

The Government is to use charter flights to deport groups of people no longer permitted to remain in the State. On Monday, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the launch of a procurement process for the flights would ultimately give gardaí (police) more options in executing deportations. “The capacity of deportation and return processes are essential elements of any immigration system,” she said. […] The move comes at a time of mounting pressure on Government to deal with the issue of immigration, alongside an inability to provide sufficient accommodation. …

Following the joint press conference in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday, where the governments of Spain, Ireland, and Norway recognized a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital, Christians in Ireland and Norway criticized their respective governments' decisions. Christian leaders in Ireland and Norway, affiliated with the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), issued statements on Tuesday rejecting their governments' unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. They denounced the recognition as a grave mistake and a "reward for terrorism," arguing that the move would not contribute to peace in the region. “Christian supporters of Israel in Ireland sense...

In the lead up to the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) operation to destroy Hamas and secure the release of over 100 hostages – including 8 Americas – believed to be in and around Rafah, leaders around the world from Joe Biden to the collective leftist leaders of the European Union to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi panicked and ordered Israel to forestall its necessary means to end the war.Why did world leaders clamor for Israel to do nothing?What are they hiding?It turns out they are hiding a lot.Over one million Gazans were said to be sheltering in humanitarian safe areas...

Just over 1,000 new electric cars were sold here in May, down over 39% on the same month last year. This is the fourth month in a row that new EV sales have dropped. New figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that just over 10,000 new EVs have been registered across the country so far this year, down almost 22% on the same period in 2023. Petrol cars continue to lead the new car market, with a share of over 33%, followed by diesel at 23%, hybrid (petrol electric) at around 20%, electric at just...

The sale of tobacco products from self-service cigarette and vape vending machines is to be banned next year under measures being introduced by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly. The machines are often found in bars and nightclubs. […] … Donnelly said the ban was a continuation of Government policy to “de-normalize” the sale of tobacco products. “On ‘World No Tobacco Day’, I am bringing into operation further elements of our overall tobacco control strategy,” he said. […] The Department of Health said the ban was a recommendation of Tobacco Free Ireland and is in line with the Program for Government...

After the announcement last week that Spain, Norway and Ireland would recognize the state of Palestine, a visibly-delighted Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations came to talk to the press. “We need somebody to take pictures,” Riyad Mansour said, ushering the Irish, Spanish and Norwegian envoys into an impromptu photoshoot just outside the UN Security Council. “A glorious day today,” Mr. Mansour declared as the four ambassadors stood shoulder-to-shoulder. […] All this, the supporters of Palestinian statehood hope, is gathering momentum towards the implementation of a two-state solution. That is not how Israel, nor its closest ally, the US, see...

Irish Ambassador to Israel Sonya McGuinness was summoned to the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry in Jerusalem today and reprimanded over Ireland’s decision to recognize the State of Palestine. The ambassadors of Spain and Norway attended the same meeting for the same reason. Before any discussions, they were shown a previously unaired video of Hamas taking female army conscripts captive on 7 October last year. It is understood the Irish Government was disappointed at this, on the basis that it fell below the established procedures and practices regarding diplomatic engagement. What is believed to have been a “forthright exchange of views”...

I’m allowed to say the following because I’m Irish. We get to say it about each other. Except this time, the N-word is “Nazi.”Ireland, Norway, and Spain are now recognizing a country that does not exist and never has.Ireland Recognizes Palestine As Independent StateSo: Hamas butchers and rapes a bunch of innocent people, diligently documents it all on livestream video, and now the world is supposed to hand them a state? Please take that idea and stuff it up your bottom with a broom handle till your tonsils ache.It’s official: Antisemitism is mainstream, and nobody cares because none of these...

The Israeli foreign ministry has posted a video message directed at Ireland, which claims that if the Irish Government recognizes the State of Palestine, it will be encouraging terrorism. The headline states: “Recognizing a Palestinian state will lead to more terrorism, instability in the region and jeopardize any prospects for peace. Don’t be a pawn in the hands of Hamas.” In the 35-second video, the script declares: “Ireland: The possibility of recognizing a Palestinian state risks turning you into a pawn of Iran and Hamas.” It continues: “Such a move will only strengthen Hamas and weaken an already dysfunctional Palestinian...

A British museum will remove the bones of a true-life giant in an effort to honor the deceased’s final wishes, but trustees want to retain the remains in the interest of “bona fide research.” “John Hunter and other anatomists and surgeons of the 18th and 19th centuries acquired many specimens in ways we would not consider ethical today and which are rightly subject to review and discussion,” trustees of the Hunterian Museum wrote in a statement. Irishman Charles Byrne reached a staggering height of 7-foot-7, earning the nickname of the “Irish Giant.” Upon his death in June 1783 at the...

FLATIRON, Manhattan (WABC) -- A new art installation in New York City that transports viewers more than 3,000 miles away to Dublin will temporarily shut down Tuesday to address some bad behavior. The installation, called the Portal, features two identical sculptures with a visual live stream connecting the two cities. It was unveiled last Wednesday next to the famed Flatiron Building.

The economy is experiencing a golden moment thanks to exports and tourism after cleaning up its accounts. But the country has paid a price in migration of qualified workers and reduction of public services. Ten years after the departure of the “men in black” — the international managers of the European Commission, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank who cleaned up Portugal’s accounts with a machete, the country has emerged as the most diligent student in southern Europe. In 2023, for the first time, public debt fell below 100% of GDP (it stood at 98.7%) and there was a...

Ireland, Spain and a number of other EU member states are considering 21 May as the date on which they will jointly recognize the State of Palestine, RTÉ News understands. Two sources have said that 21 May is being looked at. A third source said contacts between Dublin and Madrid, as well as between Slovenia and Malta, have been intensifying with a view to the countries jointly recognizing Palestinian statehood. […] Currently, eight EU member states recognize the State of Palestine, the most recent being Sweden in 2014. Ireland has been in ongoing discussions with “like-minded” states for a number...

The Irish state is now at war with its own people as clashes grow between police and Irish citizens who are protesting against unchecked migrants being forced into their communities.

The rate of carbon tax will increase today with consumers of carbon fuels set to pay more for such products. Carbon tax is applied per tonne (1.1 ton) of carbon dioxide emitted by carbon fuels, and from today it increases by €7.50 ($8), bringing the rate to €56 ($59.71) per tonne. From today, natural gas customers will also pay just over 1c (1.1¢) extra per kilowatt hour, adding just under €17 ($18.22) to annual bills. It will bring the total carbon tax that customers pay in a year to around €122 ($130), based on average consumption of 11,000 kilowatt hours...

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is an “obstacle” in a two-state solution between Israel and Gaza and said he should resign. In an interview with RTÉ’s Six One News during a visit to Ireland, Pelosi spoke about the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Netanyahu’s deadly counteroffensive that has left more than 34,000 Palestinians dead, according to local health officials. “We recognize Israel’s right to protect itself. We reject the policy and the practice of Netanyahu,” she said. “Terrible. What could be worse than what he has done in response?” “He should...

Irish folklore has many mythical characters such as the banshees or Tir na nOg, but according to one man Leprechauns are 100 per cent real. Kevin Woods, recognised as Ireland’s one and only leprechaun whisperer, recently shared astonishing claims on Ireland AM. During the broadcast, Woods, who comes from Carlingford, County Louth and affectionately known as McCoillte, shared some of the secrets involving leprechauns and their long history which has become intertwined with human spirits. Is British wine the next big thing? According to woods’ official website: ‘He talks to the 236 leprechauns that still exist there. They are affectionately...