Irish News Local Stories & Headlines From Ireland

Speaking to journalists in advance of his meeting with Trump on Tuesday, Martin declined to be drawn on his preparations or speculate about their discussions. The US embassy in Dublin had no comment on Monday. Housing officials were tasked with drawing up a “non-paper” – an informal summary of policy thinking in a given area – for Walsh, who was “expected to meet with contacts in the private sector” on his return to the US. Harris agreed to give Walsh a note on Ireland’s proposed approach to infrastructure – particularly water, power and housing – before the ambassador returned to Washington the following month. The documents, drawn up by Irish officials, show that Walsh told Harris, then minister for foreign affairs, this included “data centres due to future energy needs” and that he “also referred to planning-related challenges”.

Ice hockey

References to hurling on the North American continent date from the 1780s in modern-day Canada concerning immigrants from County Waterford and County Kilkenny, and also, in New York City. South African hurling continued to prosper until the outbreak of the Second World War, which caused immigration from Ireland to cease and made it impossible to import equipment. Immigrants from County Wicklow who had arrived to work in the explosives factory in Umbogintwini, KwaZulu-Natal formed a team c.

Bloomsday (Dublin, June 12th – 16th)

Dublin Bikes has 400 bikes available to the public in around 40 stations across the city centre. Cyclists have no special right of way over cars, particularly when using shared use paths by the side of a road, but share and get equal priority when in traffic lanes. Traffic is fairly busy, but a cyclist confident with road cycling in other countries should have no special difficulties (except maybe for getting used to riding on the left). Dublin has some marked bicycle lanes and a few non-road cycle tracks. The planned Eurovelo cycle route in Ireland will connect Belfast to Dublin via Galway, and Dublin to Rosslare via Galway and Cork.

Sport

WellFest is Europe’s largest outdoor health, fitness, and wellness festival. A weekend of glamping, camping and tunes is coming to Kildare this May Bank Holiday. The 2026 guests of honour, Jim Byrne and Fiona Byrne, are highly respected tradition-bearers in Irish music circles. Held in honour of local fiddle legend John ‘The Tae’ Gallagher, Cup of Tae celebrates traditional Irish music with pub sessions, concerts, and music classes from Ardara! A four-day mix of alt-country, Americana and roots acts in intimate Kilkenny venues, with a packed lineup running from afternoon sessions to late-night gigs across the city. There are countless events in Ireland in May 2026, including the excellent Galway theatre festival.

Each year, Ireland attracts over 6.5 million visitors, 24% of them coming from North America alone. Select a region below to discover the attractions, activities, and experiences that await you. If this is your first time in Ireland, welcome home. A proud island nation with five million inhabitants, one hundred thousand welcomes and a song for every occasion. Plus, there are several sustainable tourism initiatives, including Origin Green’s certification program for food producers. Irish (a Gaelic language but not called Gaelic in Ireland) was the country’s first language until the 19th century, when English became dominant.

Blunt injury to the larynx is an infrequent consequence of contact sports despite protective equipment and stringent rules. The fourth official is responsible for overseeing substitutions, and also indicating the amount of stoppage time (signalled to him by the referee) and the players substituted using an electronic board. The referee is responsible for starting and stopping play, recording the score, awarding frees, noting infractions, and issuing yellow (caution) and red (sending off) penalty cards to players after offences. A wire grille faceguard covers the whole face and is secured by straps that clip at the back of the head.This saw senior players follow the regulations already introduced in 2009 at minor and under 21 grades. A hurling pitch is similar in some respects to a rugby pitch but larger. A 2024 survey found that hurling was the favourite sport of 25% of Irish people.

The Ireland squad will assemble in Dublin on Sunday before travelling to Quinta do Lago for a warm-weather training camp. Wales visit Aviva Stadium for a Round 4 showdown on Friday, 6 March (Kick-off 8.10pm), before a Super Saturday clash against Scotland on Saturday, 14 March (Kick-off 2.10pm). After an opening round clash in Paris, Ireland return home to Aviva Stadium to face Italy on Saturday, 14 February (Kick-off 2.10pm).

Annual events

You can read more about other permutations in that guide. Wales are bottom with a single point and are set for the wooden spoon. You can watch the game on Virgin Media One, with coverage starting at 1pm.

• India will tour Ireland in June for a two-match T20I series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Saturday.
• It’s going to be part of the reset that we need to have with the EU and with the Republic if we win, and it’s absolutely unacceptable that illegal immigrants are allowed to come over the Irish Border.”
• On Harvey Vale’s call-up, the QPR player having switched international allegiance from England earlier this month, Hallgrímsson says he spoke to Vale a year ago at which point the 22-year-old expressed a desire to play for Ireland.
• This way, you know more about where your new business fits.
• The United Kingdom has 1 time zone and is 5 hours ahead of Washington, D.C.

Doubles drama as Ireland edged out in Davis Cup II

As one of the best nightlife spots in Ireland for centuries, expect the pubs in this pint-sized city to have a great backstory. Still, a ramble around the beating heart of “The Marble City” is the best way to discover its past. The ” Medieval Mile” in Ireland’s prettiest city center is a living museum. Further along the lakeshore, the village of Terryglass charms with holy wells, an early abbey site, and the warm glow of Paddy’s Bar, welcoming visitors for centuries. Early medieval kings, abbey ruins, and lakeside pints converge in a county where every piece of masonry seems to tell a gripping backstory.

Tell us when you are travelling to Ireland and we’ll show you tailored reccomendations during of your trip. Share a link to your My Ireland board and inspire friends, fellow travellers and family. Simply tap the heart to add items to your board!

That did not seem like it was going to occur once again on opening night when France came away with a win over Ireland at the Stade de France. That conversion occurred as they ended with the stunning showing they provided with France. Ultimately, France were able to, as is commonplace with them, create something out of nothing and did that over and over before Thomas Ramos sent over the clutch penalty that wrapped up the enthralling win.

Donegal see off Monaghan to set up final rematch

One of the most rewarding day trips from Dublin can be found in County Wicklow – I’m talking, of course, about the Sally Gap Drive. Although it’s no Carrauntoohil (Ireland’s highest mountain) I found this hike to be extremely taxing, with a near verticle incline from around 20 minutes in. I’ve driven the Antrim Coast 9 times over the years – you can do it in a day (albeit a busy one) or you can spread it over several, stopping the night in one of the coastal towns. The Causeway Coastal Route runs for 185km between Belfast and Derry, tracing the edge of the nine Glens of Antrim and weaving through some of the most dramatic coastline on the island. The second section of my guide on what to do in Ireland looks at the spectacular north and east of the country. Having done both, I’d recommend the Upper Trail if your fitness allows – it’s from the summit that you’ll enjoy the view above.

“Probably they want to talk a little bit about tariffs, but I won’t mention that – Ireland you might want to be discussing that a little bit.”Vice President JD Vance also hosted a breakfast in honor of Martin at the vice president’s residence in the U.S. On Monday, the Taoiseach said any military intervention was a matter for Nato, of which Ireland was not a member. Nonetheless, officials admit to anxiety in advance of the meeting, with the Irish side fearing a broadside from Trump about the EU to which the Taoiseach may feel obliged to respond, perhaps setting the meeting on an unpredictable trajectory.

Travelers should protect their PIN numbers at all times and avoid using ATM machines that appear to have been tampered with. Do not leave your drinks unattended at bars or restaurants, as there have been reported incidents of drinks being spiked with illegal substances, leading to robbery and sexual assaults. You should stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of your surroundings at all times. However, principles of customary business courtesy, especially replying promptly to sales orders and requests for price quotations, are a prerequisite for success and should be practiced.

“You don’t get to hide behind me and do things that I would never approve of, that I would never say were OK…Do the right thing, and tomorrow will be better than today.” Ireland shared that she was forced to sell her family home due to the amount of debt she and her husband are now in. “And I’m not going to idly stand by and allow anyone to lie, to abuse, to hurt my family and to hurt others.”

As per the official announcement, both the T20I matches between the India Men’s National Cricket Team and the Ireland Men’s National Cricket Team will be played in Belfast. The India vs Ireland T20I series is scheduled just a few weeks after the IPL 2026, which is a two-month-long tournament, but it is an important series for India before the India vs England White-ball series. The semi-finals will take place on 26 March, with the winners of each ‘path’ advancing to the final on 31 March. The final was contested by Loughrea and Ballygunner, with 12-in-a-row Waterford champions Ballygunner managed by Jason Ryan winning 1-20 to 1-14.The cup was lifted by Ballygunner joint-captains Peter Hogan and Michael Mahony. The Ireland tour will come shortly after IPL 2026, giving fans continuous cricket action during the summer season. The series may also provide opportunities for players to strengthen their positions in the T20 squad.

• There are independent hostels which are marketed as Independent Holiday Hostels of Ireland, which are all tourist board approved.
• Wexford, Waterford, Clare, Limerick, Offaly, Antrim, Dublin, and Galway were also strong hurling counties during the twentieth century.
• They attack for the first time in this half.
• Head down to the quaint fishing village of Kilmore Quay in Wexford for a fine weekend literary festival featuring talks, readings, interviews and workshops.
• In 1932, a South African hurling team sailed to Ireland to compete in the Tailteann Games, where they carried a banner donated by a convent of Irish nuns in Cape Town.

Just worked & worked all game. As good as anyone today. Worked hard at scrum time. The pace of his passing and kicking game was very good. While not at the height of the England game, he marshalled the troops so well. An early scrum penalty kicked to the corner set the tone immediately — direct, physical, and no apologies.

You should not purchase travel tickets before you receive a decision on your visa application. You need a visa to come to Ireland if you travel using a passport issued by a country that is visa required or using a convention travel document issued by certain countries. A short stay business visa allows you to travel to Ireland for up to 90 days for business purposes or for work that lasts 14 days or less, subject to conditions described below.