In recent times, we have seen how philanthropists and others who gave selfless service to their communities or nations have been celebrated and rewarded, even long after their deaths. Here in Ireland, for example, Eamon de Valera remains a celebrated figure in Irish society, and some of his descendants have surely been supported by the public in their efforts.
Over the last decade, tens of thousands of immigrants have made Ireland their home. While the majority of them have come for the sole purpose of working, some have gained entry to the State for various other reasons, including study and business. A small percentage are also seeking asylum.
In an unprecedented move in targeting world leaders committing atrocities against their citizens, the International Criminal Court (ICC) last week issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
The winners of the second annual Metro Éireann Writing Award were announced last Tuesday. The competition, solely judged by Booker Prize-winner Roddy Doyle, is aimed at helping Ireland’s immigrant writers succeed and covers poetry, short stories, essays and book extracts.
A new report published last Monday on the attitude of Irish teenagers to smoking revealed that they see it as a means to being recognised by their peers, and that being socially accepted is more important than the danger smoking poses to their health.
Over the last year, Zimbabwe has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. In a special eight-page supplement this week, Metro Éireann gives an exclusive insight on the country’s desperate economic and humanitarian situation. In particular, we highlight the plight of the ordinary Zimbabweans who are living lives that can barely been imagined.
The decision by Fianna Fáil to increase the number of its immigrant candidates in the June local elections, following the revelation in last week’s Metro Éireann that the party was trailing behind its main rivals, has triggered allegations that the party is playing the ethnic card.
So 2009 is upon us, as is Ireland’s new recessional reality. This year promises to be an extremely difficult one for those who have come to Ireland from abroad – for the obvious reason that job losses are affecting us all, Irish and immigrants together.
Amid one of the most unprecedented economic recessions in recent memory, attention has been turned to the ongoing decline in oil prices as a factor in stimulating economic growth. With the current price of crude oil now at $41 a barrel – almost one-third of what it was just two months ago – key sectors of the economy seem to be active again.