Irish

Ireland’s prime minister, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, said Monday that Greenland “is part of Denmark” and that the European Union stands “rock-solid” behind Copenhagen after U.S. President Donald Trump renewed talk of acquiring the Arctic territory and the White House said all options — including military action — remain on the table. Speaking during an official visit to Shanghai, Martin urged “common sense,” adding that territorial integrity is a matter for the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland. He called a U.S.…

Ireland’s prime minister, or Taoiseach, Micheál Martin said his government never accepted “the legitimacy of the Maduro regime” in Venezuela but has sought a peaceful, democratic transition — remarks that came as deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro was set to appear in a U.S. court following his weekend capture by U.S. forces. Maduro was detained during a military raid Saturday in Caracas that has plunged the country into uncertainty. U.S. officials have not publicly detailed the legal proceedings ahead, but…

The Irish Heart Foundation is urging the Government to mirror the UK’s new junk food advertising ban, calling the move a crucial step to protect children’s health and tackle childhood obesity. The British regulations, billed by ministers as world-leading, restrict daytime TV advertising for products high in fat, salt or sugar and ban paid online adverts, with the aim of reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing. Britain’s health ministry says the measures, which apply to pre-9 p.m. television and across…

Micheál Martin meets Xi Jinping in Beijing, urges open trade as EU-China tensions simmer Taoiseach Micheál Martin met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, opening a four-day official visit focused on trade, technology and wider geopolitical issues amid a tense backdrop in EU-China relations. During an audience at the capital’s Great Hall, Martin cited the strength of Irish-Chinese commerce and called for more open trade between the countries. He also acknowledged what he described as China’s indispensable role…

Taoiseach Micheál Martin will travel to China beginning tomorrow for a five-day visit, the first by an Irish leader since 2012, as Beijing moves to shore up ties with individual European Union members amid deepening trade and security frictions. China’s foreign ministry announced the trip, which runs through Thursday, saying Beijing “is willing to take this visit as an opportunity to enhance political mutual trust and expand mutually beneficial co-operation with Ireland.” Martin is due to meet Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji,…

Irish troops to spend Christmas on peacekeeping duty in south Lebanon as UNIFIL observes fragile Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire More than 300 Irish soldiers will spend Christmas Day on peacekeeping duties at Camp Shamrock in south Lebanon, serving with the UNIFIL mission to observe the fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in the region. The deployment means hundreds of service members will mark the holiday away from home. Their work will continue through the day, focused on maintaining stability and…

Ireland’s Taoiseach Michéal Martin will press Lebanon’s prime minister for accountability in the killing of Private Seán Rooney during talks in Beirut on Friday, while delivering a Christmas message of thanks to Irish peacekeepers serving with the U.N. in south Lebanon. Martin is expected to raise the case directly with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, underscoring Dublin’s concern that justice remains incomplete nearly two years after Rooney was shot dead while his UNIFIL convoy came under fire on Dec. 14, 2022, as it traveled…

Ireland’s prime minister rejected Donald Trump’s latest broadside against the European Union, after the U.S. president described the bloc as “weak” and accused member states of letting Ukraine fight “until they drop.” Speaking in Dublin, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said, “Europe is strong, not weak,” pointing to the EU’s pandemic response and ongoing work on defense and security as evidence of resilience. “New challenges” have emerged on defense and security, Martin said, but he added he was “confident” they would be overcome.…

BEIRUT — The Lebanese army said it arrested six people after gunmen opened fire on an Irish United Nations patrol in southern Lebanon on Thursday, in the latest flare-up along the volatile border region. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported that six men riding three mopeds approached a patrol vehicle near Bint Jbeil at about 6 p.m. and one of the men fired “approximately three shots into the back of the vehicle.” The UN peacekeepers were not injured, UNIFIL said. The Irish Defence Forces confirmed its…

Overview: a surge in Irish passport applications from the UK Nearly a quarter of a million people living in the United Kingdom applied for Irish passports in 2024, the highest number recorded since the UK formally left the European Union. The wave of applications cuts across Britain and Northern Ireland and reflects both practical responses to Brexit and longer-running family ties. Department of Foreign Affairs figures show 242,772 applications in 2024. Just over half (53%) of those applications came from people living…