Latest Ireland government News

Hosting Ireland's prime minister, Biden celebrates his Irish roots (as he likes to do)

Mar. 15, 2024 15:13 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — With St. Patrick's Day this weekend, President Joe Biden got to dwell Friday on one of his favorite subjects: Ireland. Biden played host to Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at the White House and then the two attended a luncheon at the U.S. Capitol as the two...

Irish prime minister concedes defeat in a vote over constitutional amendments about family and women

Mar. 09, 2024 14:43 PM EST

DUBLIN (AP) — Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar conceded defeat Saturday as two constitutional amendments he supported that would have broadened the definition of family and removed language about a woman’s role in the home were headed toward rejection. Varadkar, who pushed the...

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar concedes defeat for amendments over definition of family and the woman’s role at home

Mar. 09, 2024 10:44 AM EST
DUBLIN (AP) — Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar concedes defeat for amendments over definition of family and the woman’s role at home.

Ireland's Constitution says a woman's place is in the home. Voters are being asked to change that

Mar. 08, 2024 13:52 PM EST

DUBLIN (AP) — According to Ireland’s Constitution, a woman’s place is in the home. Irish voters will decide Friday — International Women’s Day — whether to change the 87-year-old document to remove passages the government says are outdated and sexist. The twin referendums...

Irish President Michael Higgins is to remain in hospital as a precaution after feeling unwell

Mar. 01, 2024 14:26 PM EST

LONDON (AP) — Irish President Michael Higgins was expected to spend the weekend in the hospital as a precaution after he felt ill, his office said Friday. Higgins, 82, was admitted to St James’s Hospital on Thursday after feeling unwell. He underwent tests and was to remain in...

Northern Ireland judge rules that amnesty law for 'the Troubles' breaches human rights

Feb. 28, 2024 11:21 AM EST

LONDON (AP) — A new law that gives immunity from prosecution for most offenses committed during Northern Ireland's decades of sectarian violence is not compliant with human rights, a judge in Belfast ruled Wednesday. The British government's Legacy and Reconciliation Bill, passed...

Live updates | Israeli troops raid main hospital in southern Gaza after weeklong siege

Feb. 15, 2024 16:00 PM EST

Israeli troops entered the main hospital in southern Gaza on Thursday in what the army said was a limited operation seeking the remains of hostages taken by Hamas. One patient died and seven were wounded when Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis came under fire on...

John Bruton, Irish leader who played a key role in Northern Ireland's peace process, dies at 76

Feb. 06, 2024 12:57 PM EST

LONDON (AP) — Former Irish Prime Minister John Bruton, who played a key role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland, has died at the age of 76. Bruton’s family said he died Tuesday in a Dublin hospital after a long illness. “He was a good husband, a good father...

Irish and UK leaders are in Belfast to celebrate the end of Northern Ireland's political deadlock

Feb. 05, 2024 20:23 PM EST

LONDON (AP) — The leaders of the U.K. and Ireland went to Belfast Monday to meet Northern Ireland’s newly revived government and bask in a good-news moment after two years of political crisis. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar visited the new...

For the first time, an Irish nationalist will lead Northern Ireland's government

Feb. 03, 2024 16:06 PM EST

LONDON (AP) — An Irish nationalist made history Saturday by becoming Northern Ireland’s first minister as the government returned to work after a two-year boycott by unionists. Sinn Fein Vice President Michelle O’Neill was named first minister in the government that under the...