St. Patrick's Day is Ireland's most important national and cultural celebration, recognised globally.  Establishing a fixed annual long weekend would: • Enable greater participation in parades, cultural events and community celebrations • Support tourism, hospitality, and local economies across the country • Provide a consistent national holiday structure This change would preserve the cultural, historical and religious significance of the 17th of March while improving how the public holiday is observed for the benefit of society and the economy.

Johnny was a staple of not just the fishing community, but the Balbriggan community as a whole. Beloved by everyone in the town, he was a true gentleman who always had time for a smile and a chat. Having lived next to Johnny for 17 years, I knew him as the best of neighbors. Despite being 45 years my senior, he always had time for me and everyone on Bath Road. The outpouring of hundreds of stories and tributes online this past week is a testament to his kindness and the mark he left on us all. He truly was one of the last of the ‘Balbriggan greats.’ The tragic and untimely nature of his passing has left a gaping hole in our community, and our hearts go out to his family. As the Balbriggan Harbour Rejuvenation works move toward completion, we have a unique opportunity to give Johnny the remembrance he deserves in the heart of the maritime environment he loved. While we acknowledge Fingal County Council’s "20-Year Rule" (Section 5.5), which generally delays memorials until 20 years after a person’s passing, the policy allows for "very exceptional cases."  Given Johnny’s profound impact on the town’s identity and the heartbreaking circumstances of his passing, the people of Balbriggan believe this is undeniably one of those exceptional cases. We ask the Council to honor that legacy now, while his spirit remains so central to our town's current transformation.

As it stands there seems to be no set standard for community benefit schemes and near Neighbour payments that relate to wind farms across the country.  A prime example is SSE's "Yellow River Wind Farm" in North Offaly. Unlike many of the wind-farms within the county, SSE are only paying people who live within one Kilometer of a wind turbine. In contrast, BnM who plan to create a new wind-farm on the old Bord Na Mona Site, close to the yellow River wind farm, will be paying out a near neighbour payment to people up to two kilometers from their turbines.  It is clear that there is a massive need for more renewable energy within the country, no matter who we are or where we are from, we all deserve access to clean air and clean energy. At the same time we all should be able to enjoy the properties that we live in and be fairly compensated when that enjoyment is impacted.  As someone who lives exactly one kilometer from the Yellow river wind farm, i can confirm that on certain nights the noise from the turbines can get quiet loud and does take away from the enjoyment of my home. I was shocked when the representatives of the wind-farm came around to inform us of the near neibhour payments and seem to make light about how i was just inside the one kilometer boundary. I noted that my neighbours who were literally a meter outside of the radius are just as impacted as i am, but was told that their radius is rigid and it would be possible to get them included.  In terms of the community benefit funds, the amounts are linked to Kilowat of electricity produced and the not the revenue or profit generated by the wind-farm. This means that as the profit from the wind-farm increases, there will be no increase to the community fund.  We the undersigned are calling on Daragh O'Brien to standardise the payments across the board, to ensure that everyone within two kilometers of a turbine is sufficiently compensated and that the community benefit fund is linked to revenue created. 

AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm) is a dangerous, often symptomless, swelling in the main blood vessel (aorta) of the abdomen, primarily affecting men over 60–65. If the aorta weakens and bursts, it is frequently fatal, making early detection via a simple ultrasound screening crucial. In the UK the National Health Service (NHS) All men living in England are invited for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) ultrasound screening the year they turn 65 free of charge covered by the NHS In Ireland you have to arrange an AAA Ultrasound screening privately it is not automatically covered on the Medical Card service. In certain circumstances a GP could arrange one on the medical card if the GP deems it to be carried out but it is not done/checked as standard. One Private Provider of AAA screening in Ireland offers it at €170 with a discount for Medical Card Holders at €150 but prices do vary greatly depending on where you have the test carried out and can be more expensive. To find out more details of AAA visit wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdominal_aortic_aneurysm To read about what the NHS UK offers to the general public read here: https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-screening/

Around 30,000 children have been killed in Gaza, along with thousands of teachers. Yet Allianz insures the munitions used by the Israeli military and has invested over €7 billion in Israeli government bonds, helping fund the ongoing assault. Parents should not have to worry that money paid to protect our children with the Pupil Personal Insurance  could contribute to the killing of other children. We cannot support a corporation like Allianz with so much blood on its hands. 

We would urge you to add your name to this petition, as there is strength in numbers, to get these Bus Shelters approved and installed

This proposed interconnection between Mullingar and Athlone would give easier access to more destinations around Ireland, encourage the use of public transport and promote tourism. Currently the Sligo-Dublin train line is the only train line in Ireland that is not interconnected with any other train lines this results in a lack of direct access to many parts of the country for those who dont drive as trying to coordinate multiple modes of public transport can be a complex and often futile endeavour.  We shouldnt have to go to Dublin to get to Galway etc! 

Yesterday the world, and our community, celebrated World Book Day. Our children dressed up as their favourite characters. We celebrated the important role of reading in development, in mental health, and in how we understand the world. Yet in Donabate, a rapidly expanding community, we have recently been severely downgraded in our library services. Our library was in the community centre. The library had something for everyone in the community: lots of colourful books for younger children, spaces for teenagers to study with friends or on their own, and a wide range of books for adults. In January the library was relocated to the old Credit Union building. The building itself is beautiful. But, unfortunately, the new library is 169 square metres — over 200 square metres smaller than the previous space. Now there is a lack of comfortable space for children to relax and read - the toys and art supplies have been removed. Secondary school students have also lost the space they used for studying, and adults of all reading tastes have seen a drastic decrease in selection. There was a general feeling in Donabate, with its rapidly expanding population, that the new library was to be an upgrade. However, there are now serious concerns that the community is losing significant library space in the short term, and it is completely unclear when the library will return to a size comparable to what it originally was — let alone when it will be appropriate for Donabate’s significantly increasing population. We understand that the new building is only Phase One, and that there is a planned Phase Two expansion to enlarge and enhance the library in the future. While we welcome any long‑term investment, planning & construction timelines for Phase Two are unclear.  There is serious concern it will take years to deliver. Our community — especially our children, young and old — needs a functioning, accessible, and appropriately sized library now, not at some distant point in the future. We are calling for Phase Two to be prioritised and accelerated, with interim solutions put in place immediately.

Our Concerns • The electric heating system is extremely expensive to run, leading to unusually high electricity bills for many residents. • Some residents are afraid to use the heaters due to the cost. • Others are forced to limit heating to 1–2 hours per day or limiting the heating to 1 room, which is not enough to keep homes warm. • The ventilation system blows cold air continuously, making it very difficult, and sometimes impossible to heat our apartments properly. • These issues create cold, uncomfortable living conditions, especially for families, older residents, and those with health conditions. What We Are Asking For We respectfully request that Respond Housing: 1. Assess the ventilation system to determine why cold air is continuously entering apartments. 2. Provide alternative, energy‑efficient heating solutions that are safe, effective, and affordable for residents. 3. Conduct an immediate review of the building’s heating and ventilation systems, including their design, operation, and impact on residents’ energy costs and comfort. Why This Matters Every resident has the right to a warm, safe, and energy‑efficient home. The current situation is causing financial strain, discomfort, and unnecessary stress. We are asking Respond Housing to take these concerns seriously and provide a clear plan of action. By signing below, we show our collective support for this request and ask Respond Housing to respond promptly.

1. Throwing books in the bin is an attack on intellectual freedom Books are not disposable objects — they are voices, ideas, experiences, and history. When books are dumped in waste bins, the community’s right to knowledge and individuals’ right to think freely are discarded with them. This undermines the spirit of Article 40.6.1 of the Irish Constitution, which protects freedom of expression and the circulation of ideas. 2. What happened sets a dangerous precedent If hundreds of books can be labelled “extremist” and thrown away without any academic or legal assessment, then any institution could dispose of any book it dislikes. Today it is jurisprudence and history; tomorrow it could be philosophy, politics, or literature. 3. The library was a major cultural and educational asset This was not a small collection. It was a multilingual library containing: • 10,000 Arabic books • 4,000 English books • Additional collections in several other languages This is an irreplaceable intellectual heritage. Losing it is a loss for the entire society. 4. Protecting books means protecting cultural diversity Ireland prides itself on being an inclusive and multicultural society. Destroying an entire library sends the opposite message: exclusion instead of inclusion. 5. The incident damages the credibility of cultural and religious institutions Communities expect institutions to safeguard knowledge, not dispose of it in rubbish bins. Restoring trust requires transparency, responsibility, and respect for written heritage.

The Triple Lock is the only thing that protects Irish Neutrality. It allows Ireland to be independent on the world stage and avoid being dragged into other people's wars. It ensures that Irish soldiers are only sent abroad for genuine peacekeeping missions, not to support invasions of other countries. It's moments like this that the Triple Lock was created for. The world needs neutral peacebrokers now, more than ever. Irish politicians must not abandon Irish Neutrality now, at its most important time in history.

Katie Taylor is pound for pound the best female boxer the world has ever seen, with titles and accolades beyond what most sports people will ever achieve... and she is far more than just that. Katie is an Irish inspiration, both in sport and in spirit, who deserves recognition and appreciation for all she has done, for Irish boxing and for women and girls in sport, but there is just one career goal that she has left to reach, and that is to box in front of a home crowd at Croke Park.  Katie has overcome so many obstacles in her boxing journey so far. She had to pretend she was a boy to be allowed to box at first as girls were not allowed to box in Ireland when she started out. She changed that.   Katie knew she was capable of getting to Olympics but boxing was the only Olympic sport that had a male but not female category. Katie was a huge part of changing this too as along with an international petition, Katie showcased her skills and directly persuaded the International Olympic Committee members to make women’s boxing an Olympic sport.   Katie was told before she could not box at Croke Park because it would be too costly. Now let's get behind her and help her overturn this decision too! Katie realised one of her life's dreams at the 2012 Olympics, where she was one of the first women in the world to win a gold Olympic medal for boxing.  Sign and share this petition with every boxing club in Ireland to tell GAA President, Jarlyth Byrnes; Minister for Sport, Patrick O'Donovan; Sporting Island and Katie's promotor, Eddie Hearn, to help her to make her last dream of boxing in front of an Irish crowd at Croke Park come true. Croke Park is the largest and most iconic venue in Ireland. It has a rich history and has hosted many a superstar. The GAA, as excellent promotors of Irish sport could and should support Katie Taylor to realise her dream. The Department of Sport and Sporting Ireland should provide financial support and sponsorship that would allow Katie to fight her last bout there. And Eddie Hearn needs to do everything he can to take care of and promote this awesome fighter and make sure she gets what she wants! Katie never took no for an answer when she was told she could not box in competitions, and she could not box in the Olympics. Let's not take no for an answer to Katie in Croker now!