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.

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.

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.

What happens here will set a precedant for future developments, if we ignore this and let these large corporations win then it will erode nightlife in Ireland.  

The site of the former Drake Inn is a large derelict building in the heart of Finglas Village. It has been derelict for decades. Finglas has a huge need for community buildings that would bring people together and be used by local groups and organisations. Arts and culture events should also be a regular occurrence in Finglas Village, and the area urgently needs more affordable housing. The ‘Drake Inn Site’ could be turned into a community and cultural hub for Finglas, and could also include affordable apartments for people to rent and buy. I have raised this in the Dáil and with Dublin City Council and to date no action has been taken. This is a new opportunity for the people of Finglas to have their voices heard on such an important issue. It's time for long overdue action to be taken on this by the City Council. It's time to CPO the 'Drake Inn' site. 

Her family, authors of this petitition, and those who admired her tremendous body of work and passion for life would like to see her celebrated  as a woman writer, all  too neglected, and as one who embodied the vitality and enthusiasm of older people. She is an important part of the rich cultural heritage of the borough. (We are not looking for donations although this site could do with your help)

For a city that prides itself culturally, Galway is severely lacking a proper music venue. Leisureland, The Black Box and temporary venues like the Arts festival tent and the old airport aren’t good enough to bring acclaimed artists and bands here. Galway needs a proper music venue to accommodate a growing city.

We need to save cultural spaces from closing down. Without action we will lose all these spaces in Dublin.

A new bridge over the River Lee in Cork City has just been opened. It goes from Parnell Place to Wandesford Quay, via Oliver Plunkett Street and Tuckey Street. This is our chance to give recognition to our home legend Roy Keane.  Cork City Council are looking for suggestions so lets make sure they know what the public want. 

Many of those items were taken from various sites in Ireland by Mr Cooke while he was living in Birr at the time. When he died he donated his collection to the British Museum. 

Some students don’t need more motivation. They just need a meal. Right now across Ireland, too many students are studying hungry, skipping meals to pay rent or travel to class. Hunger isn’t just physical. It drains focus, energy, and hope. When we feed students, we’re not just helping them survive college. We’re helping them show up fully, to learn, lead, and become who they’re meant to be. This is why we’re building Crave Christi Student Sponsorship, to make sure no student is left behind because of an empty plate. Join us in turning compassion into action. Together, we can make student hunger impossible to ignore. Because hunger shouldn’t be part of the college experience. Not here. Not now.

Considering the success of the Greystones Sharks which in its two years of existence has over 300 members under the age of 16, a public, free space to play basketball would be a great way for kids and teenagers to be able to engage in healthy activity outside of a formal setting.