Over the next week, Irish media coverage will ramp up in advance of Micheál Martin’s trip to Washington, DC for St Patrick’s Day. For progressive younger Irish Americans, Irishness offers an attractively anti-imperialist, postcolonial colouring that can differentiate their whiteness from a generic American blandness. That is not the perspective that dominates in most places where Irish Americans live. The institutional infrastructure that once connected Irish and American political elites along recognisable lines is ageing out and quietly dismantling itself. Listen to Hugh Linehan’s interview with Liam Kennedy on The Irish Times Inside Politics podcast

Cork TD Ken O'Flynn has defended his use of AI after questions arose whether he used tools to generate a letter criticising a Dublin Zoo advertising campaign. An image of the letter, posted online, has a series of errors in the second paragraph, with Mr O’Flynn admitting his office had used AI to format the letter. However, Mr O’Flynn said he had written the letter itself and that it was not written by AI tools. It was taken down when we realised there was an error in it,” Mr O’Flynn said. The letter to Dublin Zoo from Mr O’Flynn criticised a recent advertising campaign by Dublin Zoo, which saw a drag artist promoting a special offer allowing mothers to visit the zoo for free on Mother’s Day.

Lloyd Town Park in Tullamore which will host a special event on Saturday next, March 14, to mark National Tree Week 2026Walk in Tullamore Town Park to mark National Tree WeekOffaly Climate and Biodiversity Action Group will join forces with Tullamore Tidy Towns Association for an event in Tullamore's Lloyd Town Park on Saturday next, March 14, to mark National Tree Week. Local historian and tour guide, Richard Jack, will guide participants on a walk titled 'A look beyond the trees to small features of biodiversity” from 11am to 12 noon on Saturday next. The one-hour walk is open to everyone and participants are asked to meet at the Cormac Street entrance to Lloyd Town Park. ‘Growing a Greener Future Together’ is the theme of this year’s National Tree Week, bringing communities across Ireland together to celebrate the many benefits trees and forests deliver for climate, nature, wood and people. To find out more about events happening locally to mark National Tree Week 2026 please click here

"We have to have that mentality (it is the biggest game in our recent history)," Howe said in his pre-match press conference. Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall took to the stage and was inevitably asked about whether he feared the challenge of facing Barcelona's biggest threat, right-winger Lamine Yamal. "He is a special talent and I have seen him in enough Champions League games to see what he is about. And there is just a feeling it is an opportunity Newcastle could take. ‌Barcelona may be the reigning Spanish champions and head to Tyneside as La Liga leaders but it all isn't sunshine and roses in Catalonia.

The Premier League has come in for criticism from one of its own players amid the current trend of set-piece domination. League leaders Arsenal have come under fire from outsiders for their set-piece focus - with Mikel Arteta's side having scored 19 goals directly from corners, free-kicks or throw-ins. That tally is the most in the English top flight this season with Newcastle second on the list, having scored five fewer set-pieces. Speaking on the Zack Nani Foot & Live podcast, Tel didn't hold back - brandishing the Premier League a 'zoo'. 'I'll tell you the truth, yes, it's [the Premier League] not a spectacle,' he said.

Ireland is “enthusiastic” about a second interconnector with France, as Tánaiste Simon Harris said Europe needs to become more energy independent. Speaking to reporters in Paris, Mr Harris said the €1.6bn Celtic Interconnector — which will be the first connection from Ireland into the European electricity grid — is due to open in 2028. This includes issues around oil supply which were discussed by the G7 on Monday, the presidency of which is currently held by France. Mr Harris’s visit also comes ahead of Ireland assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union later this year, for which it anticipates France will be a key partner. Mr Harris will also be engaging with the tourism sector at a St Patrick’s Day event hosted by Tourism Ireland.

Major emergency services response to North Staffordshire 'incident'Police, firefighters and paramedics were dispatched to the sceneView Image Paramedics were called (stock image) (Image: Manchester Evening News)Emergency services descended on a North Staffordshire street. ‌StokeonTrentLive is still awaiting statements from Staffordshire Police and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service. But West Midlands Ambulance Service has confirmed it sent an ambulance, two paramedic officers, a hazardous area response team, and the Midlands Air Ambulance critical care car to the scene. ‌An ambulance service spokesman said: "We were called to reports of an incident on Washdale Lane. Get even more North Staffordshire exclusives - and it is free

Tánaiste Simon Harris has vowed the Government will continue to keep fuel and oil prices under review despite a recent fall in costs. The price of oil recently surged past the key $100-a-barrel mark, with the conflict triggering a sharp rise in the price of home heating oil across Ireland. However, oil prices fell by around 7% on Tuesday morning following Mr Trump’s suggestions that the conflict is “pretty much” over. Speaking in Brussels, Mr Harris welcomed the drop in prices but said the Government continues to keep the situation under review. “We've seen oil prices, at least [on Tuesday morning], fall back on where they were [on Monday],” he said.

Newcastle host Barcelona in the first leg of their tie on Tuesday night in a repeat of a group-stage encounter in September. That encounter saw Barcelona prevail as 2-1 winners with Marcus Rashford scoring a brace for the visitors. While the on-loan winger took the plaudits that night, Barca were missing their talisman in Lamine Yamal who was absent due to a groin injury. 'For me, it's a shame he's not playing,' Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said during his pre-match conference ahead of that match. That came last year when he scored 18 in 55 games, he has 19 in 19 matches fewer.

13 UK cities facing 471-mile blizzard and -7C freeze - including Stoke-on-TrentHere's the listView Image A snow-hit Stoke-on-Trent earlier this week. Hamil Road looking towards Burslem Town Hall (Image: Pete Stonier / Stoke Sentinel)At least 13 cities across the UK are set to experience snow amid a 471-mile blizzard this week, forecasters say. The Mirror has listed these locations in full as new information suggests most of the UK will be cold enough for the white stuff from Friday. Several parts of Scotland such as Wick, Inverness, Fort William, Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow, are likely to witness snow showers, the maps have suggested. ‌However, the cold weather will begin to spread over the country leaving several areas in England shivering in the cold.

Kenneth FoxThe Irish economy is facing an energy affordability crisis as households and businesses face soaring fuel bills due to the war in Iran. As the Irish Examiner reports, the price of oil soared past the key $100 (€85) a barrel mark on Monday. The conflict has already seen a sharp rise in the price of home heating oil across Ireland. Ibec warned the Government that it needs to take “urgent steps to mitigate an emerging energy affordability crisis”. Ibec executive director Fergal O’Brien said the recent and rapid surge in global oil prices has again exposed the vulnerability of the Irish economy.

In the early hours of Tuesday, the crew had to make an unscheduled stop in the fishing village of Portavogie, in Co Down, to take shelter from an incoming storm. The crew setting off from Dale in Pembrokeshire (ROW4MND/Athena Agency)They successfully berthed at 3am, having been at sea since 9am on Saturday. They had expected it to take 10 days to reach the Western Isles; the unscheduled stop will now delay their journey. Co-founder of ROW4MND Mr Bates said: “When you’re in a five-metre rowing boat in the pitch black, with a storm incoming, there is zero margin for error. For anyone who is in any doubt how tough this challenge is, it is beyond tough.”His fellow co-founder Mr Parker added: “When we signed up for this, we knew it’d be tough.

Launching its five-year capital development plan on Tuesday, Mr O'Driscoll said UCC will instead be investing €60m on its main campus for Cork University Business School (CUBS). It would have seen around 4,000 students and 180 staff relocating to the city centre site from UCC main campus. The issue was not the business school itself; it was a cost issue that the university could not afford. In January, it obtained the “triple crown” of international business school accreditation, placing the school amongst the global elite in the top 1% of business schools worldwide. Mr O'Driscoll said the feasibility study for the €60m new business school is currently underway, with several locations on main campus currently being looked at.

Preliminary estimates of the agricultural operating surplus have seen an increase of 29% or €1.2bn in 2025, bringing the total to €5.5 bn. The increase was driven mainly by higher cattle prices, which rose by 43%. Milk also saw a 10% increase in milk value, with the CSO citing the higher volumes, an increase of 7%, as the main driver. Cereal values dropped by €13m as a 10% increase in volumes was counteracted by lower prices of 12%. A 5% increase in fertiliser prices combined with higher volumes, an increase of 16%, resulted in their cost growing by €132m to €733m.

Cillian Murphy's son, Aran Murphy, has joined the cast of the upcoming HBO/Merman series YOUTH. It has now been announced that Murphy will star opposite Sharon Horgan in the upcoming series YOUTH. “Aran is cast alongside Sharon Horgan, Rupert Friend, Sharlene Whyte and Robbie Gee. Aran Murphy, son of Cillian Murphy, will hit the big screen with the movie adaptation of Klara and The Sun. Proud dad Cillian Murphy recently told the Irish Examiner: “He’s just a massive fan of film and television and theatre.