2nd November 2007

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Crackdown on learner drivers delayed until next year
Tough new laws on learner drivers, due to become into law on Tuesday, won't be enforced by gardaí until early next year.

Ahern defends huge pay rise amid opposition criticism
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has defended the €38,000 pay rise he was awarded yesterday by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration.

Church of Ireland parishes seek admission to Catholic Church
Two Church of Ireland parishes in the North have reportedly asked to be received into the Catholic Church.

CSO yearbook paints mixed picture of Irish society
The CSO's Statistical Yearbook for 2007 paints a mixed picture of a thriving Irish society struggling to deal with some of the pitfalls of increased wealthy.

FÁS predicts major fall in job creation next year
A new report from FÁS is predicting a major reduction in the amount of new jobs created in Ireland next year.

First Diaspora Conference for N.Y.
THE first ever Irish diaspora conference will be held in New York on November 7 and 8. Irish America magazine, the American Ireland Fund and University College Dublin are hosting the conference. Aer Lingus is also a co-sponsor.

Court Affirms Transgender Rights
A LANDMARK High Court decision on the rights of transgender people in Ireland could lead to "an explosion" of people coming forward with identity issues, a lobby group has predicted.

Woodward on Policing, UDA
DESPITE recent setbacks, Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward has claimed that the transfer of criminal justice powers to the North will continue on schedule. He also insisted that all sides must now work to help Loyalist communities in the grip of paramilitarism to free themselves its shackles.

Martin Says Church Has Learned
ARCHBISHOP of Dublin Diarmuid Martin was in New York last week to deliver the Inaugural Irish Institute Lecture at Ireland House on the subject: "New Ireland, New Church?"

McAliskey to Fight Extradition
FORMER civil rights campaigner Bernadette McAliskey has told a Belfast court that her daughter will never accept being extradited to Germany because of the trauma she suffered during previous attempts to extradite her against her will.

Shannon Wants Movement
THE executive chairman of the Shannon Airport Authority, Pat Shanahan, has resigned over Aer Lingus's decision to withdraw its Heathrow slots from the airport.

Swindon Irish are told 'use it or lose it'
Swindon's Celtic community is in danger of extinction due to the failure of the Irish Diaspora to support organised events in the area.

Dublin is top British destination
DUBLIN is the most popular destination for passengers jetting off from London's five main airports for a break, new figures show.

Docklands regeneration will give Cork a new stadium
GAA fans in Munster will get one of the biggest sports stadiums in Europe if proposals for a 60,000-seat replacement for Cork's Páirc Uí Chaoimh get the blessing of civic leaders.

Irish Voice Classifieds

VIP Visits?
IT'S a given that the ultimate member of the British monarchy, the Queen herself, will make her first visit to Ireland.

Black and Green
Black Irish, a new drama about a 15-year-old Irish American boy growing up in the shadow of his emotionally remote father and his deeply troubled family, opens in New York and Boston cinemas this week. CAHIR O'DOHERTY talks to the actors, the writer and director.

Van: He's Still the Very Best
MORE than 40 years since bursting out of Belfast with his group Them, Van Morrison continues to make great music, continues to tour the world, continues to inspire and engage new generations of fans and artists alike.

Lord Of The Dance chooses Kerry island for a holiday home
Unlike previous property purchases such as one in London's exclusive Knightsbridge district Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley has chosen an exclusive Kerry island as the site of his next holiday home.

Getting to the root of Ireland's music
Shane Mitchell plays major music festivals all over the world as the accordion player with Dervish but he is also a bit of a Pied Piper - if another act pushes the right buttons for him, he will try and persuade them to follow him home.

End of the line for Staunton
The Football Association of Ireland have agreed to terminate the contract of Steve Staunton as national team manager by mutual consent.

The rise and stall of Geordan Murphy
WHENEVER Geordan Murphy is included on an Irish international rugby team there are suggestions he is a luxury player the team can ill-afford.

It just gets worse...
ONE of the arguments, even if it was unspoken in many quarters, for not opening Croke Park was the damage that could be wreaked on the "superiority of the gael" ideal that still exists in parts of Ireland.

A few surprises among All-Stars
THE selection of just one footballer from All-Ireland finalists Cork and Henry Shefflin collecting his seventh straight award were the main talking points following the selection of the GAA.

Players voting on strike action
The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) have confirmed this week that they are to ballot their members for strike action after the latest round of talks with the Government produced no breakthrough.

Duddy, Moore Win Big
JAMES Moore made it 13 wins as a pro at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Thursday night with a unanimous decision win over Brad Greenleaf, while John Duddy had an easy win at the National Stadium in Dublin two nights later.

GET THE CRAIC with Ian Dempsey
This week on The Craic, we give you the definitive Top 10 Iconic Images of Ireland, we chat about hair straightners, leprechauns, The Aran Islands and the Olympics! A familiar voice joins us to tell us about her new musical and we chat to new Irish band, '‘The Coronas'! www.GetTheCraic.com
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Update on Dublin Archives and Libraries, September 2007
I had the opportunity to visit Dublin in August/September. Some important developments are worth mentioning. First, I was delighted to see that some very important additional records have been microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah (Mormons) at the National Archives of Ireland on Bishop Street, Dublin.

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