Author: Ruth Swift

Ireland just got a lot closer for the hundreds of thousands of Irish people living abroad, with RTÉ unveiling a new global online Irish television service for international audiences. The new service, RTÉ Player International, provides a new online television offering to international audiences (outside of Ireland) with 500 hours of free and paid-for Irish television content, including just-aired television content refreshed daily.

Spanning RTÉ News and Current Affairs, drama, comedy, entertainment, documentaries, lifestyle, Irish-language and kids content, the content offering will continue to expand with new programmes added regularly. The app will also feature editorially selected collections of content, themed around events, seasons, genres and people to bring a unique selection of contemporary and classic Irish television to audiences internationally.

Speaking at the launch, Jimmy Deenihan T.D., Minister for Diaspora Affairs, said “The launch of RTÉ’s new Player International service is wonderful news for our Diaspora abroad. It will provide them with a quick, convenient and immediate link with home which ensures they remain connected and engaged in the public and cultural life in Ireland. As Ireland’s first Minister for the Diaspora I have met with many members of our Irish community all over the world. The ability to hear Irish voices and see Irish programming is an extremely tangible connection with home. This new service will remind them that Ireland is just a click away.”

The new enhanced RTÉ Player International service is available for iOS devices, supporting iOS7 or greater. To learn more click here. 

The increasingly popular Irish Film Festival, Boston will take place over four days from Thursday, March 19th to Sunday, March 22nd, 2015 at the Somerville Theatre, Davis Square. The festival sells out fast every year,  so be sure to check out the full schedule of films being announced at the end of this week on their website.

Congratulations to all the award winners!

Best Feature, GOLD
Directed by Niall Heery

Best Short, BOOGALOO AND GRAHAM
Directed by Michael Lennox

Director’s Choice Feature, ONE MILLION DUBLINERS
Directed by Aoife Kelleher

Director’s Choice Short, THE WEATHER REPORT
Directed by Paul Murphy

Special Jury Prize, AN BRONNTANAS
Directed by Tom Collins

To check out the official website click here!

The first ever Irish diaspora policy has been published by the Irish Government, just as Irish-American Heritage Month begins in the US. The policy was launched yesterday by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Joan Burton, Minister for Diaspora Affairs Jimmy Deenihan and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan in Government buildings.

According to the Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh, South Boston’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will go on as planned on March 15th, despite the record-setting snow this year. Some changes to the route will be made, but changes have yet to be decided on.

Organizers of the parade met with Mayor Walsh Monday night to iron out some of the details. Brian Mahoney, the Commander of the Allied War Council, says the 3.2-mile route will have to be reconfigured.

“We’re all committed on going forward on the 15th but we have to finalize the best route to take,” Mahoney said. “The route will be pretty much what it is right now there will just be some minor changes.”

Each March, the United States celebrates Irish-American heritage month, coinciding of course with Ireland’s national holiday on March 17, Saint Patrick’s Day. Irish-American heritage month is a special proclamation issued yearly by the United States President to honor the achievements and contributions of Irish immigrants and their descendants living in the United States.

On Tuesday, March 17, 2015 President Obama will welcome Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny of Ireland to the White House. In the morning, the President will meet with the Taoiseach in the Oval Office, and subsequently he will attend the traditional St. Patrick’s Day lunch at the U.S. Capitol. In the evening, the President and the First Lady will host a reception to celebrate their fifth St. Patrick’s Day at the White House. During the reception, the President and Taoiseach (Prime Minister) will participate in the annual Shamrock ceremony. It symbolizes the profound kinship between Ireland and the United States. According to records, the ceremony first began in 1952, when the Irish Ambassador John Joseph Hearne sent a box of shamrock to President Truman at the White House. President Truman was out of town at the time, but later sent Ambassador Hearne a message, in which Truman said that he hoped “relations between the two countries will continue to be on a good and effective level for generations.”

To read more about the Irish-American heritage month and see a video on the history of the Shamrock ceremony click here!

Tens of thousands of young Irish American men and women between 18 and 26 may have the opportunity to spend up to ten free days in Ireland learning about Irish culture and history – if a proposed government initiative gets off the ground.

Click here for more info!

Boston Irish Tourism Association has released its 2015 schedule of St. Patrick’s Day parades in Massachusetts. This year the state’s parade season begins on Saturday, March 7 with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Cape Cod, and ends with the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday, March 22, 2015.

Click here for more info.

VISITORS FROM IRELAND and beyond have been flocking to Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery after watching the documentary One Million Dubliners.

The cemetery is the last resting place of the likes of Michael Collins, as well as over 1.5 million other people. The feature documentary, directed by Aoife Kelleher, went on general release in cinemas in October.

The fascinating and touching story of the history of the huge cemetery – which was built in 1832 and is the last resting place of figures from Irish history including Michael Collins – also introduced people to the late historian Shane MacThomais (pictured).

MacThomais passed away in March, just as filming was coming to an end, and his interactions with visitors and thoughts on life and death have connected with many viewers.

Check out the trailer here:

A UK tv network, Channel 4, are planning to air a Shameless-style sitcom based on the Great Famine.

Speaking to the Irish Times, screenwriter Hugh Travers revealed that he is writing the sitcom, Hungry, following an open commission by Channel 4, which allows him to write “any idea I wanted”.

“Well, they say ‘comedy equals tragedy plus time,” Mr Travers says.

“I don’t want to do anything that denies the suffering that people went through, but Ireland has always been good at black humour.

“We’re kind of thinking of it as Shameless in famine Ireland.”

During the Great Famine, approximately 1M people died of starvation between 1845 and 1852 and a further 1.5M people emigrated.

The announcement of Hungry has sparked outrage.

Many social media users have condemened the series, calling it “thoroughly disgraceful” and asking “what exactly is funny about the starvation of millions?”

Its winds howling at more than 70 mph, the Blizzard of 2015, Juno, slammed Boston and surrounding parts of New England on Tuesday with none of the mercy it unexpectedly showed New York City, piling up more than 2 feet of snow.  At least 30,000 homes and businesses were without power in the Boston-Cape Cod area, including the entire island of Nantucket.

How were you affected? Let us know!