This week a courageous young man named Maxim Lapunov, 30, came forward in Moscow to detail his experiences of torture at the hands of Chechen authorities, in what have become known as Chechnya’s “gay concentration camps.”

I'm not sure why reports are still putting concentration camps in inverted commas. We already know that they exist, that since April 2017 at least 100 gay men have been arrested and many killed in the Russian region. Lapunov himself was brutally tortured in one of these detention centers for twelve days.

Two men he didn't know bundled him into a car earlier this year and took him to a cell that was already blood soaked. Then the beatings began. “They burst in every 10 or 15 minutes shouting that I was gay and they would kill me,” he told the press conference arranged by human rights activists last week.

“Then they beat me with a stick for a long time. In the legs, ribs, buttocks and back. When I started to fall, they pulled me up and carried on. Every day they assured me they would kill me, and told me how.”

At night he couldn't sleep due to all the terrifying screams he heard from nearby cells. When he was finally released he couldn't walk for days. Every night they had brought in a new captive he said, and every night a new torture session began.

Because Lapunov was an ethnic Russian he was assured by Chechen authorities that he would not be beaten as badly as native Chechens. They did not electrocute him with wires as they did their own countrymen. Instead they forced him to watch other detainees being beaten and bloodied.

Human rights groups have details the cases of at least 15 detainees who “were released to their relatives and have since disappeared without a trace,” raising the suspicion of “honor killings” by their own families. Kill them before we do, they are reportedly told.

Meanwhile Russia’s independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta has published a list of the names of 27 men, executed in a single night in Grozny on January 25, 2017.

Because Russian authorities have reportedly made no serious attempt to investigate these charges, Lapunov made the decision to come forward last week, putting a face to the allegations. He is risking his own life to do this. But he feels he had no choice but to go public. This year, for the first time since Nazi Germany, people on the European continent are being targeted for extermination based on their sexuality alone.

One survivor of a camp located at a former military base in Argun claimed he was tortured and interrogated by the Chechen officials themselves. They had used a hookup app on his phone to lure him into their trap, then they tried to use his contacts to identify and arrest his contacts.If this sounds a page from the Nazi playbook, that's because it is.

In the 1930s, when fascists began to target out-groups for detention, torture and extermination, many people told themselves they were not directly affected. Yes, the wider atmosphere was being poisoned by their propaganda, but they did not anticipate that the doses would be slowly increased until they resulted in millions dead.

If we keep looking the other way when fascists arrive in our public squares with their burning Tiki Torches, they can assume we no longer oppose them so vehemently, they can even assume we may secretly share some of their aims.

Sadly we don't even need to look overseas now to recognize the growing threat. Last week three neo-Nazi's were charged with attempted homicide here in the United States after they shot at protesters outside an event hosted by white supremacist Richard Spencer at Florida State University. Flyer campaigns by fascist groups have become more common across the country this year. Now they march without hoods or masks. They clearly believe their time has come.

Why did Florida State University invite someone like Richard Spencer to speak? :https://t.co/UEgZoyhHVf: #TheResistance #DemForce #PDMFNB

— Sharon Holle (@HolleSharon) October 20, 2017

So the time has come for us all to decide what we stand for too. If we thought we'd still have a little longer to figure it out that's too bad. If we thought we weren't directly threatened by the forces that are gathering around the globe that's too bad too. We are all of us threatened by the global resurgence of fascism. The moment is here. Now.

This simple truth needs to be remembered: fascism is an inherently violent ideology. It does not seek to live in peace with its neighbors because it will not. What it wants is to remove, first by threats and intimidation, then by violence or extermination, all threats to its total dominance. Today they are targeting the most vulnerable. That's how all of this starts. Tomorrow it will be you.

The Golden Gate Bridge, the world’s most beautiful and iconic piece of engineering, was approved by Limerickman Michael Maurice O’Shaughnessy.

Born in 1864 into a prosperous farming family in Loughill, West Limerick he studied engineering first in Cork, then Galway before finally graduating from Royal University Dublin.

Like so many Irishmen before him and since then, he bought himself a passage to America and sailed west. Whilst many of his fellow countrymen opted to stay on the East Coast, O’Shaughnessy ploughed onwards until he reached the Pacific.

There he met and married the love of his life, native San Franciscan Mary Spottiswood, with whom he had five children.

With so many mouths to feed, O’Shaughnessy threw himself into his career and soon began to make a name for himself overseeing the expansion of railroads, mines and the construction of irrigation systems not just in California but in Hawaii too.

Read More: Liam Casey is Silicon Valley’s most amazing Irishman

In 1912 he was asked to be City Engineer of San Francisco - a task that he asked to take a week to consider. The city, he believed, had conned him out of $10,000 but his wife Mary was insistent: despite a crippling earthquake six years previously San Francisco was widely tipped as a boom city with great potential.

Duty called and despite a cut in salary O’Shaughnessy accepted. The Mayor wrote to him delightedly:

Chief, you are in the saddle, you're it, you are in charge.

Go to it, it's up to you, you must look on the City as your best girl and treat her well.

Do what you think is best for her interests. Where reorganization is necessary, reorganize.

We look to you with all confidence.

His first great project was approved by Congress the following year when he was granted permission to dam Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park. As people continued to flock west, the population of San Francisco swelled and it was clear they’d need a much larger drinking supply.

In 1919 city officials formally asked that he consider the feasibility of a bridge that would tower over the Golden Gate Strait. Tentative sketches arrived on his desk in 1921 but O'Shaughnessy was far from gung ho about the project. It would be a full year and a half before the designs were made public and their reception was mixed: one newspaper called the proposal “ugly” and many members of the public agreed.

‘Was it even earthquake proof?’ Opponents queried.

Read More: Ireland has ‘every reason’ to worry about earthquakes says expert

The state legislature however approved the plan in 1925 with the passage of the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District Act of California  but it was another five years before they got round to funding the project.

January 5, 1933 men arrived for their first day at work on the project. It would be several long years before it was finished at which point O’Shaughnessy had passed away to his eternal rest.

He had died of a heart attack in 1934, mere days before water would begin to flow from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir reservoir into the taps of San Francisco homes and a full three years before the Golden Gate Bridge was opened to the public.

H/T: SF Museum

Ensure you're not stolen away by fairies on October 31st - tools to keep those devilish, ghastly ghouls at bay on Samhain

Halloween, which the Irish can lay claim to founding, has inspired many traditions on how to ward off the evil spirits. The Irish believed that on October 31 the evilest of creatures and ghouls came to visit them as the year saw an end of the light and the beginning of the dark season.

According to a leading commentator on agriculture in Kansas, John Schlageck, "The Irish believed fairies, who came out of their mounds at Halloween, played pranks on the people who lived above ground. When the Irish came to this country, they decided to emulate the fairies by going around and putting carriages on barns and turning over outhouses."

As the Irish had many ways of ensuring they weren't stolen away by the fairies on Halloween night, they were also wary that they would follow them across the ocean and so they brought their safety tricks with them wherever they went. Several of the traditions have been transported across the world, and here are just a few of the "tools" to keep those devilish, ghastly ghouls at bay.

Bonfires

If you light a massive bonfire, you are more than sure to keep the spirit world away. Fairies will be terrified of the flames.

Black cats

Schlageck said these creatures are "associated with Faust who sold his soul to the devil for knowledge and power." As such the ghouls are wary of our dark-furred, little feline friends. Who ever said a black cat was bad luck!

Read more: Top ten Irish traditions for Halloween (VIDEOS & PHOTOS)

Pumpkin or jack-o'-lanterns

The faces carved on the pumpkins are said to keep away ghosts from the door. What face will scare off the fairies more this year? Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton?

Dressing up

Although the scary costumes may have fallen by the wayside recently with superheroes and princesses topping the list of trick or treat ideas children have these days, the tradition of dressing up as various creatures is another way for people to ward off bad spirits.



Halloween colors are still orange and black, however, colors associated with the dead so if you're feeling like getting into the Oíche Samhna (Halloween) spirit, simply stick on something in these colors. 

You can find more Halloween stories on everything from old traditions to recipes here. 

Barry Keoghan may not know a classic Greek Tragedy from a doner kebab, but that doesn't stop him giving one of the most blisteringly powerful performances by an Irish actor ever committed to celluloid in 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer.' He's what's known in the industry as a natural. Cahir O'Doherty talks to the rising young star about his megawatt role and the very bright road ahead.

Many of the recent crop of young Irish actors got their start by having parents already involved in the film industry. That's not Barry Keoghan.

“My story of acting is of acting the maggot,” Keoghan, 25, tells the Irish Voice.

“That's what my story is. In any inner city there's not a lot of opportunities and you really have to dig out and chase what you want to do cos' it's not handed to you, so.

“I grew up in Summerhill in Dublin's inner city and I came across an open audition and they were looking for inner city kids who had not acted. I signed up. I seen there was money. I said, I can do that, chancing me arm like. Turned out good.”

Read more: Record-breaking fall season for Irish in box office smash movies

Good is an understatement. Keoghan gives a scene stealing performance in what many critics agree is the film of the year, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos' deeply unsettling and brilliant The Killing of a Sacred Deer, which is out on November 3 and stars Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman.

“It's a weird one, isn't it?” says Keoghan about the film and the 16-year-old profoundly psychologically disturbed character he plays, Martin. “Yorgos' tone and language are so strange. He doesn't ask you to deliver lines a certain way, you just kind of gather that from watching his other films and from watching Colin that this is how I should speak in this world.”

The tension between Keoghan and Farrell’s characters, which is murderous, unpredictable and at one moment unmistakably sexual, carries the film. How did they create that tension? Is it because Colin is from South Dublin and Keoghan is from North Dublin I joke?

“We had a laugh. The first day I seen him he just said, ‘Come here you, give me a hug.’  It's just that Irish thing. He was great, I really mean that, he was. I really looked up to him and Cillian (Murphy) growing up. The ones from home. They'd be the lads I looked up to, you know?”

Today Keoghan is in town with his Kerry-born girlfriend Shona, and they're clearly having the craic with their overseas trip in between interviews. It's also obvious they adore each other because they tease each other unmercifully the way the Irish do when they really like someone.

How do you keep faith with inner city Dublin when you're often swanning around in five star places like this (the Soho Club on Ludlow Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side) I ask?

“I think when you see it that way then you're doing good,” says Keoghan. “People can get lost in the movie star world. They can't check in with reality, whereas I live at home with me girl surrounded by real people.

“Also the Irish don't tend to put anyone on a pedestal. They'll be like, cop on now will ya? There's that at home which is great for me.”

Keoghan has a scene in his new film opposite Kidman where he's eating spaghetti which he still somehow manages to make one of the most threatening scenes in the entire film.

“There's so many layers to that scene,” he agrees. “I'm sitting in my boxers opposite Nicole Kidman and I'm asking myself as an actor, how can I make this scary? I just thought if I underplay everything, you know the more you throw away the bigger the impact. I downplayed it.  It was fun.”

The story of the film, what happens to the central characters, feels like Greek tragedy I say.

“I'm not aware of any of that,” he laughs. “I don't know about what Greek tragedy is. I only heard that from the likes of interviewers. I'm like, what's a Greek tragedy? I don't even know that.”

What he does know, instinctively, is how to nail a scene. He's so believable, his character is so perfectly realized, that for my money he carries the entire film.

Not that he would ever let that go to his head, though. It's very clear from talking to him how much he enjoys the success of other Irish actors and being counted among them himself.

“Fassbender's from her town down in Killarney,” says Keoghan nodding at Shona. “He goes home, has a pint with his father on Christmas and he's just a Joe Soap.”

Has he seen Chris O'Dowd in Get Shorty?  “Not yet. Chris O'Dowd's a legend isn't he? I like him.”

Later in the week Keoghan and Shona are flying back to Ireland for the Irish premiere of the film. Shona only recently saw it for the first time, and her response was one shared by many seasoned critics.

“She texted me WTF after she seen it,” Keoghan laughs. “That's the best reaction. I love this film because people either f***ing love it or they hate it. You have to understand and have an appreciation for Yorgos' language and his rhythms, you know?

You can have a perfect life, a perfect family, lots of money, and a gorgeous house the film says. Then suddenly something or someone pulls on a string and unravels it all. That's what makes The Killing of a Sacred Deer so unsettling. It's our awareness of just how much we're all hanging by a thread in life.

“A little torment comes in and f***s around with everything,” Keoghan laughs.

“That's Yorgos. He tends to like the Irish I think. He loves Colin. He works with Irish producer Ed Guiney a lot.  He tries to impersonate the Irish every f***ing day. He's always saying ‘alright to me. He has said to me I have been mistaken for Irish a few times. I'm like, ‘No you haven't.’ We do share a similar outlook though. The Greek people are lovely people and so are the Irish.”

Keoghan has worked with two of the top filmmakers in the world -- Christopher Nolan in the summer smash Dunkirk, and now Lanthimos -- back to back.

“I'm blessed. I had the chance to show the vulnerability of a young lad who is naive in Dunkirk (and star alongside Steven Spielberg's favorite actor Mark Rylance). It was dream for me within a few months to play these two characters in two big films.”

The more he goes away from Ireland now the more he wants to go back to it Keoghan says.

“I think every Irish person would tell you that nearly, whatever profession they're in. I have a lot of respect for me country now that I'm getting older and I can see why people really love Irish people. They're warm, they're fighters, they're a good crowd.”

What about his own Irish ambitious? “I want to work with Irish filmmakers like Lenny Abrahamson on Irish productions, because we're a talented bunch. I mean that, for such a small little country, we're story tellers.”

Keoghan's own background is far from idyllic, though. His mother started taking heroin when he was a child and by the age of five he and his brother were sent to foster care. Later she passed away from her addiction and the two boys were raised by his grandmother and aunt.

“I’d say I was 11 and me brother was 10 but I don't know what age I was. I asked me nanny (grandmother) and she said, No, you were nine and he was eight.’ But from around then. The Irish mammy is a big deal, isn't it? Especially cos' they're so tough,” Keoghan says.

“But my granny stepped in and her and my aunt they are a big part of my life. They took me in and they were good to me. But when the nanny steps in she's like the toughest of them all. You don't get to be a mammy's boy with her for long.”

Passing through Dublin’s north inner city on my last trip to Ireland, the airport bus was attacked by some local kids looking for kicks I tell him. One of them fired a rock at the back window shattering it, I say.

“That was probably me,” he laughs. “A bus was it? I'm not going to say something there. It's so weird you said the window smashed. I lived down the road from there. That's a great area. The whole inner city like.

“I live in flats as well. It's different in them, a real community. Everyone knocks in if they need milk.”

How does he put the two together? The flats and the high fliers?

“I think about it but I can see that line. I'll go home now in a few days and I'll butter my own bread, like. Well, she butters it with Kerrygold. As I say, they're only good for butter,” Keoghan joke.

“Nah, you're home and you're back to reality. I'm working on a good few things. I'm staying patient. I've a good record and I'm keeping that up.

“This is the perks,” he says looking around the tony Soho Club. “I can bring my girlfriend and see New York and LA. But I got to stay focused on where I'm from and who I am.”

Take your own Irish ghost adventure by exploring the Irish demons, monsters, and ghosts terrifying the public since the dawn of Celtic mythology.

The Irish word for demon is deamhan and it is certainly well used because Celtic mythology has always feared an array of evil forces, monsters, demons, and ghosts. The ancient Celts had hundreds of Irish mythical deities, but as with most cultures, they had their demons as well.

Some of the Celtic “monsters” were originally gods but were later demonized as pagan creatures when many of the Celts became Christians.

IrishCentral has hunted down the 10 most frightening of these Celtic and Irish demons and monsters.

Dearg Due – the Irish vampire

Yes, Dracula himself is an Irish creation (Irishman Bram Stoker created the monster in his masterpiece novel), but there’s also a vampire that resides right smack in the middle of Ireland.

Dearg-due, an Irish name meaning “red blood sucker,” is a female demon that seduces men and then drains them of their blood.

According to the Celtic legend, an Irish woman who was known throughout the country for her beauty fell in love with a local peasant, which was unacceptable to her father.

Dad forced her into an arranged marriage with a rich man who treated her terribly, and eventually, she commits suicide.

She was buried near Strongbow’s Tree in Waterford, and one night, she rose from her grave to seek revenge on her father and husband, sucking their blood until they dropped dead.

Now known as Dearg-due, the vampire rises once a year, using her beauty to lure men to their deaths.

Not to worry, though – there is one way to defeat Dearg-due.

To prevent the undead from rising from the grave, simply build a pile of stones over her grave. No, it won’t kill her, but at least you’ll hold her off until next year!

The Dullahan – the Irish headless horseman

Another legendary Irish monster is the Dullahan, a name that can be translated to “dark man.”

Often portrayed in contemporary fantasy fiction and video games, this foreteller of death is the Irish version of the headless horseman.

The Dullahan rides a headless black horse with flaming eyes, carrying his head under one arm. When he stops riding, a human dies.

Some versions of this legend say that the Dullahan throws buckets of blood at people he passes, while other say he simply calls out the name of the mortal that will soon die.

As with most evil forces, the Dullahan has a weakness – gold.

The creature is scared of the substance, so any lonely travelers this Halloween night would be wise to have some on him in case they have a run-in with this headless horror!

Banshee – the Irish wailing ghost

A famous Irish creature that some say teams up with the Dullahan is the Banshee.

One of the most recognizable Celtic creatures, having made a guest appearance in “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” and all, the Banshee is a female spirit whose wail, if heard outside of a house, foretells the death of one of its inhabitants.

Several versions of the Banshee legend say the feared ghost rode alongside the Dullahan in a black cart drawn by six black horses. The pair is said to whip the horses with a human spinal cord.

But most legends say the Banshee was terrifying enough on her own.

Descriptions of her appearance vary, from an ugly old hag to a beautiful young woman, but all agree that the creature’s blood-curdling wail will be heard three times before someone dies.

Balor – the Celtic demon king

Balor is the demonic God of Death in Celtic mythology.

Sporting one eye and a single gigantic leg, the evil creature was King of the Fomori, demons who lived in the dark depths of lakes and seas.

Balor can kill someone just by staring at them with his evil eye, so he kept it closed most of the time, so as not to constantly be tripping over dead bodies.

The God of Death would provide his Fomori with victims, but the evil race was left to their own devices when Balor was killed by his son Lug, who shot him with a slingshot.

Now the Fomori have returned to their waters and transformed into sea monsters who prey on humans.

Perhaps it’d be a good idea to stay away from any bodies of water this Halloween!

Sluagh – the dead Irish sinners

Though they’re not so much “demons,” Sluagh are scary creatures that hunt down souls.

According to Irish folklore, Sluagh is dead sinners that come back as malicious spirits.

These spirits come from the west, flying in groups like flocks of birds, and try to enter a house where someone is dying to take away that person’s soul.

Some Irish families would keep their west-facing windows shut at all times to keep the Sluagh out of their homes.

Some say the Sluagh is the Irish version of the Wild Hunt, a European folktale about ghostly hounds or spirits traveling around in packs foretelling of death and disaster.

Carman – the Celtic witch

Carman is the Celtic goddess of evil magic.

This destructive witch roamed around with her three evil sons: Dub (“darkness” in Irish), Dother (“evil”) and Dain (“violence”), destroying anything or anyone in their path.

Carman put a blight on Ireland’s crops and terrorized the Irish until the Tuatha De Danann, the “peoples of the goddess Danu,” used their magic to fight and defeat her, and drove her sons across the sea.

Guess this is one demon you can check off your list of scary creatures to worry about this Halloween.

Kelpie – the Celtic sea monster

The kelpie is a monster right out of Celtic myth. The creature can take on multiple shapes, but usually, it appears in the form of a horse.

The kelpie galloped around Ireland, looking like a lost pony, attempting to trick women and children into riding on it. But the strange thing about this pony is that its mane would always be dripping with water.

If a woman hopped on, the monster would then run into the water, drowning its victim, and then would take her to its lair to eat her.

The Irish demon would sometimes transform into a handsome man to lure women into its trap, but a telltale sign that it was a kelpie was if that “man” had kelp in its hair.

Ladies, take note – meet a guy with seaweed on his head on Halloween night, don’t go home with him!

Caorthannach – the Celtic fire-spitter

Caorthannach, thought by some to be the devil’s mother, is a demon that was fought off by St. Patrick when he banished the snakes out of Ireland.

The saint is said to have stood on the mountain now known as Croagh Patrick and expelled all the serpents and demons out of the Emerald Isle into the sea to drown.

One monster, however, managed to escape – Caorthannach, the fire-spitter. The demon slid down a mountain away from the saint, but Patrick spotted her and chased her down upon the fastest horse in Ireland, which was brought to him.

The pursuit was a long one, and Caorthannach knew St. Patrick would need water to quench his thirst along the way, so she spit fire as she fled, and poisoned every well she passed.

Though the saint was desperately thirsty, he refused to drink from the poisoned wells and prayed for guidance.

Patrick eventually made it to the Hawk’s Rock, where he waited for Caorthannach. As the demon approached, he jumped out from his hiding spot and banished her from Ireland with a single word.

The evil fire-spitter drowned in the ocean, leaving a swell behind that created the famous Hawk’s Well.

Leanan Sidhe – the evil Irish fairy-muse

Both a muse and a demon, Leanan Sidhe is another one of Ireland’s mythological vampires.

The fairy was a beautiful woman who was said to give inspiration to poets and musicians – but at the price of their lives.

She would make the artist her lover, sharing with them her intelligence, creativity, and magic, but when she left, the men would be so depressed, they'd die.

Leanan Sidhe would then take her dead lovers back to her lair.

Rather than directly suck the blood of her victims, Leanan Sidhe got creative and collected their blood in a giant red cauldron, which was the source of her beauty and artistic inspiration.

As with Dearg-due, to prevent the undead Leanan Sidhe from rising, one must put a cairn of stones over her resting place.

A tip to artists: perhaps you should look elsewhere for inspiration, rather than risk falling into the evil hands of the Leanan Sidhe!

Questing Beast – the Celtic hybrid monster

Another snake-like evil Celtic creature is the Questing Beast, a monster with the head of a snake, the body of a leopard, the backside of a lion and the hooves of a deer.

The beast’s constant cry was said to sound like the bark of 30 dogs.

The Questing Beast, known to be quick, was hunted down by many a knight, and in Celtic myth was chased by King Pellinore, an Arthurian character.

This beast appears not only in the legends of King Arthur but also in Edmund Spenser’s epic tale “The Faerie Queene,” which in part, tackles the troubled relationship between England and Ireland in the 16th century.

This is one scary creature you don’t have to worry about this Halloween – unless you dress up as a knight.

Read more: Demons and devils - top US shrink says he has treated some possessed by the devil

* Originally published in January 2014.

The Irish Sunday Times has named Michael Colgan, 66, who resigned as artistic director of the Gate Theatre in Dublin this year, as the powerful figure several women have made sexual accusations against.

Strict Irish libel laws have made it tougher for allegations such as were leveled against Harvey Weinstein to be made in Ireland.

The paper revealed that three women have accused Colgan of sexual propositions and in one case forcing an actress in an interview to wear skimpy clothing and a push-up bra.

Read More: Irish director hopes Harvey Weinstein scandal will reveal “powerful abusers” in Ireland

Grace Dyas, a Dublin-based director, claimed Colgan told her last year she had lost so much weight, “I’d almost have sex with you.” He later denied the comments.

Colgan is also alleged to have suggested he get a massage from Annette
Clancy, a former program administrator of the Dublin Theatre Festival whose resume referred to a qualification in “holistic massage therapy.”

The former Gate Theatre director refused to answer numerous media queries at the weekend.

Dyas, a writer and producer with TheatreClub, alleged Colgan said she should wear dresses and “make more of myself appearance-wise.”

She claims that at a party after the 2017 launch of Dublin Theatre Festival, Colgan, while “quite drunk,” asked her if she had lost weight.

“I said ‘Yeah, I lost weight for my wedding. I just got married.’ He said, ‘You’ve lost so much weight, I’d almost have sex with you.’

“I was taken aback but not surprised. I said ‘Michael, you can’t say that to me!’ He replied ‘What? I didn’t say I would f*** you. You haven’t lost that much weight.’” Colgan later dismissed the remark as a joke.

Read More: Guinness heiress spoke out about predator Harvey Weinstein 7 years ago

Dyas claims he said she was “a pig” and that he would “never ever, ever want to have sex with her.”

She also has published text messages allegedly between herself and Colgan in which he calls her a “base liar” and never wanted to “breathe the same air [as her] again.”

“I will make sure the world knows how evil you are,” he allegedly texted.
Dyas was praised on social media by leading actors and directors, including Brian O’Byrne, Olwen Fouéré, Ger Ryan, Camille O’Sullivan and Annie Ryan.

Ali White, an actress who performed a series of Beckett plays at the Barbican in London in 1999 for the Gate, alleged she had to change into a push-up bra, hold-up stockings and high heels for a photocall arranged by Colgan.

“The abuse of power I experienced first-hand at the photoshoot and witnessed on many occasions made me wary of him and ultimately angry that he was getting away with it,” she said.

Read More: Harvey Weinstein’s struck Irish gold with My Left Foot

Helen O’Reilly, a former press officer at the Gate, stated that she was “glad vile behavior” was being exposed. “Wish I spoke up sooner,” she said.

Clancy, a former program administrator of the Dublin Theatre Festival who has the holistic massage qualification, stated that Colgan made lewd remarks to her.

“When it comes to his turn to ask me a question he draws attention to my qualification as a massage therapist and says ‘well I wish you would give me a massage someday,’” Clancy posted on social media.

She subsequently took a court case about Colgan and his remarks featured in the case.

“I ended up getting a substantial settlement from the festival and agreed to a ‘voluntary redundancy,’” she said.

The hashtag #IrishWeinstein is being widely used in Ireland to discuss alleged offenders.

Fox News' Sean Hannity has called a Newsweek article slamming Irish American conservatives "a disgusting, ignorant display of bigotry.”

The controversial article published by the magazine was written by history professor Van Gosse and titled “Why are all the conservative loudmouths Irish-American?”

In response to the article, which has also provoked the ire of some Newsweek readers, Sean Hannity said: "Perhaps Newsweek should learn the history of people like my Grandparents who came to this country with no money, faced discrimination and poverty all in the hopes that their children and grandchildren could have a better life.

"Newsweek is a disgrace, and to publish such hatred and bigotry in this day and age is beyond the pale," he added. "Likely the reason Newsweek is a failing publication."

 According to FoxNews.com, the opinion piece sought to explain “putative Irishmen” such as former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan and ex-White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon “are now the face of the hard Right.”

Read More:  Sean Hannity on the real Donald Trump, his own roots and getting that Irish passport

Gosse, who claims to be a quarter Irish-American on his father’s side, asks in his article, "Why has the ascent of a bunch of people who in an earlier period might have been called Micks drawn no notice at all?"

Gosse, a professor at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania wrote that by the 1960s, Irish Catholics, who were once in the outskirts of American society, had “finally made it and become fully ‘white.’”

“Having fought their way to full inclusion, many were intent on pulling up the drawbridge,” he said.

“Jump forward to the present…Irish America has lost virtually all its distinctive qualities, becoming just one more version of whiteness colored by ethnicity,” Gosse wrote.

He added that someone saying they are “Irish Catholic” is like saying they are “Midwestern.”

“The only thing “Irish” about them is a talent for invective, which makes for a compelling style, a mix of pugnacity and certainty,” he continued. “They are smart, articulate, and not at all embarrassed, especially when their opinions are vicious.”

Some Newsweek readers called Gosse’s piece “racist” and demanded Newsweek apologize to Irish Americans.

Read More: Sean Hannity says Trump should ban all press from the White House

“Some major bigotry going on here. What was Newsweek thinking publishing racist diatribe?!?” said one commenter.

“I'm second generation Irish American on my father's side," another reader said. "I'm not usually bothered by Irish stereotypes. But this article is so dripping with ignorance it's jaw-dropping and utterly offensive. Replace the word 'Irish' with any other ethnicity and it would never have gone to print and/or the author would've been fired. I'm stunned that a person of such ignorance is allowed to teach.”

Irish Diaspora Minister Ciaran Cannon denied claims that the Irish government will cut its 2018 budget funding for the diaspora.  

“In a press release and in statements to the Seanad there has been an assertion that the 2018 funding for the diaspora has been cut. This is not the case,” Cannon said on Monday.

“It is important that the correct position is highlighted. I am pleased to confirm that the Department’s overall current expenditure… has actually increased by €2.2 million, from €69.6 million in 2017 to €71.8 million in 2018.

“The government remains fully committed to supporting Irish communities abroad. It is important for our communities abroad to know this,” Cannon continued.

“Not only has the government not cut funding for our diaspora this year, but we are finding new ways of funding supports for groups such as returning emigrants. For example, the application process is currently open for a new program called Back for Business, a mentoring program which will assist returning emigrants to set up new businesses.

“There is no truth in any suggestion or perception that the government is cutting funding to the Irish abroad.”

The murder of a 15-year-old girl, Ellen Scanlan, in 1819, County Limerick, at the request of her husband is still one of Ireland's most talked about crimes

The story is shocking. The murder of a young girl at the request of her husband is still to this day one of Ireland's most talked about crimes.

The gruesome true tale tells of the poor Ellen Scanlan (nee Hanley), who was only 15 years old when she was murdered in 1819. She has since become known as the "Colleen Bawn," an anglicized spelling of "Cailín Bán" meaning the "pure/innocent girl."

A young happy bride

Ellen was known for being a beauty that would turn heads everywhere she went, with a friendly and joyous disposition that made all those who met her instantly warm to her. Her father was a Co. Limerick farmer and her mother died when Ellen was a child, so Ellen was brought up by her uncle John Connery.

Just shy of 16 years old, she met with John Shanley, of the Ballykehan House, near Ruff in Co. Limerick, who was in his twenties Despite her reservations about his station in the world compared to her own, he convinced her to marry him, eloping from the home of her uncle in early July 1819.

Tiring of his wife - organizing her murder

Her happiness was no to last, however, as, despite Shanley's claims that he wasn't concerned about his family when he saw that she wouldn't be accepted by them, and he began to "tire" of his wife, he persuaded his servant Stephen Sullivan to kill her.

Sullivan took her out on the River Shannon near Kilrush, County Clare, where he killed her with a musket, stripped her, and dumped her body in the river, tied to a stone.

Her body washed ashore six weeks later at Moneypoint, Co. Clare. 

Defended by Daniel O'Connell

Both men had fled, but Scanlan was found first and arrested for murder. The famous barrister Daniel O'Connell, generally known as the Great Emancipator for his work to win the vote for Catholics in Ireland despite himself being Protestant, defended him at his trial. (Modern-day Dublin's main street, O'Connell St, is named after the great O'Connell.)

He was found guilty, however, and hanged at Gallows Green, the place of execution on the Clare side of the Shannon.

Sullivan was apprehended shortly afterward, confessed, and also hanged.

Ellen's death has since been the inspiration for novels, plays, and operas, including this silent film from 1911, thankfully now restored by the Irish Film Institute and Trinity College Dublin. 

Ellen is buried in Burrane cemetery near Kilrush, Co. Clare but the headstone over her grave has now vanished, as souvenir hunters gradually chipped off piece after piece over the past 200 years.

Her headstone in the shape of a cross that once read:

"Here lies the Colleen Bawn,

Murdered on the Shannon,

July 14th, 1819. R.I.P."

* Originally published in October 2010.

Ancient Irish Halloween myths and legends to get you in the Halloween and Samhain festival spirit

Samhain is the ancient Irish festival that became Halloween as we know it and its because of these Irish roots that we have plenty of Halloween-worthy spooky, ancient Irish legends and myths.  Here's a look at the importance of Samhain in the Celtic calendar and Irish folklore. 

Irish Halloween myths and legends - Celtic Celebrations

The Celts believed the year was divided into two parts, the lighter half in the summer and the darker half in the winter. Samhain, or Halloween as it is now called, was the division between these halves. The Celts believed that the veil between our world and the other world was thinnest at this time. Oíche Shamhna (October 31) is Halloween and Lá na Marbh (November 1) is the Day of the Dead, or All Saints Day, when those who have passed away are remembered.

According to the American Folklife Center at the U.S. Library of Congress, Celts wore costumes to confuse the spirits now roaming our world and to avoid capture.

Irish Halloween myths and legends - Fionn MacCool

According to one of the several stories recounted in the “Tales of the Elders,” every year at Samhain for twenty three years the fire breathing creature Aillen would lull the men of Tara to sleep and burn the court to the ground during the night. The young hero Fionn MacCumhail avoided sleep by sticking the sharp end of his spear into his forehead and killed Aillen with that spear on Samhain. Because of this deed, he was made head of the Fianna.

Irish Halloween myths and legends - Lugh

Probably best known as Cu Chulainn’s father, the god of light enters the court at Tara to join the Tuatha de Dannan at Samhain. According to Whitney Stokes’ 1891 volume “The Second Battle of Moytura,”when Lugh enters the court, the Tuatha de Danann are oppressed by the Fomorians. After the high king gives him command over the Tuatha de Danna, Lugh begins preparations to overthrow them. After days of battle, Lugh and the Tuatha de Danna are victorious.

Read more: Frightening Irish demons and monsters from Celtic myth

Irish Halloween myths and legends - Queen Maeve

In the ancient Irish epic poem, "Tain Bo Cualigne," the legendary Queen Maeve of Connacht waits until Samhain to start the Cattle Raid of Cooley. During her raid, which drives the plot of the epic, she attempts to capture a prize bull of Ulster in order to match the possessions of her husband Aillel. The young hero Cu Chulainn single-handedly defends Ulster until the Ulster men’s birth pangs are over and they can fight.

Irish Halloween myths and legends - Emer

As noted in John T. Koch’s “The Celts: History, Life, and Culture,” in the myth “The Wooing of Emer” Samhain is mentioned a couple times. The story follows the courtship of the lovely Emer, who is transformed into various creatures before being reunited with her husband. Samhain is the first of the four “quarter days” mentioned by the titled heroine. Also in this story, Oengus claims the kingship of Bru na Boinne, what is today Newgrange, on Samhain. 

Irish Halloween myths and legends - Nera

This hero from Cruachan undergoes a bravery test set forth by King Ailill. For the king’s own gold-hilted sword, a man must leave Ailill’s hall and go to the gallows where a man was hung and tie a twig around the man’s ankle. Others had tried and given up after spirits harried them.

On Samhain night, Nera completes the task and the man comes alive and asks for a cup of water. After Nera gets him water, he sees the royal buildings burned to the ground and a woman from the fairy mounds tells him its a vision that will come to pass if the people of the court are not warned.

In one version of the myth cited in Patricia Monaghan’s “Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore,” he is captured by the fairies and held in a fairy mound until next Samhain.

Have you any other Irish Halloween myths, legends, or stories? Let us know about them in the comments section below. 

You may know Irish journalist Caitriona Perry best from a famous incident in the Oval Office earlier this year. The Washington, D.C.-based Irish reporter for RTE and author of the new book In America, Tales From Trump Country, got an unexpectedly close encounter with her own subject when she was summoned to Donald Trump’s desk at the White House before he was put through on a phone call to the new Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Perry, the White House correspondent for Ireland's national broadcaster RTE, was stunned to be ushered into Trump's presence for a brief meeting he requested himself. “One minute we were outside the window, and the next minute I'm meeting the president of the United States,” she told the press.

Trump, still on the line with Varadkar, called Perry over to him. “We have all of this beautiful Irish press,” said Trump. Then he added, “She has a nice smile on her face so I bet she treats you well.”

What exactly was that supposed to mean?

Varadkar is openly gay, Perry is a reporter with almost two decades of experience to her name and not a Playboy bunny.  Did Trump have any idea who he was speaking to?

The answer is of course not. If he had seen an advanced galley of Perry’s remarkable new book on the reasons why he was elected in the first place he would have been even more circumspect.

“An overwhelming number of women around the world contacted me to say they could identify with this experience – unsolicited male attention,” Perry writes in her new book.

She does not say unwanted, but the context seems to make it clear. The moment of their meeting had gone viral around the world, and it had made a lot of women wince.

But Perry, like a lot of women, has also learned to develop a thick skin in a field where men predominate. In her life, as in her work, she has learned how to focus on the central issues, not all the distracting chatter.

“This is also what Trump did,” she writes. “He tapped into that zeitgeist of unfulfilled potential, of overbearing frustration, and gave the people (of the Rust Belt) what they wanted. As a veteran businessman, he saw a gap in the market and went for it – big league.”

You know all about why so many people didn't vote for Trump, she writes. Her book is about who – and why – some did. Tragically, if you take a map of the states with the highest number of people living below the poverty line and a map showing the states that voted for Trump and you lined them up on top of each other, they are almost identical, she writes.

In these states the Affordable Care Act (i.e. Obamacare) is often what is keeping people from bankruptcy and homelessness; that's the same Obamacare that Trump has mercilessly attacked since he came to office.

What Perry understands and writes about with an almost unprecedented clarity is how this silver spoon plutocrat who has never know privation or want somehow convinced the white working class in America that he was one of them, that he understood them, that he shared their outlooks.

“He, in many ways, is the everyman -- and yet in no way is he the everyman,” she writes.

Trump won by promising that manufacturing jobs would magically come back to a Rust Belt that has seen its economy crater. He promised to build a magic wall to stem undocumented immigration. He promised to repeal Obamacare and in turn make Trumpcare affordable.

He promised not to take any days off being president for golf trips like Barack Obama. He promised a so-called ban on Muslims coming into the country. He promised to protect DACA children from jeopardy.

He hasn't delivered on any of these signature campaign promises and his base – the most alienated people in America, who feel that the country has moved on without them – have more and more reason to suspect he may never.

Dismiss these voters and their retribution at your peril, Perry concludes. Their wrath may be directed at Republicans as easily as Democrats.

Theresa May has told the British Parliament that it should honor Irish republican heroine Countess Constance Markievicz next year for the centenary of her election.

Most British women were granted the right to vote and stand for election to the House of Commons by the Representation of the People Act 1918 after the Great War and Markievicz was the sole women to be elected in that year’s General Election.

Read More: British Labour Leader to erect plaque to 1916 heroine Countess Markievicz

As a Sinn Féin MP she refused to take her seat in Westminster, choosing instead to sit in Dublin along with colleagues who formed what they called the First Dáil.

Asked at Prime Minister’s Questions by a colleague, Nicky Morgan, about the upcoming centenary, May said, “Can I say to my right honourable friend, that I think it is important that we mark the centenary next year and recognise the role that women have played in this House and in their time in the area of public life.”

MPs "should have due care & attention to the way.... we refer to other people and should show women in public life the respect they deserve" pic.twitter.com/WbAcZYoha9

— Daily&SundayPolitics (@daily_politics) October 25, 2017

Neither Morgan or May mentioned Markievicz by name and, unlike in Ireland where she is a household name, it’s possible that the pair were unaware that an Irish republican was the first woman to be elected to serve in the House of Commons.

After her election Markievicz was appointed Minister for Labor in the rebel Government of the Irish Republic and played a prominent role in Cumann na mBan (the Women’s IRA) during the War of Independence and Civil War.

If the idea of honoring such a fearsome foe of the Crown is too much for the British Conservative party to handle then the centenary of Lady Nancy Astor’s election in 1919 offers an alternative: like Markievicz she was married to a peer but that’s really where comparisons end. Astor was elected for Plymouth Sutton in 1919 and crucially took her seat, loyally serving in the House of Commons for over two and a half decades.

Read More: Inspiring quotes from amazing Irish women

Enda Kenny's much-lauded St. Patrick's Day speech in the U.S. has helped the former taoiseach (Irish prime minister) carve out a lucrative new career as an after dinner speaker.

Kenny is the latest high-profile addition to the prestigious U.K.-based Speakers Associates agency, where he is listed in the highest fee category. The ex-Fine Gael leader, who stepped down as taoiseach in June, is charging upwards of $26,000 per talk, the price bracket reserved for the agency's most sought-after speakers.

Along with praising the 66-year-old father-of-three's political legacy, the agency's website described their latest recruit as a "captivating and memorable" speaker. And in a glowing profile on the Co. Mayo native, the agency's chiefs singled out his celebrated St. Patrick's Day lecture on immigration to President Donald Trump. Kenny's speech on Capitol Hill was viewed more than 30 million times and received universal praise, with many praising the then-outgoing taoiseach for his courage in standing up to Trump.

In its profile on Mr. Kenny, the website states,  "As a speaker, he is captivating and memorable, whose expertise and experience in leading Ireland through its worst recession provides valuable insight to his audiences." Kenny isn't the only Irish public figure, who's listed in the highest “on application” price bracket.

Irish TV presenter Graham Norton and Live Aid hero Bob Geldof are two of the agency's most in-demand speakers, both able to command hefty fees, as well as expenses, for a single talk. Former Irish President Mary Robinson and ex-Formula One boss Eddie Jordan are also among the highest-paid orators on the agency's books.  

Michael Flatley has signed with a new agency.

The 59-year-old Irish American dancer and choreographer has signed with CAA for worldwide representation.

Read More: 23 years ago Riverdance changed Irish dance forever

Billboard reports that CAA will work with Flatley “to identify new opportunities in television, film, endorsements, personal appearances, publishing, and beyond. Flatley's attorney is Simon Esplen at Russells Solicitors.”

The Chicago-native, who was behind touring hosts "Lords of the Dance," "Feet of Flames" and "Celtic Tiger," will also bring his touring properties to the agency.

Read More: You won’t believe how much U2, Liam Neeson, Rory McIlroy, Michael Flatley are worth

Although Flatley officially retired from Irish dancing in 2015, he continues to tour and develop dance properties. He also made his film debut in the short film “A Little Bit of Tear” earlier this year.

Ireland has one of the most haunted areas in the world, three castles close to each other in County Offaly, says an expert.

Irish Ghost Hunters chief Tim Kelly said paranormal activity is particularly strong in the three ancient castles which make up the county's famous “'haunted triangle,” namely, Kinnitty, Leap and Charleville.

The Dublin-based spook detector said: "There's no doubt in my mind that Co. Offaly is the most haunted county in Ireland, indeed probably one of the most haunted areas in Europe.

"Over the years we've conducted hundreds and hundreds of paranormal investigations and there's something about Offaly, particularly the energy around that haunted triangle."

Recalling an overnight poltergeist probe in Kinnitty Castle - which is a popular four-star hotel - a number of years ago, the 49-year-old said: "It was a pretty spooky experience. The eeriest part of it was when I was leaving one of the big old rooms there and I suddenly heard my name, 'Tim' being whispered.

"There was only one other investigator with me at the time and before I had chance to say anything, he turned round to me and said, 'I've just heard your name being called.'"

Read more: The most haunted places in Ireland for Halloween

Kelly - whose six-man team use hi-tech gadgetry, including thermal-imaging cameras and powerful audio equipment for their investigations - said he's encountered similarly creepy experiences at nearby Leap and Charleville.

But he also singled the remote Hellfire Club in the Dublin mountains and Wicklow Gaol as two other locations his team had noted for their paranormal activity.

He said: "Over the years we've probably done over 100 investigations at Wicklow Gaol, and probably every second or third visit we'd pick up something, which is not surprising given all the cruelty, suffering and death that took place in the gaol.

"I don't like the atmosphere in the Hellfire Club. We've done about five or six investigations there, and it's not somewhere I particularly want to return to. There's a very cold and negative vibe there."

Meanwhile, Kelly, who when not ghoul-busting works as a radio presenter, and his crack team said they hope to conduct their first-ever paranormal investigation at Dublin's Shelbourne Hotel.

One of the rooms in the luxury five-star retreat is said to be haunted by the ghost of Mary Masters, a mischievous seven-year-old girl who died of cholera in 1791.

Where's the spookis plae you've ever been in Ireland?

Condemnation has been swift after the gates of Belfast’s main Catholic cemetery were torched at the weekend.

It’s believed that local young people were responsible for the attack on Milltown Cemetery on the Falls Road.

The arson attack came after large groups of youths – who had previously gathered at the nearby Falls Park and adjacent City Cemetery – had been moved on in recent weeks.

They had been drinking and causing trouble late at night.

An angry West Belfast MP Paul Maskey said: “The young people who carried this out most likely have relatives buried in this graveyard and it’s appalling that they would even consider causing destruction in this way and dishonor the memory of their loved ones.”

He added: “Sinn Féin called a special meeting of the People and Communities Committee of Belfast City Council last Wednesday at which we proposed that extra resources be put into the Falls Park to counter anti-social behavior.

Read more: West of Ireland community heartbroken after vandals destroy their church

“As a result of this, extra safer neighborhood wardens are being put into the park and the council will also be moving to employ mobile attendants who will have a specific responsibility for safety within parks in West Belfast.”

“While I was in the cemetery this morning I spoke to many relatives of people who have loved ones buried here. They expressed their anger and sadness that a small minority of young people could even consider doing something like this.”

SDLP Councilor Tim Attwood added: “Those responsible for this callous attack on a place of remembrance and reflection have no respect for this community or those who come here to pay respects to loved ones.

“This is a disgusting attack and those responsible must be brought to justice.”

PSNI Area Commander for West Belfast, Chief Inspector Kellie McMillan, said: “This is a cemetery, a graveyard, a place for quiet reflection to peacefully pay respects to loved ones who are no longer with us.

“This is not acceptable behavior and a robust response from policing and the criminal justice sector is required. 

“I am appealing to parents and guardians to know the whereabouts of their children and who they are with and to play a role in preventing them from becoming involved in behavior which could see them end up with a criminal record.” 

Here is a list of the 10 most ridiculous calls the Irish health service says they have had to respond to.

1. A woman in her 70s was said to be trapped in her kitchen. When the emergency crew arrived, they found she could not get her wellies (rubber boots) off.

2. A man who had been prescribed antibiotics for a cold called for an ambulance a couple of hours after taking them because he said the pills were not working.

3. An ambulance was called for a “14-year-old” in labor. On arrival, the crew found it was the family dog giving birth and not a teenage girl.

4. In another instance, paramedics responded to a call only to find the “cardiac arrest” patient was a dog and not a human.

5. An ambulance was called for a broken fingernail.

6. One person called emergency services because they could not sleep and thought their house was haunted.

7. A man called for an ambulance after getting his hand stuck in a mouse trap.

8. A woman called because she said she had bleeding that would not stop. The ambulance crew arrived to find “she was scratched after her cat and dog were fighting and she broke it up.”

9. A man, who was fully conscious and breathing, wanted an ambulance because he had a sunburn.

10. Another man called for paramedics because his new Christmas shoes were too tight and hurting his feet.

The National Ambulance Service said calls such as these “can put unnecessary additional demand on emergency services resources.

Read More: What nurses need to know when moving to Ireland

“More importantly, non-life-threatening calls can be time-consuming and may delay a genuine caller receiving timely medical assistance.”

H/T:  The Irish Times

From the funny to the terrifying stories, ghost sightings in Ireland are a top way to spook yourself out this Halloween. 

With the return of some of the best Irish traditions and stories such as Macnas and the growth of our Halloween (or Samhain) festivals, Ireland has become a great place to spend the "Night of the Living Dead". Yet Ireland's ghost sightings are just another reason why it's the top place to spend All Hallow's Eve. 

Even if you don't manage to attend any of the organized events, there are plenty of places around the country that will offer a spooky day or night trip at any time of the year. 

With a long and bloody history, Ireland has amassed a massive amount of ghosts (or at least ghostly speculation). 

From specters to strange appearances, here are ten of some of Ireland's most recent encounters with ghosts and spirits:

Are you a believer or a skeptic? Let us know in the comments section, below. 

Top ten ghost sightings in Ireland

Virgin and Child on stump, Rathkeale

Legend has it that a female specter which haunted the churchyard in Rathkeale, Limerick, was so terrifying that all who looked upon her died soon after.

A local man banished the ghost by slicing off her arm with his sword and praying for the rest of the night.

In an odd coincidence in 2009, the Limerick Newswire reported that a tree stump in the churchyard contains the image of the Virgin Mary and Child and that hundreds of visitors had come to the area to pray.

Short Green Men, Galway

Perhaps a leprechaun sighting? In 1992, a fifteen-year-old boy spied two figures, just over a meter tall, sea-fishing on the Aran Islands in Galway. The figures were each reportedly dressed in green and wearing brown shoes and were speaking to each other in Irish before they disappeared.

One of the small figures left behind a pipe which the 15-year-old witness took possession of, although it curiously disappeared later despite being “safely” locked away.

Waiting Lady at Ardgillan Castle, Dublin

In a location known as The Lady’s Stairs at Ardgillan Castle in Dublin, there have been reports of a recurring apparition of a lady, known as the Waiting Lady. The phantom woman is said to be waiting for her husband, who had drowned one night, to return, leaving his wife waiting on the bridge for him.

One version of the story says that whoever sees the Lady on Halloween night will be picked up and thrown into the ocean.

Lilac Balls of Light, Dublin

Reports are split as to what these apparent Balls of Light spotted in Glenasmole, Bohernabreena Dublin, actually are.

Some locals believe that their lilac color lends themselves to be fairies, while others believe the lights are the manifestation of a lady who lost her way in a snowstorm in the middle ages and died. It’s said that she now manifests herself in these balls of light to guide others home safely.

Headless Horseman, Dublin

Roper’s Rest, off Blackpitts Road in Dublin, was the home of Thomas Roper who became Viscount Baltinglass. Local residents have accounted for a headless horseman riding by after nightfall.

Although no specific connection has been established between Roper’s Rest and the horseman, it is rumored to be associated with a gruesome incident in which a member of the Roper family died and was unattended to for several days before burial.

Read more: How the Irish ward off evil spirits at Halloween

Screams of Spanish Soldiers at Dun an Oir, County Kerry

Over eight hundred Spanish soldiers landed in the area of Dun an Oir in 1580, overrunning an English garrison. Spanish reinforcements failed to come, however, and their victory was short lived when more English troops arrived forcing the Spaniards to surrender and meet their deaths.

Their death throes echo around the area on October 1, the anniversary of their defeat.

Robed Figure at Kilbeggan Distillery, Kerry

Whiskey isn’t the only spirit at this Kerry distillery. In 2007, several people were reported to have seen a robed figure walking around the site which is the oldest distillery in the world, dating back to 1757.

The Westmeath Examiner reports that Derek Acorah, the star of TV`s "Most Haunted" and "Ghost Towns," said he felt "engulfed" by spirits when he entered the distillery.

Weeping Statue in Dungloe at the Kerrytown shrine, Donegal

The Independent reports that on September 29, 2009, fourteen people claimed to witness crosses that formed in the sky above the shrine, before the statue became animated and began to weep.

The shrine has become a popular site after producing a religious apparition seventy years ago.

War Staff Apparitions, City of Derry Airport

This Derry Airport, formerly known as Eglinton Air Base, was a thriving location in the 1940s as it served as a base during WWII. Staff there have reported seeing figures dressed in World War Two clothing around the airport.

Rocking Virgin Mary at Ballinspittle Grotto, Cork

Cathy O'Mahony and her mother observed the statue of the Virgin Mary rocking on its heels on July 22, 1985. The following night they returned with friends who observed the same event.

Since this time, tens of thousands of people have visited the shrine in the hope of seeing something. The Independent reports more recently that O’Mahony stands by her observations, despite others ridiculing her.

Have you ever had a ghost sighting in Ireland? Tell us your story in the comments section. 

* Originally published in 2011.

Church of Ireland parishioners in the West of Ireland have been left heartbroken after vandals destroyed their church.

The Holy Trinity Church on the Errislannan peninsula in Clifden suffered extensive damage after an act of “utter vandalism.” It will cost tens of thousands of euro to repair the damage, the Irish Independent reports.

Every window was broken and all of the pews were ripped from the ground. The church’s organs and electrical fittings were completely destroyed. A cross was pulled from the wall and a bible was thrown through the window. The pulpit was split in two.

The Very Reverend Stan Evans, who leads services at the church, which is open all year round but holds services during the summer months, said the level of damage “beggars belief.”

Read More: Vandals desecrate Virgin Mary statue in Northern Ireland in apparent sectarian attack

“I was at a hospital appointment in Galway when I got a phone call from a parishioner telling me we had suffered serious vandalism. When I arrived back I didn’t believe what I was seeing. It was just utter and complete destruction,” he said.

Rev Evans said he believes more than one person was involved in vandalizing the church.

“There is just too much damage for one person. The cross was pulled off the wall and I believe it was used to smash the organ, it’s the only thing that could have caused that damage.

“The saddest thing is the parishioners. The building was dearly cherished but it is the parishioners who are deeply affected by this. We have a 92-year-old parishioner and that church has been her life and she is just devastated,” he added.

He said the entire community was rallying around the congregation and promised that the church would reopen for services next summer.

“We will have a lot of work to do but we will get the church open again for service next summer. It just broke our hearts.

“I want to stress we have the most wonderful ecumenical spirit in the community. I work with the parish priest as one. We do everything together. They will be as heartbroken by this as we are,” he added.

Police are currently investigating the damage.

The Irish Times reports that after news of the vandalism spread, the church was inundated with calls of support.

“It is so encouraging,” said Rev Evans.

Read More: Ireland has more Protestant priests training than Catholic

“People are offering to come and help but we can’t do anything at the moment because we are waiting for the gardaí to finish with the site and also the loss assessors are coming on Tuesday.

“After that the church committee will come together and we will draw up a plan as to where we go.

A GoFundMe page  has been set up for the church, and as of this writing, more than €10,900 has been raised. It is estimated that €70,000 is needed to repair the church.

London seems almost certain to set Northern Ireland’s budget as a key deadline for power-sharing looms today.

With no deal between the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin in sight, the DUP has urged James Brokenshire, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to take matters into his own hands and set a budget for the province.

In a statement to the press the party said, “Given Sinn Féin have dragged their feet over the last 10 months the Secretary of State should bring forward a budget to bring a measure of good government to Northern Ireland.”

Last week Brokenshire admitted to a committee of the British Parliament that, "Unless there is a renewed spirit of compromise then the outlook for imminent resolution is not positive."

Northern Ireland’s Assembly collapsed earlier this year amidst controversy about a renewal heating scheme that had been led by Arlene Foster. An election held in March this year saw a similar result to one held in May 2016 but no return to power sharing.

Read More: Calls for Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster to resign

Since then the DUP and Sinn Féin have held ongoing but fruitless negotiations. Key sticking points include the DUP’s opposition to an Irish Language Act and a free vote on marriage equality.

Ironically considering that it led to the Assembly’s collapse, the controversy over renewable heating is now seldom mentioned whilst other, more emotive issues, are still being fought over.

Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy said he thought a deal was still possible between the two parties but that, "[it] needs to be a deal for all in our society and not just for the political leaderships of unionism".

"If the political institutions are to be sustainable then they must be restored on the basis of equality, rights and respect.

"That requires an end to the DUP's denial of rights citizens enjoy everywhere else on these islands, language rights, marriage rights and the right to a coroner's court."

The Financial Times quoted a senior British official as saying, “We imagine they’ll continue to talk through until Monday. We’ve made clear what will happen if they don’t reach agreement.”

Contentiously, the newspaper also reported that the Theresa May’s promise of an extra $1.3 billion cash for Northern Ireland was off if the budget was set from Westminster.

Read More: Gerry Adams condemns unionists’ $1.3 billion deal to keep Theresa May in power

After Britain’s General Election in June, May’s Conservative party found itself a few short seats of an overall majority in Parliament; the DUP agreed to back them on key votes of confidence and those relating to Brexit and the budget in exchange for more money for schools, hospitals and infrastructure in Northern Ireland.

Reports that the $1.3 billion would not be included elicited a quick response from DUP legislator, Ian Paisley Jr, who accused the Financial Times of spreading, “FAKE NEWS”.  

This is FAKE NEWS from the @ftwestminster pic.twitter.com/NrKL2Dctw1

— Ian Paisley MP (@ianpaisleymp) October 30, 2017

Ultimately if no agreement between the DUP and Sinn Féin can be reached then the Assembly will be abolished and Northern Ireland will be wholly administered by the British Government.

The leader of the smaller nationalistic SDLP, Colum Eastwood, said his party found the idea of a return to direct rule “wholly unacceptable” and he would instead “seek joint stewardship of the North” by the British and Irish Governments.

But the British Government long ago ruled out such a proposal, saying that it would, “never countenance… joint authority”, meaning rule from London seems almost certain at this stage.

The province has long chosen to do certain things differently: unlike in the rest of the United Kingdom abortion and gay marriage are not allowed and school children are still assigned different high schools based on their performances in exams they sit at the age of 11.

Under direct rule those exemptions could come under sustained threat from British legislators most of whom are socially liberal.

The current Government may depend on the DUP for its survival but June saw it grant Northern Irishwomen and trans men free access to abortion in England after a number of its own Conservative legislators made clear they would support the policy.

It could be a glimpse into the future of a Northern Ireland wholly run by the British Parliament.