Yujung Kim (34) moved from South Korea to Dublin in 2015 and sees similarities between Irish and Korean culture because of their histories. “I feel that Irish people are similar to Korean people. According to Kim, Daegu has a large Irish population, as there is strong demand for English teachers in South Korea. Big employers in South Korea value this experience, because it tends to enhance good language and social skills. But now [that] my daughter goes to Korean school from when she was three, I get to see them every week.”Yujung Kim takes her daughter Lina Skye (6) to Korean school every Sunday.

In the surreal world in which we live, we are witnessing a grim departure from legal norms and evidence-based policymaking. Take, for example, the Irish Government’s General Scheme of the Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve Bill 2025. The Bill provides for the accelerated development of a strategic gas reserve. Now the Strategic Gas Bill attempts to bypass this judicial landmark before the ink is even dry. As many of the submissions to the Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment argue, compliance cannot be legislated into existence; it must be proven through evidence-based assessment.

Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless said he is considering “incentives” to try to keep Irish medical graduates in Ireland, because of “a concern that we lose a lot of our best graduates overseas”. Lawless said he is considering the merits of offering the loan to graduate entry medical students on a pilot basis, before possibly expanding it to other medical disciplines if it is popular. “I would be interested in exploring how we can roll that out more widely as a tool that covers more professions,” Lawless said, singling out graduate entry medicine. “Traditionally, in graduate entry medicine the fees are quite significant. There were commercial loans available and they have been withdrawn by the providers; Bank of Ireland, I think, was the primary one.

Photograph: Ben Brady/InphoSo then, was that a step forward for Ireland and might it give them a better chance of winning at Twickenham? That’s because, for the first time, there’s no down week after the opening two rounds of the Six Nations. A fortnight later in Twickenham, England ended Ireland’s Grand Slam hopes with a dramatic 23-22 win. Nor will the Irish scrum serve them or the rest of the team if recent trends are continued. They look like they are enjoying their rugby and it would be wonderful to see Ireland adopt some of that license to counterattack.

Jamie Osborne's versatility has meant that he has played on both wings and both midfield positions. And Osborne’s timely return from injury is likely to give him an extended run. It’s also easy to forget that the opening game in Paris was Osborne’s first outing since the win over Japan in November. Jamie Osborne scoring a try in the Six Nations game against Italy. “He always gets good go-forward ball and he’s so good at getting his hands free,” says Osborne.

Last month, An Post announced a range of price increases that came into effect at the start of February. Photograph: GettyWe have long championed small Irish businesses on this page and have frequently highlighted the importance and the benefits of shopping locally, so we were alarmed when alerted to a dramatic increase in delivery charges imposed by An Post. As you many be aware, last month An Post announced a range of price increases that came into effect at the start of February. She said many creative enterprises “really want to keep their shipping Irish, but the numbers are pushing them towards foreign‑owned couriers and online brokers”. She added that the price hike and the pressure it placed on small businesses was “especially painful for those relying on their local post office as their only realistic shipping access point.

As a result of the meeting, Bord Bia has committed to working with farmers on improving engagement and feedback. That partnership is being shattered.”“Farmers will not have confidence in Bord Bia while the chair’s company is importing Brazilian beef and chicken. Now it has also emerged his company is not even part of the Bord Bia food processing QA scheme, despite the Bord Bia website saying it was. Francie Gorman said IFA’s protest at the Bord Bia offices would continue. “IFA remains willing to engage with the minister, Bord Bia or other parties to try and resolve this dispute with a view to restoring confidence in Bord Bia,” he said.

The fabled Irish welcome is at risk if there is a backlash to short-term letting, the Government was warned last year. The balancing of tourism against the housing crisis is under renewed scrutiny as the Government prepares new regulations for the short-term letting sector. And Healy-Rae’s next ask is for measures to allow existing operators to continue in the short-term letting sector. The Department of Housing is to bring forward a National Planning Statement on short-term letting before May 20th addressing these matters. But he warns that the reasonable concern and confusion of small operators could operate as a “Trojan horse” for carveouts that would benefit major investors in short-term letting.

Irish fans walk by the covered ground before the cancelled T20 World Cup cricket match between Ireland and Zimbabwe in Pallekele, Sri Lanka today. There were also impressive knocks from Ross Adair and Harry Tector against Sri Lanka, while Dockrell clearly enjoyed his new position at No 8. “We had two very difficult games starting off, but finding ourselves in the position we did against Sri Lanka was a big part of what we planned for. “The end of a World Cup is the end of a cycle, and there are always decisions and questions being asked, and things to reflect on. As he said, Ireland came close to beating Sri Lanka in that opening game and probably would have but for one glaring mistake in the field.

Irish holidaymakers heading to Cuba have been told to contact their travel agents “immediately” after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) changed their travel advice for the country. The second-highest level of warning has been issued for the country, with Irish travellers being told to “Avoid Non-Essential Travel”. In a statement, Clare Dunne, chief executive of the Irish Travel Agents Association, said she would “strongly recommend” anyone thinking of travelling to Cuba check the DFA’s advice and check with their travel agent before making any bookings. Ms Dunne added: “When the DFA advise to Avoid Essential Travel to a particular country, Cuba in this instance, it usually means that the travel insurance policy will not cover travel to that country. “The number of Irish citizens who travel from Ireland to Cuba has declined over the past few years and is now very low.

Nine out of ten bookings on short-term lettings platforms in Ireland were for entire homes, internal Government documents reveal. This is significantly higher than the split between full homes and individual beds advertised on four of the largest platforms, which, according to statistics compiled by Fáilte Ireland, is 64 per cent. Discussions are continuing in Government about the planning regime to apply to the short-term letting sector after the introduction of a new regulatory regime from May 20th this year, introduced in connection with new EU rules. The Department of Housing is due to issue a National Planning Statement outlining policy on short-term lets and providing guidance for local authorities. Government figures suggest there are 32,000 listings on short-term letting sites in the State, with analysis from Fáilte Ireland suggesting that 10,000 of these could be brought back into the long-term property market after regulatory reform.

Serious concerns over parking permit hike as £30 charge planned for family carersMore than 100 people have so far signed a petitionView 4 Images There are calls to drop plans to increase the cost of residenttial parking permits in Gloucestershire. (Image: Gloucestershire Live/Michael Bloxham)There are serious concerns over plans to hike residential parking permits by 26 per cent and introduce a £30 charge for family carers in Gloucestershire. ‌Business permits will cost £400 up from £339.90 and a second permit would cost £500. ‌View 4 Images Gloucestershire County Council is planning to hike the cost of residential parking permits. View 4 Images Shire Hall cabinet member Colin Hay has defended the proposed increases to residential parking permits.

The 37-test flanker confirmed the move Tuesday, days after complaining about being shut out of the All Blacks setup by former coach Scott Robertson. Though Robertson was sacked in January and the All Blacks will have a new coach, Papali'i will not be eligible to represent New Zealand due to the nation's policy of only selecting home-based players. Papali'i, 28, joins teammates Hoskins Sotutu and AJ Lam in exiting the Blues post-season to pursue careers in Europe, prompting concern from coach Vern Cotter. "Losing him from New Zealand rugby hurts a bit but he's got a family and a lot of other things to take into consideration. Papali'i said it was a tough decision to leave the Blues and New Zealand rugby but the chance to set his young family up financially was important to him.

The search is underway to find the 2026 Roscommon Rose to go forward to represent the county in the International Rose of Tralee Festival. Whether you are from County Roscommon, work in the county, have origins/connections to the county or just would love to represent Roscommon, the Roscommon Rose Centre would like to hear from you. Rose of Tralee regional selections are currently taking place and the Roscommon Rose Centre has announced that this year’s selection will take place at the Abbey Hotel, Roscommon on Saturday, March 28th. Speaking to the Roscommon Herald, coordinator Yvonne Donohue said: “It’s great to be back this year to select our new Roscommon Rose and the excitement is starting to build for this year’s Roscommon Rose competition. The Roscommon Rose 2026 will take part in and enjoy the full Rose of Tralee experience and take to the stage on live TV in August.

For all we know, John Cleary could be a whizz in the kitchen but he’s no Delia Smith. When he called on Cork people to get behind the team to face Meath in Páirc Uí Rinn this Sunday, it’s because we asked him if he hoped there would be a good crowd. There was no “where are you?”This is exclusive subscriber content. Sign in Subscribe to access all of the Irish Examiner. Annual €130€80 Best value Monthly €12€6 / month