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RTÉ News
4 days ago
- RTÉ News
From UL to UCD, these college restaurants are open to the public
Semesters come and go, students transform from freshers to graduates, but appetites always linger. Did you know a number of universities around Ireland offer lunch and dinner to the paying public beyond the student body? From fine dining in a palatial mansion in Limerick to Sichuan specialities in UCD, even Trinity College flings open its doors to public diners every weekday with a classic and value-focused lunch menu. When we were in university over a decade ago, the extent of gourmet cuisine was chicken tenders and chips in the bar or a breakfast roll from the shop deli, but times have certainly changed. If you fancy delving into the culinary arts, here are six for starters… East Room at Plassey House, University of Limerick A fine dining restaurant that belies its university setting, Plassey House is a resplendent Georgian villa — known locally as "The White House" — overlooking the River Shannon, which sits at the heart of the University of Limerick campus just a couple of kilometres from Limerick city centre. This mansion has been part of UL's footprint since 1970, but dates back 200 years prior to the late 1700s, while The East Room opened to the public in 2017. The original idea was to root a dazzling fine dining destination in the university's pristine surroundings to help elevate Limerick's gastronomy, with its whimsical and enchanting settings including ornate statues and a grand dining room full of art from the likes of Jack B. Yeats and Paul Henry. The kitchen is led by Head Chef-Proprietor Derek Fitzpatrick, and the menu reflects the season with lots of Irish produce sprinkled with international flavours and inspiration. The lunch set menu costs €45 per person, while the dinner menu is €75 per person. Book a table via Elsewhere on North campus, over on the Clare side, a family-friendly Sunday roast is served weekly and open to the public at The Pavilion. Restaurant 1592, Trinity College Dublin It is estimated that over two million tourists visit Trinity College annually, but how many visitors to the hallowed halls of Ireland's oldest university know you can pre-book a table at the elegant 1592 Restaurant for lunch any weekday? Titled for the university's founding year under Queen Elizabeth I, the restaurant — now in its 25th year in operation — is open Monday to Friday weekly with service running between 12pm and 3pm (last orders 2pm) for students and non-students alike with a three-course lunch menu followed by tea or coffee a steal at €30 per person (before VAT is added or any optional service). Given the setting, the menu leans unapologetically classic with starters like Honey Dew Melon with Parma Ham or soup of the day, while mains might take the form of baked Hake with pea purée and tarragon sauce or roast pork belly with apple sauce and a five-spice jus. Finish on classic desserts like a lemon tartlet or crème brûlée. Located in the heart of the Trinity campus in Dublin city centre, adjacent to the Dining Hall and off the Front Square, the restaurant has been recently renovated for a more contemporary feel and décor while retaining original historical features and the unique collection of art. Bookings are taken via enquiry form. Academy, Ulster University, Belfast Academy is Ulster University's state-of-the-art educational hub, which comprises a culinary school, beverage school and a public-facing restaurant on York Street in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. The space is facilitated by the students to get on-the-job service experience from paying customers whilst also recently being awarded a Green Key by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) for its sustainability and environment-focused practices. Lunch service takes place between 12.30pm and 2.30pm Monday to Friday weekly, where a three-course lunch sitting averages around. £25 per person. Expect starters like Confit duck leg or salmon tartar with horseradish and apple; mains of sea bass, fishcake and pok choi in a Thai curry cream or chicken supreme with celeriac, pickled wild mushroom and tenderstem broccoli before desserts such as pear and almond frangipane tart, crème Anglaise or rhubarb Eton mess. Dinner service runs from 7pm to 8:30pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and on select evenings during the college semester the Culinary Arts Management students create unique tasting menus for special dinners. The space is closed every weekend. Bookings are taken via ResDiary on the restaurant website. Confucius Institute Restaurant, University College Dublin Where can you find some of Dublin's most authentic Chinese food? In Belfield of all places where within the Confucius Institute on the campus of Dublin's largest university, UCD, you will find a canteen-style restaurant that's open to the public, not just the student body, serving everything from regional delicacies like hot pot and spicy clay pot dishes to healthier options of steamed fish and even their take on the ubiquitous spice bag. The restaurateurs behind Hakkahan in Stoneybatter, Nan Chinese near Stephen's Green, China Tang in Monkstown and the pair of Little Dumpling spots on either side of the Liffey in the city centre are also the team behind this unlikely, but very welcome, outpost. The great value menu changes daily, but expect Sichuan specialities like fuqii feipian (spicy offal), mapo tofu (tofu in a fermented bean and beef sauce), smashed cucumber in chilli and Kung Pao chicken alongside other Cantonese specialities like steamed scallops with ginger and Siu Yuk (red-braised pork belly). The kitchen runs from 12pm to 8pm, seven days a week, more casual canteen-style in the daytime, but post 5pm you can order whole dishes. Elsewhere, find a street food container selection at the Gather and Gather-run UCD Walkway with the likes of Chimac, Bombay Pantry and Burritos and Blues. UCD Village is also home to a new market-style, global-focused food hall — open to the public seven days a week from early breakfast to late dinner — with a range of street food and casual dining options. Expect mammy-style roasts at Blasta, smashburgers and wings at Mikeys, toasties at MELT Toastie Bar and Hong Kong-style barbecue at Bullet, which is another outlet from the same Hakkahan-Nan-China Tang team. Find two public-facing restaurants in the Grangegorman campus of TU Dublin, the Ballymaguire Foods restaurant and the Musgrave Marketplace restaurant, both in the Central Quad Building, while over in the Tallaght Campus, visitors will find the Scholars restaurant within the Main Building on the ground floor. Students from the courses in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management. These student-led training spaces are really classrooms in action under the guise of a restaurant, where the lecturers stress the primary objective is to facilitate student learning while offering the public the opportunity to pre-book a lunch or dinner service. Lunch tickets cost between €20 and €30 per person while dinner tickets run from €35 to €45 per person. Timings dovetail to term time so when semesters are not in session these are not run and bookings open annually to coincide with classes resuming from September onwards. Pop-Ups at DKIT In Louth at Dundalk Institute of Technology, the DkIT Culinary Arts, Event Management, and Hospitality Management students have run special weekend pop-ups in both March 2024 and 2025, most recently hosting seven-course tasting dinners and Bridgerton-inspired afternoon teas. One to watch for March 2026, keep an eye on their Instagram for more details.
CTV News
25-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
The First lady says AI is the future of publishing. It's already happening
U.S. first lady Melania Trump looks on during the unveiling of a Postal Service stamp honoring former first lady Barbara Bush in the East Room at the White House. (via CNN Newsource) First lady Melania Trump released an audiobook version in her voice of her memoir on Thursday — but she won't actually be the one narrating it. 'I am honored to bring you Melania – The AI Audiobook – narrated entirely using artificial intelligence in my own voice,' she wrote in a post on X. 'Let the future of publishing begin.' Trump is far from the first person to use AI this way. But her choice to put the technology and its use in media creation on a bigger stage hints at the bigger role AI may soon play in creating everything from the news articles people read to the videos and shows they watch — and raising questions about whether media jobs will survive the change. 'It's too reductive to say, yes, that's an inevitable cut in the number of jobs,' Alex Connock, senior fellow in management practice at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School, told CNN. 'But it's also fanciful to say there's going to be no change to how employment works.' (Not) coming soon to a theater near you Trump's book will be narrated by an AI-generated copy of her voice that was 'created under Mrs. Trump's direction and supervision,' the product description on her website reads. Experts say using AI for voiceover work is becoming common, especially as tech from companies like Google and ElevenLabs — the firm Trump used to create her AI audiobook — make it easy to turn text-based materials into audio that sounds like a podcast. But Trump's announcement brought that AI use to the fore. 'I don't think that there's going to be a rush to (an) immediate replacement of voiceover,' Clay Shirky, vice provost for AI and technology in education at New York University, told CNN. 'A lot of these things happen gradually, but it certainly is a milestone.' The Trump audiobook comes as tech giants are launching tools that make it increasingly easy for anyone to generate realistic video and audio with little effort. Within the same week Trump announced her audiobook, Google debuted a more advanced version of its video generation model that can create audio — even dialogue between characters — to match the scene. Late last year, OpenAI released a video creation tool called Sora, which was so popular the company had to temporarily pause signups because of high demand. The ChatGPT maker ran into a similar issue earlier this year when its image generation tool went viral for its ability to create pictures resembling the style of Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli. But that doesn't mean AI-generated feature films are coming anytime soon. The current version of the technology is ideal for creating short form videos you might find on social media, according to Shirky. What's more likely is that TV networks and production companies will look for new ways to incorporate AI into existing programs. Connock, who consults with TV production companies, says he's had multiple meetings this week alone with those in the TV industry looking to learn more about AI, which he says is a major change from a year ago. Connock says producers are curious about creating AI replicas of TV personalities that viewers can interact with while watching their show. He attributes the increased interest to a desire to keep up with social media creators. 'The kind of old school, traditional professional TV economy has realized that in order to even compete at all with the creators, they have to at least match them shot for shot on their ability to deploy those tools,' he said. AI could enable a shift from media that's meant to be watched or read to digital content that viewers can interact with, according to Oren Etzioni, former CEO of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence and professor emeritus at the University of Washington. 'What if you could actually talk to Melania Trump about the chapter?' he told CNN. 'That's coming soon, maybe not with her, but you know, coming soon to a book near you.' AI and the future of jobs The launch of Trump's audiobook also comes as AI-generated content has raised questions about whether AI will take humans' jobs as it gets better at tasks like creating podcasts, authoring books and writing code. The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs report, released earlier this year, found that 41 per cent of employers plan to downsize as generative AI plays a bigger role in work-related tasks. Aneesh Raman, the chief economic opportunity officer at LinkedIn, recently fretted about AI replacing some entry-level jobs in a New York Times op-ed. Those fears have been especially prevalent in the media industry; film and TV writers in the Writers Guild of America went on strike in 2023 in part to prevent aspects of their jobs from being replaced with AI. An agreement was reached after 146 days establishing that AI can't be used to 'write or rewrite literary material.' The WGA did not respond to CNN's request for comment. But answering the question of whether AI will replace media jobs is complicated; experts see some areas, like voiceover work, that could be impacted quickly. Yet other roles that involve nuanced handling of sensitive data will be more challenging to fill with AI. 'If I'm an investigative journalist, and I spend a lot of time getting to know people and understanding complex situations, that's not a job that's easy to replace,' said Shirky. It's also possible that the answer will fall somewhere in between; companies may shift their hiring practices to include professionals with AI expertise. But that might not mean job cuts. 'Traditionally, a development department would be kind of three people with arts degrees,' said Connock. 'And now it might be one person with an arts degree, one person who's a kind of professional coder, and one person who's kind of an academic researcher.' Article written by Lisa Eadicicco, CNN
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Not that tall': Trump jokes about son Barron's height at celebration for NCAA champs
Donald Trump and his son Barron Trump US President Donald Trump on Wednesday joked about his son Barron's height and compared it with the Florida Gators basketball team. Trump honored the 2025 NCAA basketball champion Florida Gators at the White House on Wednesday and jokingly said, 'You know I have a son that's 6' always says, 'Dad I'm not that tall compared to some of these guys', and now I understand what he's talking about. ' Barron Trump, the 18-year-old son of Donald Trump and Melania Trump, has found himself in the spotlight in recent months due to his father's return to the Oval Office after winning the 2024 US election. Barron Trump is himself with a height of- 6 feet 9 inches, taller than his father, who is 6'3''. At the White House, Trump stated that "lesser teams would have crumbled" during their thrilling championship match victory. "It was looking bad," Trump said, observing Houston's 12-point lead in a game that Florida ultimately won 65-63 in San Antonio in April. "Did you think you were going to win?" Florida (36-4) achieved four comeback victories in six March Madness matches. The Gators controlled the final for merely 64 seconds, including the crucial last 46 seconds of a contest that remained uncertain until the final moments. Trump discussed Alijah Martin's decisive two free throws that put the Gators ahead with 46.5 seconds remaining, and enquired about Martin's nerves. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Что о вас может рассказать поза во время сна? Удивительные Новости Undo "Lesser teams would have crumbled," the president remarked. Florida achieved their third basketball championship, and Trump highlighted that they remain unique in securing three NCAA titles in both basketball and football. Following their consecutive NCAA victories in 2006 and 2007, the team visited President George W Bush at the White House. The East Room ceremony on Wednesday included prominent Trump administration officials from Florida, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump acknowledged Rubio as "no bigger Florida fan." Florida Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody attended, alongside various state House members and former Florida football player Tim Tebow. Trump praised Tebow as "as a college player, maybe the best ever" and expressed his admiration despite Tebow's stint with the NFL's New York Jets. The team presented Trump with an autographed basketball and personalised No. 47 jersey. The president commended the Gators' 39-year-old coach, Todd Golden, as "great" and "young" whilst quipping, "Boy, would I like to be his agent." Previously, President Joe Biden hosted a combined ceremony honouring the 2024 NCAA men's and women's basketball champions, South Carolina and Connecticut. Since beginning his presidency in January, Trump has welcomed various championship teams, including Super Bowl victors Philadelphia Eagles. His April ceremony in the Rose Garden with NCAA football champions Ohio State Buckeyes became notable when Vice President JD Vance—an Ohio State graduate and supporter—accidentally dropped the team's championship trophy.
21-05-2025
- Politics
Trump hosts NCAA basketball champion Florida Gators at the White House
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump honored the 2025 NCAA basketball champion Florida Gators at the White House on Wednesday, proclaiming that 'lesser teams would have crumbled' during its nail-biting title game victory. 'It was looking bad,' Trump said, noting that Houston led by as many as 12 points in a game Florida rallied to win 65-63 in San Antonio in April. 'Did you think you were going to win?" Florida (36-4) delivered four come-from-behind victories in six March Madness wins. The Gators led the finale for a total of 64 seconds, including the last 46 ticks of a contest that was in limbo until the final sequence. Trump recounted Alijah Martin making two free throws to put the Gators ahead to stay with 46.5 seconds left, and asked Martin if he was nervous. 'Lesser teams would have crumbled,' the president said. Florida secured the program's third title in basketball, and Trump noted that it is the only school to have a trio of NCAA titles in that sport and in football. When the Gators basketball team won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007, they visited President George W. Bush at the White House. Wednesday's East Room ceremony featured top Trump administration leaders from Florida, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Mentioning Rubio, Trump said there's 'no bigger Florida fan.' Also on hand were Florida Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, as well as assorted House members from the state and former Florida football standout Tim Tebow. Trump described Tebow 'as a college player, maybe the best ever' and said he was a big fan despite Tebow having spent part of his professional career with the NFL's New York Jets. The team gave Trump an autographed basketball and No. 47 jersey with his name on the back. The president also hailed the Gators' 39-year-old coach, Todd Golden, as 'great" and 'young' while joking, 'Boy, would I like to be his agent.' Last year, President Joe Biden held a joint ceremony honoring the 2024 NCAA men's and women's basketball winners, honoring South Carolina and Connecticut.
CBS News
14-05-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Richard L. Garwin, a designer of the first hydrogen bomb, dies at 97
Richard L. Garwin, a designer of the first hydrogen bomb, died Tuesday, his daughter-in-law, Tabatha Garwin confirmed to CBS News. The renowned scientist was 97 years old. A prominent scientist who advised several U.S. presidents, Garwin made contributions in nuclear weapons, physics, and in military technology, among many other areas. He published more than 500 papers and was granted 47 U.S. patents, according to The Garwin Archive maintained by the Federation of American Scientists. He was just 23 years old when he designed the first working hydrogen bomb, according to a profile written in IEEE Spectrum magazine. It was detonated in a test codenamed Ivy Mike at Enewetak Atoll in November 1952, yielding 10.4 megatons of TNT, the measurement that quantifies the force of nuclear weapons. Garwin's role had been largely unknown outside of a small circle of physicists, mathematicians, and engineers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, who were involved with the project until 2001, the profile said. U.S. President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to physicist Richard Garwin during an East Room ceremony at the White House November 22, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest honor for civilians in the United States of America. Alex Wong / Getty Images In 2016, former President Obama awarded Garwin the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his scientific work. In the citation, Mr. Obama said Garwin,"made pioneering contributions to U.S. defense and intelligence technologies." Garwin was honored with the National Medal of Science in 2002 and was awarded the Vannevar Bush Award in 2023, which honors exceptional lifelong leaders in science and technology. "Richard Garwin is truly remarkable," Dario Gil, Chair of the Board's External Engagement Committee, said in a statement. "His continuing contributions to society, both as a scientific researcher and presidential advisor, help bolster national security and improve international collaboration." Garwin was born in Cleveland in 1928 and lived in Scarsdale, New York. His wife, Lois, of 70 years, predeceased him. The couple had three children.
