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Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Taoiseach hits back at US diplomat who told Irish Government to 'sober up'
The Taoiseach has rejected comments from an American diplomat who said the Irish Government needs to "sober up". US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee criticised the Irish Government over its plans to implement legislation that would ban the imports of goods originating in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Mr Huckabee wrote in a post on X: "Did the Irish fall into a vat of Guinness and propose something so stupid that it would be attributed to act of diplomatic intoxication? "It will harm Arabs as much as Israelis. "Sober up Ireland! Call (the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and say you're sorry!" US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee delivers remarks as President Donald Trump hosts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a dinner in the Blue Room of the White House on July 7, 2025, in Washington, DC (Image:) Asked about the comments on Wednesday, Micheal Martin said: "I reject the comments made by the ambassador. "The situation is very serious in Gaza including an appalling loss of human life. Terrible war crimes are being committed. "Ireland has consistently condemned Hamas and we equally condemn Israeli breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza. "The slaughter of children must stop. The slaughter of innocent civilians queuing for food must stop. What is going on is beyond any moral compass. "Ireland stands for peace and a political pathway forward." Criticism of the Occupied Territories Bill also came from figures in the Israeli government, which Mr Martin has levelled criticism at for the ongoing war in Gaza. Taoiseach Micheal Martin Mr Martin said: "I think Israel needs to focus on ending the war that is slaughtering innocent children and civilians. "This kind of row is ridiculous, given the enormity of killing and the enormity of the death and destruction that's happening in Gaza – and the continuing shocking behaviour in the West Bank and the freedom that's given to extreme settlers to destroy settlements and housing belonging to Palestinians who've been there on that land for generations. "The time for this war to end this has long passed." He added: "There's a moral issue here, there's an ethical issue at this stage. "People queuing for food have been slaughtered. Bombs are landing on houses and children have been slaughtered." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Irish Daily Mirror
Weather expert pinpoints day Ireland can hope to see return of summer conditions
It's been a miserable week for many parts of the country as Ireland experiences a drop in temperatures from last week's scorcher, as well as more wet and windy conditions than we've felt in quite a while. But there may be hope of the return of summer on the horizon. As low pressure continues to dominate, we will be made to endure more rain, cloud and cooler temperatures over the coming days but an Irish weather expert has pinpointed the potential date when this could change. Alan O'Reilly, who mans the popular @CarlowWeather account on X, suggested that next Friday could be the day we see the return of higher pressure but there remains uncertainty in the current weather models. "For those looking for some hope of some better weather to return, there is a chance of high pressure moving back up around the 25th but it's a long way off yet so don't get your hopes too much up but hopefully something to look forward to," Mr O'Reilly said. For those planning any outdoor events over the weekend, the bad news is that rain will never be too far away. Unsettled conditions are forecast to persist into the weekend and even early next week, marking a significant change from this time last week when Ireland basked in 30C heat and glorious sunshine. Delivering his forecast for the days ahead, Mr O'Reilly said: "Thursday is going to be a cloudier day. It's going to be damp to wet. Some heavy bursts of rain, more than 1mm for most areas, more than 5mm for many parts of the country, especially where those heavier bursts break out but very hard to forecast where. "Friday will be a mix of sunny spells or bright spells and showers - not as many showers on Friday. "Saturday, again, some showers but hopefully not too many. But a risk of heavier rain moving up from the south Saturday night into Sunday so something to keep an eye on. "Sunday has a little bit of uncertainty yet, depending on what happens on Saturday night but there is a risk of showers, especially early on Sunday." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Doireann Garrihy shares cryptic post hinting at new RTE project
2FM stars Doireann Garrihy and Carl Mullan could be set to reunite for a new show. Doireann, who is expecting her first child later this year, parted ways with Mullan and Donncha O'Callaghan last year when the trio hosted 2FM Breakfast together. But Doireann teased fans on social media with a clip of Mullan in a 'work meeting'. The pair are seen sitting beside each other in a room in RTE. She jokingly wrote: 'First mistake of the say: sitting beside @carlmullan at a work meeting.' The post has sparked speculation that the pair could be back working together soon. The trio previously hosted a hidden-camera comedy series together called The Full Irish Hidden Camera Show. Doireann stepped away from 2FM after five years hosting Breakfast with Carl and Donncha in May 2024. She returned to 2FM earlier this year to host her Drivetime show. Carl has remained on the breakfast show, now hosting alongside new co-stars Roz Purcell and Aisling Bonnar. On a recent episode of Doireann's hit podcast, Doireann & Friends, the host sat down with Carl Mullan to talk about the close bond the trio formed while working together. Carl admitted that he had a "right cry" to his wife after they made the decision to leave the show. He said he was "so afraid" they wouldn't keep in contact but was relieved to share that all three are still close as ever. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
'I'm Ireland's emoji expert, and one you've never used is about to blow up'
The 'tears of joy' emoji remains the most popular in the world but the red heart is a close second, an Irish expert has revealed. Keith Broni, who is the editor in chief of which is the world's number one emoji resource, said the icons are no longer considered 'frivolous' and are a 'cornerstone of digital communication.' The Dubliner also stressed the use of symbols is constantly changing and believes there's an unused one that will surge in popularity in years to come. When asked why they are so popular Mr Broni, who spoke to the Irish Mirror for World Emoji Day today, said: 'Texts are dry without any kind of semantic markers. We don't write text messages as if they're prose where there are cues …we write text messages as if they are verbal speech. 'And when we speak face to face or even over the phone there are what we call paralinguistic cues. So my vocal inflection, my hand gestures, my facial expressions, my body posture, all of these are very, very important elements in communication and text messaging and social media posts can completely lack these, and emojis allow for us to add semantic cues into this space.' He continued: 'That's not to say that emojis are a one to one analogues with the exact facial expressions that they happen to depict. They're intentionally bombastic, cartoonish, playful, comic book-esque, but they serve a very similar function. 'They allow us to create a sense of emotional context and also create a sense of rapport when we're communicating with people, again, either via WhatsApp groups or social media platforms.' Mr Broni said the most popular emojis are the ones which are overtly positive and said even negative versions are mostly used in a jokey way. He also said there's a shift - older people are sticking with the 'tears of joy' emoji to convey laughter while those in Gen Z have begun using the 'skull' to express that 'they're dead or they're dying laughing'. But an even newer trend that's popular with those on the cusp of Gen Z and Gen Alpha is using the Wilted flower with the broken heart. He said this is used by people when they want to show they're sad but in a "performative way'. Keith Broni, the editor in chief of emojipedia, is an emoji expert (Image: EMOJIPEDIA / SWNS) Mr Broni declared emoji uses were constantly being repurposed and even the most banal can surge in popularity - replacing ones which have been used for years. The emoji expert explained: 'I guarantee there is an emoji sitting there that has gone, largely unused and unloved for the last decade, that is going to have its moment in the next few years. People look at the emoji keyboard every day. It's a freely accessible feature that is usable anywhere. When asked how an emoji can become popular, he added: 'Sometimes it can be an in-joke amongst a group of friends in a WhatsApp group. And if that then resonates with that group, it can kind of spread to other WhatsApp groups, to other social media platforms, and then it can scale up and potentially be the new version of how the skull emoji encapsulated the emergence in slang terms of I'm dying, laughing and I'm dead, which then began to eat into the use of the crying, laughing face.' Mr Broni also said emojis use cannot be stripped from transcripts during court cases because the text alone doesn't convey the entire meaning and said this proves their use isn't frivolous When asked about the misconceptions surrounding emojis, he said: 'The one that they're frivolous, that they don't hold real communicative weight. This is one that has really and truly been put to bed over the last decade as they begin to appear more and more in court cases. 'You cannot strip emojis from a transcript of a text message communication, and expect the text itself to contain all the information about the tone and intention of every single text message. The emojis being used are very valid communicative symbols in this context. And this kind of growing literature around emoji in legal cases is quite fascinating.' Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish hopeful set to star in Netflix's Love Is Blind UK as air date announced
Netflix has announced the launch date for season two of Netflix's popular dating show Love is Blind UK – and it appears an Irish contestant will be on the show. Hosted by husband and wife duo Matt and Emma Willis, the first four episodes of the second season will land on the streaming platform on 13 August, with the following four launching on 20 August. The final two episodes will be released on 27 August. The show will feature UK and Ireland-based singles who will "choose someone to marry without ever meeting them". Netflix shared a teaser from the show and eagle eye fans were quick to hear an Irish accent in one of the pods. However, a spokesman for Netflix didn't give details on the Irish contestant when asked by us. But speaking about the series, the streaming giant said of the series: "Over several weeks, the newly engaged couples will move in together, plan their wedding and find out if their physical connection matches their strong emotional bond developed in the Pods. "When their wedding day arrives, will real-world realities and external factors push them apart, or will they marry the person they fell blindly in love with?" Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
