BRIAN Crowley, MEP, emerged as Europe’s most popular and improbable liberal in recent European Parliament elections. Among the minority of countries where European Parliament members are elected by constituency, as distinct from a list system or a combination of both, Crowley amassed more votes than any other ‘liberal’.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny says he has raised the issue of Ireland's bank recapitalisation at an EU Heads of State meeting in Brussels.

Ten heads of state or government and 100 ministers sharpened their political teeth in the European Parliament, giving them an advantage in EU politics, but it is a trend Ireland has not followed.

A replacement to head up the Limerick City of Culture year-long project has finally been advertised, over two months after the resignation of former CEO Patricia Ryan.

Just because your columnist Gerard Howlin (Opinion, Jan 8) is not clear about what the Government is trying to do with Limerick City of Culture does not mean that they aren’t.

Why didn’t Michael Noonan just throw €6 million at his native city? He could have got somebody like Patricia Ryan to rebrand the city, going forward, adding value as she went, all the way to a performance-related bonus.

A Limerick pub synonymous with actors, writers, and musicians has issued a message of apology to City of Culture chairman Pat Cox and former chief executive Patricia Ryan over the way they were treated last Friday night at a noisy public meeting on the running of the initiative.

The three board members who resigned from Limerick’s troubled City of Culture team are amongst the many people warmly welcoming the appointment of an acclaimed figure in arts education to salvage the troubled programme.

Mike Fitzpatrick has been confirmed as the interim head of Limerick City of Culture today.

Limerick City of Culture chairman Pat Cox has said he must accept that people think there was political influence at work in his organisation, but has denied that this was the case.

The Government have been partially blamed for causing the crisis at Limerick’s City of Culture due to a delay in funds going to projects and amid calls for the arts minister to intervene.

Pat Cox said he had “nothing to do with the appointment” of Patricia Ryan, so it seems safe to assume the matter didn’t come before the board of Limerick City of Culture, which he chairs.

Limerick City of Culture’s former chief executive, Patricia Ryan, said the decision to quit was hers alone and that she was not forced out following the public and media backlash.

The Chairman of Limerick City of Culture says the project's former CEO has been the subject of unfair criticism.

The Minister for Arts Jimmy Deenihan has promised greater local involvement in the Board of Limerick City of Culture.

Chairman of Limerick City of Culture Pat Cox has defied calls for him to quit after his former political adviser resigned as the organisation’s chief executive yesterday.

Back in the year dot, St Munchin was building his church in Limerick and locals refused to help. Strangers who were passing came to his rescue and the church was built.

The decision by City of Culture chief Patricia Ryan to resign from the project has been welcomed by many in the artistic and cultural community in Limerick.

Jimmy Deenihan, the arts minister, has admitted knowing nothing about the row that led to the resignation of a key figure in the Limerick City of Culture project — because he was on his Christmas holidays.

It seemed like a great idea — build on the success of last year’s national Gathering, harness a growing movement to think and act locally and encourage Ireland’s arts community to focus their efforts in their own back yard.

The CEO of Limerick’s City of Culture has resigned.

The resignation of Limerick City of Culture artistic director Karl Wallace and two of his team may be a “blessing in disguise”.

The resignation of Limerick City of Culture artistic director, Karl Wallace, and two of his colleagues is a very inauspicious start to the year-long celebration.

By Jimmy Woulfe

After gathering momentum all year, the organisers of Ireland’s biggest ever tourism promotion were not about to let the pace slacken on the last night of 2013.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan yesterday urged an end to the row which has centred on the appointment of the new CEO of Limerick City of Culture 2014 Patricia Ryan.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has come out in support of the beleaguered CEO of Limerick City of Culture 2014, Patricia Ryan, whose appointment earlier this month has caused a storm of protest.

The appointment of the chief executive of Limerick City of Culture 2014 could cause reputational damage to the city, a councillor has claimed.

Limerick city’s manager has defended the fast-track appointment of Pat Cox’s former special advisor as the chief executive of Limerick City of Culture 2014.

Limerick’s City of Culture 2014 programme will generate over €100m in additional visitor revenue, the Limerick city/county manager, Conn Murray, predicted yesterday.

The 20th anniversary world tour of Riverdance will form the centrepiece of Limerick’s year as the City of Culture programme, which will be launched today.

UPC, the European division of Liberty Global, an international cable operator, is confident of Ireland’s economic future, a gathering of business leaders heard in Brussels yesterday.

Former European Parliament president Pat Cox will head a group which will drive the Limerick City of Culture 2014 initiative, it was announced yesterday.

Two high-profile EU representatives arrived in Kiev today to observe the legal proceedings against jailed former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Sinn Féin and the yes side battled it out over whether Ireland would be able to access the EU’s future bailout fund if voters reject the fiscal compact referendum.

A clutch of senior GAA figures, including Cork football manager Conor Counihan, his Dublin counterpart Pat Gilroy, and Kilkenny hurling manager Brian Cody, are supporting a yes vote in the fiscal treaty referendum.

FINE GAEL parliamentary party members already reeling from a disastrous presidential election have been told by Enda Kenny to expect even more tough days ahead in the run-up to the budget.

FINE GAEL will learn its lessons from Gay Mitchell’s abysmal showing in the presidential election, Government chief whip Paul Kehoe has pledged.

In the dying hours of campaigning in the race for the Aras, independent candidate Seán Gallagher has apologised for what he calls "any confusion" in relation to his links with Fianna Fáil.

A SURPRISE surge in the polls has left Sean Gallagher in a strong position to snatch the presidency, as the Independent was braced for a backlash from rivals.

THREE weeks today, we will elect Ireland’s ninth president.

STRUGGLING Fine Gael presidential candidate Gay Mitchell has insisted that Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the party are behind him as he fights for the Áras.

TWO current media topics suggest that Europe has a long way to go before we can consider ourselves civilised.

IT is almost impossible to believe that any previous leader of Fianna Fáil would have publicly offered the party’s support to a potential candidate for the presidency without establishing that the individual was fully committed to the idea.