Hospitality entrepreneur Alan Clancy has opened DÍON, an 18,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant atop Dublin's former Central Bank of Ireland building. Clancy originally lost a 2019 tender to develop the site with an Irish-rooted concept, but after COVID-19 closures forced him to rework his other venues, Hines' managing director later invited him back to pursue the project. The restaurant's name means 'roof and shelter' in Irish, reflecting its rooftop setting and design.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-22
Ireland's Data Protection Commission concluded a five-year inquiry into how Google Ireland handled location data across Web & App Activity, Location History and Location Accuracy features between 2018 and 2020. The regulator found multiple GDPR violations spanning lawfulness, transparency, accountability and data retention, and has fined the company €403 million while giving it six months to fix its practices.
dataprotection.ie
· 2026-09-21
Health officials in Ireland traced an outbreak of aggressive skin infections to a community party featuring three bouncy castles, where about 120 people, roughly half of them children, gathered for a barbecue in fall 2025. Of 48 children who fell ill, 33 were treated by regular doctors, 15 needed emergency care, and four were hospitalized, though all recovered. Genomic testing identified a rare, toxin-producing strain of MRSA that caused symptoms far faster than typical infections, sometimes within hours.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-11
Researchers using a computer algorithm modeled on cave dwelling traits in south Wales identified similar cave sites in Ireland, aided by caving specialist Shane Diffily and digital mapping consultant Darren Lee. The findings from newly discovered cave art suggest that Ireland's earliest known human inhabitants likely crossed over from Wales rather than arriving by another route.
bbc.com
· 2026-09-07
Comedian Des Bishop, who grew up in New York, became famous performing stand-up in Ireland and later in Mandarin in China, discussed his career on the podcast How Success Happens. In 2018 he deliberately restarted his comedy career in the U.S., refusing to rely on income earned abroad and performing for small, unfamiliar crowds. His new special, 'Bridge and Tunnel,' is now streaming on Hulu and YouTube.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-08-27
New EU regulations now require manufacturers to repair certain household and electronic products, such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners, mobile phones and tablets, even after the standard warranty expires. The rules mandate reasonable pricing and timeframes for repairs, access to spare parts, and the creation of national repair directories like Ireland's RepairMyStuff.ie to help consumers find services.
rte.ie
· 2026-08-24