Compiled by Nora Devin

King turns down Obama’s offer to be Irish ambassador

NEW YORK – Rep. Peter King declined an offer from President Barack Obama to be ambassador to Ireland, Newsday.com is reporting.

Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel presented this offer a week before the president’s inauguration in January. Sources say King turned down the position due to his conflicting foreign policy views. King also expressed that he did not wish to be far from his family.

Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburg Steelers, was ultimately appointed to the position.

In the 1990’s, King, who is of Irish descent, was called on by then President Clinton to aid in the resolution of the Northern Ireland conflict between Catholics and Protestants.

King has declined further comment, saying, “I’ve had a lot of conversations with Rahm Emmanuel and I’ll keep them private.”

Irish business group unites with universities

DUBLIN – The Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) is joining forces with two of Dublin’s top universities to pave the way for job opportunities for budding Irish companies in the U.S.

ITLG has signed an agreement with Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin to establish an “innovation academy” that will educate participating students in the world of new business. The union hopes to render students ready to take on employment in the perspective U.S. based companies.

In addition to the program, ITLG and the participating Irish academics are set to lead a summit meeting, which will be hosted at the Irish embassy in Washington D.C. this September.

Second Annual Fort Collins Irish Festival a Hit

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Thousands of green-clad Irish culture enthusiasts made the pilgrimage to Fort Collins, Colorado, to receive their yearly dose of music, culture, and Guinness at the second annual Fort Collins Irish Festival.

The two-day long festival, which included several vendors, a pair of irish wolfhounds, a special "History of Irish Rock Music" tent, and 15 bands including the Young Dubliners and the Elders, impressed attendees with its size and authenticity.

Sen. Dodd’s Irish Cottage valued at $660 k

CO. GALWAY – A new appraisal of U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd’s summer cottage in Ireland values its worth at $660,000, more than twice as much as the previous year’s report. This jump has left conservative groups skeptical as to whether the Co. Galway home was really a gift from businessman Edward "Bucky" Kissinger, as Dodd has claimed.

The conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch has filed an ethics complaint against Dodd regarding the suspicious value increase.

Dodd had valued the house to be between $100,001- $250,000 in his 2007 financial disclosure report. His spokesman, Bryan DeAngelis, says that the senator and his wife chose to have the house reappraised because they felt Dodd’s report required an update.

Fort Benton honors Irish hero at festival

FORT BENTON, Mont. – Fort Benton’s Summer Celebration will take on a new Irish theme this year in honor of the dedication of the city’s latest statue; a $40,000 bronze bust of Thomas Francis Meagher, Montana’s Irish former governor and Civil War hero.

The festival begins Friday night with a performance by the Montana Agricultural Center of "The Coroner's Inquest Into the Death of Thomas Francis Meagher," a play based on a book by Paul Wylie that attempts to solve the mystery surrounding Meagher’s death.

Saturday will be a day full of Irish dancing, foodstuffs and bars serving exclusively Guinness. The festivities will conclude with the statue dedication ceremony at 1 pm on Sunday.

Local band the Shamrockers will perform all weekend long, and even wrote a new song specifically for the beloved Meagher.

The green theme is expected to draw the biggest crowd the Fort Benton Celebration has seen yet.

Phase one of transatlantic cable complete

SUMMIT, N.J. – Phase one of Hibernia Atlantic’s Project Kelvin, which aims to directly connect Northern Ireland and Ireland to North America and Europe via a submarine cable, is now complete.

A cable has successfully been installed, connecting North America to 13 cities and towns in Northern Ireland. Hibernia plans to have both Northern Ireland and Ireland connected to North America as well as the rest of Europe by this fall.

This transatlantic cable will create a fast and secure connection that will open the Island of Ireland up to new markets, service providers and forms of communication with companies overseas. This kind of connectivity will better position the Island of Ireland in the center of the global economy, ideally leading to the creation of jobs and local economic prosperity.

10th Annual Irish Fest in Illinois