Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has moved to reassure the public about the stability of Irish banks as shares in lenders across the world plunged again yesterday amid heightened concerns about embattled Swiss lender Credit Suisse, following the collapse of Silicon Valley bank in the United States.

In France, opponents of President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms staged an eighth round of strikes on Wednesday. Macron's planto raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 is prompting a peak of political tensions across France.

Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland Dr Mick Molloy of the Irish Medical Organisation’s Consultants Committee has said that crowded emergency departments were the “new normal” in the health system and the level of attendance across the country is not one individual hospital 

President Michael D Higgins has used his St Patrick’s Day message to condemn the growing rise of racism, forced migration, modern-day slavery and a “poisonous xenophobia”. The President’s remarks, making clear reference to the recent anti-refugee protests around Ireland and elsewhere, come as Gardaí have also put a “robust” policing plan in place to prevent far-right protests from disrupting the country’s main parade, in Dublin city centre on Friday. 

The Irish Independent have written a piece letting us know that everything we know about St Patrick is wrong. Have a read here:

ZEN

Passengers were treated to an impromptu trad music performance on an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to JFK airport on Sunday morning.

You can watch the full clip HERE.

Have a good St Patrick's Weekend Folks!