Ireland

Bathing in the buff was "brilliant and bracing," one participant said. Over six years, the annual event has raised thousands for cancer research.

The answer is complicated: The fate of Northern Ireland's own ban hinges not just on the opinions of its residents but on the broader political scene in the U.K.

The country has some of the strictest laws on abortion in the developed world. But that will change, after 66.4 percent of voters chose to repeal a constitutional amendment.

Surveys by Irish broadcaster RTE and The Irish Times indicate that nearly 70 percent of voters want to do away with a constitutional amendment that recognizes the "right to life of the unborn."

If you're picking up a glass of Guinness this St. Patrick's Day, savor it while pondering this story from 1917, when Ireland's famous stout was cause for true celebration: It saved lives.

Ireland has already legalized divorce and same-sex marriage. Will abortion be next? In a May referendum, voters will weigh in on whether to allow unrestricted abortion up to 12 weeks into a pregnancy.

Mary Lou McDonald represents a new generation and could appeal to a wider range of voters in Ireland — but critics warn she's still inextricably tied to many of her party's hard-line policies.

In a video posted by Birdwatch Ireland, a murmuration of starlings dips and dodges a predator with grace. The scene was just one of many such spectacles filling the skies of southern Ireland lately.