Great to see this strong showing of solidarity from fellow writers. Randa was removed from the programme solely because she is Palestinian.

I saw this this morning and it's been on my mind through all of the other commentary today.

If anyone wants to read along with me this year, am reading all of Hilary Mantel and Flannery O’Connor in chronological order (roughly 2 books per month) The reading order is up on my blog www.jancarson.co.uk and I’ll be using hashtags #MyYearWithFOC and #MyYearWithHM

Lough Ennell this evening, with the Wolf Moon rising and a barely visible flock of starling passing by. No real murmuration visible there today. I'll be back in Limerick tomorrow and will take a trip to Fedamore to hopefully see them there next weekend.

I've a special place in my heart for David, who published a story of mine that I really believed in in The Argyle, after it had been rejected by more than 40 other editors! I submitted to Blood+Honey without knowing it was his baby too & was delighted to feature in it. It helped me keep the faith! ❤️

Thanks to a question on University Challenge tonight that mentioned the very Irish sounding Villa O'Higgins, I learnt that this lad, whose father was from Sligo, was a major figure in the Chilean War of Independence and is considered one of its founding fathers. www.thecollector.com/bernardo-o-h...

Resolution for 2026: publish at least one great story a week. I have a few lined up already, but: If you have a piece of fiction or CNF that you’re shopping, consider Turn & Work. More here:

This is a great new summary of Ireland's ecological history from the Ice Age to the present day. It's not easy to pack so much into a 25 minute video. I'm impressed with how informative it is. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qq9...

I spent my Christmas Eve morning in Boora, alone but for the birds. Flocks of Curlew, Redwing & Chaffinches, Ravens, Whopper Swans, Linnets, Dunnock, Meadow Pipits & more. Glorious. Saw my first star jelly too, the regurgitated bits of a frog that a bird couldn't eat.

If you're looking for some new music, here are two articles with great recommendations and links. 🧵 1. @thethinairmagazine.bsky.social's Top 100 Irish Releases of the year, with embedded bandcamp player for each. thethinair.net/2025/12/the-...

Anything that starts with "don't". Fuck off, dork. The whole point of writing is that you can do anything you imagine. Anything at all. If you can't handle that much freedom and are terrified of how it might expose the limits of your creativity, then go and get braver.

Thanks as always to the lottery winners who entered Newgrange this morning to be eaten by the earth and so guarantee that the sun will rise again tomorrow. Your sacrifice is our safety, friends.

Live from inside the chamber at Newgrange vimeo.com/1148063287

I find it fascinating the way doctors so often describe the size of tumours, especially brain tumours, in terms of fruit. This story of mine comes from that, the narcissistic delusions of some surgeons, and how what happens in our childhood shapes us forever www.theargylelitmag.com/fiction/grap...

If you're of a certain vintage, this trip back to your childhood will put a smile on your face. My sister tried describing Bosco to her children lately but how could you explain the happy, safe space this mad little puppet and his kind adult friends created for us. www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

We will have about 13,000 in 2025. About half will be allowed stay. I don't think 6,500 extra people in a population of 5 million is a threat to "social cohesion". Not being able to afford a home or to see a doctor or not having to wait 3 years for my kid's needs to be assessed is.

It's a great word in its own right, leaning towards wonderful onomatopoeia when referring to food. It's perfection in this context. Keep calling out the slop for what it is. Slop: "digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence"

Bill Drummond has a great story in his book "45" about recording "Justified & Ancient" with Tammy Wynette and being mortified that her voice (which he worships) doesn't keep time with the KLF's drum machine

NEW EPISODE of Three Castles Burning. threecastlesburning.libsyn.com/simms-city-w... Community activist Gayle Cullen Doyle and author Eoin O'Broin joined me in Oliver Bond House to talk about Simms, public housing and the past,present & future of the scheme. 'Flats and Cottages' is available now

The lovely people over at Void Magazine have added my review of Micheál Keating's Live Landscapes Video Excerpts from his exhibition at Spacecraft in Limerick to their Editor's Awards list for 2025. I'm thrilled with this. It was the best thing I wrote all year. void.ie/cahills-excu...

Love this passage on parenting from Catherine Lacey.

A great book to save for your Christmas read. It's been a while since one pulled me in this hard. Utterly compelling in its depiction of fishing communities, small town Ireland, families and though it never outright says it, I think, of neurodivergence. Powerful stuff. www.kennys.ie/shop/the-boy...

This is an brilliant thread from Simon.

Never even imagined I'd see the day. Mind blown at the prospect of wandering into the city to see Patti Smith in the castle on a summer's evening. Unbelievable.

#Limerick people, this is your regular reminder from me to sign up for @dolanslimerick.bsky.social newsletter. Got my presale link for Patti Smith tickets for the morning & am made up. Did not see this one coming. Seoda Shows & @foggynotions.bsky.social are the best👏 www.dolans.ie/gigs-events-...

Iceland becomes fifth country to boycott Eurovison 2026 over Israel

It's been a while, so have a #painting. A view me and my dog had every evening, rain permitting, from a too-brief time I lived in a cottage in the northwest corner of Ireland by the north coast of Donegal. I called it "Evening Sheep" because, well you can probably work it out. #SpeirGorm #ArtYear

A really enjoyable read & great reporting from Orla O'Donnell. The judge schooled him in more ways than one. You know someone's serious when they break out a 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary for accuracy and remove the family from court before it even starts. www.rte.ie/news/courts/...

Currently living with my in-laws to save money for a house. We've been here 3 years, and have around another year to go. There are 10 people living here currently, 5 in the main house and 5 in mobile homes. This video is so disconnected from the reality of what young people are facing.

Fintan O'Toole on a day spent with Martin Parr and his repeat visits to Ireland. www.irishtimes.com/culture/2025...

There's many reasons to hate Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, but honestly, of late I'm finding it especially hard to stomach the fact that they insist on grabbing the wheel when they don't know how to drive. They are the embodiment of every overconfident, underqualified dipshit who ever failed upward

This site has one of the best collections of Martin Parr's The Last Resort photos from his most well-known New Brighton series of the 1980s. There are so many that are stunning in their composition, colour and his invisibility. publicdelivery.org/martin-parr-...

I have a postcard-sized version of it alongside this Lá an Dreoilín one on the side of my fridge. I've put them there so I can look at them when I'm standing at the cooker making dinner. They're my absolute favourites of all @ciaraioch.bsky.social's work. I adore them both.

"I don't think that Israel should be allowed to hide under the umbrella of the Eurovision... make it look as though, everything's okay, business as usual, because it's not." Maith an fear Johnny! 👏 www.rte.ie/news/2025/12... #Speirgorm

Anu Productions brought this incredible piece of theatre to Limerick 11 years ago. The breadth and ambition of it has stayed with me since. www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9B7...

1/ Judicial reviews are a safeguard, not a roadblock. They exist to check whether planning and government decisions follow the law. Most time delays arise from poorly prepared planning applications or unlawful decisions, not from the review process itself.

📌 ciaraioch.com is now taking Christmas orders for prints, cards, and vouchers - each archival-quality print on heavy art paper is made in Ireland, ships internationally in eco-friendly packaging with discount tracked postage, and comes with a FREE card and treats for every customer 🎁 #SpéirGorm

Judicial reviews are not the enemy of progress — they are a vital safeguard Recent headlines have been flooded with a false narrative about the planning system www.independent.ie/opinion/comm...

Three positive news stories from RTE in the past hour Maybe things can get better #Speirgorm

This is an absolute disgrace. And it's even worse that they're trying to pass this off as normal. It's not. It's adding to the dangers on our roads and is a smack in the face to everyone who drives carefully and abides by our roads laws. www.limerickpost.ie/2025/12/04/s...

With Christmas fast approaching, I thought I would share some of the non-fiction books I have read/re-read this year which I would recommend if people are still looking for presents, the ones which seem somewhat....relevant to the current state of things, rather than necessarily "fun" reads 👇1/

1. They set themselves a task they're unqualified for 2. They attempt and fail horrifically 3. A young person is injured by their "efforts" 4. An external party makes it "look" like they've achieved the goal. 5. They celebrate victory having never left the couch Fine Gael in a nutshell #spéirgorm

I fell in love with Pawpear after seeing some of Kim's stunning prints this summer. She has something for every budget from single greeting cards and prints to writing sets. There's a free gift with orders this week. Message me for a free postage code. pawpear.ie/products/wil...

Are you all ready?!?! The earliest sunset of 2025 in Dublin will be at 16:05:43 on the 13th of December. You know what that means? The #TheGrandStretchIsBack on the 14th!

Trying to figure out what time you should go out to gigs in Limerick is a perpetual balance between arriving an hour or two before anything happens and missing half the show. You will never crack the doors/start times system. It's impenetrable. 🤣 (@eoinbuckleylmk.bsky.social will concur.)

Get ready for the Irish Garden Bird Survey, which kicks off on Monday 1st December! We need records from as many gardens across Ireland as possible, so please spread the word! birdwatchireland.ie/irish-garden...

This is incredible. The brilliant people at @harpersisland.bsky.social nature reserve near Cork city have set up a live webcam & they're streaming it with night vision tonight. I heard a Curlew call after just a minute watching. www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2US...

I absolutely love this. I'm a sucker for all kinds of old-school simple mechanical methods of control. Using this with a laptop is sublime. www.instagram.com/reel/DRmPFQs...

The latest set of ceramics from my evening class. It's the first time I’ve ever tried framing work like this and I'm so pleased with how they've turned out. I adore the oak leaves and am keeping them for myself. Some of the others will make Christmas presents.