The level of coping and seething that Sinn Féin endorsing Connolly has triggered among conservative and centrist media commentators is honestly pretty funny

United left* is a hell of an achievement for Catherine Connolly, regardless of what comes next. *minus Alan Kelly

Presidential campaign battlelines being drawn. Govt party candidates favour an 'above politics' president (contra MDH); CC campaigns to be a politically outspoken president (like MDH). Both options are perfectly constitutional... irishexaminer.com/news/politics/…

We should be able to send Irish troops into any country we want at any time we want for any reason we want.

I can understand why a company that gets commission from selling airport taxis, airport parking, airport coach tickets and car rentals may not want to compete with a metro. But MetroLink is about much more than Ryanair's business strategy or even the airport itself.

Great clip from 2016, Catherine Connolly on Vincent Browne. Always challenging consensus. reddit.com/r/ireland/s/...

Article 157 of the Ukrainian constitution even forbids amendments that violate the country's "territorial integrity".

Disgust at that European Union complicity in genocide will be a factor when people vote in November for our next President.

Same line repeated ad nauseum. We cannot question the EU (or the US); those who do need to have things 'explained to them'. 'Our relationship to Europe is vital to our interests. The challenge is to explain that clearly and to make a case publicly.' www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025...

Leading questions, manufacturing consent

Was on the Pat Kenny show on Monday with @quiatimet.bsky.social to talk about the constitutional powers/limits of the Irish President www.newstalk.com/podcasts/hig...

The Woke Left Claim to Hate the IDF, but Really They Hate the FDI | My article in the Sunday Independent on why we must reject the Occupied Territories Bill

Trying out a new political/constitutional theory: everything is illegitimate except the thing I like

One for the rule-of-law theorists to ponder...

I am quite strongly pro Irish neutrality, but I think there are legitimate arguments for and against it. This is not one of them. Under no circumstances do countries and international organisations which maintain defence ties with Israel get the moral high ground, or even the middle ground

...meanwhile, the EU is given almost unconditional backing to a state committing a genocide, and whose leader has an ICC arrest warrant on their head. Aside from the ignorance of our history, this highlights precisely why we don't want to give the EU more control on our foreign affairs.

The public are the problem... www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025...

'Saving the Triple Lock' by @dondeniamh.bsky.social, the most comprehensive position paper I've seen on why we need to keep the triple lock. www.tni.org/en/publicati...

Joerg Rieger argues that true democracy would not only require political power, but economic power. Image: Victor Dubreuil, “Safe Money,” c.1898 or later. U.S. National Gallery of Art. Common Domain Link in bio.

Me: wow, this Tomkins/Bellamy political constitutionalism stuff is such a breath of fresh air! Friend: Seán it was written 20 years ago...

In trying to remove the Triple Lock, the Govnt has spun a narrative that Ireland should be mistrustful of the UN and supportive of the EU and Western alliances. That this narrative has gained any purchase says a lot about the media and political commentary in this country.

Thanks to @rtebrainstorm.bsky.social for publishing my @researchireland.ie -funded look at how the Catholic newspaper The Standard covered the Second World War, part of my project @dublincityuni.bsky.social School of Communications

Critics of Irish neutrality are right: the way we use the phrase 'neutrality' doesn't fit most standard definitions. The Triple Lock is the one thing that gives it substance. Once that goes, I don't see how anyone can meaningfully talk about Ireland being 'neutral'.

Europe Day: I think a lot of Irish people (incl myself) would be far more willing to talk about European defence cooperation if the EU wasn't so complicit in a genocide against the Palestinians. www.thejournal.ie/meps-slam-eu...

What GAA rule changes can tell us about constitutions. Piece by Seán Rainford @seanrainford.bsky.social, PhD candidate in the DCU School of Law and Government, for @rtebrainstorm.bsky.social. Read here: launch.dcu.ie/44YFtnw #RTEBrainstorm

In this piece for @rtebrainstorm.bsky.social I look at the idea of 'unconstitutional constitutional amendments' (and its problems) through the prism of recent rule changes to Gaelic football – do sports and constitutions have a core essence which are *unchangeable*? www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

Happy to share my review on "The Collaborative Constitution", by @aileenkavanagh.bsky.social! I reconstruct her collaborative conception of constitutional democracy, highlighting both its commonalities and differences with my deliberative conception. utppublishing.com/doi/abs/10.3...

‘Contrary to common perception, and despite the apparent lack of empathy shown by some of its leaders, the EU holds significant leverage over the Israeli government. It is Israel’s leading partner in terms of trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges." www.socialeurope.eu/gazas-descen...

From Super Junior Ministers to the role of an Ceann Comhairle the political constitution is a hot topic atm. If you research in this area, consider putting in an abstract for our conference on this in Dublin on 28th November, a special ed of the Irish Jurist will follow. Abstracts due 30th May.

These are calculated, cynical words. Removing the Triple Lock means 'taking a stand' with EU military alliances, which Irish people have repeatedly rejected. He also describes the opposition's efforts to protect the Triple Lock as 'aggressive'. www.thejournal.ie/taoiseach-hi...

Our next pope:

In a stunning breach of convention, President Higgins appointed Jamie and I Co-Dictators for life...

Only bit I quibble with in an excellent article by @sjamcbride.bsky.social ⬇️ We shouldn't assume the constitution of a united Ireland would allow central govt to unilaterally abolish NI's autonomy, presuming it's part of the final settlement. m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/colu...

Maybe this is a really thick ignorant thing to ask, but how is it "peacekeeping" if it doesn't have UN 🇺🇳 approval?

The way the government talks about the triple lock you'd swear the Russians and the Chinese shoved it down our throats.

I don't remember voting for him tbh

Short piece by Jamie McLoughlin and myself in @thejournal.ie drawing on our article 'Does the Irish Constitution Forbid a Vocal Presidency?' in Dublin University Law Journal last year. In short, a political vocal presidency is constitutional. www.thejournal.ie/readme/micha...

On this day in 1990 Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 27 years of detention under the apartheid regime.

I'm sorry but this is bunk. By this definition the world has been in a constant state of World War since the dawn of human civilization. It is telling that the most historically illiterate men are the ones trying to march us to a militarised future www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...

Wrote this opinion piece with two colleagues in response to the concerted effort by Government, supported by conservative commentators and media, to undermine Irish neutrality. Original title was 'Co-ordinated attack on our neutrality is anti-democratic'. www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...

Strengthening the defence forces and neutrality are distinct, separate issues. You can want stronger defence forces that are well paid and can do their job (without assistance) without wanting us to join the Western military machine.

It is dangerous when every national broadsheet and broadcaster parrots the same line on something as important as Ireland's neutrality. www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/ourv...

"A left analysis of Irish media would suggest they’re part of an institution that tries to mould and shape public opinion, seeks to establish consensus and attempts to depoliticise the decisions made by people in power." @wereontheditch.bsky.social www.ontheditch.com/comment-spec...

“I’ll fix my references later”

Disaster...

You instantly go from sounding lazy and unsophisticated to sounding smart, intellectual and sophisticated

Article 28.5.3° Bunreacht na hÉireann: When you're mean to Michéal Martin on his special day you subvert the foundations of this Constitution.

Spanish PM accuses tech billionaires of wanting to overthrow democracy