This is a great piece by Mike Whalley. It’s like Dunphy’s ‘Only a Game’, but from the perspective of the journalist. Press huddles outside lower league dressing rooms, you can almost smell the liniment.

This an excellent piece on how the UK (under both the Tories and Labour) have created a coherent and impressive clean energy policy.

Just catching on SNL UK episodes. The musical guest, Meek, blew me away. Kate Bush, Freddie Mercury and Adele all in one performance. She’s playing Dublin Academy on November 17. m.youtube.com/watch?v=JtQ9...

Happy birthday, Margaret Calvert. She designed the “School children crossing”sign, and purposely placed the girl in front as a small feminist gesture.

This is a magnificent match report/reaction piece by Miguel on West Ham 0-1 Arsenal. Snappy opening line, the pointed joke in para 2, then a really impressive overview.

It’s genuinely impressive that so many people saw @daraobriain.bsky.social’s Re-Creation tour and all independently decided not to spoil the show for others by keeping quiet about the INCREDIBLE reveal 3/4 of the way through. It’s now on Amazon Prime, if you want to see it.

Today, for the first time, I’m letting my nine year old cycle a short distance on his own along a protected cycle lane. I’m going to be a bag of nerves until he returns. I’m thinking of Greta today, and all victims of road traffic collisions.

I had to check this book wasn’t a spoof! Sitka monocultures are a biodiversity dead zone. The wrong trees, planted in the wrong place. www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlig...

Cycled in the city centre this morning and now my attitude to the Fuel Blockade has changed entirely. I love what they're doing and it should continue. Made it down to TCD in rapid time with zero threat of close passing. These guys make cycling irresistible

One interesting side effect of the Dublin city centre fuel protest was the number of gardai patrolling the roads. It meant no cars went into the bus/cycle lane at all, and made my bike journey a lot more relaxed. Thank you, fuel protesters!

“Sir Keir Starmer is an FPTP Prime Minister of an increasingly PR-STV UK electorate. Discuss.” If any politics teachers or lecturers are looking for new exam questions!

It’s so cute when people recreate old family photos. Such fun!

@nathanrjohns.bsky.social You were very good on BBC TMS yesterday. Really insightful stuff, well done.

I’ve finally watched ‘Eternity’, written and directed by Ireland’s David Freyne. It’s so good. So many funny lines, including a great running joke throwing shade at the Korean War. www.irishtimes.com/culture/film...

Such a shame to hear of the death of Noel Hawkins. 49 years behind the bar at Mulligans on Poolbeg Street.

A great weekend of Italian football. My first time at Venezia, and my first time travelling to the stadium by boat. Then Bologna v Fiorentina on Sunday. I also like that Bologna prohibits cars on its Main Street at weekends.

Charlie getting us all into the festive spirit with an extremely unsettling ghost story…

I cannot understand how Paul Doyle can be allowed to drive ever again. UK sentencing guidelines need to be revised. This report suggests only four lifetime driving bans were imposed in the UK in 2023, out of 116,000 disqualifications. ukonward.com/reports/clea...

I think I saw Greta Thunberg on the DART going into Dublin last night. And if it wasn’t, apologies to the woman I waved at through the window. Is she in Dublin at the moment? I see she’s speaking at Dalymount Park on Thursday, so it might have been her.

Well done to Miguel. Most journalists have just given up reporting on sportswashing (mostly because many fans don't seem to care). His job would be so much easier if he did too, but he ploughs on.

I've a letter in today's Irish Times about the MetroLink judicial review. I urge everyone who regularly drives near Ranelagh to do the same.

So sad to hear about Mani. I once spent a surreal day with him in Dublin, tagging along as he and his good mate @swench.bsky.social went around looking at record shops and having pints. A genuinely lovely man, so generous with his time to everyone he met on the street.

This is a very perceptive piece. Music fans at outdoor gigs are treated appallingly. The facilities are really poor, and yet fans are routinely paying €100+ for their tickets.

Another fine piece from the unofficial historian of 1970’s television/Granadaland. I actually remember that 90s Match of the Day Madchester theme.

I had the incredible experience of meeting Michael Lewis after his appearance at the L&H in UCD last night. He’s as good a storyteller in person as on the page. Stories about Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Billy Beane and some highbrow stuff about the USA and Ireland’s future relationship.

I was at Bohs v Rovers as well. It was a brilliant day, and a real show of support for the #LOI. 33,208 at Lansdowne Road, a League of Ireland record. It was a big risk for Bohs, because a crowd of less than 18,000 would have been a financial disaster.

I always enjoy Mike Whalley’s pieces. This is a great one, on AI and sub-editing.

I loved Barry’s work on the Ireland football programmes. And then the FAI outsourced the programme to an English publisher…

I loved this film. It’s poignant but also lots of funny moments. Do try to see it in the cinema. It’s a great film to bring older relatives to, to get them talking of their own experiences.

Yet another death on our roads. I saw a cyclist hospitalised last week in Blackrock. Today I saw numerous examples of red light jumping and mobile phone use by drivers. APNR on traffic lights, doubling of penalty points, online reporting portal needed now.

Climate change is seen through video clips—until you become part of the frame.

One in five primary school children killed by vehicles in both the UK and in Ireland are killed within 500 yards of their school. This is why parents like me campaign on this issue.

I've started watching Rivals on Disney+. It's hilarious, camp and I'd highly recommend. But I can't take the 'hunky' Rupert Campbell-Black character seriously - he looks too much like this fella to be a love interest! #BoSelecta

This is great news! Do they still offer a free bet as part of the prize? I remember Simon Kuper saying he won more from his free bet than the actual prize for ‘Football Against The Enemy’.

@samtranum.bsky.social Do you use Notebook LLM, Sam? I’m trying to put together a list of RSA Road safety reports so I can access the data without wading through the reports.

Seriously impressive 2.5 hour set by Peter Hook at the Olympia in Dublin tonight. He’s almost 70! I was tired out just standing watching him.

I got a sneak preview of the movie 'Conclave' this week. It's beautiful, a nailed-on Oscar winner for cinematography. But the ending is very unexpected. It's worth seeing though, especially for Sergio Castellitto's performance as the evil Cardinal Tedesco.

I love how Irish political life is so small. I met one of my local councillors in the street today, who told me the Taoiseach was campaigning nearby and did I want to meet him? 20 seconds later, and I was discussing road safety outside schools and Vision Zero 2050 with the nation's leader!