Dudes, this is just to announce my retirement from Bluesky. I've really enjoyed it. So much so it's probably been bad for my character. Thanks to everyone for the comradeship. You were all very good to me. I'll still be on Substack if anyone's interested. youtu.be/yCaq9BOe5Yc?...

What the government is doing to trans people is a society-wide version of Section 28. It is a level of bureaucratic cruelty that utterly decimates a whole group of people’s rights and puts anyone who doesn’t ‘look’ right in the eyes of others under constant surveillance. It’s a horrific thing.

"Thomas says his opposition to a housing scheme in Moycullen, his attendance at meetings organised by an overtly seditious organisation, and his objection to new facilities for Galway city’s largest GAA club are being politicised by opponents."

I have as little time for people who've been objectively pro Russian on Ukraine moralising about Gaza as I have for people who are objectively pro Israel on Gaza moralising about Ukraine. Hypocrisy is not a good look no matter which side it comes from.

Yves Sakila's family call for postmortem report as large protest takes place outside Dáil Black Coalition Ireland has called on political leaders to take action following the death of Yves Sakila.

Cartoon against Children going to Liverpool during the 1913 Lockout.

My 87 year old mother is voting tomorrow in the Galway West by-election. I'll let you know if she utters any inspirational slogans to great public acclaim at the polling station.

NWC stands in solidarity with the loved ones of Yves Sakila, and Congolese, Black & minority ethnic communities in Ireland, after a harrowing week. We support the call for a prompt & thorough investigation into his killing. Our thoughts are with all those who are feeling grief, fear & uncertainty. 💜

This is so shameful, it is so awful that families & children are facing fears of eviction on an ongoing basis. Well done to these families ... I understand only too well how stressful this is & how it feels to be forced into advocating for yourself from such a vulnerable position. #SpéirGorm

Huge crowd for Yves Sakila today. Racism is a necessary condition for what’s happening in Palestine, and to properly oppose this racism we must also address it within our own borders. Everyone who’s been vocal on Palestine needs to speak up for #JusticeForYves

There's a lot of talk about liberal echo chambers etc. But what common ground can you have with someone who affects to believe that Yves Sakila deserved to be killed? Or even someone who'd like to forget it ever happened. You can't really do the "up to a point John" number there.

J'Acuzzi

big turnout calling for justice for Yves Sakila, killed in Dublin

If our view is that houses are assets/commodities above all else then we have decoupled the housing market from the central service of providing homes. New builds are not a valid metric for assessing government success on tackling homelessness when there is no requirement to house people in them.

Government to bring Occupied Territories Bill back to Dáil

The only thing worth quoting from this piece is the butcher complaining about immigrants TO Ireland at the same time talking about his kids who’ve moved to Australia Always one rule for us another for them with these people

I remember the Guardian suggesting, on the morning of the referendum, that repeal would be defeated by a silent majority in Rural Ireland (a conclusion reached by absolutely no-one else.) Their recent casting of the fuel protests as being in the great Irish revolutionary tradition was a reach too.

One consolation is that at least in Ireland no-one is suggesting you should bring your birth certificate if you need to use the jacks.

That Guardian article on the Dublin Central by-election is really poor for a variety of reasons and it's disappointing to see people sharing it

i'll be at the protest outside the dáil tomorrow, against the killing of yves sakila if you're in dublin, come along 1pm

Yves Sakila Protest Thursday May 21, 1.00pm, Dáil Éireann : INAR, Rosa, and Black and Irish have all confirmed protest will be on Merrion Square side of Leinster House. Share widely, if some show up to Kildare St hopefully there will be people to redirect.

@mrjamesob.bsky.social is very well read. I wonder has he seen this new title?

"Why was he running?" Because he was being chased by 5 dangerous men. We know they were dangerous. They killed him.

If Gerry Hutch doesn't get elected it won't be the media's fault anyway. They've done everything but chair him through the streets.

As anyone who follows me here would hopefully attest, I'm reasonably patient with those who disagree with me. But someone answering my piece about there being too many English language writers on the Guardian poll with, "not everything is a hate crime," is pure culture war gobshite stuff.

The wife of the elderly man injured while Yves Sakila was being chased to his death says it's not actually clear who knocked him over. www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-n...

What the fuck is this @theguardian.com ? Of all the candidates, you chose to go canvassing with the racist who was involved in one of the bloodiest gangland feuds in Europe this century, and you couldn't find even ONE migrant voice? Pathetic rubbish. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Remember all the "What you mean Black Lives Matter? Surely All Lives Matter," stuff from a few years back? If you need an explanation for why BLM had to happen, just look at the reaction to the death of Yves Sakila.

I have knocked literally thousands of doors in Dublin Central over the last 5 months and I can say with absolute certainty that the statement that this is "a contest for a parliamentary seat that has been dominated by xenophobia and immigration" is a complete fabrication.

The Irish government seems to think The Prodigal Son is a parable about awarding state contracts.

Is it cynical to suggest much of the media overkill about the former comes about from a reluctance to examine the latter?

Look I just can't believe that a group of people murdered someone in broad daylight, with witnesses and with impunity, and anyone at all wants to argue that that was ok because he maybe shoplifted. Yves Sakila was murdered. How are we ok with someone being murdered?! Jesus what is wrong with ye.

I cannot for the life of understand why pay in RTE is dubbed a national scandal while man chocked to death outside Arnotts in broad daylight isn’t.

You could sell anything to us couldn't you?

In the spirit of 'Your Party' can I suggest a new political movement for Ireland called 'That Crowd'?

European far right news. AFD co-leader Tino Chrupalla has hit out at RN leader Jordan Bardella for making approving comments about German chancellor Friedrich Merz. The AFD are also cross at being criticised by Giorgia Meloni's bunch. Chrupalla can seek solace from Russia which he greatly admires.

FF/FG electoral hegemony has given them a strong sense of who matters and who doesn't.. The latter come under the general heading of That Crowd, they don't own their own houses, they protest about Gaza and, increasingly, they aren't white. They must be not just ignored but actively disrespected.

One consequence of Fianna Fáil being in power for long is that they have contempt for anyone who's not in power. Martin's response here is merely, "Ha ha ha, we won the election and you didn't." Political legitimacy, even as an opposition, in their eyes is conferred by winning elections.

The only way we'll get sanctions on Israel is to trick Netanyahu into criticising government housing policy.

This is horrific. Due to the incompetence and inattention of prison staff a man died a horrible, lonely and very preventable death. But as ever, the traditional public service refrain after the tragedy, lessons have been learned. www.rte.ie/news/ireland...

With everything else going on the RTE hearings were almost light relief by comparison. But the scale of chicanery going on made breathless Prime Time exposés of small business skullduggery look like pretty trivial. The average dodgy builder is an amateur compared to the Montrose Syndicate.

On top of the being the main source of aluminium for the russian aerospace industry (i.e. all them missiles and drones heading for Kyiv) Aughinish Alumina is also the biggest single consumer of fossil gas in Ireland - about 11% of total use in 2021, more now. www.irishexaminer.com/business/com...

I'd let him in and then arrest him.

The government spent all day issuing statements about how appalled, horrified, angered they were over the treatment of the kidnapped flotilla participants. Tonight they refused to sanction Israel for any of their horrendous crimes. Know them by their deeds, not their words. Sleeveen hypocrites. 🤬

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Except that Labour, being Labour, WILL be fooled again.

Jim O'Callaghan FF didn't listen or honour his commitments. Counselling notes of rape survivors can still to be used as evidence for the defence of the rapist. This means victims can't access counselling with confidence or privacy. This is a barrier to help for victims of sexual assault. #speirgorm

For that rent to be deemed affordable (30% of your income), you need to be bringing in €7,253 a month or €87,040 a year. The median income in Ireland is closer to €60,000 per household. The housing crisis begets the cost-of-living crisis #Spéirgorm

What was "shocking" about it? Netanyahu saw fit to hand one of the most powerful positions in government to a man with convictions for incitement to racism and support for a terrorist organisation. Hot take: Ireland's leader @micheal-martin.bsky.social will take no action worthy of the description

this story coming the week after Yves Sakila was killed is extraordinary timing. Dan Andrei Alexuc should be alive too. there is no excuse for ever restraining someone with pressure on their neck jrnl.ie/7045341

Ben Gvir's desire to show who's boss not that different from Jim O'Callaghan's determination to milk publicity value from deportations.