Fucking coward

Thank you Patrick Horgan for your extraordinary and phenomenal contribution to hurling, and to Cork. An icon of the game, you represented your county and community with dedication, determination and sportsmanship.

Oh captain, my captain

"I'm cancelling your show ... for a week!"

Momentous news that will reverberate far beyond Egypt: A presidential pardon for Alaa Abd el-Fattah. His family worked for years for this moment: His mother went on a hunger strike that very nearly killed her to secure her son's freedom. His sister camped outside the British foreign office.

Retrospectively removing indefinite leave to remain would be immoral and economically damaging. It would tear families apart. Attacking it as ‘potentially illegal’ is completely beside the point. Argue with the (awful) idea. Don’t try ’well, actually you can’t do that’.

Just to illustrate how much worse it's got, I have received more abuse over the past year and a bit - including death threats and a large volume of antisemitism - for what I write than in the previous 15 years of covering migration and the far right put together.

that point could end up being the difference between arsenal finishing second with 81 points and second with 82 points

EU law (even retained in GB), ECHR, international law and domestic law all in one area, at once, with the knowledge you that if you get it badly wrong someone can die as a result. This is not an area where you can just wing it and not have things go wrong - as practitioner of decision-maker.

I’ve been doing international protection since it was Dublin II, on both sides, and one thing I’ll say is that more than any other area of law, those inside and outside the law are prone to thinking, “Well, how hard can it be as an area!?” The answer being: probably more so than any other area.

Yeah, because no-one else will arrive seeking in a refuge where, in case you hadn’t noticed, things are going to hell in a handcart, you can easily magic up highly-trained specialist lawyers and you’re so clearly going to resource this and the resulting challenges properly, right? Yeah, right.

No Simpsons?

#Strictly should do an Electroclash week

One sad thing about the Corbyn/Sultana feud is that once upon a time this would’ve resulted in a furious pamphlet war and the launch of about five newspapers and journals. Now all that bitterness is being channeled into bourgeois institutions like the ICO and the libel courts…

It has long been my opinion that Hollywood is frittering away the generational dance talents of Channing Tatum & Tom Holland by not putting them in a musical together. Not a remake, but akin to Gene Kelly & Donald O’Connor in Singin’ In The Rain. I strongly believe this would make a billion dollars

Related to this, I, a middle-aged man (see picture) frequently get Facebook recommending I add the teenage children of acquaintances as friends. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

This is funniest possible headline for a song literally called "Song for Bob Dylan"

It might be worth reading my paper on how Europe should fight a war against Russia without the Americans, and which are the key gaps that need to be filled first www.martenscentre.eu/wp-content/u...

What’s something you’re convinced you like but are disappointed every time you have it. Mine’s Cabernet Franc

Polanski-supporting Greens are going to have to learn to be a lot less sensitive about the whole hypnoboobs thing. You might even say they need to “grow a pair”! #sidewayslookattheweeksnews

Me! Oz! Speculating wildly and possibly slanderously!

“Thirty-four vehicles belonging to the Irish Defence Forces have arrived at a co-ordination hub in Rzeszów, southeastern Poland, and are due to be donated to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.“

Starmer could’ve have a real moment there: HER NAME IS VICTORIA AND I LOVE MY HOT WIFE *knocks out Trump with one punch*

Wasn’t that grim but Gatwick to Kyiv and we were the only ones on the flight who were not heading to Uman for pilgrimage. Breslov lads on tour bantz all the way

Before we all go off on this: it’s nice, it’s harmless, leave him to it

David and @hannahalothman.bsky.social’s work on this won them an extremely well deserved Paul Foot Award. Hopefully there will be justice now

Supported by Bell's and Sebastian.

Chappell Rhône

Make a band even more alcoholic: Manic Street Teacher’s

I have a theory, probably nicked from @helenlewis.bsky.social, that the need to be “clever” and “funny” on WhatsApp is one of the things destroying mainstream politics. Look at all the awful quotes you get in newspaper write ups these days. All groupchat bants. And politics bants are the worst bants

There’s a petition to ban Elon Musk from the UK. People have been excluded for a lot less than what he did yesterday (and does day in, day out, on X) startafire.co/scramnews/ba...

Our Covert Councillor is back, with an exclusive investigation on the hidden debt eroding trust in local politics (and a h/t to the vital reporting on this by @liverpoolecho.co.uk's @liamthorp.bsky.social & @theleaduk.bsky.social's @leighsus.bsky.social) www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/dem...

She just couldn’t find a rhyme for “Bosnia Herzegovina”

Well that’s a good start to the week (he’d never have got the nominations, but still)

There’s a petition to ban Elon Musk from the UK. People have been excluded for a lot less than what he did yesterday (and does day in, day out, on X) startafire.co/scramnews/ba...

My powerful substack is back for the autumn term open.substack.com/pub/padraigr...

No public organizations should be using X. It’s owner supports Tommy Robinson.

Never mind the people playing videos on the bus with no headphones. Can we talk about the people walking/cycling around blasting terrible gym house from Bluetooth speakers?

In what sense is this “stunning”?

It may be a result of seeing Amadeus at a young age, but I find most Mozart apart from the Requiem a bit fiddly and silly (ok yes some operas also excluded) #proms

This reminds me: I cancelled my @nybooks.com subscription the other day (my problem, not theirs - it’s a wonderful mag and I will be back once I have time to read it) and I literally just had to log in and press one button and was instantly refunded the balance. So huge kudos to a great magazine

Again, the fundamental difference between “just some weird guy” and “just some weird guy with easy access to firearms”

Very sad to learn of the death of Conor Gearty, a brilliant and generous mind. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal

I just don’t think the country can bear any more bad news www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025...

ELIZABETH HAS BEEN FREED!

Muriel Spark (born 1918) wrote a series of online diaries for Slate when it began in 1996 (ignore the weird preview text)

… The Padraig Reidy Story

What a small but agile regional news site can do - major traffic light outage across Cork city - within 15 minutes- a liveblog with video/pics and instant updates - Around 35-40k ppl tuned in across all platforms - the possibilities of digital media.

Words you thought you’d never type: it’s clearly too badly conceived and executed to be by Banksy