Amazon secures permission to build three data centres in North Dublin

I've a piece in the paper today

AI is doing to words - literature, journalism, entertainment - what polyester did our clothing There used to be natural fabrics and clothes meant something; now we are drowning in shitty, toxically & exploitatively produced crap, and yes most is cheap but even high end stuff is also now mostly sh!t

‘The hundreds of billions of dollars companies are investing in AI now account for an astonishing 40 per cent share of US GDP growth this year… Outside of the AI plays, even European stock markets have been outperforming the US this decade’ on.ft.com/4pTQ3US

I honestly don’t know why we buy children toys 📦

Adopt far-right policies to stop the far right gaining influence - continues to be the stupidest idea in European politics today. www.theguardian.com/law/2025/dec...

📻 I’m going to be on @rteone.rte.ie shortly to talk MAGA madness Will try my hardest not to say “batshit” live on air 🦇

📣 I am hiring a postdoc! aial.ie/hiring/postd... applications from suitable candidates that are passionate about investigating the use of genAI in public service operations with the aim of keeping governments transparent and accountable are welcome pls share with your networks

The European Commission is now digging deeper in to our complaint against Ireland’s process by which Ireland appointed ex-Meta lobbyist as its Data Protection Commissioner www.rte.ie/news/2025/11...

Well, it's a little clearer now why billionaires are so invested in technology that produces better written emails.

If gave you €1 every second since you were born: You would have €1 million within a week and a half. You would have €1 billion by 32. You would never have €1 trillion. Generations upon generations after you would not reach €1 trillion. Because it would take over 31,700 years to reach €1 trillion.

Always nice to see our work picked up and amplified by other, bigger media. These survey results have been on RTÉ radio, Newstalk, FM104, and others are planning to cover it too.

The Washington Post thinks the White House Ballroom is a splendid idea and anyone who thinks otherwise is a NIMBY. In other news Post owner Jeff Bezos is helping to pay for the Ballroom

Don't get your hopes up yet, but it looks like Geert Wilders is on track for a pretty bad performance in the Netherlands election this week. If this poll is right, it looks like making a non-Wilders coalition will be pretty easy. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

"Connolly was advised to avoid her hobby of rollerblading down Galway’s prom for fear of injury." 🤌 Jack Horgan-Jones piece inside the successful Catherine Connolly campaign: From gaining cross-party support to digital dexterity www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

I realise this isn't the point but if I'm reading this right, we're about to get ourselves President CMAC #áras25 #spéirgorm

Make that the highest absolute number AND highest percentage in the history of that state Newsletter in inboxes: www.thebriefing.ie/highest-perc...

It’s official - highest percentage AND highest absolute number of votes in the history of the presidency More than Dev, more than Michael D. #Aras25

With 3 constituencies left to count - Catherine Connolly has received the highest number of votes of any candidate for presidency in the history of the state According to @womenforelection.bsky.social data - MDH in 2018 had 822k #Aras25

First few official results now coming in for #aras25: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

CC’s win was so evident, so early, that I fear we’ve jumped right over it to debating the meaning of spoilt votes The reasons will be as diverse as voters -who put 10 parties & 10% indies in the Dái— are But that won’t stop the fight to own the narrative #Aras25 www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025...

Tally in Rathdown with 62% of boxes opened This is the heart of the leafy blue suburbs #Aras25

Two women who were canvassing in support of Catherine Connolly in north Dublin have allegedly been assaulted.

I did a roundup post of what turned out to be a very weird #Aras25 In 12 newsletters, 3 newspaper articles, & a fair few media bits, my goal has been to get on the record the ephemera of the digital campaign Reviewing it, its striking how much is already erased www.thebriefing.ie/aras25-campa...

I did a roundup post of what turned out to be a very weird #Aras25 In 12 newsletters, 3 newspaper articles, & a fair few media bits, my goal has been to get on the record the ephemera of the digital campaign Reviewing it, its striking how much is already erased www.thebriefing.ie/aras25-campa...

I've a piece in @irishexaminer.bsky.social today about the #Aras25 "election cancelled" deepfake I look at 4 potential motivations for going to the lengths they went to Including my current pet theory is that it was a marketing push by a deepfake tech vendor www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...

In the @irishtimes.com today I highlight 3 moments that won Catherine Connolly the online campaign in #Aras25 I also sneak in my big picture take: she won the internet because influencers talked about her; which they did because left unity made coming out viable www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025...

🗣️ "The technology, for the moment, has outpaced the legitimate requirement for us to be educated in that regard. And that's where this problem emerges.” - Technology Editor, Irish Independent Adrian Weckler #TonightVMTV

We've a new piece in @techpolicypress.bsky.social on the decision by Meta and Google to ban political, social and issue-based ads in the European Union. It's a seismic shift for European campaigning, but there won't be any winners: www.techpolicy.press/meta-and-goo...

Are you a little confused about how Ireland’s Presidential Election works? Fear not: I have once again picked up some 🔴 popular 🟠 coloured 🟡 chocolate-based 🟢 confectionary 🔵 treats 🟣 to show how the #aras25 votes are counted. @virginmedianews.bsky.social

Ireland disinformation update: Reddit locked down one of the most-used parts of its platform in Ireland (r/ireland, claiming 1.2m members) due to what moderators called a “wave of new and inactive accounts spreading disinformation and hate speech connected to recent events.”

They are here Sophisticated deepfakes are officially a part of Irish electoral life And frankly, we're a bit f*cked www.thebriefing.ie/meta-allows-...

Report on how the platform political ad bans boost far-right Geert Wilders in the Netherlands. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Media training as a minister is about ploughing through, running out the clock, saying nothing Not sure that’ll win you a Presidential debate #RTEpt #Aras25

This is the most interesting thing I've read in days on the presidential campaign

Connolly won the internet because influencers crowded around her I haven't seen this since the referendums My theory: left unity opened the door for progressive creators to engage; they're not worried about intra-left sniping and blowback There's a lesson there www.thebriefing.ie/comedy-wins-...

Blink and you'll miss it: the most subtle (and devastating) piece of #Aras25 content is a comedy sketch And it is what the future of the political internet will look like www.thebriefing.ie/comedy-wins-...

I've written a newsletter on why the FG attack video is both bad content, and bad strategy (If you subscribed you'd have gotten this in your inbox with the heading "Why that FG ad is giving you the ick") (It's free) www.thebriefing.ie/fine-gaels-a...

Good analysis here of the flaws in Fine Gael's attack ad as a piece of campaign content, from script to format to tone to subject matter. (Also, you should subscribe to Liz's newsletter if you haven't already.) #Aras25

I've written a newsletter on why the FG attack video is both bad content, and bad strategy (If you subscribed you'd have gotten this in your inbox with the heading "Why that FG ad is giving you the ick") (It's free) www.thebriefing.ie/fine-gaels-a...

I've written to @rte.ie Prime Time urging them to ask the about climate change in the final Presidential debate next Tuesday. Both candidates supported the 2019 declaration of a climate emergency by the Dáil. I want to hear how they would approach it as president. www.linkedin.com/posts/oisinc...

There we are (almost - @johnnyryan.bsky.social & I were running across the quad from the Luas for the nice photo) talking Democracy Shield and the need to turn off the algorithms in Leinster House today More info on the @uplift.ie & @iccl.bsky.social campaign here: www.uplift.ie/democracy-sh...

🗣️ "What I hear is... we’re going to privatise and hive off a part of our energy-generating infrastructure for one industry." The panel debate the government’s new Private Wires Policy and what it could mean for Ireland’s energy system and consumers. #TonightVMTV

I'm going to be on @virginmediatv.bsky.social in an hour and I've been deep diving on this whole "Enhanced Games" thing - and we can all agree that it is a grift for selling testosterone to middle-aged to elderly men, right?

This is such good public service journalism - makes you notice how rarely we hear shows stick with the same (real world, impactful but not especially sexy) issue week after week Makes being woken by my little human alarm clock so early on a Saturday worth it

Listening back to the @mcculld.bsky.social debate & the knives were out - as I predicted last week No transfers being sought here… www.thebriefing.ie/our-first-am...

Listening back to the @mcculld.bsky.social debate & the knives were out - as I predicted last week No transfers being sought here… www.thebriefing.ie/our-first-am...

Neither candidates or voters are used to a 2 horse race in Ireland; I think it'll lead us to a fractious, attack-laden campaign, and turnout below 40% Latest newsletter #Aras25 www.thebriefing.ie/our-first-am...

As of today, 10 October, the rules governing online political advertising in the EU have changed. Listen to tech and democracy expert @lizcarolan.com explain how “malicious compliance” with these rules might make things even murkier: pod.fo/e/33a104

In the @irishexaminer.bsky.social today @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social I map out the global authoritarian resurgence and what it means for Ireland