This is down to government policy Nobody should be without a home in Ireland There are enough homes In fact a recent government study found 65,000 homes empty for over 2 years, all connected to electricity & other services We urgently need use it or lose it so everyone has a home #speirgorm

Thoughtful article about Irish media, sex and gender by psychotherapist and Genspect director Stella O’Malley. Worth reading by anyone whose mind is open Not where you’d expect to find her writing, but that’s a comment on closed minds in too much of our media. www.irishcatholic.com/how-the-iris...

Just received a notice from Apple saying that it has found X to be in breach of the App Store rules due to its nudification functions.

‘Amhráin do mo Mháthair’ - clár álainn amhránaíochta, cuimhní, smaointe agus smaoinimh. Brava Pauline Scanlon, maith thú! Ar fáil anois ar sheinnteoir @tg4.bsky.social www.tg4.ie/ga/search/se...

‘Tá coiste Oireachtais chun scríobh chuig Roinn an Taoisigh le maoiniú á lorg don t-aon scoil lán-Ghaeilge in oirthear Bhéal Feirste agus imní léirithe ag bunaitheoir na scoile faoina bhfuil i ndán di.’ @maitiuocoimin.bsky.social

Busy but very narrow commuting route between Dun Laoghaire and Dublin to be widened by a CPO to provide bike lanes in both directions and a pedestrian path. More sustainable travel progress by @dlrcc.bsky.social. Via @irishcycle.com

In case you think vulgar anti-Irish abuse is a thing of the past in Britain, this example shows how some people not only enjoy writing it but get paid by the Spectator for doing so. Sad. spectator.com/article/im-s...

Liberty?

It's not acceptable that the only way to get live updates on public transport is by having an account on X which is now under investigation for CSAM. TFI and Irish Rail need to start providing accessible and reliable updates on their own platforms instead of relying on X. #SpeirGorm

Great long read interview with Kate Forbes on life and leaving politics.

‘Maidin amárach glacfaidh conraitheoirí seilbh ar Pháirc Mhic Easmuinn i mBéal Feirste… ‘Ach, agus is ach mór é’ - Póilín Ní Chiaráin Scéal nach léir fós faraor cén uair a chríochnóidh sé. #CasementPark

Uilleann piper Mark Redmond appeared at the Court of Petty Sessions in Rathcoole tonight. By a unanimous verdict, he was found guilty of playing in a manner that thrilled his audience. Also found guilty but pardoned on grounds of services to music were TradFest and South Dublin County Council.

Tldr Strength comes only by acting together in a world where rules are being cast aside, as Mark Carney explained in his powerful Davos speech. Within hours the strength of united European opposition to Trump’s Greenland take-over bid led to a climb-down. A lesson for relations with Trump’s America.

Mo cholún.

Philadelphia is one of many places I’ve visited in the U.S. where I witnessed an imaginative determination to tell the glorious and the shameful sides of American history which is truly impressive. Not any more, at least not in Philadelphia. Sad.

The nightmare plan for Gaza, by Dutch cartoonist Peter de Wit.

A recognition of a horrific truth in a world that turns away from the killing of children. ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ is nominated for best international film at the Oscars. youtu.be/hrssPpqv6vc

Not a good day for the Irish Council of Civil Liberties, but a good day for facts. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/educ...

An Eoraip: tá sé de cheart ag muintir na Graonlainne a bheith á rialú de réir a mianta. An Eoraip freisin: Níl ceart ag muintir na Pailistíne a bheith á rialú de réir a mianta.

Trump won’t, perhaps, invade Greenland for now. The US is losing its allies - choosing enmity and chaos instead. So what do ‘medium powers’ and the EU (a bigger power but not a superstate) do now? my latest blog. open.substack.com/pub/kirstyhu...

Great unusual ending to RTE’s Morning Ireland programme as piper Louise Mulcahy plays beautifully to promote Dublin’s TradFest which starts on Thursday. Special praise due to the sound engineer for the immaculate sound quality. www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

"They stole my face... my identity... I don't remember who I was three years ago." This is Lucy. Her life changed utterly after she became a victim of deepfake image abuse. Forced to move jobs & home... change every aspect of her daily life... she has a strong message for victims and legislators

‘The old order is not coming back.’ Canadian prime minister’s seriously thoughtful speech about the new world order at Davos. www.youtube.com/live/uStuQ-T...

Remember when our mothers told us to stop being so childish.

Stunning circular reasoning.

‘This new world order suits us’ - Russian imperialist’s view of Trump’s imperialism.

[1/6] A reminder: Europe has cards to use against the US. Lots of them. To cite some examples: - Tighten screws on US digital giants (taxes, fines, even bans) - Export taxes disrupting US supply chains eg pharma - Exclude US firms from European procurement, inc defence ecfr.eu/publication/...

An fiú an chumhacht a úsáideann ionaid data a shíor-mhéadú, mar a mholann plean an rialtais? Ceisteanna agus m’iarracht ar a bhfreagairt.

Delaying the 2026 Climate Action Plan is deeply concerning. Efforts are already way off-track & the CAP is the main tool for closing the delivery gap this decade. Saying we must wait for post-2030 carbon budgets is conceptually backwards - delay now makes future targets harder and more expensive.

Respect to Niall Stanage for brave no-nonsense truth-telling in the White House.

Ní cóir do rialtas ar bith i dtír ar bith a bheith muiníneach as geallúint ar bith a thugann Grok, Musk nó cladhaire ar bith a thugann geallúint nuair nach bhfuil aon dul as aige. Seachain!

“So now you have the Gardaí, the AI Minister and multiple legal experts including @iccl.bsky.social saying the legislation is all there already - it’s going to be increasingly difficult for the Government not to take a position on this”.

🚨 Breaking Gardaí say investigations are underway following Grok scandal. "We have received reports and referrals of content on that platform that is under investigation... the process takes some time... it has to be assessed to make sure it's criminal... the people responsible have to be ID'd"

‘Níl ina lá’ á chanadh fadó ag Seán Ó Sé agus Ceoltóirí Chualann á thionlacan. Glór binn as cuimse, sár-urlabhra i gcónaí, agus fear uasal. Bhí sé d’ádh orainn a bheith beo lena linn. RIP. m.youtube.com/watch?v=eEi_...

Níl aon athrú ar an scéal seo ó foilsíodh an colún seo. Tá an colún á athsheoladh agam tousc go bhfuil abairt thábhachtach ag an deireadh (a fágadh ar lár tré thimpiste) curtha i gcló anois.

Sean Ó Sé RIP. Many reasons to praise him but his clear, sweet, loving rendition of ‘The Banks’ is unforgettable. x.com/irishexamine... youtu.be/cgTdc9mLErc

Nightmare judge. irishcycle.com/2026/01/13/j...

The threat to the sex-based rights of women, clearly outlined and criticised by former Austrian Green MP Faika El-Nagashi.

Malaysia and Indonesia block Grok as obfuscation and foot-dragging continue in Europe.

'ní cáineadh a theastaíonn ach feidhmiú dlíthe' Aontaím @cathalmaccoille.bsky.social tuairisc.ie/naireofar-ri...

EUROPE SAYS NO TO TO TRUMP is a message most of us know will have to be sent some time soon in terms that are clear, resolute and well-prepared. It has come to this.

The best response to any service provider who describes objections to online assaults on women as an ‘excuse for censorship’? Ban his service until his company stops facilitating them.

Trump, Musk, Grok agus dúshlán práinneach d’ár rialtas agus don AE. Mo cholún.

Happy 85th Birthday Joan Baez.

The link to the fund set up to help Amanda’s family is here: chuffed.org/project/help...

"This wasn't our fault, but we don't feel safe to go back to the area knowing that these people who did this could be walking among us, in the shops, when we're driving, in the park." Awful story, and a way to help the victims: A fundraiser to help the family has been set up on website chuffed.org..

Remaining on X is a decision the government must be asked to justify. fujomedia.eu/news/account... via @aidanobrien.bsky.social

‘The last family in the Palestinian village of Yanoun left their home last week, joining a growing list of communities that have been erased from existence..’

Bliain mhór do chol ceathrair na Gaeilge. 🇮🇲 yearofmanx.im