This Saturday, I’ll be joining Hannah Sackville-Bryant on BBC Upload to talk about the essay “Tell me there’ll be Saturdays”. Catch it live on BBC Radio Leeds, Sheffield, York, or Humberside, from 6pm-8pm or on the BBC Sounds app. Looking forward to it!

This has just got real. Stories. Songs. Seasons. collection available to pre-order now. Out December 2026. And if you’re in Leeds, tickets for the live event are available to pre-order now. All info and links here: storiessongsseasons.substack.com/p/stories-so...

A setlist from a gig l did with my band "Far From Havana" 22 years ago this summer. It was an outdoor gig and it rained so heavily the audience watched from their cars and beeped their horns in place of clapping. We were as dreadful as our name suggests but we thought we had made it.

A short piece about Saturday's in the 90s - local football, Saturday night TV, and that feeling of belonging that technology seems to be eroding. storiessongsseasons.substack.com/p/tell-me-th...

I’ve got bacon for sandwiches in the pan, lamb shoulder slow cooking in the oven, lemon cheese cake chilling in the fridge next to an Easter egg. Now I just need some good songs on and the day is complete. Happy Easter Sunday.

My Substack has had a bit of a face lift. Find out more here and follow along for news of what’s coming between now and the end of the year. storiessongsseasons.substack.com/p/introducin...

From the archive, I spoke to Christy Moore a few years ago about the song Lisdoonvarna. Have a read… open.substack.com/pub/itstomsh...

Sorry to see Irish people still having to put up with this sort of nonsense

I’ve had the potato thing a few times, but it was sort of good natured and it stopped when I asked for it stop. I know sometimes people want to feel they can relax and joke around, but if someone doesn’t find it funny, then it needs to stop.

If you want there to be more people like Alan Bennett in 21st century Britain, provide funding for local authority arts programmes and restore BBC and Arts Council funding to what it once was!

Shame on Aer Lingus, what kind of price is this for a “saver” flight to Belfast from Leeds and back this weekend?! This is before you even add a bag.

Yorkshire Tea’s sponsorship of Simon Armitage’s ‘Shed’ podcast is genius. I’m up at the kettle every time he asks his guest “shall we have a cup of tea?” And of course, having no Punjana or Barry’s, it’s always Yorkshire.

“Do try to be alive to things all day, not bored or superior to others or critical or clever or full of notions and opinions. Remember that life is eternally passing - for others as for yourself and they too have to endure it in the lonely cell of themselves” - John McGahern, 1961

A few days after my mum’s funeral in Nov, I had an 8 hr ferry journey ahead of me. I was mooching about Waterstones and came across this wonderful book by @seamas.bsky.social. Serendipity. Can’t quite believe I’d never come across his work before, with us both being from Derry. The book is a tonic.

Happy 50th, old friend. open.substack.com/pub/itstomsh...

What does going to the dentist and Gregory Campbell making an arse of himself have in common? open.substack.com/pub/itstomsh...

I’m an Ambassador for this brilliant charity, Bookbanks, giving away books with food parcels at food banks. There are two part-time jobs going for Regional Leads in London and East Anglia. Link below. Please share far and wide :)

Up Sliabh Liag.

Are you joking me? open.substack.com/pub/itstomsh...

A throwback to being in my happy place back in September 2021. An Grianán Fort, County Donegal.

Some more rambles on the week that it was… open.substack.com/pub/itstomsh...

@jenhoganjourno.bsky.social writes: “Children are starting junior infants lacking many of the very basic skills we would have taken for granted 10 years ago, such as how to have a conversation, how to play with toys, how to pretend, how to focus on a task for more than two minutes.” Terrifying.

54 years ago today ,the British Parachute regiment invaded Derry's Bogside and murdered 14 men and boys .The murderers are protected by their government and the PPS. The murderers LIED to two inquires,still no justice.

A huge scandal playing out

My better half has written the first guest post over on my Substack. She’s a brilliant writer. Go see for yourself. open.substack.com/pub/itstomsh...

I can’t believe the news today, I can’t close my eyes and make it go away. How long must we sing this song? open.substack.com/pub/itstomsh...

Take me back to coast… open.substack.com/pub/itstomsh...

Some more rambles… open.substack.com/pub/itstomsh...

This piece is available on Substack for another week or so before it gets archived. This is an important one to me so if you have a spare five minutes I’d love it if you read it. open.substack.com/pub/itstomsh...

You’re too calm. Too sensible. Too shocked to behave any other way than act as if this is just a bad dream and you’re about to wake up to the mundane Monday you were supposed to. Read more itstomshiels.substack.com/p/better-day...

The Irish don’t mess around when it comes to funerals. By the time Friday afternoon comes around my mum is already buried. English friends are asking when the funeral is, by the time the question has left their mouths the deed is already done. Read more here: open.substack.com/pub/itstomsh...

There’s just one week to go until our next webinar in collaboration with @everylibrary.bsky.social. The session on Wednesday 25 June is all about ‘creating response strategies for academic libraries.’ Don’t miss out. Find out more and register here: bit.ly/4dtwVHJ #DefendResearch

Enjoyed this short documentary on @fotoole.bsky.social’s experience of growing up and working in Ireland. I particularly liked his optimism for the future of the island. Well worth checking out on the RTE player.

Exciting times. Kevin Barry, Tommy Tiernan, Judith Roddy, Aaron Monaghan, Caitríona McLaughlin are cooking up something special with a brilliant creative team. Deeply funny and deeply human. Not to be missed. The Cave opens soon @abbeytheatre.bsky.social www.abbeytheatre.ie/whats-on/the...

Netflix's Adolescence has struck a chord - its themes feel uncomfortably relevant. Pertinent @emeraldpublishing.bsky.social reads address the complexities of modern masculinities - when these conversations matter more than ever ⬇️ @drlisasugiura.bsky.social @utsa.bsky.social @richgater.bsky.social

The Bee Magazine launches TODAY. It has been created to redress the class imbalance in literature, and features an array of writing talent. Big respect to editors Richard Benson, Claire Malcolm and all at @newwritingnorth.bsky.social. Please support it if you can. Go to TheBeeMagazine.com.

As we stand in solidarity with #DefendResearch and initiatives that safeguard scholarly integrity, we’re providing downloadable assets to support your advocacy. Find out more here: emeraldgrouppublishing.com/defendresearch

[Thread] 1/4 Today, we’ve launched a dedicated space on our website for you to find news and resources on how you can get involved with #DefendResearch. Back in Feb, Emerald became the first organisation to sign the #DefendResearch declaration, set up to resist the censorship of academic research.

2/4 As we said at the time, our mission has always been to create an equitable research and publishing environment, and we remain dedicated to this mission, especially at a time when academic freedom is under threat. Read through this thread to learn about what we've done since.

3/4 We announced our partnership with the @everylibrary.bsky.social Institute in the US and co-created a series of webinars with them to support the academic library community. We've introduced a publisher’s note to be included in every journal we publish. You can read it here: bit.ly/3YnOene

4/4 We've launched resources to assist and inspire you to get involved. You can find those here: bit.ly/4iDXISA Join us and thousands more to #DefendResearch.

Today’s agenda: source either bacon or sausages for a sandwich, Donegal v Down in the Ulster Championship semi final, lots of snacks, a few stout. To roast or not to roast, that is the question.

Bassy days.

Come say hello to us at our stand at the American Educational Research Association 2025 Conference. Today and tomorrow, you can stop by to learn about our education journals and books. We look forward to seeing you! #AERA2025 @aeraedresearch.bsky.social

Today’s agenda: a ridiculously large Sunday roast, Donegal v Monaghan in the Ulster championship, some tasty beverages, a chocolate egg, and a nap.

"Translations" is my favorite play. Not my favorite Brian Friel Play. My favorite play.

What are you reading this weekend? I’m working my way through essays, diaries, and interviews with Brian Friel.

It's #SelfPubSaturday check out the starter pack for some great books and authors. If you want to be included in the starter, message me or reply to this. Reskeets appreciated. #BookSky #WritingCommunity go.bsky.app/S5iYkkG

Sausages are in the oven, cooking for a sandwich. My intention is to spend the rest of the day on my favourite chair, catching up on reading, and drinking copious amounts of tea. Maybe even a Guinness later. I love a long weekend.