On the way to work this morning, a car with a large yellow and red "Commit random acts of kindness sticker" deliberately went through a red light at a pedestrian crossing.

Barry Andrews: Until Ireland embraces true energy independence, we will be caught up in the endless global turmoil that comes with fossil fuel dependency... jrnl.ie/7028371

For @verfassungsblog.de, I argue that the Irish fuel price blockade is not some grassroots protest, but a union of fossil capital and racial capital: verfassungsblog.de/the-fuel-pri...

One of two Basking Sharks off Ballycotton today, lovely to see. #phonescoped

While the ”Narva scenario” has become such a popular doom narrative that it even has its own Wikipedia page, trying to take it wouldn’t be a walk in the park for Russian little green men. Here’s four reasons why. With Marek Kohv @icds-tallinn.bsky.social

A must read. Pin-sharp analysis, explains rather than blames, eloquently written #speirghoirm

As discussed a lot recently, there is finally a coordinated effort from pro-Europeans - in gov, media and lobbyists - to open the debate about the UK's future and Europe. This also a good moment across in 🇪🇺. Why, and what does it mean? A 🧵

Roger Casement is remembered as a revolutionary & humanitarian, but new research reveals a surprising side to him- a lifelong passion for zoology. He even has a hawkmoth named after him (Gnathothlibus casementi). Dr Aidan O’Hanlon’s new @rtebrainstorm.bsky.social piece www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

Eagarthóirí Nua ar Éigse: A Journal of Irish Studies 📚 Tá áthas ar Sheansailéir Ollscoil na hÉireann, an tOllamh Michael Murphy, a fhógairt go bhfuil an tOllamh Regina Uí Chollatáin agus an tOllamh Caoimhín Ó Muirigh ceaptha ina gcomheagarthóirí ar Éigse: A Journal of Irish Studies.

New Editors of Éigse: A Journal of Irish Studies 📚 The Chancellor of the National University of Ireland, Professor Michael Murphy, is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin and Professor Kevin Murray as the new co-editors of Éigse: A Journal of Irish Studies.

Our paper on decolonising field ecology was featured on a new BBC documentary as an example of how woke has gone too far on university campuses. Needless to say, I'm thrilled. This is impact! @biotropica.bsky.social 🌍 1/6

Thanks to Denis Linehan of UCC for making sense of last week's CSO figures around urban and rural Ireland - this is such an important piece of work, it explains so much of the political discontent we are seeing. www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...

If your day is in need of some biting and much needed critique then settle down to enjoy @oneillsb.bsky.social review of O’Toole and McBride’s ‘For and Against a United Ireland’. I’d call it majestic but for its anti-republican undertone! midnightblue-cat-291350.hostingersite.com/blog/reasoni...

Massive congratulations to Danielle McLaughlin who is the very best of us, on the launch of another brilliant book tonight @booksupstairs.bsky.social If you haven’t got a copy of #Rituals yet pick one up quick - everyone needs a bit of Joan in their life @stingingfly.bsky.social

Happy birthday Mainie Jellett! Jellett’s belief in the spiritual value of colour was the driving force in her work and through colour harmony and tonal balance she created works of extraordinary force and beauty. #CrawfordArtGallery #MainieJellett #IrishArt #Modernism

⚡️EU Culture Commissioner to boycott Venice Biennale over Russia presence.

At least 2 US ambassadors to Ukraine have experienced Trump’s corruption and Kremlin treason scheme first hand; both have resigned one after another. If your diplomats are sounding the alarm that your head of state is a turncoat, under normal circumstances that would be a trigger for an inquiry.

Regulating airbnb being turned into another "attack on rural Ireland" shows how ridiculous and meaningless that phrase is. Increasing the available houses so people can actually live where they're from as opposed to being priced out by landlords and holiday homes is an attack on rural Ireland 🤷‍♀️

A bad sign for both the economy and democracy of Europe when the EU is going the same way as the US and causing experienced experts to leave over pleasing Trump #speirgorm. www.ft.com/content/a714...

More money to the fossil fuel industry. The government is yet to introduce any meaningful measures to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels in response to this fossil fuel crisis.

Meta's own terms indicate its services aren't for children under 13. Yet Meta is failing to keep them off Instagram and Facebook. We've found Meta in breach of the Digital Services Act. ℹ️ link.europa.eu/yPBWgY

Something remarkable happened this morning. An Irish hare, a famously reclusive and skittish creature, came to say hi. I think it’s the same hare from a couple years ago, who lived nearby, encountered me when young, and when older crossed a field and stood at my side. Owen, I named this hare.

"Ireland’s energy policy is going in the wrong direction and this case is seeking to press pause on that. Instead of cutting fossil fuels......we’re locking in more gas just to keep up with soaring demand from data centres" www.clientearth.org/latest/press...

@sabineweyand.bsky.social is a superstar and history will remember her as such. And she is very obviously correct on this matter. And the issues at stake are really important. www.ft.com/content/a714...

This is what a civil servant doing her job looks like. @sabineweyand.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/a714...

Gorgeous 60s illustrations by CF Tunnicliffe for Ladybird children's books showed such abundance — these from UK but similar here From our hedgerows to gardens to buildings, change of practice, powerful machinery & robo-mowers make it easy to remove habitat thoughtlessly, and not see what's missing

I used to think thw German Greens transitioning Germany away from nuclear and renewables and back toward coal was the most anti-green Green Party policy I'd see in Europe, but subsidising fossil fuel usage during the best transition opportunity of our lifetimes gives it a run for its money

Could someone please arrange for Banks to meet with Colin Jackson,Glen Webbe,Ashley Williams,Danny Gabbidon,Aled Brew,Martyn Madden,Nigel Walker,Nathan Blake,Rob Earnshaw & #YWalGoch to tell them they’re not Welsh?Fun evening🍿 Reform are a racist,far right party: Send ‘em packing Cymru 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #Senedd26

Grants toward Scholarly Publications 📚 Are you willing to publish your research? 📝 NUI offers grants for scholarly publications to current staff (including full-time, part-time, and post-doctoral fellows), retired staff, and ECAs from the NUI member institutions. 📅 Deadline: 1 June 2026

Everyone has 128 five-times-great grandparents. One of mine was William Anstey, the Rector of St Peter’s Church in the beautiful village of Camerton, Somerset (near Bath) which I visited yesterday. Only 127 more to trace.

I work on Abbey Street and no, funnily enough, groups of angry men did not make me feel safer.

Two mice today so extra tired.

"I hope this story helps you see forests in a new way" Ballyhoura today:

When slavery was abolished in Jamaica in 1834, the following Irish surnames were present in the long list of compensated slave-owners: Barry, Bourke, Boyle, Brady, Brennan, Broderick, Buckley, Burke, Byrne, Carey, Carroll, Codd, Coleman, Collins, Conway, Corbett, Costello, Cowan, Creighton, Crowley

This is just a way of saying you're completely abdicating any responsibility for young people's education. Actually appalling. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/educ...

I know I am lucky, but I have also been installing this stuff over the last 20 years. This was my solar generation yesterday. 64.1 kWh As well as running the house I added 40 kWh to the car which is approx 150 miles. No matter the politics, the technology works.

How do you know if someone has been to Trinity, and has a castle? They tell you in the first 2 lines: “I got to know Laois during my student days at Trinity College Dublin. I would drive with friends down to Glin Castle, my family home in County Limerick”

Sunny day across these islands:?compare & contrast Ireland v UK electricity production right now. 25% of Ireland is solar (good) yet 40% of UK is solar as they’ve built out infrastructure despite having vastly larger grid demand. As a result, our grid is >3x dirtier. Nice work, NIMBYs.

Come on Cork - Cork City Council and Cork County Council need to do the same - compulsory acquisition of the 1000s of derelict houses - shameful in face of extreme housing crisis @frankoconnor.bsky.social @judesherry.bsky.social #SpéirGhorm #SpeirGorm

This week'ss post: Should the government compensate consumers for cost of living shocks? mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2026/04/shou... If all governments cut taxes on fuel, global prices will only rise further, because demand has to fall to meet a lower level of supply.

Ireland has a €9 billion surplus - but instead of this we're encouraging people to build, without planning required, rental chalets in their back garden with zero rights for tenants but tax breaks for those homeowners #spéirghorm

"We have already had enough symbolic unions – Budapest Memoranda, symbolic security guarantees, NATO, a symbolic path to NATO. We deserve full membership in different alliances and, of course, in the European Union."

UCD Library is looking for the next Director of the world-class National Folklore Collection. The new Director will ensure the ongoing delivery of services for students, faculty, & researchers in an exciting time of change. Full details & apply by 12 noon, 21 May, 2026 at www.ucd.ie/workatucd/jobs

Germany’s Foreign Minister rejected Spain, Ireland & Slovenia’s bid to have the EU-Israel Association Agreement suspended as “inappropriate”. I asked him about whether it was appropriate for the EU not to act, and when expressing concern would turn to action: www.instagram.com/reel/DXcku-Y...

I dunno if I had €9b++ knocking around during an energy crisis I might be in China figuring out how to put solar and batteries on every roof in the country. I'd have an emergency team plotting out scenarios & building contingency plans for epic amounts of shit hitting the fan #spéirghorm #speirgorm

NationCymru’s Des Clifford launches his first book this week, exploring the next era of Welsh democracy. Jon Gower finds out more wp.me/p8Mk4U-1jH4

Hurrah! Our brochures are here. Collect from cafes, bookshops, libraries in Cork city & county, download from our website or order a copy for home delivery (for the cost of postage). Read about our gorgeous cover art, Seán Keating's The Window at link in our bio www.westcorkmusic.ie/literary-fes...

Glen Campbell would have been 90 today. Such a ubiquitous light entertainment show presence in my youth no-one considered him a 'serious artist.' Yet he delivered the definitive versions of two of the greatest American songs (both by the equally underusing Jimmy Webb.) youtu.be/mUg5p3BncuQ?...