Journalist, Eoghan Harris, is the most recent high profile personality to be punished for posting offensive comments on social media, on twitter to be precise. His offence was greatly exacerbated by his use of an anonymous handle. ‘Barbara J. Pym’ was a flag of convenience that allowed Harris to post the kind of comments in […]
I had recently noticed an ad on social media for a local market, and so last weekend we popped down to a lot in Glasnevin to get out of the house and have a poke around. Products and wares included baked and preserved goods, candles, soaps, and fishing tackle. The accents and features behind the […]
While the Climate Change Bill attracted most of the political attention this week – with just 12 TDs voting to oppose the legislation at second stage – of equal significance was a vote also taken on Wednesday evening on a motion regarding Project 2040 comprising of the National Development Plan and Framework. The private members […]
The sheer amount of data held by the HSE on Irish citizens is not something that we think about, most of the time. The information, after all, is held for good reason, and most of us trust our doctors and hospitals. Nonetheless, it is worth considering just how much information hackers can potentially access, if […]
In case you missed it, yesterday morning Ireland was graced with a rather remarkable interview between the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, and Newstalk’s veteran presenter, Pat Kenny, about Antigen testing. Remarkable, for a couple of reasons. Remarkable firstly, because it is the first time in quite a while that an Irish broadcaster has seriously […]
This morning, the hashtag #LeoTheleak is trending on social media. The Shinbots were up early then. Yesterday, or the day before, it was #Shinners or something wearily familiar, because, as we all know, Fine Gael are now well able to take the fight to the enemy on Twitter. It’s all mostly so trite and nauseatingly […]
In recent days, it has been widely reported in other media that the Irish taxpayer funds An Taisce to the tune of €3m per year. It has been widely reported, because An Taisce is leading the campaign against a new cheese factory in the South East of the country, potentially costing the region hundreds of […]
The GAA, according to rule 1.11 of its constitution and rules, is a non-party political organisation. That means, in short, that it does not get involved in, or take sides in, matters of political controversy. The rule has some leeway built into it, as nearly every rule in Ireland does: Non party political does not […]
An Taisce has once again succeeded in annoying many people over its ongoing objection to a proposed cheese processing plant in Kilkenny. The project which will potentially create a large number of much needed jobs has been approved by Kilkenny County Council and An Bord Pleanala and survived a High Court challenge last week. However, […]
Yesterday, a cavalcade of cars made their way around Ballymurphy in West Belfast. The small streets were crowded as a whole community celebrated a vital, historical ruling. Photographers captured the jubilant, delighted faces: neighbours hugging each other in the bright sunshine, relief and joy and tears and smiles from the families who had waited so long for this day. White […]
The tactics being rolled out by most politicians and commentators in favour of banning anti-abortion protests are clear: demonise your opponent.
It is an extraordinary thing, in a modern western democracy, to hear a mainstream politician openly suggesting a complete ban on all immigration. Such calls, after all, are usually reserved to the fringes of the political fringe. Even Donald Trump, the most openly anti-immigration world leader of recent times, never went so far as to […]