Laura Dowling
@lauradowling.bsky.social
Disability Studies, Advocacy & Human Rights lecturer. Does Advocacy. Loves music, theatre, comedy, fabric, the sea and books. Passionate about Better Birth.
Makes murder mystery party kits with my retired detective dad https://mysterypartiesirl.etsy.com
Makes murder mystery party kits with my retired detective dad https://mysterypartiesirl.etsy.com
"Ireland is highly conformist and is more prone to deference to elite or expert consensus than our British counterparts."
is how Collisons think tank, Progress Ireland, answered their own question, "How does Progress Ireland compound over time?"
Read this: elajucd.com/2025/11/21/o...
is how Collisons think tank, Progress Ireland, answered their own question, "How does Progress Ireland compound over time?"
Read this: elajucd.com/2025/11/21/o...
On Environmental Democracy and the Collisons’ “Abundance-Verse”
Andrew Jackson 21 November 2025 I. Introduction A clamour of praise greeted John Collison’s “how to get Ireland moving” Op-Ed following its publication in the Irish Times on 25th October: the Irish…
elajucd.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:47 PM
"Ireland is highly conformist and is more prone to deference to elite or expert consensus than our British counterparts."
is how Collisons think tank, Progress Ireland, answered their own question, "How does Progress Ireland compound over time?"
Read this: elajucd.com/2025/11/21/o...
is how Collisons think tank, Progress Ireland, answered their own question, "How does Progress Ireland compound over time?"
Read this: elajucd.com/2025/11/21/o...
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Anyone who’s ever used emergency contraception or gains peace of mind by even having it on hand owes Dr Camp a debt of gratitude. What a force.
(Also, I just learned one reason the FDA rejected it at first was that they said the name Plan B was too glib!)
Great obit—no paywall.
(Also, I just learned one reason the FDA rejected it at first was that they said the name Plan B was too glib!)
Great obit—no paywall.
Sharon Camp, Mother of the ‘Plan B’ Contraceptive Pill, Dies at 81
www.nytimes.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Anyone who’s ever used emergency contraception or gains peace of mind by even having it on hand owes Dr Camp a debt of gratitude. What a force.
(Also, I just learned one reason the FDA rejected it at first was that they said the name Plan B was too glib!)
Great obit—no paywall.
(Also, I just learned one reason the FDA rejected it at first was that they said the name Plan B was too glib!)
Great obit—no paywall.
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Our beloved Alice Wong has joined the ancestors. It was one of the great honors of my life to call Alice my friend, co-author & co-conspirator. She was a true genius, a force of nature the likes of which the world has never seen before. I love you, Alice, and am equal parts grateful and devastated
November 15, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Our beloved Alice Wong has joined the ancestors. It was one of the great honors of my life to call Alice my friend, co-author & co-conspirator. She was a true genius, a force of nature the likes of which the world has never seen before. I love you, Alice, and am equal parts grateful and devastated
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Terrible weather forecast across Ireland, but if you have any clear skies tonight, get out and look out for potentially an extremely strong northern lights display. Possibly the best since the early 2000s. #speirgorm #astronomy #ireland
We have upgraded our geomagnetic forecast today (12 November 2025) to the highest intensity level amid an ongoing solar storm.
Current predictions suggest that the activity will result in potentially the largest solar storm to hit our planet in over two decades.
Current predictions suggest that the activity will result in potentially the largest solar storm to hit our planet in over two decades.
November 12, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Terrible weather forecast across Ireland, but if you have any clear skies tonight, get out and look out for potentially an extremely strong northern lights display. Possibly the best since the early 2000s. #speirgorm #astronomy #ireland
Reposted by Laura Dowling
So I have been waiting to announce it.This year I was awarded a very generous bursary by the School of English @tcddublin.bsky.social which covered my fees &offered me a monthly stipend to live on. I could not have imagined such an extraordinary thing happening to me.
www.tcd.ie/english/news...
www.tcd.ie/english/news...
November 10, 2025 at 5:01 PM
So I have been waiting to announce it.This year I was awarded a very generous bursary by the School of English @tcddublin.bsky.social which covered my fees &offered me a monthly stipend to live on. I could not have imagined such an extraordinary thing happening to me.
www.tcd.ie/english/news...
www.tcd.ie/english/news...
Mini Mystery: Book left on page 147 for three weeks. Suspects: TheTraitors, BlueSky or the crushing weight of modern life.
November 8, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Mini Mystery: Book left on page 147 for three weeks. Suspects: TheTraitors, BlueSky or the crushing weight of modern life.
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Publishing is weird & full of hidden lows and visible highs, but can I just take this wee moment to be extremely un-British and say 'hey I did a thing'?
6 books
5 awards
14 (I think?) award listings
It's been rocky & the road ahead is uncertain but this here is not too shabby, is it?
6 books
5 awards
14 (I think?) award listings
It's been rocky & the road ahead is uncertain but this here is not too shabby, is it?
November 7, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Publishing is weird & full of hidden lows and visible highs, but can I just take this wee moment to be extremely un-British and say 'hey I did a thing'?
6 books
5 awards
14 (I think?) award listings
It's been rocky & the road ahead is uncertain but this here is not too shabby, is it?
6 books
5 awards
14 (I think?) award listings
It's been rocky & the road ahead is uncertain but this here is not too shabby, is it?
Reposted by Laura Dowling
There's no quicker way to kill a community than to drive out the young people. That's exactly what short term rentals do to places like the Gaeltacht. If young people have nowhere to rent locally they leave.
It's a problem for any small community that's attractive to tourists.
It's a problem for any small community that's attractive to tourists.
An 88 percent increase in the number of whole homes to rent in Gaeltacht areas on Airbnb – in just six years
'The history of the Gaeltachts as places of radical and forward thinking gets forgotten now when they've become a holiday destination,' say @CnaG
www.ontheditch.com/airbnb-expan...
'The history of the Gaeltachts as places of radical and forward thinking gets forgotten now when they've become a holiday destination,' say @CnaG
www.ontheditch.com/airbnb-expan...
Airbnb Gaeltacht expansionism: 88 percent listings increase
To truly understand Airbnb expansionism in Ireland look to the Gaeltacht.
www.ontheditch.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:16 PM
There's no quicker way to kill a community than to drive out the young people. That's exactly what short term rentals do to places like the Gaeltacht. If young people have nowhere to rent locally they leave.
It's a problem for any small community that's attractive to tourists.
It's a problem for any small community that's attractive to tourists.
Reposted by Laura Dowling
A reminder, if needed, that the ‘Regional Public Policy & Government Relations Lead’ of Airbnb is a former Labour (!) TD who represented Gaeltacht communities in Galway West.
There's no quicker way to kill a community than to drive out the young people. That's exactly what short term rentals do to places like the Gaeltacht. If young people have nowhere to rent locally they leave.
It's a problem for any small community that's attractive to tourists.
It's a problem for any small community that's attractive to tourists.
An 88 percent increase in the number of whole homes to rent in Gaeltacht areas on Airbnb – in just six years
'The history of the Gaeltachts as places of radical and forward thinking gets forgotten now when they've become a holiday destination,' say @CnaG
www.ontheditch.com/airbnb-expan...
'The history of the Gaeltachts as places of radical and forward thinking gets forgotten now when they've become a holiday destination,' say @CnaG
www.ontheditch.com/airbnb-expan...
November 7, 2025 at 5:39 PM
A reminder, if needed, that the ‘Regional Public Policy & Government Relations Lead’ of Airbnb is a former Labour (!) TD who represented Gaeltacht communities in Galway West.
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Call me controversial, but technology that leads vulnerable people into crisis and even holds their hand as they die by suicide should not be endorsed by schools and universities, we should not be giving discounted subscriptions to this monstrous tech to young people AT ALL
The boyfriend of a friend of my son's has spent several weeks in a psych ward due to Chat GPT induced psychosis. He isn't suicidal but AI encouraged him down a toxic and paranoid wormhole until he became completely delusional. Evil stuff.
1.This is not the only known example we know of ChatGPT cheering on a vulnerable young person to die by suicide, this time it is a recent Texas A&M grad
2. Every single university that has invited OpenAI into our midst should be asked to account for their choices.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
2. Every single university that has invited OpenAI into our midst should be asked to account for their choices.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
November 7, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Call me controversial, but technology that leads vulnerable people into crisis and even holds their hand as they die by suicide should not be endorsed by schools and universities, we should not be giving discounted subscriptions to this monstrous tech to young people AT ALL
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Heavens to Murgatroyd.
Another reprint of Leonard and Hungry Paul @ronanhession.bsky.social
That's two in the last month alone!
Brilliant.
@thebookseller.com
@foylesforbooks.bsky.social
@bookcornerhx.bsky.social
@grovebookshop.bsky.social
Another reprint of Leonard and Hungry Paul @ronanhession.bsky.social
That's two in the last month alone!
Brilliant.
@thebookseller.com
@foylesforbooks.bsky.social
@bookcornerhx.bsky.social
@grovebookshop.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Heavens to Murgatroyd.
Another reprint of Leonard and Hungry Paul @ronanhession.bsky.social
That's two in the last month alone!
Brilliant.
@thebookseller.com
@foylesforbooks.bsky.social
@bookcornerhx.bsky.social
@grovebookshop.bsky.social
Another reprint of Leonard and Hungry Paul @ronanhession.bsky.social
That's two in the last month alone!
Brilliant.
@thebookseller.com
@foylesforbooks.bsky.social
@bookcornerhx.bsky.social
@grovebookshop.bsky.social
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Great time last night at the Dublin Book Festival with @susanmariemartin.bsky.social talking about our books 😊 Thanks to the @ria.ie for hosting us & @drmarymcauliffe.bsky.social for chairing. And the audience for the giggles & craic @unioflimerick.bsky.social @ulhistory.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Great time last night at the Dublin Book Festival with @susanmariemartin.bsky.social talking about our books 😊 Thanks to the @ria.ie for hosting us & @drmarymcauliffe.bsky.social for chairing. And the audience for the giggles & craic @unioflimerick.bsky.social @ulhistory.bsky.social
Every webinar
Me: camera unplugged, shut, covered with tape
Also me: convinced it’ll still somehow turn on and expose me in my natural habitat (snacking, in a fleece)
Me: camera unplugged, shut, covered with tape
Also me: convinced it’ll still somehow turn on and expose me in my natural habitat (snacking, in a fleece)
November 7, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Every webinar
Me: camera unplugged, shut, covered with tape
Also me: convinced it’ll still somehow turn on and expose me in my natural habitat (snacking, in a fleece)
Me: camera unplugged, shut, covered with tape
Also me: convinced it’ll still somehow turn on and expose me in my natural habitat (snacking, in a fleece)
Reposted by Laura Dowling
If you've primary school aged kids or younger the government wants to know your opinions on:
Co-educational schools
Multi denominational schools
Irish language schools
#SpeirGorm
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
Co-educational schools
Multi denominational schools
Irish language schools
#SpeirGorm
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
Primary School Survey
This survey is for parents and guardians of children in primary school or who will enter primary school in the coming years
www.gov.ie
November 4, 2025 at 6:34 PM
If you've primary school aged kids or younger the government wants to know your opinions on:
Co-educational schools
Multi denominational schools
Irish language schools
#SpeirGorm
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
Co-educational schools
Multi denominational schools
Irish language schools
#SpeirGorm
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
If you've primary school aged kids or younger the government wants to know your opinions on:
Co-educational schools
Multi denominational schools
Irish language schools
#SpeirGorm
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
Co-educational schools
Multi denominational schools
Irish language schools
#SpeirGorm
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
Primary School Survey
This survey is for parents and guardians of children in primary school or who will enter primary school in the coming years
www.gov.ie
November 4, 2025 at 6:34 PM
If you've primary school aged kids or younger the government wants to know your opinions on:
Co-educational schools
Multi denominational schools
Irish language schools
#SpeirGorm
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
Co-educational schools
Multi denominational schools
Irish language schools
#SpeirGorm
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
Reposted by Laura Dowling
A mate of mine agreed to do a well-paid corporate gig supposedly about art & diversity but really about branding. They gave him a script, he departed from it a bit, they made a video of the event and used an AI imitating his voice to speak the bit of their script he had skipped. Without asking him.
What the French-fried fuckity fuck?
I emphatically did not opt IN to this and now I have to log in and opt OUT?
When you’ve already done a thing I not only disapprove of, but that also makes literally no sense?
You can’t turn my old paper into an analogy. That’s not how papers or analogies work
I emphatically did not opt IN to this and now I have to log in and opt OUT?
When you’ve already done a thing I not only disapprove of, but that also makes literally no sense?
You can’t turn my old paper into an analogy. That’s not how papers or analogies work
November 1, 2025 at 3:03 PM
A mate of mine agreed to do a well-paid corporate gig supposedly about art & diversity but really about branding. They gave him a script, he departed from it a bit, they made a video of the event and used an AI imitating his voice to speak the bit of their script he had skipped. Without asking him.
Reposted by Laura Dowling
This chart always makes me think about how we made the streets "safer" by making sure no one goes outside ever, especially kids
once again posting The Chart
October 31, 2025 at 6:04 PM
This chart always makes me think about how we made the streets "safer" by making sure no one goes outside ever, especially kids
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Happy Samhain 🔥
October 31, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Happy Samhain 🔥
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Is this the same asylum system that his party/government set up, that both FF and FG have run for years separately and together, that made millions for themselves and their developer pals, that refugees and NGOs have literally protested against for years because the system is not working and cruel.🤔
Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris has said Ireland's asylum seeker system is not working and that the Government should reconsider existing policies "in a very serious way"
Govt should reconsider immigration policies, says Harris
Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris has said Ireland's asylum seeker system is not working and that the Government should reconsider existing policies "in a very serious way".
www.rte.ie
October 30, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Is this the same asylum system that his party/government set up, that both FF and FG have run for years separately and together, that made millions for themselves and their developer pals, that refugees and NGOs have literally protested against for years because the system is not working and cruel.🤔
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Every time I see a social media meme about being an introvert, which is at least once a week, I think about how the modern conception of introversion was popularized by a book by a woman who worked on Wall Street who felt that she was so different and special compared to her coked up male colleagues
October 30, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Every time I see a social media meme about being an introvert, which is at least once a week, I think about how the modern conception of introversion was popularized by a book by a woman who worked on Wall Street who felt that she was so different and special compared to her coked up male colleagues
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Very shortly, my current role ends: if anyone needs a temporary tutor in early modern history or any freelance research work done please do drop me a message. I have over a decade's experience in teaching and in archival research.
October 26, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Very shortly, my current role ends: if anyone needs a temporary tutor in early modern history or any freelance research work done please do drop me a message. I have over a decade's experience in teaching and in archival research.
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Connolly's younger volunteers and organisers are fantastic and deserve huge credit.
Smart, optimistic, strategic, disciplined, tapped into culture, positive message-bearers, excellent communicators.
It's so great to see people putting their energy into a movement that expresses hope. 🇮🇪
#Aras25
Smart, optimistic, strategic, disciplined, tapped into culture, positive message-bearers, excellent communicators.
It's so great to see people putting their energy into a movement that expresses hope. 🇮🇪
#Aras25
October 25, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Connolly's younger volunteers and organisers are fantastic and deserve huge credit.
Smart, optimistic, strategic, disciplined, tapped into culture, positive message-bearers, excellent communicators.
It's so great to see people putting their energy into a movement that expresses hope. 🇮🇪
#Aras25
Smart, optimistic, strategic, disciplined, tapped into culture, positive message-bearers, excellent communicators.
It's so great to see people putting their energy into a movement that expresses hope. 🇮🇪
#Aras25
Reposted by Laura Dowling
When I make fun of my friend who is six months older than me for being old: Hilarious. Good fun. Banter.
When my friends who are six months younger than me make fun of me for being old: Toxic. Bullying. Ageist.
When my friends who are six months younger than me make fun of me for being old: Toxic. Bullying. Ageist.
October 21, 2025 at 4:03 PM
When I make fun of my friend who is six months older than me for being old: Hilarious. Good fun. Banter.
When my friends who are six months younger than me make fun of me for being old: Toxic. Bullying. Ageist.
When my friends who are six months younger than me make fun of me for being old: Toxic. Bullying. Ageist.
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Am at the ‘doing the lottery’ stage of maternity leave
October 21, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Am at the ‘doing the lottery’ stage of maternity leave
Reposted by Laura Dowling
Do you want to shape the future of the Irish language?☘️
Wikimedia Community Ireland is seeking an Irish Language Officer to lead our efforts in developing the Irish language across Wikimedia projects, with a special focus on #Vicipéid!
For more: wikimedia.ie/2025/10/17/o...
Wikimedia Community Ireland is seeking an Irish Language Officer to lead our efforts in developing the Irish language across Wikimedia projects, with a special focus on #Vicipéid!
For more: wikimedia.ie/2025/10/17/o...
Job Opportunity: Oifigeach Gaeilge (Irish Language Officer) - Wikimedia Community Ireland
Is é Pobal Wikimedia Éireann, an eagraíocht náisiúnta chleamhnaithe de chuid Fhondúireacht Wikimedia in Éirinn, ag lorg Oifigeach Gaeilge. Is post lánaimseartha é seo agus deis iontach don iarrthóir c...
wikimedia.ie
October 17, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Do you want to shape the future of the Irish language?☘️
Wikimedia Community Ireland is seeking an Irish Language Officer to lead our efforts in developing the Irish language across Wikimedia projects, with a special focus on #Vicipéid!
For more: wikimedia.ie/2025/10/17/o...
Wikimedia Community Ireland is seeking an Irish Language Officer to lead our efforts in developing the Irish language across Wikimedia projects, with a special focus on #Vicipéid!
For more: wikimedia.ie/2025/10/17/o...