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eibhear.gibiris.org
Éibhear Ó hAnluain
@eibhear.gibiris.org
2.4K followers 610 following 2.9K posts
Matrix address: @eibhear:matrix.gibiris.org
Free Software user and supporter
Civil Liberties enthusiast
100% personal account
Also operating @theauldsthretch.bsky.social

Re-post policy: https://bsky.app/profile/eibhear.gibiris.org/post/3l3g3cukuru2f
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eibhear.gibiris.org
Never forget
A still from the time Fionnán Sheahan was furiously objecting to an artwork critical of the state, when he made a total idiot of himself.
November 13, 2025 at 9:34 AM
eibhear.gibiris.org
Every routine action a casual flyer with Ryanair may want to do is currently supported by the ryanair.com web site. This includes check-in and retrieval of the boarding pass. I wonder why Ryanair would force passengers to install an app on their 'phones rather than facilitating their access to the web site from their 'phones. The main difference between a web site and an app is relevant, I suspect: apps get access to far more details about a phone than websites can get, and these details are very often used to build profiles on those 'phone users. Location and movement profiles, for example, such as those featured in the recent exposé Prime Time TV programme. As a designer -- and a user -- of IT systems I have come to learn a very simple truth: an organisation that makes changes that cause obvious inconvenience to their customers, and yet declares that the changes are only to make things better, is hiding the true intent of those changes, and therefore should not be trusted. Finally, Ryanair seems to forget who the smartphone belongs to. They very much have a right to decide who may board their flights, and who may not. By the same token, however, every 'phone user has a right to decide what apps may be installed and may run on their 'phone. Forcing an app on users is abusive, especially when it's unnecessary, and one wonders why Ryanair wants to risk that perception. What's in it for Ryanair?
November 12, 2025 at 5:25 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
I put thought to virtual paper:
I note the news that Ryanair will require its customers to install its proprietary smartphone app onto their personal 'phones in order to check into and board its flights. As a designer of IT systems with more than 30 years' experience, I am left wondering if the following facts were considered, or just ignored, when coming to this decision: - not everyone owns a phone; - not everyone carries a phone with them all the time; - some passengers will use a phone that is not supported by the app, and so won't be able to install it; - similarly some passengers will use an app store on their 'phone that is not supported by the app, and so won't be able to install it; - some will lose their phone between checking in and boarding (or may have it stolen!); - some will lose or damage their phone while on holiday; - some will lose access to their Ryanair app on their phone through no fault of their own, and may not be able to retrieve it when needed; - sometimes the data on a passenger's phone become corrupted and inaccessible; - sometimes the phone just will not work at the bag-drop or boarding gate (e.g. the battery may be drained); - often, the passengers on a single booking won't all present themselves together at bag-drop, security or the boarding gate; - the servers that support Ryanair's app may go down and be inaccessible when passengers want to board or drop their bags; - not all airports that Ryanair flies from will accept the app-borne boarding pass for passengers to gain access to airside; - some passengers are anxious and don't trust the app/phone not to fail at critical moments and would therefore like to have a printed or alternative copy of the boarding pass available to them.
November 12, 2025 at 5:25 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
She replied!!
A portion of the reply I received: "I do hope all the parties can learn lessons from how the campaign was run and we can use the experience to help deliver a change of Government at the next General Election. For my part, I've long been an advocate of a cooperative approach on these matters. And while we may differ on approaches on some issues, our priorities in areas like housing, health, the environment, international law etc.. are broadly similar and something I do hope we can build on for the future. Thanks again for your email, and please drop me an email or give my office a call if there if I can be of help on anything further."
October 29, 2025 at 3:05 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
I've just sent a thank-you note to the left-leaning (Social Democrats) and left-looking (Sinn Féin) TDs in my constituency, containing the following:
"I look forward to future general elections where the parties of the left can work together to give us a government that could represent 65% or more of the electorate. The differences between those parties will give us the choice to indicate our priorities, but the decision to work together on the core concerns (among which I would put climate justice, civil rights, support of the vulnerable and honour on the international stage) will give us the platform on which we can make that choice."
October 29, 2025 at 3:04 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
So. Mention that airline and you get an offer of support from a fake account.

Take care out there.
A screenshot of my original post saying "Fuck #RyanAir" and the response I received from "Daniel Custome[r Support]" at @ryanairaupport33.bsky.social with "Hello, we apologize for the inconvenience and such an experience with us. We would like to look at the problem raised further. Kindly follow back send us a private message with your full name and active phone number we reach out and assist." As it's an Irish company the scammers should know that Ryanair would never apologise, at least not with a zed.
October 13, 2025 at 2:15 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
So ... from the comfort of my couch, I can shut Dublin down with one click?!?!?

#SpéirGorm
A screen shot of the irishrail.ie live trains screen with a big button labeled "Pause Live Trains" and an arrow drawn pointing at it where I have added "!!!?"
October 9, 2025 at 6:15 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
"My Favourite Actress Is Not Human"
Flipper, the dolphin.
October 2, 2025 at 9:55 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
I hate the "got off on a technicality" framing. It usually means the police/prosecutors either tried to deny someone's rights or, as here, they just simply failed to do their fucking jobs. And, of course, we should assume that *if* they had done their jobs, the charges would never have been laid.
From the article: 'In his judgment, Mr Goldspring said: “These proceedings were instituted unlawfully and are null.” Concluding the reasons for his decision, he said: “I find that these proceedings were not instituted in the correct form, lacking the necessary DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) and AG (Attorney General) consent within the six-month statutory time limit.' I have highlighted the “These proceedings were instituted unlawfully and are null.” and "lacking the necessary ... consent" bits.
September 26, 2025 at 12:10 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
Like, all of this is true with the downloaded PDF.
From the article: '"Ryanair’s move to 100% digital boarding passes will mean a faster, smarter, and greener travel experience for our customers." From November 12, passengers will no longer be able to download and print a physical paper boarding pass. They will instead need to use the digital boarding pass generated in their “myRyanair” app during check-in. As part of a digital transformation, Ryanair has already rolled out in-app features to its 206m customers including order to seat, live flight information, and direct disruption updates.' I have the bit about 'faster, smarter, and greener travel experience for our customers."' highlighted.
September 24, 2025 at 10:22 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
Deciduous?
Deleted.
September 22, 2025 at 9:06 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
I'm on the verge of deleting my @linkedin.com account. I didn't click into it, but from the snippet I can tell that it's stupid AI marketing, and is almost certainly a pack of lies.
A "suggested for you" notification from LinkedIn with the following bollocksology: "Suggested for you: I know how to code better and faster than most software engineers... And I don't even know how to code. A year ago, I could barely build a website. Now I'm shipping a week's wort..."
September 22, 2025 at 8:49 AM
eibhear.gibiris.org
#LinkedIn, folks:
A screen grab from the LinkedIn web site I came upon today: "Update to our terms and data use Starting November 3, 2025, we’ll use some of your LinkedIn data to improve the content-generating AI that enhances your experience, unless you opt out in your settings. We’re also updating our terms. See what’s new and how to manage your data. Learn more"
September 18, 2025 at 12:38 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
This was just weird when it first scrolled into my view.
Two bluesky posts, one below the other, one relating to a meeting in the US Congress and the other to the Ploughing Championships in Ireland, and it looks weirdly like the lads in Washington are questioning Kash Patel while walking in the mud in Co. Offaly.
September 17, 2025 at 4:10 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
A mock O Reilly book. The title is "Versionless filenames", the top text is "Abstractions you can do without", the Subtitle is 'Living without "-v3.1-Final-Final-MORReview.docx".', the author is "@eibhear.gibiris.org" and the animal picture is of a weird-looking catfish-like animal.
September 17, 2025 at 12:54 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
I was reminded of something when I saw that photo.
The picture of Heather Humphreys holding a (not very happy) baby as posted with the Irish Times story. It looks like she's hiding behind the baby. A still from the 1983 movie The Dead Zone, showing the character Greg Stillson, who is running for election, played by Martin Sheen, holding a baby in front of him to protect himself from a shooter.
September 17, 2025 at 8:28 AM
eibhear.gibiris.org
Gracie.

It was a hard day's running after tennis balls.
Gracie, my 5-year-old Collie-and-so-much-more-cross out cold on the leather couch.
September 12, 2025 at 10:54 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
Hi. When I heard you mention at the start of this episode how the Roman Forum set built for Cleopatra was destroyed in rain, I immediately though of this. I remember the day vividly ... was there. 1/13
September 12, 2025 at 4:02 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
Bunreach na hÉireann seems to be clear that a council can nominate no more than one, but I don't know if that's what you're asking:
A portion from the constitution: "4 1° Every citizen who has reached his thirty-fifth year of age is eligible for election to the office of President. 2° Every candidate for election, not a former or retiring President, must be nominated either by i not less than twenty persons, each of whom is at the time a member of one of the Houses of the Oireachtas, or ii by the Councils of not less than four administrative Counties (including County Boroughs) as defined by law. 3° No person and no such Council shall be entitled to subscribe to the nomination of more than one candidate in respect of the same election. 4° Former or retiring Presidents may become candidates on their own nomination. 5° Where only one candidate is nominated for the office of President it shall not be necessary to proceed to a ballot for his election."
September 5, 2025 at 11:34 AM
eibhear.gibiris.org
Towards the west you can see Clontarf Island. It was destroyed in the mid-1840s in a storm. There were two people on the island that night. Both killed. One was an 11-year-old boy, and the other was a man named "Cromwell", a direct descendent of Oliver. Dublin does Karma well.
A portion of the map from the first post centred on Clontarf Island.
August 31, 2025 at 9:23 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
Some years after he was set adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean by his former friend and former first mate Fletcher Christian, Captain William Bligh came to Dublin to survey the Bay. This is his map of Clontarf.
William Bligh's 1801 map of Dublin Bay/Clontarf, which was used in the design of the North Bull wall.
August 31, 2025 at 9:19 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
Clontarf right now.
A bright rainbow visible from the Clontarf promenade.
August 30, 2025 at 6:29 PM
eibhear.gibiris.org
I can imagine a movie in the works, telling of the hornet's hard life in China, her research into the best places to migrate to, her acceptance of the challenges, her resolve, the fences she scaled, and how she was nearly discovered 4 times after she eventually found her hiding place in the pottery.
A screen shot from the story. "The insect is native to Southeast Asia but has spread through Europe since being first identified on the continent in the south of France in 2004, when a single fertilised queen is suspected of having arrived in the country, hiding in a shipment of pottery from China." I have underlined the last clause, "hiding in a shipment of pottery from China."
August 28, 2025 at 9:21 AM
eibhear.gibiris.org
There was a proposal in the '90s to move the CoI church on (the imaginatively-named) Church St. in Athlone 30 or 40 metres north to create a wider public space. Didn't happen, but I would have loved to have watched.
Google Street-view shot of the Church on the not-really-all-that-imaginatively-named Church St. in Athlone.
August 19, 2025 at 8:45 AM
eibhear.gibiris.org
I was very disappointed to see a retired broadcaster I thought I respected and trusted post this in response to Boyne's self-serving statement.
A bluesky post: "Well said John Boyne. Courage and generosity in the face of the intolerant mob. Solidarity."
August 15, 2025 at 10:09 AM