@madgeogrady.bsky.social
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Let’s be honest: nothing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin have done in the last 56 years justifies the tremendous cost of bringing them back from the moon. NASA should’ve spared the long-suffering taxpayer and left them up there
November 23, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Let’s be honest: nothing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin have done in the last 56 years justifies the tremendous cost of bringing them back from the moon. NASA should’ve spared the long-suffering taxpayer and left them up there
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Oh dear god, if brains were gunpowder you could not rustle up a sneeze.
November 30, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Oh dear god, if brains were gunpowder you could not rustle up a sneeze.
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Brexit did bring back all the bad feelings and worries of the past. The way Ireland and its leaders were spoken about was shocking. But it was a callback. It was people shaped by the UK's experience of colonialism and by ignorance. It was a will to dismiss.
It was not where we should be,
15
It was not where we should be,
15
November 21, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Brexit did bring back all the bad feelings and worries of the past. The way Ireland and its leaders were spoken about was shocking. But it was a callback. It was people shaped by the UK's experience of colonialism and by ignorance. It was a will to dismiss.
It was not where we should be,
15
It was not where we should be,
15
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Thread
There are theses to be written.
Not comprehensive, but here are some thoughts on Ireland and Brexit.
It pays to take a wide-angle lens for this type of thing.
The story is nevertheless informative
A 🧵
Not comprehensive, but here are some thoughts on Ireland and Brexit.
It pays to take a wide-angle lens for this type of thing.
The story is nevertheless informative
A 🧵
There's a good thread to be written about ireland responded brexit.
November 26, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Thread
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Meanwhile in that Missouri, a judge has resigned after being disciplined for wearing an Elvis wig in court and occasionally playing the singer's songs during proceedings. (By @nadineyousif.bsky.social for BBC News)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
US judge resigns after being disciplined for wearing Elvis wig in court
In court, Judge Thornhill would play the singer's music from his phone and make
www.bbc.co.uk
November 21, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Meanwhile in that Missouri, a judge has resigned after being disciplined for wearing an Elvis wig in court and occasionally playing the singer's songs during proceedings. (By @nadineyousif.bsky.social for BBC News)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
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Research by Karen Nokes @laws.ucl.ac.uk @richardmoorhead.bsky.social Rebecca Helm and Sally Day from @uniexeterlawschool.bsky.social shows "innocent until proven guilty" was rarely taken seriously enough when subpostmasters came into contact with the legal system
news.exeter.ac.uk/uncategorize...
news.exeter.ac.uk/uncategorize...
Post Office cases cast doubt on the “golden thread” of British justice, study says
The “golden thread” of British justice – the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty – has been exposed by the Post Office Scandal as more deeply tarnished than previously thought, a ne...
news.exeter.ac.uk
November 21, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Research by Karen Nokes @laws.ucl.ac.uk @richardmoorhead.bsky.social Rebecca Helm and Sally Day from @uniexeterlawschool.bsky.social shows "innocent until proven guilty" was rarely taken seriously enough when subpostmasters came into contact with the legal system
news.exeter.ac.uk/uncategorize...
news.exeter.ac.uk/uncategorize...
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@richardmoorhead.bsky.social, who leads the research, said defence lawyers sidestepped rather than addressed their clients’ assertions and focused solely on advising them to plead guilty www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/post-of...
Post Office scandal: Some defence lawyers 'defeatist'
Lawyers were outgunned, out of their depth or uninterested in what clients had to say, academic report reveals.
www.lawgazette.co.uk
November 21, 2025 at 2:21 PM
@richardmoorhead.bsky.social, who leads the research, said defence lawyers sidestepped rather than addressed their clients’ assertions and focused solely on advising them to plead guilty www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/post-of...
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With his ultimatum that Ukraine surrender to Russia, Trump finally wins a prize:
The Neville Chamberlain award for betraying peace, freedom, and justice.
The Neville Chamberlain award for betraying peace, freedom, and justice.
November 21, 2025 at 11:49 PM
With his ultimatum that Ukraine surrender to Russia, Trump finally wins a prize:
The Neville Chamberlain award for betraying peace, freedom, and justice.
The Neville Chamberlain award for betraying peace, freedom, and justice.
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Remember that time when Ireland rerouted an entire highway to avoid pissing off the fairies that truly nobody believes in but we’ll just in case
Oh definitely. Kinda like going to Iceland and having it explained that no, people don’t REALLY believe in elves. Also, don’t fuck with the elves.
November 19, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Remember that time when Ireland rerouted an entire highway to avoid pissing off the fairies that truly nobody believes in but we’ll just in case
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I remember John Major's government. If you told me that in 2025 he'd be a voice of sanity I'd have hurt myself laughing, and yet here we are.
John Major, "Our links to Europe and America may be loser now than once they were and that is a loss"
"The loss of trade with Europe alone costs us £100 billion of lost trade every year"
"That's a tax yield of £40 billion"
"How useful would that have been in recent months to the Chancellor?"
"The loss of trade with Europe alone costs us £100 billion of lost trade every year"
"That's a tax yield of £40 billion"
"How useful would that have been in recent months to the Chancellor?"
November 19, 2025 at 6:46 PM
I remember John Major's government. If you told me that in 2025 he'd be a voice of sanity I'd have hurt myself laughing, and yet here we are.
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Say what you like about their incompetence, but they show admirable skill at the long political suicide note.
November 17, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Say what you like about their incompetence, but they show admirable skill at the long political suicide note.
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I despair to see the Labour Party die before my eyes. I am Irish, but am of the European social democratic family. I have always felt a close bond with UK Labour. Now, it is diving down reactionary racist rabbit holes, betraying ts basic values of social solidarity. If this is Labour, let it die.
Labour, you must be SO pleased with yourself.
You have the Yaxley-Lennon Endorsement.
@imogenwalker.bsky.social @darrenpjones.bsky.social @torstenbell.bsky.social
You have the Yaxley-Lennon Endorsement.
@imogenwalker.bsky.social @darrenpjones.bsky.social @torstenbell.bsky.social
November 16, 2025 at 11:26 AM
I despair to see the Labour Party die before my eyes. I am Irish, but am of the European social democratic family. I have always felt a close bond with UK Labour. Now, it is diving down reactionary racist rabbit holes, betraying ts basic values of social solidarity. If this is Labour, let it die.
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There's a new post on my blog concerning an Anglo-Irish family with a seat in Co. Offaly that was rebuilt in the 1890s but burned in the Troubles in 1923: landedfamilies.blogspot.com/2025/11/617-...
November 14, 2025 at 4:05 PM
There's a new post on my blog concerning an Anglo-Irish family with a seat in Co. Offaly that was rebuilt in the 1890s but burned in the Troubles in 1923: landedfamilies.blogspot.com/2025/11/617-...
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Taking off from Dublin airport. The entire airport as much as possible, taxiing and takeoffs, pauses at 1100 for the one minute’s silence. 🌺
November 11, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Taking off from Dublin airport. The entire airport as much as possible, taxiing and takeoffs, pauses at 1100 for the one minute’s silence. 🌺
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My musical tribute to Pauline Collins who has died aged 85. She was brilliant and award-winning in the film Shirley Valentine. But I will always remember her as parlourmaid Sarah Moffit in the 1970s ITV drama Upstairs, Downstairs.
November 8, 2025 at 9:15 AM
My musical tribute to Pauline Collins who has died aged 85. She was brilliant and award-winning in the film Shirley Valentine. But I will always remember her as parlourmaid Sarah Moffit in the 1970s ITV drama Upstairs, Downstairs.
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Enjoyed the latest series of Slow Horses. 6 episodes felt too short in terms of normal expectations, but I’d rather get regular dollops of shorter series than wait 2 years for for next big one
November 2, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Enjoyed the latest series of Slow Horses. 6 episodes felt too short in terms of normal expectations, but I’d rather get regular dollops of shorter series than wait 2 years for for next big one
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I'd watch breathless marathon runners as a kid & thought you just had to gather enough air beforehand. I loved feeling the wind through the open window when driving. My father said if I kept my mouth open I'd get enough air to run a marathon. Great way to quieten a talkative child on a family drive.
October 26, 2025 at 12:02 PM
I'd watch breathless marathon runners as a kid & thought you just had to gather enough air beforehand. I loved feeling the wind through the open window when driving. My father said if I kept my mouth open I'd get enough air to run a marathon. Great way to quieten a talkative child on a family drive.
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I love an Irish General election. You can keep Jake Tapper striding through a VR map like a Colossus. I don't want Wolf Blitzer using a touchscreen to show voter turnout.
Give me a frazzled RTE reporter coming live from a playschool in Offaly watching votes being added with a pencil for two weeks.
Give me a frazzled RTE reporter coming live from a playschool in Offaly watching votes being added with a pencil for two weeks.
November 29, 2024 at 2:50 PM
I love an Irish General election. You can keep Jake Tapper striding through a VR map like a Colossus. I don't want Wolf Blitzer using a touchscreen to show voter turnout.
Give me a frazzled RTE reporter coming live from a playschool in Offaly watching votes being added with a pencil for two weeks.
Give me a frazzled RTE reporter coming live from a playschool in Offaly watching votes being added with a pencil for two weeks.
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A lot of Paddies I know in the UK (this one included) are listening to this sort of thing and wondering about our status in Britain
Which would have *huge* implications for N Ireland if ever it with became a political football
Which would have *huge* implications for N Ireland if ever it with became a political football
Lam hears "settled status" and "guaranteed by withdrawal treaty" as up for grabs:understood to be temporary "provisional arrangements" which can be transitional and unsettled if and when you want to
That is highly counterintuitive as language of 'settled', as law & as politics of Treaty guarantees.
That is highly counterintuitive as language of 'settled', as law & as politics of Treaty guarantees.
October 19, 2025 at 9:20 AM
A lot of Paddies I know in the UK (this one included) are listening to this sort of thing and wondering about our status in Britain
Which would have *huge* implications for N Ireland if ever it with became a political football
Which would have *huge* implications for N Ireland if ever it with became a political football
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Been at Labour conference for the last couple of days. The phrase that keeps on reverberating around my mind is John Hume saying ‘you can’t eat a flag’
September 30, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Been at Labour conference for the last couple of days. The phrase that keeps on reverberating around my mind is John Hume saying ‘you can’t eat a flag’
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Very good stuff from Sadiq Khan at the Labour Irish society event. He said there are two reasons he loves coming to Labour Conference.
“One is the reception at the Labour Party Irish Society reception.
“The second is to get away from all the Sharia Law in London”
“One is the reception at the Labour Party Irish Society reception.
“The second is to get away from all the Sharia Law in London”
September 29, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Very good stuff from Sadiq Khan at the Labour Irish society event. He said there are two reasons he loves coming to Labour Conference.
“One is the reception at the Labour Party Irish Society reception.
“The second is to get away from all the Sharia Law in London”
“One is the reception at the Labour Party Irish Society reception.
“The second is to get away from all the Sharia Law in London”
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Born #OTD 1949, Mo Mowlam, Labour MP for Redcar, 1987-2001 and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, playing a decisive role in the Good Friday Agreement.
@emmapeplow.bsky.social reflects on her career and legacy, and how it has been discussed in our #OralHistory project. buff.ly/3ZGn5Z9
@emmapeplow.bsky.social reflects on her career and legacy, and how it has been discussed in our #OralHistory project. buff.ly/3ZGn5Z9
Mo Mowlam and the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement - The History of Parliament
25 years ago this month the basis for peace in Northern Ireland – the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement – was signed after years of painstaking negotiations.
historyofparliament.com
September 18, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Born #OTD 1949, Mo Mowlam, Labour MP for Redcar, 1987-2001 and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, playing a decisive role in the Good Friday Agreement.
@emmapeplow.bsky.social reflects on her career and legacy, and how it has been discussed in our #OralHistory project. buff.ly/3ZGn5Z9
@emmapeplow.bsky.social reflects on her career and legacy, and how it has been discussed in our #OralHistory project. buff.ly/3ZGn5Z9
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You may have been to the Isle of Wight, Woodstock even but you haven't lived unless you have been to The Plowing, the Hejira of rural Ireland
The Ploughing: Everything you need to know about the big event at Screggan
The Ploughing: Everything you need to know about the big event at Screggan
Bigger than Oasis, the National Ploughing Championships will attract a quarter of a million people over three days
www.irishtimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 8:42 PM
You may have been to the Isle of Wight, Woodstock even but you haven't lived unless you have been to The Plowing, the Hejira of rural Ireland