Pádraig Belton
@padraigbelton.bsky.social
Journalist. BBC, and a few other places. Buys nappies on eBay.
I’m a weekly or so commuter between Dublin and London. Each week, I carry empty suitcases to London, to bring my clothes back to Dublin. The only way this is possible is if I unknowingly fly naked Dublin to London each week, and everyone is too polite to mention it.
November 3, 2025 at 9:37 AM
I’m a weekly or so commuter between Dublin and London. Each week, I carry empty suitcases to London, to bring my clothes back to Dublin. The only way this is possible is if I unknowingly fly naked Dublin to London each week, and everyone is too polite to mention it.
I’m binge watching Black Mirror when I finish writing each night. So I can cheer myself up by the thought that instead of being a journalist with a doctorate to finish, maybe I just live in a horror tech dystopia instead.
November 2, 2025 at 9:48 AM
I’m binge watching Black Mirror when I finish writing each night. So I can cheer myself up by the thought that instead of being a journalist with a doctorate to finish, maybe I just live in a horror tech dystopia instead.
It rained on the last day of our @athleticsireland.bsky.social Halloween camp. So this being Ireland, these ghouls, ninjas, and princesses set up hurdles inside and blasted Zombie 🧟🎃☘️💚
October 31, 2025 at 10:17 PM
It rained on the last day of our @athleticsireland.bsky.social Halloween camp. So this being Ireland, these ghouls, ninjas, and princesses set up hurdles inside and blasted Zombie 🧟🎃☘️💚
So Carlotta covered me with fake blood to coach on #Halloween but I just look like I shaved 🤷♂️
October 31, 2025 at 11:46 AM
So Carlotta covered me with fake blood to coach on #Halloween but I just look like I shaved 🤷♂️
I'm running a little athletics camp this week for @athleticsireland.bsky.social in inner-city Crumlin. The idea is, keep kids off screens and active during half term.
Here's us today managing admirably with Irish weather ☔️☘️
Here's us today managing admirably with Irish weather ☔️☘️
October 30, 2025 at 10:29 PM
I'm running a little athletics camp this week for @athleticsireland.bsky.social in inner-city Crumlin. The idea is, keep kids off screens and active during half term.
Here's us today managing admirably with Irish weather ☔️☘️
Here's us today managing admirably with Irish weather ☔️☘️
This is the fourth night I’ve made a fire to write by, and now the whole cottage smells beautifully of alder, ash, and beech.
October 22, 2025 at 12:06 PM
This is the fourth night I’ve made a fire to write by, and now the whole cottage smells beautifully of alder, ash, and beech.
Two women under a rainbow on Ireland’s only fjord. Which makes them Fjord explorers.
October 21, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Two women under a rainbow on Ireland’s only fjord. Which makes them Fjord explorers.
It’s half term, so I’ve bundled my two into the estate with books, gin, and chessboard, and driven us to a Connemara cottage with a fire.
Turns out they wanted a cheeseboard.
Turns out they wanted a cheeseboard.
October 19, 2025 at 10:33 PM
It’s half term, so I’ve bundled my two into the estate with books, gin, and chessboard, and driven us to a Connemara cottage with a fire.
Turns out they wanted a cheeseboard.
Turns out they wanted a cheeseboard.
A quick update on my friend Timur in Kazakhstan. After a trial where he wasn’t allowed to call any witnesses, he was sentenced to ten years in prison. But there’s still hope, and we may have help from human rights barristers in London. In the meantime, all my support. #justicefortimur
October 19, 2025 at 9:05 AM
A quick update on my friend Timur in Kazakhstan. After a trial where he wasn’t allowed to call any witnesses, he was sentenced to ten years in prison. But there’s still hope, and we may have help from human rights barristers in London. In the meantime, all my support. #justicefortimur
Please admire my new hata
October 18, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Please admire my new hata
The anniversary of the death of my mother, Carlotta, sees my daughter Carlotta a long-limbed, fashionable young woman whose Italian grows
more confident each summer.
Liam and I are locked in combat at the chessboard while sharing torta della nonna, grandmother’s cake.
Ti amerò per sempre, mamma.
more confident each summer.
Liam and I are locked in combat at the chessboard while sharing torta della nonna, grandmother’s cake.
Ti amerò per sempre, mamma.
October 12, 2025 at 9:27 PM
The anniversary of the death of my mother, Carlotta, sees my daughter Carlotta a long-limbed, fashionable young woman whose Italian grows
more confident each summer.
Liam and I are locked in combat at the chessboard while sharing torta della nonna, grandmother’s cake.
Ti amerò per sempre, mamma.
more confident each summer.
Liam and I are locked in combat at the chessboard while sharing torta della nonna, grandmother’s cake.
Ti amerò per sempre, mamma.
So here is a moment of beauty, amongst all the suffering. We find them where we can, as we struggle on. #justicefortimur @jannadrakon.bsky.social
(Ends)
(Ends)
October 12, 2025 at 3:57 PM
So here is a moment of beauty, amongst all the suffering. We find them where we can, as we struggle on. #justicefortimur @jannadrakon.bsky.social
(Ends)
(Ends)
Kazakhstan is now having its first heavy snows – amazingly, since it's October. It being Sunday, I've encouraged Zhanna to go out for a run, because I am an arse. (She's flown to Kazakhstan with only her suitcase of clothes suited to Texas.) (4/)
October 12, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Kazakhstan is now having its first heavy snows – amazingly, since it's October. It being Sunday, I've encouraged Zhanna to go out for a run, because I am an arse. (She's flown to Kazakhstan with only her suitcase of clothes suited to Texas.) (4/)
And all of us hoping a judge in a remote part of Kazakhstan will resist government pressure and do the right thing, and release a man one jury already found innocent, and about whom another prosecutor said there was no case to answer. (3/)
October 12, 2025 at 3:54 PM
And all of us hoping a judge in a remote part of Kazakhstan will resist government pressure and do the right thing, and release a man one jury already found innocent, and about whom another prosecutor said there was no case to answer. (3/)
The Central Asian republics are still finding their way to democracy: slowly, with many good people fighting very hard to urge them on. So now we find ourselves with her brother-in-law, my friend Timur, in jail, with his wife, a public defender, assiduously working in the courts to get him out. (2/)
October 12, 2025 at 3:52 PM
The Central Asian republics are still finding their way to democracy: slowly, with many good people fighting very hard to urge them on. So now we find ourselves with her brother-in-law, my friend Timur, in jail, with his wife, a public defender, assiduously working in the courts to get him out. (2/)
Lifetimes ago as a student at Yale, I made lucky friends with Zhanna, a breathtakingly intelligent girl from Kazakhstan – a country to which I could barely point on the map. We stayed in close touch - so much that I befriended her lovely family when I found myself, later, reporting in Astana. 1/
October 12, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Lifetimes ago as a student at Yale, I made lucky friends with Zhanna, a breathtakingly intelligent girl from Kazakhstan – a country to which I could barely point on the map. We stayed in close touch - so much that I befriended her lovely family when I found myself, later, reporting in Astana. 1/
It is a dark story, involving whether a government can arbitrarily jail its own people. But at least he is very ably represented by my dear friend Kamila, who is an astute and skilled public defender. And she is also, as it happens, his wife.
(part two of my video message of support)
(part two of my video message of support)
October 10, 2025 at 12:15 PM
It is a dark story, involving whether a government can arbitrarily jail its own people. But at least he is very ably represented by my dear friend Kamila, who is an astute and skilled public defender. And she is also, as it happens, his wife.
(part two of my video message of support)
(part two of my video message of support)
I was so grateful, from 6,000 km away, to make a message of support outside a Kazakhstan courtroom. An illegally detained friend from my time reporting there, Timur Sadvakassov, still fights for his freedom after a court said should go free.
I look forward to us celebrating the day he is released.
I look forward to us celebrating the day he is released.
October 10, 2025 at 12:11 PM
I was so grateful, from 6,000 km away, to make a message of support outside a Kazakhstan courtroom. An illegally detained friend from my time reporting there, Timur Sadvakassov, still fights for his freedom after a court said should go free.
I look forward to us celebrating the day he is released.
I look forward to us celebrating the day he is released.
As well as leaves of fire, October calls to mind Octoberfest, sauerkraut, German Unity Day, and all the friends from Germany who’ve blest my life - like my son’s beautiful godmother Paula. And here is one tiny encomium, for October, to all those lovely Germans who have so gorgeously touched my life.
October 10, 2025 at 11:49 AM
As well as leaves of fire, October calls to mind Octoberfest, sauerkraut, German Unity Day, and all the friends from Germany who’ve blest my life - like my son’s beautiful godmother Paula. And here is one tiny encomium, for October, to all those lovely Germans who have so gorgeously touched my life.
October’s start marks the dozen days before the anniversary of mum dying; other years I’ve cycled the length of Britain, or run that of Ireland.
What stays with me was how strangers put me up each night. The memory of that kindness is what lingers. And somehow all insisted on me having a hot shower
What stays with me was how strangers put me up each night. The memory of that kindness is what lingers. And somehow all insisted on me having a hot shower
October 5, 2025 at 11:58 PM
October’s start marks the dozen days before the anniversary of mum dying; other years I’ve cycled the length of Britain, or run that of Ireland.
What stays with me was how strangers put me up each night. The memory of that kindness is what lingers. And somehow all insisted on me having a hot shower
What stays with me was how strangers put me up each night. The memory of that kindness is what lingers. And somehow all insisted on me having a hot shower
Just been coaching all the six year olds of Dublin in fencing because I am fully in support of arming small children with knives
September 28, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Just been coaching all the six year olds of Dublin in fencing because I am fully in support of arming small children with knives
Funny seeing Sarkozy sentenced to prison this week. One of my first pieces ever to see print was a @thetls.bsky.social scene setter for his rise to power, which I felt far too clever for spotting in the offing. I’m still glad, all these years later, I insisted on the question mark.
September 28, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Funny seeing Sarkozy sentenced to prison this week. One of my first pieces ever to see print was a @thetls.bsky.social scene setter for his rise to power, which I felt far too clever for spotting in the offing. I’m still glad, all these years later, I insisted on the question mark.
My mistake was agreeing to go for lunch (Friday, presumably boozy?) with someone called ‘Jim’
September 26, 2025 at 12:59 PM
My mistake was agreeing to go for lunch (Friday, presumably boozy?) with someone called ‘Jim’