Richie Morkan
@richardmorkan.bsky.social
In reverse chronological order: Software Developer, ESL teacher (Istanbul), Archaeologist, History graduate
In hurling in Ireland, Tipperary had a terrible season after a similar tragedy, and didn't talk about it really until they'd win the championship the next year, because it would have sounded like an excuse.
November 22, 2025 at 6:05 PM
In hurling in Ireland, Tipperary had a terrible season after a similar tragedy, and didn't talk about it really until they'd win the championship the next year, because it would have sounded like an excuse.
I think the effects of losing a teammate will make this season a write-off for them. July seems like a long time ago in the media cycle, but not in a workplace.
November 22, 2025 at 6:05 PM
I think the effects of losing a teammate will make this season a write-off for them. July seems like a long time ago in the media cycle, but not in a workplace.
I think the root of the problem is that if the UK govt were asked if the Denmark's approach has worked, they would say "Yes, it's kept the centre left in power". The actual impact on migration/integration/people would be secondary.
November 18, 2025 at 2:15 PM
I think the root of the problem is that if the UK govt were asked if the Denmark's approach has worked, they would say "Yes, it's kept the centre left in power". The actual impact on migration/integration/people would be secondary.
This is something I thought of 30 years ago as a teenager, so is almost certainly impossible, but could there be a law to only include 1 salary in mortgage calculations? Obviously would tank house prices if it worked, so maybe not a vote winner.
November 13, 2025 at 10:40 PM
This is something I thought of 30 years ago as a teenager, so is almost certainly impossible, but could there be a law to only include 1 salary in mortgage calculations? Obviously would tank house prices if it worked, so maybe not a vote winner.
I've got a "the end of all this is going to be like Paris 1830" theory, and one strand of that is that the liberals had spent more than a year creating an organizational structure, intended to combat election rigging, while the conservatives had no mass structures at all.
November 7, 2025 at 11:10 PM
I've got a "the end of all this is going to be like Paris 1830" theory, and one strand of that is that the liberals had spent more than a year creating an organizational structure, intended to combat election rigging, while the conservatives had no mass structures at all.
And of course later splits in an opposition between those that don't really want anything else to change and those that do, leading to more instability down the line.
November 5, 2025 at 12:33 PM
And of course later splits in an opposition between those that don't really want anything else to change and those that do, leading to more instability down the line.
I've gone back to reading about the 1830 July Revolution, because I think a lot of might rhyme. Failed attempts to rig elections, badly coordinated repression leading to half-hearted state support, obsession with looking tough, promotion of loyalty over competence etc.
November 5, 2025 at 12:31 PM
I've gone back to reading about the 1830 July Revolution, because I think a lot of might rhyme. Failed attempts to rig elections, badly coordinated repression leading to half-hearted state support, obsession with looking tough, promotion of loyalty over competence etc.
I think it sort of makes sense as a Space Holy Roman Empire, in its late medieval form. Doesn't have a state apparatus, doesn't stop military conflict between members, but acts as a top level arbitrator to limit things getting out of hand, and the prestige to the main players makes it hang together.
October 18, 2025 at 4:59 PM
I think it sort of makes sense as a Space Holy Roman Empire, in its late medieval form. Doesn't have a state apparatus, doesn't stop military conflict between members, but acts as a top level arbitrator to limit things getting out of hand, and the prestige to the main players makes it hang together.
I don't read German, but I presume the end experience is like trying to read this classic Peterborough Standard article.
October 16, 2025 at 12:36 PM
I don't read German, but I presume the end experience is like trying to read this classic Peterborough Standard article.
"As long as there have been fascists, they have been opposed by anti-fascists. And as long as there are anti-fascists, they will be opposed by us, the... no, no, of course we're not fascists. We're anti-anti-fascists"
October 9, 2025 at 9:52 AM
"As long as there have been fascists, they have been opposed by anti-fascists. And as long as there are anti-fascists, they will be opposed by us, the... no, no, of course we're not fascists. We're anti-anti-fascists"
Your comment made me reevaluate my use of it, which is worthwhile. Here in Ireland, there currently is an idea of the parties on the left, self-consciously all supporting the same presidential candidate, but that will probably only be true while they're all in opposition together.
October 5, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Your comment made me reevaluate my use of it, which is worthwhile. Here in Ireland, there currently is an idea of the parties on the left, self-consciously all supporting the same presidential candidate, but that will probably only be true while they're all in opposition together.
Apologies if my use of "the left" here was annoying. I'd meant it in the sense of "everything left of centre". I think in the UK that would have been much clearer 2 years ago, when I think people would have taken it to include Labour, but maybe it doesn't work anymore given their record in office.
October 5, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Apologies if my use of "the left" here was annoying. I'd meant it in the sense of "everything left of centre". I think in the UK that would have been much clearer 2 years ago, when I think people would have taken it to include Labour, but maybe it doesn't work anymore given their record in office.
That the government chose to announce it in the context of pro-Palestine protests, to take criticism from the left rather than the right, is another sign of their odd strategy of annoying their natural supporters rather than the opposition's.
October 5, 2025 at 9:19 AM
That the government chose to announce it in the context of pro-Palestine protests, to take criticism from the left rather than the right, is another sign of their odd strategy of annoying their natural supporters rather than the opposition's.
If this was announced after Starmer's conference speech, in the context of combating the far-right and hotel protests, I think many in the left would support, which just shows how this authoritarian ratchet is enabled.
October 5, 2025 at 9:16 AM
If this was announced after Starmer's conference speech, in the context of combating the far-right and hotel protests, I think many in the left would support, which just shows how this authoritarian ratchet is enabled.
The primary association of this stuff with young men is I think both incorrect, as you say, but also useful to the far-right - old men get to believe they're at one with the kids, and the movement as a whole gets the sheen of vigour, youth, and masculinity that authoritarian imagery thrives on.
September 27, 2025 at 9:45 PM
The primary association of this stuff with young men is I think both incorrect, as you say, but also useful to the far-right - old men get to believe they're at one with the kids, and the movement as a whole gets the sheen of vigour, youth, and masculinity that authoritarian imagery thrives on.
Will this be followed by a final phase of 'This time I am being sarcastic - my cold has improved since yesterday' clarifications?
September 24, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Will this be followed by a final phase of 'This time I am being sarcastic - my cold has improved since yesterday' clarifications?
In Ireland, the equivalent office (Minister for Foreign Affairs) is still very high status - it's been the role of choice of the Taiiseach in-waiting for the last 2 governments. That indicates that the answer to your question is something other than quicker travel times, partner expectations etc
September 5, 2025 at 4:31 PM
In Ireland, the equivalent office (Minister for Foreign Affairs) is still very high status - it's been the role of choice of the Taiiseach in-waiting for the last 2 governments. That indicates that the answer to your question is something other than quicker travel times, partner expectations etc
In the spirit of your most recent blog post, I think you can't guarantee the cooperation of a squad of highly competitive, Champions League-level players. Enough would refuse to play, especially when they saw how bad I was, that general squad level can't be assumed to stay the same.
August 28, 2025 at 6:52 AM
In the spirit of your most recent blog post, I think you can't guarantee the cooperation of a squad of highly competitive, Champions League-level players. Enough would refuse to play, especially when they saw how bad I was, that general squad level can't be assumed to stay the same.
Those are mountain ranges, or at least what pass for mountains in Ireland
August 25, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Those are mountain ranges, or at least what pass for mountains in Ireland
There will be, because the provinces are a big part of our sports structure. GAA competitions all feed up to provincial championships. The professional rugby teams are based on the provinces as well. I'm in Tipperary in Munster, but the province is definitely a part of general identity here.
August 25, 2025 at 7:16 AM
There will be, because the provinces are a big part of our sports structure. GAA competitions all feed up to provincial championships. The professional rugby teams are based on the provinces as well. I'm in Tipperary in Munster, but the province is definitely a part of general identity here.
Well, the revolutionary side did win the fight in both, it's just that in the first their political settlement ended up with a quasi-monarchical dictatorship and rubber-stamp parliament that couldn't manage a succession, whereas in the second, well, we'll see in a few years I suppose...
August 18, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Well, the revolutionary side did win the fight in both, it's just that in the first their political settlement ended up with a quasi-monarchical dictatorship and rubber-stamp parliament that couldn't manage a succession, whereas in the second, well, we'll see in a few years I suppose...
I've seen his statement that he has support of Tipp and Laois councils repeated in national news without question, but looking at Tipp news, it's clear he only has a proposer, who hopes that FG, FF, Lab majority won't block it. Looks very shoddy for RTE particularly to repeat bluster.
August 16, 2025 at 9:06 AM
I've seen his statement that he has support of Tipp and Laois councils repeated in national news without question, but looking at Tipp news, it's clear he only has a proposer, who hopes that FG, FF, Lab majority won't block it. Looks very shoddy for RTE particularly to repeat bluster.
I thought Tristram Shandy was quite funny, and not just in a "for it's time" way. Straight-faced and absurdist rather than witty.
August 12, 2025 at 11:47 AM
I thought Tristram Shandy was quite funny, and not just in a "for it's time" way. Straight-faced and absurdist rather than witty.
Yes, enough profile that he'll be given prominence by the media when they want a Reform quote, but the impact will be less that the public associate Jake Berry with the Tories, than that he'll be a voice that says being the new Tories is a good thing.
July 10, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Yes, enough profile that he'll be given prominence by the media when they want a Reform quote, but the impact will be less that the public associate Jake Berry with the Tories, than that he'll be a voice that says being the new Tories is a good thing.
I think Reform having more public figures who think "Reform are the new Tories" is a good thing will probably impact their messaging. Jake Berry isn't a household name, but in a small pool of figures the media will book or quote from, ex-Tories are likely to have an outsized influence.
July 10, 2025 at 10:22 AM
I think Reform having more public figures who think "Reform are the new Tories" is a good thing will probably impact their messaging. Jake Berry isn't a household name, but in a small pool of figures the media will book or quote from, ex-Tories are likely to have an outsized influence.