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robosullivan.bsky.social
Rob
@robosullivan.bsky.social
2.8K followers 1.3K following 4.5K posts
Science Communicator. Lefty. Irish.

Hobbies: Wild food, gardening, playing music. Star Trek nerd.

I won't follow back if you're not using alt text on images.

I can't share every fundraiser I'm tagged in but I'll do my best to share what I can
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robosullivan.bsky.social
I must confess, on arriving in Clare and encountering some far-right racism and a strong Fine Fáil and Fine Gael stronghold, I had assumed I'd moved to a conservative county. I am happy to admit that I was wrong, as evidenced by this weeks Champion. Well worth getting a copy to lift your spirits.
A photo of the letters page of the Clare Champion. It features positive letters about president Connolly's inauguration, my own condemnation of political racism, a tribute to the late Manchán, and an excellent analysis of the religious right's influence on Irealnd's politics by Sarah Clancy. It also features a large photo of Sarah Clancy and a Clare woman hanging out her washing in Cappagh.
November 13, 2025 at 1:58 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
My letter in today's Clare Champion calling out the xenophobic dog-whistling from our local TD, Timmy Dooley, as well as Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy.
Immigrants are not the reason I've struggled to retain housing or buy my own home - Government policies are. Landlords like Timmy Dooley are. #Spéirgorm
Dear Sir, I was deeply disturbed to hear Timmy Dooley, alongside Matt Carthy, on The Tonight Show echoing far-right sentiments regarding immigration and the strain on our housing supply, particularly with regard to international protection applicants. There is a marked difference between debating the carrying capacity of a functioning housing market, and discussing how many desperate people we must sacrifice to avoid fixing a broken one. My partner and I have been struggling to retain housing and to buy a house for the better part of 4 years. Immigrants are not to blame for our difficulties, housing policies that prioritise the investments of landlords such as Timmy Dooley are. I do not want to hear discussions about which type of immigrants we should turn away first. I want to see leadership deciding which aspects of our broken housing system we will tackle first. I want to hear debates on which emergency measures we will take to ensure illegal short-term lets are brought back into continuous use. I want to hear how the government plan to address their ineffective policies regarding dereliction. I want to hear what policy changes can be implemented to accelerate progress on tackling vacancy. The government's aggressive right-wing pivot following their defeat in the presidential election was sadly predictable. It is obvious the government wish to present immigrants as a scapegoat to desperate people such as myself, in the hopes of appealing to the worst parts of our nature. I would like to take this opportunity to reassure any vulnerable people who may be reading that this ploy will not work. I am sorry for the escalating atmosphere of fear and xenophobia you have been subjected to. You deserve better than this from a country where migration is such an integral part of our own troubled history. The people of Clare deserve better than the weak leadership we saw last night. Regards, Rob O' Sullivan Kilrush
November 13, 2025 at 1:50 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
Back in March I wrote about Minister Browne's aversion to targets. Unfortunately it remains relevant today. Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely targets are ESSENTIAL to any goal. A plan without these elements is just a gamble #spéirgorm
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/your...
A screengrab from the Irish Examiner Opinion page. It shows the first few lines of a letter entitled "A SMART approach to the housing crisis is needed". The full letter is available at the link in this post. It is the second letter on the page.
November 13, 2025 at 10:52 AM
robosullivan.bsky.social
You vs the burro's tail she told you not to worry about
An anaemic burros tail plant growing by my window in Clare, Ireland. It has three stems of jellybean shaped flowers. It does not look healthy. An enormous and healthy burros tail handling from a balcony in Tenerife. It has too many stems to count and is about half the size of an adult person. It looks like an inverted Christmas tree
November 13, 2025 at 10:36 AM
robosullivan.bsky.social
One of the most annoying things about visiting a warm country is seeing huge thriving plants that you were unable to keep alive as houseplants.
A bird of paradise flower among large green leaves. It has orange petals emerging from a green pointed mass. I believe it is meant to resemble a bird in flight, but to me it resembles the head of a bird like a crane or stork. A large green plant that resembles one I know as the "elephant ear plant". It has large arrow shaped leaves that are dark green. They have light green veining. They droop downwards like elephant ears.
November 13, 2025 at 10:29 AM
robosullivan.bsky.social
Those guys sure do love sending emails
Stringer Bell from The Wire looking incredulous and asking "Is you takin' notes on a criminal fuckin conspiracy?
November 12, 2025 at 11:20 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
Went to a botanical garden and I think we need to be much more afraid of plants. This thing looks like a demogorgon boob.
An unknown growth in a plant I'm unfamiliar with. If I had to guess I'd say its a fruit. It looks like a large greying melon surrounded by enormous bowl-like maroon petals. It's dangling from dedicated leaves. Behind it there are many large green leaves.
November 8, 2025 at 11:43 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
The Zohran Mamdani meme but it reads "No soup for you"
November 8, 2025 at 10:57 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
My letter regarding the Irish Government's lurch towards the far-right. We all need to redouble our efforts to protect our communities with compassion and anti-racism activism. #spéirgorm www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/your...
A screengrab from the opinion page of yhe Irish Examiner. This letter appears below several others "Government's far-right rhetoric on immigration Throughout the recent presidential campaign, government parties continuously subiected voters to the ridiculous assertion that Catherine Connolly was pro-Russian and unsympathetic to our friends from Ukraine. Thankfully, the electorate saw through this ridiculous smear It did not take long for that same Government to throw Ukrainian refugees to the wolves with their proposal to cut State-provided accommodation to just 30 days. For Jim O'Callaghan, the justice minister, to argue that Ireland is more generous than our European counterparts" Remainder of letter at link in post
November 8, 2025 at 9:05 AM
robosullivan.bsky.social
Simon Harris at the next election:

When you're smearing human waste on your ballot please give Fine Gael your number 1 and Fianna Fáil your number 2 #Spéirgorm
A photo of Simon Harris, leader of Fine Gael.
November 4, 2025 at 11:43 AM
robosullivan.bsky.social
Be safe, be seen.
Make sure drivers are aware of you on the road.
A photo of a driver reading a text. There's a speech bubble indicating the message. It reads "Sup! You're about to hit me. Can you look at the roaf for a sec please?"
November 3, 2025 at 10:23 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
With alt-text #spéirgorm
A screengrab of some statistics. In a forced choice. which ofthe following would be your preferred Government? 43% A left-wing government potentially including Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, Labour and/or People Before Profit 40% A Fine Gael/ Fianna Fáil-led government 17% I'm not sure
November 2, 2025 at 2:59 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
Spock fell asleep waiting for the Trick or Treaters to arrive. Nap Long and Paw-sper
A Staffordshire Terrier wearing a blue starfleet uniform, a spock wig, and two pink fake ears. She's fast asleep in a green bed.
October 31, 2025 at 10:12 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
In my home office waiting for trick or treaters and realising I can just dress like this every day. Who's gonna stop me?
A grey haired man in a yellow stsrfleet uniform. He has framed space-themed images behind him including one thst is just the opening text to the original Star Trek series
October 31, 2025 at 4:40 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
Fuck Matt Carthy. #spéirgorm
The distracted boyfriend meme but it's been edited to feature Matt Cathy's head. He's staring at a woman with the words "Voters shitting in ballot boxes" while ignoring his girlfriend and the words "Historic landslide victory for left ideals"
October 29, 2025 at 8:13 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
I personally failed to become a presidential candidate so the system must change #spéirgorm
Principal Skinner from the Simpsons touching his chin and looking contemplative. It's the beginning of the "Am I out of touch? No. It is the children who are wrong" meme
October 28, 2025 at 9:09 AM
robosullivan.bsky.social
My gf Katie is a huge Trekkie and got to hike with an actual astronaut in a very alien landscape so obviously she had to pose for a photo in her starfleet uniform. Her favourite characters are La'an, The Doctor, and Data.
A young woman dressed in a red starfleet uniform. Behind her is a karst limestone landscape and a blue sky. It looks quite alien. She's also holding a little black dog on a leash. A man in a yellow starfleet uniform in the left. Astronaut Steve Swanson in the middle wearing blue, and a woman wearing a red starfleet uniform on the right. In the background is an alien looking limestone landscape. Very gray and barren.
October 25, 2025 at 11:01 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
Waiting to meet CC in Ennis with my branch (They even let Katie and Luna in on the fun despite not being members).
If you've been involved in the campaign and want to keep that momentum going, I strongly recommend joining a party or activist group. You can make friends while helping your community.
A group of 8 people looking very cold and wet, waiting in the rain to meet Catherine Connolly. Most of them are wearing heavy jackets, scarves and hats. They're standing in front of a green wall.
October 25, 2025 at 10:13 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
Lovely way to end a campaign. Thank you to everyone who helped secure this historic victory. #spéirgorm
October 25, 2025 at 8:08 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
This is the post I saw in a group chat
A screengrab explaining that media orgs aren't funding exit polls this time, but no definitive reason given
October 24, 2025 at 4:27 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
Dunno about other parts of the country but reports of low turnout in Clare so far. Please be sure to use your vote ASAP and save us from 7 years of "rural pursuits". #spéirgorm #Áras2025
A poster in orange and green reading "low turnout reported"
October 24, 2025 at 3:56 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
#spéirgorm. Couldn't find slis in my dictionary and no direct translation but when I put the whole phrase in translate I get this. Is this a common phrase? I've never heard it.
An Irish to English translation. In Irish: Bheadh sí chomh bodhar le slis. In English: She would be as deaf as a chip.
October 24, 2025 at 2:35 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
I need a study done on why people are more likely to be listening to shit music than good music without headphones on public transport
A graph comparing the liklihood of good, mid, or bad music being played without headphones. It's very unlikely for good music and very high for bad music
October 24, 2025 at 1:07 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
It's true. I say I bought the bass for my gf but I really bought it for me.
A young woman in a maroon jumper holding a black bass guitar and smiling enthusiastically
October 24, 2025 at 12:49 PM
robosullivan.bsky.social
I'm not voting for Catherine Connolly, I'm voting for the movement she represents. She represents a powerful wave of people who want to help build a better Ireland but are shackled by homelessness, poverty, or a lack of disability supports. I'm voting to set that potential free. #spéirgorm
A simple celtic poster design thst studio I'm voting for Connolly
October 23, 2025 at 8:43 PM