Shell
banner
thesparklyshell.bsky.social
Shell
@thesparklyshell.bsky.social
Writer.
Reposted by Shell
"Parking is such sweet sorrow"
October 19, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Reposted by Shell
My signed copy of New Famous Phrases by Daniel Hinds (Broken Sleep Books) has arrived. I’ve heard Daniel read his poems twice now & relished their vitality, original phrasing & imagery, & erudition. Looking forward to exploring them further @danielghinds.bsky.social @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social
October 7, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Reposted by Shell
It is publication day for my debut poetry collection New Famous Phrases! I've been able to say I'm a poet for a few years now, but today is the 1st day I feel like An Author. Thanks to my publisher @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social & editor @godzillakent.bsky.social for making this dream a reality.
March 31, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Orpea, kicked out of France, rebranded as Emeis, (rhymes with fleece, as in the verb To Fleece), landed in Ireland, leading to the shocking nursing home scenes televised on RTE. @carechampions.bsky.social @mothnews.bsky.social @rte.ie
How can a care home operator get kicked out of France and still be allowed to operate in Ireland? #carehomes #news #ireland #irish #caresector @thesparklyshell.bsky.social @carechampions.bsky.social @keithwalsh69.bsky.social
August 21, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Reposted by Shell
Capitalism has come for our care industry, and it's only shareholders who benefit. #carehomes #ireland #irish #news #caresector @thesparklyshell.bsky.social @keefow.bsky.social @carechampions.bsky.social
August 19, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Reposted by Shell
There's a new imprint in town, Walela Books for genre fiction that pushes creative boundaries, create bold and original stories.

Quirky, absurd narratives with twists and turns and novels that make you pause with wonder and glee.

Details in link.

Please share :)
Walela Books Submission Manager
Submit to Walela Books (a project of CafeLit). Powered by Duosuma: Duotrope's Submission Manager.
duotrope.com
August 17, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Reposted by Shell
If you are wanting to take part in this course, I'm proably only going to run it once more before taking a hiatus from my courses, so January might be your last chance:

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/wbtl-colourf...

PS - same for all my other courses, so if you're interested, get in touch
August 17, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Reposted by Shell
Want some nice news for a Friday?
This is your early warning that the Welkin Writing Prize WILL BE BACK! A long way to go until entries open in December, but I'm committing now so there's no backing out later in the year 😀 Bigger prize fund too!! 🥳
www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...
Welkin Enter
An annual competition for microfiction up to 100 words. It is free to enter and aims to be a welcoming space for all writers. The competition is open to all forms of narrative prose. There is a whole ...
www.mattkendrick.co.uk
August 8, 2025 at 12:08 PM
The national scandal that just keeps running www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ0U... I’m on 42 minutes in.
www.youtube.com
August 8, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Reposted by Shell
The abuse in Emeis homes shows the cruelty of profit-driven care. Older people treated like commodities while standards collapse. We need a public, dignified, community-led care system, free from greed of for profit private companies.

www.irishtimes.com/ireland/soci...
June 6, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Reposted by Shell
Review of all nursing homes operated by Emeis Ireland requested by Department of Health
Review of all nursing homes operated by Emeis Ireland requested by Department of Health
Admissions to Portlaoise nursing home, one of two featured in RTÉ Investigates programme on Wednesday, halted due to ‘significant concerns’
www.irishtimes.com
June 5, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Reposted by Shell
🧵 The RTÉ Investigates (@news.rte.ie) doc airing tonight will expose shocking conditions in Emeis-run nursing homes in Ireland.

#Emeis will say it’s not the norm. We know it is.

EPSU has seen the same pattern across Europe for years. We’re horrified, but not surprised.
www.rte.ie/news/investi...
Serious care concerns found at leading private nursing home group
Staff shortages, unsafe care and undignified treatment has been uncovered in homes run by State's leading private care provider Emeis Ireland
www.rte.ie
June 4, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Reposted by Shell
HIQA has confirmed that it is carrying out a review of all nursing homes operated by the Emeis Ireland group, after multiple care failings and neglect of vulnerable older residents at two of its nursing homes were documented by RTÉ Investigates.
HIQA to carry out review into Emeis Ireland nursing homes
HIQA has confirmed it is carrying out a review of all nursing homes operated by the Emeis Ireland group, after multiple care failings and neglect of vulnerable older residents at two of its nursing ho...
www.rte.ie
June 5, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Reposted by Shell
Review of all nursing homes operated by Emeis Ireland requested by Department of Health
Review of all nursing homes operated by Emeis Ireland requested by Department of Health
Admissions to Portlaoise nursing home, one of two featured in RTÉ Investigates programme on Wednesday, halted due to ‘significant concerns’
www.irishtimes.com
June 5, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Wanted to speak out after the RTE INVESTIGATES programme. Have been trying to get my voice heard since last December.
June 18, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Reposted by Shell
Just 12 days, 5 hours and 31 minutes (or in Welkin time: 12 brontosauruses, 5 velociraptors and 31 chickens) until the deadline for the Welkin Mini. Not long now (but also plenty of time to write 100 words):

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...
Welkin Mini
The Welkin Mini is a biennial competition to celebrate micro fiction and creative non-fiction up to 100 words. Like the main Welkin Prize, it is free to enter and aims to be a welcoming space for all ...
www.mattkendrick.co.uk
December 21, 2024 at 9:29 AM
Reposted by Shell
Morning all. Sorry, I promise I'll stop hacking on about this soon, but it is for two genuinely great charities.

We're at €18,854 aiming for €20,000.

Almost there... Your 20 quid can make me shut up 😁

www.gofundme.com/f/therickosh...
Donate to The Rick O'Shea Book Club Xmas Appeal 2024, organized by Rick O'Shea
The Rick O'Shea Book Club is Ireland's largest book club with over 40,000 membe… Rick O'Shea needs your support for The Rick O'Shea Book Club Xmas Appeal 2024
www.gofundme.com
December 16, 2024 at 9:21 AM
Reposted by Shell
Hi, hi.

We are at 555 donations this year so far. I love round numbers, don't you?

600 donations would be amazing.... All goes to the UNICEF Ireland Gaza and Lebanon appeal and the DSPCA.

www.gofundme.com/f/therickosh...
Donate to The Rick O'Shea Book Club Xmas Appeal 2024, organized by Rick O'Shea
The Rick O'Shea Book Club is Ireland's largest book club with over 40,000 membe… Rick O'Shea needs your support for The Rick O'Shea Book Club Xmas Appeal 2024
www.gofundme.com
December 15, 2024 at 3:16 PM
Reposted by Shell
€11,136 and rising.

9 grand more and I will have raised a quarter of a million euro in the last few years...
Morning all.

Almost €11,000 in my Xmas appeal for the DSPCA and UNICEF Ireland's Gaza and Lebanon appeal.

We reached €40,000 last year, but this is the first I've been doing this without being on Twitter. Can Bluesky step up to the plate?

Every little helps...

www.gofundme.com/f/therickosh...
Donate to The Rick O'Shea Book Club Xmas Appeal 2024, organized by Rick O'Shea
The Rick O'Shea Book Club is Ireland's largest book club with over 40,000 membe… Rick O'Shea needs your support for The Rick O'Shea Book Club Xmas Appeal 2024
www.gofundme.com
December 2, 2024 at 3:09 PM
Reposted by Shell
Entries are officially...

OPEN!!!

All details and entry form here: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...

Good luck!
Welkin Mini
The Welkin Mini is a biennial competition to celebrate micro fiction and creative non-fiction up to 100 words. Like the main Welkin Prize, it is free to enter and aims to be a welcoming space for all writers.
www.mattkendrick.co.uk
December 1, 2024 at 9:12 AM
Reposted by Shell
And we made €1,000 today.

50 quid more and we hit €10,000.

www.gofundme.com/f/therickosh...
Every year one person, I presume the same person, sends their donation to my Xmas Appeal in a card in the form of cash. I have no idea who they are.

If you can see this, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I've added your 50 quid to the appeal for the DSPCA and @unicef.org Ireland's Gaza and..
November 28, 2024 at 10:17 PM
Reposted by Shell
€8,851 today...

We might make it :-)

www.gofundme.com/f/therickosh...
My other #BlackFriday suggestion is that you take a fiver you would otherwise have spent on something you'll never use (I may have been there...) and instead give it to my Xmas Appeal.

If only we could make €10,000 by the weekend...

www.gofundme.com/f/therickosh...
Donate to The Rick O'Shea Book Club Xmas Appeal 2024, organized by Rick O'Shea
The Rick O'Shea Book Club is Ireland's largest book club with over 40,000 membe… Rick O'Shea needs your support for The Rick O'Shea Book Club Xmas Appeal 2024
www.gofundme.com
November 27, 2024 at 1:27 PM
Reposted by Shell
Fighting Words Northern Ireland are simply the nicest and most passionate people to work with, and I don't say that just because I'm on the board...

www.fightingwords.co.uk/news/we%E2%8...

Shares would be great!
We’re Hiring a Community Arts Project Manager – Join Our Team! | News | Fighting Words NI
If you are a brilliant organiser who wants to work at an amazing creative education charity that has a positive impact on young people every day, then keep reading! We’re looking for a multi-talented solution-seeker to work part-time (22.5 hours a week) to coordinate the delivery of a large-scale peace-building youth consortium project, A Shared Agenda for Peace. Ideally, you
www.fightingwords.co.uk
November 26, 2024 at 11:39 AM