Varadkar’s urban-rural comments were quick to fuel tempers. But what does the data say? Former taoiseach’s urban-rural economic divide comments were quick to fuel tempers, but what does the data say

Varadkar’s urban-rural comments were quick to fuel tempers. But what does the data say?

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Tá sé sin dochreidthe ó ÚnaG.

"Intleacht Shaorga a úsáid leis an nGaeilge a “athbheochan ar fud na seirbhísí poiblí”

This is unbelievable from Údarás na Gaeltachta. They want to use AI to "revive the Irish language across public services" by replacing Irish speaking call workers with AI.

and

1/5

D’fhiafraigh Tuairisc den Údarás an seasann an eagraíocht leis an maíomh go gcosnaíonn gach glao i nGaeilge a dhéantar ar an tSeirbhís Phoiblí €305. Dhiúltaigh an tÚdarás an cheist a fhreagairt & mhol “dul i dteagmháil go díreach le EY” le ráiteas ón Údarás a fháil.

Údar náire na Gaeltachta.

Tá rud lofa ag dul ar aghaidh san Údarás. Ní chreidfeá na freagraí seo.

Patrick Freyne: Here’s why AI is making us dumber and more lonely Writing forces people to resolve internal contradictions and confront their own bullshit. It’s why it’s hard. It’s why it’s beautiful

I wrote about why we should keep reading and writing

www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

*New Religion, New Pots: Newgrange, St Brigit and Imported Pottery* Dr Edel Bhreathnach (Discovery Programme) Thursday 23 April at 17:00; Room 2.31 IONTAS, Maynooth University.

Bígí linn le haghaidh sheimineár taighde Roinn na Sean-Ghaeilge | Join us for the Department of Early Irish research seminar.

*New Religion, New Pots: Newgrange, St Brigit and Imported Pottery*
Dr Edel Bhreathnach (Discovery Programme)

Thursday 23 April at 17:00; Room 2.31 IONTAS.

"The question is no longer whether we can see the shape of what is happening. The question is whether we can build the political form that would let us act on what we see."

Alt iontach eile i sraith sár-alt. 👏🏻

Stamp art of the new logo, showing Irish language names on a signpost with Reclaim Your Placename.

Stamp doodle logo for the @cnagaeilge.bsky.social AthGhaelú campaign "to encourage people to use Irish placenames instead of English placenames in all aspects of life."
They've also created a Gealltanas Logainmneacha "to encourage individuals and groups to use Irish-only placenames" #SpéirGhorm

There's an instinct to blame the left that these agri protests are often right wing or led by people who are right wing cause "the left" didn't engage but that ignores that many of these people have their own conservative to right wing ideologies.

this is tangential to Nicolopoulos's point (though, I think, unrelated to it), but I think a lot of "folklore"-inspired anglophone SFF is produced by writers who have minimal exposure to actual oral narratives and are working instead from retellings and summaries (of summaries, in some cases).

Ulster University to cut up to 450 jobs An Ulster University spokesperson said that

Horrendous!

How can this be anything other than the end of UU:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"The pleasure of watching Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael squirm is real and earned and will not, by itself, replace them with anything. Psychological satisfaction is not political strategy, and a left that confuses the two will spend the next decade losing while feeling good about it." 👏🏻👏🏻

🚨 Michael Healy-Rae resigns as junior minister and will vote no confidence

Conor McCabe: Protesters' grievances are real — they're bearing a heavy load Responsibility for the time-sensitive targets at the heart of national policy is carried by agricultural contractors who are struggling to make repayments on loans for the necessary heavy machinery, a...

This is very good from Conor McCabe and one of the few piece's of analysis I have read that clearly links the fuel protests with Ireland's deeply unequal and dysfunctional grass-fed agricultural system.

www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...

Sadhbh O'Neill: Fuel protests can’t derail Ireland’s climate plan. Neither can data centres If global oil prices soar past $100 a barrel, it will be impossible to shield the Irish economy - or anyone reliant on fossil fuels - from the impact

Fuel protests must not derail Ireland’s climate plan. Neither should data centres

www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026...

Ar scríobhadh tuarascáil an Údaráis faoi úsáid AI...le AI...?

"That is not a fuel protest. That is a fascist audition with a diesel-soaked script."

Molaim go mór an anailís seo a léamh.

A proper follow-up essay is coming later this week, once the picture settles. 3 collapses to account for: a gov’t that couldn’t read its own country, an opposition that couldn’t lead its own base, & a republican-left tradition being reshaped from below by people who are neither. Hold the line. (4/4)

The €505m package has been rejected by a leading organiser as “an insult.” Motorways are still blocked this morning. Whatever the blockades were about, they were never really about fuel. “The Blockade Is the Message” already said so. This morning just confirmed it. (1/4) #FuelFascists

Bím ag brath ar an líne ghlas Luas le dul ó Raghnallach ó thuaidh go Droichead Brúm le dul go Maigh Nuad. Bhí orm tuirlingt i bhFaiche Stiabhna is siúl go Stáisiún na Teamhrach Dé Céadaoin. Indéanta ach pian sa tóin. An-deacair an Life a thrasnú ar iompar poiblí anois mar gheall orthu.

Just worth saying, for absolutely legal clarity: the government does not have the legal prerogative to abolish carbon tax in its entirety. Carbon tax is a form of excise, and EU directives require excise on diesel to be a minimum of 33c per litre. (1/2)

The videos of Army vehicles on the roads this morning are unrelated to the protests. It's the 128th Infantry Battalion training for Unifil.
In fact, the Defence Forces only received a formal request for assistance in the last few minutes. This is despite DOJ saying at 8.30 it had already happened.

Dublin City Centre has been shut down for going on 36hrs now and there are groups of Gardai standing around just looking at the machinery parked across the streets cos apparently people can do anything they want whenever they want now as long as they pretend they represent farmers. It's bizarre

You might not like the IFA etc but there are 5 LEGITIMATE farm orgs. None of them endorsed or involved themselves in this.
So lads like this fella put themselves forward of leaders. Lads who are chronically online.
We've been here before, in 2019. It was a Facebook organised event that led nowhere

Níor chuir siad isteach nó amach ormsa ach seasann mo phointe go bhfuil siad ag geonaíl faoi phraghas an bhreosla agus á dhó ar sheafóid.

Cuireadh siad agóid ar Ambasáid Mheiriceá ar Bhóthar Elgin.

Like I get what he's saying but Ireland actually mostly exports high value luxury items like dairy and meat and ingredients like milk powder. We actually import most of what people actually eat

'Complex, dangerous, sexual beings': The centuries-old origins of current fairy fiction The fairies in erotic "fae" romantasy are not cute or benevolent. They are dangerous, shape-shifting beings, exactly what they were in historic folklore, according to a new book.

😘🦭"The Mélusine legend comes from the French tradition but is very strong in Ireland - the human male marrying the selkie or seal-woman."
- UCD Assistant Prof Kelly Fitzgerald on folkloric roots of modern “fae” fiction

@kellyfitzgerald.bsky.social @bealoideasucd.bsky.social @ucdlibrary.bsky.social

Féile AerachAiteachGaelach ag Féile 5Lamps, 11-12 Aibreán 2026

Féile AerachAiteachGaelach mar chuid d'Fhéile na gCúig Lampa Bhaile Átha Cliath, 11-12 Aibreán.

Ceardlanna amhránaíochta agus filíochta, ceardlann ar an scéalaíocht (liom féin agus Ailbe!), seó grinn draig, agus damhsa seit. Bígí linn!

€50 ar ollticéad: fivelampsarts.ie/events/feile...

Deis an intleachta shaorga á mheá ag Údarás na Gaeltachta - ach cad faoin ndainséar? Tá Tomás Ó Síocháin ag iarraidh nach bhfágfar pobal na Gaeltachta ar chúl an scuaine agus tonn intleacht shaorga ag teacht i dtír.

www.thejournal.ie/intleacht-sh...

Níl fhios agam an measa an mífhaisnéis faoin intleacht shaorga nó an mífhaisnéis a scaipeann intleacht shaorga. Ach má chreideann an tÚdarás go bhfuil aon rud ard faoi IS tá dul amú tromchúiseach orthu.

Coinnigh ag ceistiú @igaeilge.bsky.social !

‘Tá an-seans ag na Daonlathaithe Sóisialta i nGaillimh Thiar mar go bhfuil Gaeilge ag a n-iarrthóir’ – Ó Cuív Dúirt Éamon Ó Cuív go bhféadfadh a líofacht sa teanga buntáiste a thabhairt do Mhíde Nic Fhionnlaoich thar na hiarrthóirí eile ón eite chlé atá ag seasamh sa bhfothoghchán

‘Tá an-seans ag na Daonlathaithe Sóisialta i nGaillimh Thiar mar go bhfuil Gaeilge ag a n-iarrthóir’ - Ó Cuív