An Ireland Thinks poll has found 56% of Irish people think the “Government is not doing enough fast enough to cut Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels”, compared with just 21% who think the Government is doing “too much, too fast” www.environmentalpillar.ie/majority-of-...
At 2.30 today, I will be bringing our CEG Arms Embargo Bill back to the Seanad for Report & Final stages. Our Bill would end the flow of weapons through our airports & airspace to illegal military action by Israel, move us from zero inspections to mandatory inspections & tackle illegal overflights!
Prince passed away 10 years ago today.
RIP, your music lives on.
There are no fucking rules
Online abuse of politicians is a profitable business Senator Eileen Flynn's comments on far-right use of the tricolour have made her a lightning rod for online abuse - because viral hatred is highly profitable
In the space of a few weeks in 2025, Simon Harris required armed gardaí at his family home due to multiple bomb threats, while former taoiseach Leo Varadkar was subjected to a homophobic tirade by a self-styled citizen journalist who filmed the confrontation for social media. A man is due before the courts in July in connection with an alleged assault on Mary Lou McDonald and two canvassers the day before the presidential election last year. The incident was filmed and went viral online. So, last week when a video of Senator Eileen Flynn speaking about racism and nationalist propaganda went viral, a predictable and inevitable online pile on began, with posts attacking Flynn's "patriotism" or perceived
Much of the abuse directed at Ms Flynn came from Irish accounts run by people who benefit from algorithmically amplification (so called blue tick accounts), and content monetisation. Monetisation is now a commonplace feature on social media platforms like X/Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, that allows the company to "share" revenue. The more attention (likes, shares, comments etc) a post gets, the more revenue a user earns. Influencers also often have accounts on three or four platforms and post dozens of times a day, and can also benefit from tips, and paid subscribers so it is difficult to gauge how much they earn, but a single viral post on X can generate over €300 for an influencer, so this can become a quite lucrative activity for not a lot of work. Power
The abuse directed at Ms Flynn did not only come from Irish accounts; international social media influencers whose attention was already on Ireland since the fuel protests latched onto it too. Defiant Ls, an account run by a Macedonian influencer who promotes Maga content shared the video, as did the account LibsofTikTok, with the caption, 'Irish Senator Eileen Flynn says that she is "terrified" to see her nation's flag and thinks it's "disgraceful" to fly it', received more than 250,000 views and over 1,300 comments, mostly abusive. LibsOfTikTok has nearly five million fans and the account is run by Chaya Raichik, a right wing influencer who has previously targeted schools, hospitals and libraries across the United States. Victims of her attention have gone to be inundated with threats of violence.
I have a piece in the Examiner today on how content monetisation is fuelling a new wave of online harassment
Irish influencers with monetised accounts are mimicking the behaviour of people like Chaya Raichik, the owner of LibsOfTikTok, who has turned online abuse & harassment into a business model.
An Irish podcast about technology, offering the kind of well informed and level-headed commentar that we badly need in Ireland at the moment.
#SpeirGorm
What's happening in the world right now can be so disheartening, but as our live guest @abeba.blacksky.app reminded us: pessimism is not defeatism. And that pessimism can spur you into taking action for a better world.
Listen to her inspiring, critical and hopeful interview here: pod.fo/e/3ff62c
Thank you so much to everyone who bought a ticket to For Tech's Sake Live! Because of your generosity we raised €400 for @medicalaidpal.bsky.social!
It feels so good to share the love we felt at the event and we are so grateful ❤️
If you want you can continue to donate via MAP.org.uk.
‘Your brain isn’t fully formed until you’re 25’: A neuroscientist demolishes the greatest mind myth
www.sciencefocus.com...
Dr Dean Burnett tackles a stubborn, and increasingly harmful, brain myth. For Science Focus Magazine.
#Brains #Teens #Development #Autonomy
I had heard people at #CHI2026 say that they didn't want AI-generated podcasts to be made on top of their work. While this perspective is totally understandable, I thought the podcasts could potentially be useful. But after looking up one of mine, I can't believe this feature was allowed to launch.
I do not want to create an account or open a subscription I just want to buy a thing and never hear from you again why is this so hard.
We all have days like this
GCN is holding another pub quiz fundraiser on May 15th
www.eventbrite.ie/e/gcn-presen...
prizes include:
tix to Addison Rae
tix to Mother Pride Block Party (& tix to Scissor Sisters)
€100 voucher for Dash Burger
goodie bags from Dublin City Council Libraries & Banner Books in Clare
Why do the Japanese like their buns askew (2026)
A beautiful Dublin evening. May need a click for full view.
Something to be said about politicians and pundits taking AI developers' apocalypse preaching more seriously than decades of very good climate science
The richest 10% of Americans own roughly 87% of stocks.
The richest 1% alone own roughly half of all stocks.
It's worth pointing out once again that the stock market is not the economy.
Coimisiún Nua Cláir Faisnéise Science on Screen Fógartha / New Science on Screen Documentary Commission Announced – STEM as Gaeilge!
Tuilleadh eolais/ Find out more: ardan.ie/news/coimisi...
@curamdevices.bsky.social @uniofgalway.bsky.social @researchireland.ie @tg4.bsky.social
The stock market jumps are consistently reported in the positive – if the markets drop and then stabilise, things aren't so bad eh? – and not with a sceptical look at who's been profiting from the bounces.
I’m starting to wonder if the corporate/ business oriented enthusiasm for AI is just yet another example of people at the top pulling up the ladder behind them.
Episode 100!
Cartoon of man exasperatedly throwing his hands up and saying "I guess"
Millions of lapsed Catholics realizing that they have become realigned with the Pope against their will
Screen shot of the linked page, that's all.
Quick plug for a panel discussion on social media restrictions for children: Trinity College Dublin on the evening of 28th April, registration here: www.eventbrite.ie/e/behind-the...
If primary school teachers (or anyone else) are looking for resources that are a little more...balanced...check out our Irish Tree Explorers Network pages:
www.ucc.ie/en/tree-expl...
I did not need to be this incensed before bedtime. 🤬
It. I was meant to be in bed but had snuck into my parents' room for their TV. Saw a clown and thought, oh lovely, this must be for me. 🙈
Tuned in just in time for the bathroom scene. Scared to go to the bathroom at night for the rest of my life.
Just finished editing our live edition of @fortechssakepod.bsky.social and even though I had to listen to it over and over it still made me smile *every* time. Do not miss this one – out tomorrow. shows.acast.com/for-techs-sake
Take your time, read through the guidelines and go through the survey example, you have til May! Good luck everyone!
(wish me luck too cause I'm so nervous)
www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
#basicincomefortheartsscheme #irishartists
Solar and wind energy costs have not gone up so it is incorrect to say energy costs have gone up. Only oil and gas have gone up and we should be using less.
Perhaps we should be tackling ever bigger tractors, half empty lorries... ?
