Fair play, makes sense the non-US Artemis II astronaut was from Canada. If they’d gone for Ireland, around now and safely out of view we’d be pulling out a secret bag of cans.

My three-months-way-too-late New Year's resolution is now write just one note a day like this. For uber and deliveroo drivers, cabin crew, and chaps like this at Budget.

They have such very different gaits (and also other sports - Stubbs is a triathlete, Carney prefers ice pucks) and the temptation is BIG to do an op-ed drawing VAST conclusions about how this reflects their political, national, diplomatic styles …. 🏃🤷

It’s pure joy, seeing Canadian PM Mark Carney, Finnish President Alex Stubb and their wives Diana Fox and Suzanne Innes-Stubb out running together in Hyde Park, a great stride on them, no visible security, and on St Patrick’s Day to boot.

Also pure luck, they got a rare day without rain to do it…☔️👟

Lads - and I say this reluctantly - I feel we may have taken this too far.

Dublin, waiting for the bus to the airport car park. A couple of wet wheelchairs waited in the bus hoarding. Sat down in one and sprang up when the bus came. ‘A miracle!’ shouts the driver. 

Only in Ireland.

Oh lads, I’ve got something in my eye.

Captain Aaron and FO Tanil, and Holly and Issy from BA 838, gave me a letter to my little fellow Liam - knowing how much he loves aeroplanes. And they included a printout from the flight control computer as we flew over Dublin - and a drawing of the radar.

I’m excited to announce the Westminster Strategic Studies Group’s student essay prize for 2026.

It’s our attempt to encourage students from the widest range of backgrounds to think about futures in foreign affairs - especially if they might not have before. 

We can’t wait to read what they write.

The utter lovely villageness of Ireland. Yesterday, spotted someone’s debit card in a car park. (I was buying 24 doughnuts, donut judge me.) Popped a note in a local group. Five minutes later, two people rang the owner; we met at the church where our daughters both take ballet. Ireland is a village.

Happy seventh birthday, my little fellow. There is nothing in the world that makes me happier than to be your friend and father.

I may have an 8 pm flight but my little kitchen helpers and I are still making ALL the pancakes first.

So many thanks (I think) to the kind woman who spotted the very last Nutella, and saved #pancakeday. Would’ve otherwise been crêpe.

Surprising my lovely and quite long-suffering wife now with a Valentine’s weekend in Venice. So I said to Venice, you’re gondolova.

Heartbroken for colleagues at the Washington Post, losing jobs today at the home of Woodward and Bernstein as Bezos cuts foreign desks, DC coverage, even the books section. (This email going to subscribers as the news broke shows US journalism is not in a good place.) Courage to all who struggle on.

My friend Zhanna’s INCREDIBLY lovely mum had been hearing about me since our first week together at Yale - and had been waiting for years to make me honey cake in Kazakhstan. And WHAT a honey cake it was… 🍰🐝

(Runs through Istanbul airport at 1 am, squeaky bum connection)

Fella: You rushin’?
Me: Jesus I’m Irish

Back to Dublin. Pining for NYC city lights and street noise but Jesus we are a nice country all the same. Where we wave pedestrians and other drivers on, and the Gardaí  – even if their new soft caps are awful – still stop and chat and don't even a bit shoot you.

I hadn’t thought I’d find inspiration in the world in 2026, but by God the people of Iran are dishing it out in droves. I am awed. #IranRevolution

The Swedish for ‘speed’ is fart. The word for ‘end, finished, all gone’ is slut.

A friend writes: “I live in Sweden and between all of the ‘fart’ and ‘slut’ signs (the latter often written in large text on cafe wall menus) I’m barely keeping it together.”

TAYTO! The little eejits left Santa Tayto! #Nollaig

For anyone who fancies joining - tomorrow eve I’m raiding ALL the bookshops of Charing Cross Road for pressies (possibly by way of a tipple after?)

Likewise, if you can think of books I should be giving … I like big books and I cannot lie 📚😎

And the darkness comprehended it not… My thoughts with the Jews of Sydney.

Goodness - I hope you’re all better. (And right back at you!)

Eggnog for Ukraine. And books on (eg) flirting in Ukrainian, to fill the Christmas stockings. Come if you’re in London! The hangover will be all gone by (Orthodox) Christmas. 🎄🇺🇦

My flat was savaged by a tornado that chugged a Red Bull and challenged a hurricane to a dance-off. My stories, had I self-respect, I’d have filed in September. But there’s a magic to writing by a tree, in firtree-flavoured air, by flickering lights, sentences punctuated by the odd tumbling bauble.

Oops, I did it again. So grateful to the London Marathon organisers for giving me a media place! And looking forward – as with next year in NYC – to continue doing all my marathoning to support @amnesty 🕯️when human rights are under threat across the world. So: who's in my London class of '26 fam? 🎉

Last night in Gloucestershire a black cat found me 🐈‍⬛
I then ended up sleeping with two black cats. 🐈‍⬛ 🐈‍⬛
Lads I am living in a cathouse.

Apparently I’m on this DUB-LHR BA flight enough they asked if I’d like a go in the first officer’s chair! 🤣 (The captain was an ex-Red Arrow- I took some pictures for an aeroplane mad six year-old…)

Wake up and message friends in Kyiv after a brutal night of Russian onslaught. 

‘Yeah it was a little loud here but all good :) Slept in the bomb shelter most of the night. Busy there. Quite a few people and pets.’

We talk about Blitz spirit. This, my friends, is the literal Blitz spirit in 2025.

Fall out my Dublin doorstep, en route to school run and airport, and trip over the postman. ‘Oh I’ve left a letter for you, Pádraig. It didn’t look like a bill. It looks more like an invitation.’

Told him I’d been a good boy and deserved it. We don’t half deserve An Post.

Taking off from Dublin airport. The entire airport as much as possible, taxiing and takeoffs, pauses at 1100 for the one minute’s silence. 🌺