I'm a UK pensioner living in Spain, without the benefit of a winter fuel allowance.
My pitiful UK state pension is my only source of income yet I can afford to heat my home.
Would that more pensioners living in Blighty could say the same.

Lobbyists for Big Tech now outnumber MEPs

On average, there are 3 meetings a day between Big Tech lobbyists + senior EU figures. Meanwhile an NGO fighting to stop people's water supplies being hoovered up by data centres will wait months to get a single meeting.

A fascinating listen 👇

Anja Murray: Epic migration of Atlantic salmon in jeopardy Wild salmon can leap as high as three metres. Perhaps our ancient forbears were aware of the benefits of the rich fatty acids found in salmon flesh that can help our brains to function well, which wou...

Beautiful, sombre article from @miseanja.bsky.social about the epic migration of Atlantic Salmon - and the human pressures putting this all at risk.

"I wonder if 25 years from now ... will there be any wild salmon left to spawn in Irish rivers."

www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/ou...

Nature-based Solutions for urban and regional water resilience: What to do with too much (dirty) water - IEEP AISBL The brief draws from research, policy, and good practice from the wider NbS community, and presents recommendations to enhance the integration of NbS. The contents were co-created through a science policy event in February 2025.

🌧️ Rain gardens, living walls, green roofs, constructed wetlands, and river restoration pilots are already being used across Europe to support water treatment and management.

Read the #NetworkNature brief to find out more about these #NatureBasedSolutions ⬇️

My dad is the driver standing beside b131 at Fermoy!

a wonderful train journey that i enjoyed many times when young

there was a perfectly constructed line between the two cities until 1967 running along the Blackwater valley possibly the most scenic rail journey in the country which was ripped up unnecessarily

The private ownership claim to Lough Neagh (Loch nEathach) originates with Sir Arthur Chichester, English commander during the Nine Years’ War and one of the architects of the Plantation of Ulster. There was even an attempt by colonists to rename the lake ‘Lough Chichester’.

Explore our restoration works at Bencroy 🇮🇪🇪🇺 We are working with local communities 🧑‍🌾 to reduce carbon loss and implement erosion control actions as part of @waterlandsh2020.bsky.social

#HabitatRestoration
#BlanketBogs

Everyone who thinks that Ireland’s nitrates derogation is a good idea should read 'The Lie of the Land' and find out about the human health impacts of excess nitrogen in our waterways.

Area of Donegal the size of Monaco purchased as Glenveagh National Park expands An area of Donegal the equivalent of the size of Monaco has been purchased by the National Parks and Wildlife Service at Glenveagh.

Good news, but does NPWS have the capability to manage all this land?

Its current (excellent) rewilding initiative is only a small fraction of the existing National Park

www.derryjournal.com/heritage-and...

*Cries in Irish*

This map is taken from a Reddit post linked below - active railways are red, inactive railways are green.

Westport to Sligo is an hour drive, but requires a 3:15hr train to Dublin's Heuston Station, a LUAS ride to Connolly Station, and a 3:25hr train to Sligo. 7 hours, at best.

I've seen these politicians referred to as both flippant and 'dangerously misinformed' when it comes to their statements on the nitrates derogation.

In fact, all they're doing is quoting the science, standing up for water quality and not towing the agri lobbyist line. Mná Abú.

Cork residents urged to not remove dead fish from the River Blackwater after major kill - News Beep Fish removed from River Blackwater under Killavullen Bridge

Cork residents urged to not remove dead fish from the River Blackwater after major kill

https://www.newsbeep.com/65479/

Fish removed from River Blackwater under Killavullen Bridge A report detailing the damage done to the fish population…

Good to see Jennifer Whitmore TD and Holly Cairns TD bravely speak up for water quality & the environment by pointing out how the nitrates derogation is contributing to the declining health of our rivers, lakes, estuaries & seas. Half of which are already unhealthy.

www.agriland.ie/farming-news...

Hey @billgates.bsky.social: Thought you might want to read our new study:

Social Democrats 'dangerously clueless' about Nitrates Derogation, says MEP Fianna Fáil MEP, Billy Kelleher claims the Social Democrats are actively seeking to sabotage the national effort to retain the derogation.

The Social Democrats seem to be the only politicians willing to speak out in defence of our right to clean water. What happened the rest of them?

www.agriland.ie/farming-news...

‘Ligimis don Ghaeilge bláthú’ -Catherine Connolly insealbhaithe mar an deichiú huachtarán ar Éirinn Leag an tUachtarán nua níos mó béime ar an teanga ina óráid insealbhaithe ná mar a leag aon uachtarán eile roimpi

‘Ligimis don Ghaeilge bláthú’ -Catherine Connolly insealbhaithe mar an deichiú huachtarán ar Éirinn

There was a great art to the building of drystone field walls, since, without mortar, every stone needed to be held in place by gravity.

Construction styles varied according to locality and stone type, and some walls could be 100s or even 1,000s of years old (but with periodic repairs).

YouTube video by Al Jazeera English Inside the planet’s most urgent climate warning | Global Warning E1 | Featured Documentary

How screwed is the climate, how do we stop it screwing us, how do we unscrew it.

Three episodes of Global Warning has considered answers to all the above, and @aljazeera.com has made it free to watch on YouTube.

Ep 1: How Screwed Is It? 👉 youtu.be/F8vI5_gN90g?...

1/3

Almost 75,000 farmed salmon in Scotland escaped into the wild after Storm Amy. Why this may cause lasting damage When Storm Amy battered the Scottish Highlands in early October, it tore through a salmon farm's sea pens, releasing around 75,000 fish into open water in Loch Linnhe. The scale of the escape is alarm...

Almost 75,000 farmed salmon in Scotland escaped into the wild after Storm Amy. Why this may cause lasting damage share.google/8KZIyA2cVH0d...

Cowen urges Taoiseach to seek better nitrates deal - Ireland News Beep Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Cowen has called on the Taoiseach to pursue a better deal for farmers on the nitrates derogation.

Cowen urges Taoiseach to seek better nitrates deal

https://www.newsbeep.com/ie/124428/

Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Cowen has called on the Taoiseach to pursue a better deal for farmers on…

Every single time Ireland is developing new public Transport infrastructure, the same group of Billionaires & Politicians come out of the woodwork & call it a “White Elephant”

You’re not dismissed because your rich

You’re dismissed because you’re wrong

www.irishtimes.com/opinion/lett...

New Dart trains aimed at boosting capacity and easing overcrowding delayed until early 2027 Irish Rail says there will be a revised timeline for a new fleet originally scheduled to go into operation on Drogheda route this year

The new battery operated trains will be delayed by almost a year, pushing it out until 2027

Capacity is an ongoing issue on Dart / Commuter rail services, so this is a big problem

www.irishtimes.com/transport/20...

My first time on the Western Rail corridor- travelling to Ennis. We need more rail. #loveTrains

nuair a bhí me óg bhí mé ag obair sna goirt ag tanú biatais!

Minister of State confirms that Western Rail Corridor from Athenry to Claremorris will be reopened | GalwayBayFM Minister of State for Transport Sean Canney has confirmed that funding for the Western Rail Corridor line from Athenry to Claremorris is available and that work...

www.galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-f...

Minister of State confirms that Western Rail Corridor from Athenry to Claremorris will be reopened | GalwayBayFM Minister of State for Transport Sean Canney has confirmed that funding for the Western Rail Corridor line from Athenry to Claremorris is available and that work...

www.galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-f...

GALWAY TO MAYO RAIL LINK FUNDED

Some good news for Galway's railway. The Minister of State for Transport Seán Canney announced that funding for the reopenning of the Athenry <-> Claremorris railway will be included in the National Development Plan.

www.independent.ie/regionals/ma...