John D’Arcy

Congratulations to the whole AONTAS team for an amazing week-long Festival of Adult Learning topped off with the STAR Awards at Croke Park - amazing nominees from across the island of Ireland.Huge thanks to Pauline McLynn our guest speaker, Andrew Brownlee CEO SOLAS and Dearbháil Lawless CEO AONTAS.

It was a pleasure to welcome Pádraig Delargy MLA to The Open University office today. Great discussion about widening access, skills and our partnerships with Colleges.

That’s on my list Glenn … will follow that advice about the sealant

Blue skies after the storm… a pagoda dismantled and a new project for @jackiedarcy.bsky.social and her assistant

Thanks to Minister Conor Murphy MLA for joining The Open University and FE leaders from Belfast Met, SRC, SWC, SERC, NMRC and NRC to discuss and celebrate this regionally and college driven partnership for people and skills
www5.open.ac.uk/northern-ire...

Another big day for music yesterday as The Ed Sheeran Fiundation brought some brilliant commitment and investment for young people here. Here’s just a couple of great pics via @belfastlive.co.uk from the day… great work Ed Sheeran, Gary Lightbody, Oh Yeah, Drake Music and HotBox

Maidin Maith and Happy New Year! First long walk of 2025 in the fine company of ThinLizzy 1976 re-issue Jailbreak and Johnny The Fox 🦊

and the beat goes on … and on … and on

Tomorrow night with The Undertones and The Rezillos at The Ulster Hall #PartyOn

Loving the Twelve Days of Christmas window displays at Brown Thomas in Dublin with @jackiedarcy.bsky.social and Christmas in the lobby of the Riu Plaza Gresham Hotel

Delighted to read this in today’s @belfasttelegraph.co.uk congratulations Lady Mary Peters from all of us at The Open University … an outstanding OU Honorary Graduate who is so generous with her time and support for our students and alumni 👏👏👏

It’s beginning to look a lot like…

Just received “Power to the People’ by President Michael D Higgins today .. a collection of his writings for Hot Press over his decade-long time as a contributor. His royalties go to @trocaire.bsky.social Congratulations Niall Stokes and Team Hot Press👏👏👏

Best of Belfast celebrated at 28th annual Aisling Awards THE best of Belfast was celebrated in the Europa Hotel on Friday night at the 28th annual Aisling Awards.

Worth a read … a good news story about the best of Belfast

belfastmedia.com/best-of-belf...

Thanks to top photographer Thomas McMullan for this lovely pic of me and @jackiedarcy.bsky.social at last night’s Aisling Awards

Colm Tóibín’s Long Island is Waterstones Irish Book of the Year Books newsletter: A preview of Saturday’s pages; Richard Flanagan wins Baillie Gifford Prize; Irish translator wins Stephen Spender Prize; MS Readathon; (S)worn State(s) launch at MoLI; Never Too Lat...

Colm Tóibín’s Long Island is Waterstones Irish Book of the Year. Richard Flanagan wins Baillie Gifford Prize; Irish translator wins Stephen Spender Prize; MS Readathon; (S)worn State(s) at MoLI; Never Too Late Award; Dublin Literary Award judges; Rory Brennan dies

www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

So pleased to be a part of the Aisling Awards last night. Excellent event celebrating the best of Belfast. Great hosts @barrabest.bsky.social and @lynettefay.bsky.social and thanks to Lord Mayor for opening the event 👏👏👏👏

Look what happened to @jackiedarcy.bsky.social back garden last night

cover image of The Story of Tayto by Bobby Aherne, as well as two packs of Cheese & Onion Tayto.

A slightly disturbing 1970's image of Northern AND Southern design Mr Tayto, standing on ( badly drawn) bricks and reaching ( tentatively towards each other. Northern Mr tayto is in white gloves, for reasons unknown. Southern ( ARGUABLY overweight?) orb shaped Mr Tayto is wearing pinstripe pants and has no shoulders. Naturally

Not many Irish brands can plausibly be called iconic , but Tayto can be. Every purchase of this book from us will get a free pack of Taytos included. Part proceeds of the book benefit Alone, the homeless charity.
thebookshop.ie/bobby-aherne...

This week I watched a superb documentary series on VirginMedia One - ‘Women Locked Up - Inside the Dóchas’. In episode 3, The Open University in Ireland awarded a hard-earned degree to the first woman prisoner there. An amazing partnership with the Irish Prison Service and City of Dublin ETB

2024 has been a great year for Snow Patrol and 2025 is shaping up to be a cracker

It was a pleasure to meet new Open University graduate Bobby Burns and his family this week. Bobby is a professional footballer with Galway United who studied part-time with us and earned a first class BA Honours degree in Business Management (Sport and Football) Well done Bobby! 👏👏👏