Paul Harkin

On #RareDiseaseDay, we recognise the leadership of Dr Cormac McCarthy, whose voice continues to raise research impact & awareness of Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). . #clinicaltrials

Patient partnership drives progress.

@ucdmedicine.bsky.social @ucddublin.bsky.social

On Rare Disease Day, we highlight our work in Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), a rare inherited condition causing fragile bones and recurrent fractures. Led by Prof Rachel Crowley. @ucdmedicine.bsky.social @ucddublin.bsky.social

#RareDiseaseDay #OI #BoneHealth #ClinicalResearch #clinicaltrials

Marking World Rare Disease Day 2026

🗓️ To mark the World Rare Disease Day this year, UCD Rare Disease Research initiatives are reinforcing their commitment to advancing access to vital research for the 300,000 people living with a rare disease in Ireland.

👉https://www.ucd.ie/research/news/2026/markingworldrarediseaseday2026/

Bígí linn in UCD don díospóireacht seo, Dé Luain, 23 Feabhra, arna eagrú ag Acadamh na Lianna.
@ucdmedicine.bsky.social @tcddublin.bsky.social @rcsi.bsky.social

Students begin Covid compensation claim against 36 more universities It comes after University College London settled a claim from students there over lost learning in the pandemic.

🧵 (1/6) This is a wild auld thing, and I feel I should say something as the univeristy I worked in during the pando was named in the article.

During lockdown, I routinely worked 11-12 hour days to keep things ticking over for students (this was mostly contact time). www.bbc.com/news/article...

I'm so sad for him. After a lifetime of work to make things better and change things, Rev Jackson has died when America has never needed him more and he has seen its descent into fascism.
#RIPtheRev

Public service broadcasting at its finest. #RIPtheRev

A wise woman once wisely advised......

Something about this episode of a normally excellent podcast troubled me. Couldnt quite put my finger on what it was. This is an excellent companion piece which deserves a read.
Stopping exploitation requires us to be clear-eyed not panic-driven.

Measles virus doesn't care about your beliefs, just your immunity.

"Now life is a burden that bows me down,
Since I tint my bairns, and he tint his crown;
But till my last moments my words are the same,—
There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame."

Robert Burns, 1791.

"My seven braw sons for Jamie drew sword,
And now I greet round their green beds in the yird:
It brak the sweet heart o' my faithfu' auld dame—
There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame."

"The church is in ruins, the state is in jars,
Delusions, oppressions, and murderous wars:
We daurna weel say't, but we ken wha's to blame,—
There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame"

For the day that's in it...and the times we live in.

"By yon castle-wa', at the close o' the day,
I heard a man sing, though his head it was grey;
And as he was singing, the tears down came—
There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame."

No way we let Sweden get over the line on this ahead of Ireland.

Tell your friends. This isn’t just any old petition, this mechanism has EU clout.

Read the full transcript of Carney’s speech to World Economic Forum - National | Globalnews.ca Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a forceful speech in Davos, Switzerland, on the 'new world order' and how middle powers like Canada can benefit by working together.

The Carney speech is worth reading in full: globalnews.ca/news/1162087...

So if you or your loved one works for Irish Rail, Dublin Bus, DART, thanks for everything you did in 2025 to get me to and from @ucddublin.bsky.social safely.
I am sorry that, like me, you work for an organisation that seems willing to tolerate CSAM generators.

[7/n where n=7]

be more difficult than it might appear. But deleting your X account isn't something that requires major capital investment or Ministerial permission. You just need a moral compass.

Btw, you could show some leadership here too, @darraghobrientd.bsky.social.
[6/n]

I didn't have 'facilitating the abuse of women and children' on my 2026 Irish Rail bingo card.

I can write the same thread for the good folk at @dublinbusnews.bsky.social.

I appreciate both organisations operate under multiple logistics constraints such that change - even simple change can
[5/6]

or any organisation who is foolish and reckless enough to have a paid subscription.

Although they have a Bluesky account, Iarnród Éireann continue to actively use X to post essential travel information and have as yet not used their @irishrail.bsky.social account.

[4/n]

The introduction of a 'feature' that permits users to produce industrial quantities of sexual abuse images of unconsenting people should be enough for anyone still on the platform formerly known as Twitter to delete the app. The crass monetising of this feature brings further shame on anyone
[3/n]

I left the now CSAM-generating platform X shortly after EM bought it. In truth it had descended into worthlessness before said purchase, but the world's smartest man realised he could sink it even lower than mere outrage by promoting racism, misogyny, hate of minorities and misinformation.
[2/n]

In year-ends gone by, I used to make a point of thanking the good men and women of @irishrail.bsky.social on social media for consistently and reliably getting me to work through out the year. Moving about Dublin would be so much easier if more folk realised this hidden gem.
[1/n]

Australia just recorded zero cervical cancer cases in women under 25 for the first time since records began in 1982. The amazing result of HPV vaccination.

It seems so. The otherwise excellent @mcculld.bsky.social interrupted his guest Holly Cairns mid-sentence to tell us about a new count result - not a time-sensitive detail - then for the broadcast to switch to his colleague in Dublin Castle to frantically fill the dead time.

As I wrote my post, I momentarily paused - it is very easy to find fault and much harder to be constructive. But for me, it reflects the breathless rush in media to be quick rather than correct.

No, I don't believe that explains the discrepancies. Look at the Sligo/Leitrim graph. HH is on 28% v Invalid on 11% but the relative column heights are reversed.

Graph showing 1973 spoiled votes at 0.6% with a higher coulmn than the 0.9% in 1966

Another erroneously column chart where the numbers and bars don't correlate

Need to send the RTÉ graphics person back to school? Columns don't match numbers.
Better to take your time to get it right than be first to err

#rookiemistake #Áras25

As ever, Simon says it much more eloquently and entertainingly...
#Áras25 #Speirghorm