Dr. Hilary Lennon

Very glad you are home and safe.

‘Harsh treatment’: Irish aid flotilla detainees ‘kicked, cable-tied’ in Israeli custody Volunteers trying to reach Gaza taken to notorious Ktzi’ot prison complex in Negev desert, lawyers say

Irish detainees from the Gaza flotilla have told their lawyers they were kicked, pushed and cable tied.
Outside the notorious Ktzi’ot prison where they are currently held, Miriam Azem told me of “aggressive treatment and violence” the detainees say they received:
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...

Inside the Tony Blair Institute Who really benefits from the former PM’s tech evangelism?

Our investigation — also in today’s New Statesman - is based on months on months of research, 29 interviews with current and former TBI staff, FOI disclosures and public documents. Do have a read

www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

'WHAT WILL JESUS SAY?' TONY BLAIR, BIG TECH AND THE ISRAEL CONNECTION As Trump announces the former British PM as his choice to help govern Gaza, Carole Cadwalladr investigates the opaque workings of Blair's institute, its funding from friends of Israel – including bill...

REVEALED: Donald Trump has picked Tony Blair for central role in Gaza ‘peace plan’…

…but in our inaugural investigation for @thenerve_news, we reveal extensive previously unreported links to Israeli defence, media & tech. 🧵
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www.thenerve.news/p/tony-blair...

Sad news. I heard that recent radio interview and was very sorry to hear of his health battle. Deepest condolences to his family and friends. RIP

At least 16 Irish held after Israel intercepts flotilla Israel has said it will deport pro-Palestinian activists on an aid flotilla intercepted at sea as they headed towards Gaza, adding that none of the vessels had breached its maritime blockade of the te...

16 Irish citizens have now been detained by Israeli authorities including poet Sarah Clancy @sarahmaintains.bsky.social

www.rte.ie/news/middle-...

Exactly, Allan. And good to see you here too!

Means I am forwarding your post to those interested on the Ireland hashtag forum. Translation is #BlueSky.

It's profound wickedness at work and what we are seeing is traumatic. I keep having to take little breaks from it at this stage, to just look after my own head.

Just read that Israel plans to transfer the 'captives' to Spain and elsewhere. Let's hope so, Jen. Difficult to go on about hostages as an excuse for a continued genocide, perhaps, when the Israeli government themselves has just taken well over 400 people hostage.

All eyes on the flotilla.

At least nine Irish citizens have been detained by the Israeli military after an international flotilla trying to deliver medicine and food to Gaza was intercepted overnight, organisers have said. Those detained were Sinn Féin Senator Chris Andrews, Catríona Graham, Louise Heaney, Sarah Clancy, Diarmuid Mac Dubhghlais, Cormac O'Daly, Colm Byrne, Thomas McCune and Tara O'Grady, according to the Global Sumud Flotilla.

"At least nine Irish citizens have been detained by the Israeli military after an international flotilla trying to deliver medicine and food to Gaza was intercepted overnight, organisers have said." www.independent.ie/world-news/m...

FYI #SpeirGorm

Sarah Clancy and Chris Andrews have both been kidnapped by the IDF.
Contact Dept of Foreign Affairs:
Address:
Iveagh House, 80 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, D02 VY53
Website:
www.ireland.ie/dfa
Telephone:
+353 1 408 2000 #globalsumudflotilla

Oh no. That's extremely worrying re Sarah and everyone else abducted. @sarahmaintains.bsky.social #SpeirGorm @ruadhan.bsky.social @susandaly.bsky.social @news.rte.ie

Global Sumud Flotilla Statement - Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann 2 October August 2025 Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann is gravely concerned about the abduction of poet Sarah Clancy, one of several Irish citizens taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla. The flotilla was ...

Please read and reshare our statement on the Global Sumud Flotilla. We at Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann offer solidarity in this time of crisis.

irishpen.com/2025/10/02/g...

As ever, so many working ppl's salaries are nowhere near that 'average' figure so what do they do. And these things only ever talk about couples. How does a single person afford their own home in this country. #SpeirGorm #housing

Average Cork salary is less than half of what's needed to get a mortgage A clear sign of the county's worsening housing crisis

We could blame Irish Governments over two decades of failure to even begin tackling the housing crisis - but what about the people who are too lazy to work one job during the day - and another overnight? www.corkbeo.ie/news/local-n...

Wonderful to see Una Watters's striking painting – 'Girl Going by Trinity in the Rain' – on the poster as well.

On October 8, we will host a panel on Irish Women Writers!

Chaired by Marjorie Howes (BC), this event has a book launch for Paige Reynolds' (Holy Cross) new book & a panel discussion, including Claire Bracken (Union College), and Kate Costello-Sullivan (Le Moyne College)

Then that issue should be addressed, and more buses should be allocated re park and ride. The Luas is also very frequent from Heuston to Connolly, and it's a short walk from there. I hear you too and know that the GAA simply don't care about the impact on local residents.

Wish those people would make more use of public transport too, and stop bringing their cars into all the streets and residential areas surrounding Croke Park. It causes havoc, and it's every weekend for about 9 months at this stage re all the events.

Q. Can you vote in the Presidential election next month?

A. Of course I can. I always vote.

Q. Are you on the Register?

A. Why wouldn't I be?

*Checks Register. Name absent*

Q. Who erased me?

*Applies to be registerred*

There are only a few days left to register.

Victorian Crime Fiction in the Twenty-First Century: A Review Essay, 2015–2024 ABSTRACT. This article focuses on developments in the study of nineteenth-century crime fiction since 2015. The volume of scholarship in that area means that this review is not comprehensive, and it r...

Hello good people of Bluesky, would anyone have access to a PDF of this pls:
Victorian Crime Fiction in the Twenty-First Century: A Review Essay, 2015–2024 Available to Purchase
Michael Harris-Peyton
Dickens Studies Annual (2025) 56 (2): 311–358.
doi.org/10.5325/dick...

A fair point, but we don't have any real stats yet, do we, on an updated register. A lot of people are eligible voters too, but never receive voting cards.

Exactly this. #SpeirGorm

Maria Steen would have electrified a dull race, but her exclusion is not undemocratic Louise Burne outlines the two main factors that led to Maria Steen's failure to attain enough backing for a run at the presidency

Posting this piece by Louise Burne again about Maria Steen and the election because I think it’s the only sensible piece I’ve seen amid the pity party

www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...

Wouldn’t be at all surprised if Maria Steen is on the ballot paper for the next Seanad election, the first with the unified universities panel. There is a case that merging the two three-seaters creates an opening for a viable second candidate on a Mullen-esque platform

Many thanks. The turnout is nearly always disgracefully low, but that's a very good point too re updating the NUI register. We were emailed about our vote in Trinity re ensuring ppl were properly registered, but a lot more could be done too to raise the turnout.

There's also the possible case that a significant portion of people are simply not using their Seanad vote. It would be interesting to see some polling data on this, including stats on the dominant voting demographic.