Simon McGarr

Truely a landmark moment for the Man In The Pub.

Who will offer early-stage legal help to people seeking asylum in future, speedier process? It might not be lawyers The new EU Migration and Asylum Pact allows for “legal counselling”. Those who give it won’t have to be “qualified lawyers”, says the Department of Justice.

Who will offer early-stage legal help to people seeking asylum in a future, speedier process? It might not be lawyers. The new EU Migration and Asylum Pact allows for “legal counselling”. Those who give it won’t have to be “qualified lawyers”, says the Department of Justice.

I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.

The fight against surveillance must include infrastructure that enables it. We can’t just oppose collection we must also fight storage, analysis, corporate relationships…

As someone writing a book on the history of government data storage and its harms, I’ll say that people in the past knew this!

Briefings on Irish ‘red tape’ and EU regulation for Taoiseach ahead of ‘fireside chat’ with Stripe co-founder John Collison.

Our latest set of records now available online at:

www.thestory.ie/2025/11/25/b...

The CJEU know they’ve blown the bloody doors off on this one.

The Threads Pitch.

REUTERS EU court says same sex marriage should be recognised throughout bloc By Reuters November 25, 202511:31 AM GMT+1Updated 4 mins ago photo of rainbow pride flag and EU flag together

absolutely massive news from the EU's top court! while it doesn't force every EU country to perform same-sex marriages, it *does* require them to recognise same-sex marriages from other countries the same way they recognise other foreign marriages

it's a big step!

www.reuters.com/world/europe...

Fifteen Years

❤️ xkcd.com/3172/

R. H. Bing (October 20, 1914 – April 28, 1986)[1] was an American mathematician who worked mainly in the areas of geometric topology and continuum theory.

Bing's father was named Rupert Henry, but Bing's mother thought that "Rupert Henry" was too British for Texas. Thus she compromised by abbreviating it to R. H.[5] Consequently, R. H. does not stand for a first or middle name. When Bing was applying for a visa, he was requested not to use initials. He explained that his name was really "R-only H-only Bing", and ended up receiving a visa made out to "Ronly Honly Bing".

A drawing of a flock of birds in a wooded landscape flying in front of a canvas on an easel

This is one of the illustrations from my thesis project for my Masters in Editorial Illustration, all about the role of art in sustainability/biodiversity

I'm real happy with it!
Get me to illustrate your articles and reports pls

Prints here: selkiesstudio.com/shop/here-they-come

How Ireland became the weak spot in Europe’s defences With few ships and limited intelligence-sharing, some say the country cannot hope to protect itself or its infrastructure

Hmm. This report collects up quotes from all the usual suspects on the Irish side, but it is the quotes from abroad that are new.

But it conflates increased spending on domestic defence (necessary) as hampered by neutrality.

on.ft.com/3M8y2Tr How Ireland became the weak spot in Europe’s defences

COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION PRESS RELEASE No 147/25 Luxembourg, 25 November 2025 Judgment of the Court in Case C-713/23 | Wojewoda Mazowiecki Citizenship of the Union: a Member State has the obligation to recognise a marriage between two Union citizens of the same sex that has been lawfully concluded in another Member State where they have exercised their freedom to move and reside Two Polish citizens who were married in Germany are requesting that their marriage certificate be transcribed in the Polish civil register so that their marriage would be recognised in Poland. The competent authorities refused their request on the ground that Polish law does not allow marriage between persons of the same sex. The Court of Justice, in answer to a question referred to it by a national court, finds that refusing to recognise a marriage between two Union citizens, lawfully concluded in another Member State where they have exercised their freedom to move and reside, is contrary to EU law because it infringes that freedom and the right to respect for private and family life. Member States are therefore required to recognise, for the purpose of the exercise of the rights conferred by EU law, the marital status lawfully acquired in another Member State. The Court emphasises, however, that that obligation does not require marriage between persons of the same sex to be introduced under domestic law. In addition, Member States have a margin of discretion to choose the procedures for recognising such a marriage. Nevertheless, when a Member State chooses to provide for a single procedure for recognising marriages concluded in another Member State, such as the transcription of the marriage certificate in the civil register, it is required to apply that procedure equally to marriages concluded between persons of the same sex.

A huge ECJ win for many same-sex couples in Europe

Your Children’s school is in crisis because teachers can’t afford to live and do the job?

It’s not a problem, says the Minister in charge of Education.

bsky.app/profile/gavr...

Add that up thousands of times, as a GP, as a pharmacist, as a consultant, as a teacher, as an occupational therapist, as a child psychologist, as any skilled person who can choose to live here or go elsewhere where they are valued.

Why can’t the state recruit specialists it needs?

Is there a Q?

It’s a Ryanair approach to delivering public services, keep chipping away at staff, squeezing them as cost centres, not respecting them as professionals.

No wonder FG launched their campaign by inviting Michael O’Leary to demean teachers.

Everyone likes reading stories of doctors having their state-paid fees cut, because there’s a presumption services can just continue to be provided for less. It’s always a saving.

But people don’t like elderly cancer patients who can’t find a GP.

It’s the same story- one told from cause & effect.

In minding its pennies, the state prioritises beancounting over the value of those services to society.

One criminal bar solicitor ruefully told me that it’s more a vocation now to work defending clients.

Consultants are just throwing their hats at the job
What is the price of savings?

For what it is worth, the Irish state has been engaged in a strong effort to demean professions whose work it has to pay for, in a cheeseparing effort to shrink its bills payable.

Doctors, nurses, consultants, pharmacists, even (yes) lawyers. All denigrated, incomes cut or squeezed.

Listening to #LateDebate and it is as though the FG/FF reps on are delivering reports from a different planet.

Instead of acknowledging that our health system’s biggest problem is that we treat expert staff so badly that they are refusing to work here, they are asserting there is *no* problem.

Hey, I know this tune!

Hawkeye’s won a lottery to go back home! Let’s go meet Norm’s business partner who everyone hates! (It was Norm shouting into a beer glass)
What if Captain Picard was a Borg?

People will say that Breaking Bad or The Sopranos are the peak of US telly. But if so, how come I have never for a moment been stirred to watch either, while I can still quote reams of MASH or Cheers lines from 40 years ago.

Peak US telly was a format- 1billon episodes of every possible permeation.

Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge The Finnish government announces the migration of its rail network from Russian gauge (1,524 mm) to international gauge (1,435 mm) from 2032. The change aims to improve military mobility and regional ...

Finland uses “Russia-gauge” rails. They are going to move to European compatible rail gauge for their own resilience.

This is what we should be thinking about for moving to open social away from American platforms: it should come with significant spending commitments & is absolutely necessary.

Bibimbap with mince, fried carrot, blanched spinach, chopped scallion and a soft fried egg on top. Served on noodles you can just about see peeping out at the side of the bowl.

Gonna strongly talk up this BiBimBap delivered to my table by No 1 Son over the weekend.

Dear EU, in the immortal words of former first lady Nancy Reagan...

One fascinating and yet expected thing is that none of the big foreign accounts pretending to be American are left of center, or even anti-Trump. Not a single one. Says something about the economics and geopolitics of political grifting

Irish asylum plans ‘will undermine refugee integration’ Irish government plans to follow the UK in making it harder for refugees to secure permanent settlement are “deeply alarming”, the Irish Refugee Council has said.

Irish government plans to follow the UK in making it harder for refugees to secure permanent settlement are “deeply alarming”, the Irish Refugee Council has said.

every poster on #speirgorm has a copy of Soundings