Michael O'Connell

Hominin footprints in Pleistocene coastal deposits.

Neanderthal coasteering and the first Portuguese hominin tracksites🏺🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Carlos Neto de Carvalho, @stewartfinlayson.bsky.social, @gibgerry.bsky.social, @clivefin.bsky.social et al

Oldest-known hominin track sites in SW Europe and clues to hunting patterns of Neanderthals

Prof Clive Finlayson, Director #GibraltarMuseum & Gorham’s Cave Complex UNESCO World Heritage Site wooed a packed house with his lecture on #Neanderthal people in #Gibralter this evening. 7th William King lecture @uniofgalway.bsky.social 📷Clive Finlayson presentation

A beautiful oak tree

One of the most beautiful trees in
Europe is the 550 year old Arbour Oak in Wollaton Park, Nottingham

My youngest son is at university in the City, and took this photo 30mins ago

Reminder: 7th William King Lecture 6pm, TODAY in Ó hEocha Theatre, Arts Millennium Building, S. Campus, University of Galway BY Prof Clive Finlayson, Director #GibraltarMuseum & Gorham’s Cave Complex UNESCO World Heritage Site. Introduction by Prof David Burn, President, @uniofgalway.bsky.social

Also impressive interview with Oliver Callan on @rteradio1.bsky.social this morning. Go n-éirí an bothar leat, a Shoilse!

High pressure dominating for days but no sun in #Salthill; only stillness, low cloud & some drizzle. 1 pm on 13th, tide on the ebb, a few strollers explored Grattan Beach, a handful of Brent geese were joined by several others & 3 cormorants sat patiently on a rock awaiting ideal fishing conditions

Reminder: this evening’s (Wed, 15 October at 7pm) GGA @galway-geol-ass.bsky.social Zoom lecture: Coastal boulder deposits on the #AranIslands BY Professor Rónadh Cox (Williams College, MA, USA). For Z link email: galwaygeology@gmail.com 😉🌊 @wildatlanticway.bsky.social

Helmut Ortner liest – und empfiehlt Bücher Heute beginnt die Frankfurter Buchmesse. hpd-Autor Helmut Ortner gibt aus diesem Anlass zehn Buchempfehlungen zur Wappnung und Warnung in der heutigen Zeit. Aktuelle Neuerscheinungen und einige Bücher, die zwar nicht ganz druckfrisch sind, aber zum Verständnis beitragen können, in welcher Lage sich unsere Demokratie und unser Rechtsstaat befinden.

Heute beginnt die Frankfurter Buchmesse. hpd-Autor Helmut Ortner gibt aus diesem Anlass zehn Buchempfehlungen zur Wappnung und Warnung in der heutigen Zeit. Aktuelle Neuerscheinungen und einige Bücher, die zwar nicht ganz druckfrisch sind, aber zum Verständnis beitragen können, in welcher Lage sich

Image description: Portrait of Elizabeth Case smiling. Text reads: "GeoTalk Meet glacial hauntologist, Elizabeth Case (you read that right, a glacial hauntologist!) Read Now."

"👻Long-melted #glaciers 🧊 haunt us, as terraformers that shaped the land👻".

👋Meet Elizabeth Case, a glacial hauntologist. In this #GeoTalk, you will learn about her journey and her science-art projects.

🧵Read more: https://bit.ly/4onOInX

Introduction to EBSCOhost Research Databases at University of Galway

Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Time: 11:00 - 12:30
Online Event - Registration required

More information and Register
on this link: universityofgalway.libcal.com/event/4416526

Thoroughly enjoyed the @galway-geol-ass.bsky.social #geology fieldtrip to Co. Offaly on Saturday led by Dr John Feehan, the expert on all things #Offaly and much more besides. This thread of 4 posts gives an idea of the interesting places that fully engaged everybody's attention

Join us on 14 Oct at the RIA for a Panel event to discuss the future of funding for fundamental scientific research in Ireland. The event includes a keynote by Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, former @erc.europa.eu president.

Tickets available: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/royalirishacademy/1861191

Still some places in this #GGA #geology fieldtrip to #eskers (& more besides) of Co. #Offaly; lots to experience, guided by John Feehan. Weather forecast good. Email: galwaygeology@gmail.com or myself for details. Fáilte roimh cách!

#Salthill prom: high tide & sun going down on #GalwayBay this evening. I'm told by year-round swimmer, sea temperature 12C; 14C earlier in week. Mackerel appear to be rather scarce but the fishermen still try their luck @wildatlanticway.bsky.social

October 6 was declared International #GeodiversityDay by the UNESCO in 2021. On this day we celebrate the abiotic beauty and diversity of Earth - including rocks, soils, landscapes, rivers, lakes, minerals & fossils ⛰️🪨🐚💎

This recalls the fine fieldtrip at around this time of year 2022 that included a magical walk during which we explored the Knockbarron #esker, nr Kinnitty, Co Offaly led by Dr John Feehan. Looking forward greatly to another magical day on Saturday

Greatly looking forward to this lecture by Prof Rónagh Cox on this highly topical subject - given the increased frequency of severe storms on the NW Atlantic coasts and especially western Ireland

Photos from recent travels to mark #InternationalGeodiversityDay. Dalradian metamorphic rocks with quartz veins #Connemara National Park, W Ireland; sandstone, slate etc, medieval tower house, St Marys & All Saints church, Conwy, Wales; dykes & Watt, Langwarder Groden, west of Bremerhaven, Germany

Apologies for the typo, Manchán. I'm hoping you will forgive me - from that other world which I'm sure you are already busy investigating and documenting; and no doubt having interesting discussions with Jane Goodall. You are certainly sorely missed on this planet & especially in Ireland 🙂

Start of a walk of the Prom, Salthill, Galway at about 6 pm, Friday 3 October as storm Amy was subsiding and tide going out. Road still closed to traffice. Only President poster was that showing the local (and independent) candidate, Catherine Connolly

End of walk of the Prom after 6 pm, Friday 3 October. Storm Amy had passed, and sun appeared and with it rainbows arching the city of Galway

Storm #Amy was at max in #Galway at about 3 pm yesterday. Photos from about 6 pm on #Salthill Prom as winds abated, skies cleared & sun appeared to give fine rainbows; and @catherinegalway.bsky.social still standing!

So sorry to learn that Machán Magan has died. You certainly showed us the relevance of the past for the present; cf. your bestseller 'Thirty-Two Words for Field. Lost Words of the Irish Landscape'. 'Ireland in Iceland' another intriguing title. #Machán your enterprising & free spirit will be missed!

We stood and pondered on the stones,whose plan displays their pattern still; the small blunt arc, and, sill by sill, the pockets stripped of shards and bones.
The legend has it, Ossian lies
beneath this landmark on the hill

Excerpt from Ossian’s Grave, John Hewitt (1962)

#nationalpoetryday

screengrab from BBC interview with Terry Wogan

#JaneGoodall, 3 Apr 1934 – 1 Oct 2025. A life well lived. An icon for the ages and particularly for the times we live in.
Photo is a screengrab from a fine #BBC interview with Terry Wogan
bbc.com/news/article...

Thanks Caroline. Yes, his maps are great. UoG digital archives @uniofgalwaylib.bsky.social I'm pretty sure I've seen scans of his maps there. I have scans; send an email & I'll forward. M.

Wonderful tribute to Tim Robinson, cartographer, writer, recorder of landscapes of #AranIslands #Burren & #Connemara in #NationalConcertHall, Dublin. Afterwards met 2 of contributors, #poet Moya Cannon & scholar & sean-nós singer Lillis Ó Laoire. Tim & Mairéad you have contributed so much to us

#Langwarder #Groden - Natur des Jahres 2024 - final stop in palaeo Tuexen excursion today in Lower Saxony. Impressive dikes grazed by folks of sheep, bare mud, species-rich saltmarsh, a haven for bird life & all within sight of the busy Bremerhaven container port

Nearby in #UniversityofReading Archives of #JamesJoyce & #SamuelBeckett. Later in year there will be an exhibition of the #Joyce material

Tapestry exhibited at Festival of Britain 1951 by Michael O’Connell (English artist with Irish ancestry)

Part of large collection of ploughs in Museum of Rural English Life, Reading

#Museum of English #Rural Life in #UniversityofReadind a real gem.

9 Sept 1674: d. Murrough O'Brien 1st Earl of Inchiquin #otd

(Manchester Gallery of Art/ British Museum)

For ferry passengers on #DublinPort #Holyhead
route, the tall sailing #ship from #Peru in #Dublin Port a delight to see