I'm a book publisher based in Dalkey, Ireland. Apart from the 12th to the 15th of June every year when I cycle to Strabane in Norn Iron and back again.
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Amidst all the kerfuffle about ECHR and the Good Friday Agreement, here's a quick reminder that brexit accidentally gave Dublin an insight into how an all-Ireland economy might work. TL;DR: After 101+ years of disastrous rule & basket case economics in NI, the future actually looks bright. 👇
the english are hilarious. 2019: "we HAD to vote for pro brexit boris, coz corbyn, innit" 2024: "we HAD to vote for pro brexit labour coz #GTTO, innit" meanwhile the UK is falling apart at the seams and people are painting flags on pavements & shouting angrily at hotels.
"jam tomorrow" and "happy fish"!! Priceless!!! 🤣🤣😂🤣
lol. very well put! I hear the daily mail have locked the entire editorial team in a room and they won't be allowed out until they find a way to blame Meghan Markle for "the boats".
you're right. if it's not "the EU punishing us" it's something else to blame. 2019, "we HAD to vote for PRO BREXIT BORIS coz corbyn, innit?" 2024 "we HAD to voted for PRO BREXIT Labour coz Get the Tories Out, innit?"
the english are hilarious. 2019: "we HAD to vote for pro brexit boris, coz corbyn, innit" 2024: "we HAD to vote for pro brexit labour coz #GTTO, innit" meanwhile the UK is falling apart at the seams and people are painting flags on pavements & shouting angrily at hotels.
the english are now blaming a new thing called "brexitism" now for brexit 👇
An alternative take on "brexitism". 👇
....or the english simply have a thing about admitting they were wrong and heroic failures. Dunkirk, Charge of the Light brigade, Scott of the Antarctic, Brexit is just another in a long list of heroic failures. We don't need to invent a new word for it.
jesus wept. I wouldn't leave the chocolate buffet. where is that?
great thread on how the misreporting of ECHR in the UK media and by politicians is misleading voters towards another stupid brexit style vote. Fun Fact: An ECHR exit will not "Stop The Boats!"
This is such a brilliant & useful read. From Victoria Adelmant, Alice Donald and Başak Çalı highlightiing how the misreporting on the ECHR is so damaging. www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/defaul... h/t to Jonathan Jones for sharing. @sirjjkc.bsky.social
I agree with that and can't help wonder if the Regional Assemblies Bill in the noughties was a bigger sliding doors moment for the UK than brexit. It would have led to a more federal england but it was rejected in a referendum. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_No...
I'm old enough to remember how the british unionist party, the DUP, many of whom are young earth creationist, actually held the balance of power in the UK. Irish people still fondly refer to it as the "milk no sugar days" of brexit.
The nodding fascist actually held to account. Absolutely never happens in the UK where he is actively promoted & allowed to set the far right agenda, his rabid racism is normalised. He does not answer questions he doesn’t like, with no comeback. This will not be witnessed in the UK.
I still cannot believe we smoked on planes. how crazy was that?
jesus wept. farage was utterly crucified in 2 minutes. why don't english journalists do this?
And now for something completely different…. Johan Krouthén (Sverige, 1858-1932) Fiskare i båt/Fishermen in boat. 49,5 x 34 cm.
There is a good background explainer here by @jreland.bsky.social for @ukandeu.bsky.social on the story of border controls and why they need to be implemented it: ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/t...
Another Brexit Unicorn
#Storytelling #writingcommunity #amwritingfantasy #mysterywriter #writerscorner
© Andre Kohn. 'The Yellow Umbrella.' Oil on canvas, 51 × 88 cm.
#amwritinghorror #amwriting #writingcommunity #indieauthor #swoonyreads inventingrealityediting.com/2...
these guys are worth a follow too re: Ireland & NI. @fotoole.bsky.social (Irish journalist who has written some great books specifically on brexit & Ireland) And the CAJ guys.
he and his father were some piece of work. people forget that he and his party, the DUP, many of them young earth creationists, briefly held the balance of power in the UK after theresa mays disastrous snap election! In Ireland, we still refer to it as the "milk, no sugar days" of brexit. 🤣
this gentleman, in less than 60 seconds explains the NI british unionist brexit strategy - to break the GFA and reintroduce a hard border in Ireland. A great splainer and Niall is very mistaken - unionists knew exactly what they were doing. It just failed, spectacularly.
I was in Oslo the night John Hume got his peace prize. at the afterparty, one comment really stuck with me: "the genius of the EU strategy was to make the british think the GFA was their idea". To this day, Frost & Johnson had no idea Michel Barnier was so heavily involved in border issues in NI.
niall means well but he's very wrong about NI and british unionists, Renate. Far from blind, they knew exactly what they were doing with backing brexit - to bring back a hard border between UK & Ireland on the island of Ireland. they failed. Irish people still call it the "milk, no sugar" days.
#amwriting #writingcommunity #writingtips #vss365 #writingprompt inventingrealityediting.com/2...
Epstein Survivors Press Conference Sept 3rd, 10:30 a.m. ET Tune in to support them.
Look what arrived in the EUP office today! We're so excited to be holding these books in our hands! 😍 Meet the women who dared to defy the status quo in Women Who Dared: From the Infamous to the Forgotten. Haven't pre-ordered yet? There's still time! 👉 edin.ac/3DZZC1L @iashedinburgh.bsky.social
perhaps the suggestion is to take the tory party over and rebrand it the "brexit & boats" party.
@naoisedolan.bsky.social is on here folks.
interesting. for me Pillar 3 is about Cooperation in Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) and Pillar 1 is about communities and things like trade (EEA, SM, CU) Etc. I was also led to believe the EU wants to move away from bespoke EFTA/Swiss style deals. Are they the conversations you are having?
is that translation accurate? I heard he went onto say he invented the piano and nutella.
exactly. why vote tory if reform do "brexit" and "the boats" better?
spot on. Johnson sacked 21 (or more) tories who disagreed with his bonkers hard brexit plan. Badenoch is also screaming for an ECHR exit. With support from the tory benches. why vote tory when reform do "the boats" better?
#BookSky Your Amazon package has been delivered!
I don't follow. There were a lot of people supporting starmers red lines in the recent "reset" summit. Including Niall O Conghaile, Chris Grey, David Henig and many others. But they don't strike me as "tribal starmerists". And neither do B4B.
Niall was called out for singling out and bullying @pimlicat.bsky.social, cherry-picking two sentences from the whole podcast and punching down from a great height, Tamara. @sturdyalex.bsky.social tried to interject with some calm & reason. Now he and B4B are pro brexit and "tribal starmerists"!
this doesn't make any sense. I subscribe to the quiet riot podcast & follow b4b people. I get the impression the B4B guys are antii brexit - the opposite of Starmer and labour. Why are you and Niall trying to frame them in such a negative way?
#Humor 📚
make that four days.
Trump hasn't said anything monumentally stupid, racist or done anything impeachable in three days and we all assume he must be dead.
and wind turbines too?
"When you live to be over 70 it is sometimes tempting to think that you have seen it all and that nothing much will shock you. Then you hear something that stops you in your tracks, causing you to re-assess your definition of evil."
the drop shadow, all over the shop, is a bit of a giveaway too. from the early 90s I would wager.
What's the most amount of red flags you can fit in a paragraph?
I did pop into his timeline to ask if he wanted "freedom fries" with his "ticket masala" but I noticed he's very anti MAGA, which is good, in my book.
I did pop into his timeline to ask if he wanted "freedom fries" with his "ticket masala" but I noticed he's very anti MAGA, which is good, in my book.
what about "chicken ticket masala"?
It's not true. Ask anyone in pharma, finance, the sciences around the EU and they will say the same thing - brexit has been disastrous for so many sectors & projects. EURATOM is a great example. brexit impacted so many projects negatively, the british are not welcome back into it.
None of that is true. Brexit has been hugely damaging to all of those sectors you just listed in the EU. The truth is the EU was much stronger with the UK as a member. Punching down on brits as they are undergoing seismic political & constitutional turmoil is not a good look Marc.
well said. the conversation is beyond absurd now with those who claim to be pro EU people attacking pro EU podcasters.
no he didn't. he said it was possible to join the CU and the EEA. Like Northern Ireland has now for goods. An EU insider would never use the phrase "3rd pillar" for a trade related item. the *actual* 3rd pillar is about policing. nothing to do with trade.
that's funny. Niall blocked me for same when I suggested labour should drop their red lines for the brexit reset summit in May.
LOLs. nice try at deflection and projection in the same post. I interjected because I thought his bullying of Naomi Smith was not cool. Since you brought up obsessions, I do find it odd why he attacks pro EU / European brits. Are you able to explain that?
english, not british? Scottish newspaper reporting on the protests. 👇
it sounded like you supported his bullying of @pimlicat.bsky.social and I interjected to point out that I listened to the same podcast and agree with @sturdyalex.bsky.social - Niall was being completely offside with his singling out of Naomi and ranting on "something, something...exceptionalism".
Interesting. So the Pro EU group, B4B, is pro brexit now...and now I'm bullying Niall for flagging up Niall got called out for bullying @pimlicat.bsky.social. is that the general gist?
there is no 3rd pillar to EEA Philip and the EU wants the opposite...it is trying to move away from bespoke EFTA / Swiss style deals. As an aside, it's a confusing phrase for those familiar with the EU. The EUs 3rd pillar is about policing / judiciary. the 1st pillar is about trade and EEA.
Have a listen to Kenny and I going through the start of term gossip, as well as doing a deep dive on the Atlantic current change. 🎧👇
It was just another "something something...british exceptionalism" thread from Niall that cherry picked 2 sentences from @pimlicat.bsky.social I'm not going to repeat the discussion. I can see you were part of it. I listened to the same podcast and agree with Alex. It is a form of bullying.
Borrowed from Facebook
what a strange thread. Niall was called out by Alex for cherry picking 2 sentences from the entire podcast to single out @pimlicat.bsky.social and bully her. As a result, that Pro EU B4B group is "pro brexit" now - Is that right? Good job Niall didn't support Labours reset summit stance, eh?
Immigration has been in the news for what feels like forever. However, our hosts feel like there's a missing voice from these discussions, the voice of the immigrants and the people who help them. We talk to Charlotte Khan from Care4Calais about the this so called 'crisis'. shorturl.at/GQcjc
who knows? I doubt it. I just think he's not the brightest bulb in the box. His attack on brits who happen to be pro EU is a little odd and if I was on the receiving end of his bullying, I guess I might wonder too. I see he has another "something something....exceptionalism" thread on the go now.
for those unfamiliar. the EU has three famous pillars. the 3rd pillar is to do with policing & jucidiary....nothing to do with trade and use that phrase in that context is not only untrue, it's very confusing. The 1st pillar deals with trade, EEA, CU, SM etc.
I think Alex was being sarcastic about "make a thread". I happen to know Niall is not russian but he's also clearly not the brightest bulb in the box. Nialls' "3rd pillar for the EEA" doesn't exist and is also very confusing. Anyone familiar with the EU would know why.
I see Niall has taken, erm, exception now to @sturdyalex.bsky.social today. TL;DR: "something, something......lazy british exceptionalism" Not sure why he's attacking people who are clearly pro EU but there we go.
that's what I just said: "Niall claim of a 3rd pillar for the EEA is not true". Language is important - it avoids confusion - and what Niall is claiming is not only untrue, it's very confusing language because the EUs third pillar is about policing & judiciary. I have highlighted for you 👇
for those not familiar with the EU's three pillars. www.consilium.europa.eu/media/38778/...
for those not familiar with the 3 fingers scene.
that's what I just said: "Niall claim of a 3rd pillar for the EEA is not true". And it's actually very confusing language. Everyone familiar with the EU knows the 3rd pillar of the EU is actually about policing & judiciary, not about trade. I'm reminded of the three fingers scene.
niall means well but there's no "third pillar to the EEA" and it's actually very confusing language. It's also the opposite of the "EU preferred option" for the UK. The EU is moving away from bespoke EFTA/Swiss style deals. That's common knowledge outside Brussels.
the problem with the TCA is the UK has neither the money, staffing or infrastructure to actually implement it as agreed. Never mind build on it. that's why labour are desperate for a SPS deal.
Niall claim of a 3rd pillar for the EEA is not true Sean. It's also very confusing language because the existing 3rd pillar of the EU has nothing to do with trade. It's also Daniel Hannan's dream of access to SM without membership! The EU wants to move away from bespoke swiss style deals.
Niall means well but his claim that there is a 3rd pillar option is not true. It's also really confusing language. the current 3rd pillar of the EU has nothing to do with Trade. And it's the opposite of the EUs preferred option for UK - the EU is moving away from bespoke EFTA/Swiss style deals.
Farage’s scum
"a reluctant uk"? Are you unaware Scots (62%), NI (56%) and Gibraltar (97%) voted remain?
Niall means well but there is no such thing as a 3rd pillar to the EEA. It's also very confusing language. The EU already has a 3rd pillar but that is to do with policing, home affairs & judiciary, not trade. It also displays a deep misunderstanding of the SM - it's an ecosystem not a candy shop.
When was the last time 76% of voters agreed on anything?We need a youth mibikity scheme with the EU yesterday www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
I think Niall means well but I disagree with how he bullies people. He seems to have a blind spot for attacking british people who are actually pro EU/re-join and his commentary on EU matters suggests he's no "EU insider" either👇
that's not what you said. you said B4B are a "Tufton Street". A very r/w think tank. "Morgan McSweeney Place" is the new Tufton Street. B4B is a pro European/EU group. The polar opposites of tufton st & mcsweeney place and now pro brexit labour.
I don't agree with nialls bullying but he's not tied to russians. He's Irish living on the FR/DE border. He means well but seems to have a blind spot for attacking british people who are actually pro EU/re-join And his commentary on EU matters👇 suggests he's no "EU insider".
I subscribe to the podcast and don't get the same impression. My impression is Niall singled out @pimlicat.bsky.social, cherry picking a few sentences to frame a "something something exceptionalism" rant and subsequent pile on. Now you're calling B4B a "tufton street". Good lock with that claim.
you're aware tufton street is fully behind brexit, climate science denial, anti migration and other r/w notions? Some views are shared by McSweeney e.g. labours pro brexit stance. It's more than a stretch to be lumping B4B into the same "small boat" because "something something exceptionalism".
I think there is a small group of people on here, that cherry pick comments or sentences from others just to frame arguments & punch down. "Something, something..exceptionalist twats." It's a form of bullying and not an EU or European view widely shared.
I think there is a small group of people on here, claiming to be "pro EU" or "European" that cherry pick comments or sentences from others to frame an argument and punch down. "Something, something..exceptionalist twats." It's a form of bullying and not an EU or European view widely shared.
I think there is a small group of people on here, claiming to be "pro EU" or "European" that cherry pick comments or sentences from others to frame that argument & punch down Alex. "Something, something..exceptionalist twats." It's a form of bullying and not an EU or European view widely shared.
What a strange conversation. Mc Sweeney place is Labours tufton street. BFB os pro EU and Niall was more than happy to support labours red lines in the recent reset summit. but, something something..exceptionalism.
the opposite is true kathy. Scots (62%), NI (56%) and Gibraltar (97%) all portrayed Pro EU sentiment in 2016 and that has increased since. Ditto in england & Wales. They are fully aware of brexit realities. It would be more correct to say the UKgov, Reform & Tories are all pro brexit.
that's a really unfair assessment of the podcast & conversation Andy. I should add the way niall singles out Naomi @pimlicat.bsky.social and punch down on her like that is not cool. that's bullying. I subscribe to the quiet riot podcast and I think he's being very unfair.
jesus wept Éamann. Niall means well but he shares the same dream Daniel Hannan has - access to SM without membership! The EU is moving away from bespoke EFTA/Swiss style deals. There's no such thing as a "third pillar for EEA" and it's the opposite of a preferred EU option.
"brits"? jesus! the Scots (62%), NI (56%) and Gibraltar (97%) all portrayed a Pro European sentiment in 2016 and it's increased since. if Niall is trying to promote a "pro European" feeling he's going the completely wrong way about it by attacking & bullying "pro European" podcasters.
I doubt any "EU insider" would support the notion that the UK can get a "third pillar to EEA" or "more within red lines" - it's no different to Daniel Hannans' sunlit uplands dream of access without membership. Michel Barnier: "the SM is an ecosystem not a kids candy shop".
It would be very unusual for an "EU insider" to use a phrase like "third pillar" for the EEA because none exists...even in template form and the actual "EU Third pillar" being all about Judiciary / policing, not trade.
