⚠️ Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, the woman who headed the UN commission that concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Aidan O'Sullivan
@aidanosullivan.bsky.social
Head of School/Prof at UCD Archaeology; Early Medieval archaeologist; Director @experimentarchaeol.bsky.social Member Royal Irish Academy; Fellow Society of Antiquaries; Dad of boys; Dog Dad; Hurling/Camogie; IC Member; Own Opinions here
It’s that time of the year again, when I carve a Hallowe’en turnip, in honour of this marvellous painted cast of an original turnip from Baile na Finne, Co. Donegal collected in 1910 and held in the National Museum of Ireland #Halloween #Ireland #Samhain (pronounced “sow-in” (to rhyme with the pig)
www.medievalists.net/2026/10/chri...
Chris Wickham, Leading Historian of Medieval Europe, Passes Away - Medievalists.net
Chris Wickham, one of the most influential historians of medieval Europe, has passed away. His research transformed how scholars understand the transition from the Roman Empire to the Middle Ages, whi...
medievalists.net
Dropped in to see him/her in @nmireland.bsky.social National Museum of Ireland Country Life Turlough Park, Co Mayo recently. The Irish Hallowe’en ur-turnip from Baile na Finne, Co Donegal, getting ready to carve one again for October 31st #Samhain
Prof Jessica Smyth discusses what prehistoric human bone assemblages recovered in Ireland, from Newgrange and here, Fourknocks, Co. Meath tell us about society #AncientWorld_UCD #TheStoriesThatShapeUs @nmireland.bsky.social , @ria.ie @nationalmons.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Ip...
Ancient World: Rethinking what passage tombs tell us about ancient society
YouTube video by UCD Research
youtube.com
It looks like I’ve reversed Type 2 diabetes, blood test results are back down just across the line into “pre-diabetes”... keeping going so … and it’s also nice to be digging out and wearing clothes from the back of the wardrobe, that I haven’t worn in 6 years
Aidan O'Sullivan@aidanosullivan.bsky.social · 4mo agoSo, diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in late April - a scary, lonely, and disappointing moment, but I’m going to reverse this Low carbs, high protein, zero sugar, zero alcohol, running, cycling, stationary bike (in my library!), lifting weights, Mounjaro jabs Getting fit, 14 pounds down so far
Over thirty years ago I walked through a square in Damascus, Syria through a huge crowd gathered to watch the public hanging of two drug dealers (we didn’t watch). In 1993, Assad’s Syria was a dictatorship, this couldn‘t happen in a democracy, could it? www.irishtimes.com/world/us/202...
US says firing-squad execution of Fort Hood gunman will be livestreamed
‘People need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things,’ says Hegseth
irishtimes.com
It looks like I’ve reversed Type 2 diabetes, blood test results are back down just across the line into “pre-diabetes”... keeping going so … and it’s also nice to be digging out and wearing clothes from the back of the wardrobe, that I haven’t worn in 6 years
Aidan O'Sullivan@aidanosullivan.bsky.social · 4mo agoSo, diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in late April - a scary, lonely, and disappointing moment, but I’m going to reverse this Low carbs, high protein, zero sugar, zero alcohol, running, cycling, stationary bike (in my library!), lifting weights, Mounjaro jabs Getting fit, 14 pounds down so far
So, that summer on the Iron Age road in the bog at Corlea was 40 years ago?
Aidan O'Sullivan@aidanosullivan.bsky.social · 11mo agoMemories of plunging my hand deep into the very cold peat to uncover Iron Age wooden planks last seen over 2,000 years ago. In 1986, I started work on my first archaeology dig at Corlea 1, dated to 148/147 BC. I didn’t know then it would be some of the most spectacular archaeology of my career.
“It’s Hallowe’en. The turnip-man’s lopped head Blazes at us through split bottle glass And fumes and swims up like a wrecker’s lantern. Death mask of harvest, l mocker at All Souls With scorching smells, red dog’s eyes in the night” Seamus Heaney
This was one my best, we’re carving Irish Halloween turnips today, in homage to the ur-turnip from 1943 from Ballyfin, Co Donegal, in National Museum of Ireland @nmireland.bsky.social #Halloween #Samhain #OicheShamhna
Right, time to go look for some decent Irish turnips and dig out my carving knives #Samhain
Aidan O'Sullivan@aidanosullivan.bsky.social · 12mo agoAn Irish ghost turnip - Halloween Jack-o-Lantern, everytime I make one they look different … 😳
How much money is the government giving the Greyhound industry again, while cutting RTE, our national broadcaster which is far more important to our country?
The Irish Times@irishtimes.com · 3d agoMinister signalled Government was set to ‘renege’ on RTÉ deal in budget talks
Back in Twitter when “My library photo has had 1.1 million views, 23,820 likes, & 1,000s etc. Strikingly, the 890 comments in different languages are all complimentary, often gently envious, and essentially, without exception, kind. The book-loving corner of Twitter, it seems, is a nice place. 🥰”
”Experimental Archaeology: Making, Understanding, Storytelling” 12th November 2026 at 15:30 in the Theatresaal at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Aidan O’Sullivan from University College Dublin for the HEAS Keynote“on“https://www.heas.at/events/heas-keynote-with-aidan-osullivan/
HEAS Keynote with Aidan O'Sullivan - HEAS
We are looking forward to welcoming Aidan O’Sullivan from University College Dublin for the HEAS Keynote on Experimental Archaeology: Making, Understanding, Storytelling which will take place online a...
heas.at
“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross” (author, unknown)
Patrick "Inverted Vibe Curve" Blanchfield@patblanchfield.bsky.social · 7d agonew wolfenstein looks like shit
Super stoked to have @smsindbaek.bsky.social back on the podcast. This time we talked about the series of cool books he's written about the #vikingage ring fortresses in Denmark. Check it out! vikingology.substack.com/p/denmarks-v...
Denmark’s Viking Age Ring Fortresses
Listen now | Our chat with archaeologist Søren Sindbæk about these enigmatic monuments
vikingology.substack.com
“In addition to physical assaults, they usually commit other violations… such as preventing access to agricultural land; destroying crops, olive trees, farming equipment; vandalizing homes, water/electricity infrastructure; stealing or killing livestock.“ www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analy...
Extremist Settler Terrorism and Violence in the West Bank: New Data Calls for a New Strategy
Acts of violence by extremist settlers have risen sharply in scale and severity, shifting from largely reactive incidents to a more proactive, strategic effort aimed at displacing Palestinian communit...
washingtoninstitute.org
Delighted to welcome a party of student counsellors from high schools in India, with UCD Global staff, to the Centre for Experimental Archaeology & Material Culture -chatting about the international student experience in University College Dublin @ucddublin.bsky.social
Researchers recreated a medieval remedy and pitted it against modern-day bacteria. Now they have a better idea of why it performed surprisingly well. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/medieval-remedy-antibiotic-resistance
A medieval remedy could offer ideas for beating antibiotic resistance
The 10th century treatment called Bald’s eyesalve attacks microbes in multiple ways. Molecule mixtures from it may inspire modern medicine.
sciencenews.org
UCD's Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture's (CEAMC) researchers bring the past to life through the practice of ancient technologies and crafts. It is one of the few dedicated, full-scale, on-campus facilities for experimental archaeological research. www.ucd.ie/research/inf...
Reconstructing the past
ucd.ie
“Archaeologists excavating near Naousa in northern Greece recently uncovered a roughly 2,400-year-old school complex, or gymnasium. The site which stood in the ancient Macedonian town of Mieza, may have been where Aristotle taught in the 4th century B.C.E.” 🚨 allthatsinteresting.com/greece-ancie...
Archaeologists In Greece Found An Ancient School Complete With Intact Benches Where Students Like Alexander The Great Listened To Lectures More Than 2,000 Years Ago
Archaeologists excavating near Naousa uncovered a 2,400-year-old school that's believed to be where Aristotle taught a young Alexander the Great.
allthatsinteresting.com
New discovery: Tableware found in 2,100-year-old shipwreck located off coats of Adrasan, Türkiye It's believed that the cargo contained luxury tableware produced in Rhosus, modern-day Arsuz, and was intended for markets such as Rome. www.dailysabah.com/life/history...
As debates about Irish unity referendum starts to emerge across communities, and after a successful and happy Belfast fleadh, are some people trying to (re)create divisions again by marching? www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
PSNI issues warning to Garvaghy Road protesters amid standoff over Orange Order march
Orange Order had been due to march down the Garvaghy Road in mainly nationalist area of Portadown
irishtimes.com
“But Bazunu is not responsible for any of this, because everything that happened across this day of infamy is a direct consequence of a serious lack of leadership from the Government, Uefa, and ultimately the FAI” www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...
Ireland v Israel: Day of infamy exposes serious lack of leadership in FAI
Gavin Bazunu has been left brutally isolated as any semblance of squad unity has been utterly sundered
irishtimes.com