With so much going on in Belfast today - across both the Féile and Fleadh - great to have not alone a full house but an overflow room in St Mary’s

David McCann@dmcbfs.bsky.social · 2d ago

Great to chair the Let's Talk Politics panel at Féile an Phobail again this year with such a great crowd. We had a great panel:Chris Donnelly, @gavreilly.com & @saraita101.bsky.social going through the big topics in politics, border polls, the performance of the Executive & the Irish government.

POLL: Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks (July 31, MoE 2.8%) Fine Gael 20 Sinn Féin 20 (+1 in four weeks) Fianna Fáil 16 (-1) Social Democrats 10 (-2) Ind Ireland 7 Aontú 7 (+1) Labour 3 Greens 3 PBP-Solidarity 2 Inds/others 12 (+1)

Poll: Fianna Fáil’s support slumps to two-year low, while Sinn Féin and Fine Gael level on 20pc

Holly Cairns is the most popular party leader in the country, followed closely by Taoiseach Micheál Martin

independent.ie

As Presidency holders, Ireland will convene a meeting on Tuesday of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, chaired by Minister Jim O’Callaghan, to discuss developments in Ceuta. We remain in close contact with all EU member states and the institutions and are continuing to monitor the situation.

www.uefa.com/news-media/n...

Firstly, the paperback edition of last year's huge bestseller from @gavreilly.com - The Secret Life Leinster House, coming from Gill Books on 24|09|2026. A must read for anyone with even a slight interest in Irish politics. thebookshop.ie/gavan-reilly...

A couple of months on, an update: the current system allows TDs to lodge PQs simply by sending the text to an designated email address. After the recess they’ll have to use a gated online system to supply questions instead, making it more cumbersome to lodge multiple interrelated questions at once.

Oireachtas officials had to overhaul the system for TDs to ask questions to clamp down on AI use

There has been a sharp rise in the number of PQs submitted this Dáil term, with departments saying they are under pressure to keep up with them.

jrnl.ie

Gavan Reilly@gavreilly.com · 2mo ago

TDs are on course to table a record number of parliamentary questions this year – a vital tool of political accountability. But there’s a snag: the system isn’t designed to cope with that many, and officials tell me the volume is starting to choke them. This week’s column for @thejournal.ie:

The families of the ten people who died in the 2022 Creeslough explosion have been told a public inquiry into the blast may be held if existing processes like inquests and prosecutions do not offer the answers they want. Govt says it cannot jeopardise prosecutions with a parallel public inquiry.

The death has occurred of musician and Oscar winner Glen Hansard. He was 56. The Frames frontman has been named as the fatality from an early-morning motorcycle accident at the Strawberry Beds in West Dublin. @virginmedianews.bsky.social

Germany's chancellor Friedrich Merz tells @virginmedianews.bsky.social he has concerns around Israel's continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank, but has assured that country Germany will not support any sanctions against it at EU level. (1/2)

NI POLL: Belfast Telegraph/Lucid Talk (July 17-19, MoE 2.3%) Sinn Féin 22 (-2 since April) UUP 16 (+3) DUP 15 (-3) SDLP 13 (+2) TUV 12 (+1) Alliance 10 (-1) Greens 5 Aontú 3 PBP 2 Inds/others 2

DUP drops to five-year low in wake of Donaldson scandal as SF support also on slide

In latest LucidTalk poll results, UUP rises to most popular unionist party while SDLP hits new high under Claire Hanna

belfasttelegraph.co.uk

“The famine is over! The curse be damned!! Hit the nuclear button! Mayo have won the All-Ireland!!” An all-time great sports commentary moment from Stephen Grealis and Martin McHugh on Mayo’s Midwest Radio. #gaa

oh the white and white of Mayo

British followers! BBC Two, right now. The aristocrats of Gaelic football, Kerry seeking their 40th title, versus the eternal nearly men of Mayo who are 0-for-14 since their last win 75 years ago (when, like today, they wore white). Ireland’s most compelling sporting storyline. Get on it.

A current affairs columnist can attest: nothing focusses the mind like a deadline. But the recess is a good chance to take stock - and dwell on some of the Oireachtas’ bad habits. This week’s column 👇🏻

The Journal@thejournal.ie · 2w ago

Gavan Reilly: The scramble to clear the decks in the Dáil and pass numerous bills raises fresh questions about how the legislature actually works... jrnl.ie/7111094

A current affairs columnist can attest: nothing focusses the mind like a deadline. But the recess is a good chance to take stock - and dwell on some of the Oireachtas’ bad habits. This week’s column 👇🏻

The Journal@thejournal.ie · 2w ago

Gavan Reilly: The scramble to clear the decks in the Dáil and pass numerous bills raises fresh questions about how the legislature actually works... jrnl.ie/7111094

New announcement on tariffs from the White House appears to recreate the existing regime struck down by the Supreme Court, and on its face appears to be more favourable to the EU than the previous - imposing a 10% rate on most products in place of the 15% rate agreed with Ursula Von Der Leyen in ‘25

I understand Ray McAdam - byelection candidate in Dublin Central, and former Lord Mayor of Dublin - is to be the coalition’s candidate for the Seanad by-election to fill the seat of Sean Kyne. He is virtually guaranteed election as only Oireachtas members have a vote, of which Govt controls majority

"Absolutely it's the case that there will be fewer new measures than in recent years" - Jack Chambers on how a lot of next year's €7bn in 'new' spending is already accounted for

Expect to hear a lot today about a budget day package of €8.5 billion - €1.5bn in new tax measures and €7bn in spending - but it’s important to distinguish between ‘total spending’ and *what’s available for new measures*. Demographics and inflation already account for two-thirds of the €7bn

Chagos with Ed Milliband! [Am I doing this right?]

Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 2w ago

Ed Miliband is foreign sec

Low bar and a superficial edifice, but you so rarely see politicians in the Anglophone world speaking at length, with tangible clarity, and no notes, about the agenda they’re going to pursue. Burnham immediately putting clear blue water between him and his predecessor about clarity of purpose

Question for @cathhaddon.bsky.social or others in the internal know: when all ministerial appointments are technically made by the Crown, how in/formal is the technical process of doing so? Does some footman stick his head in the door and go, “Mahmoud for Chancellor?”, and Charles goes “Very well”?

I congratulate Andy Burnham on becoming UK Prime Minister today. I look forward to working with him to further strengthen the partnership and friendship between our two countries.

Kevin Schofield@kevinschofied.bsky.social · 2w ago

'My Work Is Done': Keir Starmer Quits As Prime Minister After Just 2 Years www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/my-wor...

Farewell, Jane from number 43. We hardly knew ye, nor your inexplicable legions of fellow visitors.

Limerick’s win today gives them an Elo rating of 2447, the highest attained by any team since the system started in 2009. #gaa

British followers: BBC Two right now; thank me later

“Bronze final”