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Una Mullally
835 posts
Una Mullally
@UnaMullally
Writer living in the real world. This account is now on Bluesky.
bsky.app/profile/unamul…
Joined February 2009
- I've had a lot of people from outside Ireland asking me about what's been going on in Dublin, and also about the growth of the far-right in Ireland. Here are some recent pieces I've written addressing this context.
- A smarter idea for Dublin would be to move offices from Georgian buildings - which all used to be housing - into purpose-built contemporary office blocks, and return Georgian streets and squares to housing. It would be more sustainable, and better in terms of urban planning.Minister indicates he would consider making planning exemptions to rules which would apply to repurposing office space as housing irishtimes.com/ireland/housin…
- Ireland should massively increase the number and size of national parks, ban open grazing, end fake sitka "forestry", and allow land to regenerate naturally. This means the state buying appropriate land at scale for rewilding, and protecting that land.
- I'm perplexed by Drew Harris' framing of what's been going on. In May, he said the far-right was not growing, which it was. You may not be able to anticipate a specific catalyst, but the issue is the underlying and unaddressed context, building for years, highlighted by many.Asked if Gardaí failed the country, Mr Harris said you could not have anticipated that this would have been the response to a violent crime. He said nobody could have anticipated the disorder when these awful events would have occurred | Read more: rte.ie/b/1418254
00:00 - Why wasn't the threat of the far-right-conspiracy-theorist nexus taken seriously and addressed in Ireland? Perhaps it's down to who was sounding the warnings, and the kinds of people who were already facing intimidation, harassment, abuse and violence.
- We've lost more than a person. Sinéad O'Connor's art, what she stood for, and how she stood for it, changed so much for so many people. I'm devastated by her loss, and holding on to her lessons.
- There will be lots said and written about the violence in the Irish capital tonight, but one thing that strikes me is this: there is not one single obvious, credible leader with the authority and necessary sense of connection to speak for or to Dublin city. This is a failure.
- Over 3,000 people, including mothers with babies and schoolchildren, queue in Dublin for Christmas food vouchers. This in a city that is apparently the "wealthiest" in Europe if you use the broken metric of GDP per capita.
- Wrote about the strangeness of an Irish media and political narrative framing "immigration" as an "issue", when the "issues" are an accommodation crisis underpinned by a housing crisis, unaddressed bigotry, racism and xenophobia, and an arson crimewave.
- A new (short) BBC radio piece on the Irish Dunnes Stores workers who went on strike against apartheid, leading to the first ban on the import of South African goods by a "western" government. Boycotts work.
- People are gathering in different places to remember Sinéad O'Connor. I'll start this thread to keep track of some of those. In Dublin today (Thurs) 5.30pm, gathering at the Wall of Fame in Temple Bar. Dublin, Friday, Sinéad Night at Penny Lane thanks to @PantiBlissJoin us tonight to pay tribute to a true Irish legend, Sinéad O'Connor. @anniemacmanus will be holding a gathering at the London Irish Centre in honour of Sinéad and her impact on the Irish community and beyond. Admission is free, sign up below. londonirishcentre.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/sh…
- 2017: Alan Esslemont of TG4 states his intention of helping produce an Oscar-winning Irish-language feature. 2023: An Cailín Ciúin, developed under TG4-BAI-SI's Cine4 initiative is nominated. Ambition, supporting development, trusting talent, making art with integrity, works.
- "On a matter like this there can be no equivocation, it must be condemned by all those who believe in humanitarian principles. Silence on this matter would reflect badly on any member of the European Union."Statement by President Higgins on attacks on aid convoys providing humanitarian relief to Gaza president.ie/en/media-libra…
