Cath
@cathdibella.bsky.social
Irish. Live by the seashore. ❤️ books, libraries & bookshops
Pinned
Reposted by Cath
Grok turns off image generator for most users after outcry over sexualised AI imagery
Grok turns off image generator for most users after outcry over sexualised AI imagery
X to limit editing function to paying subscribers after platform threatened with fines and regulatory action
Grok, Elon Musk’s AI tool, has switched off its image creation function for the vast majority of users after widespread outcry over its use to create sexually explicit and violent imagery.
It comes after Musk was threatened with fines, regulatory action and reports of a possible ban on X in the UK. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
January 9, 2026 at 7:51 AM
Grok turns off image generator for most users after outcry over sexualised AI imagery
Reposted by Cath
Section 5(1)(f) of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 (as amended) makes it a criminal offence to knowingly facilitate the production or distribution of sexualised images of children. The problem here isn't the law - it's the political willingnesss to enforce it against X.
My word. (Again.)
Media Minister Patrick O'Donovan: "At the end of the day, it's the choice of a person to make these images... technology is moving so fast... even if the law is changed there's no doubt about... the advances are far faster than law is able to respond..."
Media Minister Patrick O'Donovan: "At the end of the day, it's the choice of a person to make these images... technology is moving so fast... even if the law is changed there's no doubt about... the advances are far faster than law is able to respond..."
January 8, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Section 5(1)(f) of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 (as amended) makes it a criminal offence to knowingly facilitate the production or distribution of sexualised images of children. The problem here isn't the law - it's the political willingnesss to enforce it against X.
Reposted by Cath
Happy New Year 🎊
It's time to register for the new Seanad Éireann Higher education constituency.
Register by 26 February at seanadvoter.ie 🗳️
Got any questions? Check out our FAQ here: seanadvoter.ie/FAQEN.shtml
It's time to register for the new Seanad Éireann Higher education constituency.
Register by 26 February at seanadvoter.ie 🗳️
Got any questions? Check out our FAQ here: seanadvoter.ie/FAQEN.shtml
January 8, 2026 at 10:53 AM
Happy New Year 🎊
It's time to register for the new Seanad Éireann Higher education constituency.
Register by 26 February at seanadvoter.ie 🗳️
Got any questions? Check out our FAQ here: seanadvoter.ie/FAQEN.shtml
It's time to register for the new Seanad Éireann Higher education constituency.
Register by 26 February at seanadvoter.ie 🗳️
Got any questions? Check out our FAQ here: seanadvoter.ie/FAQEN.shtml
Reposted by Cath
[Éibhear here: I wrote this today to my TDs. I don't like to use this account for these sorts of things, but I'm re-posting here because I base much of my point on how I manage @theauldsthretch]
My e-mail to my TDs, subject line "Continued use of a dangerous service":
![So, Twitter has moved on from "nothing good would come from [it]" to allowing paying users to generate non-consensual sexualised imagery of women and children. And yet, your respective parties continue to use it. I don't know if you guys use it, as I don't darken its door, but I hope you don't. This feature of Twitter is not something that is being abused, as an Taoiseach suggested. This feature is designed to be used in exactly this way. Your parties' continued use of twitter cannot be construed as anything less than acceptance of this feature. Some might even construe it as an endorsement. I would like not to think that, but the statements I have read from both an Taoiseach and an Tánaiste leave me wondering.
My message to you and your parties is simple: stop using Twitter altogether. I can imagine that there are some legal challenges in the approach of investigating and prosecuting twitter for this heinous service such that a resolution will be months or years away. That's fine: I support the notion of "due process" without any quibble. But your parties' use of Twitter is not a legal matter. There is no legal reason to continue using it.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:23mysztmt7dh3l5lzhinzafi/bafkreigkmqtdmjj7mkxqwdwv3tejtpwa6kpngrslti4f3hdo4aar37nkhm@jpeg)
![If political parties, news organisations and other commercial operations stopped using Twitter altogether, it would collapse down to something like Gab or Truth Social, and I would guess (nay, hope!) you guys have no problem staying away from those services.
Finally, if you're tempted to reply to me with some lines asserting that twitter is socially important, or that it's necessary to remain there for the sake of the followers, I request you not to do so. It would be a waste of my time and yours, as I don't accept either premise.
Is mise,
Éibhear Ó hAnluain, a Dublin Bay North constituent,
[my home address, excluded because I am not a complete dope]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:23mysztmt7dh3l5lzhinzafi/bafkreiflmqttaponn2guam44f6fy6rqszvnasdm6u2xjtesam4iqg2m45i@jpeg)
January 8, 2026 at 12:30 PM
[Éibhear here: I wrote this today to my TDs. I don't like to use this account for these sorts of things, but I'm re-posting here because I base much of my point on how I manage @theauldsthretch]
Reposted by Cath
Grok has risen to no1 overall in the Irish App Store chart.
Apple gives it a 13+ rating, meaning it’s ‘safe’ for young teens
Apple gives it a 13+ rating, meaning it’s ‘safe’ for young teens
January 8, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Grok has risen to no1 overall in the Irish App Store chart.
Apple gives it a 13+ rating, meaning it’s ‘safe’ for young teens
Apple gives it a 13+ rating, meaning it’s ‘safe’ for young teens
Reposted by Cath
1/2 In light of the violations by Grok the X AI chatbot let's look at the gap in Irish law.
There's an apparent and dangerous gap in the law. Under Coco's law that got enacted in 2020 the sharing of deepfake and harmful content is illegal so is the using of such material for harrassment. However
There's an apparent and dangerous gap in the law. Under Coco's law that got enacted in 2020 the sharing of deepfake and harmful content is illegal so is the using of such material for harrassment. However
January 7, 2026 at 11:03 PM
1/2 In light of the violations by Grok the X AI chatbot let's look at the gap in Irish law.
There's an apparent and dangerous gap in the law. Under Coco's law that got enacted in 2020 the sharing of deepfake and harmful content is illegal so is the using of such material for harrassment. However
There's an apparent and dangerous gap in the law. Under Coco's law that got enacted in 2020 the sharing of deepfake and harmful content is illegal so is the using of such material for harrassment. However
Reposted by Cath
Guido Nasi, the Italian man who was paralysed as a teenager after an unprovoked attack in Dublin, has died aged 43
Italian student paralysed after 1999 Dublin attack dies
Guido Nasi, the Italian man who was paralysed as a teenager after an unprovoked attack in Dublin, has died aged 43.
www.rte.ie
January 7, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Guido Nasi, the Italian man who was paralysed as a teenager after an unprovoked attack in Dublin, has died aged 43
Reposted by Cath
We're SO excited to have Maggie O'Farrell (!!!!) on the pod this week to chat about Hamnet! This is a special short bonus episode with just the interview. Thanks for resharing @imbibecoffee.bsky.social :) podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/b...
January 7, 2026 at 5:28 PM
We're SO excited to have Maggie O'Farrell (!!!!) on the pod this week to chat about Hamnet! This is a special short bonus episode with just the interview. Thanks for resharing @imbibecoffee.bsky.social :) podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/b...
Reposted by Cath
For Epiphany, this glorious 1966 illustration of the Three Kings by the great Eyvind Earle (1916 - 2000), best remembered for his enormous contribution to Disney Animation's visual style during the 1950s, particularly Sleeping Beauty (1959).
January 6, 2026 at 6:45 PM
For Epiphany, this glorious 1966 illustration of the Three Kings by the great Eyvind Earle (1916 - 2000), best remembered for his enormous contribution to Disney Animation's visual style during the 1950s, particularly Sleeping Beauty (1959).
@theapplefarmer.bsky.social Received two boxes of your apples as a gift over Christmas! They are fab and we have the added bonus of a gorgeous apple-y smell in our kitchen! Am not worrying about storing them as they are disappearing fast
January 5, 2026 at 8:47 PM
@theapplefarmer.bsky.social Received two boxes of your apples as a gift over Christmas! They are fab and we have the added bonus of a gorgeous apple-y smell in our kitchen! Am not worrying about storing them as they are disappearing fast
Reposted by Cath
What I miss on social media is knowledge.
We see things that evoke emotions,
but rarely those that awaken our minds.
I do and will keep doing unpopular things.
I’ll keep educating you about Ukraine.
Let’s use social media wisely.
Less hype, more knowledge.
We see things that evoke emotions,
but rarely those that awaken our minds.
I do and will keep doing unpopular things.
I’ll keep educating you about Ukraine.
Let’s use social media wisely.
Less hype, more knowledge.
January 5, 2026 at 5:52 PM
What I miss on social media is knowledge.
We see things that evoke emotions,
but rarely those that awaken our minds.
I do and will keep doing unpopular things.
I’ll keep educating you about Ukraine.
Let’s use social media wisely.
Less hype, more knowledge.
We see things that evoke emotions,
but rarely those that awaken our minds.
I do and will keep doing unpopular things.
I’ll keep educating you about Ukraine.
Let’s use social media wisely.
Less hype, more knowledge.
Reposted by Cath
Everything's scary and bad but today the Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin met President Xi Jinping in Beijing and they bonded over reading the same obscure revolutionary novel as teens.
Related: ours is the only diplomatic corps I know where solid recall of lots of poetry is required to do your job.
Related: ours is the only diplomatic corps I know where solid recall of lots of poetry is required to do your job.
Xi Jinping says Irish novel The Gadfly sustained him during traumatic teenage years
Chinese president and Micheál Martin discover shared interest in revolutionary novel by Ethel Voynich
www.irishtimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Everything's scary and bad but today the Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin met President Xi Jinping in Beijing and they bonded over reading the same obscure revolutionary novel as teens.
Related: ours is the only diplomatic corps I know where solid recall of lots of poetry is required to do your job.
Related: ours is the only diplomatic corps I know where solid recall of lots of poetry is required to do your job.
Reposted by Cath
Plenty in here about the pros and cons and whys and hows and whens and impacts of foreign powers removing dictators
Most Engaging Explainer for the State of World Politics: How Tyrants Fall by Marcel Dirsus
January 3, 2026 at 12:02 PM
Plenty in here about the pros and cons and whys and hows and whens and impacts of foreign powers removing dictators
Reposted by Cath
Donate to MSF UK (Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders) | MSF UK
msf.org.uk
December 30, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Reposted by Cath
Some local kids write & sell their own newspaper called The Morning Moustache every few months. Last edition, I wrote a letter to the editor about a fruit & veg safari. This edition, they printed the letter & followed up with some replies from the editorial team. An extremely fun correspondence.
December 27, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Some local kids write & sell their own newspaper called The Morning Moustache every few months. Last edition, I wrote a letter to the editor about a fruit & veg safari. This edition, they printed the letter & followed up with some replies from the editorial team. An extremely fun correspondence.
Reposted by Cath
Found a bookstore that stocks your novels
December 27, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Found a bookstore that stocks your novels
Reposted by Cath
December 26, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Reposted by Cath
Carol of the Bells in #
Kyiv subway.
Voices of the Embassies of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom came together to perform Shchedryk in the Kyiv metro as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine.
Thankful to everyone who stands with us!
Kyiv subway.
Voices of the Embassies of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom came together to perform Shchedryk in the Kyiv metro as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine.
Thankful to everyone who stands with us!
December 24, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Carol of the Bells in #
Kyiv subway.
Voices of the Embassies of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom came together to perform Shchedryk in the Kyiv metro as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine.
Thankful to everyone who stands with us!
Kyiv subway.
Voices of the Embassies of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom came together to perform Shchedryk in the Kyiv metro as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine.
Thankful to everyone who stands with us!
Reposted by Cath
We are closed today for Christmas Eve but we are wishing you a festive time🎄
Our Christmas Selection on IFI@Home is live and waiting for you! Included in that selection is Frank Capra's heartwarming Christmas classic IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
Watch now 📺 https://www.ifihome.ie/page/christmas/
Our Christmas Selection on IFI@Home is live and waiting for you! Included in that selection is Frank Capra's heartwarming Christmas classic IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
Watch now 📺 https://www.ifihome.ie/page/christmas/
December 24, 2025 at 1:00 PM
We are closed today for Christmas Eve but we are wishing you a festive time🎄
Our Christmas Selection on IFI@Home is live and waiting for you! Included in that selection is Frank Capra's heartwarming Christmas classic IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
Watch now 📺 https://www.ifihome.ie/page/christmas/
Our Christmas Selection on IFI@Home is live and waiting for you! Included in that selection is Frank Capra's heartwarming Christmas classic IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
Watch now 📺 https://www.ifihome.ie/page/christmas/
Reposted by Cath
Nuala Early, Bro [Newgrange Basin Stone], (sandstone), from the 2023 Sculpture in Context exhibition at the National Botanic Gardens.
And there was last-minute sunshine in the chamber at Newgrange, Co. Meath for the winter solstice this morning!
#newgrangesolstice
#speirgorm
And there was last-minute sunshine in the chamber at Newgrange, Co. Meath for the winter solstice this morning!
#newgrangesolstice
#speirgorm
December 21, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Nuala Early, Bro [Newgrange Basin Stone], (sandstone), from the 2023 Sculpture in Context exhibition at the National Botanic Gardens.
And there was last-minute sunshine in the chamber at Newgrange, Co. Meath for the winter solstice this morning!
#newgrangesolstice
#speirgorm
And there was last-minute sunshine in the chamber at Newgrange, Co. Meath for the winter solstice this morning!
#newgrangesolstice
#speirgorm
Reposted by Cath
The Gaza Strip is less than one tenth the size of County Tipperary. There are about 2 million people crammed in there. Blockaded. With little food, shelter or medicine. Imagine a narrow strip of land from Thurles to Clonmel. That is the size of Gaza.
December 20, 2025 at 5:35 PM
The Gaza Strip is less than one tenth the size of County Tipperary. There are about 2 million people crammed in there. Blockaded. With little food, shelter or medicine. Imagine a narrow strip of land from Thurles to Clonmel. That is the size of Gaza.
Reposted by Cath
Can't figure out if the slump in Christmas sales this year is a result of not using Twitter on principle, the general economic climate, or fact I accidentally revealed that I've stuffed a small amount of poison into one in every three orders to reap victims for the Old Gods
December 17, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Can't figure out if the slump in Christmas sales this year is a result of not using Twitter on principle, the general economic climate, or fact I accidentally revealed that I've stuffed a small amount of poison into one in every three orders to reap victims for the Old Gods
Reposted by Cath
🪧Current new build 2-bed apartment sales price in Europe
Dublin €600,000
Belfast £189,950 (€216,000)
🇬🇧Manchester £299,995 (€341,000)
🇫🇷Le Mans <hour from Paris
from €159,100
🇩🇪Essen <hour from Düsseldorf
Large 1-bed €265,500
🇵🇹Porto Large 1-bed €240,000
🇮🇹Turin Large 1-bed €190,000
links below
Dublin €600,000
Belfast £189,950 (€216,000)
🇬🇧Manchester £299,995 (€341,000)
🇫🇷Le Mans <hour from Paris
from €159,100
🇩🇪Essen <hour from Düsseldorf
Large 1-bed €265,500
🇵🇹Porto Large 1-bed €240,000
🇮🇹Turin Large 1-bed €190,000
links below
December 10, 2025 at 9:28 AM
🪧Current new build 2-bed apartment sales price in Europe
Dublin €600,000
Belfast £189,950 (€216,000)
🇬🇧Manchester £299,995 (€341,000)
🇫🇷Le Mans <hour from Paris
from €159,100
🇩🇪Essen <hour from Düsseldorf
Large 1-bed €265,500
🇵🇹Porto Large 1-bed €240,000
🇮🇹Turin Large 1-bed €190,000
links below
Dublin €600,000
Belfast £189,950 (€216,000)
🇬🇧Manchester £299,995 (€341,000)
🇫🇷Le Mans <hour from Paris
from €159,100
🇩🇪Essen <hour from Düsseldorf
Large 1-bed €265,500
🇵🇹Porto Large 1-bed €240,000
🇮🇹Turin Large 1-bed €190,000
links below
Reposted by Cath
One of the biggest drivers of high housing costs is that a small, highly motivated group of incumbent homeowners block new housing in their neighborhoods and almost no one is organized to push back.
Young people bear the brunt of that imbalance.
Be a housing fan.
Young people bear the brunt of that imbalance.
Be a housing fan.
December 6, 2025 at 4:22 PM
One of the biggest drivers of high housing costs is that a small, highly motivated group of incumbent homeowners block new housing in their neighborhoods and almost no one is organized to push back.
Young people bear the brunt of that imbalance.
Be a housing fan.
Young people bear the brunt of that imbalance.
Be a housing fan.
Reposted by Cath
Abbey Theatre announces centenary Plough and the Stars production for 2026
Abbey Theatre announces centenary Plough and the Stars production for 2026
New plays by Marina Carr, Frank McGuinness and Una McKevitt to also feature in forthcoming season
www.irishtimes.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Abbey Theatre announces centenary Plough and the Stars production for 2026