Cathy
@cathyby.bsky.social
"We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Benjamin Franklin
Header description with alt-text: https://bsky.app/profile/cathyby.bsky.social/post/3mdqweljkbc25
#SpéirGorm 🇮🇪 🇪🇺
Header description with alt-text: https://bsky.app/profile/cathyby.bsky.social/post/3mdqweljkbc25
#SpéirGorm 🇮🇪 🇪🇺
Reposted by Cathy
"I *am* somebody..." remains one of the all-time great pieces of 20th century rhetoric / agitprop
And he could deliver it at a Black separatist meeting, the Democratic National Convention, or on god-blessed Sesame Street (see below)
RIP to the Voice of the Voiceless
And he could deliver it at a Black separatist meeting, the Democratic National Convention, or on god-blessed Sesame Street (see below)
RIP to the Voice of the Voiceless
February 17, 2026 at 10:17 AM
"I *am* somebody..." remains one of the all-time great pieces of 20th century rhetoric / agitprop
And he could deliver it at a Black separatist meeting, the Democratic National Convention, or on god-blessed Sesame Street (see below)
RIP to the Voice of the Voiceless
And he could deliver it at a Black separatist meeting, the Democratic National Convention, or on god-blessed Sesame Street (see below)
RIP to the Voice of the Voiceless
Reposted by Cathy
BREAKING NEWS: The Rev. Jesse Jackson was a lifelong civil rights advocate until his death Tuesday at the age of 84.
Longtime civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson dies at 84
The Rev. Jesse Jackson was a lifelong civil rights advocate until his death Tuesday at the age of 84.
n.pr
February 17, 2026 at 10:40 AM
BREAKING NEWS: The Rev. Jesse Jackson was a lifelong civil rights advocate until his death Tuesday at the age of 84.
Reposted by Cathy
My new book on fairies (out next month) deals with homunculi as a kind of fairy - or, at least, as fairy-adjacent beings. I'm just a bit worried that the popularity of 'Small Prophets' could lead to a spate of people trying to make them, without the proper skills or preparation
February 17, 2026 at 8:56 AM
My new book on fairies (out next month) deals with homunculi as a kind of fairy - or, at least, as fairy-adjacent beings. I'm just a bit worried that the popularity of 'Small Prophets' could lead to a spate of people trying to make them, without the proper skills or preparation
Reposted by Cathy
It’s the year of the Horse and to celebrate I will be horsing those pancakes into me.
February 17, 2026 at 10:32 AM
It’s the year of the Horse and to celebrate I will be horsing those pancakes into me.
Reposted by Cathy
All hail DC, the king of puns.
February 17, 2026 at 10:01 AM
All hail DC, the king of puns.
"In fact, there are 23 presidents who can claim Irish heritage here in the United States all the way back to Andrew Jackson and going right up to the present, to president Joe Biden," said Professor Darragh Gannon, assistant director of Irish Studies at Georgetown University.
#AmRev250
#AmRev250
The contribution of Ireland to the United States in this, the 250th anniversary year of the US Declaration of Independence, was marked by wreath laying ceremonies in Washington, DC, at the grave of John F Kennedy
Irish contribution to US presidency celebrated
The contribution of Ireland to the United States in this, the 250th anniversary year of the US Declaration of Independence, was marked by wreath laying ceremonies in Washington, DC, at the grave of Jo...
www.rte.ie
February 17, 2026 at 9:54 AM
"In fact, there are 23 presidents who can claim Irish heritage here in the United States all the way back to Andrew Jackson and going right up to the present, to president Joe Biden," said Professor Darragh Gannon, assistant director of Irish Studies at Georgetown University.
#AmRev250
#AmRev250
Located beside their windfarm in Offaly, it can provide 10,000 homes with renewable electricity for a full four-hour period after the wind has stopped blowing.
Statkraft, the largest producer of renewable energy in Europe, has launched Ireland's first ever four-hour grid-scale Battery Electric Storage System beside its windfarm at Cushaling in Co Offaly
Ireland's first four-hour battery storage system launched
Statkraft, the largest producer of renewable energy in Europe, has launched Ireland's first ever four-hour grid-scale Battery Electric Storage System beside its windfarm at Cushaling in Co Offaly.
www.rte.ie
February 17, 2026 at 9:52 AM
Located beside their windfarm in Offaly, it can provide 10,000 homes with renewable electricity for a full four-hour period after the wind has stopped blowing.
Reposted by Cathy
'Here in Ireland, in Europe and further afield, we are witnessing a deregulatory agenda cloaked in the language of simplification. Across the world, right-wing political forces are working to dismantle decades of environmental and social progress.'
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
Rolling back environmental regulation is the ultimate act of self-harm
Across the world, right-wing political forces are working to dismantle decades of environmental and social progress, writes Ciaran Brennan
www.irishexaminer.com
February 17, 2026 at 9:31 AM
'Here in Ireland, in Europe and further afield, we are witnessing a deregulatory agenda cloaked in the language of simplification. Across the world, right-wing political forces are working to dismantle decades of environmental and social progress.'
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
Reposted by Cathy
Quite a sunrise today.
Ps no filter. This is 7am
Ps no filter. This is 7am
February 17, 2026 at 9:36 AM
Quite a sunrise today.
Ps no filter. This is 7am
Ps no filter. This is 7am
In Ireland, a day for slagging off the unmarried, back in the day, with everyone's favourite Star War location playing a central role.
#SpéirGorm #ShroveTuesday #PancakeTuesday
#SpéirGorm #ShroveTuesday #PancakeTuesday
Guess what's back, back again! Shrove Tuesday! @rtebrainstorm.bsky.social
www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
Why Shrove Tuesday used to be a very bad day for single people
Single-shaming customs were especially prevalent in Munster with the 'Skellig Lists' mocking, teasing and insulting unmarried people
www.rte.ie
February 17, 2026 at 9:40 AM
In Ireland, a day for slagging off the unmarried, back in the day, with everyone's favourite Star War location playing a central role.
#SpéirGorm #ShroveTuesday #PancakeTuesday
#SpéirGorm #ShroveTuesday #PancakeTuesday
Reposted by Cathy
Even with all the brilliant specialists & experts in the country & in Europe, councils across the country busy planning to build on flood plains 🌊🤦🏾♀️
#spéirghorm #IrishPol #ClimateChange
#spéirghorm #IrishPol #ClimateChange
February 17, 2026 at 9:11 AM
Even with all the brilliant specialists & experts in the country & in Europe, councils across the country busy planning to build on flood plains 🌊🤦🏾♀️
#spéirghorm #IrishPol #ClimateChange
#spéirghorm #IrishPol #ClimateChange
Pints, prayers and horse racing on the beach: Martin Parr in rural Ireland – in pictures
Pints, prayers and horse racing on the beach: Martin Parr in rural Ireland – in pictures
The iconic photographer believed his two years shooting horse fairs, pubs and dance halls in the 1980s had been overlooked. A new exhibition aims to put that right
www.theguardian.com
February 17, 2026 at 9:20 AM
Reposted by Cathy
Shrove Tuesday
We have crossed the gap between Christmas and Easter.
in a way, the gap between midwinter and spring.
Candlemas, 2 February, is 40 days after Christmas.
Shrove Tuesday, 40 days before Palm Sunday and the start of Easter.
We have crossed the gap between Christmas and Easter.
in a way, the gap between midwinter and spring.
Candlemas, 2 February, is 40 days after Christmas.
Shrove Tuesday, 40 days before Palm Sunday and the start of Easter.
February 17, 2026 at 8:19 AM
Shrove Tuesday
We have crossed the gap between Christmas and Easter.
in a way, the gap between midwinter and spring.
Candlemas, 2 February, is 40 days after Christmas.
Shrove Tuesday, 40 days before Palm Sunday and the start of Easter.
We have crossed the gap between Christmas and Easter.
in a way, the gap between midwinter and spring.
Candlemas, 2 February, is 40 days after Christmas.
Shrove Tuesday, 40 days before Palm Sunday and the start of Easter.
Reposted by Cathy
A beautiful morning at @stpatsmaynooth.bsky.social
February 17, 2026 at 7:45 AM
A beautiful morning at @stpatsmaynooth.bsky.social
Reposted by Cathy
Most Irish adults think:
— it’s okay for kids to have phones from the age of 12 (secondary school)
BUT
— they should not be on social media at that age
Still questions: is WhatsApp, usually parent-approved, social media? (EU now says it is!)
www.independent.ie/business/tec...
— it’s okay for kids to have phones from the age of 12 (secondary school)
BUT
— they should not be on social media at that age
Still questions: is WhatsApp, usually parent-approved, social media? (EU now says it is!)
www.independent.ie/business/tec...
Revealed: Most parents say children should have smartphones, but not social media
Irish parents believe their children should have smartphones but do not want them accessing social media platforms, a new survey claims.
www.independent.ie
February 17, 2026 at 7:33 AM
Most Irish adults think:
— it’s okay for kids to have phones from the age of 12 (secondary school)
BUT
— they should not be on social media at that age
Still questions: is WhatsApp, usually parent-approved, social media? (EU now says it is!)
www.independent.ie/business/tec...
— it’s okay for kids to have phones from the age of 12 (secondary school)
BUT
— they should not be on social media at that age
Still questions: is WhatsApp, usually parent-approved, social media? (EU now says it is!)
www.independent.ie/business/tec...
Reposted by Cathy
An age of insecurity reflected in so many stories today... sometimes tipping over into fear... starting with a story that I first heard last year, fears for other economies if a Trump administration tampered with payment systems... www.theguardian.com/business/202...
UK bank bosses plan to set up Visa and Mastercard alternative amid Trump fears
Exclusive: First meeting to be held over domestic payments system aimed at reducing reliance on US networks
www.theguardian.com
February 17, 2026 at 7:22 AM
An age of insecurity reflected in so many stories today... sometimes tipping over into fear... starting with a story that I first heard last year, fears for other economies if a Trump administration tampered with payment systems... www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Reposted by Cathy
My piece in The Guardian this morning: Europe’s path to technological independence from the U.S.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Europeans are dangerously reliant on US tech. Now is a good time to build our own | Johnny Ryan
By trusting the US, we handed Trump a kill switch. Yet Europe’s digital sovereignty is an achievable goal, says civil liberties campaigner, Johnny Ryan
www.theguardian.com
February 17, 2026 at 7:32 AM
My piece in The Guardian this morning: Europe’s path to technological independence from the U.S.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Cathy
The *real* global conspiracy, in a nutshell.
“The rich think they don't have to live in the same world as the rest of us, so they can let it burn and profit on the way down.”
@naomiaklein.bsky.social and @mehdirhasan.bsky.social break down the politics in Epstein’s emails, diving into his relationship with right-wing billionaire Peter Thiel.
@naomiaklein.bsky.social and @mehdirhasan.bsky.social break down the politics in Epstein’s emails, diving into his relationship with right-wing billionaire Peter Thiel.
February 17, 2026 at 8:42 AM
The *real* global conspiracy, in a nutshell.
Reposted by Cathy
Daybreak in Ballycastle, County Antrim with the silhouetted Fairhead on the Antrim coast, and across the channel to Mull of Kintyre, Scotland.
📸 Anne Kelly Art and Photography • @annlizkelly.bsky.social
📸 Anne Kelly Art and Photography • @annlizkelly.bsky.social
February 17, 2026 at 8:39 AM
Daybreak in Ballycastle, County Antrim with the silhouetted Fairhead on the Antrim coast, and across the channel to Mull of Kintyre, Scotland.
📸 Anne Kelly Art and Photography • @annlizkelly.bsky.social
📸 Anne Kelly Art and Photography • @annlizkelly.bsky.social
Reposted by Cathy
What is true remains true. Without finishing the Eurozone there is no "Kern Europa" from which to build out from. Relativizing integration or the Single Market will only weaken the EU without a finished Eurozone.
Let’s see. Could it be the fact that the euro crisis never ended? Or that capital markets union hasn’t happened. Or that 🇩🇪 insists on running permanent current account surpluses? Or that there’s not remotely enough common eurozone debt? Or that 🇪🇺 private stock & bond markets are too small? Or th- 🤷♂️
EU finance ministers debate why euro is ‘punching below its weight’
February 17, 2026 at 8:36 AM
What is true remains true. Without finishing the Eurozone there is no "Kern Europa" from which to build out from. Relativizing integration or the Single Market will only weaken the EU without a finished Eurozone.
Reposted by Cathy
This (not from John, but what he is quoting) is a good example of Brexiteers mixing absolute with relative losses and using that to argue that Brexit did not have the damaging effects the vast majority of economists are diagnosing.
Spot the errors here. The biggest is that only a recession would prove Brexit has been costly.
February 17, 2026 at 8:35 AM
This (not from John, but what he is quoting) is a good example of Brexiteers mixing absolute with relative losses and using that to argue that Brexit did not have the damaging effects the vast majority of economists are diagnosing.
Reposted by Cathy
I might be somewhat marooned after yesterday's fun on the M9, but what a view here on the Copper Coast this morning #Waterford #Ireland #speirgorm
February 17, 2026 at 7:50 AM
I might be somewhat marooned after yesterday's fun on the M9, but what a view here on the Copper Coast this morning #Waterford #Ireland #speirgorm
Reposted by Cathy
New data shows #Brexit has lowered UK GDP by 6-8% in 10 years. Investment down 18%, employment down 4%.
It's even worse than economists had predicted pre-referendum, because they thought there would be a bounce-back long term.
"Economists were roughly right on the magnitude of the impact, but...
It's even worse than economists had predicted pre-referendum, because they thought there would be a bounce-back long term.
"Economists were roughly right on the magnitude of the impact, but...
Brexit’s slow‑burn hit to the UK economy
The UK is once again debating why its economy has grown slowly since the mid‑2010s. This column examines the impact of the decision to leave the European Union in 2016. Using almost a decade of data s...
cepr.org
February 17, 2026 at 8:21 AM
New data shows #Brexit has lowered UK GDP by 6-8% in 10 years. Investment down 18%, employment down 4%.
It's even worse than economists had predicted pre-referendum, because they thought there would be a bounce-back long term.
"Economists were roughly right on the magnitude of the impact, but...
It's even worse than economists had predicted pre-referendum, because they thought there would be a bounce-back long term.
"Economists were roughly right on the magnitude of the impact, but...
Reposted by Cathy
Russia and Ukrainian negotiators are meeting in Geneva today for the latest round of US-brokered peace talks. Overnight, hours ahead of the talks, Moscow fired more than 420 drones and cruise/ballistic missiles at targets across Ukraine, including Odesa.
February 17, 2026 at 8:11 AM
Russia and Ukrainian negotiators are meeting in Geneva today for the latest round of US-brokered peace talks. Overnight, hours ahead of the talks, Moscow fired more than 420 drones and cruise/ballistic missiles at targets across Ukraine, including Odesa.
Reposted by Cathy
Hours before peace talks in Geneva, virtually all of democratic Ukraine is under threat of attack by fascist Russia’s drones and missiles, yet Trump doesn’t criticize Kremlin dictator Putin - it’s “Ukraine better come to the table.”
America has fallen so very far, so very fast.
America has fallen so very far, so very fast.
February 17, 2026 at 4:30 AM
Hours before peace talks in Geneva, virtually all of democratic Ukraine is under threat of attack by fascist Russia’s drones and missiles, yet Trump doesn’t criticize Kremlin dictator Putin - it’s “Ukraine better come to the table.”
America has fallen so very far, so very fast.
America has fallen so very far, so very fast.