Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
Irish Academic, archaeologist, heritage, memory, creative at UC Cork. Interest in post/conflict and post/colonial contexts inc fieldwork in Ireland and Caribbean.
History
22%
Political science
20%
A united Ireland referendum must not be ‘another Brexit’, analysts say
Two leading journalists from both sides of the border warn against another ‘vague, thumbs up-thumbs down’ vote
www.theguardian.com
Ahhh Project Fear beginning already re departitioning of Ireland! V similar to the fearmongering that appearing around Scotland’s indyref - but strangely it was not as pronounced with Brexit, despite conflation - the status quo’s response to progressive change. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Reposted by Laura McAtackney
Reform UK accused of embracing racism over its pick for head of student organisation
Matthew Goodwin argued people from minority ethnic backgrounds born and raised in UK were not always British
www.theguardian.com
The Guardian gave Goodwin lots of space in the 2010s to whitewash racism as Legitimate Concerns, imbue those Concerns with faux working class authenticity, and denigrate anti racism as the bleatings of a cosmopolitan elite. Its a bit late to start Noticing now.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
A little too much cronyism and expecting to trust ppl to do the right thing when they clearly have no sense what that is.
Indeed, all this needs is for us all to decide we are perfectly ethical and we just need to be trusted re what we decide to disclose or not. don’t know what the problem is?!
Haha, he’s just a gift ‘i asked myself, is what i’m doing legal?’. I mean, we are many kilometers passed ‘ethical’ when you’re trying to walk the line with that one!
Client confidentiality reason for non-disclosure - Yates
Ivan Yates has said client confidentiality was the reason he did not disclose the fact that he gave media training to Fianna Fáil presidential candidate Jim Gavin.
www.rte.ie
I love when case-studies come up during my teaching that are just too perfect. Nearing the end of a course on ethical dilemmas in anthropology and we have Ivan Yates fudging the difference between legal and ethical. Chefs kiss! www.rte.ie/news/politic...
Reposted by Laura McAtackney
New documentary review on the site by @brian-hanley.bsky.social on the RTE Documentary NORAID, Irish America and the Troubles. www.theirishstory.com/2025/11/10/d...
Reposted by Laura McAtackney
Institutional capture of the BBC: Michael Prescott former political editor of the Murdoch Sunday Times - so you can guess his politics - alleges the following. All the current far right obsessions in bullet points. Laughable and totally rancid
Academic book publishers pre-advertising ‘black friday’ deals on social media. Grim.
Reposted by Catherine J. Frieman
Katie McCabe takes clear poppy stance as she follows in McClean's footsteps
Katie McCabe follows in the footsteps of James McClean by not wearing the poppy while in action for Arsenal.
www.irishmirror.ie
In yet another addition of willful ignorance by the British tabloid press, the cyclical poppy furore. It is incredible it has to be explained to adults that there is nothing apolitical about remembering war and especially how it is used in the contemporary. www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer...
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 25
absolutely
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 25
It’s an odd one, i worked the elections in the north for years and we kept spoiled votes and they were counted (the text was not recorded) but it wasn’t announced with the tallies afaik?! But given the social media campaign it became more prominent this time.
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 25
Absolutely, the mainstream media and politicians continue to be abysmal at confronting an increasingly emboldened far right and seem to be happy just allowing their BS claims. I’m delighted with what looks like a landslide for Connolly but this ability to so easily claim a false narrative is bad.
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 25
Who was behind the 'Spoil The Vote' campaign?
A network of businesspeople and online commentators campaigned for voters to spoil their ballots as a form of protest. Here's who they are — and how they became part of the movement
www.rte.ie
While it was a less than ideal Presidential campaign - with only two candidates still running in the end - it’s useful to see the names and bios behind the ‘spoil your vote’ campaign. Mainly a lot of failed politicians, right wing agitators and social conservatives. www.rte.ie/news/primeti...
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 24
Beautified by the ultimate warrior
woman accessory xxx
woman accessory xxx
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 24
You’re just right, everything about the imposed legacy act and its associated measures are ethically indefensible. There is no sustainable peace without transparency.
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 24
And mostly absolutely no understanding as to what that means, no one is going to record and analyze the mad witterings they decide to write on the ballot paper. Just a waste of their democratic privilege.
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 24
I’ve not been as excited about an election in a long time!
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 24
Heading to the polling station to vote for @catherinegalway.bsky.social - after y’day horror with the Soldier F trial Ive put on my best clothes and am representing the North in my person and in my gorgeous @saraoneill.bsky.social scarf!
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 24
So many posts y’day let me hold onto to some semblance of sanity, it’s like a constant retraumatizing groundhog day.
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 24
Unresolved pasts never really stay there, they continue to impact the present and no matter how much the WM govt want to. Imposing ‘legacy’ acts cannot achieve closure when the main aim is to stop revealing the degree of British statement involvement in a dirty war.
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 24
It’s the hope that can get to you but we need to remember the WM govt has imposed ‘legacy’ on our past and in reality that stifles our ability to achieve any semblance of positive peace in the present. Across communities.
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 23
These wouldn’t the be same academics who believe their access to British archives so they can write their wee official histories are worth more than justice, by any chance?
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 23
absolutely exhausting, often with little to no knowledge of what any ‘community’ needs or wants (especially those within it who are not open to being just incorporated into the current set up).
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 23
Thanks Colin, it does make a difference hearing that unconnected people recognize the complete lack of justice in the British govt yet again looking after its own. I’m sure there is a lot we don’t know but at least there is no dispute on where wrong lies.
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 23
If anything i think attitudes are reversing, people are so used to northern nationalists just having resilience and awaiting whatever change is bestowed on us that we are overlooked and expected to just accept the crumbs. It’s so retraumatizing.
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 23
Yes, it’s retraumatizing to continue being overlooked. I’ve been reading about Judith Butler’s concept of grievability, which she coined after 9/11. For states to justify their actions they must focus on the worth of some - eg British soldiers - and make the deaths of others - us - ungrievable.
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 23
Some people on this island are voting to elect their head of state
Others are digesting the fact that their state deployed paratroopers as peacekeepers - an oxymoron in itself, who killed children in broad daylight & then frustrated justice to the point that it was impossible. Such a stark contrast
Others are digesting the fact that their state deployed paratroopers as peacekeepers - an oxymoron in itself, who killed children in broad daylight & then frustrated justice to the point that it was impossible. Such a stark contrast
As someone from the North living the South, it can feel b othering that so much of the election talk is about appealing to Northern unionists and virtually no recognition of the ongoing trauma inflicted on Northern nationalists. Yet another day in the British state being denied justice.
Reposted by Laura McAtackney
Seána
@grantsana.bsky.social
· Oct 23
Some people on this island are voting to elect their head of state
Others are digesting the fact that their state deployed paratroopers as peacekeepers - an oxymoron in itself, who killed children in broad daylight & then frustrated justice to the point that it was impossible. Such a stark contrast
Others are digesting the fact that their state deployed paratroopers as peacekeepers - an oxymoron in itself, who killed children in broad daylight & then frustrated justice to the point that it was impossible. Such a stark contrast
Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social
· Oct 23
Structural obstacles - a state allows their forces to act with impunity, including murdering civilians, dehumanizes the dead so they are presented as culpable in their own deaths, and when they eventually accept the soldiers’ roles try to prevent them from being held accountable for their crimes.