Barry Malone
@barryjmalone.bsky.social
“Talk to people who make you see the world differently”
An inquisitive Waterford man. 🇮🇪
An inquisitive Waterford man. 🇮🇪
The role of a non-executive president, like in Ireland, to ensure the government act constitutionally is also under estimated.
January 26, 2026 at 6:18 PM
The role of a non-executive president, like in Ireland, to ensure the government act constitutionally is also under estimated.
And UK expectations for EU to fund UK defence industry without commensurate UK financial contribution and without necessary oversight was a continuation of the UK transactional approach and same exceptionalism we have seen since 2016
January 17, 2026 at 10:27 PM
And UK expectations for EU to fund UK defence industry without commensurate UK financial contribution and without necessary oversight was a continuation of the UK transactional approach and same exceptionalism we have seen since 2016
SAFE negotiations broke down not because of “vibe” but due to significant differences over cost and oversight. Looking to include UK illustrates a different “vibe” from the EU but vibe alone won’t bridge the gap - and hard to see much scope for improvement with existing UK transactional approach.
January 17, 2026 at 10:11 PM
SAFE negotiations broke down not because of “vibe” but due to significant differences over cost and oversight. Looking to include UK illustrates a different “vibe” from the EU but vibe alone won’t bridge the gap - and hard to see much scope for improvement with existing UK transactional approach.
Strange to bring rejoining into the thread. Accepting UK redlines aren’t changing explicitly rules out rejoining.
What’s vibe and how would that change anything?
What’s vibe and how would that change anything?
January 17, 2026 at 9:31 PM
Strange to bring rejoining into the thread. Accepting UK redlines aren’t changing explicitly rules out rejoining.
What’s vibe and how would that change anything?
What’s vibe and how would that change anything?
How do you think EU should act differently? Is this just another way of saying UK redlines are set in stone and EU are being unreasonable in not changing their redlines?
January 17, 2026 at 9:02 PM
How do you think EU should act differently? Is this just another way of saying UK redlines are set in stone and EU are being unreasonable in not changing their redlines?
That misrepresents what happened with Ireland. Ireland voted no, gov identified specific issues (e.g. eu army), Irl & EU addressed, Irl revoted with key supplementary agreement & clearly voted in favour. Rather than ignored Ireland used referendum to get necessary assurances & then voted in favour.
e.eu
January 16, 2026 at 9:25 PM
That misrepresents what happened with Ireland. Ireland voted no, gov identified specific issues (e.g. eu army), Irl & EU addressed, Irl revoted with key supplementary agreement & clearly voted in favour. Rather than ignored Ireland used referendum to get necessary assurances & then voted in favour.
But there was a peaceful and relatively easy path out of the EU unlike, for example, what happened when countries tried to leave the British Empire. EU respected democracy and facilitated a quick exit.
January 9, 2026 at 9:13 PM
But there was a peaceful and relatively easy path out of the EU unlike, for example, what happened when countries tried to leave the British Empire. EU respected democracy and facilitated a quick exit.
You may not like to hear it but after 10 years of “opportunity loss” due to Brexit, and 30 years before that of special opt outs, the EU countries will need to see a much wider commitment before risking another 10 years (or more) of churn.
December 2, 2025 at 4:03 PM
You may not like to hear it but after 10 years of “opportunity loss” due to Brexit, and 30 years before that of special opt outs, the EU countries will need to see a much wider commitment before risking another 10 years (or more) of churn.
And same applies to no special deals for SM access / CU membership
December 2, 2025 at 1:38 PM
And same applies to no special deals for SM access / CU membership
View from EU clearly is UK will have to wait until there is strong cross party political support on joining EU without seeking opt outs. Can’t see that any time soon when only Greens advocate joining EU and even then are they clear in no “special deals” for UK?
December 2, 2025 at 1:36 PM
View from EU clearly is UK will have to wait until there is strong cross party political support on joining EU without seeking opt outs. Can’t see that any time soon when only Greens advocate joining EU and even then are they clear in no “special deals” for UK?
Is that all that different from the Brexit disease of those that hated living in England and decided it was the fault of the EU. A particularly strange condition for those who had become immigrants in Spain.
November 24, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Is that all that different from the Brexit disease of those that hated living in England and decided it was the fault of the EU. A particularly strange condition for those who had become immigrants in Spain.
My interpretation is ref thought initial movement grounded and although TMO couldn’t see ball after that to over rule on field decision, ref realised initial attempt wasn’t grounded so she over ruled her own call.
November 22, 2025 at 4:57 PM
My interpretation is ref thought initial movement grounded and although TMO couldn’t see ball after that to over rule on field decision, ref realised initial attempt wasn’t grounded so she over ruled her own call.
Haha. Rather than engage with the points raised you have now moved the goalposts.
Funny to see someone incapable of giving a straight answer to a straight question throwing out the “You think you’re Jeremy Paxman“ line.
Funny to see someone incapable of giving a straight answer to a straight question throwing out the “You think you’re Jeremy Paxman“ line.
November 8, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Haha. Rather than engage with the points raised you have now moved the goalposts.
Funny to see someone incapable of giving a straight answer to a straight question throwing out the “You think you’re Jeremy Paxman“ line.
Funny to see someone incapable of giving a straight answer to a straight question throwing out the “You think you’re Jeremy Paxman“ line.
You don’t know me. Poor for one calling out others for objectionable comments resorting to personal insults. You appear to see UK defence capabilities trumps EU economic leverage & can renegotiate cheap access that Boris gov failed to get on the back of Ukraine suffering. I find that objectionable.
November 8, 2025 at 9:06 PM
You don’t know me. Poor for one calling out others for objectionable comments resorting to personal insults. You appear to see UK defence capabilities trumps EU economic leverage & can renegotiate cheap access that Boris gov failed to get on the back of Ukraine suffering. I find that objectionable.
Really? It is improved access to SM that UK obviously sees more important than “slight reduction in paperwork for a limited number of products”. Can you answer my simple direct question?
November 8, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Really? It is improved access to SM that UK obviously sees more important than “slight reduction in paperwork for a limited number of products”. Can you answer my simple direct question?
There is no poo in the straight question I asked. Do you find the 3 points I listed problematic?
November 8, 2025 at 8:24 PM
There is no poo in the straight question I asked. Do you find the 3 points I listed problematic?
And do you find problematic the points I made (1) EU has always been clear non members pay for access to SM, (2) that access was never going to come cheap, (3) EU will use their leverage to benefit member states (as expected by their citizens and voters).
November 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
And do you find problematic the points I made (1) EU has always been clear non members pay for access to SM, (2) that access was never going to come cheap, (3) EU will use their leverage to benefit member states (as expected by their citizens and voters).
My focus is on distilling the key points from the message to understand do you find those points problematic or is it just the tone/author of the original article?
November 8, 2025 at 8:08 PM
My focus is on distilling the key points from the message to understand do you find those points problematic or is it just the tone/author of the original article?
While he does not sugar coat the message, the key point surely is EU has always been clear non members pay for access to SM, that access was never going to come cheap, EU will use their leverage to benefit member states (as expected by their citizens and voters).
November 8, 2025 at 7:23 PM
While he does not sugar coat the message, the key point surely is EU has always been clear non members pay for access to SM, that access was never going to come cheap, EU will use their leverage to benefit member states (as expected by their citizens and voters).
A key point omitted is if Jim Gavin gets 12.5% of the vote taxpayer pays Fianna Fáil election expenses up to €250k.
If Breda O’Brien knew but failed to include this important point it calls the article in to question. If she didn’t know it calls in to question why she is writing on the subject.
If Breda O’Brien knew but failed to include this important point it calls the article in to question. If she didn’t know it calls in to question why she is writing on the subject.
October 20, 2025 at 5:27 PM
A key point omitted is if Jim Gavin gets 12.5% of the vote taxpayer pays Fianna Fáil election expenses up to €250k.
If Breda O’Brien knew but failed to include this important point it calls the article in to question. If she didn’t know it calls in to question why she is writing on the subject.
If Breda O’Brien knew but failed to include this important point it calls the article in to question. If she didn’t know it calls in to question why she is writing on the subject.
In my layman’s opinion not only do your EU neighbours place huge importance on the ECHR as a basic guarantee of a minimum standard of human rights but an absolute block is that some cannot constitutionally agree renegotiating such as info sharing & extradition without commensurate controls (ECHR)
August 27, 2025 at 6:56 PM
In my layman’s opinion not only do your EU neighbours place huge importance on the ECHR as a basic guarantee of a minimum standard of human rights but an absolute block is that some cannot constitutionally agree renegotiating such as info sharing & extradition without commensurate controls (ECHR)
It’s not forgotten and was welcome but don’t pretend it was a purely altruistic action. It protected a severely exposed UK banking sector, was commercially very lucrative for UK, and of all creditors of the time only UK didn’t facilitate early repayment.
www.irishexaminer.com/business/eco...
www.irishexaminer.com/business/eco...
Ireland paid at least €709m in interest to UK for bailout loan
Britain's bar on early repayment helped make it one of the most lucrative state-to-state loans ever advanced
www.irishexaminer.com
August 8, 2025 at 6:50 AM
It’s not forgotten and was welcome but don’t pretend it was a purely altruistic action. It protected a severely exposed UK banking sector, was commercially very lucrative for UK, and of all creditors of the time only UK didn’t facilitate early repayment.
www.irishexaminer.com/business/eco...
www.irishexaminer.com/business/eco...