Hugo MacNeill

Great to see @tcddublin students like my daughter Georgia having in-person graduations again!

Donald Trump attacks Giorgia Meloni — and she delivers a fiery speech he’ll never forget. Donald Trump thought he could easily score political points by calling Giorgia Meloni “an insult to Jesus,” accusing her of “not being woke,” and claiming that God does not discriminate. Unfortunately for “Don Dementia,” this time he picked the wrong target. Standing at a historic location, Giorgia Meloni didn’t just respond — she delivered a full moral reckoning. “The President of the United States just said that I insult Jesus,” Giorgia Meloni declared. “Do you want to know what really insults Jesus? Taking healthcare away from the sick while cutting taxes for billionaires.” And that was only the beginning. “Do you want to know what else insults Jesus?” she continued. “Deporting foreigners and separating children from their mothers.” Then she went even further, touching on war, corruption, and hypocrisy. “Do you want to know what insults Jesus? Bombing innocent schools in Iran and sending our brave men and women to die in yet another endless war… hiding the Epstein files and then refusing to prosecute anyone involved.” This wasn’t politics as usual. It was a full moral indictment. Giorgia Meloni, targeted by Trump for supporting transgender people and for saying that “trans children are children of God,” completely turned the tables. Instead of backing down, she grounded her message in the very teachings Trump tried to weaponize. “I am not a perfect Christian,” she said. “There was only one perfect man, and two thousand years ago he was crucified.” Then came the line that hit the hardest: “Jesus told us to love our neighbor as ourselves… Can we imagine war in heaven? Can we imagine hatred in heaven? Can we imagine poverty in heaven? Then why do we tolerate these things on Earth?” This is how you respond. Not with insults. Not with fear. But with clarity and conviction. Trump tried to discredit her. Instead, Giorgia Meloni delivered a sermon that now echoes far beyond that hall. Please share Giorgia Meloni’s inspiring words.

@AntiTrumpCanada How comes that 75 million Americans voted for this $hIT? They implicitly admitted that 1) he is better than them 2) he’s the model to follow Now I ask myself… when exactly something went wrong in the USA?

Absolutely. Well said

@1922_adrian No he died for the IRA who never had a mandate to kill in our name. He died with a bomb that he was going to detonate & kill innocent civilians -that is a war crime

@UlsterRugby Sincere condolences to all his family and friends

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Ulster Rugby player, Russell Nelson. Russell made 30 senior appearances for the province after joining Ulster in 2000. Alongside his provincial career, Russell captained Ballymena RFC to All-Ireland League success in 2003, an achievement that holds a special place in the club’s history and stands as a lasting testament to his leadership and character. He will be remembered with great respect by teammates, supporters and all who had the privilege of knowing him. Our heartfelt condolences are with Russell’s family and friends during this difficult time.

This was a very special event and a privilege to be there. Enda was a great leader at a most challenging time for our country.

I'm sad to report that my father has passed away. Martin Halligan lived most of his life in the UK - but it's safe to say that his heart was always in Ireland. Dad was born in 1938 - and spent his early childhood on a farm between Swinford and Charlestown, Co Mayo. His father was Martin Halligan (of Cullane) and his mother was Bea Madden (of Puntabeg). During Dad's early life, Eamonn De Valera was Taoiseach of the Irish Free State - and rural areas across the West of Ireland were remote, traditional and Gaelic-speaking. And during the Second World War, of course, relations between the UK and what was to become the Republic of Ireland in 1949, were particularly fraught, given the Free State's self-declared neutrality. Like so many of his generation, Dad followed the well-trodden path from rural Ireland to the UK, arriving in London in his youth, where he quickly learned English and met countless relatives he didn't know he had. Missing Ireland, he spent some of his teenage years travelling around the English countryside with Irish travellers, working on funfairs and engaging in other seasonal work. He finally settled down, attending school in Willesden Green, where his inherent intelligence was soon apparent - and when it came to national service, he was recruited by the Royal Navy as a signaller. While anti-Irish prejudice was rife in late-50s/early-60s Britain, Dad often said he was "always treated fairly" in the Navy, and he retained many friendships from that time of his life. He loved being in the RN, in fact – which put him at odds with some of his relatives and boyhood friends. A talented athlete, with a devastating left-hook, Dad actually spent most of his national service as one of the Navy's top boxers, training hard and fighting against other services in the UK and around the world. But he loved being at sea – which is why, having completed his time in the RN, he then spent a number of happy years with the Merchant Navy. Dad had planned to settle in New Zealand and, having left the Merchant Navy, he lived there for a while, setting up a small fencing company. But then, on a visit back to London, he re-met Eve (whom he had known as a teenager). They were soon married - and remained in the UK. Dad trained as a plumber - but, having settled in London, he soon set up his own building firm. For many years, M.Halligan and Co Ltd. operated across North-West London, carrying out building works for local councils and private clients. Dad's company was at the heart of my childhood and of my family - employing not only my brother, but other relatives too, along with countless labourers, "brickies", "chippies", "sparks", painters and decorators, many of whom became close family friends. M.Halligan and Co was never huge. Much of my Dad's business life – hiring, organising, deal-making – was conducted in the pubs and working mens' clubs of Willesden, Kilburn and Harlesden (huge Irish areas back in the day). But he inspired loyalty among those who worked for him, his firm had a deserved reputation for good work and fair-dealing – and the company he built provided for his immediate family and plenty of other families along the way. M. Halligan and Co also implanted in me a life long interest in commerce and a keen awareness of the importance of small businesses and the impact of policymaking and the broader economic environment on business activity. Early in their marriage, my Mum and Dad endured the pain of losing my brother Sean, who died at the age of just 8 months. They moved from Willesden Green NW10 to Kingsbury NW9 in the mid-1960s - buying themselves a "Metroland" home of which they were both very proud. That's where my brother Martin (b.1965) and myself (b.1969) grew up. In 2010, Mum and Dad moved to Saffron Walden, in North Essex, where I had moved with my own young family a few years before. He loved living there, and made plenty of friends in the local pubs, quite a few of whom, like him, had deep Irish roots. A talented story-teller, Dad was at his happiest, I think, when spinning a yarn while having a drink with friends and family – recounting tales from rural Ireland, the building sites of mid-to-late 20th century London or one of his cherished fishing trips. He is survived by his devoted wife Eve, myself and my brother, his grandchildren Tashauna, Niall, Ailis, Maeve and Ned and his great-grandson Maddy - as well as his sister Veronica, his brother Steve and countless loving cousins. He will be missed enormously not just by family members, but countless others whose lives he touched with his kindness, charm, good humour and quick intelligence. I am proud of the life Martin Halligan lived – and will always be grateful for the loyalty and devotion he showed towards his family. Martin Thomas Halligan, 09.07.1938 - 02.11.2025 Rest in Peace "Go ndèanna Dia trocaire ar a anam geal ... may God have mercy on his bright soul"

Excellent article

Excellent letter from John O’Hagan @tcddublin in today’s @IrishTimes

Sad to hear of the passing of Brother Kevin. The capuchin centre was a godsend when I was sleeping rough on the streets of Dublin. He was a good man who always made sure at very least you were safe and well fed. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. rte.ie/news/ireland/2…

Another busy year for Jennifer, Happy 26th birthday 🥰

Rasam won best World Food Restaurant at Irish Restaurant Awards last week. The genius is Nisheeth Tak, a great friend since 2003. He always puts Glasthule first and is there whenever you visit. Stars dine but as a regular he makes you a star! Book now before it’s booked out!

@DavidMcredmond Well done.Great idea

In old-fashioned news, lovely to see so many citizens taking up AnPost’s free post offer to send condolences to the Vatican! May Pope Francis rest in peace.

Good to see. Well spoken

This was a fantastic day at Stranmillis College Belfast as we at the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities look to help other colleges roll out programmes across the island and beyond.

@bernardjackman @ClontarfRugby Great player.Rest in peace.

Sad to wake up to the news that Alex Wyllie has passed away. I had the good fortune of playing for him @ClontarfRugby and he was a great character and legend of the game.

Yes thanks to @UCCEconomics and British Ambassador @PJohnstonFCDO for their contributions to an excellent day

An attempt to strip Zelensky of his dignity by two of the most ignorant thugs to ever walk the world stage. The humiliation is ultimately America’s.

I’m here today in Trinity for the Seanad Election count. We won’t know the results until tomorrow, I would like to thank everyone who voted for me for their support over the last number of weeks!

Fascinating afternoon at Accenture, discussing Artificial Intelligence with the Dublin, Cork and Belfast Chambers of Commerce. AI has huge potential, and Ireland as a tech capital needs to be at the forefront of its implementation into workflows.