Higgo

@itsjohncrotty @StephenNolan @JohnCharlesLave It is, among other things, a new flag, anthem, constitution and a new form of government. The current setup won’t work. I think we’ll need a federal type of government structure that gives unionists a sense of responsibility in how the country is run.

@StephenNolan @JohnCharlesLave My research suggests many are open to a new flag - we need to widen knowledge on the history of our symbols But calling the tricolour ‘divisive’ for later links, while having no such issue with the Union Jack being used in Ireland considering the history, Is selective outrage

Any 'new Ireland' in the event of Irish reunification needs a new flag - Belfast Telegraph's John Laverty @JohnCharlesLave says the Tricolour is "divisive"

@Homeland_Party What has this flag got to do with St. Patrick?

Today we celebrate the feast of St Patrick. St. Patrick, originally named Maewyn Succat, was born around 385 AD in Britain, though the exact location remains uncertain, with strong claims pointing to areas near the Irish Sea in what is now Scotland, Wales or northern England. At age 16, he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland, where he endured six years of slavery as a shepherd, likely on the slopes of Mount Slemish in County Antrim. After escaping, he returned to Britain, then traveled to France for further religious study and training. There, he was ordained as a priest and bishop, adopting the name Patricius, meaning noble. Responding to a visionary call to "walk once more among" the Irish people, he returned to Ireland around 432 AD as a missionary bishop. Over the following decades, he preached, baptised thousands, established churches, and played a pivotal role in spreading Christianity across the island. Today, this remarkable Briton turned “Apostle of Ireland" is revered worldwide as the patron saint of Ireland.

@ArthurC22524801 @Buailtin Welsh not a Brit. And like most sensible people he preferred Ireland.

@Buailtin Saint Patrick. Wasn't he a Brit?

6am, Dingle - Ireland's earliest St Patrick's Day parade. The pre-dawn tradition dates back to the Land War of the 1870s when British authorities outlawed public gatherings between sunrise and sunset. The people of Dingle found a way...

☘️ Almost St Patrick’s Day, so time again to share The Muppets’ peerless version of Danny Boy… The Swedish Chef, Beaker and Animal a.k.a. The Leprechaun Bothers… 🤓☘️ #stpatricksday #stpatricksday2026 #themuppets

@markhenryallen @RealOlaudah @grok When did Ireland have the same good fortune?

@RealOlaudah @grok what did Ireland do when it had the same good fortune?

Norway Found Oil. Then Did the One Thing Most Countries Never Do In 1969, Norway discovered one of the largest offshore oil deposits in the world. The Ekofisk field changed everything. Suddenly, this small Scandinavian nation was sitting on extraordinary wealth. They could have done what most oil-rich countries do: * Spend it all immediately. * Build monuments. * Create economic bubbles. * Enrich a few while the many suffer. And when the oil runs out, collapse into debt and instability. Nigeria tried that. Venezuela tried that. Libya tried that. Norway looked at these cautionary tales and made a different choice. In 1990, the Norwegian Parliament created the Government Pension Fund Global. The rules were simple but revolutionary. All oil profits would flow into the fund. The fund would invest globally in thousands of companies. Norway could only withdraw a small percentage each year—originally 4% - now 3%. The rest would stay invested. Forever. People thought they were insane. Why hoard money for people who don't even exist yet? Why not lower taxes, build bigger programs, and enjoy the wealth right now? The Norwegian government had an answer... Because future Norwegians will exist. And they deserve this wealth as much as we do. In 1996, they deposited the first payment: $150 million. Then they did something even more remarkable...

@FinnishGear @notistotny Definitely not. Vast majority support Ukraine and the fight to stay free. He is, as they say around here, a gobshite. We do however need to figure out what our neutrality means and how it will work in this changing world.

@notistotny Not every Irish person?

Seriously what the fuck do they put in the tap water in Ireland? Their whole national identity is about resistance against the colonial British, yet as soon as an European nation resists a colonial genocidal invading nation they just go ”Nooooooooooo! Not like that!!”

@LVNiteOwl @megynkelly It’s not though, is it? Not by a long shot.

@megynkelly I don't think Hess should be sent home for expressing his opinion - respecting his right to do that is what makes our country great. It is a shame that he doesn't recognize and respect the fact that is what distinguishes the USA and makes it the best country in the world!

As if it were just a little political view he espoused as opposed to clear shame in representing the country. The gaslighting. Hess should be stripped of his ability to rep the USA & sent home.

@PaddyTheFitzer @DanMulhall Except he did. We cannot imagine future defence scenarios but government needs to be able to respond to them in the public interest without having to hold a referendum.

@DanMulhall You haven’t actually explained why not.

Here’s why it that would be a bad idea. The Constitution enshrines our values and sets out how our state & its institutions are to be run. It can only be changed by a vote of the people. We cannot imagine future defence scenarios but government needs to be able to respond to them in the public interest without having to hold a referendum. We are militarily neutral & there is no foreseeable prospect of that changing, but we do not need it in the constitution.

@BigMattSays @VoicesofWW2 Thought so. Thanks for that.

@d_higgo @VoicesofWW2 Lol.

Irish troops marching during "The Emergency”. At the outbreak of the Second World War, known as "The Emergency" in Ireland, the Defence Forces were very small in numbers, less than 20,000. This resulted in a massive recruitment campaign that boosted the Army's numbers to over 40,000 by 1941 and the Reserve's numbers to over 100,000 by 1943. The Army was mobilized into two divisions: First Division, under Michael Joseph Costello, was based in Cork, while the Second Division, commanded by Hugo McNeill, was based in Maynooth. One thing the Defence Forces did lack, however, was up to date equipment, and did not stand much of a chance against a well-armed invader, such as the British or the Germans. During this period, around 5,000 Irish soldiers deserted the Defence Forces to join the British Army to fight the Germans. When they returned after the war, they were branded deserters and most were shamed and shunned by the population… These soldiers were later pardoned in 2013.

@BigMattSays @VoicesofWW2 And? What are you trying to say?

@d_higgo @VoicesofWW2 The most famous case prior to the 1945 law change was two men who deserted, were captured and held in POW camps That's an extreme case of desertion They got no time in jail and no fine Those tried under the 1945 all received tougher sentences than those tried by court marrial

@BigMattSays @VoicesofWW2 Who said it was fair? It was harsh treatment, no question. But given that they could have received prison (many did) or the death penalty, it could have been harsher.

@d_higgo @VoicesofWW2 Can you address the fairness of introducing a dracinian law in 1945 then applying it to people who left in the years before 1945?

@BigMattSays @VoicesofWW2 The tread is about how Ireland mobilsed at the start of hostilities. And how a small proportion deserted the Irish army and state. Not about support for Hitler in Ireland. You brought that in. They were treated similarly to other deserters in other countries.

@d_higgo @VoicesofWW2 The thread is about Irish people who left to fight Hitler and their treatment on return. If you want to start a thread on British deserters copy me in and I'll gladly respond.

@BigMattSays @VoicesofWW2 Odd that you don't mention the approximate 100,000 that deserted from the British military during WW2. Or the estimated 120,000 that did volunteer. As in all countries, there was Nazi sympathisers.

@VoicesofWW2 Those heroes who left to fight the nazis were treated terribly on their return. There were many people in Ireland who would have been content to see Hitler win.

@PaddySherpa @Muinchille Have we? In what way?

"...in places like Ireland, Spain, Iceland and Malta, there doesn’t seem to be any sense of historical debt or guilt.” In Ireland, ppl do, however, remember unfounded attacks on our good name for a very long time. If Israel wishes to mend relations, it has a long road before it. timesofisrael.com/europes-harshe…

@realMaalouf When did he say fake?

Muslim man in the UK: “Today is not the last day of the year. This is not the real calendar, this is the fake Roman calendar. We are not trying to imitate infidels. Stay away from all celebrations!” What do you think?

@DavQuinn And she didn’t mention Santa either. The kids must be raging.

Why is Britain's atheist PM, Keir Starmer, able to mention Christianity in his Christmas message but our new president can't? Seems highly deliberate. independent.ie/irish-news/we-…

@JeffDudgeon @BritEmbDublin @karaowen It’s whatever you want to call it, considering both of the current main characters are fictional.

@BritEmbDublin @karaowen Actually its Christmas not 'the festive season's even if it can't be said in Dublin. I look forward to your visit to the six counties in Ireland in the United Kingdom that you promise to go to.

As we celebrate the festive season, Ambassador @karaowen reflects on her first months in Ireland — building connections, experiencing the warmth of Irish hospitality, and looking ahead to the opportunities 2026 will bring. ✨🎄

@DublinCommuters What does that mean? As a commuter, I thought it was a straightforward question.

@d_higgo It has nothing to do with the integrity of the process that’s for sure

Manhattan Peanuts Ltd have taken a judicial review against the Luas Finglas project This is an important time of year for crisp companies… lots of hungry people in pubs Remind them with your wallets that they shouldn’t hold up essential public infrastructure

@IosaMoThiarna @OConnellKy @rtenews I happen to think it's not as widely supported as you think. And the approach is wrong. We'll end up with another train system that have no cross compatibility. Luas, Dart, Metro and Commuter. 4 independent train systems. But that's not what I asked. Who decides who can object?

@d_higgo @OConnellKy @rtenews This is a widely supported project that's been proposed to start for well over a decade. We can't keep delaying it over the concerns of a tiny minority of residents who are extremely well off compared to most of the country. They have enough already not to take away from us more.

A group of residents from Ranelagh in south Dublin have begun a legal challenge against the planned metro rail line for the capital rte.ie/news/2025/1125…