iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Lovely evening at Wild Atlantic Words Literary Festival in #Castlebar to celebrate the launch of #ThoseWhoListen - New Irish Writing on the Bog ed. by Alice Kinsella & beautifully published by Mayo Books Press . Great readings by contributors & good to see some familiar faces #NewIrishBooks

Front cover of Those Who Listen featuring artwork by Alice Maher of a figure with bound twigs and natural fibres around their head.

Photo of the crowd seated at the launch in a large marquee with Alice Kinsella reading from a lectern on the stage

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

My Mum always used to joke about how our retriever Charter used to love eating balloons - never did him any harm apparently and his poos came out ready wrapped...

Photo of Bob aged 10 with an elderly golden retriever

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I've been hard at work in the garden today. Obie supervised & offered moral support. Jessie meanwhile... #Lurchers

Photo of Jessie, a black and tan lurcher, asleep on a furry blanket on the bed. She looks very happy.

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Still clearing the compost bins (forgot to take a before photo but they were hidden under brambles & nettles). Hoping to actually use them next year! #Sunday #Gardening #Mayo (That's the old cow shed - now our tool shed!)

Photo shows a stone cow shed with wooden eaves & tin roof. In front of it you can make out 3 compost bins made from old pallets & a wheelbarrow full of weeds.

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Good morning from the reprobates of Mayo...

Photo of 2 dogs - Obie, a black German Shepherd, & Jess, a black and tan lurcher sitting on grass during our morning walk. They both appear to be smiling.

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The huge furore & excitement when 'Spycatcher' came out... We couldn't keep it in stock...

Google image of a bespectacled man lifting a pile of Spy catcher books...

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Delighted with this old Picador paperback of W. B. Yeats's Fairy & Folk Tales of Ireland I spotted in Oxfam . With a cover image by the legendary Brian Froud. One day I will own one of those classic Picador spinners full of lovely white paperbacks! #BookGoals @picadorbooks.bsky.social

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Last Saturday we had 15 grandchildren & great-grandchildren of Ma & Pa Sweeney who built our Mayo cottage in 1920 come to visit from Canada & the UK. Many of the grandchildren had spent their early Summers at their grandparents & had so many stories to tell. It was such a wonderful day!

Photo of lots of people standing outside the front of our traditional one storey cottage in Mayo

B&W Photo of an elderly couple standing outside the cottage. She is wearing a headscarf, glasses, dress & cardigan. He is wearing a suit with cardigan underneath & a flat cap

Photo of a large group around the kitchen table talking

Old Photo of Pa Sweeney with his donkey Veronica. He's wearing a brown cardigan, shirt & tie, trousers & wellies with a flat cap

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Me reading your post about our posts:

Photo from Bodega Cats of a mostly white with tabby accents shorthair cat licking a store fridge

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Lovely day welcoming 15 Sweeney descendants from Canada & UK back to their grandparents cottage here in Mayo. 9 of the grandchildren + some great grandchildren. So many stories about our new home! #Mayo #IrishHeritage #IrishCottage

Photo of 9 adult grandchildren in their 60s standing outside the front of the cottage today.

Black & White photo of Ma & Pa Sweeney outside the cottage in 1980s(?) Ma looks to be in her 70s & is wearing a headscarf, dress & cardigan. Pa is wearing a suit & flat cap.

Group shot of everyone in the kitchen talking over tea.

Photo of Pa Sweeney out the back with their donkey Veronica. He's wearing a brown cardigan with shirt & tie, black trousers & wellies & a flat cap.

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

A lovely evening at the launch of 'I am, Here / Buradayim' Paintings by Emmanuel Matt / Photos by Nazli Yildirim in Ballina for Culture Night. Beautifully introduced by Carmel MacMahon. #CultureNight #Mayo #IrishArt #Ballina

Photo of artists Emnanuel & Nazli talking on a sofa as part of the launch. Nazli is laughing at something Emmanuel is saying as he waves his hands.

Photo of the artists next to their work. Emmanuel's is a large oil painting that is an abstract landscape in black, brown & red. Nazli s photo is smaller and depicts a burqua wearing figure standing in an Irish landscape

Photo of Carmel introducing the artists. One of Emmanuel s landscapes can be seen behind in red, yellow & green

Another photo of the artists talking on the sofa. Nazli is listening to something Emmanuel is saying to an audience member

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Hmm, I wonder what Obie's listening to on his mixtape? #DogMusic

Photo of Obie, a black German Shepherd, sitting on the sofa wearing noise cancelling headphones. His tongue is sticking out a bit.

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Post a picture of you all dressed up …

Photo of Bob at the Irish Book Awards in tux & bowtie. He's smiling widely and his left hand is touching his ear nervously. He's also looking sideways as though he's been surprised.

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

My family always had retrievers growing up too. Gorgeous gentle dogs.

Photo of Bob aged 9-ish in the garden with Charter, their elderly retriever

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Seem to remember it was just an internet recipe but we reduced vinegar strength after first batch as they were full on! Just did a stock check - 4 jars to go! Plus half a one in the fridge... Give it another year...

Top of pickled gherkins jam jar with '17-11-25 Fennel + Chilli' label

pickled gherkins jam jar with '17-11-25 Fennel + Chilli' gherkins in it

Top of pickled gherkins jam jar with '5-9-24 Mixed Herb & Peppercorn' label

pickled gherkins jam jar with sliced gherkins inside

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Who needs to go to Vegas when you can gamble with Mayo weather... I need to spend an hour strimming paths today... #IrishWeather

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

As a child I despised drinking milk. I think I caught the tail-end of it in the UK (late 70s?), remember blue plastic crates of small bottles in preschool but nothing after that. Somehow I always managed to avoid drinking it but I do remember the dread of seeing it! #Milk

Google image of a composite 4 photos. Top right is full milk bottles in a blue plastic crate, top left children taking milk from a crate. Bottom left, kids drinking milk with straws. Bottom right, a crate full of empty milk bottles.

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

My Molly cat was also a fan of sinks (but not water)

Photo of Molly, a black and white shorthair, in the kitchen sink

Photo of Molly, a black and white shorthair, in the bathroom sink

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

It's #Caturday apparently. Here's Molly, who I still miss every day. She had my heart.

Selfie of Bob in black hat & cardigan with Molly, a black & white shorthair, sitting inside the cardigan.

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I've been to the library! God, I do love the library! New reads from @chuckwendig.bsky.social @mattdinniman.bsky.social & #EmmaMason. Roll on a spooky reading weekend... @mayocountycouncil.bsky.social

Photo of 3 library books - The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig, Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman & Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Because rules are for gays & womens... #gymnastics Sometimes they smoke at the same time...

Google image of old swimming pool rules sign with cartoons to represent Running / Pushing / Acrobatics or Gymnastics/ Shouting / Ducking / Petting / Bombing / Swimming in Diving Area / Smoking.

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

And today in comedy AI spam... an email from an actual real-life friend, the lovely @rickoshea.bsky.social wanting to interview me about my time hauling cargo for the US Army during the Vietnam War... he really does know me so well... (Don't worry Rick, I haven't fallen for their devious plans...)

Screenshot of a spam email where Rick invites me onto RTE Arena to discuss my experiences during the Vietnam War.

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I'll be showing (you) out for that...

Google image of Mel & Kim singing in the video for Respectable

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Coffee break in the new Irish Native apple orchard. Obie is keeping me safe from... flies... #MayoLife

Photo of Bob's hand holding a coffee mug. In the background you can see 3 foot high young apple trees. Obie, a black German Shepherd, sits to attention to Bob's left

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Always had suspicions about The Point cinema...

Google image of the Point cinema in Milton Keynes - it's a pyramid shaped building with red neon lights photographed at night

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Ha, immediately thought of auto-captions struggling with Robbie Williams' Stoke accent on Graham Norton...

Auto captions showing Robbie Williams talking and text 'Edna Taylor This'.

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Ah, good memories! Trying to join the party but my Elite trading ship is losing shields as it tries to dock... #1980s

Google image of Elite BBC PC game from 1980s showing approach to docking station in basic black & white line graphics

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

My lovely publishing friend Mary Byrne popped into Mayo to say hi yesterday w/ her friend Jane Churchill from Cheltenham & we spent the afternoon talking old Ottakars friends (@ylbooks.bsky.social !) Jane also took this v funny photo of Mary & I on our land, with a comedy Obie stealing the show...

Photo of Bob & Mary & lurcher Jessie on a green hill with blue sky behind. In the foreground is black German Shepherd Obie & the camera lens has made him long & curved with an extra long pink tongue.

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Watching Pointless with a totally normal dog. #Obie

Photo of Bob lying on the sofa with Obie, a black German Shepherd, lying backwards on him with his front paws curled and grinny teeth showing

Close up of Photo of Bob lying on the sofa with Obie, a black German Shepherd, lying backwards on him with his front paws curled and grinny teeth showing

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Built myself a little cottage garden this year - lovely to sit out the front with a cup of tea & watch the bees buzzing about. #MayoLife

Before photo showing a bare patch of ground in front of cottage (after a lot of weeding) in April 2026

After photo showing a green cottage garden with poppies, sunflowers, lupins, field marigold, cornflowers & more with a new bench against the cottage front wall

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Bob Johnston @bobjohnstonbooks.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

NB The cottage has 3 separate lofts. The central one is easily accessible, boarded out & used for storage. The gable end ones are rarely accessed and both house bat colonies. They rarely make any noise & zero smell so we're very happy to have them there.