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Claire Mitchell

@clairemitchell.bsky.social
3.5K followers 1.5K following 709 posts

writer, mamaí, history and politics, Belfast/County Down, she/her. 📖 The Ghost Limb: Alternative Protestants and the Spirit of 1798 www.clairemitchell.net

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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Spent the afternoon with friends on the Garvaghy Road, listening to stories of local people’s grief and trauma from the last time around. This is no way to live. Love and solidarity, peace and progress to all. We have come so far. We are one society, one community. We cannot go back.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
I think this is excellent. I share the same frustrations and thoughts about remedies.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Claire JC’s ‘Ulster Says Maybe’ group is live. A progressive space for ordinary people of all backgrounds to talk to each other about Irish unity… there’ll be interviews, a book club, discussion topics and zero tolerance for sectarianism… Join here - www.patreon.com/ulstersaysmaybe
patreon.com
Ulster Says Maybe — A community for people who care about Northern Ireland
Get more from Ulster Says Maybe on Patreon. A community for people who care about Northern Ireland. Support Ulster Says Maybe and get exclusive access to their work.
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Tony - Pod Guy - Groves @tonygroves.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Ulster Says Maybe with former Unionist and Irish-Northern-Irish-British identity Tik Tok creator, Claire JC, is out now. And no Andy, a border poll is not off the table. podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/t...
Tik tok page of Claire JC
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Talking today with a friend whose family are DUP & Orange Order. Her dad was also really emotional when he saw the Shankill Defenders in the finale. He was so happy to share his world with people and for them to see it’s not all bad. He feels it is a miracle of understanding and is filled with hope.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
This gave me goosebumps
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Amidst the complete and utter joy of the Fleadh, I'm hearing Protestant friends express a real pang, or almost grief, about the parallel universe we missed out on, because we... weren't allowed, felt we couldn't? I think it's our age - sandwiched between conflict and peace.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Fuck me, the Fleadh is an emotional experience. Just beautiful to experience Belfast like this.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Going to the Fleadh. Dundonald Park and Ride so rammed can’t even get on the Glider!
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I’m so tired I just tried to mute my dog barking with the tv remote lol
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Yesterday was some craic.This in the Irish News and a Féile panel on Irish unity. I wanted to say something about the emotional journey many of us are on with all this.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
I just signed a @theactionnetwork.bsky.social petition: Transparent Action . Sign here: actionnetwork.org/petitions/tr...
actionnetwork.org
Transparent Action
Transparent Action are parents of trans, non-binary and gender-diverse children and adults of all ages. They have come together to form a collective voice to take action in support of their children ...
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Lee Hurley @hleehurley.com · 26/07/2026
150,000 marched yesterday in London for trans rights. Opened the Sky News app. Scrolled and scrolled. Nothing. BBC News app. Nothing. Guardian app. Nothing. This is what actual silencing looks like.
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Kellie Turtle @kellieturtle.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
I've just talked to Caroline Litman @alicemydaughter.bsky.social before our @causewaypride.bsky.social next week. She is open, passionate, committed and has a powerful story to share that is changing hearts & minds. It's a conversation you don't want to miss! Infuse Cafe Coleraine Fri 31 July 7pm
Photo of Caroline Litman standing in front of fields. She is wearing a black coat, brown trousers and a black t shirt with the slogan 'Safety, dignity and healthcare for all trans people'. Her hands are in her pockets. A photo of the cover of caroline litmans book 'her name is Alice' with the words 'out now' beneath it.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Just spotted that this from last year is open access now - The Republic of Newtownards. It imagines the good version of a reunified Ireland. It's in An Clogán, a new socialist republican magazine - well worth checking out the whole thing. www.anclogan.ie/the-republic...
anclogan.ie
The Republic of Newtownards
A republic is more than identity or law, writes Claire Mitchell, author of The Ghost Limb. Seeking a republic giving real power to people, she finds hope in community initiatives in her hometown of Ne...
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
In the 10 years since Brexit, my political imagination has increasingly detached from the UK. To the point where Andy Burnham is new PM today and I'm meh, that's nothing to do with me. Except of course that just isn't true :-/
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Bit by the ghost limb docs' fabulous and longsuffering producer, Dónall Ó Maolfabhail. www.rte.ie/culture/2026...
rte.ie
The Ghost Limb - a Northern writer's magical journey to belonging
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Luke Butterly @lukejbutterly.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Last week there was a joint session by the NI Affairs and Home Affairs committees into the recent riots in Belfast. Davy Beck (PSNI) said "this is the third year in a row" of "atrocious violence and racism." The initial protest calls "had a clear anti-immigration and extreme right-wing theme."
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
How to be real about the hate and harm that happens around the Twelfth July, while honouring the experience of so many Prods, for whom the Twelfth actually is a family day of craic. The annual head pickler.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
The Ghost Limb is on RTÉ radio tonight! A four part documentary series, about the story of the book and its afterlife. Hopefully on the Docs on One podcast in due course. A labour of love from producer Dónall Ó Maolfabhail from Scun Scan Productions. www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...
rte.ie
The Ghost Limb - RTÉ Radio 1
Northern Ireland Protestant author, Claire Mitchell, frustrated at having no place to call home, embarks on a historical and magical journey, to heal what she calls her Ghost Limb.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Alternative 12th of July under a tree on a friend’s farm for a hedge school on food politics. The glorious revolution.
A group of people in the distance gathered under a tree. Blue sky and rows of planted veg and turned over soil in the I foreground.
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Stephen Baker @stephenbaker.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
I used to Feel British: Now I’m Starting an Irish Unity Campaign Group, by Claire JC irishborderpoll.com/2026/07/04/i...
irishborderpoll.com
I used to Feel British: Now I’m Starting an Irish Unity Campaign Group - Irish Border Poll
by Claire JC “I’m NORTHERN Irish”, I would say with indignation, every time an English person referred to me as Irish. Growing up in Newtownards in the 1990s there was never any question of my British...
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Tony - Pod Guy - Groves @tonygroves.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
While the “protesters” kicked in doors in Belfast, community support groups stepped up. The State was found wanting. The majority of the people were not. @elainecrory.bsky.social on the tortoise shack. No paywall 👇 podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/t...
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
We are Belfast
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Very interesting analysis, especially around dynamics in the wider republican movement.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
This is excellent
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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
France 🇫🇷 doubles electrification support to €10bn/year through 2030 — EVs, heat pumps, industry. The reason? The Strait of Hormuz crisis making fossil fuel dependence impossible to ignore. Geopolitical shocks don’t just raise prices. They change what’s politically possible.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Paul Price @swimsure.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
“The reality is that we don’t have any food security in Ireland because the vast majority of what we consume is imported and the vast majority of what we produce is exported” – Emma Howard, economist, Technological University Dublin. Another excellent article by @codohertynews.bsky.social
irishtimes.com
Fuel protests reveal flawed relationship between farms, fertilisers and food
Farmers have warned of food shortages but Ireland imports most of what it eats
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Louth For Ever 🦋 @louthforever.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
I’ve managed to string together my thoughts through the rage this week, please read & share 💭✍🏼 #Spéirghorm #IrishPolitics #Fascism 🔗 tinyurl.com/wak45j7d
Article Link: The Blockade Is the Message, How a fuel price spike became a fascist audition
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Eils_G 📎 @eils1.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Please see the post on Muslim Sisters of Éire's facebook page. Shame on these feral thugs, they are far from patriots. If you'd like to donate to the Muslim Sisters of Éire to help them feed our homeless - msoe.ie/donate/ www.facebook.com/muslimsister... #Ireland #SpéirGhorm
We’ve spent the last 48 hours coordinating the logistics and prep work necessary to get our soup run stationed at the GPO. When we got to the top of O’Connell Street, the Guards wouldn’t allow us to go through, but after much persuasion, they escorted us with a patrol car up to the GPO. Given the current situation, we truly appreciate them assisting us despite having their hands full.
We arrived and were surprised that the queue was not as large as expected. When we got there, a lot of people thought that we wouldn’t be able to get through. Soon the word got out and the queue became much longer. 
Everything went well; we had a lot of food and donations. A huge shout out to little Amelia who came to our office and donated €50 from her birthday money as well as her Easter eggs—such kindness and beauty in such a young child. A credit to her mammy and daddy. 
Tonight took a deeply upsetting turn. As we were finishing our service, we were approached by a group of five or six individuals carrying Irish flags. They began shouting xenophobic rhetoric, telling us this country is "only for the Irish," that we don't belong here, and that we should "go home."
In a beautiful show of solidarity, those around the GPO immediately spoke up, asserting that we are Irish. However, the situation turned hostile. Our Chairperson and founder was targeted with verbal abuse and told to "go back where she came from"—despite being from Coolock. It was clear that because she wears a hijab, her identity as an Irish woman was being questioned.n 11 years of service, we have never experienced such verbal abuse. It was difficult to maintain the peace, but the homeless community—truly amazing people—stepped up to protect us. We are grateful that the situation eventually de-escalated and the Gardaí arrived to disperse the group.
Providing 300 meals to those in need only to be met with hate is sickening. But let it be known: we remain undeterred. We are united, and we will always be there for the less fortunate, regardless of their background. In Ireland, you don’t need an ID to receive a warm meal from a soup run.
We can’t do this without your constant support. If you would like to help us or donate, please visit https://msoe.ie/donate/.
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Sally Hayden @sallyhayd.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Today in Beirut. #lebanon
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Tara Goddard @drtaragoddard.com · 07/04/2026
I have a father and mother in law in Iran. I have a sister in law. A niece. She's 14. She likes silly pink headbands and purses and dresses, just like kids her age all over the world. There are 93 million people like her in Iran. People who do all the normal mundane life things as the rest of us.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
The Prod squad had an interesting day in the Oireachtas last week. The gist from all 3 of us being that we need to hurry up with unity specifics. A Farage (or a progressive rainbow) coalition at next U.K. election could bring a new timeline, and groundwork is urgent in this context.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
I’m the proud mammy of a trans son. Beyond grateful to all of you who have been visible and vocal and lit the way. Thank you xx #TransDayOfVisibilty
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Lovely day with neighbours in Newtownards. Islamic Centre guys made biryani for a meetup, and my fridge is full of leftovers from Eid. Just what the heart needed.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Lovely interview with guys from Belfast’s Imperial Guards Flute Band, who headed up the St. Patrick’s Day parade yesterday. Fair play to all involved. 2:21:22 in www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
bbc.co.uk
Good Morning Ulster - 18/03/2026 - BBC Sounds
The day's news agenda, including regular news, travel and sport updates.
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ᚅᚓᚃ ᚆᚐᚔᚏᚇᚑ ᚃᚆᚑ ᚇᚔᚄ @ciara2001.eurosky.social · 13/03/2026
Imagine moving to Ireland with a condition like diabetes and being told that, no, while you may have been diagnosed elsewhere, you have to wait 18 years for assessment to make sure you really have diabetes before you are prescribed insulin
thejournal.ie
Transgender people moving to Ireland put on long waitlist for vital healthcare until assessed
The Journal Investigates spoke to transgender people who moved to Ireland and couldn’t continue the care they received abroad
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
This is a good listen for anyone wanting to understand the roles bands can play for many working class Protestants. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
podcasts.apple.com
Made to Parade
Podcast Episode · The Shrapnel Podcast · 13 March · 54m
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Number of children in Irish-language education rises by 400%
In 2001 there were 1,602 pupils in Irish-medium education, compared to 7,811 in 2025 but there are only two Irish-medium post-primary schools in NI.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Carole Cadwalladr: "Hooked on dopamine, fuelled by testosterone, powered by AI: this is the broligarchs’ war. ....a global power structure in which state violence, commercial profit and the control, domination and violation of women are inextricably entwined." www.thenerve.news/p/carole-cad...
thenerve.news
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Electricity rate with Share up 26% from 1st April. An extra £500-600 a year for us. Have other suppliers raised unit prices yet, or is that to come I wonder? Before I start shopping around…
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Dr. Genevieve Guenther (she/they) @doctorvive.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
This is the cloud of oil currently hovering over Tehran, released when the US bombed the city's oil depots. A stew of particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, heavy metals & volatile organic compounds is raining down into the city right now. 1/2
a picture of a huge, low, heavy cloud of black oil over Tehran
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Brónagh 🇮🇪🇵🇸🚴‍♀️ @beebsymca.eurosky.social · 06/03/2026
Yallaa would love 100 responses by the end of today and they're only 10 away. TBH, that doesn't seem like enough voices to me so please complete this and share. They are the best people.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c...
podcasts.apple.com
Why Iranian perspectives often get flattened and caricatured
Podcast Episode · Code Switch · 7 March · 13m
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Great result for the Greens in Manchester. Part of a global and regional movement towards hopeful politics grounded in grassroots democracy. In the North of Ireland, we have to rise to the challenge. I think this means deeper exploration of which levers can be pulled to actually change our lives.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Maidin mhaith a chairde
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Kevin Cooper @kevinc55.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Some newspaper coverage of Vincent Kearney NUJ Belfast & District Branch member’s case 2026, Irish News, Belfast Telegraph and Irish Times.
Some newspaper coverage of Vincent Kearney NUJ Belfast & District Branch member’s case 2026, Irish News, Belfast Telegraph and Irish Times.Some newspaper coverage of Vincent Kearney NUJ Belfast & District Branch member’s case 2026, Irish News, Belfast Telegraph and Irish Times.Some newspaper coverage of Vincent Kearney NUJ Belfast & District Branch member’s case 2026, Irish News, Belfast Telegraph and Irish Times.Some newspaper coverage of Vincent Kearney NUJ Belfast & District Branch member’s case 2026, Irish News, Belfast Telegraph and Irish Times.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
We want the media and politicians to recognise that there is a large number of women who are supportive of the trans+ community. We call on them to report truthfully about the sources of violence against women and to address the systems that perpetuate harm. notinourname.org.uk/petition/not...
notinourname.org.uk
Women in support of the trans+ community - Not in our name
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Martin Doyle @martindoyle.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Cover reveal for my new book, A Hosting, to be launched Tuesday, April 21 in Hodges Figgis. Designed for @lilliputpress by the brilliant Niall McCormack using the Louis le Brocquy print The Táin. Army Massing, 1969. Greatness by association.
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Claire Mitchell @clairemitchell.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
This is beautiful
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