iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Love trawling through historical newspapers for nuggets like this 👇 ('Skibbereen Eagle', 23 Jan. 1915) @catsofyore.bsky.social

Newspaper article on the employment of cats as public servants during World War One

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Born #OnThisDay in 1852: William O'Brien - journalist, maverick politician and an influential figure in late 19th and early 20th century Ireland. My PhD research centered to a large degree on O'Brien in early 20th century Ireland. A piece I wrote on him in 2018: medium.com/@j_goddy/a-f...

medium.com

A Forgotten Son of Mallow (and Ireland)? William O’Brien (1852–1928) and his world

A few weeks ago I spoke to a local history group in the town of Mallow in north County Cork in January 2018. The subject of my talk was the…

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Seismic team meeting Shambolic press conference afterward Goalkeepers at the centre of a firestorm We've learned precisely nothing in 24 years

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Leo Varadkar turning up as an answer on Only Connect was not in my bingo card

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Simon McGarr @tupped.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

This is insanity. It appears the entire Seanad voter register has been junked without letting any of the voters know and we all (TCD and NUI) have to re-register on this 1996-flavoured website to use our vote. seanadvoter.ie/indexEN.shtml

seanadvoter.ie

SeanadVoter.ie

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Evan @evansmithhist.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

To overcome AI, all history courses require students to travel back through time and collect figures from history for a final presentation. And they must remember to wind their watch.

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David Flood @maoltuile.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Note that Ronald Reagan, Trump’s true antecedent, claimed to have liberated WWII concentration camps (he actually spent the war safely in Hollywood): www.salon.com/2015/02/07/r...

salon.com

Ronald Reagan's wartime lies: The president had quite a Brian Williams problem - Salon.com

Reagan spent WW II in Hollywood. He told the Israeli prime minister he was at the liberation of Nazi death camps

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Of course the Liar-in-Chief is lying, why wouldn't he?

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

We all know he meant Ireland, right?

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Mandatory alarm clocks to be sent to every house so govt can track what time people get up each morning, and calculate their tax liability and welfare provisions accordingly. Orwellian stuff. Or even Huxley.

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Kevin O'Sullivan @kevinkosullivan.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

On a not-so-serious note, this must mean that historians (who routinely pore over 2,000 pages of docs in order to write a couple of paragraphs) are insane. On a serious note, this kind of attitude to using AI is what we must defend against. At some point, you simply *have* to read the stuff.

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jjsalmo @jjsalmo.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Over the weekend a woman engaging in ema peaceful protest was beaten to the ground at the Reform Ltd conference. Cheered on by Farage, then Jenrick took to the airwaves to defend the assault and sneer at the victim. This is who and what Reform is.

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timoconnorbl.bsky.social @timoconnorbl.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Oh, God, not this again. History repeating as farce.

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Underground canal plans proceeding a la the Death Star

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Gavan Reilly @gavreilly.com · 01/09/2026

Keir Starmer standing down as an MP - a safe Labour seat in Holborn and St Pancras but nonetheless a by-election distraction that his successor Andy Burnham could probably have done without

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Working Class History @workingclasshistory.com · 31/08/2025

#OtD 31 Aug 1913 police attacked a crowd in O'Connell Street, in a drunken rampage that became known as 'Bloody Sunday'. During the Dublin lockout of tram workers, 300 officers attacked a crowd of mostly onlookers stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/1035...

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

29 years since my first introduction to Sky News

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The scenes in the cars are only a few holding-mobile-flat-in-hand-while-making-calls scenes from being The Irish Apprentice #TraitorsIRL

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Darach Ó Séaghdha @darach.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

“…recognise that it is for the people of the island of Ireland alone, by agreement between the two parts respectively and without external impediment, to exercise their right of self-determination on the basis of consent, freely and concurrently given… to bring about a united Ireland”.

Extract from the Good Friday Agreement, 1998: “1. The participants endorse the commitment made by the British and Irish Governments that, in a new British-Irish Agreement replacing the Anglo-Irish Agreement, they will:
(i)
recognise the legitimacy of whatever choice is freely exercised by a majority of the people of Northern Ireland with regard to its status, whether they prefer to continue to support the Union with Great Britain or a newsovereign united Ireland;
(ii)
recognise that it is for the people of the island of Ireland alone, by agreement between the two parts respectively and without external impediment, to exercise their right of self-determination on the basis of consent, freely and concurrently given, North and South, to bring about a united Ireland, if that is their wish, accepting that this right must be achieved and exercised with and subject to the agreement and consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland”

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 27/08/2026

Breaking News: Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb general during the Balkan wars of the 1990s who was convicted in the killing of 8,000 Muslims at Srebrenica, Europe’s deadliest massacre since World War II, has died. He was 83.

nyti.ms

Ratko Mladic, Murderous ‘Butcher of Bosnia,’ Dies at 83

A general during the Balkan wars of the 1990s, he was convicted in the killing of some 8,000 Muslims at Srebrenica, Europe’s deadliest massacre since World War II.

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Laura McAtackney @lauramca.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I sometimes laugh with the bitter irony of the far right claim the university sector is filled with left wing ideologies when you see letters like this to the paper of record. Begrudging a messily €4m to assist students from Gaza.

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Chaos in the #Vuelta, massive hailstones on the final climb. Some scenes.

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Picard Tips @picardtips.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Picard management tip: Get excited about your work. Your excitement is contagious.

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Dr Mary McAuliffe @drmarymcauliffe.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Whatever Jason Arday did or didn’t do, the unrelenting bullying by the media, by the race baiters, by the far right, hounded him to death. Will they learn any lesson … will they what! They and their hate filled little souls will move on, without a thought or any regret, to the next target.

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Some personal news (is that still a thing?): Change in bio incoming! #PhDone

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Finding it hard to concentrate tonight, listening to the beautiful tunes from @johncreedon.bsky.social and the many tributes to Glen Hansard. A fine musician and a decent skin too by most accounts. May he rest gently for eternity.

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Lovely to hear @amflynn.bsky.social on today's @secondcaptains.bsky.social pod. Hope the celebrations are going strong!

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

And here they come: The Basket of Deplorables

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Glum Rock @jimblower.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Paredes congratulating the Spanish players. #SPAARG #ESPARG

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

A 5-3 lead is a dangerous one ...

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Petition for a special @secondcaptains.bsky.social episode if this game ends 5-4

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

France received le mere et le pere of all half time admonishments by the looks of it

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Heading towards Melisey, home of Pinot and the 🐐🐐 #TDF2026

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RTÉ News @news.rte.ie · 17/07/2026

Oscar-winning Irish actress Brenda Fricker, best known for her roles in My Left Foot and Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, has died aged 81 | Follow updates

rte.ie

Fricker enjoyed career spanning more than six decades

Follow live developments as Oscar-winning Irish actress Brenda Fricker has died aged 81.

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(Dr) John O'Donovan @jodcork.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Best passage of play of the game there

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