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Mark Leahy

@markleahy.bsky.social
518 followers 314 following 19 posts

Irish writer/artist living in Devon, UK. he/him Performance, voice, text, artist publications. HE teaching/supervision. Administration and governance in creative arts organisations. www.markleahy.net

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Mark Leahy @markleahy.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Thank you to the performers for their presentation of Swim Litany at 37 Looe Street on Thursday 27th. Thanks to everyone who turned out to listen, your attention and focus was appreciated. And thanks to Angela Piccini and Sefryn Penrose for the opportunity. photo: @angelapiccini.bsky.social
cropped image of two people standing facing the camera, the figure on the left is wearing a bright yellow shirt and dark skirt, she holds some sheets of paper; the figure on the right wears a blue and white striped shirt and yellow patterned tie, and holds some sheets of white paper.
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Paul Hearn @paulxhearn.eurosky.social · 11/08/2026
Good post day #1: three splendidly spare Uniformpamphlets from @uniformbooks.bsky.social www.colinsackett.co.uk/uniformbooks...
Three pamphlets displayed in a staggered pile with black sans-serif titles on simple plain-white covers; INCISIONS, M K B P, THE
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Dr Panti Bliss-Cabrera @pantibliss.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
I wonder if the Lord Mayor also approves of the sarcastic quotation marks they put around "religion" when referring to (presumably) Catholicism 🤣
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Dr Panti Bliss-Cabrera @pantibliss.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
This is an Instagram post from the Lord Mayor of Dublin encouraging Dubliner's to visit "the world's largest floating book fair" on a ship docked in Dublin for "educational" purposes, and to "meet the crew" etc etc and doesn't even mention that it's actually an evangelical Christian organisation
instagram.com
lordmayorofdublin on Instagram: "🚢📚 Official Opening of Logos Hope in DublinThe Lord Mayor of Dublin @darylbarron was delighted to go aboard @logoshope and attend…"
🚢📚 Official Opening of Logos Hope in DublinThe Lord Mayor of Dublin @darylbarron was delighted to go aboard @logoshope and attend the Official Opening Ceremony of the world’s largest floating book fair, as the vessel begins its visit to Dublin.The ceremony brought together the Logos Hope leadership team and international crew, diplomatic representatives, Dublin Port Authority, community partners and special guests, with a Parade of Nations, cultural performance, speeches and the official ribbon cutting and inauguration.In his address, the Lord Mayor welcomed the Captain, Director, crew and the international community of Logos Hope to Dublin, highlighting the city’s longstanding connection with the sea and the importance of bringing people, cultures, knowledge and communities together.📖 With thousands of books and educational resources on board, Logos Hope offers visitors the opportunity to discover new ideas, meet people from around the world and experience a truly global community.The Lord Mayor encouraged the people of Dublin to come aboard during the ship’s stay, explore the book fair, meet the crew and experience the spirit of friendship, learning and hope that Logos Hope represents.Fáilte go Baile Átha Cliath — welcome to Dublin, Logos Hope! 🇮🇪🌍🚢#LogosHope #Dublin #LordMayorDublinView all comments
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Mark Leahy @markleahy.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Swim Litany an A3 visual text and score. On August 27th at 37 Looe Street Gallery, a group of performers will read from the text, their voices mixing, blending, bumping against each other as they navigate the three sections. Performance: 1800hrs Thurs 27 Aug at 37 Looe Street, Plymouth, PL4 0DQ
a wooden jetty leads away from the camera into a misty lake; a life ring on a pole is at the end of the jetty, and two yellow bouys can just be seen in the water beyond; over the image is text reading "Swim Litany, 158 swims, 27 locations, 12 months, 24 people; Performance of the spoken word score at 6.00pm (1800hrs) Bathing Places, 37 Looe Street, Plymouth on Thursday 27th August 2026"
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Sarah Bodman @sarahbodman.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
It's the last week of our World Book Night exhibition next week, ending Friday 31st July. Catch it while you can. After that all the artworks will be getting swapped and posted out from 6th August in our hand stamped and drawn mountain envelopes. More info at: www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/wbn2026/
The poster for our World Book Night exhibition at Bower Ashton Library - text reads 'The Mountains Are Calling' with a painted image of a grey hued mountain in the background.Brown envelopes which have been stamped with a black mountain design and drawn on with white ink and a green mountain stamp - we send these to artists who have contributed to our exhibition 'The Mountains Are Calling'.Brown envelopes which have been stamped with a black mountain design and drawn on with white ink and a green mountain stamp - we send these to artists who have contributed to our exhibition 'The Mountains Are Calling'.Brown envelopes which have been stamped with a black mountain design and drawn on with white ink and a round rubber stamp in green ink that reads WORLD BOOK NIGHT UNITED ARTISTS AT UWE SINCE 2010 - we will be sending these to artists who have contributed to our exhibition 'The Mountains Are Calling'.
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David Henningham 郭大衛 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ 💖💛💙 @henninghampress.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
In C D Rose's letter below, you'll find a rich reading list headed by women who "write like it matters." In turn, this list reveals that the original reviewer drew upon a shallow reading list composed of much-hyped books (not their fault, of course), books he judged by their spines
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Day 1 saw Burnham back the US in using UK bases to carry on its war of aggression. Day 2, we've heard his plans to saddle low-income countries with more debts. New face, old politics. We need real change: standing up to Trump and showing real leadership on the world stage.
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The Spectre Haunting Europe @frightfulhobgoblin.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Or, to be accurate, it will will boost US economic growth. There is no such thing as military Keynesianism. You cannot have trickle-down to British communities when you pour money into the pockets of a handful of US-based defence conglomerates. It just doesn't even make a lick of sense.
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David Higgins @davidhiggins.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Lectureship in Creative Writing at the University of Leeds; full time; ongoing contract. jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...
jobs.leeds.ac.uk
Job Opportunity at University of Leeds: Lectureship in Creative Writing
Ranked 29th in the world (QS 2026), the School of English at the University of Leeds operates at the leading edge of recent developments in literary studies and creative practice. Located within the F...
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Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Hard to think of a more deeply damaging start to Burnham’s premiership than giving green light to new oil & gas in N. Sea, if true. It won’t lower bills or lead to greater energy security but will drive an even hotter planet. What a terrible signal to give to rest of the world #ClimateVandalism
x.com
BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) on X
Andy Burnham will announce plans for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea when he becomes prime minister on Monday, the BBC has been told. The announcement will form part of a flurry of policy m...
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Hugh Brechin @hughrbrechin.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
this is unworkably insane as well as morally repellent, and still isn't going to win the government any points at all from the people who are now going to tour the country waging lawfare against any organisations that look like they might be treating trans people with dignity
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Sally Hayden @sallyhayd.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Catriona has worked for more than a decade now in many ways to advance migrant/refugee rights, women's rights, children's rights etc. (in Brussels and in Ireland) She has long been a passionate advocate for those in need. She is also a talented musician (we were in orchestra together).
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Netpol @netpol.org · 14/05/2026
If you are in central London on Saturday to march with the Palestine Coalition, don't forget these five key 'Know Your Rights' messages – and share them with others who may not know them
Joining the Palestine protest? Here's our key advice!

🍉NO COMMENT. You don't need to answer police questions, so don't.

🍉NO PERSONAL DETAILS. You don't have to give personal details under any stop and search power*, so don't.

🍉UNDER WHAT POWER? Ask "Under what power?" to challenge the police to act lawfully. They must have a legal basis for their actions.

🍉NO DUTY SOLICITOR. Use a recommended solicitor with protest experience if you are arrested.

🍉NO CAUTION. A caution is a legal admission of guilt.

*There are a few situations in which police may have a power to require personal details: if someone is driving a vehicle (or another licensed activity); if they are being fined under a Fixed Penalty Notice; under a particular anti-social behaviour power (which should not generally be used against protesters); or if there is a particular by-law (for example, in a port or airport).
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John Gibbons 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 🇪🇺 @thinkorswim.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Amazing the hysteria over a €127k spend on a bike shed, yet just by looking at photo, it's quite clear this is a substantial structure. Meanwhile, actual millions are spent building car parks, but what have commentariat got to say about it? Absolutely nothing. www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41...
irishexaminer.com
HSE chief defends €127k spend on bike shed at Kerry Hospital
HSE chief executive Anne O’Connor also acknowledged 'the reality of hospital overcrowding' to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation conference today
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Uniformbooks @uniformbooks.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
For the benefit of the small flurry of recent followers: Uniformbooks are available direct: uniformbooks.co.uk and may also be ordered through any bookshop; and online, Blackwells, for example, carry all of our titles, and offer free delivery. blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/search?keyword=uniformbooks
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Simon McGarr @tupped.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Our political and media system has been sitting in a pot of social media water, slowling boiling itself in a targeted foreign far-right propaganda campaign and seems unable to notice it happening. www.thegist.ie/the-gist-sun...
A circular diagram showing how Far Right Narratives are fed into Platform Aplification algorithims, and then media and commentary take up the points thinking them representative of public discussion, leading to the political system reponding and adopting some of them. This leads to a shift in the real public's perception of what matters, and ends in a ligitimisation of those fringe positions. 

"This report tells us two things. The first, and most important, is that most people are decent and that the more they are exposed to discussions of controversial things, the more likely they are to decide to support the decent position.

The other thing it tells us is that we have political and media institutions which are completely incapable of recognising when they are being targeted by foreign interference campaigns. "
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Alex Says Stuff @alexsaysstuff.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
If you actually want to improve Holocaust education in schools, maybe you should start by ensuring that the most popular book being used to teach it isn't one that's an absolute steaming pile of pseudohistorical garbage from someone who knows fuck all about the topic.
holocausteducation.org.uk
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in English secondary schools – Centre for Holocaust Education
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Post Punk-y Brewster @krismeana.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Coachella is trying to wipe all of the footage of The Strokes protest set so I’m gonna post it here. The last images on the screen made me cry.
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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Highly recommended - brilliantly filmed and endearingly presented. Really opened our eyes to the fact that there's an awful lot more to bees than honey and bumble!
bbc.co.uk
My Garden of a Thousand Bees
Wildlife film-maker Martin Dohrn is bee obsessed. He has found over 60 species in his Bristol garden and sets out to film them, with mind-blowing results.
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Emanuel Maiberg @emanuelmaiberg.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
after much deliberation and giving AI the benefit of the doubt, Wikipedia editors have had enough of AI slop. New policy bans LLM generated content, periodt www.404media.co/wikipedia-ba...
404media.co
Wikipedia Bans AI-Generated Content
“In recent months, more and more administrative reports centered on LLM-related issues, and editors were being overwhelmed.”
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Nate O @nateo.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
The UK papers have now pushed a narrative of Muslims ‘dominating’ the UK for celebrating a holiday and praying in public, something all other religions do and Muslims have done for centuries, while also decrying any attempts to disestablish the Church of England as an attack on Christianity per se
Nick Timothy
Islamic domination of the public sphere is unacceptable
The normalisation of large-scale religious assertions in our civic spaces aligns with a broader pattern of hard-edged ideological aims
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Mike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
This is what evil states do - torture - mass torture of people in detention. “Israel is systematically torturing Palestinians on a scale “that suggests collective vengeance and destructive intent”.”
aljazeera.com
Israel systematically torturing Palestinians in custody, says UN expert
Report by Francesca Albanese says 'torture in detention used on unprecedented scale as punitive collective vengeance'.
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Sarah Bodman @sarahbodman.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Some of the 200 pieces received for World Book Night 2026 The Mountains Are Calling… Our exhibition opens in April at UWE Bristol Bower Ashton Library and is on show until 31st July. Works here by: @rareautumn.bsky.social @nickwhimster.bsky.social @porcovolente.bsky.social @markleahy.bsky.social 🗻⛰️
A postcard made for World Book Night about mountains, showing a collage of text with some watercolour painted mountains and blossom trees. By Sara - rareautumn.A screenprint made for World Book Night about mountains, showing wave lines making the shape of a mountain. By Nick Whimster.A bookwork made for World Book Night about mountains, hand cut paper in the shape of a mountain range, it has text printed on it inspired by Nan Shepherd's book The Living Mountain and also Robert MacFarlane's book Landmarks. By porcovolente.A text-based image made for World Book Night about mountains. The text shapes echo the triangular shape of mountains, printed in red, blue and green. The piece is made in response to Zsuzanna Gahse's 2024 book Mountainish, published by Prototype, and the text artwork is a wordplay that references Carrauntoohil, Ireland's highest mountain. By Mark Leahy.
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Robert Sheppard @robertsheppard.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Congratulations! 10% off is a good deal. Perhaps for my little Broken Sleep title? robertsheppard.blogspot.com/2025/10/my-n.... Or for dozens of others.
robertsheppard.blogspot.com
My new book Elle: A Verse Novel is published by Broken Sleep Books
My new book Elle: A Verse Novel  is now published by Broken Sleep Books   Details for ORDER:  Robert Sheppard - Elle, a Verse Novel | Br...
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Louise 💛 To The Universe ✨ @louiserabeyart.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
My brain may be rubbish today... but I did a thing.
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Emma Welton @emmawelton.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Rocks to Reef with @tidelines.bsky.social, Anne-Marie Culhane, Exe Estuary shellfishers. Learning about the delicate and ever-adjusting balance of estuary lives over centuries. I wrote about the early stages of our immersion. tidelines.uk/blog/a-toe-i...
tidelines.uk
A Toe in the Mud - Exe Oysters and Mussels - Tidelines
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Pádraic Fogarty @whittledaway.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
Latest figures show a total failure of policy to deal with agriculture emissions www.independent.ie/farming/fore...
independent.ie
Emissions fall but due to falling herd numbers as nitrogen usage rises
Any reduction in emissions from the agricultural sector last year will be mainly due to reduced cattle numbers as nitrogen usage continues to increase.
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John Lannon @jclannon.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
The change in how the rules on eligibility for citizenship are being applied is desperately unfair on people who've spent years in the asylum system. Like many other measures being taken by government now, it makes newcomers feel unwelcome, adds to their stress & trauma, and serves no useful purpose
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(Mar)Chella Ward @luxmea.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
New article from me for @middleeastmonitor.bsky.social on how museums (like the British Museum), universities and other institutions are complicit in the Zionist genocidal project of rewriting history and erasing ancient Palestine. Read: www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260215-isr...
middleeastmonitor.com
Israel is trying to rewrite history – and British institutions risk helping them do it
Israel is trying to rewrite ancient history. In Palestine, Israel has systematically destroyed ancient heritage and made colonial land grabs of archaeological sites like the ancient Palestinian tow…
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Joe Noonan @joenoonan.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
The British Museum has quietly removed the word ‘Palestine’ from maps, information panels and galleries, after lobbying. www.newarab.com/news/british...
newarab.com
British Museum removes the word ‘Palestine’ from exhibits
The British Museum has removed the word ‘Palestine’ from information panels and galleries following pressure from the group UK Lawyers for Israel
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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Would be good if the Prime Minister and/or Home Secretary would for once come out and describe this as the unadulterated racism and xenophobia it so clearly is.
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Mark Leahy @markleahy.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Call for Submissions: "On a day like today ..." A new publication from art.earth Books bringing together a broad array of thinkers and practitioners to explore energy, culture and creative practice. You can learn more at artearthbooks.com/a-day-like-t... The deadline for submissions is May 9.
art.earth
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Saoirse McHugh @saoirsemc.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
There are currently two corporations with applications to strip the west coast of seaweed. There will be a tiny window to put in a submission to these applications but it'd be good to build momentum now and get these applications being talked about locally. Please sign and share.
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Codie Preston @codie1cory.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Please sign ✍️
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Richard A Carter @richardacarter.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
New Open Access Booklet! As part of the AHRC BRAID project 'Museum Visitor Experience and the Responsible Use of AI to Communicate Colonial Collections' (PI Dr Joanna Tidy, Sheffield) we've developed a resource for heritage professionals evaluating responsible AI use richardacarter.com/braid-report/
A book cover on an orange background. The cover is decorated with colourful tile designs, akin to those seen throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and India. The title reads "Coloniality, Collections, and the Responsible Use of AI in Museums and Heritage." The subtitle reads "A toolkit and workbook". Below this are logos of institutions involved in the resource: BRAID, UKRI, Leeds Royal Armouries, University of Sheffield, University of Cambridge, Sheffield Hallam University, University of York
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Rick @flipchartrick.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
As ever @danneidle.bsky.social is on the case. taxpolicy.org.uk/2026/01/29/w...
taxpolicy.org.uk
Who secretly owns Britain? Map of hidden UK property owners
Explore an interactive map of nearly 100,000 UK properties owned by offshore companies. In over 40% of cases, the real owner is hidden.
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Cosáin Climate @cosaingalway.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Harvesting 40,000 metric tonnes of intertidal seaweed per annum is an industrial scale operation. The length of coastline involved is massive, but it's likely that the biomass is not evenly distributed, so harvesting may be concentrated in particular localities. The impacts could be significant.
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Podcasting is Praxis @praxiscast.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
We keep banging on about council funding because the end result is this very real, very depressing fraying of the social fabric. Newcastle needs to save £200k so the park cafes close, the staff is let go, and another community anchor goes. To save pennies. www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
chroniclelive.co.uk
Newcastle parks cafe staff 'shellshocked' by sudden double closure
Council-run cafes in both Exhibition Park and Paddy Freeman's Park are to be closed down, with bosses saying they are no longer financially viable
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Kev ó Mhaigh Eo @kevfrommayo.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
Reporting X on Google Play. Links & text to copy: Allegedly infringing URLs: play.google.com/store/apps/d... Please cite the specific law... : Sections 5,6 and 9 of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 Please provide a link to the specific law: www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1998/act...
X app in Google Play Store. Click Flag as inappropriate.Click follow these instructions.Click you can report it.Google reporting form.
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Wendy Lyon @wendylyon.eurosky.social · 12/01/2026
The Deputy leader of this government is telling an outright lie in order to stir up racial hatred and build support for more oppressive laws This is a dangerous dangerous path we are going down. #speirghorm
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Lilith Ferreyra-Carroll @trasinscneach.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
When I see all that's happening the more I feel we need to drastically evolve, start looking around us at what we need to build together. Ireland's future isn't data centers or NATO. It's expanding out the GAA & credit union models to housing, caring, food, infrastructure. The Meithal system 2.0.
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David Wearing @davidwearing.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
Campaign Against Arms Trade are a great source of reliable information and high quality analysis on UK arms sales. They have important resources on UK arms to Israel in the context of the Gaza genocide. Vital that we keep ourselves informed about these things. caat.org.uk/publications...
caat.org.uk
CAAT - How the UK arms and supports Israel’s genocide in Gaza
The UK is deeply complicit in supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza: through arms sales, RAF reconnaissance flights over Gaza, from which it is suspected intelligence is shared with Israel, training of...
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Mark Leahy @markleahy.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
with best wishes for the solstice / chanukah / yule / christmas / new year period ... stay warm, well, safe if you can. be kind to those around you. 💚
an image of a flower pattern sheet filling a gap in a wire fence against a wintry landscape of hills and trees, overlaid with a circle of words in pale blue reading: wreath gather darkness wonder herald turning.
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m. r. sauter @oddletters.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
: drags out the drum labeled "venture capital is a financial project to appropriate and privatize communal savings vehicles under the guise of 'institutional investment' while socializing and devolving risk and has been since ~1976" and bangs it was gesturing aggressively at this thread :
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The National @scotnational.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Tomorrow's front page 📰 'The UK is letting these people die'
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Pádraic Fogarty @whittledaway.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
This is incredibly disappointing. Imagine if the government treated the protection of nature with the same level of priority that they placed on keeping the nitrates derogation www.irishtimes.com/environment/...
irishtimes.com
Ireland’s natural habitats decline further with 90% officially in poor condition
Head of National Parks and Wildlife Service says time to begin conservation efforts ‘was yesterday’
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Mark Leahy @markleahy.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
a white grid with two rectangular spaces, each has a blue background and a roughly smeared cloud-like shape in white paint; centered in each rectangle is a single word, in the upper area the word 'shopping' in pink, in the lower half, the word 'olympics' in pale green; #poetry #writing #seasonal
a white grid with two rectangular spaces, each has a blue background and a roughly smeared cloud-like shape in white paint; centered in each rectangle is a single word, in the upper area the word 'shopping' in pink, in the lower half, the word 'olympics' in pale green;
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