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Micheal

@michealhalton.bsky.social
663 followers 1.1K following 505 posts

Interested in Energy, transport, urban planning.

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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 2h
They have inlcuded line speed improvements and level crossing closures in their prioritisation plan but obviously the timeline depends entirely on funding being allocated to make those investments. DART+ South West being delayed to the 2030s will definitely slow Cork-Dublin improvements.
assets.gov.ie
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 12h
The plan includes a new curve bypassing Limerick junction which cuts the train journey time in half so it will be quicker by train than by car for cork to Waterford. The red block in the second photo above shows the future rail journey time. The empty box is the current time.
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Emma Rua @ealadubh.bsky.social · 16/10/2026
#SpéirGorm #SallyRooney #FreePalestine #SpéirGhorm #SaoirseDonPhailistín 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸
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Claire Iníon BouliSneachta @claireissimo.bsky.social · 16/10/2026
Get yerselves some Saorview! #SpeirGorm #SpéirGhorm #SpéirGorm
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 23h
Kind of - the links to dublin are still important but there is a significant improvement Cork - Waterford and obviously the new line to Derry and from portadown to Mullingar.
All Ireland strategic rail review map Travel time chnages between major cities under AISRR
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lostexpectation.bsky.social @lostexpectation.bsky.social · 16/10/2026
The Destruction Of Dublin, RTE Slants 1985 youtu.be/vP3MQqLnewA... via @YouTube #mastodaoine #speirghorm #iepol
youtu.be
The Destruction Of Dublin, 1985
Frank McDonald has written a critique of urban planning, development and the failure to protect buildings in Dublin. A journalist with The Irish Times, Frank McDonald specialises in architecture, environmental and planning issues. His book 'The Destruction of Dublin', published by Gill and Macmilla
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Aidan O’Brien @aidanobrien.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
Just a reminder, the Irish government has used its time holding the EU presidency to introduce a proposal to weaken EU data privacy regulations. This measure would allow AI companies to scrap private information from hundreds of millions of EU citizens to use for their training models.
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P. O'Leary @p-oleary.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
'Ravensbergen's report advises learning from “international experience and expertise”. It is hard not to see this as a mild rebuke to the peace processors of #NorthernIreland, who presume they only have lessons to teach the world.' Fascinating piece. #SpéirGorm www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026...
irishtimes.com
Newton Emerson: Many loyalists are desperate to leave. The only thing stopping some is an ‘exit fee’
The UDA waives the charge if someone finds religion so it has reportedly been spying on churches for confirmation
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Mike McKillen @mikemckillen.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
No room at the hoops this afternoon for my e-bike due to bike-share dominance. @dccbeta.bsky.social & Councillors, please create more secure on-street parking as with the arrival of Moby the stands have not increased in tandem with the welcome addition to the fleet.
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Shazzy @shazbear.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
🙄😶
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
prometheus-mag.com/2026/08/07/l... #spéirghorm #speirgorm #speirghorm #ireland
prometheus-mag.com
Loyalism’s Long, Fascist Shadow - Prometheus Magazine
Odrán de Bhaldraithe argues that the recent Belfast pogroms are nothing but the latest expression of a centuries-long paramilitary tradition.
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Lanrick Bennett @lanrickbennett.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
Who’s Streets? Our Streets! #BikeTO
Cyclists block removal
Protesters halt planned teardown of Bloor Street bike lanes in Etobicoke

ANDY TAKAGI
TRANSPORTATION REPORTER
The Ford government's removal of bike lanes on a 1.2-kilometre stretch of Bloor Street on Tuesday evening was temporarily thwarted by cycling advocates.
Four construction trucks left
Green Lanes and Bloor Street West in Etobicoke to chants of "get home safe," after hundreds of cyclists blocked construction workers from entering and moving their trucks.
The government had previously
confirmed to the Star that work filled with reflective traffic drums would begin on Tuesday to remove the bike lanes on that stretch of
that would have been used to block
Bloor Street.
off the bike lanes. Despite some
The plan, which will eventually
tense exchanges between protesters and police, the vehicles left
remove 19 kilometres of bike lanes
without completing any work.
across the city, has been polarizing for years. Some local businesses
"It was good to see the workers
have raised concerns about the bike
listen to reason," said David Shell-nutt, a lawyer and cycling advocate.
lanes impact on parking and con-
"These guys are just here for a job."
gestion, while cycling advocates have legally challenged the decision
"We (will) stick around foras long as it takes. That's tonight, that's to-
to rip them out.
morrow, that's this week, that's next
Protesters swarmed the construc-
week."
tion vehicles, two of which were
SEE CYCLISTS, A3
Advocates gather along Bloor Street ahead of the planned removal of bike lanes on Tuesday evening.
STEVE RUSSELL/ TORONTOOnce lanes are gone,
'our safety is at risk'
ETOBICOKE BIKE LANES
BEING REMOVED
Existing lanes
CYCLISTS FROM A1
the Bloor bike lanes. When that lane is removed, I will take her in
Transportation Minister Prab-meet Sarkaria's office did not im-
my SUV and there you go, congestion is not solved."
mediately respond to a request for comment when asked when con-
Earlier in the evening, protesters
struction would continue or
- both bipedal and on bicycle - filled the stretch of the Bloor bike
whether it would be paused due to
lanes between Clissold and Royal
the protests.
York roads. Cyclists created a long.
"To destroy Toronto's complete streets, and to make it illegal to
winding chain of bodies and bikes to occupy the bike lane in both di-
build them anywhere in the province is to guarantee violent, preven-
rections in anticipation of con-
table deaths," said Jess Spieker, a
struction crews.
spokesperson for Friends and Fam-
As the evening wore on, what was
ilies for Safe Streets.
originally around 300 protesters
"Once these lanes are removed,
dwindled and the long chain of pro-
ering how much it's gonna cost On-
our safety is at risk," said Shellnutt.
testers thinned out, but the swarm tario taxpayers."
coalesced again as the construction
"I take my kid to daycare here on
workers showed up.
Coming from London, Ont., where bike infrastructure is scant.
*If construction ever shows up,
Hannoufa said traffic is still terri-
we're not going to leave the bike lane until they leave," Shellnutt
ble, "so I know adding one extra
said.
lane isn't going to fix the problem." The Ford government has previ-
ISLING TON AVE.
ROYAL YORK RD.
According to a publicly posted
ously blamed bike lanes for the
construction notice, the Ministry of Transportation will be conducting
city's congestion.
Bike lane removal efforts were
road work on the 1.2-kilometre
Etobicoke
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Social Democrats @social-democrats.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
The Taoiseach's arrogance towards public sector workers has been astonishing. Instead of taking responsibility for the lack of engagement with unions, he has just dismissed their frustration offhand. Unions have no choice but to strike. But govt can choose to put a credible pay deal on the table.
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Marketa @marketadowling.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
#speirgorm #speirghorm
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
"The only competition between them all now is in the eternal arena of clientelism. It tells us everything that last month Fianna Fáil TDs held “an emergency meeting” because they believed Fine Gael TDs were getting in ahead of them to announce grants for local sports clubs."
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
With Census 2016 for comparison. experience.arcgis.com/experience/a...
experience.arcgis.com
Experience
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Census 2022 also shows this Dub-ification of Ireland www.cso.ie/en/releasesa...
Dublin born popualtion by Electoral district, census 2022
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
"2018 government paper, Dominant Cities in Small Advanced Economies, compared Ireland with its peers. It found that Ireland’s unusual feature is its second tier, not its capital: Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford are smaller than their peers in comparable countries." assets.gov.ie/static/docum...
assets.gov.ie
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Really interesting read from @ronanlyons.bsky.social about the history of Irish housing and how Dublins' population has spread outwards into the surrounding counties as housing supply has stalled within the city and county boundary. #spéirghorm thecurrency.news/articles/241...
thecurrency.news
Ronan Lyons: Ireland tried to stop Dublin growing. Instead, it made the city sprawl - The Currency
Few ideas in Irish public life have lasted as long as the idea that Dublin is too big. The language changes with the decade. In 1968, the Buchanan report on regional development described the country’...
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
The talk
We want to have fun but cars can kill you. So you can’t go in the street. I know it’s unfair but that’s the way it is.
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Gavan Reilly @gavreilly.com · 12/10/2026
Bit of positive news to start the week: the online voter registration system voter.ie is now live nationwide (having previously worked only for Dubliners) - now anyone in the State can register or update their details on the electoral register in a couple of minutes using only their PPS number.
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
That is a truly horrendous suit! 😵‍💫😵‍💫
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
“This spring, more than 9,000 medical school graduates were left without a residency placement,” “Without securing residencies, these physicians-to-be must either face a lost year and try again, take up research or administrative work, or leave medicine altogether.” thehill.com/opinion/heal...
thehill.com
Washington created the doctor shortage — here’s how to end it
The U.S. faces a growing physician shortage due to a federal cap on residency positions, resulting in a tragic waste of talent and a need for the government to remove barriers and allow the supply …
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Conor @ernekid.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
It’s really important that the Irish government pays to torture dogs for the enjoyment of a couple of hundred degenerate gamblers. It’s an important part of Irish culture
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H 🍉🌿 @helendublin.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
#speirgorm
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
The law actually changed in ireland in 2024 - not that anyone would notice. irishcycle.com/2024/05/21/c...
irishcycle.com
Clarity added that drivers must yield to people waiting at zebra crossings
— Rule applies to zebra crossings with and without orange Belisha beacons.– Zerba crossings across cycle paths also given legal backing. Clarity has been added to legislation outlining …
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
I think historically, the UK and Ireland have required pedestrians to set foot on the road before cars are required to stop. Most European countries require drivers to stop for pedestrians waiting at zebra crossings and actually enforce this. It’s about enforcement, a mythical presence in Irish life
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Joe Noonan @joenoonan.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Ireland: The spin and misinformation around the triple lock is eye-watering - @tomclonan.bsky.social
irishexaminer.com
The spin and misinformation around the triple lock is eye-watering
Suggesting there is ‘no link’ between the triple lock and our neutral status is akin to suggesting there is no link between the steering wheel and the brakes on a car, writes Senator Tom Clonan
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Simon Boyne @simonb84.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Absolute deck chairs on the Titanic stuff #IrishPolitics #SpéirGorm www.independent.ie/irish-news/m...
independent.ie
Minister wanted to change name of Road Safety Authority... but only very slightly
Seán Canney suggested rebranding after ‘unfair criticism’
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Emma Rua @ealadubh.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
#SpéirGorm It would be nice to get this #Newgrange gold collection back www.britishmuseum.org/collection/o...
britishmuseum.org
necklace | British Museum
Gold chain necklace: 50 links of basic single loop-in-loop construction, with a standard hook and eye clasp, now damaged. The links are very uneven, and there has been extensive crushing damage. Th...
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By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 09/10/2026
Seid has been repeatedly fined and cited and warned, and he's carried on turning the neighborhood into an uncontrolled vermin breeding facility: gizmodo.com/a-billionair...
gizmodo.com
A Billionaire Is Fueling a Rat Explosion in a Chicago Park in the Stupidest Way Possible
Undeterred by fines and warnings, 94-year-old electronics billionaire Barre Seid has been accused of creating a “public health hazard” by paying henchmen to feed park animals en masse.
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The Journal @thejournal.ie · 11/10/2026
Young girls in Gaza forced to marry to survive: 'Before the war, we wanted our daughters to study, now everything has changed' ... jrnl.ie/7184726
jrnl.ie
http://jrnl.ie/7184726t
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Joe Noonan @joenoonan.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Help Wanted: In May 2025 International Criminal Court President publicly asked for help from the EU. Specifically, to implement its own law that would protect Judges from sanctions being imposed on them *within the EU*. The EU has ignored request for help. We are 17 months on.
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Not just France, the Netherlands’ foreign ministry has been picketed by its own civil servants over its stance on Palestine.
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H 🍉🌿 @helendublin.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Watched this on primetime. It's awful that there seems to little consideration from healthcare workers that these symptoms may indeed point to endometriosis. (Our experience too, even an MRI is only offered after yrs). Its also a disgrace that LIFE saving treatment had to be abroad #speirgorm #endo
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
RTÉ News: Is a massive public sector strike on Wednesday now inevitable? www.rte.ie/news/analysi... #speirghorm
rte.ie
Is next Wednesday's public sector strike now inevitable?
The money is there and both sides say they want to do a deal so how are we facing into a massively disruptive public sector strike on Wednesday, asks Work Correspondent Brian O'Donovan.
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
#speirgorm
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ᚃᚓᚏᚌᚐᚂ ᚋᚐᚉᚉᚒ ᚌᚐᚇᚆᚏᚐ @storzundbickel.eurosky.social · 08/10/2026
#Ireland #Spéirghorm #EuropeanParliament #EU #Europe
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Fine Gael actually made this promise at the last election. They claimed they’d have 100 public providers by the end of 2026. Can’t wait for them to promise it again next time! www.finegael.ie/fine-gael-se...
Fine Gael sets out vision to give children the best start in life
13th November 2024 - Fine Gael Press Office
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Ministers Helen McEntee and Neale Richmond, alongside Senators Emer Currie and Mary Seery Kearney, have today (Wednesday), set out Fine Gael’s plans to reform childcare provision, reduce child poverty and make Ireland a better place to raise a child.

Fine Gael will create 30,000 public childcare places, and introduce a €200 monthly cap on childcare per child, with families with more than three children paying no more than €600. A permanent double child benefit paid in August will help parents with back-to-school costs and pay-related Parents Benefit will help parents when availing of leave.
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
#spéirghorm NTA €2 fare for 90mins will jump to €2.30 in December, with other fares going up by 15-30%
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Dublin Commuters @dublincommuters.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
“Show us your budget, & we’ll show you your priorities” It’s certainly not Transport after two consecutive Government budgets that focus on cars & roads instead of Public Transport that is Affordable, Reliable & Frequent www.dublincommuters.ie/post/budget-...
dublincommuters.ie
Budget 2027; A big step backwards for Public Transport in Dublin
Government parties have been calling Budget 2027 one that puts money back in the pockets of working people; ironic considering less than a month ago they put their hands in those pockets and made…
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Fine Gael made a last minute pitch that they’d deliver Public childcare, that hasn’t moved forward an inch in this governments’ term. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
Fine Gael’s €860m childcare plan promises extra benefit payment and 30,000 new early learning places
Like other parties, Fine Gael has also pledged that parents will pay no more than €200 per month per child
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
#speirghorm
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CarolC @carolconnolly.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
A public body should be obliged to pursue a fair deal for workers over an exploitative one. This was part of the Quality in Public Procurement bill rejected by the government this year. #spéirghorm
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ᚃᚓᚏᚌᚐᚂ ᚋᚐᚉᚉᚒ ᚌᚐᚇᚆᚏᚐ @storzundbickel.eurosky.social · 05/10/2026
#Spéirghorm #Ireland #GiveBlood
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
And an interview with Luud Schimmelpennink who helped create it. He then foudned a shared car system after being elected to the Amsterdam council. www.bbc.com/audio/play/w... www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9vK...
bbc.com
BBC Audio | Witness History | The first bicycle-sharing scheme
How a Dutch engineer invented a scheme to share bikes and cut pollution in the 1960s.
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
If you need to find the owner of a piece of land then you can access the folio for almost everywhere in Ireland, from the land registry. There are commercial operators who will provide you the same information for 100X the actual cost. www.landdirect.ie #spéirghorm
landdirect.ie
landdirect.ie
The official Tailte Éireann online service which allows you to search the Land Registry map and view and order title documents for more than 2.2 million properties."
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Daryl 𝘊𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘗𝘩𝘶𝘪𝘮𝘤í𝘯 🎃 Feehely @darylfeehely.com · 04/10/2026
Well done Jennifer Whitmore! Oireachtas Committee testimony created solely from AI should most definitely not be accepted as expert opinion. 📽️@jen_whitmore_td & @social-democrats.bsky.social on insta: www.instagram.com/reel/DeCetuV... #IrishPol
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Joe Noonan @joenoonan.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Ireland: 418% increase in refusals of study visas for Palestinian students this year.
irishexaminer.com
Palestinian student visa refusals to Ireland rise 418% this year
Most of the students had secured fully funded places at Irish universities, with appeals and four High Court challenges now underway
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Micheal @michealhalton.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
20/31 LAs had increased the LPT to the 15% maximum allowed in last years’ determination. The only council to apply the full 15% reduction was Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. Fingal and South Dublin had smaller reductions of 7.5% and 5% assets.gov.ie/static/docum...
assets.gov.ie
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