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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Fascinating chat with a diplomat from a major European country this wee. In short, Burnham's speech has not had a big impact. The position, they say, is that UKG wants broadly speaking full access to the European single market. However: A 🧵

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Stephen O'Neill @oneillsb.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

it is striking, once again, that a united Ireland is contingent on the 'good' behaviour of nationalists in the face of sectarian triumphalism - in this specific case a community that has been terrorised by the Orange Order and its defenders

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

🧵 The depressing rise of anti-immigration sentiment. A recent poll showing 39% believe immigration is negative for Ireland highlights the need for education and accurate information on this issue. If you're one of the 39%, here's why you're wrong:

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2026/09/25/small-minority-would-consider-new-flag-or-anthem-to-make-irish-unity-acceptable-to-unionists/

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John Doyle @johndoyle.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Before the Vote: planning for a united Ireland" is finally available to buy or download on the link below. DCU Press is a fully open access, peer-reviewed, academic press - you can download the book for free, or come to a book launches and get a 33% discount. dcupress.dcu.ie/book/before-...

dcupress.dcu.ie

Before the Vote: Planning for a united Ireland | DCU Press

Before The Vote FlyerThe UK’s departure from the European Union threatened a hard border on the island of Ireland, aggravated social and political tensions and undermined key aspects of the 1998 peace...

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

A good question that is a good subject for a 🧵 Why is Sinn Féin advocating so much for a referendum in Northern Ireland that is highly likely to result in a No vote in the near term? Demanding a vote isn't just about winning tomorrow. It serves immediate strategic goals regardless of timing.

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

A couple of points that probably requires some clarification re: Northern Ireland. 1) The British Secretary has a legal obligation to call a referendum if the evidence demonstrates a majority are likely to support reunification with Ireland. It's not a decision the SoS makes in the absence of...

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Northern Ireland. There were no representatives of the government of Ireland present. That would be gross interference in the internal politics of the UK. To suggest that Ireland was present is deeply misleading.

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

1/47 🧵 Seeing a significant uptick in commentary today about Northern Ireland's constitutional status - driven by media reporting on a scheduled meeting of the First Ministers of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. A couple of important points of which commentators should be mindful:

itv.com

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

1/4 🧵 Two weeks on from Burnham's botched visit to Northern Ireland and we continue to see careless language that creates avoidable friction. Burnham’s loose framing continues to reveal a troubling misunderstanding of the Good Friday Agreement. First, "consensus" is not the constitutional...

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

1/3 Infant mortality figures highlight a stark cross-border disparity. Northern Ireland’s rate has climbed to 4.5 per 1,000 live births—the highest in the UK—with deaths heavily concentrated in the most deprived communities.

rte.ie

NI has highest infant mortality rate in UK, doctors warn

Northern Ireland now has the highest infant mortality rate in the UK, paediatricians have said.

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

As Ireland defence capabilities and policies once again come under the media spotlight, a 🧵 Military neutrality is a policy choice. Vulnerability is a neglect issue. We must stop conflating Ireland’s policy of military neutrality with the systemic under-resourcing of our Defence Forces. 🕊️ 1/3

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

🚨 Members of the Coalition for Atrocity Prevention have strongly condemned an August 30 attack on a clearly marked World Food Programme convoy in Dilling, South Kordofan, which injured civilian drivers and damaged life-saving aid. #Sudan (1/2)

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

A common piece of misinformation that's cropping up lot in dress at the moment. It's important to note that Ireland has not banned imports from Israel. That would be a beach of EU law. Ireland has enacted legislation that prohibits the import of goods from illegal settlements in...

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I've often wondered about the Guardian coverage of Ireland that I come across from time to time. It seems to qualify to write an article about Ireland you need to have an Irish sounding name and to have eaten a bag of Tayto once. In all seriousness though, it seems to be an editorial issue.

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Delusional "What would it take for your friend Andy Burnham to rise to the challenge, to pick up the phone to Carney and say, 'this matters to us,,, and we're going to create the structures to bring Canada in [to 🇪🇺]`* - Rory Stewart Burnham making decision of our FP? The UK is not a member 1

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

🧵Taking stock of Burnham's botched visit to Northern Ireland. Could there be long term consequences to his Ill advised claim that a border poll in Northern Ireland is "off the table"? First of all it's important to acknowledge that we're still in the swirl Burnham created during his visit to...

Irish Times coverage of Andy Burnham's disastrous visit to Northern Ireland. Headline: "Downing Street scrambles to calm row over Burnham's 'off the table' Irish unity poll remarks"

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2026/08/28/downing-street-tries-to-calm-row-over-burnhams-off-the-table-irish-unity-poll-remarks/

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Encouraging to see some sensible, level headed and fact based commentary from Hanna, Tonge and others putting Burnham firmly back in his box. Unfortunately not reflected in some other media outlets.

rte.ie

Burnham 'not correct' about border poll, Hanna says

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham was "not correct" to say that a border poll on Irish unity is "off-the-table", the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party has said.

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Oh wonderful, another British politician who hasn't read the Good Friday Agreement 🙄 Hopefully he won't insist on learning the hard way that there is a limited amount of patience with British actions that destabilise the peace agreement in Northern Ireland.

irishtimes.com

British PM Andy Burnham says border poll on united Ireland ‘off the table’

‘I see how referenda can really take you backwards because it turns people in on themselves,’ Burnham says in Belfast

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Quite an interesting perspective & discussion on the nature of our near neighbours' shared and conflicting understanding of their national identity. But also disappointingly yet more evidence of the unconscious micro-aggression we so consistently see towards Britain's neighbours in Ireland. In the…

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Disturbing evidence of more collusion in Northern Ireland between state authorities and British paramilitary groups. Except now the victims are migrants and people of colour.

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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

The Nick Boles proposal for the UK and EU to agree a single market in goods, and the LibDem proposal to sign up to (parts of?) the EU asylum pact, are less obnoxious than the Reform Party proposal to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement re benefits. But they have one thing in common...

static.klipy.com

Unicorn Painting

ALT: Unicorn Painting

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President of Ireland @president.ie · 16/08/2026

A huge congratulations to all the athletes who represented Ireland with such distinction at the European Athletics and Aquatics Championships in Birmingham and Paris. Congratulations to everyone who competed, achieved personal bests and brought medals home to Ireland. #TeamIreland

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Richard was so confident in his argument that he blocked and ran away 🤷 Unfortunately he didn't stick around for the punchline we typically arrive at with these kinds of British Nationalists. It is very Trumpian to insist on applying a political term to a geographic formation - just like the...

richardkbroughton.bsky.social making a series of inaccurate claims to defend his use of the controversial term 'British Isles' as a description of the entire British and Irish archipelago.

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

That's an interesting flag and name you've stuck under the country of Ireland there...checks notes..."Brilliant Maps" 👀

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

🤷 calling them the Pretanic Islands is an interesting idea. British and Irish Isles probably easier though. Regardless, the government and people of Ireland don't recognise the term 'British Isles' as a description of the whole archipelago inclusive of Ireland.

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

"An important and timely reminder" for Germany - you have a special responsibility to the Jewish people and a special responsibility to the people of the world, to take all available peaceful measures to prevent crimes against humanity. Never again.

A post from the German embassy in Ireland implying Ireland was guilty of anti-Semitism for equal condemnation of both Israeli and Hamas war crimes.

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Lee Hurley @hleehurley.com · 29/07/2026

Northern Ireland is a *really* small place. If you are half an hour drive from Belfast that's viewed as 'a bit far' by many. If there was a problem with trans people attacking cis women, people here would know about it. They know it's all bullshit and they can't abide bullies.

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Strange framing - British loyalist extremists in Northern Ireland have always subscribed to a racist ideology. There's nothing new about that.

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Heartening to see Martin Sandbu highlight in a major UK paper what has been a core of my issue with UK exceptionalism in recent years: 🇪🇺 law is the central part of any deal. Not UK law. Deals are done under 🇪🇺 law: - they must present a clear advantage to union MSs and citizens A 🧵

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When Burnham does turn his mind to the EU, he would be wise to absorb immediately the key lesson of the Gibraltar deal: EU law and economic attraction are a more immovable object than successive UK governments’ promises to the population.

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Concern increasing that the UK judicial system is sliding back into corrupt politically motivated practices. Ireland should be particularly concerned given how fundamental rule of law safeguards are to the Northern Ireland peace settlement. When originally reported, many believed this would be...

lawsociety.ie

Contempt claims against KC ‘without precedent’

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

We aren't family. We're neighbours. And we can be very friendly neighbours. But your overbearing over-familiarity makes that difficult sometimes. #speirghorm #spéirghorm #speirgorm #Ireland

A quote from the original posters blog claiming the UK and Ireland are like family:

https://kindredisles.leaflet.pub/3mqypmp5iis2u

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Hard to imagine people as ignorant as this really exist. There are too many pieces of top drawer misinformation and downright madness to choose from but I did love this line (and I quote) - "Brexit created administrative chaos." So apparently Jim thinks we should join in 😂 #spéirghorm #spéirgorm

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

We aren't family. We're neighbours. And we can be very friendly neighbours. But your overbearing over-familiarity makes that difficult sometimes.

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

It shouldn't be particularly relevant to the horrendous murder of this poor woman. But the accurate description of the primary suspect as a migrant makes it more notable that Jamey Carney is also a migrant. Now what are the differences between Ms. Carney and the migrant suspect I wonder?

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

"You're in (expletive) Ireland, you're under the (expletive) English king" How you know you're not in Ireland anymore 😂

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ꛤꛎꚶꚳ 𖦪ꚲꛎꛘ @scopedesigner.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Irish “nationalists” who support the pallet burning descendents of illegal immigrants in the north of Ireland are the same people who would have spied on their neighbours a century ago for the Black and Tans.

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Mark Sugrue 🇪🇺 @marksugrue.com · 05/07/2026

This is why Ireland should never give non-resident citizens the vote.

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Gavan Reilly @gavreilly.com · 04/07/2026

POLL: Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks (July 3, MoE 2.8%) Fine Gael 20 (+1 in four weeks) Sinn Féin 19 (-1) Fianna Fáil 17 Social Democrats 12 Ind Ireland 7 (-2) Aontú 6 Labour 3 Greens 3 PBP-Solidarity 2 Inds/others 11 (+1)

independent.ie

Fine Gael most popular party as support for Mary Lou McDonald slides

Latest Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll reveals where potential Fianna Fáil leadership candidates stand

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

The British government cannot call a referendum in Northern Ireland on the subject of reunification with Ireland "at any time". A referendum can only be called if the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland determines (based on evidence) that a majority of the people of NI would vote yes.

An inaccurate claim in a Guardian article on the topic of Northern Ireland's reunification with Ireland.

Per the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, the British government does not have the authority to call a referendum "at any time".

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/04/uk-ireland-leaders-fear-union-future-nigel-farage-led-government

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Always important to highlight these moments of idiocy from the far-right. If you support the far-right and you're in Ireland - congratulations you're a British Unionist. I'm sure you're going to be really popular 😉 You might even get to meet your heroes Jeffrey or Charlie some day 😂

A post from far-rights extremist Enrique Tarrio conflating Ireland with the UK and "blessing" the people of Ireland above an image of a mural to British Nationalism.

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

A typical British perspective, their state created and supported an apartheid-style incubator for these kinds of extreme views and then when a minority of British people in Northern Ireland carry out these kinds of despicable crimes we're deafened by the sound of hands being washed.

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

The UK issued over 50,000 visas to Russian nationals last year. 93% of applications were approved. I'm concerned that the UK is a "back door" to Russian spies entering the EU. There's also the compelling evidence of Russian influence on UK elections that should concern us.

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Paul Carroll @paulcarroll15.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Except they don't generally land a million different ways. Very often, they land with a vote against the governing parties, and an indication as to where the electorate sees the alternative. And that's not Sinn Fein at the moment.

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Important for citizens across the Union to be reminded that your government and elected representatives allow the EU-Israel trade agreement to continue Germany and Italy in particular are responsible for blocking EU action against Israel's human rights violations and breaches of international law.

theguardian.com

Gaza flotilla activists allege sexual assault and rape in Israeli detention

Israeli prison service denies claims of abuse during detention of 430 people trying to take aid to Palestinians

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Really excellent podcast series for anyone interested in the European human rights system or modern Ireland (and indeed how it has all intersected with British law in NI) @timoconnorbl.bsky.social George Peretz KC jjsalmo Steve Peers

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

The state of Israel has reportedly committed acts of piracy and abduction against a group of EU citizens travelling through international waters. The EU-Israel trade agreement must now be suspended.

rte.ie

Govt condemns Israeli interception of Gaza aid flotilla

The Government has reiterated its condemnation of the detention by Israel of an aid flotilla with ten Irish citizens onboard.

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TheSecretDiplomat @thesecretdiplomat.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Interesting to see that Andrew Hesselden is still pushing his weird brand of misinformation and nonsense on BlueSky - hasn't changed since his Twitter days. The same inaccurate, incorrect and bizarrely misinformed posts. Mind boggling.

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Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

It's seems pretty logical though that Irish citizenship would be for, you know, Irish citizens (born, marriage, integration or award for benefit to the nation). Not English people by right. I mean, even an idiot can see the issue But the entitlement....

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