#irish politics

[luimnigh]

Here in Ireland, we're having a Presidential election this year, and this usually results in people who have no idea what the President of Ireland does making big noise about running for President.

So a quick rundown.

In order to run for President, you must be nominated by either:

20 members of the Oireachtas (combined name for our Parliament and Senate), of which there are 234 in total.

4 city or county councils, of which there are 31 in total

Incumbent Presidents may self-nominate.

The President of Ireland has the power to:

Refer a bill to the Supreme Court to establish it's constitutionality.

Refuse to dissolve the Dáil (Parliament) when requested by the Taoiseach.

Put a bill to a referendum, if asked to by a majority of the Seanad (Senate) and 1/3 of the Dáil.

And that is the sum total of the Reserve Powers of the President of Ireland. That is everything they can do of their own volition.

While the President of Ireland does plenty of other duties, the rest are all at the bequest of the Government, of which they have no right to refuse.

There are also limitations on the President of Ireland:

They cannot leave the country without Government permission.

They cannot make official statements or speeches without Government permission.

So if we get a shit one, the Government can basically just muzzle them for the next seven years.

But without fail, every Presidential Election, we get idiots promising things that aren't within their powers, and thinking they're running for an office similar to the American Presidency.

[destielmemenews]

"The Committee said on Tuesday that its newly-published report is the first output from a series of meetings exploring what a united Ireland would mean and examines the current economic relationship between the jurisdictions on the island and the potential of the all-island economy.

The report, the Committee said, goes on to examine the cost of a united Ireland and makes the case for planning and preparation for a united Ireland to begin."

source 1

source 2

source 3

[ayeforscotland]

Let’s fucking gooooooo

[theglowsociety]

10 Fascinating Facts About Black Irish History

When people think of Irish history, they often imagine fair-skinned Celts with red hair. But Ireland has a long and rich history of Black presence, dating back centuries. From African merchants in medieval Ireland to Black Irish revolutionaries, here are ten key facts that highlight the deep and often overlooked connections between Black history and Ireland.

1. Black People Have Been in Ireland Since at Least the 3rd Century

Historical records suggest that people of African descent were present in Ireland as early as the Roman era. The Romans never invaded Ireland, but trade and migration brought people from North Africa and the Mediterranean to Irish shores.

2. The First Known Black Irishman Was a 9th-Century Scholar

One of the earliest recorded Black individuals in Ireland was Firmanus, a scholar who lived in the 9th century. He was described as “a man of Africa” who studied and taught in an Irish monastery. This suggests that Ireland had connections with the wider world far earlier than many assume.

3. Irish Pirates and African Connections

During the 17th century, Irish and African histories intertwined through piracy. Irish pirates and privateers frequently raided North African coasts, capturing people to sell into slavery, while some Irish were also taken by Barbary pirates and enslaved in North Africa.

4. Olaudah Equiano, a Former Slave, Was a Prominent Abolitionist in Ireland

Olaudah Equiano, one of the most famous formerly enslaved Africans and an early abolitionist, visited Ireland in the 1790s. His autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, was widely read in Ireland and helped build support for the abolitionist movement.

5. Ireland Had a Role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Although Ireland never had large-scale slavery like the Caribbean or the U.S., Irish merchants and settlers were involved in the transatlantic slave trade. Cities like Cork and Dublin profited from goods produced by enslaved Africans, and some Irish individuals owned plantations in the Caribbean and America.

6. Frederick Douglass Found Refuge in Ireland

Frederick Douglass, the famous African American abolitionist, visited Ireland in 1845 to escape the dangers of being recaptured in the U.S. He was deeply moved by the poverty he witnessed during the Irish Famine and found an ally in Irish leader Daniel O’Connell, who was a vocal opponent of slavery.

7. The Black Irish of Montserrat Are Descendants of Irish and African Slaves

The Caribbean island of Montserrat has a unique population of Black individuals who proudly identify as “Black Irish.” This stems from the 17th century, when Irish indentured servants and African slaves were forced to work on plantations together. Montserrat even celebrates St. Patrick’s Day as a nod to its Irish heritage.

8. Phil Lynott, the Black Irish Rock Legend

One of Ireland’s most famous Black figures is Phil Lynott, the frontman of the legendary rock band Thin Lizzy (“The Boys Are Back in Town”). Born in 1949 to an Irish mother and a Guyanese father, Lynott helped shape rock music and is celebrated as an Irish music icon.

9. Emma Dabiri is Leading Conversations on Black Irish Identity

Irish-Nigerian author and academic Emma Dabiri has been at the forefront of discussing Black identity in Ireland. Her books, including Don’t Touch My Hair, explore race, culture, and the often-overlooked history of Black people in Ireland.

10. Ireland Is Becoming More Diverse Than Ever

Today, Ireland is home to a growing Black community, with many people of African descent contributing to the country’s cultural, political, and artistic landscape. The 2022 Irish Census recorded over 70,000 Black Irish residents, showing that Black history in Ireland is far from over—it’s still being written.

Black Irish history is rich, complex, and deeply interwoven with global movements of people, power, and culture. Recognizing this history helps break stereotypes and highlights Ireland’s long-standing connections to Africa and the African diaspora.

Did any of these facts surprise you?

[punk1npink]

okay, i'd like to talk about ireland

specifically i'd like to talk about the irish language,

and how important it is that it is kept alive.

gaeilge has been consistently stripped from irish people, starting in 1367 with the statute of kilkenny. this law made it illegal for native irish people to speak their language when interacting with english colonists.

in 1537, the statute of ireland – an act for the english order habit and language made it illegal for gaeilge to be spoken in courts, which was followed by further legislation in 1541, which banned the use of gaeilge in areas of ireland which were then under english rule.

the administration of justice (language) act (ireland) was passed in 1737, which not only banned the use of gaeilge in courtrooms, but also prohibited the completion of legal documentation in gaeilge and imposed a financial penalty of £20 (equivalent to £3,800 today) each time gaeilge was spoken in court. this caused many people who only spoke gaeilge to be wrongly accused and incarcerated, as they could not defend themselves in court.

this act was only abolished in the north of ireland in 2022.

today, only 40 percent of residents of ireland speak gaeilge, with 25 percent of those saying that they never spoke it. (based on a study done in april 2022)

[northern-punk-lad]

I’m obsessed with the fact the British right wing put Sinn Féin as a ethnicity

[phantom-of-the-memes]

⚠️ The general election in the Republic of Ireland is happening tomorrow, November 29th⚠️

Here’s what you need to know if you are a leftist/ just want Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael out of government.

Firstly, why do we need to get them out?

Because they have been in power for almost 100 years! 100 years of a “centre” right government. We have not even had a centre left government in all this time, never mind a left government. Something has to fucking change. Even if you’re not a socialist like me, you have to acknowledge that all the problems currently in Ireland have been caused, or at least not dealt with by them. They’re the ones in power! And yet they talk about the issues in Ireland and how something has to be done… Simon Harris is a joke with his “a new energy” signs. Cunt you’re the current fucking Taoiseach!

So, who should you vote for?

If you truly want change, and a government that is for the people, vote People Before Profit number one. They are actually putting actions behind their words. They have explicitly said that they will refuse to go into government with FF or FG. They want the other left parties to form a left coalition with them, and also make a stand to refuse a right government. Other left parties, however, are quite lukewarm on the situation, and won’t join the coalition. But still put other left parties for number two and three. Some are more preferable than others. But change is change.

Ok if you’re not a socialist like me, there are other options. Sinn Féin is centre left, so if a bit more conservative than others. This makes it the third most voted for party generally. It’s a bit more palatable to the general public than the commies I vote for lol. I don’t agree with the majority of their policies, especially with them dialling back their support for trans people. I assume to appeal to FF and FG supporters. As a trans person I wouldn’t personally vote for them. But I understand the logic of being strategic about your vote. They’re the most likely to win out of the left parties.

Why should you still vote for parties that likely won’t win the overall vote?

Because they will still get seats! This isn’t a presidential election where it’s all or nothing. The majority winner gets to be the ones in power. But this is a democracy. More votes for a party means more seats for them in the Dáil. So it does matter.

What is each party’s stance on taking action against Israel?

Here’s a very helpful graphic from the ucd bds group on Instagram (ucd_bds):

See FF and FG’s stance? Exactly.

Who you should definitely not vote for?

Aontú are literal nazis. Their main selling point is that they hate immigrants. They want to strip their rights and practically stop immigration all together. They also hate women, and want to criminalise abortion again. The members of the party were big parts of the pro life movement that tried to stop the abortion referendum. Of course they also hate trans and queer people. Basically any and all minorities. They aim to bring fascism to our government. Don’t let this happen. This is also why voting is so important, so we can prevent this.

And this should go without saying, but don’t fucking vote for the joker independent candidates that have signs around saying shit like “make crime illegal”. It’s not even a joke to vote for them. You’re an asshole if you throw your vote away like that.

Remember to find out where your local polling station is, and bring your polling card, on Friday the 29th of November.

[angsttronaut]

Anyhow, if you're in Ireland use checktheregister.ie to make sure you're registered to vote!

[destiel-news-channel]

[Image ID: There are three images. The first one is similar to a title card and shows a screenshot froom the show supernatural. Dean and Castiel stand facing each other. The screenshot is faded and superimposed with a blue background from a news show. In the front is a logo which says 'Destiel News Channel'. The second is a screenshot of Castiel from the same confession scene. At the bottom is a headline which reads 'Irish Unification?' and a subline which says 'Let's hope this Star Trek prediction comes true'. The top right corner shows a screenshot from Star Trek. It shows Data (an android in a yellow uniform with pale skin) talking to Picard, who is wearing a red uniform and is shown from behind. Subtitles read 'the Irish Unification of 2024,'. The third image is a screenshot of Dean from the same scene edited so that a text looking like subtitles spells out 'I love you'. /End ID]

Happy New Year y'all!

[sentient-sunset]

Because I think it would be funny to see what tumblr thinks, especially as most of you probably have no idea about Irish politics.

[q-soc-official]

Folding my voting ballot into an origami crane to the utter delight and thunderous applause of the polling staff

[just-ray]

I'd like to take back any previous negative comments I've made about Jennifer Caroll McNeill.

[ayeforscotland]

Irish election announced for in *three weeks* time. Absurd turnaround.

[soundslivemagazine]

The music industry has a funding problem

Earlier this month, Newcastle-based indie singersongwriter Sam Fender released his fourth studio album, People Watching, and embarked on a week of media duties talking about what influenced the new album. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Fender talked about his working class upbringing, and how difficult it was for an artist without a moneyed background to make it in the music industry today.

Sam Fender. Hannah Victoria Kenyon for Strong Island.

“The music industry is 80 percent, 90 percent kids who are privately educated,” he said. “A kid from where I’m from [North Shields, Newcastle, UK] can’t afford to tour, so there are probably thousands writing songs that are ten times better than mine, poignant lyrics about the country, but they will not be seen because it’s rigged.”

It was like a lit match to tinder. Many artists spoke up confirming that they were currently facing challenges staying afloat in the music industry despite hitting many of the milestones that traditionally looked like success in the music industry. Many talked about how funds were the main things separating them from their peers who had ‘made it’. Many others have talked about how money has hindered them from taking steps that would greatly advance their music careers.

Beloved artists like Little Simz and Rachel Chinouriri have over the last few years had to cancel international tours that would never add up for an independent artist without the backing of a major label, or great personal expenses. Songwriter Kate Nash, who was in the news recently for turning to OnlyFans to sell pictures of arse to fund her upcoming tour in a campaign she called ‘Butts For Tour Buses’, estimated that the production cost of each show she puts on a single night, costs her about $10,000. A cost even half of that would be devastating to a kid starting out in music with no savings.

Little Simz. Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images

There is another aspect to this discussion. Last week, British indie songwriter Ellie Dixon was asked on her social media about the phrase ‘industry plant’, a highly contentious word meant to indicate that an artist has not authentically reached the level of success they are at, and instead owe it all to some undisclosed industry connections that were allowing them access to avenues of career growth unfairly.

On surface level, this would seem to be something that only adds to the woes of independent, hard-working musicians, once again locked out of opportunities that should’ve rightfully been theirs if only some golden child with the right connections hadn’t swooped in and snatched their livelihood right out of their hands. In reality, who and what this ‘industry plant’ really is, is less clear. Often, it is used as a catch-all phrase to indicate that you don’t think someone deserves the plaudits they are receiving. But whether or not a certain kind of music is inherently deserving of success or not can only ever be a matter of subjective taste, and so something as concrete as having insider connections, becomes a matter of opinion where stylistic preferences become equated with worth, and the word loses all meaning.

Rolling Stone magazine, in a recent article defending the rising rap star Doechii, wrote a good piece about how the phrase is being misused to discredit artists who have put in all the work themselves over the years, only to be unfairly torn down by people’s fundamental misunderstanding of the phrase.

Doechii receives her Grammy for Best Rap Album. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy.

Money in music is a really important conversation to have, namely in that it is simply not possible to sustain a career in this (or any) industry without it, and that artists, the backbone of the industry, have seen increasingly diminishing returns on it. We find ourselves returning to the music industry of old, where as rents go up and incomes for independent artists dry up, many musicians find that it makes sense for them to rely on traditional record label deals.

This has been enough for many people to start lobbing the accusations of ‘industry plant’, somehow mistaking having a label put any investment into an artist as some sort of insideous and undeserved, unfair advantage, as if the music industry was exclusively meant to be run from bedrooms of one and from behind YouTube and TikTok accounts.

If anything, artist development is only a recently neglected area by labels, opting to let artists themselves be the creators, marketers, publicists, cinematographers, bookers, promoters, merch and poster graphic designers and much more, all on that lucrative label budget of $0.00.

Who can afford to do all that? An artist that can either afford not to have a full-time job outside of their self-employed music career, or someone who can afford to pay others.

Which brings me back to the discussion about wealth in music. Sam Fender was completely right when he spoke out about how hard it is for working class artists to break through. The Dublin-based singer CMAT (incidentally, on tour supporting Fender at the moment) talked about how she wanted to write a guide on how working class musicians can make it in this treacherous industry, because to realise that everyone living your dream is doing it on the back of wealth you can never cough up is quite demotivating. Working class artists slog for a decade before being recognised at the level that the backing of a label could achieve in a year, there is no hiding from this. (Also, CMAT only half-jokingly said this but she is right: rich kid music also just lacks bite. There’s an urgency and potency to working class music that genuinely holds up a mirror to society that an artist who doesn’t have to face every aspect of the world sometimes simply cannot put into words in the same way. It is absolutely crucial that we do not lose working class voices in art.)

CMAT live. Sean McMahon

So really, we need to focus less on tearing down working class artists with unfounded accusations of being ‘industry plants’, something that also seems to disproportionately be levelled at women, musicians of colour, queer artists and other marginalised communities by men who cannot understand their success, and focus more on preserving the funding and pathway programmes that have historically tried to place working class artists on the same footing as richer artists.

The problem with the music industry isn’t so-called industry plants— it’s that funding in music stays at the top while grassroots artists suffer. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek is reportedly worth 7.5 billion USD, while Canada has lost 15% of its small music venues since the beginning of 2020. The UK, where the Music Venue Trust keeps clearer track of the state of grassroots music venues, reports that the UK loses a grassroots venue every two weeks currently. When burgeoning young talent don’t have the venues to hone their talent, make their mistakes and develop their sound and stage presence, future stars are lost forever, working class or otherwise.

So good on Sam Fender. Himself a working class kid, he’s done something good for working class musicians everywhere even just by starting this important conversation with a platform as large as he has built for himself.

[lostmementomemori]

A British paratrooper comforts a young woman who was injured by a bomb blast in Donegall Street (Ireland, Belfast, March 20, 1972)

[banrionceallach]

VOTE AGAINST THE BASTARDS

Voting is open in Ireland for the local and european elections.

There are a record number of far right candidates on the ballot.

Decisions are made by people who show up.

VOTE AGAINST THE BASTARDS!