Gavan Reilly

Serbian election fallout will be fascinating as a case study in whether an omnibus anti-establishment movement can settle within a State designed by Vucic’s establishment to suit its own ends. The Student List has been largely defined by what/who it opposes - now it has to define itself without him

9,086 Brazilian citizens from across Ireland travelled to the RDS yesterday to vote in the country’s presidential election - an official turnout of 54.3%. Of those, Lula won 80.2%, a good deal higher than the 72.6% he took in the first round a fortnight earlier.

POLL: Business Post/Red C (Oct 16-21, MoE 3%) Sinn Féin 22 (+1 in six weeks) Fine Gael 15 (-3) Fianna Fáil 15 (+1) Social Democrats 9 (-2) Aontú 8 (+1) Ind Ireland 8 (+3) Labour 4 PBP-Solidarity 4 (+1) Greens 3 Independents 11 (-2)

You can’t do the defiant ‘we’ve lost our way but we’ll get it back’ and then limp to a 0-3 home defeat. Sorry Michael, we’ll always have Moscow.

First world whine: I am urging – practically begging – somebody in a position of authority to make sure the full Dublin Marathon route is marked off on Google Maps as closed to motor traffic. Every year it’s a partial, slapdash list that only ends up sending more people to the unmarked closures

Sincerely, bring back Ole. His first move was to instill some bloody fitness and work ethic, and this lot could use it

Who had 14:09 for the ‘Godwin’s Law in the Dáil’ bingo?

Jim O’Callaghan will tell the Oireachtas Justice Committee that cases of alleged rape are being “deliberately” targeted by the solicitors’ dispute over legal aid. Such cases, before yesterday, could have resulted in a defendant representing themselves and then cross-examining their own complainant.

Ysabel Yates'... I mean Cookie Monster's superb takedown of why GenAI in the workplace sucks.

Broke: leap seconds Woke: leap HOURS

Patrick O’Donovan’s family say he is receiving new treatment and will return to work at the Dept of Culture once that treatment has bedded down. “He is heartened by the support for his long-term Cabinet career demonstrated by his colleagues,” they said.

Narrator: there are between 7200 and 7500 pubs in the entire State

🚨 Public sector strike for next Wednesday called off Preliminary talks to open negotiations on a full public sector pay deal will begin tomorrow - chaired by Kevin Foley, with Oonagh Buckley as employers rep and Owen Reidy as union rep Work to rule continues until further developments arise

Ireland has never had a year with 3 or more Zohrans. Ireland did, however, have eight Kobes and a further eight Kobis in 2025.

It took six months to set the rules of the €105bn budget… and eight days to break them. Something is wrong with how we frame our Budgets in this country. This week’s column for @thejournal.ie:

Tesla: the only company making cars that can survive the dystopia Tesla’s CEO is helping to create!

It took six months to set the rules of the €105bn budget… and eight days to break them. Something is wrong with how we frame our Budgets in this country. This week’s column for @thejournal.ie:

ℹ️ Aontú says it will table a motion of no confidence in Helen McEntee over her handling of Garda whistleblower issues. Peadar Tóibín says answers given by McEntee in the Dáil today, over her actions in her previous role as Minister for Justice, are unsatisfactory and accuses her of breaking the law

Jack Chambers tells Dáil debate on public pay dispute that hopes to find a way forward "shortly"

The communications minister Patrick O’Donovan remains in intensive care in hospital after taking ill earlier this week. The minister was removed by ambulance from a gathering of EU telecoms ministers on Tuesday and has been receiving treatment at UHL since then. @virginmedianews.bsky.social

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been jailed for 15 years for child sex abuse offences. The 63-year-old was convicted during the summer of rape, indecent assault and gross indecency involving two girls between 1985 and 2008.

Sensitive moves behind the scenes today to pave the way for public sector pay talks and avoid a repeat of today’s strike next week Reporting on @virginmedianews.bsky.social in a moment

Jack Chambers now saying pay matters can be negotiated upfront is “grounds for optimism” and “a pathway” to resolve issues (as long as other outstanding unresolved issues from last deal are also dealt with), Forsa’s Kevin Callinan tells Morning Ireland

The lump removed from the lung of Pope Leo was cancerous, Vatican confirms

A “betrayal”…

🚨 Trade unions say the letter from Jack Chambers does not represent a change in government position, and is not a basis to call off strike action @virginmedianews.bsky.social

Dealing with pay ‘as a priority’ is a small olive branch - the unions had previously said they wanted pay to be addressed first and foremost, which Chambers had labelled as a ‘precondition’ which he was not prepared to agree to in advance of full discussions getting underway

Jack Chambers has written to the leaders of the public sector trade unions, saying pay issues can be dealt with “as a priority” in any prospective talks on a new deal, and invited those unions to “intensive engagement” at the WRC tomorrow - all in a bid to avert Wednesday’s proposed strike action

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.

Spoke to the Indo (for book promo! buy my book! linktr.ee/gavreilly) about kids, telly and chicken wings 👇🏻

Government sources stressing in response that this is not a climbdown – rather, they have received confirmation from the public sector unions that the Oireachtas will not be given a derogation to operate as normal on Wednesday

The Government is backing down from plans to attempt Dáil sittings this coming Wednesday, and is proposing only two sitting days this week (Tuesday and Thursday). Opposition TDs had threatened a mass boycott of sittings on Wednesday if it meant passing a picket line of public sector workers outside

…and Russia gets fresh revenue for its war effort

You know the xkcd strip about how all modern internet architecture is eventually built on something a hobbyist maintains for free? Someone went out and found them all. sheets.works/data-viz/hol...

If you went into a bank and asked for a loan, saying you’d put the proceeds into a savings account, they’d think you were a bit cracked. On a macro scale, that’s what Ireland is doing. This week’s column for @thejournal.ie:

Leinster House could be a casualty of public sector strikes next week… no agreement today at the Business Committee on whether to schedule any Dáil sittings, with some in opposition say they will refuse to come in if it means passing pickets of Oireachtas staff. An unusual second meeting now planned

RTÉ's budget for 2027 is being frozen at €240m - not the €260m as was envisaged under the last government's three-year funding deal - due to a combination of the Dept of Culture's overall budget allocation, and government frustration at the pace of internal reforms within the broadcaster

Ciara Reilly: More money for education is good, but large classes impact everyone