[I ripped this audio file from a tweet by one of Ireland’s alt-right anti-immigrant underbelly accounts. I don’t feel obliged to give credit here. Fair usage etc. You can find it yourself.] […]
Oughterard
Brexit contingency-planning latest: Don’t ask me, ask God, minister testifies
From The Guardian‘s live blog just now: In the Brexit committee Michael Gove has just finished answering a series of questions about how Dover would cope with lorry arrivals in the event […]
When contextualizing its report on transphobic death threats received by an Armenian activist, The Guardian somehow forgets to mention religion
Lilit Martirosyan’s speech in the Armenian parliament has gone viral. Addressing a panel on human rights, Martirosyan described the plight of the trans community in Armenia. She explained how her own experience […]
It’s ‘bogus argument’ time again, as Ireland’s right-wingers gear up for divorce referendum
A letter in today’s Irish Times: And — oh look! — basically the very same letter in today’s Irish Independent: This chap really does make heavy use of his letter-writing kit. It’s […]
If this is what the collapse of centrism looks like, then PLEASE give me more centrism
All the “worst people in Ireland” are running for election at the same time. We’re talking your racists, we’re talking your sexists, we’re talking your anti-vaxxers, your anti-fluoriders, your anti-Semites. The anti-5G […]
The government have ordered a forensic excavation of the #TuamBabies site
It was unexpected, but the announcement was made today. The Irish cabinet have approved a decision by Minister for Children Katherine Zappone to conduct a forensic excavation of the Tuam site: The […]
‘Psychology in Crisis’ is now available
About the Author Imprint: 2018 Psychology in Crisis Author: Brian M. Hughes Publisher: Palgrave, London ISBN-10: 1352003007 ISBN-13: 978-1352003000 Click here to view on Palgrave Macmillan Click here to view on Amazon.co.uk Click here […]
Blasphemers of the world, unite
John Waters is/is not a professional contrarian who does/does not believe that blasphemy should/should not be removed from the Irish constitution: Here is John arguing/not arguing the point back in 2009: […]
A photo essay from Tuam, and its silent vigil for #TuamBabies
You may have read that the Pope was in Ireland. He’s just left. According to our bizarre national media, all went totally smoothly. This is despite the fact that attendances at the […]
So I went to the Tuam Babies meeting to have my say, and then I realised I shouldn’t have one
I guess most of you already know the background to this. (For those unfamiliar with this story, be assured of its international significance. Check out, for example, this New York Times feature. […]
Those oh-so-convincing anti-repeal arguments re-capped (Greatest Hits version)
In the Irish abortion referendum, the ‘No’ side — those campaigning against the repeal of Ireland’s archaic Constitutional abortion ban — certainly had their work cut out. The way the Constitution was […]
It’s official: Ireland’s abortion ban repealed by popular vote
For: 1,429,981 (66.4%) Against: 723,632 (33.6%) Ireland votes ‘YES’. Careful, logical, critical contributions carried the day, outweighing the fake news, grim posters, emotional manipulation, attempts at foreign influence, church persuasion, alt-right hectoring, […]
Ireland is voting in its abortion referendum and this is on the FRONT PAGE of its leading national newspaper
(From the Irish Times; HT @solo1y) Does this mean that Catholics who vote to repeal Ireland’s abortion ban might be forgiven if they turn up to the Popefest in August? Or partially […]
If nobody can lie, then truth ceases to exist
This happened last night: Host Claire Byrne’s opening line revealed what, in retrospect, might kindly be seen as something of a naive ambition: Tonight, everything you need to know about next week’s […]
This pro-life activist has a foolproof plan to reduce abortion numbers, and it involves only a *little* racism
It is well known that around 3,500 women travelled from Ireland to Britain to get abortions in 2016, which, from a population of around 4.5 million, is a rather high number. So […]
It’s 2018 and Irish parliamentarians still want priests in charge of sex education
Ah yes, I remember it well. I was twelve. A Catholic priest brought me into a private room, on my own, and showed me a photograph of a naked boy. The boy […]
Ten years on and, quelle surprise, that child-abusing EU dystopia hasn’t happened (yet)
Project Fear has been ongoing for some time now. Here’s a poster urging the plain people of Ireland to vote ‘No’ to the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty back in 2008: I suppose […]
“I just decided to just Google what the Bible says about vaccinations…”
Guess what. Vaccines are not part of the Christian creator’s divine plan for the universe. We know this because they are not mentioned — anywhere — in the Christian Bible. So says this lady, […]
Jordan Peterson’s re-heated obscurantism
Nathan Robinson has written about the obscurantism of Jordan Peterson, and I’m not even the first to blog about it. Pankaj Mishra has been deconstructing Peterson’s mysticism here, while Kelefa Sanneh’s critique is […]
It was kind of funny until they mentioned “bullet crowns”
Religion. Guns. Religion. Guns. Religion. Guns. Not just any old guns, but — no doubt because they are ‘in’ at the moment — AR-15s. Yes, the type of semiautomatic rifle used in […]
Are you an exorcist? If so, call this number
Wanted. More exorcists. A Dublin priest has told the Irish Catholic newspaper (yes) that he has noticed a sharp increase in demonic activity. …Fr. Pat Collins said he has been overwhelmed with the number […]
‘Rethinking Psychology’ is now available
Alright, there really is no humble way of putting this. My new book [*blush*], having been trailed as “imminent” for several months, is now officially available. In all good booksellers, as they say […]
Who let the dogmas out?
Have you ever noticed how irrationalities (a) tend to cluster, (b) tend to offer hope to the desperate, and (c) tend to appeal to folks with strongly held dogmatic beliefs? No? Well […]
“Life Matters” (Because it just does)
Here is Sunday’s episode of “Life Matters” on RTÉ Radio 1, which features (among many luminaries) none other than yours truly. Entitled The God of Aliens, the programme addresses those famous bedfellows, science and […]
‘Miracle’ cure removes cancer, HIV, autism. By killing you
Hat tip to c*nty_mc_sh*tb*lls over on Reddit for this one. Irish patients warned ‘miracle cure’ from US church is bleach A CONTROVERSIAL American Church which is coming to Ireland this weekend is […]
