Speedie's Blog

Celtic Origins of Halloweeen

2026-10-31T21:51:57.020+00:00

Halloween's Pagan Celtic Roots

Today Halloween is joyously celebrated by children across the world.
There is a popular misconception though that Halloween is a modern American invention. Not so. Though our American cousins have to be congratulated for making this very special festival a fantastic children-centric occasion nevertheless, as with so many other things that have brought great happiness and joy to humanity for millennia, its roots lay firmly in the culture of the Irish Celts!
(Photo shows my son Dáire & 'friend' that was taken many years ago)
Yet in the modern repackaging of this ancient pagan festival, many of the fine traditions that were once such an integral part of the festivities have disappeared. For instance our Celtic custom of placing human skulls with candles at entrances to domestic dwellings in order to ward off evil spirits has been replaced by lights in hollowed-out pumpkins! Likewise the visits of children dressed up in ghoulish and macabre fancy dress going door-to-door looking for gifts of sweets and fruits is a poor substitute for the former visits of the ghosts of our ancestors who used to drop in once a year on October 31st for a nice meal with their living relatives (we would prepare a place for them at the dinner table).
It was said too that live captives were placed in wicker cages above huge bonfires and burnt alive (as portrayed in the classic British 1970s cult film “The Wicker Man”). But such horror stories were originally spun by those nasty Romans when they were at war with the Celts. So it was probably nothing more than malicious enemy propaganda. After all, what do you take us Celts for? Barbarians?!!

As with so many other annual family festivals, Halloween has become so commercialised by 'Americanised' popular culture that its true origins and religious aspects have long since being forgotten.
So here is the true story of 'Féile na Marbh' (Festival of the Dead'):

Christianisation of 'Samhain'
Yet modern-day Americans were not the first people to re-brand the festival. In the middle ages the Catholic Church created the Christian festival of 'All Hallows Eve' or 'All Souls Day' when people were asked to remember and pray for their dead family members.
This event was superimposed onto the ancient pagan Celtic festival of 'Samhain' which marked the end of the summer season characterised by heat & light and the coming of the dark cold barren winter months.

Celtic Festivals
Typical of many agricultural societies, the Celts had four major annual festivals based on the cyclical differences experienced in the changing seasons of nature and their corresponding weather patterns. The other three were 'Imbolc' (spring) 'Bealtane' (summer), 'Lugnasa' (autumn). The latter was associated with harvest time.

Bon(e)Fires
Samhain was a time when food was hoarded as people prepared for the cold season when no plants grew. While many domestic animals such as cattle were brought indoors for the winter, others were slaughtered and most of their meat salted for storage whilst the remainder was cooked for the big feast. As with all Irish festivals, communal bonfires were lit as people gathered together at warm fires to socialise and to give thanks to the deities. Bones of the slaughtered animals were thrown into the fire as symbolic gifts to the gods, an action which give rise to the term ' bone fires' or 'bonfires'. Embers from this sacred fire were taken by local people to their households to light their own domestic fires.

Antecedents to the Pumpkin & 'Trick or Treat'
But Samhain was also a time when creatures from the supernatural world could enter into the world of mortals. 'Fairies' (Irish='Sidhe' as in ‘Banshee’/‘female fairy’) and the spirits of the dead would walk the earth. Many of these beings were benevolent and the spirits of dead ancestors; so families laid out extra food and set aside a table space for their ghostly visitors. This metaphorised into the custom of today's children dressing up as demons and witches & calling to the neighbours' houses to receive presents.
But there were spirits that came on the night of Samhain that were malevolent. Candles were placed in skulls at the entrance to dwellings as light was feared by these dark foreboding creatures. This protection against evil became transformed in modern times into the positioning of hollowed-out turnips and later pumpkins with carved out faces and internal candles at windows and doorways.
Centuries-old party games of trying to eat an apple lying in a basin of water ('bobbing') or dangling on a string tied to a ceiling ('snapping') are still popular festive past-times with Irish children.

The apple is probably the most common edible fruit in Ireland. It was also strongly associated with the spirit world and the fairies (sidhe). In the Arthurian legends, the mystical island of Avalon is where Arthur (of the Celtic Britons) obtains his magical sword Excalibur and where he is taken at the end of his life by the Lady of the Lake and her female fairy companions (banshee). Avalon comes from the Welsh word afal or Irish aball.

Fortune Telling at Halloween
Central to the Irish Halloween is the eating of a fruit bread known as 'Barmbrack' from the Gaelic term 'Báirín Breac' (speckled or spotted top). It is still a popular festive food today.
Various symbolic pieces were placed in the dough before it was baked such as a ring, a pea and a stick. When an item was found in the slice when it was being eaten, it told of the future that awaited the recipient. For instance, the 'ring' signified marriage within a year; a 'stick' represented a bad or violent marriage; the 'coin', wealth and a 'pea', a long wait before marriage.

Irish Export Halloween to North America
The Irish emigrants of the nineteenth century introduced Halloween and its rituals to America. Within a few decades, the festival was transformed into the fun and games event of today.

Significant Irish Contributions to World Culture:
No. 7642- 'Dracula'
Considering our national passion of asking the dead to resurrect themselves & drop into the house for a late night meal & party, it should come as no surprise that the world's most well known vampire Count Dracula was the creation of an Irishman, the novelist Bram Stoker in 1887.
His inspiration though was Carmilla, a book about a lesbian vampire created naturally enough(!) by another well known Irish writer, Sheridan Le Fanu.

(Photos from Macnas Halloween youth parade in Ballinfoile, Galway City)

Just Retired from the University, I was not expecting to be introduced so soon to my replacement! What a Shock!

2026-10-31T21:49:22.697+00:00

Thanks to the brilliant Operations Team & Director Edward Curry at Rinn AI University of Galway (formerly Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics) for organising what was for me a wonderfully emotional farewell gathering of friends colleagues past & present. It took place at the campus Sult bar (which I opened as SU President in 1980!)
It meant a lovely sign-off to my career as a member of university staff

I returned back to work in Irish education during 2001, helping in the introduction of science into the Irish primary school curriculum via the Fionn School Science project under the auspices of Bernard Kirk, Galway Education Centre & Minister Noel Treacy. From 2004 until this summer, I've been an Education & Public Engagement Manager at DERI/Insight Research Centre for Data Analytics in the University of Galway
To be honest, I never ever had a bad day at work & I consider myself extremely privileged to have been in a high profile research institute that allowed me to bring computing technology into classrooms across West of Ireland & beyond; to upskill our youth in coding & other sciences; to host Coderdojo; to educate parents, teachers & kids in how to tackle Cyberbullying & the Web's dark side;to add a digital element to local heritage; provide computers(often upcycled) & other tech resources to disadvantaged communities; to help establish Ireland's computer & communications museum; to help push the boundaries of education through Virtual Reality & other web tools; to support researchers introducing their ground-breaking research to new audiences through talks/Q&A & citizen science initiatives; to work with others across campus & beyond through STEM partnership programmes & particularly the Galway Science and Technology Festival, & finally to be given the time out since 2015 to get involved in the awesome SAP Africa Code Week across Africa, and Refugee Code Week throughout the Middle East coordinated by SAP & camden.education. All these great things were only made possible thanks to the generousity in time & ideas of the people I worked alongside not just in the universities & those organisations mentioned above but also Galway Atlantaquaria, Galway County Council Heritage Office, Galway City Council, CCMI, Galway City Partnership, Youthwork Ireland, HSE, SFI, Ballybane Resource Centre, active retired groups...
Working together we've made a positive contribution to society

There are so many people that I have worked with to thank in this short post. But I will be individually contacting each one to express my eternal gratitude- colleagues, collaborators & teachers

But what I did not expect that evening in the Sult bar was to be introduced to my replacement(in photo with Dr Lorraine Tansey)! They tell me that this guy never stops smiling & will stay forever 'young'. However I found him a bit flat & two dimensional!🤣

Are we facing an Ireland without Farming

2026-09-29T17:54:59.449+00:00

In a time when the population of the Irish state and the world is at its highest ever, it would be expected that food production in Ireland would never be more important economically or more attractive as a profession. But the truth is that farming is in a deep crisis due to a national and global economic system that could lead to its disappearance in a country where it has shaped society and all aspects of life for nearly 6000 years.

At present 80% of Ireland's food consumed is imported, only 4% of Ireland's working population are farmers (compared to approximately 25% when we joined what is now the EU in 1973), only 4.5% of farmers are under 35 years of age, two thirds of animal feed is imported, and c98% of tillage farming in Ireland relies on some form of chemical pesticide. By definition pesticides- the word comes from the Latin (Ancient Roman) pestis (plague) and caedere (kill)- are substances used to kill plant or animal life that are considered to be 'pests'. As soils are living entities comprising multiple organisms as well as weathered rock and mineral particles, water, air and decayed organic matter, the use of pesticides can degrade soil health, dramatically reduce biodiversity, and leave toxic residues.

This soil degradation combined with the fact that today only 5% of agricultural land in Ireland is farmed organically means that the long-term viability of farming as a career and as a key part of the national economy is at its lowest ever in our country's history.

The facts are that the Irish population primarily get their food from growers based outside Ireland. These foreign-based producers provide food that is cheap and therefore attractive to Irish consumers.
But we have got to remember that anything that is 'cheap' comes at a great cost to both the majority of farmers in these countries as well as to the planet.

But at this month's Ploughing Championships, I saw the greenshoots for an industry and a way of life that gives hope for a future based on economic sustainability, agroecology and food sovereignty which in many ways represents positive aspects of an Ireland that I grew up in.

For instance, the promotion of silviculture (tree farming) to benefit biodiversity and act as a source of building materials in order to provide a high economic return for farmers shows that both can be obtainable. This was demonstrated at the Teagasc Forestry stand and discussed by Sarah Keating, RDS Agriculture & Rural Affairs Programme Manager, and Michael O’Neill, winner of the 2026 RDS Silvicultural Excellence Award on the panel I was part of, namely “Land Use, Sustainability & Forestry that took place in the Irish Farmers Journal Tent. I myself talked about the importance of bringing nature and farming back into our cities by developing neighbourhood organic food gardens and in creating habitats for wildlife such as meadows, wetlands and woodlands.

There were stands at the Ploughing Championships on organic dairy farming, organic beef farming, agroecology ('Talamh Beo' = Living Ground), high quality organic foodstuffs such as Glenisk yogurts and Flavahans porridge as well as displays of a healthy range of small scale local producers, Soil Worx natural fertilisers, Seedsavers who are renowned for protecting and selling ancient varieties of food plants, and the Irish government's own “We're Talking Climate Action” tent.

I was also very impressed to see hemp growers at the event. Hemp from time immemorial was used to make the sails and rigging for wind-powered ships and today has multiple uses such as in the provision of sustainable textiles, eco-friendly building materials, nutritious foods and biodegradable bioplastics.
Likewise I was glad to see sheep farmers as active participants. Of course sheep grazing has to be controlled/fenced off in order to protect to protect woodlands etc. A much maligned sector of farming, it has to be remembered a sheep annually gives the wool which was the mainstay of Irish clothing until recent times. Sheep can do so again, helping to provide a necessary viable long term alternative to the environmental destructive micro-plastic 'fast fashion' clothing. Wool also has other beneficial uses such as for bedding, home insulation, ropes used in shellfish farming, mulch for gardening, and eco-friendly materials. A small first but critical step would be to establish commercial facilities for scouring sheep's wool.

What was missing at the Ploughing Championships though was any demonstration or reference to paludiculture, namely the practice of growing crops and trees on wet or re-wetted peatlands to produce usable biomass, food crops or other agro products while keeping the soil waterlogged to lock in carbon. This is a type of farming that my good friend Niall O Brolchain and team at Rinn AI University of Galway are involved in as researchers whilst working also with farmers to restore peatlands with the planting of Sphagnum Moss.

On a strategic level, the Irish government and the EU need to 'step up to the plate' and create a true Circular Economy in Ireland across Europe by incentivizing organic farming and placing barriers on cheap agricultural and plastic products that are bringing ruination to the planet.

This includes tackling the environmental damage of nitrates especially to our rivers, which are becoming ‘dead zones’.

Mayor Helen Ogbu and councillors invited to Terryland Forest Park for a fact-finding mission this Saturday.

2026-09-24T21:01:32.095+00:00

Text of letter below sent by the Tuatha volunteers of Terryland Forest Park earlier this month to city councillors:

"The purpose of this visit is to give councilors a guided walk through the park to outline the wonderful range of current and future green developments being planned for Ireland's original community-based Urban Native Woodland by both volunteers and city council working together but also to bring to your attention a number of serious problems that need to be tackled as a matter of urgency, including probably through the introduction of new bye-laws, if this wonderful green resource for Galway city is to fulfill its full potential in providing a safe nature park for the city's population fo all ages as well as a critical urban sanctuary for Ireland's native biodiversity.

Over the last few years the Terryland Forest Park has won local, national and international awards and accolades due to an active, visionary and respectful collaboration between city council and our volunteers, which has helped gain for Galway city a reputation for protecting its biodiversity and natural environment.

This recognition includes:

All-island of Ireland Pride of Place Award (Cities Creative Place category) in 2022

An Taisce Community Green Flag in 2024 and 2025

Galway City Mayor’s Award 2025 (Environmental & Sustainability category)

RDS Forest & Woodland Award 2026 (Community Woodland category).

As President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins praised the park many times, including during a visit last year (see photo) to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its foundation, for its pioneering success in bringing nature back into an urban environment, and for acting as a template for other Irish cities to emulate.

Terryland Forest Park is proudly promoted by its supporters as an Outdoor Classroom, an Outdoor Lab, an Outdoor Gym, an Outdoor Arts space and a Biodiversity sanctuary in the heart of a busy city. It also regularly hosts events for the general public. For instance, on June 21st last, the Tuatha organised a highly successful Sunday Family Picnic Day that attracted over 360 participants and was part of Galway City Council’s Climate Action Week 2026 programme.

The Tuatha members willingly, freely and unselfishly have given their time, ideas and energies every week over many years to keep the park clean, provide guided tours for visiting groups and undertake an array of important conservation projects in partnership with Galway City Council including annual community tree/flower planting days.

Furthermore, we will over the next few weeks be bringing a new people-centric dimension to the park by launching an exciting 2026/2027 programme of events and activities for schools, communities, workplaces and the general public that includes educational and heritage trail walks, Sunday picnics, family days, community plantings, tree sapling harvesting, invasive species removal, farming, field trips, guided walks, art workshops, slow food days and citizen science initiatives. We are also having fruitful discussions with city council personnel about dedicating specific suitable meadows within the park for kite flying, tai chi exercises, old style wooden gaming for children, nature painting exhibitions as well as in the possibility of introducing boules.

All year round, our weekly volunteering days provide wonderful opportunities for university students, companies and tourists to engage in worthwhile conservation activities in a park which is, thanks to the combined efforts of volunteers and council staff, now home to thousands of flora, fauna, fungi and microorganisms.

Over its 26 years it has dramatically changed the physical landscape of the city and will hopefully in the not-too-distant future connect into the Connemara Greenway and a network of trails leading into east Galway.

Known officially as the 'Green Lungs of the City', it has also since its inception involved tens of thousands of citizens of all ages in tackling the interlinked Climate and Biodiversity Crises. Their voluntary work can be valued in millions of euro, as the park has acted as a major natural 'carbon sink' and in filtering out harmful airborne gases/particulates through the planting of trees and wildflowers. Volunteers have also saved the city tens of thousands of euro over the years through weekly activities such as litter-picking.

However we are gravely concerned at a number of issues that have been appearing recently in the park which are undermining public safety and the park's fragile biodiversity as well as sapping the morale of our fantastic volunteers. These include an upsurge in anti-social activity within certain areas of the park which is eliminating habitats, deliberately destroying public property such as fencing and in uprooting the trees that the people of Galway of all ages planted over the decades. There is also a dramatic rise in silt and vegetation across the Terryland River that is decreasing water flow and as a home for aquatic wildlife. We are also worried about the lack of progress in installing pedestrian road crossings connecting sections of the park."

Trump is a Threat to Life on Planet Earth

2026-09-22T18:02:43.937+00:00

Over many decades, I have participated in public protests against injustices committed by governments across the world including those perpetuated by the Soviets in Afghanistan, the Chinese in Tibet, the British in Northern Ireland, the Turks in Syria, the apartheid regime in South Africa, the Russians in Ukraine, the Israelis in Lebanon and Palestine, and the US government in Iraq, Central America and Afghanistan.

But the actions of Trump far exceeds the evil of many of these regimes as his administration has armed the forces of genocide and has put all forms of life on planet Earth at risk.

All ages, All creeds, All professions together against Trump.
So I proudly took part earlier this month in a 10,000 strong crowd of all ages marching through the streets of Dublin against the presence of Trump in our country. Their banners signified their presence as Christians, as medical professionals, as legal professionals, as environmentalists, as academics, as community workers, as scientists... who are all opposed to a political leader that enables Israel to openly commit genocide, befriends politicians such as Netanyahu and Putin who are wanted by international courts for war crimes, threatens to obliterate one of the world’s oldest civilizations, is weaponizing Outer Space, has started to attack and take control of countries in order to steal their national resources, wants to stop any regulation on a technology that its own creators warn could destroy humanity if left unchecked and threatens those countries that bring in such regulations, who has been found by US courts to have sexually abused a female, and who has been convicted as a felon as a result of his business dealings.

The False Prophet
Trump often portrays himself as Christ-like figure and “the chosen one” anointed by God, promotes a AI video of himself sunning on a beach in Gaza alongside Netanyahu with a golden statue (shades of the biblical 'Golden Calf') of himself on a nearby street whilst in the real world tens of thousands of its population were been murdered with high tech US weaponry. He breaks most of the Ten Commandants (Thou shalt not kill, commit adultery, steal, covet, bear false witness against thy neighbour...) whilst professing to be a righteous Christian. Trump deliberately overlooks a key trait of Jesus Christ, namely that he was a pacifist, who preached that one should “love thy neighbour as thyself.”

“L'État, c'est moi” (“I am the state”)
Surrounding himself with a court full of sycophants, Trump is encouraged to become even more narcissistic, nasty, greedy, a serial liar and allowed to act as if he is above the law. He deliberately insults women, the disabled, people of different religion and ethnicity, and who like the autocratic emperors of old wants to tear down and rebuild in imperial grandeur public places that are then named in his honour. Out of fear, his threats and bullying are too often placated with expensive luxurious gifts, resources and treaties that enrich his family, humiliates the giver and translates as loss of sovereignty to so many countries.

Burn, Baby, Burn!
This year's summer has been the hottest on record in Ireland and on continental Europe. Across the globe, the weather patterns have gone awry with wildfires, droughts, flooding, glacier meltdown caused by the rise in airborne greenhouse gases.
Earth is the only planet in the Universe we know that sustains life, made possible by a delicate equilibrium of gases that make up its atmosphere and which took billions of years to form. Now this fragile balance is being undermined by a dramatic rise in carbon dioxide and methane due to the burning of fossil fuels that are being promoted by Trump's policy of “Drill, Baby, Drill” which translates as “Burn, Baby, Burn.” His roll-back of environmental regulations in order to expand U.S. fossil fuel production, increase its fuel exports to other countries and make global energy deals is putting all of humanity and all forms of life at risk.

Anti-Life
Trump's contempt of biodiversity is well known as shown by his family's pleasure in the killing for fun of wild animals in America, Africa and Asia such as bear, elephant, leopard, buffalo, crocodile; the opening up of marine and land habitats to oil drilling and his move to dismantle key protections for US endangered species which is putting the survival of over 1500 species of American flora and fauna such as wolves, whales and ancient forests at risk.

An Enemy of the Law
Trump's regime has declared war against those genuine humanitarians who are trying to enforce international human rights legislation designed to protect victims of oppression. His political and financial undermining of the United Nations, whilst simultaneously arming the oppressors, has devastated communities in many of the countries across Africa and the Middle East that I have worked with. His political and environmental actions and those of his allies are designed to force millions of peoples from their homelands and create an unprecedented refugee crisis that will destabilise the whole world

Making America Weak
As someone who loves so much about the United States and what it has given to the world over the decades in the arts, in environmental protection, in human rights and in science and technology, I can honestly say that Trump's personal greed and insatiable appetite for power as he tries to create an imperial Americana is weakening the respect of many for his country. His wars are causing misery across all continents. As with its staunchest ally Israel, the USA is becoming a pariah nation under his watch.

To use Oscar Wilde's words: “Trump is a man that knows the price of everything, but the value of nothing.”

It was great to listen to an inspiring speech on stage from our very own Michelle Clarke on behalf of Tonn na Clé and to be part of a strong Galway contingent in Dublin.
But it was a particular joyous feeling to protest alongside Jackie O'Dowd and Grainne McMorrow (see photo left), we first started protesting together in 1979 during our radical Galway student days! And we are still at it!

Don't Sully our Green Standing Now

2026-09-15T22:52:34.526+00:00

Call for greater investment in green spaces after city park wins another major national environmental award

Many thanks to the Galway City Tribune for the extensive coverage earlier this month of the success of Terryland Forest Park in winning the RDS national Community Woodland Award, one of many accolades we have won which has helped earn Galway city a reputation for protecting its biodiversity and natural environment. See photo.

The Tuatha volunteers and the parks staff of City Hall working together have indeed a lot to be proud of in developing the forest park over many years as an Outdoor Classroom, Outdoor Lab, Outdoor Gym, as a eco-tourism destination, as a major 'carbon sink' and as an urban wildlife sanctuary.

But we had to use the opportunity of the media exposure to highlight our deep concerns over the deterioration now being experienced in biodiversity protection not just in Terryland but also in Shantalla and Merlin Woods.

It is not something that we ever expected to happen.

For in November our Tuatha volunteers along with other local environmental organisations were delighted to be part of the public launch by Galway City Council of the Galway City Biodiversity Action Plan. This plan included commitments “to protect, restore and celebrate the biodiversity that sustains us” especially through those “green and blue spaces that are not only home to a remarkable diversity of species but are essential to our health, our climate resilience and our shared sense of place.”

But the council now seems to be undermining these committments.

We have been expressing our frustrations- through meetings with Mayor Helen Ogbu and council staff from multiple departments as well as the River Basin Management Service over the last few months- on the lack of progress over problems that have been appearing recently in the Terryland Forest Park which are undermining public safety and the park's fragile biodiversity as well as sapping the morale of our fantastic volunteers. These include an upsurge in anti-social activity within certain areas of the park which is eliminating habitats, a deliberate destruction of public property such as fencing and in the uprooting the trees that the people of Galway of all ages planted over the decades. There is also a dramatic rise in silt and vegetation across the Terryland River that is decreasing water flow and as a home for aquatic wildlife. We are also worried about the lack of progress in installing pedestrian road crossings connecting sections of the park.

So we have written to all councillors requesting them to visit the Terryland Forest Park this month to review both the successes achieved and the issues that need to be faced up to and be solved including if necessary the passing of new byelaws.

In a time of a growing human-made interlinked global Climate and Biodiversity Crises, our woodlands and parks are needed more than ever.

What a Waste!

2026-08-31T20:47:30.526+00:00

Every week, our Tuatha volunteers pick/gather up refuse from the forest park.

It is the unattractive side of our regular volunteering duties but one that is so necessary for the benefit of both visitors and residents (wildlife!) of the park.

From next week we will be weighing what we collect, registering it online and ensuring that we fully separate out the returnable and refundable plastic beverage cans/bottles from the rest of the waste. We do actually undertake the latter and maybe make €50-€80 every year in income since the scheme started. But we could be better

Celebrating a long life together

2026-08-30T20:33:16.675+00:00

Yet it feels like only yesterday that we got married on a hot August day surrounded by our families and by our friends in the little church in Ryehill, followed later by a lively reception at the Salthill Hotel.

The summer of 1984 was one of youthful artistic vibrancy, huge technological change and of political protest/unrest in Galway, nationwide and internationally. But that is a story for another day.

Suffice to say that on a personal level it was the happiest day of my life as I married the girl of my dreams. As the decades past we were privileged to become parents of two fine sons and now in 2026 to enjoy being proud grandparents to the lovely Grace.

God willing, may we both enjoy many more years together with lots of fun and excitement shared.

In a world of turmoil LOVE is all that matters, love expressed towards other individuals, towards other peoples and towards the planet

'Think Global, Act Local' in Galway city

2026-08-30T20:31:09.523+00:00

There is a major exhibition presently on show in the Galway Museum entitled ‘Earth Action’, highlighting the importance of undertaking actions at a local level to tackle the interlinked global Climate/Biodiversity Crises. Terryland Forest Park features very prominently, a prime example of how people in Galway city made a difference and contributed to positive change. Well worth a visit!

So well done to all our present and past volunteers- their efforts have been publicly recognised! As always, we will continue our volunteering activities from 10am tomorrow (Saturday) morning at An Nead (park entrance on the Sandy Road).

A United Nations in the Heart of Galway

2026-08-28T17:20:07.527+00:00

Having worked across 4 continents, I've experienced both the bad and good of humanity. Everywhere there is sadly some form of discrimination on grounds of race, religion, class or gender. But more importantly I've met ordinary people doing the most extraordinary things often in the most difficult of circumstances to help others without prejudice

In an era when hate, greed & effects of human-made Climate/Biodiversity Crises are rising, it's more crucial than ever before to implement the UN’s ethos of ‘peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet’ & its 17 sustainability development goals

So in that context I am so going to miss, after 24 years of doing so, helping organise activities at my university research centre designed to bring people from all parts of the globe together in a spirit of respect & friendship, to highlight & celebrate their own cultures, & to ensure colleagues from all continents had opportunities to experience, learn about & immerse themselves in the rich heritage & history of Ireland

Multicultural Festivals
Our Data Science Institute(DSI) pioneered the hosting of end-of-year in-house Multicultural Festivals
Every Christmas, staff & students decorate the building with festive bunting & transform its main room into a series of stands showcasing the cuisine, dress, images, music & customs of their homelands. Families & friends are invited to come along & enjoy the foods, non-alcoholic beverages & traditions on offer
As the event takes place at Christmas, a DSI member dresses up as Santa bringing gifts to the kids with exciting retro arcade games also on offer for the enjoyment of all. Over the years, music seisiuns have often been held blending Irish music with other ethnic traditions. Galway City mayors are invited so that DSIers can feel valued & accepted as part of local society.
Check out https://lnkd.in/duEMfnST (2015) & https://lnkd.in/djGk5j47 (2023)

Our ‘Places of Birth’ on a World Map
DSI prominently displays a large interactive map of the world where its members mark, with pin & picture, their places of birth

Global Languages
Another wall map showcases the wide range of languages spoken at DSI. Each nationality is encouraged to write the saying “Welcome to our workplace!” in their native tongue on a label that is pinned onto the map. 44 languages are currently on show

Experiencing the Living Heritage of Ireland
Opportunities are annually provided to DSIers to take part in group trips to historical places & to experience Ireland’s indigenous living culture. These journeys have included visits to Croagh Patrick, Mayo Greenway, Athlone to Mullingar Greenway, Boyne Valley, Monaghan, Carlingford, Connemara, Inishbofin & trips along the River Shannon to Clonmacnoise
DSIers are also regularly encouraged to volunteer with local conservation groups

Hall of Heroes
We place along one corridor photos of our colleagues' graduation days. We call it the Hall of Heroes!

The Long Goodbye Part 2: The Last of my Species!

2026-07-31T19:13:44.705+00:00

A few weeks ago my 22 year involvement with university science research centres ended.

With a vision of "Empowering Citizens & creating Smarter Societies", the multi-university Insight Centre for Data Analytics-which helped secure for Ireland a reputation for data-driven research & innovation in fields such as connected health, sensor technology, environmental analytics & human computer interaction-completed its funded research programme. Insight & ADAPT Centre have now become 'Rinn AI', Ireland’s national centre for data & AI research.

So as Insight’s tenure ended, I felt that it was an opportune time for me to do likewise, to retire from my role as a university research centre Educational & Public Engagement(EPE) Manager & to move onto pastures new.

In summer 2004, I attended the first meeting of what were then referred to as ‘Outreach’ Officers of the recently established research centres operating under Science Foundation Ireland(SFI). Of those that were at that inaugural gathering in Dublin, I’ve been for many years the only one still doing the same job

At one level, I could be viewed as the last of my species!

Though it was a voluntary decision to leave, nevertheless it was not an easy one. For I leave behind good friends & colleagues at a world class science research centre and at the University of Galway who helped me in delivering educational programmes to schools, communities & businesses across Ireland

And I’ll deeply miss the fantastic teachers, children & youth that I have been involved with through my Educational and Public Engagement (EPE) work at Insight & its predecessor the Digital Enterprise Research Institute(DERI) of University of Galway

I am immensely proud that we helped pioneer learning initiatives which have brought benefits to so many:

in co-creating Citizen Science & Engaged Research projects, hosting the Computer & Communications Museum, establishing DSI’s Virtual Reality Lab, providing a travelling laptop (mobile IT) lab for schools, & Digital Makers training/facilities particularly in hosting Coderdojo classes for 10 years, mentoring Internet Safety sessions for all ages, being part of the introduction of art into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM becomes STEAM), setting up Computer Rooms in IPAS centres across the west of Ireland, training teachers to create their first ever school websites, facilitating rural communities in digitising stories/photos from long ago, upgrading with the Access Centre older laptops to be used by families in social need, assisting the annual Galway Science & Technology Festival in its annual STEM schedule, and helping to pioneer the introduction of STEM programmes to disadvantaged communities (asylum seekers, Travellers, older peoples).

So what next for me?

I will certainly not have time to get bored!

There will be travels with my wife Cepta to places far and near and spending time with my son Shane's new family.

I will be honouring committments to a number of schools and organisations in online local heritage (Irish BEO) and coding projects, and as its curator and co-founder I intend to help make the Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland - CCMI become an important national educational and technology heritage resource.

But in an era when climate denial is on the rise across the globe and governments are rolling back on their commitments, I will have a big focus on working with others to tackle the ever growing & interlinked Climate & Biodiversity Crises through the Galway National Park, Connemara Greenway Alliance, Corrib Bridge & Terryland Forest Park projects.

And finally I can begin to write the long overdue book about life in Galway during my student days(which I promise will be a fascinating read!)

The Long Goodbye – Part 1: The Call of Africa.

2026-07-13T23:09:41.701+00:00

Late last year, I was organising an educational event at the Galway Education Centre where Bernard Kirk, the renowned STEM educationalist was MC.

The event was to be solely about the launch of an online repository of films from the wonderful pioneering Fionn project I coordinated from 2002 to 2005 on behalf of the Galway Education Centre & Galway Science and Technology Festival with Minister of Science Noel Treacy(RIP) and which involved 35 Galway schools piloting the introduction of science into the Irish primary school curriculum. The participating teachers, mentors & children from that era succeeded magnificently & our country will be forever in their debt

But to my complete surprise Bernard also used the opportunity to talk about my work across Africa under the SAP Africa Code Week (ACW) programme spearheaded by the brilliant Claire Gillissen-Duval & team which-in partnership with Irish NGO Camden Educational Trust(founded by Bernard) supported by UNESCO, African governments, local NGOs...-became the continent’s largest digital & coding skills initiative.

From 2015 to 2022, I was ACW’s chief mentor & helped develop course content used in 50 African countries by over 100,000 teachers & 14.7 million youth(47% female).

ACW was transformative for so many of its participants. But it also had a profound impact on myself as, teaching in 11 African countries, I experienced at first hand the fantastic diversification of its rich cultures and religious beliefs, its strong community/tribal/family values, its widespread technological youthful innovation...but also, as with the rest of the world, problems associated with rapid urbanisation, population growth, mining, Climate Crises, wars & threats to its precious natural ecosystems.

At the event I was presented with 2 of the most heart-warming gifts I have ever received: a)a specially commissioned(thanks Claire Betis!)painting by African artist Alexandra Savina comprising images drawn from my work in Africa but also portraying elements of my environmental & Irish heritage activities, my student activism days & Michael D. Higgins(my political inspiration)

b) a very loving tribute poem penned by Claire Betis, my good friend & colleague with whom I shared many delightful African & Middle Eastern adventures

In follow-up posts, I will tell the stories of the Africa I encountered on my trips.

This post should have been written ages ago. But the event I outlined above was held soon after I completed 6 weeks of radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer. My energy levels were below norm. And I know Bernard deliberately and very thoughtfully brought in the African dimension to the event-with its gifts, tributes & my friends from Camden(Nuala Dalton & Cushla Dromgool-Regan)-to give me a morale booster during this difficult time.

So I felt it best to write a piece only after my medical results came through & thereby not tempt faith

Thankfully that time has come, as I recently received a positive diagnosis. Hence I give praise, blessings and thanks to the professionalism, skills and kindness of Ireland’s doctors, nurses and technicians.

So there is still a road to travel and more adventures to experience!

Picnic Sunday in Terryland Forest Park on Fathers' Day (June 21st)

2026-06-19T11:41:03.936+00:00

As part of the Galway Climate Festival 2026, a revival of what was once a strong family tradition in Ireland will take place at Terryland Forest Park on Sunday June 21st.

Going to a park on a Sunday during the summer with a large blanket and food basket packed with sandwiches, buns and soft drinks was once a regular part of Irish family life until the early 1970s.
We want to revive that tradition.
Recently the community in Shantalla held such an event in their local park and it was part of the Terryland Forest Park calendar during its early years.

To encourage the public to take part, volunteers will also host origami, crafts, paint, chalk and movement workshops, poetry readings, set up a children’s library, provide old style wooden games as well as guided walks (‘Talks & Trails)’ along the lovely network of pathways through the woods that were recently developed by Galway City Council.

We are asking for people of all ages to join us on this Sunday from 1pm to 4pm in the meadows and woods of the forest park.

Family groups are asked if possible to bring along a blanket, non-alcoholic drinks and picnic foods.

Entrance is at the park gate at the Headford Road-Quincentenary Bridge Road Junction beside Galway Retail Park. https://lnkd.in/dqb_qW4Y
To register, go to https://lnkd.in/d6rsNu2c

Finally, a big thank you to Tiarnan McCusker and the Galway Climate Festival at Galway City Council for their generous support

Space Exploration exhibition at Computer & Communications Museum

2026-06-04T20:46:52.237+00:00

Well done to Adam Collison in the 14th year of THREESIS

2026-05-06T09:09:00.008+00:00

I was delighted to have been asked by Marina Ansaldo, PhD of the Vice President Office of Research & Innovation at the University of Galway to mentor Adam Collison, one of the finalists in this year’s Threesis, a competition for postgraduate researchers to explain their work in 3 minutes on 3 slides in front of 3 judges in a way that is clear, engaging & relevant to a lay or public audience
Adam is a final-year PhD student in Physics and his research focuses on evaluating the impact of energy retrofits on indoor air quality in public buildings, specifically offices and schools. He is passionate about his research. As he said himself “…What excites me most about my work is that air quality affects absolutely everyone, no one can survive without air, yet the factors that shape it indoors are poorly understood by most…”

Air quality is something that I too have a strong interest in, having being involved through Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics in citizen science projects such as 'The Air We Share' (part of decarbonising Galway)with Liz Coleman & Galway City Council.
At the Grand Finale yesterday, Adam came second in a very strong field.
So a big ‘Bualadh Bos’ to Adam for achieving Silver!! A well deserved award and recognition!
I ensured that I got my photo taken with him & Prof Donal Leech, Dean Of Graduate Studies!

Though not involved anymore in an organisational role, I have had a long association with Threesis having being one of its founding members in 2012 along with Ann Lyons, Dave Finn, Ena Brophy, Dr Lorraine Tansey, Louise Nolan, Ruth Hynes, Sarah Knight & Valerie Parker.
I got the idea for it from the national Thesis-in-3 that was then organised by SFI (now
Taighde Eireann) specifically for research centres personnel which had started in 2010, with the first winner being Eyal Oren from my own NUIG institute of DERI. I felt that we could do something similar in Galway & that ‘Threesis’ would be a catchy name!
The original committee, comprising a fantastic lively bunch of visionaries, agreed. But we expanded it to include both students & staff from across all disciplines, ensuring too that the judging panel reflected the wider Galway society. In the early years, we also hosted the finals in the city centre & soon got GMIT(now ATU) involved. In our first year (2012), the grand final (see right image on dual photo) was held in the Galway building of the local branch of Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health. The audio-visual technical manager then & now was the highly professional Cormac Staunton
At the first final the 3 judges were Liam Bluett, Director of Ballybane Enterprise Centre; Frances Shanahan, RTE Journalist; & Prof Terry Smith, Vice President of Research at what was then NUI Galway

After 14 years, it's so good to see the University of Galway’s Office of Research & Innovation team keeping Threesis going from strength to strength. Maith daoibh!

JUST 3- a wonderfully successful Environmental Partnership between University & the wider Galway Community

2026-04-30T16:58:00.000+00:00

I was honoured to be with the wonderful International Student Officer Louise Kelly as we represented the University of Galway’s JUST 3 initiative at the finals of the all-Ireland Education Awards 2026 for the third level sector that was held last week in county Meath
We were present on the night in the companionship of a number of other great project nominees from the University of Galway, namely University of Galway Access Centre, Erasmus, PEP Project & University of Galway IdeasLab. It was the latter that ensured that Galway took home a top prize, being winners of the ‘Best Collaboration Award’ for its ‘Building the Empathy Studio Through Co-Creation & Collaboration’. So a big ‘Bualadh Bos’ to Natalie & team!
Though Just 3 did not win the ‘International Engagement Award’ this time around, nevertheless we were proud that it received national recognition as it provides a unique & meaningful opportunitiy for international students studying at our university to undertake weekly conservation activities in Terryland Forest Park alongside members of the wider population of Galway city. Volunteering activities include tree/wildflower plantings, removing invasive species, developing eco-heritage trails, restoring rural features, litter picking & introducing sustainable farming. There's also a very critical built-in social dimension to Just 3 as, after every group work activity, volunteers come together to share stories over coffee/tea & biscuits in a relaxed café setting. Participants gain essential social, health & environmental benefits from working with others in Nature.
So even though the international students may only be 2/3 academic terms living in Ireland, nevertheless their legacy is a lasting one. By planting trees & wildflowers in our city, they are putting permanent roots in Irish soil & helping make Ireland a better place for both people & for biodiversity.
The Just 3 intiative was founded in 2024 by Louise Kelly & myself assisted by the then Students’ Union President Dean Kenny (who designed the eye-catching poster), the university Society’s officer Rena Hughes, SU Environmental Officer Malena Thren & the then ALIVE Coordinator Dr Lorraine Tansey. So we were so delighted that the bubbly, energetic & ever-so-friendly Lorraine Tansey was present at the Education Awards to jointly receive the "Most Innovative Digital Transformation" Award for the StudentVolunteer.ie website. Though Lorraine is now helping in coodinating student volunteering nationwide in her capacity as Programme Manager at Student Volunteer Ireland, we in Galway are still benefiting from her efforts. For it is through the Student Volunteer website that students sign up for Just 3 in order to undertake Tuatha Terryland Forest Park activities. This registration process is coordinated locally by my good friend Ann O'Brien as the university’s Community Engagement Officer.

April – Another busy month mentoring Schools!

2026-04-30T16:56:00.003+00:00

Even with the long Easter holidays break for schools, Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics still managed in April to host, at the University of Galway's Data Science Institute (DSI), multiple primary, secondary, business and language schools as well as students from French & Swedish colleges for a combination of AI-themed Research Talks, coding workshops, and guided museum tours. We also provided STEM workshops/talks in classrooms from Abbey in south Galway to Creggs in north Galway and from Galway city to Ballinlough in county Roscommon.
A total of 15 events.

So a big thank you/Míle buíochas once again to my Insight Galway colleagues who made all of this school mentoring possible, namely Alan Reidy Andrew Simpkin, Alex Acquier, Duc-Duy Nguyen, Elizabeth Hunter, Erik de Jong, Finn Krewer, Ghanshyam Verma, Ifeoluwapo Aribilola, Jim Duggan, Kashif Shaheed, Majjed Al-Qatf, Muhammad Yasar Khan (PhD), Olusegun Agbabiaka, PhD, Umair ul Hassan, Ronan Timon, Shunmuga Priya MC and Yang Yang.

Ag tosú ar an gcéad lá de Bhealtaine, déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall an beagán Gaeilge atá agam a úsáid i mo chuid teagaisc i scoileanna i gCarna, i Ros Muc agus i gCathair na Gaillimhe. Tá súil agam go gcuideoidh sé liom feabhas a chur ar mo chumas múineadh trí úsáid a bhaint as an nGaeilge.

Galway city stakeholders united in demand for Corrib Cycling & Pedestrian Bridge.

2026-04-14T10:42:00.001+00:00

After a packed public meeting on the need for the long-overdue construction of a pedestrian-cycling bridge over the River Corrib, a multi-sectoral delegation was set up to meet with senior management in Galway City Council on the issue.

This group-comprising members with community, business, cycling, waterways, tourism, heritage and environmental interests- recently met with the council’s Director of Services Derek Pender and Project Engineer Micheál Cormican.
We were informed that, in spite of funding being withdrawn by the National Transport Authority (NTA) which had previously been committed and which could have meant the death knell for the construction of a bridge on top of the former Galway City-Clifden railway line, the council undertook immediate decisive action to secure the agreement of the national Urban Regeneration Development Fund (which was set up under the National Development Plan 2018-2027) for the local authority to progress the project through the relevant statutory planning process.

To continue with this process in a situation when there was no financial or policy support from the NTA, we were told that internally, the local authority has transferred the project from its NTA-funded office for Active Travel projects to the newly established office for Project Management and Capital Delivery.
We commend City Hall for taking this progressive course of action.

However it’s important for the general public to realise that the funding currently in place is to bring the project through the statutory planning consent process only and there is currently no funding model in place when this planning and design phase is completed. Therefore there is still a serious question mark over whether this bridge will ever become a reality.

Sadly we have been here before. In 1999 it was declared that this bridge, to be known as the Millennium Bridge, would be open to the public by December 2000 acting as a hub connecting to the newly opened Terryland Forest Park, to the nearby developing cultural district, and to a proposed series of recreational facilities and a network of paths along the River Corrib and canals. Through no fault of the council at the time the bridge did not come to pass.

Over a quarter of a century later though its importance as a vital piece of urban infrastructure has only grown in stature. For it would provide a safe active travel route connecting people on both sides of the River Corrib to their places of work (including the planned urban village to be built on what is now the Dyke Road carpark) and study as well as to hospitals, leisure facilities and areas rich in biodiversity. Futhermore it would, by directly connecting into the long overdue Connemara Greenway, dramatically boost sustainable tourism and bring huge economic benefits to the region west of the Corrib.

Support for the bridge includes Galway City Council, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) Section of Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the University of Galway, community organisations such as the Galway City Community Network in the city and the Connemara Greenway Alliance in the county, heritage waterways advocates such as Corrib Beo, and businesses such as Aerogen, as well as multiple schools and health advocates.

In order to ensure that the bridge is built, a newly formed multi-sectoral grouping will, amongst other actions, be writing to all national political representatives for Galway West as well as to all candidates in the upcoming by-elections requesting their public support and asking to state what actions they can undertake to ensure funding is secured at a national level once the statutory planning process is completed. We realise of course that there is wide political support. But after so many delays over so many decades, we need at this stage firm political action for the construction of what will become a icon and a symbol of a new sustainable Galway.

Photo shows attendees at Corrib Bridge meeting in City Hall (L-R): Micheal O Cinneide, Jen Cunningham, Justine Delaney, Brendan Smith, Brendan Mulligan, Freddy Valla, Micheál Cormican and Derek Pender. Not in photo- Bernadette Mullarkey.

Google Glasses!

2026-03-31T18:17:00.005+00:00

A visiting German student at the museum today tries out the Google Glasses from 2014.

Why not come along to our fabulous technology heritage facility and try out these iconic glasses and mor of our latest additional artifacts this Saturday (April 4th)? We are open to the general public from 11am to 2pm.

Eircode: H91 AEX4

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/1985806304112?aff=oddtdtcreator

61 schools & youth events organised in January-March 2026!

2026-03-31T18:02:00.004+00:00

Ever since our return from the Christmas holidays, it has been 'all systems go!' at the Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics as we continue to deliver a range of exciting & meaningful educational programmes both directly in schools & for those visiting the Data Science Institute (DSI) of the University of Galway.
Whilst our engaged research projects involve partnerships with businesses, local government, state agencies, health professionals, farmers & communities not only in Ireland but all across Europe, we have always since our inception given significant attention to our Irish school-going population not only in upskilling them in technology skills that fit within the educational curriculum; in providing role models in the form of young researchers; in making them aware of career opportunities over our multiple research fields which align with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); but also in making them as well as their teachers & parents fully aware of & how to counter the dark side of the Web especially now in an era of growing abuse of AI by major players.
Our educational activities range from coding, Virtual Reality & digital local heritage workshops, to Research Talks on AI & Data Science, to guided tours of the Computer and Communication Museum of Ireland and in providing age-appropriate presentations on Internet Safety.
From early Jan to end of March, we will have organised 61 events for schools, youth groups, after-school clubs & university societies (e.g. in Engineering, Computing & Innovation) in counties Roscommon, Mayo, Offaly, Galway as well as in Galway city. I myself also got the opportunity to travel overseas in my EPE role- this month and last I mentored in the island school of Inishbofin! Furthermore, we make certain that we deliver programmes to ‘Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools’(DEIS) that have high concentrations of disadvantage.

Thanks to Insight Galway volunteers, we've ensured that our Educational & Public Engagement(EPEs) programmes are as strong in 2026 as they were in proceeding years, So a big thank you/Bualadh Bos to our researchers Abdul Wahid, Al Waskow, Alan Reidy,Alex Acquier, Carlos Tighe, Duc-Duy Nguyen, Ifeoluwapo Aribilola, Jefkine Kafunah, Katarzyna Stasiewicz, Gaurav Negi,Kashif Shaheed, Lucas Rabelo, Liz Hurley, Luke Porwol, Shakir Bilal, Janak Kapuriya, Jim Duggan,Jefkine Kafunah, John Andrew, Umair ul Hassan, Muhammad Sohaib Ayub, Muhammad Yasar Khan (PhD), Prateek Paul,Ronan Timon, Tunde Ajayi as well as to our great operations team of Brian Wall, Christiane Leahy-Coen, claire browne, Gerard Conneely, (PhD), Maria Smyth, Michelle Treacy & Tomas Grigas, PhD, PSM I
As always, I consider myself blessed to work alongside such colleagues who are prepared to give their time & energies to introduce their research to the wider community as well as in upskilling our youth in creative technologies

AI Research for the Good of People & the Planet

2026-03-30T19:13:00.001+00:00

Over 50 German students and their teachers from the Galway Business School (GBS) attended a special 'AI for Good' event in the Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics at the Data Science Institute of the University of Galway where they learnt about some of our ground-breaking research projects designed to bring benefits to humanity and to the planet.
In a time when aspects of AI and science generally can and are being used to inflict death and destruction on planet Earth, it is critical that we increase our efforts to support STEM programmes that are life-giving.
At Insight we have for many years mapped our research against the United Nations 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) and organise activities to make the public aware of our work especially by engaging with schools, communities, businesses and policy makers.
So a big thank you/Míle buíochas to my fellow colleagues at Insight DSI for giving presentations to the visiting German students and making themselves available for questions, namely Elizabeth Hunter on 'Computational Modelling to Predict the Spread of Infectious Diseases'; Bharathi Raja Chakravarthi on 'Inclusive AI'; Prateek Paul on 'Incentive Alignment in Data Sharing Ecosystems'; and Jefkine Kafunah on 'AI, Big Data and Data Analytics for the AgriFood sector'.
After the research talks, I gave the young people an overview of the history (with a Galway & Ireland flavour!) of computing and communications technologies before providing them with an immersive guided tour of the computer museum.

Worth remembering that once there was a US President that stood up against Zionism, was a genuine peacemaker & did not use his office for personal gain.

2026-03-02T18:47:00.004+00:00

Jimmy Carter did so much during and after his term as US President which brought benefits to the world and truly deserved the Nobel Peace Prize when it was eventually awarded to him in 2002.

He was not perfect but Jimmy was a deeply religious man who actually tried to live by the basic tenets of Christianity and, unlike Trump, used his public status not for personal wealth but to promote peace.
In fact he was the antithesis of the present day US President who is the personification of 5 of the 7 deadly sins that I was taught as a child in Christian religious class to beware of namely: pride, greed, lust, envy and wrath.

Among Jimmy's achievements:
-Helped mediate peace between Egypt and Israel through the 1978 Camp David Accords.
-Was the first President that called for a Palestinian homeland.
-Began the transfer of ownership of the Panama Canal from the USA to the country of Panama.
-Established Human Rights as an important element of U.S. foreign policy.
-Introduced energy conservation for the first time as a key element of US policy and established the Department of Energy.
-Spent decades after his Presidency personally helping to build houses for the poor, funding disease eradication programmes and undertaking diplomatic peace missions across the world.

I will never forget his interview on BBC Newsnight in the early 2000s when he warned the world of the dangers of the Israeli right-wing Zionist wealthy lobbyist group known as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), mentioning how they had corrupted US politics, saying that one could not successfully run as a small town sheriff in the USA if they were up against you. He correctly stated that they were a barrier towards achieving a just peace in the Middle East.

The Nativity of Jesus could never have happened in 2026

2026-02-22T20:05:00.005+00:00

Photo from the 'Vatican News' media

Earlier this month the Galway Advertiser newspaper published my letter entitled "The Nativity of Jesus could never have happened in 2026."

I, as with the vast majority of the Irish people and indeed of the whole world, am horrified by the utter brutality of the Israeli occupation forces (both the military & the colonists) in the West Bank and Gaza and had to 'put pen to paper' once again.

But I was inspired also by Pope Francis's inauguration during Christmas 2024 of the "Nativity of Bethlehem 2024" scene placed in the Vatican which featured the baby Jesus lying on a Palestinian keffiyeh. The scene was crafted by Palestinian artists Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi from Bethlehem and featured olive wood figures of Joseph and Mary with the infant Jesus swaddled in a black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh. It gave due recognition to the present day sufferings of the Palestinian peoples whether they are Muslim, Christian or secular.

My letter below:

The Nativity of Jesus could never have happened in 2026

It was only a few weeks ago on January 19th that Christmas Day was celebrated amongst the oldest Christian communities in the world, namely in the Middle East. It got me to reflect on the story of the Nativity or birth of Jesus and its significance in the 21st century.

The story is well known. Joseph walks alongside his heavily pregnant wife Mary sitting on a donkey as they journey across difficult terrain from their home in the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Joseph’s ancestral home of Bethlehem in Judea to register for a census required by the imperial Roman authorities. Once there they found there was no room available to rent for their stay. So they had to make do by taking shelter in a stable amongst animals where Mary subsequently gave birth, laying the new born baby in an animal feeding trough (manger). Singing angels appeared in the night sky and asked shepherds looking after their flocks of sheep in the hills above Bethlehem to go to the stable where the baby Jesus lay. Nearly two weeks later three magi or priests from lands far to the east of the Jordan River followed a star to Bethlehem to present gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the new born infant and family. As a result of their visit though, soldiers later came to Bethlehem to carry out the orders of King Herod (the ruler of the Roman vassal state of Judea) to kill all baby boys under the age of two in order to stop the fulfillment of a prophesy that one of them would become a future "King of the Jews". To save Jesus from certain death, the family fled Judea and took refuge in Egypt. They only returned to Nazareth after the death of Herod.

In spite of the poverty and terror in the ‘Holy Land’ during the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius and his local client ruler King Herod, it is unlikely that the Nativity could occur in 2026.

For a Palestinian Arab from Nazareth would be generally forbidden from traveling to Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank even if it was his ancestral home. The same holds for Palestinians going in the opposite direction. Even if they managed to get a permit from the occupying military power, they would have to go through multiple Israeli checkpoints, a eight metre high separation wall as well as encounter illegal settlements and their armed Jewish residents who are increasingly and violently taking over Palestinian lands (against international law) through attacking, evicting and killing the indigenous population. Where Palestinians have being forced by an Israeli campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide to escape to nearby Jordan or Egypt they, unlike the family of Jesus who temporarily fled to Egypt to save their lives, would be able to return to their homes, which more than likely would be occupied by Jewish colonists.

Nor would the three Magi ever be allowed access to Bethlehem in order to give gifts to a new born child. It is probable that the Magi were members of the Persian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism, then the main religion of the Parthian Empire centred on what is now Iran (formerly Persia). Few if any Iranians today would be allowed to visit Bethlehem by the occupying state. Nor would frankincense and myrrh and be so readily available as gifts. Grown primarily in war-ravaged Somalia and Yemen, the frankincense and myrrh trees are facing major threats from climate change, over-exploitation and population growth.

The heavenly sounds of angels singing have been replaced by the sounds of armed drones.

But there are other aspects of Palestine/Israel in 2026 that evokes the story of the Nativity. As in the time of Jesus the people of Palestine use donkeys to transport people and goods, this time though in Gaza to flee Israeli bombardment.

Whilst Jesus was born in an animal’s stable, today so many Palestinian women in Gaza give birth in the unsanitary conditions of tents made from plastic and tarpaulin as their homes and hospitals had been deliberately destroyed by the Israeli military.

Shepherds like those that came to worship Jesus at his birth still live in Bethlehem but their lives, lands and sheep are threatened daily by armed Zionist colonists.

The narcissism and tyranny of Tiberius and Herod emulates in so many ways that of Trump and Nethanyahu, both groups of rulers accepting or implementing a collective slaughter of civilians.

Two thousand years after Jesus, Christianity faces extinction in the land of its birth due to colonisation and ethnic cleansing against the indigenous Christian and Muslim populations in the occupied West Bank and genocide in Gaza.

Jesus message of peace and ‘love thy neighbour as thyself’ in 2026 is more important than ever before

Galway’s Role in introducing Science into the Irish Primary School Curriculum, 2002-2005.

2026-02-10T22:19:00.005+00:00

As part of last Nov’s Galway Science & Technology Festival I organised a very special event in the Galway Education Centre with its director Liam Mitchell. Bernard Kirk my good friend & internationally renowned educationalist, acted as Master of Ceremony.
The occasion was a re-launch of science films made by the children & teachers of 35 Galway city & county primary schools involved in the Fionn School Science project, an inspiring pioneering government-funded initiative that operated from 2001/2002 to 2004/2005. As well as the viewing of the project films, there was an exhibition on the night comprising equipment, media coverage, awards & even science exhibits made by the young participants all those years ago.

Fionn led the way in successfully pioneering the introduction of science into Ireland’s primary school curriculum by having participating schools make a series of highly informative child-centric science & technology online videos during the period 2002-2005.

I was delighted to see so many fellow veteran STEM & Science Festival stalwarts in attendance as well as so many of the great teachers I had worked with on the Fionn projects all those years ago.

We were also honoured to have present at the event the family of the late Noel Treacy TD who, as Minister for Science, Technology & Commerce, secured the government mandate & funding for Fionn. Noel was one of the most ‘lets get things done’ politicians that I ever had the privilege to work with.

Over the last few years I spent much time searching for & gathering up these films that were on old VHS tapes, DV cassette tapes & DVDs in order to digitise them & make them available online once again after a gap of nearly 20 years for the benefit of present & future generations.
With over 110 videos digitised & to be made available shortly on the BEO heritage website (provided by Insight Centre for Data Analytics in association with University of Galway and the Heritage Office of Galway County Council) they show the children of Galway city & county schools of nearly a quarter of a century ago as vanguards in bringing science into the Irish Primary Educational Curriculum which occurred in autumn 2004.

Many of the themes of these films include topics so relevant to today’s educational world e.g. air quality, waste management, biodiversity restoration, peatlands, reforestation, heritage protection, water pollution, renewable energies, communications, optics, circulatory system, geology & farming.
Nor surprisingly these videos became a valuable online resource for schools nationwide over a number of years. Furthermore, for 4 consecutive years the Fionn schools also formed the major educational component of the annual exhibition of the Galway's Science Festival which was held during this period in Salthill(Leisureland & Galway Bay Hotel). Up until 2001, there was usually only one school having a stand at its exhibition finale. In 2002, there were 28 Fionn schools exhibiting & their presence remained constant for the following 3 years & beyond.

Encouraged by Jimmie Browne I applied for & was appointed coordinator to help develop, under the stewardship of the Galway Education Centre, what turned out to be an innovative & pioneering project. It was my first re-entry into Irish education after a gap of over 10 years which included spending a few years working outside Ireland & in other sectors within the country.

Bernard at the time was Director of the Galway Education Centre with Ciaran Folan as its technology advisor. Both powerful STEM advocates. The project was also generously supported by Jimmie Browne, Pat Morgan, Tom Hyland (RIP), Simon Lenihan, & Malachy Thompson in their capacity as members of Galway Science & Technology Festival committee.
Our remit was to help in what was really a RE-introduction of science into the primary school curriculum after an absence of nearly 80 years. For it was taken out to make way for the Irish language soon after the foundation of the Irish Free State.
We knew that teachers already had a packed daily schedule, providing a wide range of subjects as well as sport, health & social activities. Now they were expected, with very few additional long-term resources, to become familiar with & embrace a brand new & very important subject, one that was expected to help shape the country’s economic development.
Understandably there would be resistance from some within the teaching profession.
A difficult challenge lay before us.
Still we planned to capture the imagination of both teachers & children.
Our aim was to make science exciting, fun, hands-on, using high tech, easy-to-embrace, inclusive, relevant to their everyday lives, cross-curriculum, involving the whole class or school that they would enthusiastically want to sign up to as a pilot school!
So at the start of the 21st century, we came up with something completely different from anything that had gone before...(Part 3 is next post)

At a time (early 2000s) when the public perception of a scientist was oftentimes of someone who was male, old, grey-haired, ‘nerdy’ and dressed in a white lab coat, we adopted a logo (designed by Lol Hardiman) for Fionn that portrayed a happy boy and girl dressed in colourful clothing trying out science experiments together.

In an era before broadband, smart phones and social media immersion, we gave participating schools their first ever laptop (Apple iBook- Macbook's predecessor), their first ever high speed digital phone line (ISDN), their first ever hand-held video camera, their first movie editing software (iMovie) and their first training in video production in order for them to make a series of child-centric films every year for four years related to science and technology but also taking in other aspects of the school curriculum such as languages, music, history, geography and art. The completed films each year were hosted on a Department of Education website as well as on a specific Fionn website (developed by Diarmuid O’Riordan) that gave schools their first ever presence on the World Wide Web. A 'Directory of Science Experts' was compiled comprising scientists and other STEM advocates from NUI Galway (now University of Galway), GMIT (now Atlantic Technology University, Galway Atlantaquaria, Coillte, Teagasc, Western Health Board (now [Health Service Executive, the Western Regional Fisheries Board (now Inland Fisheries Ireland) and elsewhere who were available to support schools with their Fionn projects. We also funded artists Martin O'Ceidigh, Lol Hardiman, Diarmuid Mullen and Podge Daly to provide artistic mentoring to the schools for their projects.

Not surprisingly Fionn projects won many local and national awards and acted as a catalyst in the establishment of a Schools category within the inaugural Galway County Heritage Awards (now the Cathaoirleach Awards) launched in 2003 by its awesome Heritage Officer Marie Mannion.

Fionn’s legacy is a proud one. For I sometimes meet teachers, scientists and engineers who tell me that a Fionn science project inspired or reinforced their interest in what became their future careers. And today science is a key subject taught in all of the 3000 primary schools schools in Ireland. As the old proverb states, “Mighty oaks from small acorns grow”.

Photo on left shows my son Dáire at a Fionn stand in the Galway Science Fair 2003.

Photo on right shows Laura Porter (teacher & science advocate at New Inn National School) proudly pointing to herself on a Fionn film from 2003 when she was a senior infants class pupil at Ballymana National School. With Laura is Anne Murray, manager of the Galway Science & Technology Festival. Photo taken at the Fionn Science Films Launch.

We are living in an Age of Empires

2026-01-04T14:59:00.003+00:00

The US government's illegal war on Venezuela was never about drugs or democracy.

It was always about oil and regime change.

Trump has made it quite clear that he does not care what Greenlanders, Canadians, Panamanians and Venezuelans think. For in his imperial mindset, their country’s natural resources belong not to them but to the USA (i.e big American corporations).

Imperialism is back with a vengeance. Trump wants total control of the Western Hemisphere; is happy to allow Netanyahu to integrate and colonise the Palestinian territories and control Lebanon; and for Putin to recreate the Tsarist Empire with puppet status and assimilation awaiting Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.

International Law and the United Nations have being totally ignored by the USA, Russia and Israel.

As with Israel's genocide in Gaza and increasing colonisation of the occupied West Bank, the EU will behave spinelessly and will do absolutely nothing of substance to hold the USA to account.

With China expanding its territorial ambitions in the seas bordering Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and having economic control over so many countries, we are sadly returning to an Age of Empires with their ‘Spheres of Influence’ where ‘Might is Right’ and small countries exist only to serve the Big Powers.