Sophie Cooper

The IWD rally makes its way towards city hall with women holding the purple and green Reclaim the Agenda banner. The march stretches behind them with hundreds in attendance.

Former Irish President, Mary Robinson, addresses the crowd from the stage.

A woman and young girl march together. The woman holds a sign reading "No Shame for Survivors - No Shamrocks for Abusers" and raises her clenched fist in the air. The young girl beside her holds up a placard reading "Rebel Girls make history".

Azadeh Sobout addresses the crowd from the stage.

Photos from today's IWD rally are up on the website nai.

brendanjharkin.myportfolio.com/internationa...

An extra ordinary resource for historians of eighteenth century Ireland as well as economic and social historians more generally @eshsi.bsky.social

Curious to learn more about how these sensible grown-up "fairytale"-skeptics think nation states sprang into being without having been socially constructed...

“Almost all the 165 people killed in the attack were girls aged between seven and 12, according to local officials. There were around 170 girls at the school in southern Iran’s Minab at the time.“

A double-tap strike on little girls at school.

Looking forward to Antonia Hart's @usihs.bsky.social talk on Ulster Women in Business and Bankruptcy, 1888-1922 tomorrow!
@whaireland.bsky.social

To be precise, it'll be a special issue, but I think it would look well in a tiny open coffin. We should have an appropriate cake at least.

😂

Indeed we do! It should be out by summer - and we're very excited!

We are solidly back to the days of "WE are the civilized, makers and beneficiaries of the rules, and THEY are the uncivilized, entitled to no protections"

That mindset never really went away, some of just pretended it did. No denying it anymore

Youth Defence, young people and anti-abortion activism in Ireland, c.1992–97 This article explores the first five years of the Irish young people’s anti-abortion group Youth Defence. Using newspaper articles and archival sources, I illustrate how the group effectively mobil...

I have a new OA article out on the early history of Irish young people’s anti-abortion group Youth Defence. It’s part of a special issue by Agata Ignaciuk and Sylwia Kuzma-Markowska on anti-abortion activism in Europe.Thanks to reviewers and the RSE for funding.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Newcastle pubs ban AI art from breweries to protect local creatives As two pubs in Newcastle ban AI art, artists discuss the impact it can have on creatives.

"If I was to use ChatGPT for my designs rather than our designer Sean, that's taking money out of the local area into the hands of a multibillionaire ... removing value from the local community and local artists [and] into the hands of some of the richest people in the world."

#AIslop #refuseresist

‘We’ll run out of food this week’: Israel’s Iran war brings new Gaza siege Israel has closed all crossings into Gaza, threatening to plunge 2 million people into a new hunger crisis

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

I've got a tip for the PM that's going to blow his mind. If he thinks about the documents he puts his name to, he'll have to spend less time distancing himself from them.

“We cannot say that the United States’ actions are against international law, but we condemn Iran’s retaliatory actions as against international law,” is neither a coherent nor a compelling position.

I saw someone on IG (thankfully only in the context of someone else tearing it apart) bewailing the fact that they'd moved to Dubai to "get away from the politics" and now look! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Happy publication day to @uobrishistory.bsky.social’s Professor Sumita Mukherjee!

i’m tired of every paper (even critical ones) on societal impact of AI starting by both-siding the “benefits” and risks/harms of AI

in academia, i would like us to arrive at a collective reckoning that we don’t need to play both sides. it's totally legit to clearly state just the harms. period

Power, Politics and Territory in the ‘New Northern Ireland’ | Home Girdwood Barracks and the Story of the Peace Process

Liz DeYoung’s 'Power, Politics and Territory in the New Northern Ireland’ has just been released in paperback by Liverpool UP. Winner of the 2023 ACIS Murphy Prize, we hosted the NI launch in Jan 2024. Many congrats Liz!

www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/book/10....

Doing things the "right" way, burning out and then realizing there is another option, coming back and winning it all with no fucks given? Yes please tell me that story forever.

Cambridge University appoints chair of Irish history The first ever chair of Irish history has been announced at Cambridge University. Dr Alvin Jackson has been appointed to the role, which will be funded through a €4 million endowment from the Ireland ...

Cambridge University appoints chair of Irish history www.rte.ie/news/ireland...

This is how you tell the truth about Israel, genocide, complicity, AND sport.

A reminder that our first seminar of 2026 is on Thursday! Neil Murphy @northumbriauni.bsky.social will speak on 'Violence, colonialism and the mid-Tudor monarchy: Ireland in context'. If you can't join us in person @irishstudiesqub.bsky.social join online 👇
www.eventbrite.ie/e/violence-c...

Writing is thinking.

It's not some marginal boring task you can skip. It's the heart of it.

This is part of a bigger story that hasn't had much coverage about the FCDO being cut to ribbons.

Development funding has been slashed but foreign office staff are also being reduced by 20-30%.

TIL: January is now eight weeks long

Instagram Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.

It is in the national interest that you are told Michael D Higgins has posted an Instagram reel montage, for Valentine’s Day, of his late dog Bród

Omg so cool! Love it 😊

Leicester Cathedral reveals sign language wedding held in 1576 Cathedral bosses believe the signed service could have been one of the first in England.

Well this is a very touching local news story.

Very pleased to share details of a new permanent academic job opportunity in Creative & Cultural Industries at University College Dublin. We are seeking candidates with a PhD whose work engages with the commercial creative industries. Deadline: 6 March 2026 universityvacancies.com/university-c....

Amber Glenn (figure skater) and the men's ski team (Chris Lillis and Hunter Hess at least) have spoken out - there are probably more. I've mainly seen it on IG.