@Ireland Curator: Abie Philbin Bowman

RT @contact_ie: @ireland World Record attempt for "Most Expensive Bank Bailout Ever" contact.ie/node/109 #NotOurDebt Please RT

Reading about O'Connell, and how he pioneered many forms of political activism, is rather inspiring. I recommend it. @KathOMeara

@redmadden Nice

"Recognising that a culture of defeat afflicted Irish Catholics, O'Connell set out... to confront authority and challenge [foreign] rule."

My final Thought, from Dr Patrick Geoghegan's brilliant book on Daniel O'Connell, 'King Dan'...

I'd love to stay, but I'm being forced out by a non-violent coup. All hail your new leader, Jillian van Turnhout / @JillianvT

This is the kind of thing you can expect - "why we're ALL sexual racists" youtu.be/lAA9FJD1YeU Thanks bit.ly/TV6V8v

If you're looking for an original Irish Xmas gift for a lefty friend bit.ly/TV6V8v or for an over-zealous relative you're not fond of

Want to say a cordial diplomatic thanks to @Sweden, who normally resides at @LinaT.

That's just about it from me. Normal service resumes at @AbiePB & @DowntonWire. Thanks for a great week.

RT @PeterKGeoghegan: Enjoying @paulmasonnews 's excellent great Spanish crash. Is it part of a series on Europe and #austerity? BBC2 Now

@Spleck89 That's a massive assumption. You've never seen her as a non 8 year old. In my experience, nerds are by no means asexual

RT @Spleck89: @ireland a touch pervy but it's ok < I meant in the sense that Lisa's smart, articulate, artistic, sceptical. #IdealWoman

@john_mcguirk I wondered where you were getting your ideas on climate change

RT @Niamhstweet: @ireland .but apart from that, she's yr woman... < Bingo

Some classic Simpsons on TV. I had forgotten that Lisa Simpson is my ideal woman. (Apart from being 8, yellow-skinned & fictional)

Nice... RT @sonofabreslin: Life-affirming car park machines in Dundrum. bit.ly/12tTzFJ

And all the other people I interact with daily. Twitter gets my brain fired up every day. And then ensures I'm too distracted to do anything

More people who make Twitter brilliant: @AnnieWestDotCom @DarraghDoyle @CarolGertrude @EleanorTiernan @ColmTobin @IrishMammies @JohnMoynes

Before I go, people who make Twitter a wonderful place to hang out IMHO: @OrlaTinsley @ColmOGorman @AllanCavanagh @roemcdermott @RossOCK ...

RT @a_byrne_: @AbiePB @ireland Nothing like walking in other people's shoes to make you realise why you chose your ones. Or something.

Have really enjoyed interacting with you guys this week, though. Always good to get outside your comfort zone.

RT @Claredaisy: @AbiePB but is it not good to see from another perspective? @ireland < Oh definitely. Just saying that's one lesson

Also. I miss having silly fun with @DowntonWire. More of that...

One thing I've learned about Twitter, curating @Ireland this week: "numbers aren't everything". I really like my regular "crew" at @AbiePB

#GreatIrishDVDs RT @Tuigim: @ireland @achillgooner Once

RT @DulachG: Frank Kelly '12 Days of Christmas' #AlternativeXmasSongs < Yes. Genius. Listen here youtu.be/lbejNNCTr7k

If you want to support original Irish #AlternativeXmasSongs there's this by @TaraFlynn: amzn.to/VK4tBo at an exorbitant 89p

@TaraFlynn Ah go on. Everyone else is. Why do you think I started this #GreatIrishDVDs hashtag?? #NotLikeAnyonesTakenTheHintMind

"100 Mornings", dircted by our own @Conor_Horgan. #GreatIrishDVDs

#GreatIrishDVDs RT @DulachG: @wasteofgoodskin @ireland How's about Dylan Moran, Abie? < Yes. Genius. #Monster. As is @Tommedian

RT @MiaFarrow: Mayor Bloomberg: "This myth that the #NRA can destroy political careers is just not true." #MeetthePress

RT @NiamhPitts: @ireland Paths to Freedom is brilliant. Watched it again this week. < Yes. Great Satire #GreatIrishDVDs

RT @emersonhex: @ireland How about Irish books? Brendan Behan, Roddy Doyle et al. Trying to work out what books to send to a mate in Spain …

#GreatIrishDVDs RT @DulachG: @ireland Garage, Butcher Boy

RT @alcoss: @ireland Adam and Paul. A classic. #GreatIrishDVDs

#GreatIrishDVDs RT @achillgooner: @ireland My Left Foot. Great film

Agreed RT @cmcgovern: @ireland not sure if you can get this on DVD but I've always thought "I Went Down" never got the notice it deserved…

Will not be including anything featuring 'Mrs Brown" or "Brendan Grace" on my list of #GreatIrishDVDs #ToEachTheirOwn

#GreatIrishDVDs RT @RudyHellzapop: @ireland snapper ftw. "you know what I'd like to do with these, Mr Burgess"

#GreatIrishDVDs Personally, I'm a big fan of @DaraOBriain 'Live at the Theatre Royal' & 'Talks Funny'. Have yet to see 'Craic Dealer'

RT @JayCoyle: @ireland Cheers, my review if you are interested: bit.ly/VK2s8a #GreatIrishDVDs Silence

When I was a kid, if there was an Irish film on telly, that was code for "it'll be crap". So many brilliant Irish films in the last 15 years

#GreatIrishDVDs RT @JayCoyle: @ireland Also Pat Collins's new film Silence, best Irish film this year and in my top 10 overall.

#GreatIrishDVDs "In Bruges" & "Intermission" great, funny, distinctively Irish crime capers, with wit, pace & male eye-candy

#GreatIrishDVDs "His & Hers" brilliant documentary about Irish women of all ages and the men in their lives: Dads, boyfriends & husbands

Also looking for #GreatIrishDVDs - both Movies & Stand Up Comedy - to help make Xmas shopping easier. Eg. "In Bruges"

RT @DJ_KO: "I am a comedian and poet. So anything that doesn't get a laugh is a poem." - @Bill_Hicks_RIP Would have been 51 today.

RT @Berlinnaeus: @ireland We're walking in the Air (in silence: Aled Jones is bound and gagged in the boot of the car) #AlternativeXmasSongs

@TaraFlynn Is there an online audio link?

RT @MMFlint: If only the first victim, Adam Lanza's mother, had been a gun owner, she could have stopped this before it started.

Love it #AlternativeXmasSongs RT @brianocofaigh: Everything is One Big Christmas Tree by The Magnetic Fields. youtu.be/8R9QTv6rngc

Still love this #RationalXmasSongs card from @ScienceGallery bit.ly/STbWRm

RT @JohnMcMahonIrl: @ireland #RationalChristmasSongs White Wine In The Sun by @timminchin youtu.be/fCNvZqpa-7Q #IrelandXmasParty

RT @MoAnsar: Thank God for the UN Security Council: twitpic.com/bmk0ve/full #ArmingTheWorld

#AlternativeXmasSongs Also like Steve Martin's 5 Xmas Wishes youtu.be/CPVuHP3OXk0 #IrelandXmasParty

Loudon Wainwright 3 has some great #AlternativeXmasSongs - "Suddenly it's Xmas" youtube.com/watch?v=ew6rVc…

#AlternativeXmasSongs RT @GavinGrace: @ireland Kevin bloody Wilson. Hey Santa clause you C*** #IrelandXmasParty

Also I wanted suggestions for #RationalChristmasSongs "Single Cells". #IrelandXmasParty

#IrelandXmasParty #AlternativeXmasSongs "Xmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis". any others? youtu.be/mxVo5mjK4eg

#IrelandXmasParty First off, I want suggestions of #AlternativeXmasSongs that DON'T make you want to scream & burn down Brown Thomas

RT @a_byrne_: @ireland @obeoin You have 3.5 hours left. Still time to discuss what you wanted to. < OK. Xmas Miracle Time #IrelandXmasParty

I struggle on in the vain hope that some argument I use, maybe be useful to someone, somewhere in opening a human mind to reason & evidence

RT @dotski_w: @ireland You DO know your tweets to this wingnut outnumber the amount of her genuine followers? #PointlessAsArguingWithABrick

RT @obeoin: @ireland in fairness, you seem to have gone looking for some this week. < Some, maybe. I had planned to discuss fun stuff too

@fre4077 No. I would rather the killer hadn't had access to his mother's LEGALLY OWNED gun. The "Armed Hero Saves the Day" is a fantasy

RT @a_byrne_: @AbiePB Don't feed the trolls. Lesson number 1 on twitter!

Seriously @fre4077 ??? The NRA is a LOBBY GROUP funded by GUN MAKERS to push a PRO GUN AGENDA. That's not Evidence. It's PROPAGANDA.

How very impartial... RT @fre4077: @IrelandUncut @jamiewalsh_ie @ireland you should all review the info on NRA site. Many facts and info.

I swear - the number of times I come on Twitter to discuss nice, light, happy topics - and get drawn into rows about politics & religion...

RT @fre4077: @IrelandUncut @jamiewalsh_ie @ireland I have read many studies and have many facts. < Do please share & enlighten us

Incidentally, I strongly recommend following that inmate's lawyer @CliveSSmith who does amazing work on #Guantanamo #Drones & #DeathPenalty

For the record, I don't always agree with Frankie Boyle, or always laugh at his jokes. But that's a stellar act. ind.pn/TnWbR8

I'm proud to be a comedian today RT @Magnusbetner: Frankie Boyle donates £50,000 to help Guantanamo inmate sue M16 ind.pn/TkmYxG

If the killer had used legal poison to target children, your reasoning would suggest that we need MORE poison in society. #Bonkers @fre4077

It's not about being condescending, @fre4077 - You've offered no evidence to support your view, and are ignoring the facts of this case

RT @fre4077: @ireland I guess we just agree to disagree < in other words, you'll continue to ignore all evidence, logic, case law & history

@Ryan_Kenny1 Eg, we could have similar democracy, but politicians pay & pension cd be linked to long term strength of our economy

@Ryan_Kenny1 People respond to the incentives we give them. What part of that is controversial or difficult to understand?

@Ryan_Kenny1 True. But even most politicians admit that the 5 year reward cycle doesn't produce good long term planning.

@fre4077 Mass shootings dropped dramatically in Australia. Gun laws work. If you still can't see the connection, you have bigger problems...

Here's that study you wanted @fre4077 bit.ly/PFwpX1 - who wd've thought having more guns would lead to more shootings? #Evidence

Fri Dec 21st for @Trailblazery 'can you keep a secret?' event in Masonic Hall Dublin bit.ly/TnTUWl feat @UnaMullally @AbiePB

RT @fre4077: @ireland please send me your multi year study&dissertation < It's called Australia. Gun laws changed 1997 bit.ly/TnTwqQ

“@fre4077: @ireland youtube.com/watch?v=AmQpya…” - I'm sure that's a great consolation to the victims & their families

@fre4077 well, apparently, an angry young man took his mother's legally held guns and went on a rampage. & you want more legal guns?

That last tweet about the one shooter comes from a former speech writer to George W Bush. When even Bush Republicans admit NRA is stupid...

1 example, ever, of a civilian stopping a shooter, in 1982, AFTER hitting him in a car “@patrburke: @ireland @fre4077 twitter.com/davidfrum/stat…”

“@fre4077: @ireland u cannot legislate morality.” No. But you can legislate who can easily obtain semi automatic weapons. #Hunting #Really

Truly amazing that any adult @fre4077 argues that all American schools should stock guns. As if accidents with kids and guns NEVER happen

“@fre4077: @ireland wish someone in the school was armed. Wd have stopped him.” Unless they missed. Arming all teachers. What cd go wrong?

In fact @fre4077 - the killer used his mother's legally held guns to shoot her, 5 other teachers & 20 children. More guns are NOT the answer

“@fre4077: @ireland Answer is for more Americans to legally arm themselves. < Rubbish. The killer's mom was legally armed. She & 26 now dead

“@jimflanagan: @ireland point is Mitt Romney's a very good manager. I.e. Boston Olympics” Salt Lake City? NO. He's not: rollingstone.com/politics/news/…

@Ryan_Kenny1 when we pay bankers bonuses by quarter, they take crazy high stakes risks. If we link bonus to long term results, fewer crashes

@Ryan_Kenny1 i agree. I'm suggesting we design a system which incentivises good long term outcomes, not quick fixes before next election.

@fre4077 that's nuts. This killer used his mother's legally owned guns. She WAS a legally armed gun-enthusiast. Now dead

@jlfxa you're 100% wrong about Breivik's. he cdn't get illegal guns, but did get his legally. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Be…

@jimflanagan scary part about him is how many elections he won, based on a business career of plundering corporations & sucking out wealth

“@oceanclub: @ireland @jlfxa Also Brevik wasn't just an attention seeker. He was a motivated ideological terrorist.”

I'm no fan of the Chinese Communist Party (Human Rights, Tibet, Free Speech etc) but interesting how they aim to plan for next 30 years

RT @news_europe: RTnews.eu RT @ireland “We all know what to do, but we don’t know how to get re-elected once we have done it...”

“@jlfxa: @ireland Norway has stringent gun cntrl laws. Google: "Anders Breivik"” < he's the exception. 9 US school shootings in 13 years

“@slatterg: @ireland the question is is that worth sacrificing democracy for, it's worse in the states” < No. But elections cd be redesigned

We also incentivise politicians to think in 4 or 5 year election cycles. No benefit in a long term plan, which future Govts take credit for

@SunzuSam Yeah. I love the irony of avoiding an embarrassing situation, and then telling everyone about it on Twitter.

#Marian all evidence points to limiting access to automatic/semi automatic weapons, is the key to reducing gun deaths.

“@FionaSmall: @ireland "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" - Winston Churchill”

@SunzuSam good thing no one saw it. That could have been really embarrassing...

This debate on "governing skills" vs "election skills" was sparked by a great chat with @micknugent Interesting thinker, chair of @atheistie

@pdrgmrdt some people have both skill sets. My point is, maybe we shd make our selection process better.

“@StanCarey: @ireland Bertrand Russell said that acquiring immunity to eloquence was paramount to citizens of a democracy.”

The people I know who'd be best at election campaigning wd be pretty poor managers. Some of the best managers I know wd never get elected

“@williamcrawley: @ireland Campaign in poetry, govern in prose.” At least they're both types of writing.

I'm being slightly simplistic there (challenge of 140) but I think central point (election vs governing skills) is worth thinking about.

To get elected, it helps to be flighty - charming, charismatic & a good speaker. To run a country, it helps to be dull: logical & strategic

One of the flaws in our democracy, is that the skills you need to get elected are very different to the skills you need to run a country

Listening to #Marian discussing the financial mess the country is in.

@Tupp_Ed lovely. Thanks for showing your workings. @alanmorgan67

@tymcon I'm not suggesting any ban. But expert advice is "don't encourage copycats". I was praising a responsible, free press @mrs_bopp

@tommycollison fair play. "I wanted to be a famous Irish writer but, tragically, I had a happy childhood."

@tommycollison very good. What's your plan for world domination? Or are you more secure than that?

@tommycollison by the by, I don't think we've met, but your eldest brother convinced me to join twitter in a coffee shop in SF. V grateful

@tommycollison presume you heard his talk about his mother & church on This American Life? brilliant, moving, funny, sad.

@stephenmulligan weren't mine to give. Was invited by a friend... You can probably see more of her on TV than we could from back of O2

@stephenmulligan got freebies & saw second half. Fun

@mrs_bopp if you look at the source quoted, all that info is there. #140limit

Fairplay to those Sunday Newspapers who have put pictures of the victims, and NOT the killer, on their front pages. youtu.be/PezlFNTGWv4

@stephenmulligan did you see her live in Dublin tonight?

@mrs_bopp yeah, they still have over 4 times our rate of gun deaths. And Ireland's rate is bad compared to UK & especially Japan

“@JohnMoynes: Staying in on a Saturday makes me feel like I'm missing something. Even though I'm not.” Snap. Staying in on Monday way easier

RT @ChrisKenyonEU: In the 18 yrs prior to gun reform Australia had 13 mass shootings. In the 16 yrs since, zero ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

“@colmtobin: Leinster in need of a Christmas miracle.”

@LillyIG Good for you

How the Media shouldn't cover mass murder. RT @Tuigim: @Kevnmur @ireland B'fhearr liom é mar sin bit.ly/NRkhDN

@LillyIG Of course not. Cartoons are a gateway drug to a life of adventure...

Fairplay to @SileSeoige for RTing that. There are few qualities as winning as the ability to laugh at oneself. IMHO

@JohnMoynes I am a hobbit, standing on the shoulders of dwarves @RudyHellzapop

9 US school shootings in 13 yrs. Evidently, access to guns is the key problem. But I've a horrible feeling the 24 hr news media doesn't help

RT @ctpaycc: @ireland None of them are teens... < I don't F***ing watch it, OK?? That's the whole point! #Glee #StillAScoobyDooBaddie

Heroic Woman Continues Fearless Quest to Defeat Forces of Evil: RT @SileSeoige: 2 Christmas Parties,1 night, Done. #keeptakingthevitamins

My use of the word 'glee' there was intended to conjure up a bad guy from Scoobie Doo, not American angsty teen singing... #80sKid @LillyIG

RT @LillyIG: @ireland I simply changed my mind. You're not as bad as I originally thought. < Yet still you greet my departure with glee...

RT @LillyIG: @ireland Your time is almost up! Wooohoooo! < Didn't you say you'd stop following me DAYS AGO? #BrokenPromises

@provexis Thanks for playing. You've been a lovely contestant.

@MDRN1 thanks. I'm grand. Trust me, I've had far worse from hecklers. Just a pity how many people get so easily wound up. @sweden

Speaking of Fr Ted. Thanks for the lovely comments on my "Stupidity of Fr Dougal" quiz. Also did "Life of Brian" youtu.be/GfNdcf5AxLw

RT @S8mB: @ireland Do you believe in god? < Who? (That'd be a "no", Ted. Which explains why I don't have any issues with her)

@sweden That's not true! Some snow is black!! Is everyone in Sweden so RACIST??? (Is this the type of nonsense you've had all week? I have)

I'm not an atheist fundamentalist. I don't have a problem with God. I have a problem with God's Customer Support Team ebay.ie/itm/ws/eBayISA…

@mikeneglia I'm not an atheist fundamentalist. Have a lot of time for Jesus, Gandhi & other religious thinkers. Just don't need the miracles

@mikeneglia But, as I say Christianity as expounded by Jesus is very different from the way most churches behave.

@mikeneglia I wasn't suggesting politeness was the cornerstone of Xiantiy. I'd see it as love & forgiveness. Lack of being judgemental

@mikeneglia also, as an atheist, I'm not overly concerned with who the respected "authorities" on Christianity are.

@mikeneglia of course he isn't. No one person is. It was a specific distinction he made about those who revere Jesus & ignore his ideas

@mikeneglia it relates to earlier chat about Tolstoy. Trying to distinguish the carpenter's original ideas, from how the Vatican behaves

@emfmcc you didn't but @revdbh did. We've since worked it out like reasonable people. But I also respect @tommycollison 's point

@TheEvertBopp hey Evert. it's been too long. Thanks for reminding me how little I've been missing

Thank you “@emfmcc: @ireland I appreciate your honesty! Doing a good job discussing NB topics and bit of humour this week..keep it up”

“@LesHaricotsVert: @ireland having been raised a catholic in ireland i am now firmly anti-catholic. there's nothing thoughtless about it.”

“@tommycollison: @ireland @RevDBH @emfmcc in reverse? “thoughtless bigotry””

“@tommycollison: @ireland @RevDBH @emfmcc when Catholics discriminate against other religions, LGBT, etc., it’s religious freedom”

@john_mcguirk on the contrary, one just did, & I thanked him for it. Do keep up. If a Marxist sold expensive T-shirts, I'd slag him off too

Whereas Tolstoy didn't need to see Jesus as the "son of god" in order to recognise his ideas as noble and revolutionary.

Tolstoy wrote some great stuff about how the Russian Orthodox Church idolises Jesus as divine, and then ignores all his teachings...

fair enough, @RevDBH I think we're cool. I appreciate you being decent and - dare I say - Christian (in the original sense) about this

Call me crazy, but I feel like a "thoughtless bigot" would ignore the facts, when corrected, rather than admitting his error & apologising

Straw poll. Is the phrase "thoughtless anti catholic bigotry" (A) Judgemental? Or (B) Non judgemental? @john_mcguirk seems very confused.

“@markarthurs: @ireland @emfmcc I liked the even the Pope bit. Haha....like he's a little less sane”

I think if you rush to defend Christianity, you should adhere to it in the first place. #WeirdLogic #HypocrisyAndAllThat

@john_mcguirk actually that was a comment on the charge of bigotry, and the generally judgemental tone. "Judge not lest ye be judged" #Bible

"Thoughtless Anti-Catholic bigotry" Don't think I've ever been called 'thoughtless' before. I like it. Thanks @RevDBH #HowVeryChristian

“@RevDBH: Well done to @emfmcc for calling out the current @ireland curator for some thoughtless anti-Catholic bigotry.” Interesting phrase

That said, @emfmcc - I still think calling the Pope a Bond Villain is polite, given his 20-year role in helping conceal child sex abuse

Thanks for that clarification @emfmcc - was misled by inaccurate reporting. "The most dangerous story is one you want to believe" #Pope

When I call the Pope "a Bond Villain", I'm being polite. Here he is blessing the Ugandan lawyer behind a kill gays bill thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/pope-benedict-…

@CiaranLynch yeah. Check the source I linked to - it gives a much fuller breakdown of stats as percentages.

“@shamroxann: @ireland though of course, the disscussion about the result of their actions go on for days”

“@shamroxann: @ireland some networks here are now making a pointed effort not to talk about the shooters in these situations”

RT @ClearlyCrystalB: @ireland @benc4 - There are those of us that are trying. Many Americans want guns gone. It's got to stop.

RT @TheOnion: Report: It Okay To Spend Rest Of Day Curled In Fetal Position Under Desk onion.com/U0SgvL

RT @asteris: I remember Beslan. Felt the same then as I did today bit.ly/UtDJp4 a teacher died to save children bit.ly/UtDDxJ

Once again @TheOnion is the most emotionally honest news source on a national tragedy. theonion.com

RT @benc4: Spare me the outrage. Just tell me if there's any chance at all america will change its laws on guns.

RT @Tim_Mc_Garry: Given the couple of weeks we've had imagine what NI would be like without gun control. Dear God America wise up.

RT @kotarski: "This is not the time to talk about fire safety" – absolutely no one, ever, when a neighbourhood burns down

Saturation media coverage encourages other unhinged kids. Chilling film from @CharltonBrooker youtu.be/PezlFNTGWv4 via @a_byrne_

@YayForC8H10N4O2 Half of those are probably stray rounds from Detroit...

"If I shoot up my school, I can be famous. The TV will talk about nothing else but me." Our message to disturbed kids. kottke.org

A brilliant observation on how the Media reports & unconsciously encourages school shootings, at kottke.org via @OlgaNunes

@TeaPtyTerrorist Mentally Unwell man goes on rampage in Chinese School. No one killed. (facts - they'll help you) bit.ly/W6dtXA

@TeaPtyTerrorist Stats on Gun deaths. Japan - 11. Ireland - 21. Frnace, 35. USA - 9,146. bit.ly/PyW2Xa

Gun Deaths by country: Japan - 11. Ireland - 21. France - 35. England & Wales - 41. Canada - 173. USA - 9,146. Source: bit.ly/PyW2Xa

RT @olganunes: This is amazing context. RT @BorowitzReport: When the 2nd Amendment was written the most lethal gun available was the musket.

@JohnMoynes And I think that answers our conversation on satire earlier

@lacanlune How we, as a society, manage laws, guns, floods, rights, schools, police and hospitals is the DEFINITION of real politics.

@TeaPtyTerrorist Dude. Who cares? We're talking about a school shooting in which A GUN WAS USED. Consult stats on gun deaths in US & World

I see why @TeaPtyTerrorist is so popular. 7 tweets. 0 followers. A troll account, targeting anyone who speaks sense on #GunLaws re #Newtown

“@JohnMoynes: @ireland @TeaPtyTerrorist We use gun laws to prevent precisely that. It works. No school shootings in our history. None.”

By a gruesome coincidence, @TeaPtyTerrorist a crazed man in China stabbed 22 school children today, with a knife. None died. #GunsKill #Laws

“@TeaPtyTerrorist: @ireland Quite stunning is the no. of delusional morons that think gun laws prevent death from TOTALLY INSANE HUMANS!” No

Thank you “@paudimac: @ireland @glassofwin Just brilliant #lovedit”

@MasterHolland nah, I'll never convert Beck. Just trying to show, clearly & publicly, how absurd his thinking is.

I don't mean to be pedantic about Fr Dougal... I had to study him in detail for this youtu.be/e_r5DRSU-vk @glassofwin

Bless “@glassofwin: @ireland ...would be like trying to figure out an evil version of Doolan from Father Ted.” I believe you mean Dougal...

Cried watching this. “@Glinner: Obama's statement youtube.com/watch?v=JqPCOT…”

@mairin sorry for confusion. in this case there was no room after 1. So I RT'd both and tweeted comment after. Shd be clear from TL

@mairin you don't understand the concept "a Retweet is not an endorsement"?? FFS, read my timeline for the last HOUR. Or my normal 1 @AbiePB

By your reasoning, @glennbeck the soul of (atheist) France, is far healthier than the soul of America. Kindly elaborate. #Soul or #GunLaws ?

For anyone unfamiliar with Twitter, a retweet is NOT an endorsement. It's a "look at what X said." Re: Beck it's "how deluded can you get?"

“@mairin: @ireland seriously, i doubt everyone in the country of ireland agrees with this nonsense, & glenn beck?” < RTing to show insanity

Quite stunning, the level of delusion shown by @glennbeck - how does he account for the far lower rates of gun deaths in "Godless Europe"?

@Netherlanders @wearefrance @svknco @sweden @weareaustralia @twkusa This sums it up in 1 minute. Written a DECADE ago youtube.com/watch?feature=…

Watching President Obama close to tears on Sky News. Heartbreaking

@JohnMoynes personally, I'm ok with that. As long as the clear goal is to shame & mock those who stand in the way of improving child safety

“@leylschips: @ireland I wish that was true in the US. Here it's become party warfare. The people don't matter.”

@JohnMoynes I don't think we should satirise it either. But in time, I think the reactions of the pro gun lobby must be satirised.

If guns, crime, floods, famines & poverty didn't exist, we'd have no need of politics. Politics is "how we, as a society, treat each other"

People who say "don't politicise this tragedy" miss the point. How we deal with laws, guns, crimes & floods is the DEFINITION of politics.

RT @chiefofstaff: For the gun conversation we need to have. 9 facts about guns in the United States: washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog…

“@MikeDrucker: Pro-Life people should protest gun shops.”

What percentage of school shootings are committed by young men? It seems like the vast majority.

9 school shootings in America in the last 13 years...

"A20 year old shooter with two handguns... Worse than Columbine" #C4news #ConnecticutSchoolShooting

Tragic news from Connecticut this evening. Apparently the largest number of school children ever killed in one incident. Horrifying #C4news

Looking forward to @irishpictorial Review of 2012 next week. What were your favourite tweets or news stories of 2012?

Company finds jobs tailored to the abilities of people on the Autistic Spectrum irishtimes.com/newspaper/fina… via @ODonoghueJune

First prize. “@TymCon: @ireland Was that you?”

@ODonoghueJune happy to RT that, but wanted to ask if you'd like your twitter handle included? As it's about ASD, it's 100% your call

An Irish solution to Climate Change AND the Middle East Conflict... youtu.be/Vd4wr7kkGoQ #IrishXmasGifts ebay.ie/itm/ws/eBayISA…

RT @squinteratn: Text of the day. Getting a new thesaurus for Christmas. My old one's completely useless, and it's completely useless

MT @squinteratn My friend got hit on the head with a thesaurus yesterday. It left him stunned, startled, aghast, taken aback, stupified...”

@lawlod26 as long as the black market in 1970s jokes is still going strong...

Listening to the brilliant @tommedian on @SeanMoncrieff show on Newstalk

More #IrishXmasGifts Funky handmade bags, made from leftover sails in Kinsale. I have one: strong, handy, unique. mamukko.ie

#IrishXmasGifts a great list of independent shops in Dublin, via @ImACultHero totallydublin.ie/more/features-…”

“@cande_pop: @ireland Lovely designed & made in Ireland phone covers at @KovetIndustries and kids clothes from @SiandLu :)” #IrishXmasGifts

#FeministFriday “@sweden: Silly myth 2: “Feminist” is the female equivalent of “chauvinist”. (HAHAHA)”

#FeministFriday “@sweden: Silly myth 1: Feminism is about fighting men, hating men, and eliminating men.”

#FeministFriday “@sweden: Silly myth 3: There is no more need for feminism: women have the vote, they have jobs. The goals have been met.”

Seconded! “@CamilleLoftus: @ireland #FeministFriday @caitlinmoran, who, ya know, wrote a (great & very funny) book on it ...”

Ever notice how Americans wake up to a show called "GOOD MORNING, AMERICA!" We wake up to a show called 'Mourning Ireland'?

“@KentFyne: @ireland @CamilleLoftus @sweden If you don't have a maleist Monday I'm going in the huff.” Right. Cos men are SO oppressed!

Also, I've done NO Xmas shopping yet. Anyone wanna recommend funky Irish presents? Again, will RT best ones, using #IrishXmasGifts

@SkiUMahGopher do you wanna give us a reason to? Maybe say something interesting? @sweden @wearefrance @twkusa @peopleofnz @weareaustralia

Love the idea of #FeministFriday - any great articles or incisive feminists anyone wants to tag? Will RT the best. @CamilleLoftus @sweden

“@CamilleLoftus: @Sweden For feminist Friday: How women were 'put in their place' shar.es/h0mHm @ireland. (And indeed, still are).”

Saucer of milk, table 3.... @MichaelBronson1 cc @sweden @wearefrance

@Clayerrrrrr I think we speaksubtly different vocabularies. I'm a comedian. *Of course* I try to be funny. Good comedy is close to the bone

Leading Israeli journalism uncovers state sterilisation of Ethiopian immigrants. #WarningsFromHistory haaretz.com/opinion/israel… via @Huxley10

@ODonoghueJune looks great. Hope it works out.

#C4news now talking to unapologetic champion of #Fracking Phelim McAleer. Brace for propaganda. Also 1st Green MP, Caroline Lucas

Will distribute these at the @atheistie party. The perfect Irish gift for someone you don't like youtu.be/aSbEkVOa9oM @ ebay.ie/itm/Jesus-Guan…

@ODonoghueJune it was on #sixone - check the RTE news website. If you can't find it, ask again.

#C4news When did Tom Clancy start writing The News? And whose bought the film rights? #LibyaTorture #MI6 #PoisonedRussianSpy #Collusion

“@sarahrmurphy: @paddycullivan @ireland now @meganriordan, immediately become politically apathetic. Go.”

Congratulations from @Ireland ... RT @meganriordan: CITIZEN RIORDAN ANSEO. BOOM agus the Irish for BOOM. Heading out to celebrate

“@MDRN1: @ireland I work with nurses from Philippines, India who've got citizenship recently. Means a lot to them. @meganriordan”

If you can't laugh at your own views & opinions, then what's the point? And moreover, how do you know you're not a fundamentalist nut job?

Heading out to an Irish Naturalisation Party tonight, and also a gig at the @Atheistie Christmas Social (yes. We realise the irony)...

“@UnaMullally: "Here, gwan up there and you'll get a free massage." - Temple Bar promotions bird fail.” < you worry about the target market

Apologies for mis/repeat tweeting. "Was my friend" seemed wrong as Megan is still (a) alive & (b) my friend

Watching naturalisation of new Irish citizens on #SixOne - one of them is my friend, & actor & theatre director @MeganRiordan

“@cuthbertable: @ireland Hope so. And a proportional (10% approx) critique of rockets & bus bombs, one hopes. ..” < indeed. I'm anti bombing

Brilliant to see a company which focuses on the abilities of those with Aspergers set up in Ireland. (My mother works in that field)

“@mePadraigReidy: @ireland "Irish people" Abie? All of us?” < fair point. Tried to make clear "I only ever hear" that line from Irish people

RT @qikipedia: A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his client to plant vines. FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

“@Kevnmur: If I ever get the @ireland gig, it will just be a week of pictures of farm animals in cars.”

Personally, the same part of my conscience that is outraged by the holocaust, is outraged by the Israeli occupation and Guantanamo Bay

I only ever hear criticisms of the colonial practices of Israel, which Irish people oppose, given our own history. @cuthbertable

Perhaps, @cuthbertable but my sense of Irish opinion, having gone to school with many Jews & Gentiles, is that we critique the occupation

@JDL_UK your messages deliberately dehumanise the Palestinians. That's worryingly close to what the Nazis did to Jews in 30s. @rahmansajjad

“@Cloudytrees: @ireland As my 36 yr old husband is constantly telling me "there is no age limit on Lego"... Go treat yourself to some”

@borderman67 indeed it would. Ignoring him now

And in the interests of balance, it's worth saying that many Israelis & Jews share that last opinion. Human rights aren't bound by religion.

Using the memory of those who died in the holocaust, as cover to ghettoise and oppress other civilians is disgusting & shameful.

Joking aside, Deliberately confusing "anti-semitism" with "opposition to illegal Israeli settlements" is poisonous nonsense.

Being accused of prejudice by a hate-fuelled Zionist troll. Honestly. Some of my best friends bulldoze Palestinian schools...

“@marty82: @ireland This is my reaction to about 90% of kids stuff. My cousins do SO MUCH better than we did!”

“@EleanorFitz: @ireland Never too late! Also Lego Lord of the Rings game for XBox360 is very cool.”

@JDL_UK nope. You're just so steeped in prejudice that rational discourse is impossible. Talking to you is a waste of my time @rahmansajjad

RT @AllanCavanagh: The CIA's tactics for fighting terror include kidnapping a German and sodomising him. guardian.co.uk/law/2012/dec/1… USA! USA!

They have Hobbit Lego??? I am simultaneously delighted & disgusted. Mostly, I wanna know: "Why didn't this exist when I was 9?" #Bastards

@JDL_UK I am so grateful that you don't represent mainstream Jewish opinion. Your ignorance hurts only yourself. Goodbye. @rahmansajjad

@LarBren1 Burn... Not everything a comic says is a joke, the same way not everything the Pope says is imaginary. @hejjet

@RahmanSajjad I agree entirely. As I tried to make clear, I was RTing @jdl_uk as an example of how hate can become blindly self destructive

Interesting point RT @craftybecky: @ireland Christianity is mostly asking you to invest good works & love. What have you got to lose?

That thing I said earlier about hatred being self-destructive? Talk about someone making your point for you... #RTs

Sorry to RT that hopelessly paranoid outlook. Not even going to engage, just trying to highlight how deluded some lobbyists can become

More calmness. “@JDL_UK: @ireland Imbecile! They died because their leadership HAMAS puts them in the line of fire as HUMAN SHIELDS.”

Calm, reasonable, sane. “@JDL_UK: @ireland Facts (not your biased and idiotic opinions) show #muslims are the biggest savages in the planet”

Good point. There can be many benefits during life. “@rubot: @ireland you are assuming all religion's benefits come at the end.”

@jameshendicott that or a death wish...

@conorleeson I'm not saying Adams wasn't born in a dysfunctional society, and I admire his conversion to democracy.

@conorleeson it is deflection. But I find it very difficult to take lectures from Gerry Adams about other people suffering. #Pot #kettle

@LillyIG the whole point of twitter, IMHO, is to robustly exchange ideas and perspectives, clearly, without hatred. Otherwise it's banal

Re: "religion is a Ponzi scheme". Wd you invest your LIFE SAVINGS in a pension fund, if they cdn't show you anyone they'd ever paid? #Church

“@hejjet: @LarBren1 @ireland how is writing 'religion is a ponzi scheme' a joke. for a 140, it said it all very seriously and well put.”

@missladyartemis thanks very much. I generally live at @AbiePB & @downtonwire

Feeling guilty for ignoring my usual brood, @DowntonWire & @AbiePB - this is how sibling rivalry starts. #NewFavourite

@conorleeson too bad you unfollowed earlier. You missed all my tweets about Pat Finucane statement. #notPolitical #JustAgainstMurder

Hate is self destructive IMHO. I *try* to follow Gandhi's outlook: I have no enemies. Just people whose opinion I seek to change. @LillyIG

RT @LillyIG: @ireland There is no doubt you are hateful. Bitterness, admittedly, is an assumption I made. < any evidence? Or on faith alone?

@jdl_uk_official a different person curates this account every week. I don't think you're open to other perspectives. Your loss. Bye

@sweden I feel like we should sign some kind of historic agreement on Gender Equality & Rationalism, by the end of the week. #BilateralTalks

@sweden can't complain. Rowing with the Pope. Enjoying this, but also learning to appreciate my regular followers @AbiePB - how are you?

RT @LillyIG: @ireland The burden is not on me to explain your bitter & hateful nonsense < it is if you call it "bitter & hateful nonsense"

Re religion being a Ponzi scheme “@LillyIG: @ireland Careless and disgusting rhetoric.” < No. A metaphor. Wanna explain why it doesn't fit?

@rubot EG I tend to trust medicine over new age stuff, nutritionists etc. but when I was sick, meds didn't help. Diet did. Do the experiment

@rubot if you wanna go down that rabbit hole, be my guest. But I'll take the scientific method over an invisible sky fairy any day

You can't please all of the people... “@niamh_nc_harry: @ireland best Ireland account that there has been in quiet some time :)”

@dawg_ie @rubot No. And No. Thanks for playing...

“@AntoinetteVict2: @ireland St Augustine said there us no such thing as time just an everlasting now.”

@ThomasJFarrenSr @rubot sorry, I don't accept that. 2+2= 4. At normal atmospheric pressure, water freezes at 0 C. Not a post-modernist.

@EmilyHughes35 that's nothing. The worlds Youngest person was just born

@paddycullivan when are you taking over here?

In my experience you can win over rationalists with evidence. Often, you win over religious people by quoting a 2,000 year old book. @rubot

Interesting. Although in my experience it's a minority of rationalists “@rubot: @ireland "Irrational Rationalism" rubot.tumblr.com/post/365037464…”

@LarBren1 if you want to unfollow/ignore my viewpoints, that's totally your call. Have a nice day

@LarBren1 @sweden I think you need to re-read the brief. A nation is its people. Spoke at length to curators. This is how I tweet.

“@rubot: @ireland Religion is no different than any other ideology.” < Not true. Rationalism is based on objective evidence. #BigDifference

“@Pontifex: God is the solid rock upon which we build our lives & his love is always faithful” < Even Pope isn't capitalising "his" #ItsOver

“@bbcnireland: Geraldine #Finucane says the report 'is a sham, this report is a white wash... this report is not the truth'”

“@maevehiggins: Damien Dempsey is sold out Friday night in Galway. Seize the day with me instead. PLENTY of tickets at roisindubh.net/artist-profile…"

Weren't we great lads altogether? “@LOcculta: When Abraham Lincoln kissed the Irish flag and praised the Irish irishcentral.com/news/When-Abra…”

“@rubot: @ireland just like liberalism!” < not sure I follow your logic. Care to elaborate? #PonziScheme

@LarBren1 I wdn't even call the Ponzi thing a joke BTW. More an accurate metaphor. See explanatory tweet. Argue the point if you want to/can

My understanding of @ireland / @sweden project, is that the nation is made up of individuals, and our viewpoints. Am I wrong? @LarBren1

“@LarBren1: @ireland Any chance you say something about Ireland rather than trot out your lame jokes?” < what you wanna know?

Ha! Brilliant. “@Liln: @ireland @Pontifex @AbiePB Ponzifex?”

A Ponzi scheme is an investment scam in which the scammers constantly recruit new mugs, to keep the scam going. All about "Faith" @pontifex

“@dermotcasey: @ireland @Pontifex we can now safely use the headline "Ireland has had enough of Pope"” < Yes. We. Can.

@jdl_uk_official any objective body count shows IDF is by far the biggest killer in Isr/Pal. You get your own opinion, not your own facts

@AceFromTheMun @ronanduffy09 ah, whatever you're havin yerself...

“@Pontifex: How can we celebrate the Year of Faith better in our daily lives?” < By recognising religion as history's biggest Ponzi scheme?

“@paddycullivan: @ireland I know! Like a Cardiac organ-obsessed Pied Piper of Hamelin!!!! STOP HIM NOW!!!!” #BubleJustice

@jdl_uk_official no. What part of "I oppose killing civilians" didn't you understand? When Nazis killed 6m Jews, I took sides.

Weird Michael Buble ad on the radio "He's captured the hearts of millions"... When will this violent maniac be stopped??

Listening to @ShonaMurray reporting from Brussels on Ireland pursuing it's "own naked ambition" during EU Presidency. @Newstalk106 now

@jdl_uk_official in operation "cast lead" some 13 Israelis and 1,400 Palestinians died. That's a genocide against Jews?? #Arithmatic

@jdl_uk_official personally, I'm opposed to killing civilians, whether Jewish (1942 or now) or Palestinian. IDF kills too many civilians

Pat Finucane was a brilliant lawyer who defended several IRA defendants, legally & non-violently. His murder was deeply cynical

@BasquesAbroad yes. Autocorrect

No political conspiracy re Pat Finucane. Ministers were deliberately misled by security forces. This was a conspiracy at police level.

@aoiph sorry. My bad. I re read and got your meaning.

@NarcoDreamer thanks. Fucking auto correct

“@JohnMoynes: @ireland Precedent.” - sorry without precedent - typing fast, autocorrect thinks it's helping

Apparently, RUC targeted & identified Pat Finucane, gave UDF the gun, got rid of it afterwards, and then helped cover up any investigation.

The extent of collusion in Pat Finucane's murder was "without president... this report makes extremely difficult reading" British PM.

David Cameron apologising now for the terrible murder of the brilliant catholic lawyer Pat Finucane - killed with RUC collusion. #RIP

“@GinaNiD: @ireland And our numbers are mostly arabic.”

Anyone happen to know the origin of our season names "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter"? I don't. May consult Wikipedia

RT @JohnMoynes: @ireland That's also how I developed my moral code. < so you pay tax, fight well, preach about the poor & then go pillaging?

Hrs & mins are in 12s & 60s cos Sumerians counted in 12s. Our days are Viking (Thorsday), our months are Roman (Janus), our years Christian

The way we measure time is a multi-cultural pick'n'mix of historic civilisations - Sumerian, Viking, Roman and Christian...

OMG -it's 12/12/12 12:13. That's every bit as significant as the last minute. Numeric Time is arbitrary

@conorleeson Gladly, as soon as they're elected to the Dail and are featured on #SixOne #RIPPatFinucane

@paulmwatson @stonehuts good point. I believe the definition is "someone who discriminates on grounds of race" so it's both pro and anti.

@Richard_Duffy @hugobradybrown I'm very happy to champion fathers' rights. I think you'll agree, it's the exception, rather than the rule.

@StoneHuts @richard_duffy in fairness -ist and -ism generally distinguishes the practitioner from the outllook. Eg A Cubist practices Cubism

@Richard_Duffy @stonehuts yeah, quite a list. Cubism, Fundamentalism etc. more in timeline

“@StoneHuts: @ireland and don't forget alcoholism!”

@HugoBradyBrown well spotted on 'Faux Pas', I thought I was being referred to, with some justification, as a Fop. Ah... @stonehuts

@HugoBradyBrown @stonehuts no. Just an idiosyncrasy in English. Mormonism isn't anti Mormon. Cubism isn't anti Cubist, Fatalism... Etc

An interesting linguistic conundrum from @StoneHuts - answers on a postcard. #feminism #ageism #racism Note that Mormonism isn't anti Mormon

@Clayerrrrrr how is it distasteful? The sarcasm was so obvious even Jedward could see it

If @HugoBradyBrown can show me how straight white men are victimised, I'll gladly start defending them. Until then, please consult reality

How absurd @hugobradybrown - we don't stand up for "straight rights" or "men's rights" or "white people's rights" cos they're not oppressed

“@HugoBradyBrown: . @ireland Surely the name must mean 'advantaging' the female sex? Is 'masculinist' a synonym for 'feminist'? < not at all

re: Jean McConville & Gerry Adams RT @conorleeson: @ireland Pathetic tweet. Politically motivated??? < Not at all. Just anti-murder

RT @colmtobin: In Ireland, a "friend with benefits" is just someone who might give you some of their dole. #c4news

@sarahrmurphy I aim to amuse

@sarahrmurphy it relates to discussion of teenage sex on #c4news - see previous tweet

RT @HugoBradyBrown: @ireland I just about know what a feminist is, but what can a male feminist be? < a man who champions equality.

RT @Channel4News: Join our live Q&A on #generationsex now. First question coming up as our piece goes out live on Channel 4 now #c4news

When I was 15, I wrote awful, suggestive letters to my girlfriend (in Cavan). Dread to think what we'd have done with camera phones #c4news

How technology has transformed young teenagers sex lives. What looks to be a great report on #c4news starting now.

@Imagine_EcL and so you should be...

@thelittlepakeha I agree. see subsequent tweet. Add Caitlin Moran, josie long, Bec Hill, Helen Arney. There are also v humourless feminists.

#SixOne Gerry Adams very tetchy when Jean McConville is mentioned in the Dail. Can't imagine why... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_McCo…

RT @thelittlepakeha: @ireland not thinking sexism is funny ≠ no sense of humour. < I totally agree. Their humourlessness not linked to that

Thankfully, beyond that cliche, some of the smartest & funniest women in the world are also proud feminists. Rachel Maddow, Lindy West...

It's odd being a male comedian & a feminist: a lot of male comedians can be v chauvinistic. And a lot of feminists have no sense of humour

“@sweden: Sometimes, like during Nobel prize ceremony, Swedish TV can look like this .i. .i. .i. .i. .i. .i. .i. .i. .i. .i. .i. .i. .i.”

Proud to say, Ireland has a similar, if smaller initiative on gender equality in the media. #WomenOnAir run by @MargaretEWard -@sweden

“@sweden: That is something that 36 000 Swedes are changing, everyday. The project is called equalisters.org. Check it out.”

I love this... RT @ScienceGallery: Our Xmas card brings all the geeks to the yard... bit.ly/STbWRm

How Budget 2013 affects Ireland's current "Emigration Generation" bit.ly/XOhXCj by @DonnellyStephen

Correction. That shd have read...

Tho I do worry that some ex-prisoners, trying to get clean & sort their lives out, might fall in with a bad crowd... #Cyclists @CafeRothar

Dropped my bike into the brilliant @CafeRothar. Free bike advice, fairly priced repairs, herbal tea... And they help train former prisoners

@emersonhex Once again, they've been cruelly overlooked. Paul McGrath fuming.

How Budget 201# affects Ireland's current "Emigration Generation" bit.ly/XOhXCj by @DonnellyStephen

Comedy Nerds - RT @jayirichardson: Jon Stewart almost quit The Daily Show because of “asshole” coworkers: bit.ly/S0tAEy

@AntoinetteVict2 they wd be breaking the law too. #limitsOf140

Welcome to Ireland, 2012. #NoRightToDie #RIPSavita

A woman who wants a Doctor to help her die is breaking the law. But a woman who wanted Doctors to save her life was also breaking the law.

Great article by @TomChivers: instead of gloating about religion's decline, secularists shd help build new social links blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tomchiver…

UK's highest White Irish population is in Brent, with 4% of total pop. Camden is 4th. Across the UK, "You're too late. We're Everywhere"

@Claredaisy touché

Alan Watts illuminates "money" RT @rubot: @ireland "Money is a way measuring wealth but is not wealth in itself" rubot.tumblr.com/post/377084824…

Here's hoping... RT @RudyHellzapop: @ireland 3d printing leads to replicators, replicators leads to no money required. Star Trek reality.

Fair enough. & thanks for #1 RT @lawlod26: @ireland evidently. I was keeping it short. It is Twitter after all. Voted him No.1 for a reason.

#TodayPK now talking to a woman who understands the true meaning of 'christianity': the stuff about caring for the poor. Not the silly hats.

@clarevirtually are we doing that improv game where you can only communicate in "one word sentences"? What's my number? #4 #5

I'm not suggesting we abandon currency. Money can be very useful, but never forget it's just a thing people invented. Not an immutable force

RT @clarevirtually: @ireland Meitheal ! < Heavy Meitheal

I'm not here to make money. I'm here to live an interesting life. If the IMF wants to repossess 90% of my punchlines, they're welcome to try

If you want to resist the Bailout in a fun, non-violent way... #Barter more. Swap skills with friends, cook for them. Very hard to tax.

RT @lawlod26: @ireland reason behind his background isn't politics - he's a man with goals! < that's part of it. But more too.

RT @topgold: @ireland I'm always intrigued about how Irish living in Germany interpret this current mess. #TodayPK < Anyone in that boat?

If we constantly complain "politicians are all the same & in it for themselves", no self-respecting person will ever go into politics. #Fail

It's important to loudly praise clear-speaking, decent politicians like @DonnellyStephen - otherwise decent people will never run for office

Full on debate on #TodayPK about how Ireland got into this mess. Worth hearing. @DonnellyStephen talking sense as usual. & German ambassador

@aoiph thanks Aoiph. "Work Slut" sounds way more fun than "Workaholic" or "freewheeling freelancer who can't hold down a job". #ChangesCV

@paddycullivan taxi

Ireland is TINY. Caught the end of #VinB. Have worked in some capacity with 3 of the 5 people on screen. And w/ the voice of Chill Insurance

#Mario trying to show us inside the mind of #VinB

If you have an O2 phone, you can pretend that you're successful enough to employ @TaraFlynn as your Executive PA (she does their voicemail)

And there we have @TaraFlynn in 3 places at once.

The brilliant @taraflynn narrating a documentary on RTE1, (probably) about to star in #Mario on RTE2 & live in Dublin Improv! #multitasking

@Sophidav to a point, but so much of it is soft focus royalist propaganda. Our President (Head of State) doesn't get anything like that

@Sophidav different countries, but fairly comparable early evening news broadcasts

To clarify, was comparing RTE #SixOne (fairly substantial) with BBC Six O'Clock News: 7 mins of news. 19 mins of Royals & puppies. Weather.

RT @colmtobin: Silvio Berlusconi taking over again in Italy is like letting Charlie Haughey's corpse run the NTMA.

I notice that they got Berlusconi the same way they got Al Capone... #Taxes #c4news

RT @markarthurs: @ireland Rte is shite! Radio 1 is populist, sensationalist propaganda < I disagree. But was specifically discussing #SixOne

RT @MaryECostello: @ireland The BBC has taken mainstream to mediocre depths of late. A sad thing.

EU Wins Nobel Peace Prize - In your face, non-violent Egyptian & Tunisian Revolutionaries! #irony

IMHO The most consistent source of Intelligent, international television news is #C4news. Amazingly for our size RTE way stronger than BBC.

“@unakavanagh: @stibhan @dagdha347 @ireland Incidentally... there's no such language as 'Gaelic'”

“@JanWWBosch: @ireland @bbc_WHYS It makes crap radio.” < yes. So often we're asked to defend "jokes" that were utterly unfunny. #BrandRoss

@HimawariChibi I'm sincere about my feminism. Discuss it on stage a lot. My followers at @AbiePB know this, so maybe I was careless @sweden

@HimawariChibi Also, try to see this in context. I'm hundreds of miles away. I don't even know @sweden - I was being playful.

@HimawariChibi I'm sorry if you found that creepy. Not my intention. I think @sweden is more than able to speak up for, & defend, herself.

Should there be limits on prank calls on radio? I've been asked to discuss this on @bbc_WHYS after 18h. Anything I shd share?

MT @antiroom: Google celebrates Ada Lovelace, computing pioneer bit.ly/bwVcF9 < as does ... tmi.me/C98jI

Jaysus. The @ireland account has some pretty scandalous direct messages... #ForeignAffairs

@NadiaKamil how do I get a Red, White and Green Card? @mdrn1 @walesiraq

Boredom is when you're not learning... “@barraotoole: @stibhan @mePadraigReidy @ireland Without the fada, 'Eire' means 'Burden'.”

@nadiakamil hey Nadia, totally hear you on @sweden - they've given me Ireland this week too. You will always be @WalesIraq to me. @MDRN1

Controversy heating up... “@mePadraigReidy: @stibhan @ireland "The name of the State is Éire, or, in the English language, Ireland"”

“@unakavanagh: @ireland @Eire D4?” < Thanks for playing. You've been a lovely contestant...

And before you ask, @ireland isn't called @Eire because the "Mother Tongue" of > 90% of Irish people is... Anyone? #Clue #SpeakingItNow

Out of interest why is @WeAreFrance not called @NousSommesLaFrance ?? #NotSoDiplomaticRelations

Nominations for #FavouriteIrishTweeters close in 5 minutes. Other candidates - @daraobriain @aoifemcl @anniewestdotcom @JohnMoynes D Doyle

“@jo_bishop14: @ireland *puts hand up* I know!! Pick me! I know!” <but you asked the question? Is that not just showing off? #GlassHouses

Question for the class."Ciuinas" down the Back... “@jo_bishop14: @ireland do you know how many Irish people there in Amsterdam??”

@kcourtney8 I beg to differ. She's been telling me about her Irish adventures with U2... @niallhoran

@davemolloy this is not beyond your powers of reasoning to solve. Remember, Page 1 of how to be a Catholic... @markfarrelly131 @unakavanagh

“@DulachG: As @ireland, you do realise you're responsible for leading us out of austerity @AbiePB?” < shit. Ok... Eh, stop paying Anglo debt

An alternative view... “@the_petking: @ireland He's a miserable bitter whinge bag, I don't follow him, but it's hard to avoid his retweets.”

@sweden Paul? Ah yeah, I used to write for the same magazine as his son. You wdn't believe how small Ireland is... #AllRelated

RT @sweden: @ireland I was in Ireland once, couriering a U2 video by Jonas Åkerlund, the one in an airport, to their manager. I am cool.

@sweden if you wanna RT some funny, clever, relevant feminist ideas, may I recommend this by @thelindywest ... ht.ly/fXEBn

“@JohnMoynes: @colmtobin It's all right for you, but here @ireland is trolling all the rest of us.”

Right on cue... “@colmtobin: Not unlike contaminated meat, it's hard to keep Silvio Berlusconi down.”

Who are your #FavouriteIrishTweeters ?? I have dozens, but if I had to pick one, for comedic quality/quantity, I'd go with @colmtobin

Does @ireland have a protocol for Foreign Affairs? #Twittiquette @sweden

I've just noticed that @sweden is being curated by an ambitious feminist who hopes to become PM, via Twitter. May open Diplomatic Relations

I'll now sit back and wait for a stream of Austria/Austerity puns. Trying to get a sense of you guys...

@Emerald1234S Unfortunately out of a billion users, there'll be enough idiots to make it a very profitable business.

Listened to @johnmurrayshow talk to an Austrian helpline for people who forget song lyrics. All year round. For Free. #NoAusterityThereSo

Time to sign off. Been an interesting week with the budget and all. Leaving you in the hands of the very capable (and most holy) @AbiePB

Been to a West Cork funeral today. You gotta admit, its one thing that this country does well, giving people a proper send off.

@DStiegelmeyer lol Possibly. There's a whole clan of us around Boston if thats of any benefit.

Nice move by Aldi to donate their 150K winnings from Tesco to St Vincent de Paul, fair play to the Germans ;)

@GarraiSile Biscuit making….. how would that even work. Surely no biscuit remains uneaten at the end of the process? :)

Anyone have anything interesting on this weekend, beyond manic panic xmas shopping?

Been a long crazy busy week of ups and downs. Over now, weekend is here! woo hoo!

Is Facebook about to become the biggest advertising company in history? read.bi/11Lm6qQ <- Scary prospect

Ireland is saved!!! Pantone just announced its colour for 2013 and its Emerald!! 2013 is the year of green! bit.ly/WLHsit #clutching

Is there anything we Irish won't claim? RT @broadsheet_ie: The Volcanic Ash Plume That REALLY Looks Like Ireland bit.ly/UPbR1M

Looking around @ireland offices, and there's still cake here from @anniewestdotcom 's #IrelandOfficeParty. DC didn't clean up at all. #apron

It's only just occurred to me that actual leaders of countries do something similar, all the time, whenever one of them has an election.

Lina / @sweden & I cd kick things off & then whoever curates these accounts after us keeps it going, regardless of age or gender. #SoapOpera

This cd be a whole new concept in Twitter speed dating/international relations... @sweden

@BasquesAbroad Basques! Being a nuisance?? NEVER #OnlyTeasing @bangkoking @wearefrance

@ondragebauer different conversation dude. Check @sweden tweet stream. #DoKeepUp

@weareFrance that's cool. Most of what I tweet is light heartedly mocking. BTW kudos on the Nobel prize... @basquesabroad @bangkoking

How "Modesty" is cited to prevent women asserting themselves. Brilliant article by @thelindywest on @jezebel ht.ly/fXEBn” Discuss.

@sweden not that I can remember. For what it's worth, I love Magnus Betner. Have gigged with him a few times in Ireland & Sweden

@BasquesAbroad if you say something that catches my eye, I'll get stuck in & we can dance. @bangkoking @wearefrance

@BasquesAbroad Hello. Just cos I'm talking to someone else, doesn't mean I'm actively ignoring you. @bangkoking @wearefrance

@Bangkok_Simon I know. We have SO MUCH in common. #Dark #Cold #Feminist #PoliticallyMinded @bangkoking @sweden

@Bangkoking @fishmyman not really. That's Irish poetic licence

“@OrlaithFitz: @ireland @broadsheet_ie it kind of looks like a chubby baby.” #VolcanicAsh

@BasquesAbroad I never implied you were lesser. But there's a crowd... @sweden

Persecution Complex? RT @BasquesAbroad: @ireland @sweden don't you be thinking of us as lesser curating accounts,we kick ass too!

It's Always Ted O'Clock on twitter... “@MarkFarrelly131: @blathnaidhealy @ireland Ireland? Who's Ireland?! #AreThoseMyFeet”

RT @niallhoran: @ireland @sweden think of the lovely babies you would make!!! < I'm way ahead of you

RT @kencurtin: Don't forget to update your CV today to include the fact you are now a #Nobel laureate < also TIME Person of Year 2006 & 2011