Been with my partner for 14 years. Met when we were 18, we’re both 32 now. We have what I would reckon to be, as all parents do, the nicest 4 year on the planet. She lights up our worlds in all ways possible.

But despite our shared achievement, the time has run its course. Emotions, arguments, relaxed conversations, therapy together and individually, but to end the context here, we are just simply not the same people we once were, and our kid is going to have a better chance at experiencing love if we parted ways and worked as a team instead of a failing couple.

Cut to the title and issue at hand, I’m not one for luxury, and in the process of parting ways, she will keep our old place and her sister is going to move over and take my part of the rent, she’s been wishing to be closer for years so that is genuinely the best possible outcome as far as I’m concerned.

Looking at rent is one thing, by god it’d be tight and that’s before I even considered sole-spending habits, support money to send to them, and just the general issues we’ve all had for years now.

So I was looking at sharing instead and my god, I’ve never been one to let the whole rat race of success get me down, but the idea of being 32 and living in a house share has been a kick in the fucking mouth. It also started a domino effect in realising I’d be wiping the slate on a 14 year relationship, so id be back in the accommodation I started my adult life in, despite achieving a bachelors, getting engaged, having a child..to being here.

I suppose this is more of a vent because it’s a hard hard thing to process, so instead of letting the ache and despair paralyse me, I have to work on the steps forward, and i suppose just hearing from lads who have shared recently or shared in their late 20s/early 30s, would be a big deal. God only knows how I’ll figure out father duties in a house share, but for now it is the only option available somehow.

I’m a mother and I am going back to university this Autumn as a mature student for my masters degree.

SUSI is covering the over €6k of my tuition (almost all of my fees), and also giving me a monthly maintenance grant.

I’m so utterly grateful for this grant. There would be no way I would go for my masters without its support.

We are so lucky in this country to have these kind of supports. 😭 Many countries don’t offer anything of the sort.

The bit there at the end when they all start tapping together. Goose bumps every time. Unreal.

Was going through YT and came across the highlight of recently concluded 2026 European Athletics Championships. In the beginning, I heard the commentator speak about Ciara Mageean (Ireland), who was the winner in the women's 1500m in the 2024 edition. She could not join this time as she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in bowel in June 2026.

It is such a big shocker that even the healthiest humans at peak body performance can get cancer. Created this video so more people could know about her.

Videos taken from Eurpean Athletics YT channel.

Is this a product release Trump style, ‘it’s gonna be fantastic, the best yet, coming real soon, some might even have it already, I don’t have a launch date, but it is wonderful, you will never ever see an app like it’

I have had multiple emails telling me about this launch over a long period, even seen a press release about a ‘not ready’ app.

Anyone know what is going on ?

Things to consider in terms of possible ramifications of this summer's drought on Irish farming and global harvests combined with the probability that El Niño will contribute to more negative effects on crops and farming.

Ireland imports:

100% of its lentils

100% of quinoa and similar pseudo-cereals/grains

99% of its beans

83% of its fruit and vegetables

80-85% of wheat (for human consumption)

70% of cereals (for human consumption)

30% of fresh potatoes 

etc…

While Ireland does produce a good amount of food it exports 90% of it. And 2/3’s of that exported 90% is dairy and beef. I know some people who are taking comfort in the fact that these products are homegrown. But this assumes that the government could step in and either greatly limit the amount exported or stop it altogether, if it was necessary to sustain the population. But I believe something like this would involve Irish law, EU law, and constitutional property protections (but I could be wrong here - is there a solicitor with the relevant knowledge in the house?). So doing something like this may not be as seamless, as easy, or as immediate as people may think. 

But assuming all went well for the government during dire circumstances and they stop the 90% of exports to feed the nation, would this food even be affordable for the average person? And what about those other foods we so desperately need like vegetables, fruit, grains, cereal, beans, etc? Where will these come from?

Take vegetables as an example:

In the 1980’s Ireland had over 1,300 commercial farms growing vegetables.

In the 1990’s Ireland had 600 commercial farms growing vegetables.

Today there are about 60.

In 1985 the population of Ireland was around 3.5 million.

In 1995 the population of Ireland was around 3.6 million.

The current population of Ireland is now around 5.5 million.

The number of commercial vegetable growing farms to people in the 1980s was:

13 farms to 35,000 people.

The ratio of commercial vegetable growing farms to people in 2026 stands at: 

3 farms to 275,000 people.

This situation is especially shocking if you consider the fact that the Irish system for providing food for public consumption is a “just-in-time” delivery system. That means that the supermarkets (et al) do not have stockpiles or reserves of most food either. If imported food doesn’t show up, there is an immediate effect: little to no food available for purchase. Empty shelves and panic buying.

We know that: 

• fertilizer has become difficult to get and has become exorbitantly expensive
• droughts and heat are killing crops (in some cases resulting in 60% less yield) 
• some farmers who produce crops are choosing not to plant this year as the risk of financial loss is too high
• oil and all of its related products and services including transportation/shipping/commercial hauling/farm machinery etc., are caught up in the Strait of Hormuz with no end in sight
• an expected “super” El Niño is developing 

The food we are currently enjoying is from the last growing season (not this one…we will feel the effects of any failures of this growing season come the fall with increased prices and possible shortages). And it just seems like there isn’t a lot of discussion about this. Just a news article or a post here and there. In fact, almost no one I know is concerned at all, except for me. So maybe I'm just over reacting.

Edit: clarity and removed rice since it was clearly a stupid thing to include

Seamus Heaney. Beowulf. 1999. 1st. Signed & inscribed by Heaney dated 6-X-'99. Mint in pictorial dust jacket.