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The DUP abstained in a Westminster vote to re-join the EU customs market, lol.

The North is in the customs union and the Single Market. The DUP gets the best of both worlds.

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/antrim/antrims-moneyglass-ladies-miss-out-on-live-tv-coverage-as-tg4-moves-all-ireland-senior-club-final-online/a472523572.html

Galway's Kilkerrin-Clonberne will aim for a remarkable fifth consecutive title against first-time finalists St Ergnat's Moneyglass.
However, the match's throw-in is scheduled for 4pm – the exact time TG4 begins its coverage of Junior Eurovision.
Because of this clash, the game will not air live on the Irish language broadcaster's main television channel, but will instead be streamed in real time on both the TG4 Player and the station's YouTube channel.
TG4 will carry a deferred television broadcast of the senior final later on Saturday evening at 8.10pm.
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We are putting the senior final on two platforms... it will go out on the TG4 Sport YouTube channel and the TG4 Player, and both will carry it worldwide, so we're doing everything we can to make it widely accessible," he said.
This weekend also brings the curtain down on the club camogie season.
Sunday's All-Ireland Senior Club Camogie final, featuring St Finbarr's of Cork and Athenry of Galway, will be broadcast live on RTÉ2, with throw-in at 4.15pm.

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/courts/part-of-legal-battle-over-proposed-17bn-a5-upgrade-to-be-sent-back-to-high-court/a1645208024.html

Part of a legal battle over the proposed £1.7bn A5 road upgrade is to be sent back to the High Court, senior judges ordered today.

Two Stormont departments are currently involved in an appeal against a ruling that halted the major dual carriageway scheme for not complying with climate change targets.

But Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan confirmed that a newly raised point must first be determined by the judge who quashed the decision to approve the project.

The issue, related to the potential impact on Northern Ireland achieving net zero goals, emerged at the start of the hearing in the Court of Appeal.

"Suffice to say we find ourselves in a difficult and unsatisfactory position," Dame Siobhan said.

"We are going to remit part of this appeal to the first instance judge to hear arguments on the case now advanced by DFI (Department for Infrastructure) and Daera (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)."

Soccer is based on an sectarian entity, any of the above is mere mitigation.

The thing is, Soccer was always an all-Ireland sport, until the Partitionist 26 Counties seceded and formed their own, separatist entity.

The game was based in Belfast. Bohemians and Shelbourne won the Cup. 8 out of 10 teams were from Belfast.  Soccer is partitionist. Rugby and GAA aren't. 

Lifestyle diseases may not be the main factor but they are certainly significant. 10s of billions per annum and I'd reckon a large proportion of those people in hospital or treatment for obesity or smoking/alcohol/drug related issues are contributing little to nothing in taxes.

Mortality rates are higher for working class people. Chronic disease is correlated with early death. Smokers die younger as well.

SN Loughrea fixed for Parnell, horrible venue for any game, will definitely guarantee a physical game.

Really impressed with St Martins, however so many of them had a elite level game be hard to get back to those heights again next day out, hoping the can do as it should be a cracker match up.

Credit to BH for hanging in there with them when they were pretty much outplayed for most of the game and they were still in with a shout of winning it in injury time, serious outfit.

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/ulster-champions-discover-venues-for-all-ireland-hurling-semi-final-clashes/a1931829174.html

Slaughtneil's All-Ireland Hurling Club Semi-Final against Galway club Loughrea has been set for Parnell Park in Dublin on Sunday December 21, with a 1:30pm throw-in time.

It is a familiar location for the Ulster champions, who are aiming to reach a first All-Ireland Final having been to the last-four five times before, with two of those being held at Parnell Park.

https://www.ft.com/content/2084e87d-d491-4852-8449-f90b73d4788b

In July 2024, DHL parcels exploded in logistics centres in the UK, Poland and Germany. Each of them was powerful enough to have brought down a cargo plane had they detonated onboard. Security services would eventually trace the plot back to a group of Russian-directed saboteurs who had a further 6kg of explosive material in their possession. That was enough to give them the capability for what security officials told the Financial Times was the next stage of the plan: to attack flights to the US, and cause more disruption to the airline industry than any act of terror since the World Trade Center attacks. It was just one near-miss incident in a co-ordinated and covert campaign of sabotage led by Moscow, officials believe, that has sown bewilderment across the continent and is steadily posing more of a risk to human lives.

US gov now explicit in its intentions, should see a few "coups" of EU nations in years to come. The hypocrisy is incredible given they helped create the mess and have occupation forces in Europe.

"Should present trends continue, the continent will be unrecognizable in 20 years or less. As such, it is far from obvious whether certain European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies. Many of these nations are currently doubling down on their present path. We want Europe to remain European, to regain its civilizational self-confidence"

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26341769-2025-national-security-strategy/

They think immigration will overwhelm Europe. This is projection. The US white majority will become a minority. Feliz Navidad.

https://www.ft.com/content/e05535aa-4dbb-4cb5-998b-7495e96c59a9

*** Most concerning for leaders across the Atlantic is that the strategy portrays a Europe still committed to values and institutions not as an ally but as a rival or even a threat. The EU is accused of undermining political liberty and sovereignty. US officials bemoan a supposed contradiction between an EU that promotes policies "adverse" to US interests, such as the climate transition and tech regulation, and a Nato alliance — with many members in common — that still expects America to ride to its defence. There is a touch of absurdity to a document that vaunts the merits of national sovereignty while advocating — through support for populist nationalist parties in Europe — direct interference in other nations' sovereign affairs. Yet the strategy sets the course for a rupture that many in Europe have feared but have been reluctant to admit.

US gov now explicit in its intentions, should see a few "coups" of EU nations in years to come. The hypocrisy is incredible given they helped create the mess and have occupation forces in Europe.

"Should present trends continue, the continent will be unrecognizable in 20 years or less. As such, it is far from obvious whether certain European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies. Many of these nations are currently doubling down on their present path. We want Europe to remain European, to regain its civilizational self-confidence"

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26341769-2025-national-security-strategy/

They think immigration will overwhelm Europe. This is projection. The US white majority will become a minority. Feliz Navidad.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2025/12/09/only-top-20-of-irish-earners-can-afford-to-rent-an-apartment-surveyors-say/
Only the top 20 per cent of earners can afford to rent an average apartment built in Ireland in 2025, while just the top 40 per cent of earners can afford to buy one, according to a new analysis of their building costs and impact on affordability.
To afford these apartments, a first-time buyer couple would require a combined salary of between €108,000 to €146,000, based on a 4:1 loan-to-income ratio.

Driving home for Christmas - Chris Rea
I was born on Christmas Day - Saint Etienne
Feliz Navidad - José Feliciano

Clip of Gregory Campbell doing rounds on FB protesting the Foyle Bridge in 1984.

John Hume being sensible voice of reason explaining economics, access to schools/housing etc.

A relative was down looking at Narrow water project other day, the bridge builders are winning.

https://www.reddit.com/r/northernireland/comments/1p68wji/back_in_the_daythe_bridges_were_in_the_ira/

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2025/12/07/shades-of-roy-keanes-exit-as-mo-salahs-outburst-puts-liverpool-in-difficult-position/
"Slot has spoken of his team's problems with set pieces, low blocks, costly defensive errors and profligacy all season and hasn't rectified any of them. "

Why can't they be fixed?

Bevan Duffy retires after over a decade with Louth

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2025/1208/1547833-duffy-retires-after-over-a-decade-with-louth/

Clip of Gregory Campbell doing rounds on FB protesting the Foyle Bridge in 1984.

John Hume being sensible voice of reason explaining economics, access to schools/housing etc.

A relative was down looking at Narrow water project other day, the bridge builders are winning.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025/10/31/justine-mccarthy-catherine-connollys-win-will-bring-irish-unity-closer-and-jim-ocallaghan-is-the-reason-why/
The current Programme for Government allocates €1 billion to the capital fund for North-South projects. Some of the most notable are the construction of the Narrow Water Bridge connecting the Cooley Peninsula to the Mourne Mountains, the cross-Border Ulster Canal, hourly trains between Dublin and Belfast and the preparation of an application for Unesco world heritage status for the astrological observatories in Birr, Dunsink and Armagh.
The fund's support for artistic, cultural, educational, tourism and infrastructural initiatives has, literally, been bringing people together. After all, a referendum in the Republic approving unification will be ineffective if the corresponding poll in the North rejects it.
Martin, with typical circumspection, has rubbished suggestions that the Shared Island initiative is a Trojan horse for Irish unity but its effectiveness in deepening cross-Border collaboration is undeniable