Pat Burke 🇺🇦
banner
patburke.bsky.social
Pat Burke 🇺🇦
@patburke.bsky.social
Music, theatre, movies, that sort of thing. I’ll try not to be intemperate. Really.
Reposted by Pat Burke 🇺🇦
Every single Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil TD lied to the public that they would continue investing in public transport - just with more roads also.

And they continue to lie about their level of support for public transport. Worth remembering.
irishcycle.com/2025/11/27/s...
Shovel-ready Luas and Dart projects delayed “to free up funding for more roads”
The Government is delaying shovel-ready public transport projects such as Dart+ South West and Luas Finglas in order “to free up funding for more roads”, the Green Party’s transpo…
irishcycle.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:46 PM
The motoring lobby, via their mouthpieces, have obviously landed on public safety as their latest crassly disingenuous argument. Pulling projects like DART South West and the Luas Finglas extension in favour of pandering to private vehicles will not improve road safety, for God’s sake.
November 28, 2025 at 9:38 AM
“Coming up, transport funding: where should it be going? Roads or public transport?” Oh, this item is going to piss me off, I can tell already.
November 28, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Anyone else having trouble streaming RTE Radio this morning?
November 28, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Reposted by Pat Burke 🇺🇦
For some reason had this popping unbidden into my thoughts this week, to the extent I had to look it up & obviously it's Shakespeare. I wonder if it was like this in his head all the time, an ongoing stream of uncanny verbal music
November 27, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Reposted by Pat Burke 🇺🇦
Four months after it was promised, we finally have the government's transport investment plan between now and 2030. It's bad. Roads are in, public transport is out. A lot of public transport projects being put on the long-finger to make funding available for new roads.
November 26, 2025 at 2:29 PM
I’m 100% forcing Steven Spielberg to make David Lean’s Nostromo.
If you were a despotic president, what movie would you force Hollywood to make? I want to see Quentin's Star Trek movie or maybe Kill Bill Vol 3.
November 26, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Reposted by Pat Burke 🇺🇦
Supporters of Ireland's planning system say it is wonderfully democratic. But here is a major project supported by repeated democratically-elected governments and put through a rigorous planning process (including plenty of public input) being stopped by 20 people. That's not democracy. It's chaos.
Dublin’s €10 billion MetroLink to face legal challenge from group of 20 Ranelagh residents
Judicial review could delay planned 18.8km line running from Swords to Dublin Airport and through city centre
www.irishtimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Reposted by Pat Burke 🇺🇦
Jimmy Cliff's writing & performance hit somewhere for me beyond even Marley - the Sam Cooke of reggae in his range and seductions. The Harder They Come ST is the motherlode, but incredible that he also wrote one of the greatest songs about Vietnam in the sixties. RIP www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Q4...
Jimmy Cliff - Vietnam
YouTube video by RastaChaka
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:04 PM
I don’t usually use this account for promotional purposes but, being people of such exquisite refinement and sophistication, I’m sure you won’t really mind. A wonderful programme this year with some terrific guests.
www.fideliotriowinterfestival.org
Fidelio Trio Winter Chamber Music Festival
www.fideliotriowinterfestival.org
November 24, 2025 at 3:16 PM
“This ought to ruffle some feathers”, he declares, in palpable admiration of his own independence of mind, before clicking “share” on obvious Russian propaganda.
November 24, 2025 at 10:05 AM
This has been a frustrating week, but I finally got around to replacing the motor on my turntable, and my Leatherman reappeared after having been lost by a student the other day (it genuinely put me in absolutely foul humour, as everyone in the vicinity could confirm).
November 23, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Reposted by Pat Burke 🇺🇦
This is a great piece of writing. I've always loved McCartney, but I remember realising after my first rush of Beatles love (and believing the general beliefs that you pick up) that Yoko Ono was a woman to be admired. I went to the Tate Yoko Ono Exhibition mentioned - see poster. It was rather fun.
November 23, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Carley is an awful ref, and South Africa are getting away with murder but, my goodness, Ireland are playing badly.
November 22, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Reposted by Pat Burke 🇺🇦
TRUMP [after spending 5 minutes with Zohran]: surplus value, it’s a very wonderful thing, very wonderful, and they’re stealing it. Can you believe that?

We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
November 21, 2025 at 9:25 PM
I made the prediction earlier that the Dublin by election would probably return Ray McAdam (normie FG candidate, wouldn’t vote for him but he’s a very nice man). My recent record with forecasts means you should probably now be prepared for some anti-vaxxer WEF-obsessed nutter.
November 18, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Reposted by Pat Burke 🇺🇦
Happy 40th birthday to Bill Waterson’s ‘Calvin and Hobbes’. A work of consummate, stubborn, human, and more-than-human art.
November 18, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Back in the day, the most famous people to have been educated in my school were Sean Lemass and Colm Meaney. More recently it was Barry Keoghan. Pretty sure it’s Troy Parrott now.
November 16, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Dear God.
BREAKING: Five young people have died and three others have been injured in a road crash in Dundalk in Co. Louth.

Updates on #VMNews
November 16, 2025 at 12:20 PM
WTF?! Honestly, I thought that Season 2 was treading water for a few episodes, but the introduction of Patti Harrison’s character worked brilliantly and suggested a direction for third season. Disappointed we won’t get to see that now.
November 13, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Reposted by Pat Burke 🇺🇦
WEBSITE: Pweaaaaaase turn off your adblocker so that we can continue to be fweee!!!!!!
ME: Oh fine
WEBSITE: *attempts to load sixty ads at once and immediately crashes*
November 13, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Reposted by Pat Burke 🇺🇦
From the archive for John McGahern, #BornOnThisDay in 1934, my thoughts on AMONGST WOMEN.

A superb, beautifully observed character study of an ageing, tyrannical father whose wife and daughters both love and fear him. A highlight of my reading year. 💙📚

jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/09/14/a...
Amongst Women by John McGahern
Amongst Women, the fifth novel by the critically acclaimed Irish writer John McGahern, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1990, missing out to A. S. Byatt’s Possession in the final cut. Ostens…
jacquiwine.wordpress.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Reposted by Pat Burke 🇺🇦
Reading is not performative! Some of us simply enjoy books without any self-consciousness at all.

Now, let me outline for you the books that shaped my childhood. I must begin with Aristophanes, of course, but *which* Aristophanes?...
November 12, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Reposted by Pat Burke 🇺🇦
So proud of my father for all the passion, courage,care and vision he brought to the last 14 years as President of Ireland. Both my parents have always been driven by a deep wide love for Ireland & the world, for people, planet & possibilities. Looking forward to their next chapter! #Grá #spiergirm
November 11, 2025 at 6:34 AM