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Tara Connolly

@taraconnolly.bsky.social

14K followers 3.4K following 370 posts

All things energy transition, climate justice and safe streets in the EU. Formerly at Greenpeace, Friends of The Earth and Global Witness. Now working at @beyondfossilfuels. Irish immigrant in Brussels.

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · Apr 27

"Honestly, my dear, the 100 euros here is not enough for two days of food". This is part of a message Mohammed sent me this morning.

Please donate if you can to help stop Mohammed and his family from starving while we hope the blockade is ended soon.

www.gofundme.com/f/help-nisre...

Donate to Help Nisreen's Family Rebuild Their Home in Gaza, organized by Tara Connolly

Hi, my name is Tara and I'm Irish, living in Belgium. I'm fundrai… Tara Connolly needs your support for Help Nisreen's Family Rebuild Their Home in Gaza

www.gofundme.com

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 1d

Hope your trip went smoothly!

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Wow! How long did that take?

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Tháinig mé! After 12 hours this photo is the best I can do, zooming away from the port with my dad.

It's sooo good to be home.

Thanks everyone who followed along! I hope it was entertaining and even a bit useful 😊

Blurred photo of the Dublin Port passenger terminal.

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

The great thing about ferries is you have so much space to spread out. Even better as a foot passenger, you get on before everyone else so you can find your favourite spot.

This lounge has comfy seats, decent tables, plugs and of course wifi.

The view might be grey but it looks a lot like home!

Photo of lounge area with blue seats and carpets with round wooden tables.

Photo out the window of Holyhead with grey skies.

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

A Ryanair worthy waiting area...but only 5m later we're on the bus and 5m after that we've arrived at the ferry.

Photo of a large room with rows of green seats.

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Well I needn't have worried, I made it to Holyhead with plenty of time.

Another lovely little train station. And a 3-minute walk to the ferry passenger terminal next door making this transfer the easiest so far.

Photo of the train platform at Holyhead with a sign on the wall saying: Cawrgybi/Holyhead and Fferi/Ferry with a symbol of a ferry and an arrow pointing right.

Photo of the train tracks curving away with a red brick wall behind. A train sits on the tracks.

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Oh my god I'm here! The town with the longest place name in Europe. Love it.

en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/Llanfai...

Photo of a sign in a train station platform that reads: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Go raibh maith agat!

Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

This train to Holyhead is decidedly older stock, more cramped and a bit overheated but the WiFi is excellent!

I don't want to take photos over others' heads but the scenery is stunning on this route. We went right past the spectacular Conwy Castle and I can see offshore wind farms off the coast.

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

I spoke too soon. My connecting train to Holyhead is delayed by 30m. The ferry doesn't leave until 4pm so hopefully I'll still make it in time 😬

As an aside, it's amazing to hear people speaking Welsh around me.

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Made it to Chester right on time. I'm waiting for something to go wrong 😅

I found this fitting plaque commemorating Thomas Brassey. This station definitely as an industrial revolution feel to it.

Chester is a lovely town to visit with Roman walls you can walk around on but on we go.

Round brown metal plaque with raised white words: THOMAS BRASSEY 1805-1870. Born near Chester. The World's Foremost Builder of Railways in the 19th Century. INSTITUTION OF CIVVIL. ENGINEERS

Photo of the train tracks in Chester train station. A red sign on the brick wall says: LONDON - 179 MILES. 85 MILES - HOLYHEAD

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

I'm enjoying the lovely green scenery somewhere between Stafford & Crewe.

Unfortunately I've learned from @arielbrunner.bsky.social that like much of Europe, the UK uses pesticides & fertilisers intensively to the detriment of birds and other wildlife. Animal farming means polluted lakes & rivers.

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Ah apart from St Pancras, which is beautiful.

My colleague @julietphillips.bsky.social tells me Kings Cross is also lovely.

Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Haha! One day someone will make me minister for transport and I will get all the headlines :D

Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Thanks! I do indeed get a bit sea sick.

Normally I'm fine on this ferry but once I was nauseous all the way from Bilbao to Rosslare 🤢

Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Ugh, so in other words, a complicated system has just gotten even more complicated!

Great idea to check Seat66 - he's so reliable.

Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Hi!

I booked via the Transport for Wales website.

I'm surprised to hear that. I do know that some ferries aren't included in the sail+rail tickets but I've never heard of them stopping selling them completely.

It might be worth calling again to check?

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

I think this is my first time on an Avanti train and I'm impressed.

The seats are large and comfortable and the table is nice and wide with an array of plugs.

We're about to depart!

Hurried photo of a covered stationary blue Avanti train at a platform. The foreground is grey ground.

Close up of the plug section at the side of the table under the window. It includes a UK plug and two USB plugs for each window seat.

Photo of a 4-seater section of the rain with a table in between. The seats are navy with a pale green section for the head. The table is pale grey.

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

I forget how overwhelmingly busy London is but I made it to Euston train station (there's also a bus and underground here).

My next leg is a train to Holyhead with a quick change in Chester.

This leg is on time but it looks like there's a delay on the train from Chester to Holyhead. *sigh*

Photo of the information board at Euston Station

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

I'm being healthy and got a wrap 😛

Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Voilà, we arrive in London bang on time.

Mandatory photo of the beautiful St Pancras train station.

I now have an easy 10m walk over to Euston Station for my next train. This walk goes past the British Library but unfortunately there's no time for a visit today!

Photo taken from the platform of the famous clock wall in St Pancras. A stationary train is in the foreground.

Photo from outside of the red brick St Pancras Hotel, part of St Pancras Station.

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Holyhead is indeed a good place to sit and contemplate your life choices 😁

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Welp 😬

Sorry to hear that!

Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

We're off to a good start with the train leaving right on time at 07h56.

The seats are comfortable with one UK/IE plug and one European plug between each pair of seats.

There's free WiFi of varying quality too.

I've also strategically chosen a seat beside the café carriage🍴

Photo taken from a seat on the Eurostar showing the back of the seat in front and a closed grey laptop on a fold down table.

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Tara Connolly @taraconnolly.bsky.social · 2d

Good night!