Donal Coffey
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donalcoffey.bsky.social
Donal Coffey
@donalcoffey.bsky.social
2.1K followers 400 following 1.6K posts
Constitutional law, legal history. Assistant Prof in Maynooth University, Ireland.
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donalcoffey.bsky.social
Got my first citation by the Supreme Court today. "Authoritative" is nicer than the usual "widely discredited".
A passage including a citation to my book.
November 26, 2025 at 8:16 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Sir William Searle Holdsworth. Should academics simply be disqualified from holding a driving licence?
He directed a punt with skill and a motor bicycle with discretion. But like many academic persons he did not trust himself to drive a car.
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 AM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Dublin Bay.
Sun hanging low over Dublin Port, sky shading to deep blue overhard, a Herbert Sims lamppost in foreground.
November 20, 2025 at 3:17 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Brice Dickson delivering the Irish Legal History Society winter discourse...
Brice Dickson in front of a powerpoint slide "miscarriages of justice?"
November 14, 2025 at 11:46 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
The last remnant of the Royal University of Ireland 1884-1909, in Queen's University Belfast.
A shield with an open book, Crown above, and the symbols of the Irish provinces. Below "RUI 1884".
November 14, 2025 at 5:05 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
What a time to be alive...
The ref showing Ronaldo a red card
November 13, 2025 at 9:08 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Strong opening to O'Sullivan v National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Killarney National Park is unique. Killarney jarveys are unique: both are in conflict in unique circumstances.
November 13, 2025 at 8:24 AM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
One of the least intuitive set of icon/function pairings I've ever come across.
A question mark in a light blue bubble with the title 'Questionnaire' Another question mark in a slightly darker bubble with the title 'Quiz'
November 12, 2025 at 6:39 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Interesting idea from @dsquareddigest.bsky.social that the decision to appoint the next Director General of the BBC should be made by Irish universities. Obviously an oversight to omit Maynooth, but that can be sorted before implementation.

(from backofmind.substack.com/p/the-cognit...)
I think, though, that it ought to be taken further, even into the heart of our systems. To take a topical example, let’s think about the governance of the British Broadcasting Corporation. This is an absolutely thorny one, because it’s such an intrinsically political role that it’s incredibly difficult to resist the temptation to play politics with selection of key personnel. And once they’re there, it’s equally difficult for those people to avoid the temptation to play up to domestic political interests in order to get reappointed. So – why not just give the decision to parties who definitionally don’t have a horse in the race, but who benefit in the long term and in general from the BBC’s presence as an independent and stable source of high quality English language media? What I’m saying here is that the Director-General of the Beeb should be chosen by an ad hoc committee of the Oireachtas, possibly including a few representatives from the faculties of Trinity College, UCD and the University of Cork[1]. We could pay them a small fee for the trouble but I bet there would be plenty of volunteers to do it for free.
November 12, 2025 at 3:39 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Dublin and the Wicklow Mountains on a golden November morning.
Dublin Bay in foreground, Bull Island behind trailing over to the stacks. Wicklow mountains in background, the sun behind a cloud shading into a soft golden mist ove the mountains
November 9, 2025 at 12:16 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Maitland's "Why the history of English law is not written" is best understood as an apology to his co-author for falling behind.
Two volumes of Pollock and Maitland's The History of English Law.
November 5, 2025 at 1:02 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
The eternal struggle...
The arguing bikers meme "Wrong password, please retry" "********" "Please change password immediately" "******" "New password can't be the same as the old password"
November 4, 2025 at 6:53 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Lough Leane.
View overlooking a lake, trees in foreground, mountains in background, sun from left side giving a haze to the lake.
October 29, 2025 at 3:04 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Atlantic Ocean from Beara peninsula, Ballydehob railway bridge.
A voew of coastline, green fields with some gorse, a light blue ocean with scattered clouds overhead. An old railway bridge made of stone over a river.
October 27, 2025 at 2:15 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
James's Fort.
Signpost saying "James's Fort".
October 27, 2025 at 8:42 AM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Kinsale Harbour from Charles Fort.
View of a harbour overlooking an overgrown rampart. The day is overcast with the clouds shading towards blue on the horizon.
October 26, 2025 at 2:24 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Spotted a seal in Dublin Bay on the way back from voting.
The head of a seal poking out of Dublin Bay.
October 24, 2025 at 10:37 AM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
The National Library has a Halloween themed lego model in the foyer...
Front aspect of a lego model of the NLi with halloween figures, including a giant pumpkin in foreground. Reverse aspect, including spiders on the stairs.
October 23, 2025 at 7:44 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
J.M. Kelly, original author of the keading Irish constitutional law textbook and later Fine Gael Minister and Attorney General, advocating an active presidency in 1966.
Over the last few days the Taoiseach and one of his Ministers have made speeches showing that theh think the President as a mere symbol : indeed the Minister said that the Constitution plainly prevented him from being anything more. The Constitution says no such thing; on thr contrary Article 12.8 obliges the President to swear , on taking up his office "that I will dedicate my abilities to the service and welfare of the people of Ireland." I think it would be intolerable if a President were, for example, to behave with open hostility towards a Government, but I do not accept that (apart from the special Presidential Message to the Nation: Article 13.7) his right of free speech should be thought more limited than that of any other citizen and, as I have already written to yoy, he should feel free to take constructive initiatives of his own jn the interest of the nation ans society. The President should be an office for an activebrave and imaginative man, npt a socket fpr a totem pole.
October 22, 2025 at 11:57 AM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
They were handing these out outside Croke Park yesterday...
Leaflet - "Bonus point burrito: when Leinster win, you win a free burrito."
October 19, 2025 at 12:43 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
The Department of Enterprise is an art deco classic.
Exterior of Dept of Enterprise, with sweeping glass columns A frieze of workers - the Dept was formerly Industry and Commerce View from below of door with angular patterns, a frieze depicting travel, view onto glass Final frieze, again depictions of industry, e.g. a loom
October 11, 2025 at 9:00 AM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
The problem that the Taoiseach has is that voters can 100% use the presidential vote as a referendum on the Government, and the latest budget in particular. (From
www.independent.ie/irish-news/p...)
The Taoiseach took issue with some Opposition politicians characterising the Presidential election as a chance for voters to voice their approval or disapproval of the Coalition Government. "The first point I would make is that it is a strange statement to make - it is not a referendum on the Government. I do not accept that premise in the first instance," he said.
October 10, 2025 at 5:30 PM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Art deco Weston airport.
An airport and out building in art deco style A lift with arrow pointing to either Ground, Restaurant, or Second.
October 5, 2025 at 11:33 AM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Collectio canonum Hibernesis, on loan from St Gallen to the National Museum of Ireland.
An old manuscript with some decorative feaures, particularly on sentences beginning with D.
October 4, 2025 at 10:38 AM
donalcoffey.bsky.social
Hidden staircase, Newman House.
An oil painting on a door cracked open. Some steps barely visible.
September 29, 2025 at 9:47 AM