FEATURED post
13/10/26
World Animal Day marked in Dublin — The Northside People East / West and Southside People (14.10.26)
World Animal Day 2026 was marked in Dublin on Sunday, 4 October, as well as by a couple of events earlier that week.
This year marked the 101st anniversary of World Animal Day being observed around the world.
The week saw two Oireachtas committee meetings at which the issues of puppy farms and pet theft were discussed. Dublin People spoke to three animal rights activists about the week.
Lisa O’Connor from Missing Stolen Animals Ireland first addressed the Oireachtas Petitions Committee a year ago and, during the week of World Animal Day, addressed it again.
According to Lisa: “To mark World Animal Day every year, I think, reaches more people and there are more people aware of how important animals are in our lives; that they don’t have voices and we need to speak for them.”
Lisa’s petition, which has over 11,000 signatures, and a formal request from the committee for the Minister for Justice to attend and answer questions on the issue of pet theft have been forwarded to Minister O’Callaghan.
According to Lisa:
“The committee have invited the Minister for Justice in. And he keeps replying that he is too busy. But the committee are going to keep pushing that if he can’t come in, maybe one of his officials can come in because it is really important that someone comes in and answers the questions that the committee has for him.”
Lisa told Dublin People that she is waiting “for the latest reply from the Dept. of Justice, which comes through the committee. I have given a list of six questions which I would like the committee to put directly to the Dept. of Justice. The committee are aware of that. So the next step is I just have to wait now until the next meeting of the Public Petitions Committee to discuss my petition again.”
The other Oireachtas committee meeting held during the week of World Animal Day was that of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, where Minister Martin Heydon’s Dog Breeding Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2026 was scrutinised. Among those speaking before the committee were representatives from the NSPCA, Dogs Trust, Dog Law Ireland and the Kennel Club, as well as the owner of Dogs.ie.
John O’Callaghan from Dog Advocacy Ireland is also involved in this process and told Dublin People that he is “totally passionate about the intolerable abuse of thousands of innocent dogs through Ireland's shameful distinction as 'Puppy Farming Capital of Europe', which is permitted to continue unaddressed.”
Regrettably, according to John, Minister Heydon’s “draft legislation will do nothing to address the continuing mistreatment of thousands of dogs, held captive in many of these abusive establishments.”
According to John, senior officials in the Dept. of Agriculture, who hold responsibility for the Animal Health & Welfare Act and the Control of Dogs Act, “insist that there's a legal restriction on the Dept.'s ability to implement an upper limit (or CAP) on the number of breeding females permissible on any one dog breeding establishment site”.
John says that other jurisdictions have no such legal impediment. He also consulted a barrister on the issue, and “the barrister confirmed that no such legal restriction exists regarding the imposition of a cap on any one dog breeding establishment site.”
“By not imposing an upper limit restriction, the Dept. of Agriculture is actually complicit in maintaining Ireland's shameful distinction as 'Puppy Farming Capital of Europe'”, John told Dublin People.
The Party for Animal Welfare held the only publicised public event in Dublin, and possibly in Ireland, to mark World Animal Day on the day itself, 4 October, with a demonstration on Grafton Street.
According to Cathal Leavy, Dublin Area Representative for the party: “We were just raising awareness about animal cruelty and particularly focusing on animal lab testing. We were encouraging people to sign a petition. We have been keeping up this campaign for the last two-plus years and we are determined to get a change in the laws on animal lab testing.
“We got a lot of positive feedback from the public. We get a huge amount of positive feedback. It’s just bizarre why the Government doesn’t respond to this. People do truly care about animals.
“If more people saw what is happening to these animals, they would be horrified.”
10/10/26
Dr. Nicole LePera on hostile people (2026)
Good thread!
Right now, any people are experiencing high stress, isolation, and fear. And it's makes them act more reactive and hostile. How To Keep Yourself Safe:
— Dr. Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) October 10, 2026
09/10/26
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02/10/26
30/09/26
Will the Government tackle the scourge of online gambling? Frank Houghton, TUS — Near FM (September 2026)
🔊 Taxing online gambling companies like cigarette companies?
Frank Houghton, TUS @ Near FM (2026)
Obi Ejimbe (74)
Great post here by Obi; quote from it below.
I would add that it can, at times, be difficult to be clear-headed like this even when you don’t drink alcohol or take any other intoxicating substances at all. Conversly when you are intoxicated by drugs, it becomes dubious, and even worse behaviour can occur.
I would also add to the quote below that a lot of people don't think that many big societal problems are their issues too, which is sad. Maybe we cannot feel "connected" to every issue, even where we live, but I believe we should feel connected to many big societal issues, such as trying to overcome poverty, inequality and injustice.
It worries me that a lot of people are oblivious to much of what is going on around them, in their own countries and around the world. And even when they become aware of some things, more often than not, they don't try to help figure the issues out.
Overcoming a lot of issues needs people or more people to use their brains.
29/09/26
27/09/26
26/09/26
24/09/26
Raidió Fáilte @ 20 — An Todhchaí / The Future — Cuairt Near FM Visit (GA/EN) (2026)
Cillian Breatnach, Bainisteoir Raidió Fáilte
– Belfast's Irish-language radio station
23/09/26
22/09/26
Puppy farm demonstration at Dáil — The Northside People East / West and Southside People (23.9.26)
On the day the Dáil came back for its new term (16th September 2026), a demonstration was held outside Leinster House calling for an end to puppy farms in Ireland.
Despite not having a Facebook event page for the demonstration, approximately 70 people, including eight Oireachtas members, attended, which attendees felt was a reasonably good turnout on the day. This publication attended the demo.
The event was organised by Spiddal native Máirín Ní Chonghaile, who is a Clinical Animal Behaviourist and a registered veterinary nurse. Máirín is passionate about canine behaviour, runs a Puppy School and, as part of her job every day, she "sees the repercussions of the legislation that has legalised the mass production of dogs".
In Ireland, it is "legal to have as many dogs as you want" in puppy farms, and that is unacceptable and "legalised cruelty", according to Máirín.
"The Government have refused to put in any kind of significant reform to stop this. All of the dog breeding establishments in Ireland, all of the big ones, have all got a legal licence. So we can't put the blame completely at their feet. They are doing something that has been legalised by the State."
Máirín has contacted the Department of Agriculture about a lot of the "problems with the system, but a lot of the Government TDs are held by what their party's stance is".
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has started the process of enacting legislation on this issue. But, according to Máirín, while some of the current plans in his legislation are very good and welcome, he and the Government "haven't done the most simplistic part of stopping puppy farming, which is that we need to cap the amount of female dogs on a premises". And the Government legislation currently doesn't "do anything about the conditions". Minimising the number of dogs in a puppy farm "has to be the first step", according to Máirín.
Oireachtas members attending the demo on the day included Senator Chris Andrews (Sinn Féin) and TDs Jennifer Whitmore (Social Democrats), Pádraig O'Sullivan and Willie O'Dea (Fianna Fáil).
According to Senator Andrews, "it is really important that we say enough is enough" and "that we keep the pressure on Government". The Government "talk the talk but we need them to walk the walk and ensure that dogs are looked after". Dublin People has previously covered the legislation Jennifer Whitmore TD has brought before the Dáil on puppy farms.
Speaking at the demo, Deputy Whitmore said: "Last year I brought forward a bill on behalf of the Social Democrats that would have a cap on the number of breeding females in any facility. We put a number of 30 on it. I still recognise that 30 is quite high. But I had hoped at that stage that Government would work with me on that bill and that we would be able to achieve something that would be a first starting point at really addressing industrial puppy farming.
"Unfortunately the Government aren't going to work with me on that. They brought forward their own legislation which has no cap in it."
According to John O'Callaghan from Dog Advocacy Ireland, the issue of puppy farming in Ireland is "not going away. This is a national scandal. With €200 million per annum being earned from the criminal abuse of thousands of dogs. So it has to stop."
As well as Deputy Whitmore's legislation, Pádraig O'Sullivan has also introduced his own similar legislation on the issue of puppy farms in Ireland.
According to Deputy O'Sullivan: "The Minister has already done a wide consultation in terms of improving the conditions and in terms of resourcing the various charities. But look, the proof will be in the pudding.
"The Minister has to publish an action plan. It will have to be well resourced. We are all in it for the same reasons, the right reasons. We all want to see animal rights respected.
We don't want to see animals abused. Anything we can contribute to that we are more than happy to do so.
It is something that we will continue to work on here with the animal welfare groups and the Dáil's action group with John O'Callaghan."
END
20/09/26
Sadhguru (360)
I agree with this in terms of behaviour and it is a big part of good mental health. I find it impossible to
be conscious all of the time though. When you are taking a walk or cycling a bike, for example, it is
natural I find to slip into unconsciousness / mostly. Other people will have other examples but at these
two times in my life (I don't drive a car) I am often in near unconsciousness, while being aware of what
I am doing – walking or cycling.
19/09/26
15/09/26
Call for new Garda College to be located in Blanchardstown — Emer Currie TD (Fine Gael) — Near FM (2026)
🔊 Fine Gael on the All-Island Strategic Rail Review? – Emer Currie TD – Near FM (2026)
13/09/26
Dr. Nicole LePera (106)
I agree with this! I would also reflect that I didn't often feel like this when I was sharing houses for 15
years. And that it is I believe important to have a "safe" home and, for me, live in a safe area as
reasonable as can be.
People
I have loads of pain in the groin people in my life, and have for a long time, and I am inclined to
believe the below in that such people encourage you on through contrast on to be the person you are
meant to be.
12/09/26
Potpourri and essential oils — DJP (2026)
From my Facebook tonight. I generally get my essential oils in Holland and Barrett or get Oġam Essential
Oils and I got the potpourri I have at the moment from Wexford Lavender Farm which is great too.
Researchers tracked 43,000 women for 14 years. Here’s what happened to their political views as gender equality improved — PsyPost (2026)
"People who champion social equality are often the loudest critics of the political status quo. A new study finds that as nations actually achieve greater gender parity, these egalitarian individuals become much more likely to defend the very political systems they once criticized. The research, published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, shows how shifting social realities can alter deep-seated psychological motives."
11/09/26
Success vs negative unrealistic bastards — DJP (2026)
This is actually a deep thing I learned on my spiritual journey that a lot, maybe most, people don't give
a seconds attention or thought to, I think.
Anaïs Nin
Hmm.. I wonder. I am reposting because I find this quote interesting, not necessarily because I agree with
it completely.
10/09/26
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07/09/26
Sadhguru (356)
I think that it is a habit to get into to be inhumane/indifferent to other people's and animals humanity
and sentience.
You can break the habit. I know because I did and I still have a lot to learn.
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