Hitting snooze on sunrise
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
The halogen bulb in my wake-up lamp went. The replacements I’ve tried don’t look much like a sunrise.
Ireland
The real heat in Ireland’s fuel protests isn’t the Iran war, it’s the rising carbon tax. We’re told it’s ringfenced for climate action, except the base rate of €20 a ton isn’t. The only climate target the state is on track with is the tax take.
The Sword and the Salmon
Saturday, April 4, 2026
Russia’s shadow fleet is rerouting along the Irish coast to dodge Royal Navy seizures. Ireland’s military intelligence are talking about the consequences. Ireland might need to dust off some mythology.
Tonight Ireland moves into summer time. I enjoy the grand stretch in the evenings over the coming months. Ireland usually only gets about 3–4 hours of bright sunshine a day on average, and that’s usually diffused by clouds, but that stretches out to 5–7 hours in May and June. Bring on the sun.
Amazon granted permission for satellite ground station in Cork, Ireland
Amazon this week announced it has received regulatory approval from the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) to operate a satellite earth station gateway at the National Space Centre Ltd (NSC) in Cork County, Ireland.
Nice. It’ll join the Starlink gateway, and means Amazon will enter the retail satellite internet market in Ireland.
Satellite TV was revolutionary in Europe, but in Ireland & the UK, its days are numbered. The Astra satellites at 28.2°E, are nearing the end of their service lives, and KA-Sat 9A (Saorsat in Ireland) ends its service life around 2026. You may have to talk to your Granny about IPTV soon.