Illegal US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flights – carrying deportees to African countries they have no personal ties to – refuelled at Shannon Airport this July and August.

The Irish state is prosecuting activists for, allegedly, doing what our leaders refuse to do: confront Irish complicity in genocide. Tomorrow in Ennis the trial of Áine Ní Threinír, Aindriú de Buitléir and Eimear Walshe begins.

Lufthansa – which has repeatedly conducted illegal munitions flights through Irish territory to Israel – has reluctantly engaged with Darragh O’Brien’s Department of Transport, taking part in a Microsoft Teams call after a Ditch report on its unlawful flights to Israel.

A secretive group lobbying government for the arms industry is working with Lockheed Martin to connect Irish businesses with international weapons manufacturers for “partnering opportunities”.

¶ Last Christmas I was at a party in a hotel in Rossnowlagh chatting with a few of the boys. It had been a bad year electorally for the left.