Aislínn Kelly
@aislinnkellyy.bsky.social
Environmental Geography PhD researcher writing about infrastructure, land use and environmental change.
ᨒ ོ ☼
https://aislinna.substack.com/
ᨒ ོ ☼
https://aislinna.substack.com/
Pinned
Farewell to Progress
Why is the Irish Government cutting the cost of fossil fuels while raising public transport fares?
aislinna.substack.com
What problem, exactly, does the Government think raising public transport fares is solving?
aislinna.substack.com/p/farewell-t...
aislinna.substack.com/p/farewell-t...
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
Budget Day in Ireland.
Seems like greyhound racing did well: sadly can't say the same for climate action.
Seems like greyhound racing did well: sadly can't say the same for climate action.
October 6, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Budget Day in Ireland.
Seems like greyhound racing did well: sadly can't say the same for climate action.
Seems like greyhound racing did well: sadly can't say the same for climate action.
What problem, exactly, does the Government think raising public transport fares is solving?
aislinna.substack.com/p/farewell-t...
aislinna.substack.com/p/farewell-t...
Farewell to Progress
Why is the Irish Government cutting the cost of fossil fuels while raising public transport fares?
aislinna.substack.com
October 7, 2026 at 9:14 AM
What problem, exactly, does the Government think raising public transport fares is solving?
aislinna.substack.com/p/farewell-t...
aislinna.substack.com/p/farewell-t...
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
why, indeed, would we promote alternatives to fossil-fuelled private cars during a polycrisis? @aislinnkellyy.bsky.social shines a light on the Irish government's priorities.
aislinna.substack.com/p/farewell-t...
aislinna.substack.com/p/farewell-t...
Farewell to Progress
Why is the Irish Government cutting the cost of fossil fuels while raising public transport fares?
aislinna.substack.com
October 7, 2026 at 8:33 AM
why, indeed, would we promote alternatives to fossil-fuelled private cars during a polycrisis? @aislinnkellyy.bsky.social shines a light on the Irish government's priorities.
aislinna.substack.com/p/farewell-t...
aislinna.substack.com/p/farewell-t...
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
Here's the liquid gas industry framing its product as a "just transition".
This would be sidesplittingly funny if it was not apparent that this message is getting through to politicians.
This would be sidesplittingly funny if it was not apparent that this message is getting through to politicians.
October 1, 2026 at 8:50 AM
Here's the liquid gas industry framing its product as a "just transition".
This would be sidesplittingly funny if it was not apparent that this message is getting through to politicians.
This would be sidesplittingly funny if it was not apparent that this message is getting through to politicians.
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
Another day; another subsidy announcement for fossil fuels….
Meanwhile public transport users are facing fare increases of 15%-50%+ in some cases over a 12 month period 😣
Please email your TD’s & ask them to #StopTheFareHikes
www.rte.ie/news/politic...
Meanwhile public transport users are facing fare increases of 15%-50%+ in some cases over a 12 month period 😣
Please email your TD’s & ask them to #StopTheFareHikes
www.rte.ie/news/politic...
Chambers hints fuel excise cuts to be extended in Budget
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers has strongly hinted that excise cuts on petrol and diesel will be extended in the Budget.
www.rte.ie
September 23, 2026 at 12:28 PM
Another day; another subsidy announcement for fossil fuels….
Meanwhile public transport users are facing fare increases of 15%-50%+ in some cases over a 12 month period 😣
Please email your TD’s & ask them to #StopTheFareHikes
www.rte.ie/news/politic...
Meanwhile public transport users are facing fare increases of 15%-50%+ in some cases over a 12 month period 😣
Please email your TD’s & ask them to #StopTheFareHikes
www.rte.ie/news/politic...
New substack on things from old Ireland I think we should bring back.
My case for bringing back several things modern life has foolishly discarded: dolmens, fires, holy wells, banshees and a healthy fear of cutting down the wrong hawthorn.
aislinna.substack.com/p/things-i-t...
My case for bringing back several things modern life has foolishly discarded: dolmens, fires, holy wells, banshees and a healthy fear of cutting down the wrong hawthorn.
aislinna.substack.com/p/things-i-t...
Things I Think We Should Bring Back
From Brehon Law to dolmens, a case for the useful bits of the past
aislinna.substack.com
September 20, 2026 at 7:37 PM
New substack on things from old Ireland I think we should bring back.
My case for bringing back several things modern life has foolishly discarded: dolmens, fires, holy wells, banshees and a healthy fear of cutting down the wrong hawthorn.
aislinna.substack.com/p/things-i-t...
My case for bringing back several things modern life has foolishly discarded: dolmens, fires, holy wells, banshees and a healthy fear of cutting down the wrong hawthorn.
aislinna.substack.com/p/things-i-t...
Shannon bridge cycle lane investigation. The talent was hard to work with, but we got through it.
September 15, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Shannon bridge cycle lane investigation. The talent was hard to work with, but we got through it.
I spent an afternoon thinking about Arthur Griffith, Ireland’s first head of government, and whether his fierce belief in national self-determination might tell us something about how we imagine environmental change now.
aislinna.substack.com/p/the-green-...
aislinna.substack.com/p/the-green-...
The Green Griffith
An Afternoon with Arthur Griffith: What happens when the national question becomes an environmental one?
aislinna.substack.com
September 5, 2026 at 8:53 AM
I spent an afternoon thinking about Arthur Griffith, Ireland’s first head of government, and whether his fierce belief in national self-determination might tell us something about how we imagine environmental change now.
aislinna.substack.com/p/the-green-...
aislinna.substack.com/p/the-green-...
E-scooters already require lights and reflectors.
Dressing riders like construction workers won’t fix bad road design, dangerous junctions or high speeds.
How many hi-vis vests do we need before we admit the roads are the problem?
www.rte.ie/news/ireland...
Dressing riders like construction workers won’t fix bad road design, dangerous junctions or high speeds.
How many hi-vis vests do we need before we admit the roads are the problem?
www.rte.ie/news/ireland...
New helmet and high-vis e-scooter regulations in effect
New regulations requiring e-scooter users to wear helmets and high-visibility clothing have come into effect from today.
www.rte.ie
September 4, 2026 at 6:03 PM
E-scooters already require lights and reflectors.
Dressing riders like construction workers won’t fix bad road design, dangerous junctions or high speeds.
How many hi-vis vests do we need before we admit the roads are the problem?
www.rte.ie/news/ireland...
Dressing riders like construction workers won’t fix bad road design, dangerous junctions or high speeds.
How many hi-vis vests do we need before we admit the roads are the problem?
www.rte.ie/news/ireland...
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
"Government cannot ‘fund everything forever’: Bus and rail fare hikes of up to 35% confirmed"
But they sure can fund and subsidies fossil fuels like no tomorrow.
But they sure can fund and subsidies fossil fuels like no tomorrow.
Irish bus and rail fare hikes of up to 35% are confirmed
It is envisaged increases of more than 30% on some tickets will take effect from January, says National Transport Authority
www.irishtimes.com
September 3, 2026 at 8:03 PM
"Government cannot ‘fund everything forever’: Bus and rail fare hikes of up to 35% confirmed"
But they sure can fund and subsidies fossil fuels like no tomorrow.
But they sure can fund and subsidies fossil fuels like no tomorrow.
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
I think people should read this instead of whatever the Irish Times is sending out there to enrage as many people as possible.
August 25, 2026 at 10:30 AM
I think people should read this instead of whatever the Irish Times is sending out there to enrage as many people as possible.
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
Shocking but not suprising stats for Ireland.
August 24, 2026 at 6:17 PM
Shocking but not suprising stats for Ireland.
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
An absolutely superb article here.
Thanks to @aislinnkellyy.bsky.social for this piece on providing the infrastructure for active travel - where there’s a will there’s a way, as they say…
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
Gen Z want active travel — temporary Adare Ryder Cup train station shows what's possible
The new temporary train station in Adare for the Ryder Cup shows these things can be done — so why can't this approach be taken more widely?
www.irishexaminer.com
August 19, 2026 at 8:53 AM
An absolutely superb article here.
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
“You cannot choose a train that does not run, a bus that never arrives or a cycle route that was never built. You cannot ask a generation to change how it travels while constructing places in which the alternative is impractical.”
Thanks to @aislinnkellyy.bsky.social for this piece on providing the infrastructure for active travel - where there’s a will there’s a way, as they say…
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
Gen Z want active travel — temporary Adare Ryder Cup train station shows what's possible
The new temporary train station in Adare for the Ryder Cup shows these things can be done — so why can't this approach be taken more widely?
www.irishexaminer.com
August 19, 2026 at 11:47 AM
“You cannot choose a train that does not run, a bus that never arrives or a cycle route that was never built. You cannot ask a generation to change how it travels while constructing places in which the alternative is impractical.”
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
"Future motorists are accommodated quite generously in our imagination, while rail is repeatedly asked to prove that the passengers already exist."
This sums up the government's mindset when it comes to transport.
This sums up the government's mindset when it comes to transport.
August 19, 2026 at 8:05 AM
"Future motorists are accommodated quite generously in our imagination, while rail is repeatedly asked to prove that the passengers already exist."
This sums up the government's mindset when it comes to transport.
This sums up the government's mindset when it comes to transport.
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
Growing up in rural Tipperary, I know the car is not going anywhere, nor should it. What I want is something much less dramatic: an Ireland where having a car is useful, but living without one is possible.
- Aislínn Kelly
- Aislínn Kelly
Thanks to @aislinnkellyy.bsky.social for this piece on providing the infrastructure for active travel - where there’s a will there’s a way, as they say…
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
Gen Z want active travel — temporary Adare Ryder Cup train station shows what's possible
The new temporary train station in Adare for the Ryder Cup shows these things can be done — so why can't this approach be taken more widely?
www.irishexaminer.com
August 19, 2026 at 6:39 AM
Growing up in rural Tipperary, I know the car is not going anywhere, nor should it. What I want is something much less dramatic: an Ireland where having a car is useful, but living without one is possible.
- Aislínn Kelly
- Aislínn Kelly
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
Thanks to @aislinnkellyy.bsky.social for this piece on providing the infrastructure for active travel - where there’s a will there’s a way, as they say…
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
Gen Z want active travel — temporary Adare Ryder Cup train station shows what's possible
The new temporary train station in Adare for the Ryder Cup shows these things can be done — so why can't this approach be taken more widely?
www.irishexaminer.com
August 19, 2026 at 6:36 AM
Thanks to @aislinnkellyy.bsky.social for this piece on providing the infrastructure for active travel - where there’s a will there’s a way, as they say…
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
Agricultural emissions rose 0.5% in Q1, driven partly by synthetic fertiliser use.
Meanwhile, huge political energy goes into defending the nitrates derogation.
Irish agricultural policy feels increasingly unmoored.
Where are we trying to go?
www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41...
Meanwhile, huge political energy goes into defending the nitrates derogation.
Irish agricultural policy feels increasingly unmoored.
Where are we trying to go?
www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41...
Irish greenhouse gas emissions fell by less than 1% in first quarter of 2026
Emissions from the agriculture and industry sectors rose again between January and March this year
www.irishexaminer.com
August 18, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Agricultural emissions rose 0.5% in Q1, driven partly by synthetic fertiliser use.
Meanwhile, huge political energy goes into defending the nitrates derogation.
Irish agricultural policy feels increasingly unmoored.
Where are we trying to go?
www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41...
Meanwhile, huge political energy goes into defending the nitrates derogation.
Irish agricultural policy feels increasingly unmoored.
Where are we trying to go?
www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41...
Why is investment in roads treated as urgent, while investment in rail is treated as ambitious?
We build roads in response to growth, then ask rail to prove the growth exists first.
We’ve got that completely backwards.
aislinna.substack.com/p/the-awaken...
We build roads in response to growth, then ask rail to prove the growth exists first.
We’ve got that completely backwards.
aislinna.substack.com/p/the-awaken...
Built in Urgency, Removed in Hindsight
On castles, roads and the infrastructure Limerick might one day wonder why it built
aislinna.substack.com
August 17, 2026 at 10:39 AM
Why is investment in roads treated as urgent, while investment in rail is treated as ambitious?
We build roads in response to growth, then ask rail to prove the growth exists first.
We’ve got that completely backwards.
aislinna.substack.com/p/the-awaken...
We build roads in response to growth, then ask rail to prove the growth exists first.
We’ve got that completely backwards.
aislinna.substack.com/p/the-awaken...
Once, after booking somebody to discuss the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, I was asked to find somebody who “disagreed with trains” for balance.
My soul left my body.
It is the appearance of debate without the substance of it, and I think that distinction matters.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
My soul left my body.
It is the appearance of debate without the substance of it, and I think that distinction matters.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
The Public Aren't Thick
On the surprisingly radical business of giving people context
substack.com
August 14, 2026 at 11:36 AM
Once, after booking somebody to discuss the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, I was asked to find somebody who “disagreed with trains” for balance.
My soul left my body.
It is the appearance of debate without the substance of it, and I think that distinction matters.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
My soul left my body.
It is the appearance of debate without the substance of it, and I think that distinction matters.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
Thanks to @irishtimes.com for publishing my letter in response to the article about risk-taking in the public service. It seems the risk of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss is being ignored by this government!
August 13, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Thanks to @irishtimes.com for publishing my letter in response to the article about risk-taking in the public service. It seems the risk of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss is being ignored by this government!
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
A very poignant analysis of the political landscape and discourse in Ireland from @aislinnkellyy.bsky.social!
Well worth a read.
Well worth a read.
The Public Aren't Thick
On the surprisingly radical business of giving people context
substack.com
August 12, 2026 at 6:18 PM
A very poignant analysis of the political landscape and discourse in Ireland from @aislinnkellyy.bsky.social!
Well worth a read.
Well worth a read.
Reposted by Aislínn Kelly
💚Positive Climate News from July
Between heatwaves and devastating fires, the impacts of climate change were impossible to ignore.
But amid the challenges, there were also reasons for hope – from tighter data centre rules to solar generating a quarter of the EU’s electricity, and more.👇
#GoodNews
Between heatwaves and devastating fires, the impacts of climate change were impossible to ignore.
But amid the challenges, there were also reasons for hope – from tighter data centre rules to solar generating a quarter of the EU’s electricity, and more.👇
#GoodNews
Positive Climate Stories in July 2026 - Opportunity Green
From tighter rules on data centres to solar generating a quarter of the EU's electricity, discover the top positive climate stories of July 2026.
opportunitygreen.org
August 11, 2026 at 10:29 AM
💚Positive Climate News from July
Between heatwaves and devastating fires, the impacts of climate change were impossible to ignore.
But amid the challenges, there were also reasons for hope – from tighter data centre rules to solar generating a quarter of the EU’s electricity, and more.👇
#GoodNews
Between heatwaves and devastating fires, the impacts of climate change were impossible to ignore.
But amid the challenges, there were also reasons for hope – from tighter data centre rules to solar generating a quarter of the EU’s electricity, and more.👇
#GoodNews
Why we need protected cycle lanes… rural summer edition 🤦♀️🌾
August 6, 2026 at 1:34 PM
Why we need protected cycle lanes… rural summer edition 🤦♀️🌾
Built at the height of the Great Famine, Donaghmore Workhouse now also houses an agricultural museum. It left me wondering whether today's debates on food security are really new, or whether Ireland has already lived through these questions.
aislinna.substack.com/p/the-workho...
aislinna.substack.com/p/the-workho...
The Workhouse and the Plough
What happens when a workhouse and an agricultural museum occupy the same ground?
aislinna.substack.com
August 5, 2026 at 8:09 PM
Built at the height of the Great Famine, Donaghmore Workhouse now also houses an agricultural museum. It left me wondering whether today's debates on food security are really new, or whether Ireland has already lived through these questions.
aislinna.substack.com/p/the-workho...
aislinna.substack.com/p/the-workho...