In what has come as a complete shock to the Lama community this morning, renowned leader Da Leo has been suspended from Twitter without reason or warning. 

Described by some as an animated Nelson Mandela the political cartoon has been vanquished to the Phantom Zone, as a result of what some believe was a video that went too far for the establishment to bear. It's yet unknown who is responsible for the kidnapping and imprisonment of Da Leo.

A spokesperson for Social Media has said:
"Nobody gives a fuck unless your a landlord"

However Da Leo creators and disciples are much more concerned and believe this may very well be an attack on both freedom of speech and the right to dissent. Is there any space in society for demented radicals these days?

Updates to follow but please show some support for Da Leo today, and especially the people behind it who spend time creating the songs, jokes, and animations. The videos are still available on YouTube, shares and thoughts will go a long way. 

"The number of people who buy books in Ireland would not keep me in drink for the duration of the Sunday opening time" Brendan Behan

I’ve always loved this quote by Brendan Behan, Ireland has always been a place where writers have flourished, however like other arts it’s not always the most fruitful endeavour.  

I’m not entirely sure how blogging compares to the great writers who have gone before us, or to the hard working journalists who toil for minimum wage despite uncertainty of job security. However what I do know is that there are a lot of great Irish bloggers out there and it’s good to be recognised as part of that community for Bloggies 2018.

This year TCV has been nominated under the personal blog category of Best Current Affairs & Political Blog. The other nominations include:
 

1. 1169 And Counting: On the go since 2002 and blogging about Irish History and Irish Politics
2. An Sionnach Fionn: Last year’s gold medal winner in this category, an Sionnach Fionn or “The White Fox” supports the restoration of Ireland’s indigenous language and culture through the peaceful establishment of a pluralist, all-island Gaelic Republic, with regional government for the Six Counties.
3. Ciaran Tierney: Last year’s silver medallist Ciaran Tierney has taken to blogging and freelance journalism after working as a staff journalist for the Connacht Tribune for over 22 years.
4. Cinders Magazine: Ireland’s newest free online magazine, discussing the big ideas that are on teen girls minds from mental health to feminism, while all the while talking fandoms, books, movies and television.
5. Disordered World: Silver winner in the commercial category in 2017, disordered world slots into the personal blogger slot this year. Written by author Ian Hughes, the blog explores the possibility that a small proportion of people with dangerous personality disorders are responsible for most of the violence and greed that scars our world.
6. Jessica Thompson: Another blogger with a huge cv, Jessica Thompson is a journalist and entertainment editor at the Longford Leader. Her blog explores all things Connaught and serves as a great example of freelance journalism. Although I would imagine it needs some updates to make the shortlist this year.
7. Jtonmostlypolitics: This blog is written by labour party spokesperson Joanna Tuffy and covers social debates on housing, equality, and party events.

The full list of bloggers and categories is available from the blogawards website, best of luck to everyone involved.