Emmet Ó Briain

Emmet Ó Briain

@emmet.quiddity.ie

research. language. lay ethnomethodologist. broadstone based. mundane methods of pedestrianism + active travel also: D7 Play Streets, almost always (running) in the phoenix park worst taste in music: @yesboyicecream.bsky.social

2.4K followers673 following3.4K posts

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Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

Part II of 'Bringing Children to Weekend Games using Public Transport in Dublin: medium.com/@emmet.obria... Timing is everything. This was started shortly before the ESRI research on public transport came out and finished shortly after the plans to increase public transport fares were announced.

medium.comBringing Children to Weekend Games using Public Transport in Dublin Pt 2Reflections on a two year experiment trying to get to juvenile GAA matches using public transport!
Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

if we want to take road safety seriously, we need elevated levels of human fluorescence so that everyone remains highly visible at all times (my proposal is to augment the water supply, something akin to fluoridation, to produce the necessary bioluminescence)

IrishCycle.com@irishcycle.com

Should Irish politicians lead by example and wear high-vis clothing everywhere? -- Pedestrians should wear high-vis in urban areas, even on the edge of Dublin City Centre, according to the Assistant Garda Commissioner for roads policing and community…...

irishcycle.comShould Irish politicians lead by example and wear high-vis clothing everywhere?-- Pedestrians should wear high-vis in urban areas, even on the edge of Dublin City Centre, according to the Assistant Garda Commissioner for roads policing and community engagement. Comment & Analysis: Up to now, when Irish authorities have talked about people walking wearing high-vis clothing, people have brushed it off and dismissed that they mean in urban areas too. But their advice has generalised for a long time.
Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

the view from nowhere

Sam Tranum@samtranum.bsky.social

Does John Banville think artists have a duty to take a stance on moral issues? His stand is apparently for amorality. www.independent.ie/irish-news/s...

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

at this point, we should consider adding something to the water supply (something akin to fluoridation) to produce elevated levels of human fluorescence so that everyone remains highly visible at all times. there is simply no other solution to road safety...

The Journal@thejournal.ie

The minister responsible for road safety has said there is no acceptable form of phone usage for drivers and drivers should put their phone in the glove box. Asked whether it was acceptable to use Google Maps, the minister did not give a clear answer. www.thejournal.ie/driving-phon...

thejournal.ieMinister tells drivers to put phones in glove box, while gardaí say city pedestrians need high-visSeán Canney said he will receive a plan for reform of the beleaguered Road Safety Authority within weeks.

Emmet Ó Briain reposted

Art Martinez-Tebbel
@amtebbel.bsky.social

“I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.”

the babahuck@tylerhuckabee.bsky.social

holy smokes, conan strikes up a chat with a random lady on the subway and she immediately starts riffing on his level, no problem.

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

one thing that I love about o'connell street is that it's a living city centre street with a post office, banks, transport w/ adjacent streets for groceries (+ schools!) - supporting urban living will improve the city core a million times more than sticking a visitor experience centre into the GPO

Dublin Inquirer@dublininquirer.com

Maybe people shouldn't be able to collect social welfare at the GPO, Arnotts lobbies. The company behind the Henry Street department store raised the idea with the man in charge of the regeneration of the city centre, returns show.

dublininquirer.comMaybe people shouldn't be able to collect social welfare at GPO, Arnotts lobbiesThe company behind the Henry Street department store raised the idea with the man in charge of the regeneration of the city centre, returns show.
Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

on the balance of probability, it's not surprising that people given a platform to express opinions on many different issues are not equally informed across all opinions expressed. (it's the quantity and ease of production, rather than the quality, of their opinions which gets them the platform)

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

honestly, I give up: councillors will get behind a speculative process to allow people to close public roads so they can dig up the footpaths to install private car chargers but no support for similar (proven) mechanisms to allow children's street play for two hours priorities...

Dublin Inquirer@dublininquirer.com

It's time to iron out details for how to allow EV charging across footpaths, councillors agree. Like, what'll be the route to dig up the footpath and lay down a wire?

dublininquirer.comTime to iron out details for how to allow EV charging across footpaths, councillors agreeLike, what'll be the route to dig up the footpath and lay down a wire?
View full thread
Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

Instead, for reasons, we will continue to ignore a legislative solution to temporary road closures for the purposes which: •⁠ ⁠Is already provided for in Section 75 of the Roads Act; •⁠ ⁠Is the same solution implemented through the UK; •⁠ ⁠Has already been trialled in Dublin without any issue.

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

Returning to the first post, the main reason I continue to advocate for the legislative solution (apart from the fact that it's universally recognised as the best, most flexible, solution) is that it provides official recognition to children's rights to play safely on the streets where they live.

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

honestly, I give up: councillors will get behind a speculative process to allow people to close public roads so they can dig up the footpaths to install private car chargers but no support for similar (proven) mechanisms to allow children's street play for two hours priorities...

Dublin Inquirer@dublininquirer.com

It's time to iron out details for how to allow EV charging across footpaths, councillors agree. Like, what'll be the route to dig up the footpath and lay down a wire?

dublininquirer.comTime to iron out details for how to allow EV charging across footpaths, councillors agreeLike, what'll be the route to dig up the footpath and lay down a wire?
View full thread
Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

Ironically, this approach was already recommended by DCC’s own Traffic and Transport SPC way back in 2013, again in 2015 and successfully prototyped by the Council itself in 2022, and also demonstrated successfully on 25 Play Streets for National Car Free Day in 2025.

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

The same approach is also described in detail in the Council’s own 2022-2027 Play Strategy. A further irony is that the best version of it - the Westminster model - was actually developed by a Dublin 7 native, Eugene Minogue. active.westminster.gov.uk/activestreets/

active.westminster.gov.ukActive Streets - ActiveWestminsterOur ActiveStreets programme is designed to open up residential streets across Westminster for play, creating space for physical activity right on your doorstep and increasing the number of people who ...
Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

honestly, I give up: councillors will get behind a speculative process to allow people to close public roads so they can dig up the footpaths to install private car chargers but no support for similar (proven) mechanisms to allow children's street play for two hours priorities...

Dublin Inquirer@dublininquirer.com

It's time to iron out details for how to allow EV charging across footpaths, councillors agree. Like, what'll be the route to dig up the footpath and lay down a wire?

dublininquirer.comTime to iron out details for how to allow EV charging across footpaths, councillors agreeLike, what'll be the route to dig up the footpath and lay down a wire?
Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

there was lots of praise during mobility week for invited speakers who emphasised the importance of child-centred public realm and mobility policy - but there's no practical support here for it. No movement since 2013 on putting a process in place that allow communities to open streets for play...

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

Despite the availability of well-founded working templates for a progressive - one-off to permanent - local authority “Play Streets” model, no one, including D7 Play Streets, has been able to convince Councillors or DCC's traffic department to support the same approach.

Emmet Ó Briain reposted

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

Replying to @emmet.quiddity.ie

further weight for the “slow” transport research agenda where you do research by actually physically engaging with and mundanely experiencing the services and infrastructure you’re evaluating (am available for hire)

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

this is what broadstone plaza and constitution hill was supposed to look like, according to the 2012 ggda masterplan (i guess if you squint really, really hard .... 🤔 maybe??)

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

Our 2009 transport policy "Smarter Travel”: “Commuters will only begin to consider a shift from car to bus transport when the advantages of the bus are greater than those of the car”.

Niamh NicGhabhann Coleman@niamhroisin.bsky.social

I must say that the slow, over-crowded nature of most Dublin public transport is harder to put up with knowing that it is going to be even more expensive soon with no known improvements… 🚌 🚃 🚊

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

"The aim of Smarter Travel is to get us all to think about how and why we make travel choices for all the trips we make. The aim of Smarter Travel is to get us all to think about how and why we make travel choices for all the trips we make".

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

As a nation, our favourite policy interventions are: "encouraging" "reminding" "asking" These can be applied flexibly to policies such as climate change, road safety, transport, etc. All considerably more popular than legislation, regulation or enforcement.

Emmet Ó Briain reposted

Sally Watson
@salawatson.bsky.social

Replying to @salawatson.bsky.social

“The rules around car traffic are hard to modify, and any requests usually go all the way up to municipal authorities”, he added. “And politicians are really scared to touch anything with cars, because they fear it will cost them in votes.”

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

terrible indictment of the juvenile system in soccer, which leaves kids in Darndale without games because the Dublin District Schoolboys/Girls' League refuses to admit clubs with less than five underage teams - other sports actively support clubs in this situation...

Dublin Inquirer@dublininquirer.com

Darndale FC juniors have been left out of youth football league. The importance for young people to play for a club that has their own community's name on it can’t be underestimated, said club chair John Lyons.

dublininquirer.comDarndale FC juniors left out of youth football leagueThe importance for young people to play for a club that has their own community's name on it can’t be underestimated, said club chair John Lyons.
Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

e.g. juvenile camogie allows clubs at specific age groups to field a single combined team when both lack numbers - which means the girls can continue to play

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

news of Janette Sadik-Khan on @thewaroncars.bsky.social reminded me of her talk in Dublin a couple of years ago...

Emmet Ó Briain@emmet.quiddity.ie

Janette Sadik-Khan talk on Rethinking Our Streets in Dublin this morning put on by Smart Dublin & DCC's Active Travel team. 3 takeaways, the importance of: 1. Place: more than just building lanes and corridors 2. Political leadership & will: taking responsibility for it 3. Action: getting it done

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

this is very true in many cases but there's a separate phenomenon where very obvious - and correct - political solutions in various domains remain unimplemented so it's great when people suggest them after 5 seconds' thought because you get to say 'yes! that's exactly what should be done' ...

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò@olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social

if it took you 5 seconds of contemplation to think of an alternative you should take at least another 5-10 to at least consider the possibility that it at least crossed the minds of 1 or 2 of the people who dedicate their lives and research careers to dealing with the problems we post about on here

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

dan ariely has his Centre for Advanced Hindsight and I still don't have my 'Institute for policy domains where the most effective solutions are known and agreed and every bit of additional research just provides more evidences for ideas that we basically already know work yet remain unimplemented'??

Emmet Ó Briain@emmet.quiddity.ie

There are so so many policy domains like this in Ireland (housing & transport especially) where the most effective solutions are known & agreed, and where every bit of additional research just provides more evidence for ideas that we basically already know work, yet remain unimplemented...

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

e.g. when I tell people about the idea of allowing communities close residential roads to traffic temporarily for the purposes of street play they say "that's a great idea! why hasn't it been tried before?" and I say: "in 2013, The Transport and Traffic SPC of Dublin City Council recommended..."

Emmet Ó Briain@emmet.quiddity.ie

For World Children's Day, here's a brief, selective history of action on Play Streets by Dublin City Council from 2013-2024... 2013 - The Transport and Traffic SPC of Dublin City Council prepare a report on Temporary Play Street Orders - even gets a mention in Paschal Donohoe's community update.

Emmet Ó Briain reposted

Quantian
@quantian.bsky.social

Dancing very very VERY close to saying “OpenAI stole our almost-complete proof of Navier-Stokes from internal access to our ChatGPT sessions because they were desperate to scoop Anthropic” which is absolutely 100% a believable thing OpenAI would do right now cims.nyu.edu/~tristanb/st...

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

it's apparently controversial to believe that, given the very, very, very few public grass spaces in the north inner city, the available opportunities for children to play sport in such spaces should be protected.

Dublin Inquirer@dublininquirer.com

In their third attempt to revamp Mountjoy Square, the council has added a "play zone" and a second half-basketball court. The new plan is currently out to public consultation.

dublininquirer.comIn third attempt to revamp Mountjoy Square, council adds "play zone" and second half-basketball courtThe new plan is currently out to public consultation.
Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

there's an unfortunate bent to some conservation and regeneration attitudes in the inner city which, unintentionally I'm presuming, come across as classist and anti-children - we should want more vitality in our cities and that starts with breathing life into the few public leisure spaces available

Emmet Ó Briain
@emmet.quiddity.ie

my personal issue with the little public green space available to us in our area is that it's covered in dog shit but i haven't found a lobby for that yet