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Ballade Of The Yellow BungalowMichelle’s rented kitchen smelt of dog’s paws and children’s feet, Exiled sisters tramping pitiful sobs into cold linoleum. October, outside, hurried gold leaves off the fresher sycamores. Our small talk was not all about gales or her native Listowel. I was God the navigator of Fenit and Blasket, Of the table of awkwardness, of student nurse Michelle. Heavy curtains, like tapestries, cloaked her squinting windows, Her nurse friends were on day duty to jaundiced invalids. Her primrose cup in the sink wore the faint lips of destruction. Cold tap water dripped incessantly over the brim. Ran down along the crack’s indentations as secretions will. Rugged beauty and gorse realism lit Brandon on her face. Words passed there like clouds as she frowned on my youth. Her limbs were like the Kerry coast, spume-ridden elation. I wanted to ease myself into her Listowel, Her undulations of dune and short-cropped grasses. She said she would like to be buried in the sandhills. We parroted on with a dual sense of urgency. Perched on the edges of old chairs. Precariously.©Niall MacGiolla Bhuí, PhD.&nbsp;

Featured Poetry

Ahead of the publication of our book, 'Threads of Trauma' next month, here's some material on the period in Northern Ireland referred to as the 'Troubles'. We included a couple of chapters on this theme, from two different perspectives, as we felt this is an area deserving of more attention.&nbsp;<figure id="figure-lksdbx1p0wmnxfgdpt"><img id="lksdbx1p0wmnxfgdpt" src="https://cdn.durable.co/covers/24s5pfHwRjdzZlHrvPJ1VU0Ma5fTDt8IoP9IRaxKrRVC4wpWj3U7rEg066967qPc.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure>The protracted conflict in Northern Ireland, commonly referred to as the 'Troubles,' which persisted from the late 1960s to the late 1990s, has left a lasting legacy of psychological trauma that continues to impact multiple generations of the populace. This conflict serves as a significant case study for comprehending the ramifications of prolonged civil unrest on mental health and overall well-being within diverse communities.The prevalence and ramifications of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from the Troubles remain substantial even decades after the cessation of hostilities. Studies indicate that a considerable segment of the Northern Irish populace still grapples with PTSD, with approximately 4.74% of the weighted population meeting the criteria for current PTSD, and nearly 60% of those afflicted identifying the Troubles as their most severe traumatic encounter, notwithstanding the passage of several decades since the conflict [1].&nbsp;Among older individuals exposed to the conflict, around 11.5% satisfy clinical criteria for current PTSD, with a significant majority (85.9%) of those exposed to Troubles-related trauma refraining from seeking professional assistance, despite 59.1% meeting criteria for a lifetime mental disorder [2]. This underscores a notable treatment gap and an ongoing public health concern.In addition to emotional distress, trauma exposure has been linked to discernible cognitive repercussions. Individuals with PTSD exhibit a reduction in verbal recall abilities compared to those without PTSD, as evidenced by recalling approximately half a word less on verbal recall tests, alongside lower scores on global cognitive assessments such as the Mini Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment [1]. These cognitive deficiencies appear to reflect a broad impact of trauma on cognitive function among older adults at a population level [3].The gender-specific dimensions of trauma experienced by women during the Troubles have historically been marginalised, despite the widespread nature of their suffering. The conflict witnessed systemic conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated by both state and non-state actors [4]. Literary analyses exploring women's trauma portrayals reveal that female characters encountered distinct psychological traumas, strained familial ties, and grappled with societal expectations while navigating daily life amidst violence [5]. Women also endured various forms of gender-based harm, encompassing sexual violence, physical abuse, verbal aggression, and psychological torment [6].The psychological repercussions of the 'Troubles' extend to suicide and self-harm, with Northern Ireland reporting elevated suicide rates. The incidence of registered suicides escalated from 143 in 1996 to 318 in 2015, with exposure to the Troubles recognised as a notable risk factor alongside trauma, mental disorders, socioeconomic deprivation, and substance abuse [7].&nbsp;Early-life adversities, including parental dysfunction, maltreatment, and economic struggles, in conjunction with exposure to the conflict, substantially elevate the risk of developing PTSD, particularly among females and individuals exposed to the conflict, heightening their lifetime PTSD susceptibility [8].Veterans residing in Northern Ireland confront compounded trauma exposure, with research delineating three distinct trauma categories among this cohort, wherein 10.84% endured high multitrait trauma exposure [9]. Conflict-related trauma emerged as a significant independent predictor of recidivism among individuals with prior violent convictions [10].The enduring consequences of the 'Troubles' persist in disability rates, with heightened exposure to the conflict amplifying the probability of disability benefit receipt by 21 percentage points among older working-age individuals, significantly impacting mental health outcomes [11]. Despite the enduring repercussions, many survivors remain detached from support services, underscoring the imperative for enhanced trauma-informed mental health care and policy initiatives.The enduring trauma stemming from the Northern Ireland 'Troubles' accentuates the critical need to acknowledge diverse trauma experiences across gender, age, and societal strata, fostering the development of comprehensive, trauma-informed strategies to assist survivors and address the multigenerational effects of prolonged conflict.©Conor MacGiolla Bhuí, MSc. (2026).&nbsp;References&nbsp; [1] C. Potter, J. Feeney, E. Fowler, A. J. McKnight, F. Kee, and B. McGuinness, “Post-traumatic stress disorder and memory function in older adults exposed to civilian conflict: Findings from the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NICOLA).,” Social Science &amp; Medicine (1967), Nov. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118840. [2] F. Ferry, E. Ennis, B. Bunting, S. Murphy, D. Bolton, and S. O’’Neill, “Exposure to Trauma and Mental Health Service Engagement Among Adults Who Were Children of the Northern Ireland Troubles of 1968 to 1998.,” Journal of Traumatic Stress, Nov. 2017, doi: 10.1002/jts.22237. [3] C. Potter, J. Feeney, E. Fowler, A. J. McKnight, F. Kee, and B. McGuinness, “3199 Memory function and post-traumatic stress disorder related to civilian conflict: findings from the NICOLA study,” Age and Ageing, Jul. 2025, doi: 10.1093/ageing/afaf133.109. [4] O. Kerrigan, C. Murray, and J. Ferguson, “State and Non-State Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls During the Northern Irish ‘“Troubles”’: A Systematic Review.,” Trauma, Violence, &amp; Abuse, Nov. 2025, doi: 10.1177/15248380251366267. [5] Rese. D. H. Ali and Prof. Dr. M. G. Mohammed, “Unveiling the Silent Suffering of Women in Christina Reid’s Tea in a China Cup,” Jan. 2025, doi: 10.31185/lark.3875. [6] A. Swaine, “Resurfacing Gender: A Typology of Conflict-Related Violence Against Women for the Northern Ireland Troubles,” Violence against Women, Aug. 2022, doi: 10.1177/10778012221114923. [7] S. O’’Neill and R. O’Connor, “Suicide in Northern Ireland: epidemiology, risk factors, and prevention.,” Lancet psychiatry, Jan. 2020, doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30525-5. [8] M. McLafferty, S. O’neill, C. Armour, S. Murphy, F. Ferry, and B. Bunting, “The impact of childhood adversities on the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Northern Ireland population,” European Journal of Trauma &amp; Dissociation, May 2019, doi: 10.1016/J.EJTD.2018.05.001. [9] C. Hitch, E. Spikol, P. Toner, and C. Armour, “The relationship between co-occurring traumatic experiences and co-occurring mental health domains for veterans resident in Northern Ireland,” BMC Psychology, Oct. 2024, doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-01991-4. [10] M. Dalsklev et al., “Childhood trauma as a predictor of reoffending in a Northern Irish probation sample.,” International Journal of Child Abuse &amp; Neglect, Nov. 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104168. [11] A. Devlin, D. French, and D. McVicar, “The legacy of the Northern Irish ‘“Troubles”’ and disability rolls.,” Social Science &amp; Medicine (1967), Jul. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118447.*Photograph courtesy of Paddy McMenamin ©

The protracted conflict in Northern Ireland, commonly referred to as the 'Troubles,'

a herd of cows standing on top of a lush green field

We do a lot of work with The Informed Farmer Consultancy in Dublin and had a conversation yesterday with the founder, Anne, on the theme of the recent fuel protests around he country and how this might all play out in the medium to longer term. One theme that deserves a greater lens is that of suicide amongst the Irish farming community. We believe the issue of suicide within the Irish farming community is a significant public health challenge that warrants more forensic attention.&nbsp;<figure id="figure-n60cna8727mnw3bg39"><img id="n60cna8727mnw3bg39" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1493836512294-502baa1986e2?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw5fHxtZW50YWwlMjBoZWFsdGh8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc2MDE4MTAxfDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="a man holds his head while sitting on a sofa" title="a man holds his head while sitting on a sofa" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1493836512294-502baa1986e2?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw5fHxtZW50YWwlMjBoZWFsdGh8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc2MDE4MTAxfDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>Evidence from a study conducted by the School of Agriculture and Food Science at University College Dublin indicates that approximately 23.4% of Irish farmers are susceptible to suicidal ideation, based on a survey of 256 individuals [1]. On a broader scale, the Republic of Ireland witnesses an average of 26 farmer suicides annually [2].Analysis of coronial data spanning from 2015 to 2018 reveals that male farmers represented 8% of all male probable suicides in the Republic of Ireland [3]. While the overall suicide rate among farmers (31.5 deaths per 100,000) was not significantly higher than that of non-farmers (23.6 per 100,000), a distinct disparity emerges when scrutinising age-specific data [3].A critical concern pertains to older farmers, as evidenced by the stark contrast in suicide rates. Farmers aged over 65 exhibited a rate of 29.2 deaths per 100,000, which is more than twice the rate observed among non-farmers in the same age bracket (14.3 deaths per 100,000) [4]. This disparity underscores the heightened vulnerability of older male farmers to suicide risks.<figure id="figure-rywyj3vqvemnw3c3tv"><img id="rywyj3vqvemnw3c3tv" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1698261227402-eb6ec1366770?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw0NHx8b2xkZXIlMjBmYXJtZXJzfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3NjAxODE1N3ww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="a person holding an apple in their hands" title="a person holding an apple in their hands" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1698261227402-eb6ec1366770?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw0NHx8b2xkZXIlMjBmYXJtZXJzfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3NjAxODE1N3ww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>The prevalence of mental health issues among farmers must be contextualised within a broader framework. Studies consistently highlight alarming rates of mental health challenges within the farming community, including high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms [1]. Furthermore, sleep disturbances and burnout are prevalent issues among Irish farmers, with significant implications for their mental and physical well-being [6].Various stressors unique to the farming profession contribute to the mental health vulnerabilities of Irish farmers. Financial strain, concerns regarding government policies related to climate change, and apprehensions about farm sustainability are identified as the primary stress-inducing factors impacting farmers [1]. The evolving landscape of agricultural policies and regulations introduces a sense of unpredictability and ambiguity, jeopardising the financial stability and core identity of farmers [7].<figure id="figure-mbitrwpd3mnw3dlmy"><img id="mbitrwpd3mnw3dlmy" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1527847263472-aa5338d178b8?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw4fHxmYXJtZXJzfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3NjAxODIxN3ww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080" alt="green farm heavy equipment on green field" title="green farm heavy equipment on green field" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure>Given the distinct challenges faced by farmers in accessing mental health services, tailored support mechanisms are imperative. Farmers are considered a hard-to-reach demographic due to occupational constraints, limited regional mental health resources, and the prevailing culture of stoicism and self-reliance in farming communities [8]. Suicide prevention efforts should be tailored to the unique cultural characteristics of the farming population, emphasising education, training initiatives, and community-centered interventions to address the escalating rates of mental health issues and suicide attempts among farmers [8].&nbsp;This is a national issue. An immediate issue.&nbsp;©The ShadowScript Team, April 2026.&nbsp;References [1] R. Martin, “Almost one in four Irish farmers at risk of suicide,” internet, Oct. 2022, [Online]. Available: https://www.irishexaminer.com/farming/arid-40982102.html [2] Up to 26 farmers die by suicide every year - Premium, “Up to 26 farmers die by suicide every year - Premium,” internet, May 2019, [Online]. Available: https://www.farmersjournal.ie/news/news/up-to-26-farmers-die-by-suicide-every-year-466595 [3] Probable suicide among men in farming and agricultural-related occupations in the Republic of Ireland: exploring coronial data. - Drugs and Alcohol, “Probable suicide among men in farming and agricultural-related occupations in the Republic of Ireland: exploring coronial data. - Drugs and Alcohol,” internet, n.d., [Online]. Available: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/43136/ [4] Study Highlights Suicide Risk Among Older Male Farmers, “Study Highlights Suicide Risk Among Older Male Farmers,” internet, Sep. 2024, [Online]. Available: https://medpartnership.com/study-highlights-suicide-risk-among-older-male-farmers/ [4] Study Highlights Suicide Risk Among Older Male Farmers, “Study Highlights Suicide Risk Among Older Male Farmers,” internet, Sep. 2024, [Online]. Available: https://medpartnership.com/study-highlights-suicide-risk-among-older-male-farmers/ [6] Overholser, 1. S. Of, O. S. Work, A. Social, T. C. Policy, and Ireland, “How common are sleep issues and burnout in Irish farmers?,” European Journal of Public Health, Oct. 2023, doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckad160.1572. [7] J. Firnhaber, S. M. Malone, A. D. O’Hagan, S. O’Keeffe, J. McNamara, and S. O’Connor, “‘People that are Supporting [the] Whole Sector are on their Knees’; Uncertainty and Socioeconomic Change are Occupational Stressors for Irish Farmers☆,” Rural sociologist, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.1111/ruso.12554. [8] P. Lundqvist, “The impact of social, economic and environmental determinants on farmers’ mental health – an international perspective,” Ubezpieczenia w Rolnictwie - Materiały i Studia, 2024, doi: 10.48058/urms/82.2024.6.

Fuel Protests and Suicide in the Farming Community in Ireland

a person writing on a notebook with a pen

Introduction: The Poet as Observer Welcome to the internal landscape of Chad Norman as we see it. We're not claiming Chad Norman will agree fully with our analysis, but here it is for what it's worth and we hope some of it resonates with the poet himself! For the uninitiated, entering this collection is like stepping into a sanctuary where the silence is heavy with meaning. This glossary serves as your "decoder ring" for the recurring motifs that populate Norman’s verse. In this world, symbols are far from mere decoration; they are the "intelligence and secrets" shared by non-human teachers. The poet stations himself at the precarious threshold of the pane, using these recurring images as a bridge between our fractured human existence and the stoic, supportive "intelligence" of the wild. To master this lexicon is to understand how the poet navigates "a life between the brackets," moving from the domestic to the divine. This journey begins at the very edge of the hearth, where the physical boundaries of the home meet the ancient, creaking guidance of the world outside.Elemental Boundaries: The Window vs. The Forest Norman frequently positions himself at the boundary of the glass, a vantage point that demands a choice between the safety of observation and the vulnerability of immersion. Stepping away from the safe reflection of the window and into the depth of the hardwoods requires the poet to abandon the role of the passive witness for a state of active, seasonal trust. The Aviary of Trust: Bird Species as Teachers In Norman’s symbology, the aviary is a classroom. Birds are not merely subjects of nature; they are instructors of a "feathered tutelage" that models a life unburdened by the "lies of money" or human anxiety. The Starling: The embodiment of "exclusive talent." Norman elevates the starling as a master of survival that "no human will ever master," noting the specific physical mastery of a fledgling that can "land and rest on a tiny stuffed belly" before returning to the wire. The Crow: The "trusted follower" and "brother" in observation. Crows represent a sacred bond formed outside the reach of human greed. They are the "followers" who wait for "peanuts and cat-food," offering a connection that cannot be bought or captured. The Dove: A symbol of "sanity" and quiet trust. Doves remain unworried by the "illegal" nature of feeding wildlife or the boundaries of human law. They represent a state of grace where hunger is helped to an ending without the noise of human conflict. The Hawk: The "perfection of death." Illustrating the visceral "intelligence of hunger," the hawk reminds us that nature's beauty is surgical. Its presence is marked by "bloodied tiny white feathers impaled on the selected end of a harmless twig," a strike that is as precise as it is necessary. The Cardinal: The "Morning Activist." Linked to the suffering in Ukraine, the cardinal is a symbol of resilience. In No Other Description Than Disbelief, the "blue beak sorting seeds" at a yellow feeder creates a living flag of hope, representing mothers who endure the weight of "winter’s invasion." These feathered teachers offer a specific type of "intelligence", one rooted in immediate survival and seasonal mystery, that stands in stark contrast to the misanthropic fear of the human world. The Political and the Sacred: Historical Symbolism Norman weaves the rot of contemporary history and the weight of ancient motifs into his observations, grounding the ethereal in the grit of human tragedy. The White Poppy: Featured in "Woman Sitting in a Chair Wearing a White Poppy," this is the symbol of Peace at the "border of unknowing." It represents the quiet, seated endurance of women in Syria and Ukraine who must hold the future together while male "leaders" fail as both men and protectors. The Crown of Thorns: In the critique of Bosch’s Another White Christ, the thorns are a symbol of human-imposed suffering. Norman uses this image to expose the "shysters" and "pointy-nosed Pharisees" who attempt to encase the Messiah in devious human motivations, contrasting their greed with the "future promised by the Father." By invoking these heavy human histories, the poet highlights the urgent necessity of returning to the "natural" truth found only in the unpolluted wild. Conceptual Pillars: Trust and Intelligence To truly "grok" Norman’s landscape, one must understand how he redefines these two pillars of the human experience. Key Concepts Intelligence: In the human realm, intelligence is often "the cause of fear" and "misanthropic ways," leading to the destruction of habitats. In the natural world, it is the "intelligence and secrets" shared by non-human teachers that provide the only viable instructions for "how to live this life." Trust: An "annual gift" or "seasonal mystery" that cannot be compelled. It is earned by the "Clapping Man" through the rejection of "human limitations" and the practice of quiet presence. It is the "safety and mystery" offered by the "shelter tree." These concepts serve as the vital tools that allow the poet to exist "between the brackets," navigating a world that is simultaneously broken by man and mended by the forest. The Industrial Shadow: Symbols of Human Failure Contrasting the purity of the aviary are the "pollutants of the spirit" found on "Industrial Ave," representing the ways humanity poisons the very habitat it depends upon. Pollutants of the Spirit Checklist: The Leash &amp; The Cell-phone: Symbols of modern "slavery." They represent a betrayal of companionship, where men "cling" to devices and ignore their "best friends," failing to participate in the "escape" of the walk. The Nut and the Bolt: A "thwarted relationship." The "shiny unused nut" found in a warehouse represents the loss of industry and the "essential dreams" of workers. It is a symbol of a rare connection that will "never know a bolt" and the threads it was meant to wind through. Discarded Masks and Gloves: Symbols of the "tyrant" pandemic. These represent human cruelty through negligence; the "rubber fingers" left on the grass eventually trap other living beings, polluting the planet’s health while humans seek only their own safety. These symbols of industrial rot serve as a stark warning against prioritising "the lies of money" over the sanctity of the soil. Learning to Settle Down Ultimately, the symbology within this collection is a map for "how to live this life." By defining the threshold of the window and listening to the "feathered tutelage" of the birds, the reader learns to navigate a world fractured by the greed of corporations and the failures of history. The poet returns to these images; the "Window," the "Parental Forest," and the "unworried birds" because they are the only entities he finds to be "unquestionably supportive." Unlike the conditional loyalty of human systems or the "grab for money" that ends brotherhoods, nature offers an "annual trust" that persists regardless of our presence. May your journey through these poems be a "seasonal migrant's" flight, free to fly over unnoticed borders and into the "miracle of return." ©The ShadowScript Team, April 2026. *Chad's book is available on Amazon<figure id="figure-7itsoutietmnt7hxxb"><img id="7itsoutietmnt7hxxb" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/22Cxcht4fTNrdqxu1QMeYtGKiNG84cMRv0JorKAfFfNCDVnAEfeBM3y2OmsdT9uX.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure>

The Language of the Brackets: A Literary Glossary of Chad Norman’s Symbology.

There’s a quiet, almost surreal moment happening online right now. You know, one of those shifts that doesn’t announce itself with fireworks but is creeping in, line by line, paragraph by paragraph. And it's worrying.&nbsp;In 2025, something subtle but very significant tipped: AI-generated text reportedly surpassed human-written content for the first time. Not in quality debates or isolated experiments, but in sheer volume and presence. The internet which was, perhaps, once a chaotic, gloriously inconsistent patchwork of human voices, has begun to sound eerily uniform. Robotic. And right in the middle of this shift sits Wikipedia, holding the line like a stubborn lighthouse refusing automation. And we should take notice.&nbsp;I've always loved lighthouses sitting there, doing their thing in the ocean in all weather. Beacons of hope amidst stormy seas and winds and treacherous passages.&nbsp;For decades, Wikipedia has been the internet’s collective brain: definitely messy, frequently argued over, obsessively cited (especially by undergrads), and very human. Thankfully.&nbsp;It has always been less about perfection and more about process; talk pages, edit wars, citations needed. It’s not just information; it’s negotiation. A living record of disagreement slowly resolving into consensus. Now, that model looks almost defiant. Because elsewhere, the tide is rushing the other way.Elon Musk, never one to drift with consensus, is pushing what some are calling “Grokipedia”. An AI-generated counterpart to Wikipedia. The idea is straightforward: instead of humans debating and editing knowledge into shape, let AI synthesise it instantly. No friction, no waiting, no messy human back-and-forth. Just answers. Ok. So, it’s fast. It’s scalable. And, with all things Elon, it's fundamentally different. Wikipedia sort of says, “prove it,” whereas Grokipedia asks us to, “trust the model.” Ooh, the tension.Wikipedia is betting against the current moment. It insists that knowledge should be traceable, argued over, sourced, and crucially written by people who are accountable to one another. It’s slower, more fragile, and increasingly outnumbered. But it carries something the new wave often lacks: provenance. You can follow the thread of how a sentence came to be.AI-generated knowledge, on the other hand, is frictionless. It arrives fully formed, confident, and often uncited in any meaningful way. It doesn’t show it's working. It doesn’t argue with itself in public. It just…presents. And, unfortunately, for most users, that’s enough.Convenience has always been the internet’s strongest gravity. People rarely ask where information comes from if it’s quick, clear, and sounds right and AI leans perfectly into that instinct. It doesn’t just answer questions it removes the need to question the answer. So Wikipedia finds itself in a strange position: wildly popular, trusted by many, and increasingly out of step with how information is being produced. It’s a bit like watching a craftsman in an age of factories.You can feel the tension building. On one side, a human-curated system that values transparency and deliberation. On the other, an AI-driven ecosystem that optimises for speed and scale. Both are powerful. Both are persuasive. But they are not the same thing. The real question isn’t which one is “better.” It’s which one people will choose when they don’t have time to care.Because that’s where this battle will be decided, not in philosophical debates about truth, but in everyday habit formation. In the split-second choice between reading a sourced article or accepting a generated summary. In whether we value the path to knowledge, or just the destination. Wikipedia is, in many ways, swimming upstream. And history isn’t always kind to those who do. But sometimes, the things that endure are the ones that refuse to adapt too quickly. Think lighthouses.&nbsp;For now, the lighthouse is still lit. The edits are still happening. The citations are still being argued over by people who care enough to disagree. But how long will that hold?©Niall MacGiolla Bhuí, PhD March 2026.&nbsp;

From Wikipedia to Grokipedia

If I received a euro for every time I’m asked this question…“Tell me about publishing Advances. I hear I can get a six figure deal and get my book sold to film…”Somewhere between the first conversation and the first contract, when a would-be author leans in and asks the question they’ve been circling all along, “What kind of advance might we be talking about?” my heart flutters. Now, it’s a fair question but I feel it’s also the wrong one to start with.Not because money doesn’t matter. It does to us all. It always has. But in publishing, real publishing, the kind that survives beyond a single season, the advance is less a prize and more a signal. A bet placed early, before the race is even properly understood or run. And like most bets, it tells you more about the bettor than the outcome. There’s a reason why some live in bigger houses than others…Let me begin with the numbers, because they’re useful if only for clearing the fog. A quick internet search reveals the typical advance for an author in Ireland from an independent (indie) or small press is generally modest, with many sources indicating an average in the region of €1,000 to €2,000 per book. While some independent publishers may offer up to €1,500–€1,750 for specialised genres such as children’s books, others may offer lower amounts or even “royalties-only” deals with no upfront payment. Irish publishers often pay advances in installments, such as on signing, on delivery, and on publication. Quite a few small presses offer no advance at all, instead opting for higher royalty percentages.That hasn’t shifted much in the U.S., the U.K., or Ireland in the past decade, despite inflation snapping at everyone’s heels. Mid-list debuts, those books publishers believe in but don’t quite anoint, might land between €15,000 and €50,000. And then there are the lead titles, the ones with marketing budgets that could fund a minor election campaign: €100,000, sometimes stretching north of €1 million if the winds are right and the auction turns theatrical.But…And it’s a very big but…most books don’t earn out their advances. Not in the U.S. (where BookScan still shows a long tail of modest sales), not in the U.K. (where Nielsen figures tell a similar story), and certainly not here in Ireland, where the market is smaller, more intimate, and far less forgiving of overreach. Which means the advance isn’t a reward. It’s a risk allocation. The publisher assumes it. The author lives with it. And this can be a delicate living arrangement.Royalty structures, meanwhile, remain stubbornly traditional and this is where I see so much wiggle from all players in publishing. Hardcovers tend to hover between 10% and 15%. Trade paperbacks fall somewhere in the 6% to 8% range. Ebooks, still the supposed disruptor, have largely settled at 25% of net receipts, a figure that has resisted meaningful change despite years of author advocacy.In Ireland, the Irish Writers Union, suggests a standard ebook royalty should be a flat 25%, though they recommend a sliding scale starting at 25% for the first 4,000 copies and rising to 50% for over 16,000 copies. Now, that’s optimistic re sales…You could argue that nothing has changed but you would be wrong. Because the real shift isn’t in the percentages. It’s in how those percentages are being reached and what sits behind them.In the U.S., we’re seeing a quiet recalibration. Advances for debut literary fiction have tightened, even as celebrity memoirs and “platform-driven” nonfiction continue to command outsized sums. Publishers are no longer just buying manuscripts; they’re buying audiences. A writer with a modest but engaged following can sometimes secure a better deal than a technically superior manuscript without one. It’s not romantic. It is, however, entirely predictable.In the U.K., the consolidation of major houses has had a dual effect: fewer bidders at the top end, but more aggressive positioning for titles that fit clearly into marketable lanes; crime, book club fiction, narrative nonfiction with a hook. Advances haven’t collapsed, but they’ve become sharper and more strategic. Less scattershot enthusiasm, more targeted conviction.I feel Ireland sits in a different rhythm altogether. Advances are generally smaller, but the relationship between publisher and author is often closer, more editorially and design invested. Here, the bet isn’t always about scale; it’s about longevity. A book that sells steadily over years can matter more than one that spikes and quickly disappears. And in a way, that’s where the industry is quietly heading everywhere. Because the real advance now isn’t always financial. It’s infrastructural.It’s whether your publisher knows how to position your book in a market that no longer behaves like a market at all, but more like a series of overlapping conversations. Think of TikTok, in book clubs, across podcasts, through independent bookshops that still, stubbornly, decide what matters. Not us. It’s whether they understand metadata as well as they understand prose. Whether they can keep a book alive six months after publication, not just six weeks. Whether they see the author as a single title or as a body of work. That’s the new currency and it doesn’t fit neatly into a contract clause.Now, my experience is that writers often arrive at the table thinking the advance is the story but it isn’t. The story is what happens after the first cheque clears. How the book is carried, argued for, reintroduced, sustained. Whether it’s allowed to find its readers slowly, or forced into a narrow window and forgotten when it doesn’t immediately perform. A large advance can be a vote of confidence but it can also be a weight. A small advance can feel underwhelming but it can also be a kind of freedom. And, people, neither guarantees anything.So yes, ask about the advance. You’d be foolish not to. But listen just as carefully to everything around it: the cadence of the conversation, the clarity of the plan, the quiet signals of whether this is a house that builds writers or simply acquires them because ultimately, the advance is only the opening line. And publishing, if it’s done properly, is still a long game.*©Niall MacGiolla Bhuí, PhD. March 2026.

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