As it turns out, today is a significant date in my life. On the 14th of October, 13 years ago my only son was born.

There were some issues during the pregnancy so we knew that he may have some problems after birth.

The section was scheduled for 9am. My wife went in and I thought it would be the same as my daughter's birth, with 10 minutes wait, baby born... Done.

But it wasn't. An hour passed and I was climbing the walls. A doctor opens the door and explains to me that everything is not good. My son is critical and my wife has had to have blood transfusions. My world was crashing around me.

I was brought to see my son and knew straight away from seeing him it was bad. I was then given the choice to go to crumlin or staying with my wife who I hadn't even seen yet. I choose my wife.

Long story short, my son passed 11 days later.

Jump to today, it's a very difficult day for my family when we should be celebrating him becoming a teenager but it's just a difficult memory. AND, Our nurses have felt the need to strike. The nurses over those 11 days kept myself and my wife going. We all knew that it wouldn't be a happy ending but the nurses lightened the room when they came in. The job that they do is sooo important!!

I think back and am thankful for them, but thinking further I realise that my son was not the first or last child that they cared for that passed. It's part of their job! They deserve so much more for what they do!!

The past few weeks have been an absolute joke for people using the commuter. Overcrowded, constant delays of up to 20-30 minutes, last minute cancellations. It’s a disgrace!

And a 15% increase soon.

Just off the picket now and honest to God I'm tempted to do a few drive bys myself

Huge thank you to everyone standing in the rain/wind/sunshine/cold/heat today depending what part of the country ye are in.

I work for a section 39/50/56 organization, so while we aren't striking today, we will hugely benefit if a pay deal is agreed with public sector based on the WRC pay parity ruling in 2024.

All of us in office today are supporting you all, we are all behind you, and thank you for what you've done for us regardless of what comes of day. Huge well done, wish I could make ye all a cup of tea.

Good luck to all the protesters! Make sure to keep warm!!

Good luck to ye, hope you stay warm and dry and get what you want out of it.

I know nurses, teachers, doctors and the like draw a lot of attention, but let's remember that hospital porters, hospital cleaners, healthcare assistants, school admins, and other staff across the lower levels of the public sector who are struggling to make ends meet are also represented.

Improvements to pay and conditions in the public sector also act as a benchmark and have knock on effects to the private sector, so any improvements they fight for will be wins for everyone long term. Stay out of your own way and support the strike!

I'm a child of the 80s.

Does anyone else remember the concept of what was then called a salad? It was essentially what they'd call a deconstructed salad today I suppose, but was essentially a plate of unappetizing ingredients like beetroot, carrots and other things laid out on a plate like a lego set sorted by brick color.

Am I imagining this? It was seen as a kind of high falutin' thing by my parents and was to be enjoyed on a Sunday after a few pints with my auntie and uncle.

I'm on a picket line in Galway and the amount of support from the public, beeping and waving. Fair play to ye lads

My mother is forced to mind her grandkids every day. A 1 year old all day, then a 5 year old and 8 year old in the evenings for a couple of hours after school. We have told their father that my mother is too tired and old to mind them but they are just dropped off and we have no choice but to mind them. If we say anything to their father ( my brother ) he won’t work on the family business as he says he has to mind the kids. The youngest could go to crèche ( I even said I’d pay ) but their mother doesn’t want her to go to crèche!!! Today the mother is working from home ( next door to us ) but the 3 kids are in here all day as they have no school. They are so noisy. I’m expected to work from home with them but she can’t? They are just dumped on us all the time… what can we do???? My mother worked hard all her life now she has this stress every day, I’m afraid she will have a heart attack with the stress. It’s just not fair on her!!

Over the weekend, I made a DART mod for GTA 5 (IE Class 8520). The exterior of the train is mostly done, as you will see in the video. Custom physics have been written for it to give the train that wobbly feeling (you know, that stretch of track between Booterstown and Killiney).

However, since I do not live in Ireland and I am unable to see the train physically, I need some people to help me polish off the following details as much as possible:

- As many photos of the interior of the train as possible. That includes: seats, the door, the door buttons, windows, overhead light, advertisement signs, small signs written in both English and Irish, inside the train's gangway, the door of the gangway itself.

- Inside the cab of the train itself. I need photos of the train's dashboard, control panel, seat, windows, the deadman's pedal.

- As many photos of the exterior as possible. That includes: train doors outside, door open button, the gangway.

- Audios of the train: the train departing and accelerating, the train arriving and decelerating, the horn sound, the door open and door close sound, the alarm that sounds before the door opens and closes. I need these sounds to be recorded when you are inside the train and separately when you’re outside of the train.

(Edit: Just to be transparent, I will be using these images as references in an AI tool to help generate my model)

Simply send me anything you got via DM. I will eventually release the mod and I can credit contributors for their efforts in helping me.

Important: The mod is specifically for the IÉ Class 8520. Photos of the 8500, 8510 will also be useful too. But photos of the IÉ 8100 are totally useless to me as it is a much older train from a completely different manufacturer.