20/05/2026
Meet Whorly, the little Irish snail up against fascism.
Rules exist to keep everyone safe and to keep things fair. Without them, the powerful can do whatever they like.
Deregulation is the removal of these rules so the powerful can make more money and take more control. This is a central feature of fascism.
Whorl snails are protected by EU regulations; rules that protect vulnerable things: creatures, ecosystems, communities. They are a vital indicator species for an entire ecosystem.
Right now, Trump's wants to build a ballroom in Clare. Whorly lives on the land. EU rules say she must be protected. The resort wants to ignore responsibilty and says that it is "beyond their control." Link below.
This is what deregulation actually looks like. Not a big dramatic announcement, just the attempted quiet removal or watering down of the rules that protect us. In planning documents, rewording, and appeals.
We need to teach our children the importance of regulations. We need to remind ourselves. And we need to advocate for the rules that protect our most vulnerable species and communities.
Whorly is handmade in our textile studio in Dublin 1 by people rebuilding their lives after forced migration, addiction, time in prison, or living with a disability.
What You Can Do:
Contact Friends of the Irish Environment to get involved in actions such as
- Push for habitat and drainage plans related to the Doonbeg resort to be made public before any work begins.
- Resort upgrade plans have been legally challenged. You can track these and submit your own comments at the An Bord Pleanála website.
- =Backing conservation efforts for West Clare's peatlands and wetlands directly helps the species.
- Court orders already restrict what can be built along this coastline. Learn more
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https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2026/04/24/beyond-our-control-to-restore-fortunes-of-protected-snail-trump-doonbeg-operator-says/
