Things you wonder about.

Yeah thats the other thing I wonder about too - the cost of it all. I know you're probably working here and there along the way but it must still be very expensive.

A year would be too long for me. A few months would be nice.

It is worse than Tubridy ever was actually …. the airheadism has gone through the roof under Kielty …..

If pronouns like “they/them” became used within the gay community, it makes me wonder about people that use “he/him” or “she/her” in their email signature. Would they be a straight person making a statement, or a gay person who doesn’t identify as a “they/them”?

interesting question, but the A.I. search was inconclusive. Tesco is the only one who actually releases their profit margin. On paper it looks like them. BUT it is likely Dunnes because they have the largest market share in Ireland, and due to its dominance in high-margin non-food categories.

Also because Dunnes is a private, family-owned company, it does not have to pay dividends to public shareholders. This allows it to reinvest profits directly into store revamps and premium branding,

The "store-within-a-store" model used by Dunnes Stores is a hybrid retail strategy that distinguishes it from almost every other major supermarket in Ireland. While competitors like Tesco or SuperValu focus primarily on groceries, Dunnes operates as a dual-entity: part high-end supermarket and part department store. 

As of May 2026, the Irish grocery market is led by five major retailers. Because most are private entities, "Actual Profit" is only publicly available for Tesco. For others, the figures are calculated by applying industry-standard margins to their reported market share and estimated revenues.

Irish Supermarkets: Estimated vs. Actual Profit (2025–2026)

1. Dunnes Stores

• Estimated Profit: €280m – €340m
• Profit Margin: 5.0% – 6.0% (Estimated)
• Online Source: IBISWorld (Jan 2026)
  https://www.ibisworld.com/ireland/industry-statistics/supermarkets/2915/
  confirms Dunnes as the largest market share holder (24.7%). Analysts cite their high-margin textile and "Simply Better" premium food lines as the primary drivers for their top-tier profitability.
  2. Tesco Ireland
• Actual Operating Profit: €100m+
• Profit Margin: 4.7% (Actual)
• Online Source: Tesco PLC Preliminary Results (April 2026)
  https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/TSCO/preliminary-results-2025-26/17549062
  reports an adjusted operating margin of 4.7% for the UK and Ireland, with Irish value sales growing by over 7% year-on-year.
  3. SuperValu (Musgrave Group)
• Estimated Profit: €105m – €140m
• Profit Margin: 3.0% – 4.0% (Estimated)
• Online Source: Shelflife Magazine / Musgrave Group Results (Nov 2025)
  https://www.shelflife.ie/musgrave-announces-results-for-2024-financial-year/

lists a total group turnover of €5.2bn. While SuperValu is a franchise model, the group's overall profitability is bolstered by high-margin convenience arms like Centra.
4. Lidl Ireland

• Estimated Profit: €45m – €55m
• Profit Margin: 2.0% – 2.5% (Estimated)
• Online Source: Agriland / Lidl Supplier Impact Report (Feb 2026)

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/lidl-confirms-e1-4-billion-spend-on-irish-agri-food-in-2025/

confirms a record 13.7% market share. Despite massive revenue, margins are kept low due to a €2bn annual spend on procurement and aggressive price-matching.
5. Aldi Ireland

• Estimated Profit: €18m – €24m
• Profit Margin: 0.8% – 1.1% (Estimated)
• Online Source: Grocery Gazette (Sept 2025) and Kantar Worldpanel (April 2026)

https://www.grocerygazette.co.uk/2025/09/15/aldi-reports-sales-increase-in-full-year-results/

show Aldi holding an 11.1% market share. Their lower profit figures reflect a deliberate "price shielding" strategy and a multi-billion euro capital investment in new stores.

I wonder why the local council have waited..until the onset of summer to close the tennis courts in the local park to resurface and revamp the whole set of courts ? there has to be weeks of work in the offing..so why not do it in March or early April ? and be ready for summer ?!

I wonder why with a hundred feet of free parking approximately all around them did the lazy hole contractors for the same council illegally block my gate from 8.30am with a big fûck off van this morning ? One of them sees me observing the situation.. “ errr do you neeed to get out ? “… well, I’d like the freedom if and when I need to, to be able to do so without the need to come talk to one of the assembled gang out of fraggle rock here who think common sense, courtesy and the road traffic act can be gleefully ignored…because they’ve got a hi-vis on.. ⚠️

Remember the mad buzz around the release of animated movies in the early 00’s? The likes of Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc, Lilo & Stitch. There was toys in cereal, themed Happy Meals at McDonalds, loads of stuff.

Why there is clamour for Down's Rory McIlroy to be Irish and not a peep for Antrim's Mark Allen

I wonder why divorce records are not treated the same as other life records like birth, death and marriage.

Traffic - why does it clump up at certain points -motorways for example.

And how long of a staggering of traffic would it take to get it moving again? Surely there has to be some formula to maintain a flow ? What spacings per vehicles and number of vehicles per km of road is optimal?

I have often wondered what it would be like to get drone footage of traffic jam hotspots over different days; would there be a way to see the exact cause. I can understand accidents causing back ups but a lot of times there aren’t any, unfortunately, it may just be a volume issue, which they probably aren’t too many answers to.

Any videos you recommend? I also seem to remember reading that some researchers tried to base traffic systems on ant colonies.

There isn't as many of these folk around as you think.