Weekly bark

 

🐕‍🦺 THE BIGSALTYDOG WEEKLY BARK

🇮🇪 News, Nonsense, Fuel, Wars, Showbiz & Everything Else That Made Us Go “Jaysus!”

Friday, 18 September 2026

Welcome to the very first edition of The BigSaltyDog Weekly Bark — the place where serious news meets complete nonsense, where diesel prices get more attention than some politicians, and where Stg. Salty would probably solve most of the world's problems with a Leopard 2 tank, a cup of tea and absolutely no permission whatsoever.

It's been another interesting week.

Ireland has been ploughing its way through the National Ploughing Championships, fuel prices are still giving motorists heart palpitations, wars continue to dominate the international headlines, celebrities continue to behave like celebrities, and Ireland's weather has once again decided that four seasons in one day isn't enough.

So grab yourself a coffee, sit back and let's have a look at what has been happening.

And remember...

You heard it here first — unless you read it somewhere else first.

---

🇮🇪 IRELAND: WE'RE STILL STANDING

Let's begin at home.

The big agricultural story this week was, naturally enough, the National Ploughing Championships, which wrapped up in Screggan, Co Offaly.

And what a gathering it was.

Around 243,000 people attended the three-day event, making it another enormous celebration of Irish farming, machinery, rural life, food and the national obsession with watching somebody drive a tractor very slowly in a straight line while thousands of people stand around watching.

The championships also showcased the contrast between traditional farming and new technology, with old-fashioned horse-drawn ploughing sitting alongside GPS-guided machinery and discussions about autonomous tractors.

Which brings us to an important question.

If tractors can eventually drive themselves, does that mean farmers will finally get to sit down?

Probably not.

They'll just find something else to fix.

And if Stg. Salty had attended?

Well...

“Stand back lads. I'll show ye how it's done.”

Five minutes later the Leopard 2 would be sitting in the middle of a potato field.

Six minutes later the organisers would be looking for the number of the insurance company.

Seven minutes later Salty would be explaining that technically...

“A tank IS agricultural machinery if you use it to plough.”

Nobody would have the energy to argue.

---

🌧️ IRELAND'S WEATHER: STANDARD PROCEDURE

It's September.

Which means Ireland has decided that summer is officially over and it's time to remind everybody who is boss.

Friday has brought rain across parts of the country, with some areas expected to receive more than 20mm over a 24-hour period.

But fear not.

The weekend is expected to become considerably drier, with temperatures potentially climbing towards 21°C on Monday.

So basically:

Friday: Bring an umbrella.

Saturday: Maybe bring an umbrella.

Sunday: Bring sunglasses.

Monday: Dig out the shorts.

Tuesday: Find the umbrella again.

This is Ireland.

You don't check the weather forecast.

You check all four forecasts, take an average and then ignore the result.

---

⛽ THE BIG ONE: HOW MUCH IS YOUR CAR DRINKING?

Now we come to a subject guaranteed to get Irish motorists talking.

Fuel.

Because nothing brings strangers together quite like standing beside a petrol pump staring at the price display as if somebody has just informed you that your house has been repossessed.

According to the latest AA Ireland figures, the September average is approximately:

⛽ Petrol: €1.87 per litre

🚗 Diesel: €1.94 per litre

That means filling a 50-litre tank costs approximately €93.43 for petrol or €97.10 for diesel at those average prices.

And remember, those are averages.

Prices can vary between forecourts and locations.

So if you see diesel for €1.80 somewhere...

Don't tell anyone.

Just fill the tank and drive away before they change the sign.

The AA says September prices have been relatively steady after the sharp increases seen in August.

But there's another sting in the tail.

The scheduled restoration of some fuel excise rates was deferred until November. From 1 November, the first stage of restoration is due to add 5 cents per litre to petrol and 7 cents to diesel, with further stages to follow.

So motorists are understandably keeping an eye on the calendar.

November could therefore become the month when Irish motorists begin looking lovingly at bicycles.

Of course, there's one problem.

If you're anything like BigSaltyDog readers, you probably don't want to cycle 30 kilometres to work in November rain.

Especially not carrying a toolbox.

---

🛢️ WHY IS FUEL SO EXPENSIVE?

This isn't simply an Irish problem.

International oil markets, geopolitical uncertainty, supply disruptions and currency movements all affect what eventually appears on the forecourt price board.

Oil prices have remained elevated amid continuing conflict and uncertainty in the Middle East, while the war between Russia and Ukraine has also affected energy markets.

Recent reporting has highlighted concern about diesel supplies and the effect of attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.

And this is where the modern world gets slightly ridiculous.

You can have a man in Dublin driving to work saying:

“Why is diesel nearly two euro?”

And somewhere thousands of kilometres away, somebody is discussing oil production, refineries, sanctions, shipping routes and geopolitical strategy.

Meanwhile the lad in Dublin is thinking:

“I only wanted enough to get to the shops.”

---

🌍 THE WARS: THE SERIOUS BIT

Now for the part where we put the jokes aside for a moment.

There are several major conflicts continuing around the world, and the situation remains complicated.

🇺🇦 Russia and Ukraine

Russia's war against Ukraine continues, with missile and drone attacks reported by both sides.

Ukraine has also continued striking Russian targets, including energy infrastructure.

There have been renewed diplomatic efforts, but significant disagreements remain over territory, security and the conditions required for any lasting settlement.

On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hosted a regional summit involving leaders from several European countries, with security, energy and regional cooperation among the issues discussed. Ukraine also received a further €3.3 billion in EU defence funding, according to reporting from the summit.

Meanwhile, Russia is holding parliamentary elections against the backdrop of the war, with the political environment inside Russia remaining highly restricted according to international reporting.

There is also an increasingly obvious connection between war and the price of energy.

And that brings us straight back to...

“How much is diesel?”

---

🇵🇸 GAZA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

The humanitarian situation in Gaza also remains extremely serious.

Reuters reported this week that rescue efforts ended after a damaged building collapsed, killing 21 people, including eight children, while 45 people were rescued from the rubble.

The report described widespread destruction and severe difficulties in rebuilding damaged areas.

Whatever people's political views may be, the human consequences of war are impossible to ignore.

Families lose homes.

Children lose schools.

People lose loved ones.

And ordinary people often have very little control over the decisions that put them in danger.

That's worth remembering when the headlines become just another thing scrolling across a phone screen.

---

🇮🇷 THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE OIL QUESTION

The continuing instability in the Middle East is also having consequences far beyond the region.

Energy markets react to uncertainty because oil supplies depend on a complicated global network of production, refining, shipping and trade.

And when oil gets more expensive...

Eventually somebody in Ireland gets the bill.

Usually at the petrol pump.

Which brings us to the unofficial BigSaltyDog economic theory:

If anything happens anywhere in the world, somehow your car knows about it.

Your car is apparently better informed than most governments.

---

🎤 SHOWBIZ: BECAUSE WE NEED A BREAK

Right.

Enough war.

Enough oil.

Enough excise duty.

Let's talk about celebrities.

Because apparently while the rest of us are worrying about the price of diesel, celebrities are busy attending premieres, awards ceremonies, fashion events and parties.

This week has seen plenty of celebrity activity, with stars including Tom Cruise, Selena Gomez, Anne Hathaway, Brad Pitt, Rihanna, Nicole Kidman and many others appearing at events across the entertainment world.

And here in Ireland, The Late Late Show returns tonight, Friday 18 September, with Patrick Kielty back in the hot seat.

Among the guests are Liam Neeson, Siobhán McSweeney and Caitríona Balfe, alongside the All-Ireland champions Mayo.

That's quite a lineup.

Especially Liam Neeson.

Because if Stg. Salty ever needed someone to find his missing Leopard 2...

Liam would probably say:

“I don't know where your tank is.”

Salty:

“But you're Liam Neeson!”

Liam:

“I said I don't know where your tank is.”

Salty:

“Fair enough.”

---

📺 THE TRAITORS, CELEBRITIES AND THE GREAT TV ESCAPE

Irish television has also had plenty of drama, with The Traitors Ireland continuing to attract attention.

Siobhán McSweeney has been among the big personalities associated with the series, and she's appearing on tonight's Late Late Show.

Which raises another important question.

Why do we love watching people lying to each other on television?

Because it's probably comforting.

You can sit at home thinking:

“At least nobody in my house is behaving like that.”

Then somebody asks:

“Who drank the last bottle of milk?”

And suddenly you're investigating everyone like Sherlock Holmes.

---

🚜 THE PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIPS: SALTY'S ALTERNATE VERSION

Back to Ireland for a moment.

The 2026 Ploughing Championships are now finished, and the event is moving to Rathangan, Co Kildare, for 2027.

But let's imagine the alternative universe.

The organisers announce:

«“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Stg. Salty and the BigSaltyDog Leopard 2 Ploughing Demonstration.”»

Crowd goes silent.

Salty climbs into the tank.

McFinleyyy looks nervous.

Whizz asks:

“Does he actually know what he's doing?”

Quags:

“No.”

Sarah:

“Definitely not.”

Susan:

“Should somebody stop him?”

Everyone:

“Probably.”

The Leopard 2 starts moving.

The ground shakes.

A nearby tractor driver looks over.

Salty shouts:

“MAKE WAY FOR THE FUTURE OF IRISH AGRICULTURE!”

And somewhere in the distance, a farmer quietly removes his hat and says:

“Jaysus.”

---

💶 THE COST OF LIVING: THE REAL IRISH SPORT

Here's something we can all agree on.

Ireland has plenty of sports.

Football.

Hurling.

Rugby.

Golf.

Ploughing.

But perhaps the greatest national sport is:

Trying to figure out where all your money went.

You get paid.

You pay the mortgage or rent.

You pay electricity.

You pay insurance.

You buy groceries.

You fill the car.

You look at your bank account.

And your bank account looks back at you like:

“Don't blame me.”

The latest fuel figures are just one part of the wider cost-of-living discussion, with energy and household costs continuing to feature heavily in Irish political and economic debate.

---

😂 THE BIGSALTYDOG AWARD FOR THIS WEEK

🏆 “MOST IRISH THING OF THE WEEK”

It's got to go to the National Ploughing Championships.

Hundreds of thousands of people.

Tractors everywhere.

Food stalls.

Machinery.

Welly throwing.

Agricultural technology.

Farmers discussing serious economic issues.

And somewhere among it all, somebody is probably standing in a field eating a massive burger while discussing the price of diesel.

That's Ireland.

And frankly...

We wouldn't have it any other way.

---

🚗 SALTY'S MOTORING TIP OF THE WEEK

AA Ireland has reminded motorists that basic vehicle maintenance can improve fuel efficiency.

Check your tyre pressures.

Keep the car serviced.

Replace worn filters when appropriate.

Don't carry unnecessary weight around in the boot.

And perhaps most importantly...

Don't drive a Leopard 2 to the shops.

It may look impressive.

It may have excellent road presence.

But BigSaltyDog cannot confirm that it gets particularly good miles per gallon.

---

🐕‍🦺 THE BIGSALTYDOG BOTTOM LINE

So there we have it.

Ireland has survived another week.

The National Ploughing Championships have finished.

The rain has arrived.

The sun is apparently coming back.

Petrol is around €1.87 a litre on the latest AA Ireland September average.

Diesel is around €1.94.

The international situation remains extremely serious, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East continuing to affect millions of people and contributing to uncertainty in energy markets.

Celebrities are still being photographed everywhere they go.

The Late Late Show is back tonight.

And somewhere in Ireland, someone is probably still trying to find a parking space.

That's the world according to BigSaltyDog.

A strange mixture of serious problems, funny stories, expensive fuel, tractors, celebrities, weather and absolute madness.

And perhaps that's exactly why we need a bit of humour.

Because sometimes you have to look at the headlines, shake your head and say:

“What in the name of Stg. Salty is going on here?”

Then fill the car with €50 worth of diesel.

Look at the pump.

Realise you haven't even filled half the tank.

And drive home.

Until next week...

Stay safe.

Keep laughing.

Keep your tank full.

And whatever you do...

DON'T GIVE SALTY THE KEYS TO THE LEOPARD 2.

🐕‍🦺🇮🇪🔥

The BigSaltyDog Weekly Bark

News, nonsense, showbiz, fuel, cars and everything in between.

Sources checked: 18 September 2026.