THE TWITTER LIST 2020

First of all, an apology for not doing a Twitter List in 2018 and 2019. I was busy and never got around to it.

Like a lot of other people, I’ve had a lot of spare time over the last few weeks, so I decided to do an updated Twitter List for 2020.

In true Twitter fashion, this blog series began in a fit of outrage.

Once upon a time, a newspaper did a pull-out feature of Twitter accounts you must follow. To be honest, they weren’t really worth following – mostly Influencers and Political Bloggers.

So, I decided to do my own version, tailored from a mostly but not exclusively Northern Ireland point of view, and then update it every year.

I’ve even been nice enough to put them into categories for you.

JUST FOR FUN

Fun? Remember that? You’re allowed to have it on Twitter. You don’t have to spend all day arguing about Politics. Here are some fun accounts to follow.

Roy Keane doesn’t like posing for photos. @Canihaveaphoto1 is an account dedicated those brave enough to ask him for a photo.

@Fesshole is an account where people submit their absolute worst confessions. Alongside it, @Anon_Opin lets people express those thoughts they dare not say out loud.

Now that football is back, @Arsenalagain lets us know when Arsenal are being Arsenal.

On a football theme, a bit mean, but @80sAging is dedicated to footballers from the 1980s who aged prematurely.

@Bigheadsontour is an account dedicate to Corinthian figures being spotted in locations, while @Glastofooty is dedicated to flags and shirts being spotted at Glastonbury, although don’t expect any updates until 2021.

Ever went on Wikipedia and sang a page title to the theme tune of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? @Wiki_Tmnt is the account for you.

@Visualsatire lets us know what Politicians would look like if they have hair transplants from footballers.

Ever tried to take a picture of a mirror and not appear in shot? @Sellingamirror shows us people’s attempts not to appear in shot when selling a mirror.

@Mascotsilence lets us enjoy football mascots (grown men in costume, not kids in kits) engaging in moments of remembrance.

Have you ever wondered when Ted Danson’s birthday is? @Teddansonbday gives you a daily update if it is Ted Danson’s birthday or not. He turns 73 on 29th December, if you care.

Have you spotted Paul Young albums in a charity shop? Then @Noparlezclub is the account for you.

Do you like bad drawings of footballers? Then you should follow @Dreadfullydrawn and @Cheappanini

@Takeashite highlights all the useless advice and ideas you can find in Take A Break.

Donald Trump doesn’t like fake news, but you should follow @Fakeshowbiznews

@Wofanswers gives answers on Wheel Of Fortune that you would love to see. Talking of answers you’d like to give, @Customercaring responds to customer complaints how you would love to answer them.

Never forget an annual day with @Daysoftheyear

@Darkstockphotos is self explanatory.

You when you see a post that goes viral and you know it’s a lie? @_DHOTYA calls out the bullshitters.

@Facespics is an account dedicated to spotting faces in inanimate objects.

@Daytimesnaps delves into the wonderful world of Daytime TV through the medium of out of context screenshots.

@ftbllrswanimals is a surprisingly high content account dedicated to pictures of footballers in the company of animals. Talking of football, now that it is back @Desmond_twotwo lets us know when a match is level at 2-2.

@Angrypiln delves into the wonderful world of angry people in local newspapers.

@Mumsnet_Madness is a downright disturbing delve into the madness that is posted on Mumsnet. Equally disturbing is the images painted by @Jimllpaintit

@AccidentalP highlights when real life mirrors Alan Partridge.

If you want to listen to DJs complaining, then you should follow @DJScomplaining. Talking of listening, @ohnewsroom compiles the gems overheard in newsrooms.

I can’t explain why @Coldwar_steve is hilarious, but it is. If you love pictures of Steve McFadden in bizarre situations, then this is for you.

And finally, @TwopTwips gives some absolutely awful lifestyle advice.

JUDGING OTHER PEOPLE’S HOUSES

Do you like judging other people’s houses? Of course you do. As a lot of people are now broadcasting from home, @Bcredibility and @Ratemyskyperoom judge their interior design skills, so you don’t have to.

NOSTALGIA

Nostaliga ain’t what it used to be, but there are Twitter accounts dedicated to it.

Not specifically a nostalgia account, but @Davidmccreery has been rummaging through his archive during lockdown and posting up mementos from his career.

Football programmes of yesteryear are well represented, the best accounts to follow are: @Saintsprogs (Southampton) @Lufcprog (Leeds United) and @Seagullsprog (Brighton and Hove Albion)

As well as programmes, @Abacus_2000 posts weird and wonderful memorabilia relating to Northern Ireland and Irish League football.

Also worth a follow for old football magazines and publications is @Scotsfootycards

Some good accounts dedicated to old football photos are @Oldrangerspics (Rangers) @D98red @Manutdsnapshot (Manchester United) @Maradonapics (Diego Maradona), @WSC_Photos and @Oldschoolfooty.

If you like 90s football, follow @90sfootball bit @Crap90sfootball

Other football based nostalgia accounts to follow include @Englandmemories and @OTD_PL.

Irish based nostalgia accounts to follow include @Brandnewretro @Killianm2 and @ITlostleads.

If you want to remember Smash Hits, you should follow @Giddypoppod @Randomsmashhits @Smashhitsrememb

Other nostalgia accounts to follow include @Landofthe80s @Channelarchive @Retronewsnow @Curiousuktelly @Peoplearchive @1980sheaven @Putthetellyon and @bbcarchive

CLASSIC TV CLIPS

On a nostalgia theme, there are accounts dedicated to classic TV shows with quotes, screenshots and classic clips. Ones worth following include @Kennethwilliams @Bottomstuff @FNDreacts @Fawltytowers_ @Eric_Ernie_Col @Thefastshow1 @Stan_and_ollie @PeepshowQOTD

PHOTOGRAPHY

There are plenty of photographers on Twitter who are happy to show case their work.

Local photographers to follow include @Theirishleague @Colmor_SL_BT @Belfastpics @LMphotographyNI @Malmccann @Pitchsidephoto @Mclaughlinpress @Bernmcallister @Dan08Kowalczyk @Matt_Presseye @Photomcq @Kscott_94 @Emgornall @snappercherry @belfastexposed @Pollymcc71

@Photosallan is an account dedicated to the archive of Allan McCulllough.

Photo Agencies to follow include @Inphosports @Actionimages @Gettysport

Other photography accounts to follow include @Imageswycombe @Claremccahill @Manc_Pictures @MSJ_Photo @Mdarlington_ @CBTphotography @tphoto2005 @AMPhotographyNI @Simongillphoto @Snapperkev @Nigelcleggphoto @Hymoney @Simonstacpoole @Thesportsnapper @Anglewise1 @Welloffside @Catherineivill @Bekah_Blue @Onesteviebacon @Andythephotodr  @Stuartroyclarke @Len_Scap @Adamfradgley  @Michaelregan @roy_smiljanic @Willievass @74FRankfurt @Sal_Gigjunkie @Shirlainephoto @CwellingsUK  @Dickiepelham @Stuart_Photoafc @Tomjenkinspix @Bluemcardle @Steffanbow @Homesoffootball @0161manchester_ @Marcsatkins @andrewvarley

STREET ART

Long-term readers will know that i’m a fan of Street Art, and like photographing it. Unsurprisingly, I follow some accounts that do this, either fan accounts or artists showcasing their work.

Northern Ireland/NI Based Artists to follow include @Francgotbuffed @Emicartist @Viswaste @Extramuralactiv @Seedheadarts @Faigyartist @Thisisfriz @kvlr1 @Belfast_Beyond

Accounts covering specific cities/countries to follow include @Graffitipool (Liverpool) @MuralsS (Scotland) @Subsetdublin (Dublin) @StreetartNQ (Manchester) @Streetartlyon (Lyon) @Streetartsheff (Sheffield) @Dublincanvas (Dublin) @Waterfordwalls (Waterford)

Other accounts to follow include @Nomad_Clan @Lovestreetart22 @Paulcurtisart @Gnashermurals  @Dankitchener @Joecaslin  @Emmaleneblake @Akse_P19

CARTOONS/ILLUSTRATORS/ARTISTS

Various Cartoonists and Illustrators have accounts to showcase and promote their work. Ones to follow include @Mortenmorland @Jonesycartoons @Mattcartoonist @Banxcartoons @Adamstoon1 @Petemckee @Stevemcgarry @Daveflanagan @sophierobbart

SOVIET UNION

Not a subject area you would expect to see on Twitter, but it is.

@Communistbops mixes Soviet Soldiers dancing to current songs while @Sovietvisuals showcases the best adverts, films and photographs from that era.

BELFAST

Belfast is well represented on Twitter with various libraries, shops and environmental agencies represented.

@Belfasthourni @thelinenhall @Belfastcentlib @NIclassicshirt @Sustransni @NIgreenways @Connsgreenway @cultureni

EVENTS/FESTIVALS

Remember going to things?

Various events and festivals in Northern Ireland (mostly but not exclusively Belfast) are well represented on Twitter.

Please note that some of these events might have already happened, or won’t be happening in 2020, so there might not be a lot of content until 2021.

@Belfastpodfest @Finedandymarket @Docsireland @Belcityblues @Letsrockbelfast @Belfastfilmfes1 @AtlanticSess @Eastsidevc @Stendahlireland @HarmonyliveNI @Belfastvital @Eastsidepship @Eastsideartsbel @Aspectsfestival @chsqbelfast @belfastfestival @openhousefest @cqaf @foylefilmfest @belnash @belsonicbelfast @Belfastbookfest @Belfringe @Culturenightbel

PR/ADVERTISING/COMMUNICATIONS

Given how effective Twitter is to get messages into the public domain, it is no surprise that PR/Advertising/Communications Agencies based in Northern Ireland are on Twitter.

Agencies that are worth a follow include @Brown_Oconnor @Adhausmedia @Bespoke_Comms @MWadvocate @PulsePRNI @Loudmouth_Media @ClearboxPR @Naked_PR @PMLGroupNI @Image_Zoo @MGMPR_Ltd @Rumourmillcomms @Jagocomms @RNNComms @AVBbrand @Weirevents @CIPR_NI @Thetomorrowlab @ArdmoreAdv @Mammothbelfast @Chrislovepr @MCEnewsfeed @Morrowcomms @Nav_Blue @LKComms @cathymartin @beattie_ireland @Smartsagency @Duffyrafferty @Lighthouseni @Aikenpr @AVBgroup @Jingerevents @Noisyprni @Libra_Events @NDEventsuk @Excaliburpress @Mccormickcomms @Lanyongroup @J_Comms @Big_Motive @Genesisbelfast

CONCERTS/MUSIC/SHOWS

Remember going to concerts? When we are finally able to, might as well get yourself prepared.

Venues to follow @Crescentarts @TECbelfast @Ulsterhall @Belwaterfront @Belfastempire @mandelahall @ohyeahcentre @blackboxbelfast @gohbelfast @islandartsbiz @ssebelfastarena @Eikonexhibition @lyricbelfast @themacbelfast @limelightni

Promoters to follow include @Shinebelfast @Davidhullpromo @Noelmchale @Rollinspromo @Aikenpromotions @Jeffrobinsonpr @MCD_Productions @Shizznighpr @SDentire @Fireworks_Mash @AMAmusicagency @queenscomedy

For news of announcements of upcoming concerts @OntourNI @Ticketmasterire

Music shops to follow (and they sometimes have instore events which they advertise) @HMVBelfast  @strangevictory

For news and reviews @acrosstheline @Chordblossom

For recommendations @Shiner_Sam

A Dublin based account posting memories of concerts attended (the username suggests a lot) in Dublin and beyond @1000gigguy

I’m not that fussed on Tim Burgess Listening Parties, but if that’s your thing @tim_burgess

TOP OF THE POPS

If you enjoy watching the repeats of Top Of The Pops on BBC Four, then you should probably follow @Sue_Charles and @TOTPfacts

TV

For TV news and interviews, you should probably follow @TeleTVradio and @Radiotimes

@FootieonTV is self-explanatory, letting you know when a football match is on TV.

TRAVEL

Remember travel? I mean, proper travel. Not with restrictions and all that.

You may have to stay at home for a bit. UK and Republic of Ireland tourism accounts to follow include @Tourismireland @Gotoireland @DiscoverIreland @Failte_Ireland @Visitdublin @visitscotland @Visitengland @Visitbritain @Visitwales @totallydublin @visitbelfast @NItouristboard @DiscoverNI

If you fancy a trip in a North-West direction @Visit_Donegal @Derryvisitor @Visitderry

The two above paragraphs aren’t exhaustive. If you didn’t see what you want, Google’s yer pal and all that.

For the more mundane travel within Northern Ireland and Belfast, @NIrailways @Gliderbelfast @BBCNITravel  @Trafficwatchni @Translink_NI will keep you updated with offers (yay) and delays (not so yay) while @Buseirann will be handy if you’re bussing it to Dublin.

If you are flying, you should probably follow @Belfastcity_air and @Belfastairport

Of course, some people fly from @Dublinairport who also run competitions as well. I’m going to be the bigger man and include them on this list even though I never win any of their competitions for flights.

@Holworldshow is a showcase event in January every year taking place in Belfast and Dublin, and will be worth a follow in the build-up to it.

Travel related media and journalists and media to follow include @Indo_Travel_   @Clarwood @BBCTravelshow @Natgeotravel @CNtraveler @Telegraphtravel @Wanderlustmag @Guardiantravel @ST_Travel @Simoncalder @NItravelnews @bbc_Travel @NItraveltrade

PUBLIC BODIES

Public Bodies in Northern Ireland are regular users of Twitter. Ones to follow include @NISRA @BrusselsNI @ArtscouncilNI @Dptfinance @CommunitiesNI @EONI_Official @Economy_NI @Publichealthni @HSCBoard @InvestNI @Nationaltrustni @NIDirect @Consumercouncil @NIOGov @NIexecutive @LibrariesNI @Niroadpolicing @PSNIBelfast @belfastcc @niscreen @niassembly @policeserviceni @Metofficeni @nibusinessinfo

BBC NI

BBCNI are active on Twitter. Organisational accounts to follow include @BBConeni and @BBCtwoni for online continuity announcements, @BBCshowstours and @BBCnievents for tickets to recordings when that is allowed to happen again, @bbcnewsni and @BBCnewsline for news and @newslineweather for weather.

If you want to follow actual people, i’d recommend @Emmavardytv @CackyMo @BBCMarksimpson @Clodaghlrice @WarblingWatson @BBCJaynemcc @Mckenp @Taramillstv @MLCHealth @Jolong03 @fermanaghjulian @Markdevenport @Imsaraneill @Saragirvan @darwintempleton @Nialfoster

UTV

Well, if i’m doing BBC, I might as well do UTV

Corporate accounts @UTVpress @utv and @UTVnews

If you want to follow actual people @Eden_UTV @Emmap_UTV @Natasha_UTV @Sarah_UTV @Michelle_UTV @Sarahclarke_UTV @Pamballantine @Kenreid_UTV @Ruthgorman_UTV @Judehill_utv @MarkMcfadden @paul_utv @vicki_hawthorne @Paulclark_UTV @Louiseinni @Ali_Fleming1

RTE

Well, if i’m doing BBC and UTV, might as well do RTE.

@RTE_Guide for listings @Othervoiceslive for music @RTEnews for news @RTE for general RTEness and @soccrepublic now that football is back soon.

NI JOURNALISTS

A lot of Journalists originally from Northern Ireland but now working elsewhere are on Twitter. Decent ones to follow include @Lyds_Campbell @Annita_McVeigh @Skydavidblevins @Hollyhnews @johnirvineitv @Colinmurray @sirowbotham @Millar_Colin @kellyallen01 @eamonn_forde @jenofcroths @Kathrynbwilson @Ianwoodsmedia @Skysportspaulg @BillneelyNBC

OTHER NI JOURNALISTS

And the journalists who neither work for BBC, UTV, RTE or work abroad but are still worth a follow @Sportyneesy @Stu_Bailie @Journotara @Bigivanlittle @edwinmcfee @kimkellykk @Rblackpa @Littleburch22

That doesn’t really work as a category title.

NEWSPAPERS/RADIO/MEDIA

The world of media doesn’t revolve around BBC, UTV and RTE, so here’s a collection of radio stations, media organisations and newspapers worth following @GoQradio @Beltel_Business @Thesun_NI @Irish_News @beltel @irishtimes @skynews @hotpress @ulstertatlermag @UKpapers @Metrouknews @Reach_NI @qmagazine @thesundaylife @thegownqub @News_Letter @Metrosporthq @RTS_NI @Newsbrandsirl

OTHER JOURNALISTS

And finally, with regards to media, some Journalists that are worth a follow @Chris_Skudder @davidhepworth

JOBS

We all need one. If you’re looking for one, the following Recruitment Agencies are on Twitter @mcsgroupbelfast @Corvus_Jobs @BrightwaterNI @Kennedyrec @Lynnrecruitment @Abacus_Careers @staffline

For job listings @Guardiancareers @QUBcareers @Recruitni @NIjobfinder @nijobscom

IRISH LEAGUE

Imagine not liking Irish League football? I might be preaching to the converted, but if you want to follow the twelve* (*court case from Institute pending) top flight clubs @Ballymenaunited @Skyblueslive @carrickrangers @Cliftonvillefc @colerainefc @crusadersfc @dgnswifts @glenavon_fc @glentoran @larnefc @Officialblues @portadownfc @thepointfc

Good Linfield accounts to follow are @Eosblues @Roymcgivern and @Southstandsays

Competitions and governing bodies to follow @CoAntrimFA @OfficialNIFL and @officialirishfa

Journalists to follow @Mccarthy_Nic_ @Ericwhite80 @MClarkeshow @egrantcameron @Taggartjoel @Liam_Beckett @Grahamluney @Ourlogie @GE_Sportsnews @Markjmcintosh @lylejacko

Media accounts to follow @Sundaylifesport @NIFootballdaily @BBCRadioulster @beltel_sport @UTVsport @Bellivesport @BBCSportNI

For info on grounds @Ground_NI

Michael O, sorry, Ian Baraclough’s Green And White Army @NorthernIreland

And finally, the man who knows everything about Irish League football and isn’t afraid to share his knowledge @NIstats

ENGLISH FOOTBALL

If English football is your thing, here’s the competition accounts to follow @PLcomms @premierleague @EFL_Comms @Skybetchamp @Skybetleagueone @Skybetleaguetwo @Thevanaramanl @EmiratesFACup @carabaocup

Those in charge @fa

If you want to complain about your team being on last @BBCMOTD

Newspaper to follow @Theleaguepaper

If you’re planning on going to London and take in a game (be positive, those days will return) @LDNfootyguide

SCOTTISH FOOTBALL

If Scottish Football is your thing, you should follow @Theterracetv and it’s stars @craiggtelfer
@Sked21 @Craigfowler86 @Shaughanm @Duncmckay

For national team and competitions @Scottishfa @spfl @Scottishcup

FOOTBALL

If you enjoy the UEFA 100 Club (I post annual updates) for those who want to see all 100 clubs who have played in a European club final in the flesh @The100club2 and the account owner @Fateck

UEFA’s accounts @UEFA @UEFAcom

Their club competitions @europaleague @championsleague

And of course, next Summer’s European Championship @Euro2020

FIFA’s accounts @FIFAmedia @FIFAworldcup @FIFAcom

Media accounts to follow @itvfootball @wsc_magazine @Worldsoccermag

League Of Ireland, restarting at the end of the month @SSEairtricitylg

Harmless fun, if you like the idea of an alternative World Cup @ufwc_football

Spanish football, with a Northern Ireland twist @viajesenfutbol

Everything you ever wanted to know about football stadiums @StadiumDB

MORAL CRUSADING

If you really want to do some moral crusading, get outraged about football teams wearing their away kit when there is no need @Kitcrimes @Awaykitwatch

And remember, the team that Bruno Fernandes played for at the start of the season is called Sporting Club De Portugal, not Sporting Lisbon @ItssportingCP

SUBBUTEO

If you like Subbuteo, you should probably follow @Subbuteo_NI @Subbuteoart @Watsthebull

GOOD CATS

Good cats all over the shop @Thecatreviewer

GOOD DOGS

They are all good dogs @Dog_rates

POLITICS

If you must follow Political accounts on Twitter, I would recommend @Bydonkeys

Journalists and writers to follow @MichaelLcrick @Alexkane221b

UTV’s main political programme @Viewfrmstormont

For latest election news in Northern Ireland (UK, Council, Stormont), and would you be surprised if there was one in the next twelve months. If there is, follow @ElectionNI

BOTS

There are entertaining bot accounts on Twitter.

@Doctor_whobot makes up episodes of Doctor Who.

@Flagsmashupbot mashes up flags into new flags.

@Smashhitsbot makes you feel like you are being interviewed in Smash Hits.

@Louistherouxbot makes up episodes of Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekend.

@Transfersbot satisfies your lust for transfers.

DEATH

People die. If anyone of note dies, @In__memoriam and @deadpeoplecom will let you know.

THE SIMPSONS

Want to know what episode of The Simpsons is coming up on Channel 4, @C4simpsons will let you know.

Want Scottish Football through the medium of The Simpsons? @SimpsonsSPFL is for you.

Clasic Simpsons moments? Well, follow @Simpsons_Vids @SimpsonsQOTD @Simpsonsgreats and @Simpsons_Tweets

FREE STUFF

Who doesn’t love getting stuff for free? @Freesamplescouk lets you know about companies giving away sample packs of things.

ME

It would be rude not to promote myself at the finish. You can follow me @andrewastewart

I do promise to do an updated list in 2021, hopefully it won’t need a global pandemic to motivate me.

THE TWITTER LIST 2017

It’s that time of year again, when my annual Twitter List is published.

You may remember that this began in 2012 as a protest piece because The Independent ran an article about people to follow on Twitter, and none of them were of interest to me, as the vast majority were in the “Westminster Bubble”. So, I wrote about who I enjoy following on Twitter, and then kept doing it every year.

This is mostly from a Northern Ireland viewpoint but not exclusively. It would be a bit boring if it was all people from Northern Ireland.

So behold, the Twitter List for 2017. If you’re not on it, don’t take it personally.

BBCNI

BBC NI journalists to follow include :

@Fermanaghjulian @Micjfitz @warblingwatson @jaynemccormack @journoclaire @ClodaghLRice @Markdevenport @Imsaraneill @AnnMarieCFoster @Mckenp @Saragirvan @Jolong03 @NikkiGregg27 @mlchealth @taramillstv @thompsonkerry10 @bbcmarksimpson

Their main news account @Bbcnewsni

Twitter account for their flagship TV news programme @bbcnewsline

Want to go to an event? @Bbcnievents

For weather news @Newslineweather

Online continuity @Bbconeni

Radio Ulster’s account @bbcradioulster

BELFAST

Some useful accounts for those living in Belfast

The council @belfastcc

Events in Belfast @culturenightbel @belfastbookfest @belfastfestival @Cqaf @eastsideartsbel @Belnash @feilebelfast @Openhousefest (Well, ok, that’s Bangor) @aspectsfestival (Yes, that’s Bangor as well. Don’t get mad at me Bangorians)

Venues in Belfast @Qftbelfast @eikoncomplex @Thelinenhall @Themacbelfast @Lyricbelfast

For news and information relating to Belfast City Centre @belfastcentre

Want to laugh? @queenscomedy @Fireworks_mash

Want to cycle? @connsgreenway

Official Tourism bodies @Visitbelfast @Visitbelfastorg

Information of Festivals in Belfast @belfastfests

Want to know what the weather will be like? @Belfast_weather

What everybody else in Belfast is tweeting about now @trendsbelfast

DANNY BAKER

So good, he deserves his own category @prodnose

ENGLISH FOOTBALL

English football’s governing body @Fa

English football’s main competitions @Premierleague @Efl @emiratesfacup @eflcup @thenationallge

Manchester United dedicated radio show on Radio Manchester @Bbcredwednesday

Want to go to a game in London? @Ldnfootyguide

Official account of Channel 5’s coverage of the EFL @footballon5

FOOTBALL

European football’s governing body @Uefacom @uefa

World football’s governing body @Fifacom

The two main European club competitions @Championsleague @Europaleague

For the build up to the Euro 2020 Qualifying draw, and the progress of the host cities @Uefaeuro

Italian football @footballitalia

Spanish football @laligaen

German football @bundesliga_en

Dutch football @football_oranje

Magazines to follow @Wsc_magazine @worldsoccermag

Newspaper to follow @theleaguepaper

For news relating to the European Qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup which will be happening this year @euroqualifiers

And for the entire World Cup tournament @Fifaworldcup

Holding clubs to account for unnecessary use of away kit @Awaykitwatch

FOOTBALL BLOGGERS/GROUNDHOPPERS

The world of football blogging and groundhopping (visiting as many football grounds as possible, if you don’t know)
Groundhoppers @mirkobolesan @peterrmiles @manchopperblog

Blogs/Fanzine Contributors @footygrounds (Football grounds, unsurprisingly) @djgabyg (Hungarian football) @FatEck (Scottish football)

Want to watch a match in London? Follow @ldnfootyguide

FOOTBALL JOURNALISTS

There are a lot of football journalists on Twitter. Not all of them are whoppers. Some of them are worth following.

Broadcast @Skysportsdavid @skysports_bryan @willdowningcomm @robbopalmer @lynseyhipgrave1 @alistairmann01 @brynlaw @billrice23 @marcwebber @jacquioatley @jasonmohammad @simonbrotherton @chrisskuddersky @patmurphy @stevewilson1967 @alanbiggs1

Print @dtguardian @janineself @groundtastic (writes for a magazine specialising in football grounds) @iainmacintosh @vikkiorvice @chloejberesford @danielharris @samuelluckhurst

FOOTBALL MEDIA STAFF

A couple of football Media Officers on Twitter worth following include @_andywalker_ (England) @Efc_helenmayo (Everton) and @LeighanneCoyle_ (Rochdale)

IRISH LEAGUE

The twelve top flight clubs @crusadersfc @dgnswifts @portadownfc @carrickrangers @ardsfc1900 @colerainefc @glenavon_fc @officialblues @ballymenaunited @ballinamallard @glentoran @cliftonvillefc

And as a bonus, an unofficial Linfield account @Linfield_fc

And for more bonus Linfield related accounts, @eosblues is a recently published book chronicling the club’s history between 1986 and 2016, tweeting on this day pieces uncovered during the research of the book.

Media organisations that cover Irish League football @beltel_sport @sundaylifesport @utvsport @bbcsportni

Journalists that cover Irish League football to follow include @garethhanna11@mclarkeshow @egrantcameron @lylejacko @ericwhite80 @liam_beckett @taggartjoel @nialfoster @keithjbailie @ourlogie @grahamluneybt @markjmcintosh @laurejames @ge_sportsnews @lyds_campbell

@thesocialclubni is an Irish League podcast while @nifootballdaily is a website dedicated to football in Northern Ireland.

@nistats is a good account for stats.

@slfantasy is the account for those who are playing Fantasy Football.

And finally, @officialnifl is the official account for the NIFL.

JUST DIED

Never again not know if someone of importance has died thanks to @Justdiedbot

JUST FOR FUN

There are accounts on Twitter which are purely for fun. Here are the best.

Things that get overheard in a newsroom @Ohnewsroom

Referees craving attention @Celebrityrefs

Sightings of football shirts @Shirtspotter

Classic Simpsons moments @simpsonsqotd

Classic football moments recreated as if they happened on early 90s video games @8bitfootball

Customer Services responses we all want to give, ie – as rudely and sarcastically as possible @customercaring

Footballers with animals @ftbllrswanimals

Hilarious Irish based spoof news website @whispersnewsltd

Angry people in the Daily Mail @bestofthemail

Angry people in local newspapers @angrypiln

Handy life advice @twoptips

Labels of things in the 1960s Batman TV show @batlabels

Embarrassing pictures of MLAs @MLAsAndTheLike

Dogs at Non League football grounds @nonleaguedogs

You’ll never not know when a football match is 2-2 thanks to @desmond_twotwo

Out of context screenshots from TV @daytimesnaps @nocontextlouis

When somebody tries to explain the joke @yesthatsthejoke

The man who paints on request, most of it hilarious @jimllpaintit

Trying to predict who will be in Garth Crooks Team Of The Week @garthcrookstotw

Videos of football fans losing it when their team score @limbs_aots

Pictures recaptioned with hilarious consequences @classic_picx

Football in the 90s wasn’t all great @crap90sfootball

When TV shows sound like Alan Partridge pitches @partridgeideas and when somebody says something that sounds like an Alan Partridge quote @accidentalp

Pictures of goalkeeper’s towels @keepers_towels

Laughing at those who think they’re in The Football Factory @footy_fooligans

A simple joke, but it works so well, Alan Curbishley’s never ending search for a job as a football manager @alansavilable

People sleeping on public transport @sleepycommuters

Want to know what is the same size as Wales? @thesizeofwales

Seen an image of a face in something? @facespics

You know when somebody posts something and you instantly know it’s bullshit? They’ve made something up for RTs and Likes. @dhotya2017 calls them out.

Donald Trump drawing things @trumpdraws

JOBS

We all need one. Northern Ireland based jobsites to follow include @Nijobscom @qubjobs @Careersatqueens @Nijobfinder @Recruitni @guardiancareers

Recruitment Agencies to follow include @Lynnrecruitment @brightwaterni @Graftonrec @mcsgroupbelfast @Corvus_jobs @Diamondjobs @kennedyrec @abacusjobs

LEAGUE OF IRELAND

If you like following the League of Ireland, @Soccrepublic is RTEs highlights show, while @sseairtricitylg is the official account for the league

@Seidodge is the man to follow for stats and trivia.

MEDIA

News organisations to follow include @Skynews @skysportsnewshq @Channel4news @skynewsbreak

MUSIC

Music magazines to follow include @Qmagazine @Hotpress @Rollingstone @classicpopmag

MUSIC IN BELFAST

Venues which host concerts, giving event info, set times and ticket info @Ohyeahcentre @Limelightni @UlsterHall @mandelahall @Gohbelfast @belwaterfront @belfastempire @Ssebelfastarena

Radio Ulster’s main music programme @Acrosstheline

Music promoters that promote gigs in Belfast @Jeffrobinsonpr @noelmchale @rollinspromo @shinebelfast @aikenpromotions @davidhullpromo @Mcd_Productions

Belfast’s two main music festivals @Belsonicbelfast and @TennentsNI which promotes Tennent’s Vital on Twitter

@Giggingni has news, reviews and set times, while @gigsbelfast is an automated account listing upcoming gigs in Belfast.

For ticket news, follow @Ticketmasterire and @ticketmasteruk

NORTHERN IRELAND ELECTION

You have unlimited funny football videos at your fingertips. You have unlimited pictures of cats at your fingertips. Yet, for some reason, there are people who go on Twitter to talk about Politics.

As you know by now, Northern Ireland needs some polls because it suffers from Electile Dysfunction. For news relating to the forthcoming election, you should follow

NORTHERN IRELAND FOOTBALL

The governing body for football in Northern Ireland @officialirishfa

And in County Antrim @coantrimfa

Sponsors account of the Northern Ireland team @Vauxhllni

Official account for the Northern Ireland team@northernireland

The body who look after the interests of Northern Ireland fans @Aonisc_travel

Northern Ireland will host the Women’s Under 19 European Championship, and Tournament Director @Sazbooth10 is the one to follow in relation to this.

NORTHERN IRELAND JOURNALISTS

There’s more to Northern Ireland media than BBC and UTV. Here’s the journalists that are worth following

Print @Mark_raineynl @Edwinmcfee @kimkellykk @noseforthenews6 @rblackbt @connollymaeve @bigivanlittle @alexkane221b

Broadcast @Radio_han @journotara @Rebekah_logan @skydavidblevins

NORTHERN IRELAND JOURNALISTS ABROAD

Many journalists who have left Northern Ireland for work can be found on Twitter.

Print @Kellyallen01 @Jenofcroths @Holtchris @sirowbotham @mirroranderson @Sarahrainey4

Broadcast @colinmurray @Skyorla @maxinemawhinney @Hollyhnews @Johnirvineitv @Annita_mcveigh @Ianwoodssky @Billneelynbc @Skysportspaulg @arronarmstrong @carldinnen

NORTHERN IRELAND MEDIA

Newspapers – @Beltel @Beltel_Business @thesundaylife @irish_news @thegown @News_letter @Thesun_NI

Magazines – @Ulstertatlermag @CultureHUB1

Publishers – @Blackstaffni

Websites – @cultureni

NORTHERN IRELAND PUBLIC SERVICES

Many of Northern Ireland’s Public Services are on Twitter. Some of these might be useful for you.

Government bodies @niassembly @nidirect @bcouncil_NI @hscboard @niexecutive @consumercouncil @nibusinessinfo @publichealthni @niopressoffice @psnibelfast
@librariesni @investni

Peelers (Not for reporting crimes on) @policeserviceni

Want to know how late your bus or train is? @translink_ni

For weather information @metofficeni

For traffic information @bbcnitravel @psnitraffic

NOSTALGIA

Twitter might be a modern phenomenon, but there are great accounts looking at the post.

From the BBC archives @Bbcarchive

One of the best accounts on Twitter, a legacy project by relatives of a former press photographer based in Northern Ireland focusing mostly on the 1970s and 1980s @photosallan

Live tweeting football as it happened, but 40 years ago @Footy40yearsago

Want to know what happened in the 1990s? @The90sdiary

Old Manchester United programmes @unitedreviewacc @iainmccartney

England football team archive @englandmemories

Rangers pictures @oldrangerspics

Irish society through the years @brandnewretro

Football mgazines and programme articles from the past @theskystrikers @Scotsfootycards
Images from the past @pulplibrarian

An ex peeler tweeting their diary about the werid things that happened in South Belfast in the 1980s and 1990s @rucdiary

Sport in the 1970s @super70ssports

Brighton and Hove Albion programmes @seagullsprog

Smash Hits from the 1980s @smashhits1980s

90s Football podcast @ak90s

Every chart act from the 1990s @ukchartacts

The host of Forgotten 80s on Absolute 80s @matthewjrudd

Look-In archives @look_in_mag

PHOTOGRAPHY

There are many photographers on Twitter.

Northern Ireland based photographers on Twitter worth following include @Carriedavenport @Emgornall @Graemekerrni @snappercherry @sbrydenphoto @kscott_94 @maginnisdave @matt_presseye @photomcq

For football photos – @Wsc_Photos

Football photographers focusing on specific clubs worth following include @roy_smiljanic (Birmingham City) @Bluemcardle (Everton) @Stuartphoto_AFC (Arsenal) @willievass (Rangers) @claireepton (Bradford City) @dickiepelham (West Ham United)

Photo agencies to follow include @Actionimages @gettysport

Other photographers to follow include @Ramseycardy @Timothycochrane @Tomjenkinspix @Shirlainephoto @Sal_gigjunkie @cwellingsuk @stuartroyclarke

There are no boring pictures of Diego Maradona. @maradonapics shows the best of them.

PR/ADVERTISING

Unsurprisingly, Northern Ireland’s PR and Advertising industries are well represented on Twitter.

Accounts to follow include @Aikenpr @Cathymartin @Shamelesspr @Avbgroup @jagocomms @massivepr @mammothbelfast @ASG_PR @Rlagroup @Clearboxpr @inkbotdesign @ardmoreadv @chrislove1 @gatekeeper_pr @MGMPR_LTD @thetomorrowlab @joannemcneill1 @duffyrafferty @lanyoncomms @pmlgroupni @Image_zoo @Stkeholderlive @lighthouseni @smartscomm @Seriouspr @wearepbd @Levymccallum @J_comms @Pulseprni @rnncomms @Lkcomms @Nav_Blue @dcpstrategiccom @chrislove1 @Naked_PR @Rumourmill_pr @Morrowcomms @mcenewsfeed

And the Chartered Institute @cipr_NI

SCOTTISH FOOTBALL

If Scottish football is your thing, you should follow @irnbrufootball and @spfl

STREET ART

If you love Street Art, here are some accounts for you to follow.

Belfast based artists @KVLR1 @Faigyartist @Viswaste @thisisfriz

Dublin based artist @emmaleneblake

@Akse_p19 is based in Manchester.

@waterfordwalls is an annual Street Art Festival taking place in Waterford.

@extramuralactiv @Belfast_beyond are accounts which report on murals which appear in Belfast and further afield.

TRAVEL

Who doesn’t like travelling? Here are accounts to help you out on your travels.

If you’re travelling not too far (ie – UK/Ireland) these accounts will be useful

@NItouristboard @Nitravelnews @Discoverireland @Failte_ireland @Wildatlantic @Tourismireland @discoverirl @visitbritain @visitwales @visitscotland @visitengland @visitdublin

Northern Ireland’s three main airports @belfastcity_air @belfastairport @coderryairport

And if you are travelling from Dublin @dublinairport

Travel related publications to follow @lptraveller @thehotelegraph @lonelyplanetuk @natgeotravel @cntraveler @telegraphtravel @st_travel @guardiantravel @st_travelmag @wanderlustmag @mirrortravel

The authorative voice on all things travel related @simoncalder

TV

If you’re interested in TV and TV history, follow @TVnewsroom and @tvlive

UK BASED MEDIA

Other journalists to follow include :

Broadcast @Sophyridgesky @lucrezianews @kimberleyeleo @alstewitn

Print @earlsjohn @rgray_87 @suffragentleman @martindaubney

UTV

UTV journalists to follow @Paul_UTV @Hagan_utv @Vicki_hawthorne @Paulclark_utv @Louiseinni @Ruthgorman_UTV @Marcmallett_UTV @Colmcal_UTV @Sarahclarke_UTV @Louise_UTV @Kenreid_UTV @Pamballantine @Markmcfadden @Aideen_UTV @Judehill_UTV @sportyneesy

UTV’s flagship news programme @UTVnews and their main politics programme @viewfrmstormont

THE TWITTER LIST 2016

Hello and welcome to The Twitter List 2016, the 5th time I have done such a list.

The list began in 2012 when The Independent ran a similar feature in their newspaper. However, there was very little people of interest or relevence to me, and nothing related to Northern Ireland in the list.

So, instead of getting angry on the internet, I decided to do something about it, and create my own list.

This list is Northern Ireland centric, but not exclusive. It would be boring if it was. There’s no order and no overall winner, it’s just a list of journalists, writers and organisations I enjoy following on Twitter because they’re either funny or informative, or even both.

Don’t get offended if you’re not on the list, there’s always next year.

So here, is The Twitter List 2016 ……….

JUST FOR FUN

Hate clickbait articles? @savedyouaclick will save you the effort.

When the Guardian becomes such a Guardian cliche – @somuchguardian

@getinthesea is for people who love getting angry at awful things

@brickstand is worth following for football grounds made from lego.

For Satire, @whispersnewsltd is a must follow

@badalbumcovers celebrates awful album covers throughout music history

If you want to hear stories of awful customers, then @callprobs is for you.

@bestofthemail highlights the brilliant, bizarre and disturbing comments that appear on the Daily Mail’s website.

@jimllpaintit will paint anything for you. It is utterly brilliant.

@accidentalp is a joy for highlighting the moment when real life mirrors Alan Partridge.

Seen somebody in a football shirt? Contact @shirtspotter

@djscomplaining shows us all that the life of a DJ isn’t as wonderful as it seems.

@soverybritish became a TV show in Channel 4 during 2015, highlighting all the quaint problems that British people face every day.

@the90sdiary is for those missing the 90s, a day by day diary of the events of that decade.

@8bitfootball recreates footballing moments in 8 bit video game format.

@twoptips is the one to follow for life advice

@bbcarchive as the name suggests, produces gems from the BBC’s archive.

@sleepycommuters will ensure you never fall asleep on public transport again.

TV SHOW QUOTES

Whatever your favourite TV show is, there’s bound to be a Twitter account dedicated to it’s best moments. Here are some of mine.

@quotepeepshow @peepshowqotd @simpsonsqotd @frtedquotes

TV

For the latest TV news – @radiotimes

If you want audience tickets @bbcaudiencetix @tvaudience @bbcnievents

For news on TV ratings @ratingsuk

For look back at TVs archives @tvlive @nornironknight

Royal Television Society NI @rts_ni

TRAVEL

Like travelling? The following accounts might be useful if you’re planning a trip away somewhere : @visitscotland @visitbritain @visitwales @discoverireland @visitlondon @visitbelfast @visit_mcr @nitouristboard @visitengland

@nitravelnews will have a lot of travel news relating to people in Northern Ireland.

@simoncalder is also worth a follow for travel news.

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

There are quite a lot of events and festivals in Northern Ireland which have Twitter accounts. Some might be dormant now, but are worth following in the build-up to and during their event.

These include @aspectsfestival @belfastbookfest @culturenightbel @tennentsvital @cqaf @openhousefest @belsonicbelfast @belfastfestival

If you fancy travelling for an event, here are some that might interest you.

@groovefestival is a weekend concert in July worth keeping an eye on.

@latmofficial is a series of concerts in Cork which usually has a decent line-up.

Fancy a trip to Galway? Then @galwayintarts and @galwaycomedy are worth a follow.

MUSIC

For concert news in Belfast, promotion companies and promoters to follow include : @davidhullpromo @noelmchale @magillpromoni @rollinspromo @aikenpromotions @aikenpr @mcdproductions @jeffrobinsonpr

Venues to follow include @ssebelfastarena @limelightni @mandelahall

For news and reviews of concerts in Belfast : @the_thin_air @acrosstheline @giggingni

@ticketmasteruk @ticketmasterire for the latest news on where and how to buy concert tickets

Two music shops with an account with the latest deals – @headbelfast @hmvbelfast

Music bloggers to follow are @gonetodeadlock @popjustice while @totpfacts is worth a follow if you enjoy watching the Top Of The Pops repeats on BBC Four.

For national news and reviews, follow @qmagazine

Meanwhile, @SmashHits1980s is worth a follow, as the name suggests, it delves into Smash Hits 1980s archive.

STREET ART

For Street Art in Belfast, follow @viswaste @extramuralactiv @seedheadarts @faigyartist

PHOTOGRAPHY

Quite a lot of photographers are based on Twitter, both press photos and arty photos.

Worth following are : @matt_presseye @photomcq @kscott_94 @ramseycardy

@wsc_photos posts football photos from the past and present.

On a national level, @gettysport is worth a follow, as are @tomjenkinspix @bluemcardle @stuart_photoafc @homesoffootball

As the name suggests, @IrishLeaguePics posts Irish League pictures from last week to last century.

The best account to follow is @photosallan – keeping the legacy of Allan McCullough alive. Allan was a press photographer until his death in 2003, and this account publishes his work, ranging from the darkest hours of The Troubles, Irish League matches, and minor celebs doing Public Appearances. It’s a mixed bag but an excellent record of Northern Ireland’s history.

JOURNALISTS

Some non Northern Ireland based journalists and writers worth following include : @martindaubney @marke11en @michaellcrick @prodnose (The King of Twitter) @alstewitn @earlsjohn @laoiseneylon @jamieross7 @afneil @alanbiggs1 @simon_price01 @eve_barlow @davidhepworth @georgierogers

@suttonnick is worth a follow as he posts newspaper front pages each night, as does @ukpapers

News outlets to follow include @itvnews @skynews @mediaweek @themediatweets @bbcnews

NORTHERN IRELAND MEDIA

Northern Ireland’s three big newspapers are on Twitter – @irish_news @news_letter @beltel

As well as Northern Ireland editions of national newspapers @thesun_ni @dailymirrorni

As well as a Belfast Telegraph spin-off account @beltel_business

And on a Sunday @thesundaylife

@electionni will be worth a follow when the fun and games begin in April/May time.

Also worth following is @insideireland

Journalists to follow include : @naomijholland @connollymaeve @alexkane221b (who is generally right about most things) @mark_raineynl @bigivanlittle @darwintemplton @edwinmcfee @rblackbt @henry_mcdonald @noseforthenews6 @KimKellyKK

@nevinfarrell is worth following for his Court Case Corner tweets.

@rudedoodle is worth following for her World Of Kitsch blog.

Want to know what is trending in Belfast? Then follow @trendsbelfast

BBC NI

BBC NI are well represented. Journalists to follow include : @journoclaire @jaynemccormack @markdevenport @collettasmith @mckemp @taramillstv @imsaraneill @jacqmci @micjfitz @mlchealth @ciarariddell @fionamurray10 @jolong03 @saragirvan @fermanaghjulian

And their channel account @bbconeni

Their flagship TV news show @bbcnewsline

If you’re radio minded @bbcradioulster

And for news stories as they happen @bbcnewsni

UTV

UTV are also well represented on Twitter. Journalists to follow include : @aideen_utv @kenreid_utv @pamballantine @sarahclarke_utv @paulclark_utv @colmmcal_utv @ruthgorman_utv @markmcfadden (warning, contains bad jokes) @vicki_hawthorne @Paul_utv @jamie_utv @hagan_utv

@utvonair is their Twitter feed of what is currently on air.

Also worth following is @utvnews @utvlivetonight @utv

NORTHERN IRELAND JOURNALISTS FURTHER AFIELD

There are quite a lot of journalists, writers and broadcasters from Northern Ireland now plying their trade outside Northern Ireland. Here are the ones worth following

@hollyhnews @johnirvineitv @annita_mcveigh @mrgordonburns @colinmurray @maxinemawhinney @skydavidblevins @billneelynbc @skysportspaulg @jenofcroths @ianwoodssky @holtchris @kellyallen01 @eamonn_forde @skyorla @sarahrainey4 @arronarmstrong @jamiecweir

NORTHERN IRELAND PR COMPANIES

A lot of Northern Ireland based PR companies are represented on Twitter, as well as people working in the industry. Quite a lot will tweet on behalf of their clients, so are well worth following for news, events and promotions.

@lanyoncomms @blanketcomms @rlagroup @dcpstrategicco @naked_pr @pmlgroupni @image_zoo @informcomms @mammothbelfast @massivepr @mcenewsfeed @smartscomm @avbgroup @rnncomms @avbbrand @duffyrafferty @acupoflee @grainnemcgarvey @jagocomms @freshwaterniroi @asg_pr @levymccallum @wearebluecube @lighthouseni @supersonicpr @navbluepr @ardmoreadv @lkcomms @morrowcomms @house_pr @rumourmill_pr @jprnewswire @sineaddoyle @cathymartin @stakeholderlive @seriouspr

And the industry body @cipr_ni

JOBS

Unfortunately, we all need one. Recruitment Agencies on Twitter to follow include @premiereni @brightwaterni @graftonrec @abacusjobs @lynnrecruitment @corvus_jobs @kennedyrec @cfmrecruitment @diamondjobs

Employers worth following include @pwc_ni @ukcivilservice

Job sites to follow include : @recruitni @careersatqueens @nijobscom @nijobfinder @niwork @qubjobs

PUBLIC INFORMATION SERVICES

There a lot of Public Information accounts which are useful for people in Northern Ireland.

If you’re flying somewhere, @belfastcity_air @belfastairport and @coderryairport will be useful to you.

Other accounts to follow include : @publichealthni @investni @nidirect @consumercouncil @psnibelfast @psnitraffic @policeserviceni @bbcnitravel @niassembley @translink_ni @newslineweather @metofficeni @niopressoffice @niexecutive @belfastcc @librariesni

RUGGER

If you lean towards the oval ball, these accounts might be of interest to you.

@pro12rugby @ulsterrugby

FOOTBALL JOURNALISTS

Football journalists outside Northern Ireland worth following include @amylawrence71 @msmith850 @samuelluckhurst @stumathiesonmen @georgina_turner @danielharris @jimw1 @patmurphybbc @markogden_ @millar_colin @vikkiorvice @alistairmann01 @dtguardian @janineself @henrywinter @andymitten @tonguetweets @stevewilson1967 @robbopalmer @marcwebber @blogdroed @brynlaw @EilidhBarbour

@peterrmiles is worth a follow for his travels around Europe and is @manchopperblog for travels around (mostly) the North-West of England.

ALTERNATIVE FOOTBALL

I was going to call it “Football Humour”, but that would give the impression that i’m suggesting those awful “Footy Bantz” accounts which steal awful jokes from each other.

@nonleagueraffle celebrates the glorious prizes on offer in Prize Draws at Non League grounds, while @footy_fooligans celebrates those who failed their audition for Green Street.

@kerryfail is for those who enjoy laughing at Celtic fans getting angry, while @mufc_facebook @H_V_Meltdown and @rawk_meltdown celebrate Man United, Aston Villa and Liverpool related internet outbursts.

@footballpapers celebrates the awful football related computer wallpaper that exists.

@celebrityrefs for those moments when the referee thinks he is the star.

@officiallfc features all the latest news on the reigning Screen Sport Super Cup holders.

@alansavailable is a rare parody account that works, because it doesn’t overdo the joke, focusing on Alan Curbishley’s relentless search to find work.

@mirkobolesan is worth a follow for stats and randomness.

@footballcliches as the name suggests, takes pundits to task for their use of cliches.

@redissue is “A truly horrible publication” according to Sir Alex Ferguson’s ghostwriter.

FOOTBALL NOSTALIGA

There are quite a lot of Twitter accounts dedicated to miscellany relating to football’s past. Here are some of my favourites

@englandmemories looks back at the England football team

@oldrangerspics as the name suggests, looks at old Rangers pictures.

@groundtastic is an account dedicated to football grounds throughout history, as well as modern grounds.

@9091football Tweets the football news from exactly 25 years ago.

@theskystrikers and @scotsfootycards mostly, but not exclusively, bring you wonderful pictures and articles from Scottish football history.

@iainmccartney and @retrounited are worth a follow if you want to delve into Man United’s history.

As the name suggests, @footy40yearsago live tweets football from 40 years ago.

And finally, @worldcup66live will livetweet the build-up to, and 1966 World Cup 50 years on.

ENGLISH FOOTBALL

I’d imagine quite a few of you follow English football, so here are the competition accounts to follow :

@premierleague @skybetchamp @emiratesfacup @capitalone_cup @football_league @thenationallge

SCOTTISH FOOTBALL

For those interested in Scottish football, @bbcjsutherland is worth a follow.

Competition account to follow @spfl

GENERAL FOOTBALL

I loved @ronaldkoeman as a player, and he is by far the best manager on Twitter.

Want to know when a football match is on TV? Follow @footieontv

Media outlets to follow include : @btsportfootball @english_as @wsc_magazine @fcbusiness

FIFA can be found at @fifacom and for World Cup Qualifiers @fifaworldcup

And of course, UEFA @uefacom

For news relating to the two main European competitions @championsleague @europaleague

@efc_helenmayo is the PR Officer at Everton and is worth a follow.

For African football, then you should follow @caf_online

LEAGUE OF IRELAND

If you’re into the League Of Ireland, the official account of RTEs coverage is @soccrepublic and of the league @sseairtricitylge

For stats and miscellany, follow @seidodge

IRISH LEAGUE

The official account of the league – @officialnifl

The magic twelve – @ballinamallard @ballymenaunited @carrickrangers @cliftonvillefc @colerainefc @crusadersfc @dgnswifts @glenavon_fc @glentoran @officialblues @portadownfc @thepointfc

The two main contenders looking for promotion to the top flight – @ardsfc1900 @larnefc

Journalists worth following – @ericwhite80 (based in the North-West and also covers Derry City and Finn Harps) @garethhanna11 @ge_sportsnews (for Glenavon based news) @keithjbailie @mclarkeshow @nialfoster @taggartjoel @ourlogie @liam_beckett @markjmcintosh @laurejames @egrantcameron @garethfullerton @sportyneesy

Media outlets to follow for news include @sundaylifesport @utvsport @newslettersport @bbcsportni @beltel_sport @nifootballdaily

As well as the podcast @thesocialclubni

EURO 2016

And finally, in case you didn’t know, Northern Ireland have qualified for Euro 2016!!! Accounts worth following include @officialirishfa and @vauxhallni

Also there will be @fawales and @fa

Fronting ITV’s coverage (They have live coverage of Northern Ireland v Ukraine) will be @markpougatch and @jacquioatley (who is also worth following if you follow Women’s Football)

BBC’s coverage (They will be showing Northern Ireland v Poland and Northern Ireland v Germany) will of course be fronted by @garylineker and @mrdanwalker

The official Twitter account of the tournament is @uefaeuro

And the golden boot winner and player of the tournament @laffk

Until next year’s list, enjoy your Tweeting.

THE TWITTER LIST 2015

Hello and welcome to The Twitter List for 2015. It’s the 4th successive year i’ve done such a thing. The concept is simple, it’s a breakdown of people and organisations I think are worth following on Twitter, but from a Northern Ireland perspective.

Not everybody on the list is from Northern Ireland, or even reside there, but most do.

This list was ‘inspired’ by The Independent doing a Twitter List in 2012, but most of them were of no interest to me. Instead of waiting for a Northern Ireland version, I decided to do my own one. So here, is the list ……

LOCAL MUSIC

There are plenty of promoters involved in bringing concerts to Belfast. These include @davidhullpromo @magillpromoni @aei_2011 @rollinspromo @aikenpromotions @mcd_productions @noelmchale

Some of those work on an All Ireland basis, so are worth following if you fancy a road trip.

Of course, for actually buying CDs (yes, they exist) and DVDs, as well as instore events @headbelfast @hmvbelfast

For news and reviews @alcoholirony @chordblossom @acrosstheline

Belfast’s two big events are on Twitter. Expect their accounts to get busier over the coming months @tennentsvital @belsonicbelfast

Not a music festival, but it does feature some music, and talking about music, taking place in Bangor every September @aspectsfestival

In terms of journalists, there is of course, the legend that is @stu_bailie

Two concert venues worth following for news, and set times (so you can make you plans for that night) @odysseyarena @limelightni

If you enjoy live music, you might want to know where to get a ticket. You could always try @ticketmasterire

PHOTOGRAPHY

Many photographers use Twitter to showcase their work. The best of which isn’t with us any more, as it is an account set up by his relatives, keeping his work alive. @photosallan is a fascinating archive of Belfast photos from the 1970s onwards, of the work of press photographer Allan McCullough.

On a UK wide basis, @gettysport @stuart_photoafc @tomjenkinspix and @bluemcardle are worth following, especially if you like football.

If you love football photography, you should follow @homesoffootball

If you like your football photography to be of an Irish League variety, you should follow @cwood_95 and @darrangilpin

Press photographers worth folowing include @photomcq @kscott_04 and @snappercherry

Other photographers worth following include @emgornall and @azoraphoto

MARKETING/PR

Northern Ireland’s Marketing community is well represented on Twitter, with many organisations and people present on Twitter, often tweeting on behalf of their clients, including @rlagroup @dcpstrategicom @naked_pr @pmlgroupni @image_zoo @mcgilliemediapr @asg_pr @powerpeopleni @rumourmill_pr @grainnemcgarvey @jagocomms @acupoflee @hamillbosket @rnncomms @avbbrand @joannemcneill1 @thetomorrowlab @cipr_ni @ardmoreadv @informcomms @mammothbelfast @massivepr @chrislove1 @baxter_pr @mcenewsfeed @wearebluecuve @morrowcomms @freshwaterniroi @lkcomms @avbgroup @nlbothwell @aikenpr @lighthouseni @duffyrafferty @smartscomm @sineaddoyle @jprnewswire @cathy_martin @john_meg

For UK wide industry news, follow @marketinguk and @prweeknews

IRISH LEAGUE

Irish League football keeps growing and growing on Twitter. Journalists worth following include @garethhanna11 @ge_lurganmail (as the name suggests, works for the Lurgan Mail, obviously focusing on Glenavon) @mclarkeshow @egrantcameron @taggartjoel @liam_beckett @grahamluneybt @ourlogie @garethfullerton @markjmcintosh @laurejames @nialfoster @holtchris (and covering Yorkshire as a bonus)

Blogs and media outlets which cover Irish League football worth following include @sundaylifesport @nifootballdaily @bbcsportni @utvsport @thesocialclubni

Official accounts covering domestic football in Northern Ireland include @officialnifl @officialirishfa

If you like your news Linfield based an unofficial, follow @southstandsays and @linfield_fc

Official accounts of top flight clubs – @ballinamallard @ballymenaunited @cliftonvillefc @colerainefc @crusadersfc @dgnswifts @institute_fc @glenavon_fc @glentoran @officialblues @portadownfc @thepointfc

Challenging for promotion to the top flight – @ardsfc1900 @bangorfc @carrickrangers

Also worth following, working for Carrick Rangers – @bobocrfc

@vauxhallni is a account dedicated to the Narthern Ireland national team, run by their sponsors

PUBLIC SERVICES

Many Public Services in Northern Ireland are now on Twitter, and using it as a way of getting information to the public.

Government run Twitter accounts include @pressofficedrd @nidirect @niopressoffice @niexecutive

Other public body Twitter accounts worth following include @investni @consumercouncil @librariesni @hscboard @publichealthni

UK wide public accounts worth following include @ukcivilservice @guardianpublic

Police information (unmanned, so won’t reply if you tweet it) @psnibelfast

For travel and weather – @bbcnitravel @metofficeni

FUN

Twitter is mostly about fun, and there are plenty of accounts which bring you nothing but fun.

If you want to know about flags – @flagfacts

If you want to pitch TV ideas for shows starring footballers – @footballtvshows

Irish based satire – @whispersltd

UK based satire – @newsthump

A celebration of music artwork gone bad. Or good – @badalbumcovers

Remember, the customer is always right – @callprobs

Portraits of footballers, done on post-it notes @postitplayers

The adventures of Alan Curbishley trying to get another job in football management – @alansavailable

A guy called Jim who will paint anything you want. Anything. @jimllpaintit

A daily dose of Peep Show @peepshowqotd

A daily does of The Simpsons @simpsonsqotd

Internet comment boards. They attract the strangest people. @bestofthemail@mufc_facebook @rawk_meltdown

For the moments when life resembles Alan Partridge @accidentalp

Public Transport shenanigans @sleepycommuters @translinkpr

Seen a football shirt? Call @shirtspotter

For 90s nostalgia, follow @we_luv_the_90s

FOOTBALL

Each year, football gets bigger on Twitter, with more accounts to follow.

@groundtastic is the account of a magazine dedicated to football grounds, posting old pictures of football grounds from yesteryear

With qualification to Euro 2016 to be decided this year, @euroqualifiers is the official Twitter account of the competition.

@ronaldkoeman is rather entertaining, one of the few Premier League managers on Twitter, good for train and plane pictures going to and from matches.

If you want to know if there is a game on TV soon, follow @footieontv

For news, @skysportsnewshq is worth a follow.

Journalists worth following include @janineself @jacquioatley @samuelluckhurst @danielharris @marcwebber @brynlaw @stumathiesonmen @patmurphybbc @_manishbhasin @tim_vickery @robbopalmer @andymitten @dtguardian @blogdroed @sarahmufc93

If you like Spanish football, worth following is @english_as @ligabbva_eng @revistadelaliga

If you like old and retro football pictures @theskystrikers @scotsfootycards

Also worth following, is @footy40yearsago – tweeting football from 40 years ago, as live

Official governing bodies to follow @fifacom @uefaeuro

A club (Everton) PR person worth following is @efc_helenmayo

If you want to see football moments recreated in classic video game form – @8bitfootball

Bloggers worth following include @yicetor @unitedite @mirkobolesan @beardedgenius @seidodge

Going to London and want to see a game? @ldnfootyguide will give you the lowdown

A magazine account worth following, looking at the off-field issues of the game is @fcbusiness

The final is coming up soon, so you should probably follow @capitalone_cup

Another Twitter account of an English club competition that might interest you – @premierleague

Or possibly, @football_league

For latest news from League Of Ireland football, @sseairtricitylg

Official competition accounts of the two European club competitions @europaleague @championsleague

If you like to mock bad punditry – @howalanseesit @footballcliches

And if you want to complain about your team always being on last on Match Of The Day – @bbcmotd

For Man United related GIFs @beautifullyred

NORTHERN IRELAND MEDIA

Northern Ireland’s media is well represented on Twitter

Newspaper/Magazine accounts worth following include @beltel_business @irish_news @thesun_ni @nitravelnews @thesundaylife

TV news accounts to follow include @bbcnewsline @utvlivetonight @utvnews

TV continuity accounts to follow – @utvonair @@bbconeni

Journalists worth following include @skydavidblevins @alexkane221b @collettasmith @taramillstv @nevinfarrell @jolong03 @bigivanlitte @_chrisjones_ @sarahgirvin @markmcfadden @jamie_utv @kenreid_utv @citybeatsara @mlchealth @markdevenport @rblackbt @kimkellykk

@electionni covers election related news. It might get a bit busy this year.

If you enjoy random stories from the courts, your should follow @nevinfarrell

NATIONAL MEDIA

There are also media outlets and journalists outside Northern Ireland worth following.

Especially worth following, is @suttonnick for posting front and back pages from national newspapers late at night.

He is complimented by accounts looking at the media such as @ukpapers and @themediatweets

For TV news, follow @telegraph_tv and @radiotimes

Journalists worth following include @michaellcrick @chrisskuddersky @simon_price01 @eve_barlow @prodnose

JOBS

We all need one, and there are plenty of Twitter accounts to help you get or find one.

If you want to see the latest job listings in the UK Civil Service – @ukcsjobs

For advice on jobhunting – @guardiancareers @concisecv

Reruitment Agencies operating in Northern Ireland – @premiereni @corvus_jobs @brightwaterni @kennedyrec @diamondjobs @graftonrec @abacusjobs @lynnrecruitment

For jobs listings in Northern Ireland – @qubjobs @coolfmjobs @niwork @nijobfinder @recruitni @nijobscom

BELFAST

There are quite a few accounts worth following for events/news in Belfast.

@belfastbookfest is the official account of the Belfast Book Festival, unsurprisingly. It usually takes place in June.

Another event account worth following is @cqaf

@ulsterrugby for all the latest news from Ravenhill.

@culturenightbel is one of the highlights of the year in Belfast. It usually takes place in the middle Friday in September.

If you want to know what Belfast folk are Tweeting about, follow @trendsbelfast

@extramuralactiv is a good account to follow for Street Art/Murals in Belfast.

If you want to go to a show at the BBC, @bbcaudiencetix and @bbcnievents are the accounts to follow.

NI JOURNALISTS/WRITERS ABROAD

There are plenty of Northern Ireland journalists living and working far afield. Ones to follow are @nornironknight @sarahrainey4 @billneelynbc @skysportspaulg @skyorla @ianwoods @jenofcroths @kellyallen01

…….. AND FINALLY

I hope you enjoyed that, and discovered some new accounts worth following. It would be rude not to do some self promotion, you can follow me on @andrewastewart

THE TWITTER LIST 2014

Hello, and welcome to The Twitter List 2014. The concept is simple – a list of people I enjoy following on Twitter, aimed for a Northern Ireland audience.

The first Twitter List, in 2012, was inspired by The Independent’s “Twitter 100”, which I enjoyed, but there wasn’t anything really for a Northern Ireland audience.

So, I decided to do one for myself.

Although, it isn’t an exclusively Northern Ireland list.

Unlike other Twitter lists, I won’t be putting people in rank order, because it’s mean, and there’ll be more than 100 people on the list, because life is no fun with limits.

Anyway, here’s the people I enjoy following on Twitter.

PR/MARKETING/ADVERTISING

Northern Ireland’s PR/Advertising/Marketing community (apologies for lumping you all together) is well represented on Twitter, often to be found tweeting news and updates on behalf of their clients. The best ones to follow are :

@peoplepowerni @rumourmill_pr @pulseprni @oureventsni @jagocomms @rnncomms @avbbrand @joannemcneill1 @piercecomms @cipr_ni @ardmoreadv @informcomms @mammothbelfast @massivepr @chrislove1 @carltonbaxter @wearebluecube @lighthouseni @mcenewsfeed @morrowcomms @freshwaterniroi @asitisconsult @lkcomms @avbgroup @aikenpr @duffyrafferty @smartscomm @jprnewswire @levymccallum @cathy_martin @asg_pr

And a person, worth following @sineaddoyle

Meanwhile, for industry news, @prweekuknews is worth a follow.

JUST FOR FUN

What’s the point of being on Twitter if you can’t have fun?

There are some great accounts on Twitter whose sole purpose is to make us laugh. Let’s pay tribute to them.

@jimllpaintit is a guy called Jim who paints whatever you want, on MS Paint. You ask for it, he’ll paint it. The more random and disturbing, the better.

@bestofthemail is a round-up of the best comments on the Daily Mail website. Lots of angry, angry people.

@simpsonsqotd is a celebration of The Simpsons, with a classic quote (and accompanying screenshot) each day, which never fails to raise a laugh.

@accidentalp is a celebration of the moments when a celebrity posts something that sounds like an Alan Partridge quote, hashtagged with #accidentalpartridge

Since @sleepycommuters joined Twitter, i’ll never sleep on Public Transport again, for fear of being featured on it.

@postitplayers if you enjoy portraits of footballers on post-it notes.

FOOTBALL

We all (well, most of us) love football, and we all (well, most of us) love tweeting about it.

As Twitter has grown, so has football’s presence, as more players, clubs and journalists jump on board.

So here, are the football accounts I enjoy following :

For nostalgia, photos, and scans from old magazines @antiquefootball @theskystrikers @scotsfootycards @footballattic

Official competition accounts worth following include : @fifaworldcup @europaleague @championsleague @premierleague @football_league @uefacom

Photographers worth following include @stuart_photoafc (Arsenal) and @tomjenkinspix (The Guardian)

When he’s not reading bad jokes from an autocue, @garylineker is worth a follow. Alongside him, @bbcmotd is worth following when watching Match Of The Day. Other former players now working in the media worth a follow are @janaagefjortoft @gnev2

2014 is going to be a big year for @gibraltarfa as they look forward to the Euro 2016 draw, where they will discover who they face in their first competitive internationals.

For Manchester United news and opinion @manutdmen and @doronsalomon are worth following

News outlets worth following are @indyfootball and @teamtalk

For stats, you should follow @optajoe

Journalist I enjoy following are @alanbiggs1 (Daily Mail and BBC, Yorkshire based) @marcwebber (reports for Final Score, and covers the off-field business side of the game for @fcbusiness) @ivangaskell1 (BBC) @brynlaw (Sky, Yorkshire based but also covers Wales national team) @patmurphybbc (BBC’s Midlands reporter) @chrisskudder (Sky News main Sports reporter) @tim_vickery (South American based journalist, worth a follow in this World Cup year) @timcaple (Eurosport) @robbopalmer (Sky) @andymitten (Mostly, but not exclusively, Manchester United) @james_dart (for his random Youtube links) @janineself (Midlands base freelancer) @willdowningcomm (Setanta) @dtguardian (Guardian, based in North-West of England) @blogdroed (Welsh football)

If you’re visiting London and want to see a game, @ldnfootyguide is worth a follow.

If you love GIFs and Man United, you should follow @beautifullyred

Football isn’t immune from parody accounts. There are very few worth following, unsurprisingly. @howalanseesit is very funny, a running commentary of Alan Shearer’s amazing ability to state the bleeding obvious. You’d think they were parodies, but @mufc_facebook (a selection of the, um, best comments on Manchester United’s Facebook page) and @rawk_meltdown (A selection of comments on a Liverpool supporters messageboard)

For an insight into what a football club PR does, you should follow @efc_helenmayo (Everton) and @_Andywalker_ (Birmingham City)

For randomness and miscellany, @mirkobolesan and @seidodge worth following.

If you enjoy football themed Photoshops, you should get following @beardedgenius

Scourge of journalists and not for the easily offended, @redissue is worth a follow.

IRISH LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Irish League football is increasingly represented on Twitter. Journalists worth following include : @mclarkeshow @taggartjoel @liam_beckett @garethfullerton @markjmcintosh @nialfoster @keithjbailie @egrantcameron @ourlogie @ericwhite80

A website that launched in 2013 is @nifootballdaily which, as the name suggests, is a daily news site, featuring match reports, and occasional blogs from contributors.

A podcast worth following is @thesocialclubni

Competition and organisational accounts worth following are @officialnifl and @officialirishfa

@darrangilpin does photography for Bangor and is worth a follow

@linfield_fc is a fan run Linfield news account, which predates the official account, and now runs alongside it to give Linfield supporters two differing news feeds on Twitter.

Official top flight clubs : @officialblues @portadownfc @cliftonvillefc @crusadersfc @glentoran @thepointfc @ardsfc1900 @ballymenaunited @ballinamallard @colerainefc @Glenavon_fc @dgnswifts

NORTHERN IRELAND

@kscott_94 is a Belfast based photographer, and is worth following. Another photographer worth following is @carriedavenport

@extramuralactivity is a look at murals and plaques in Belfast. Basically, anything on a wall.

Government based newsfeeds to follow include @niopressoffice @niassembly and @niexecutive @nidirect

For Library news @librariesni

Other public newsfeeds worth following include : @metofficeni @nitouristboard

An account worth following for news and events in Belfast @love_belfast

To be in a BBC audience : @bbcaudiencetix

Police news account worth following include : @psnibelfast @psnitraffic @policeserviceni

If you want to know what Belfast folk are tweeting about : @trendsbelfast

For music and gig news, you should follow @alcoholirony @the_thin_air @puresavagemusic @chordblossom @mcd_Productions @odysseyarena @grandoperahouse @acrosstheline

Events in Belfast with Twitter accounts worth following are : @culturenightbel @tennentsvital @belsonicbelfast @cqaf @belfastfestival

The biggest event in Belfast this year is Giro D’Italia (Looking forward to going to this) and it’s official Twitter account for the Belfast (and Armagh) event is @girostart2014

NORTHERN IRELAND MEDIA

BBC and UTV will have their own section. Below is a list of other Northern Ireland journalists/writers worth following :

@stu_bailie @claire_mccollum @R_mulligan1 @alexkane221b @darwintempleton @nevinfarrell (mainly for Court Case Corner) @bigivanlittle @saragirvan @newslettersport @maureencoleman1 @mrsghenderson @citybeatsara @rblackbt @kimkellykk @rudedoodle @unrealitytv @skyvichawthorne

Publications worth following include : @nitravelnews @thesundaylife @gomagazine @news_letter @beltel @irish_news

BBC

BBC NI accounts and journalists worth following include : @collettasmith @taramillstv @mlchealth @bbcnitravel @bbcsportni @bbconeni @bbcnewsline @jolong03 (recently back after a spell at Radio 2, where she spent most of her time telling the mailroom to spot sending her Janice Long’s fanmail) @markdevenport @newslineweather @micjfitz @lylejacko @bbcni @fermanaghjulian

UTV

UTV accounts and journalists worth following include : @utvsport @utvonair @utvlivetonight @judith_utv @markmcfadden (beware : he does bad jokes as well as news) @jamie_utv @kenreid_utv @aideen_utv @pamballantine @sarahclarke_utv @colmcal_utv @ruthgorman_utv @alifleming_utv @marcmallett_utv @utvnews @hagan_utv @paulclark_utv @paul_utv @utv

NI ABROAD

There are plenty of Northern Ireland journalists working outside Northern Ireland on Twitter. Ones worth following are : @holtchris @colinmurray @sabrinasweeney @sarahrainey4 @billneelyitv @paul_gilmour @claireglancy @skyorla @ianwoodssky @jenofcroths @noseforthenews6 @kellyallen01 @eamonnholmes @zoe_salmon

OTHER MEDIA

Other journalists worth following include : @simoncalder (Travel journalist, often found on Breakfast TV) @suttonnick (BBC journalist who posts front and back pages of the following day’s newspapers) @alstewitn @afneil @hwallop (consumer journalist)

Music journalists worth following are @prodnose @simon_price01 @davidhepworth @popjustice @rockingbob (well, he started off as a music journalist)

News outlets worth following include : @insideireland @metrouk (wish we had Metro in Northern Ireland) @itvnews @theipaper @guideguardian @telegraphsport @skynewsbreak @channel4news @bbcquestiontime (tweeting during Question Time)

TV

The world of TV is well represented on Twitter, with plenty tweeting about it’s curiousities, oddities and brilliance, in the past, present and future. Those worth following include : @radiotimes @putthetellyon @nornironknight @transdiffusion @tvlive @brokentv

JOBS

We all need one unfortunately. Northern Ireland based accounts worth following include : @qubjobs @corvus_jobs @brightwaterni @kennedyrec @coolfmjobs @rehutchinson @nijobfinder @diamondjobs @graftonrec @recruitni @abacusjobs @lynnrecruitment @nijobscom

Also worth following for career advice is @guardiancareers

The Twitter List 2013

The Twitter List 2012

THE TWITTER LIST 2013

You may remember last year, I did a Twitter List. Well, this year, i’ve done an updated version.

It started off because The Independent did a Twitter List, i’d read it, and thought to myself that somebody should do a Northern Ireland version. So I did one myself.

It must be pointed out, that this isn’t an exclusively Northern Ireland list, but mostly.

I’ve updated it for a couple of reasons.

The 2012 was a bit of a rush job, done reactively rather than proactively, I missed some people out who should have went on.

Not only that, but new people worth following have joined Twitter this past year.

Rather embarrassingly, there are some people on the list who have since been unfollowed. The one thing that pisses me off on Twitter is this culture of asking celebs for RTs. I now have a policy of instantly unfollowing anyone who does this. I find it makes my Twitter experience a whole lot better.

(NOTE : There’s a difference between this, and somebody RTing something which has no interest to me. Twitter is a mixed bag, and sometimes people you follow post stuff that means nothing to you. What I object to, is 3rd party spam appearing in my timeline, adverts and cyberchuggers)

It is one of the ‘Fifteen Sins Of Twitter‘

Anyway, enough about what annoys me on Twitter, time to look at the accounts which make Twitter worthwhile.

PUBLIC INFORMATION

Twitter has been utilised by government departments to get information to the public. The recent disturbances and severe weather in Belfast have really emphasised the importance of the role Twitter plays in sharing information

@tanslink_ni is an account detailing any delays or cancellations of buses and/or trains. It’s a manned account, so can respond to queries from members of the public

PSNI have embraced Twitter, with a main account, and a traffic account @psnitraffic @policeserviceni

They also have accounts for each DCU with @psnibelfast covering Belfast. A full list of Twitter accounts for each DCU can be found on here on their website.

BBC NI also have Public Information accounts cover Weather and Traffic @newslineweather @bbcnitravel

Their weather account is manned, responding to the public if needs be, and RTing weather pictures submitted (Angie or Cecilia usually ‘sign off’ at the end of each tweet)

Met Office can be found @metofficeni while Belfast City Council can be found @belfastcc

BBCNI

BBC NI are well represented on Twitter with @bbconeni and @bbctwoni providing online continuity announcements of what’s on now/next, scheduling changes, etc

A similar account @bbcradioulster covers Radio Ulster

Their main news website can be found @bbcnireland

Meanwhile, @bbcnievents keeps you up to date with events and recordings coming up, and how to apply for tickets.

Journalists and Broadcasters worth following on Twitter include :

@traves91 @jimfitzbiz @jolong03 @markdevenport @emilytbelfast @taramillstv @alansimpsonbbc @ciarariddell @fermanaghjulian @jacqmci @mckenp @collettasmith @sabrinasweeney @mlchealth @tv_natasha

UTV

UTV were the first of the two local broadcasters to really use Twitter, and are unsurprisingly, well represented.

@utvonair is their online continuity, keeping viewers up to date with scheduled programming.

@utv @utvnews and @utvsport are the best accounts to follow for news stories on their website, while @utvlivetonight covers their late night news programme.

Disappointly, Frank Mitchell (@franku105) doesn’t use the Twitpic feature to do ‘Weatherwatchers’ *sigh*

Other Journalists and Broadcasters worth following include :

@pamballantine @sarahclarke_utv @kenreid_utv @dt_utv @judith_utv @jamie_utv @paul_utv @ruthgorman_utv @saraneill_utv @markmcfadden @paulclark_utv @colmmcal_utv @alifleming_utv @marcmallett_utv @hagan_utv

OTHER NORTHERN IRELAND MEDIA

Print Journalists and Media are well represented on Twitter

@beltel and @thesundaylife are active Twitter accounts, but disappointingly, don’t post front covers.

@news_letter does post front page covers on the evening before publication, mainly thanks to @hackedoffhack

@nitravelnews and @gomagonline are the Twitter presence of two local publications and well worth following

To find out what is trending in Belfast, @trendsbelfast is worth a follow.

For press photography, mostly (but not exclusively) music, follow @Shoottothrill and @carriedavenport

A mate of mine helps run @insideireland – so get following

Journalists worth following include :

@connollymaeve @bigivanlittle @worldinaglass @janeveitchtv @mrsghenderson @saragirvan @maureencoleman1 @kimsshowbizlife @edwinmcfee

NORTHERN IRELAND MEDIA FURTHER AFIELD

There are also Northern Ireland journalists, now living outside Northern Ireland, on Twitter.

Those worth following include :

@sarahrainey4 @billneelyitv @paul_gilmour @skyorla @claireglancy @ianwoodssky @jenofcroths @kellyallen01 @eamonnholmes

FABB/NI BLOGGERS

@rudedoodle deserves a category of her own. If you love Pop Culture jokes/references and have a dark sense of humour, get following. She’s also Ulster’s Queen of Kitsch.

FABB (Fashion and Beauty Bloggers) is a network of bloggers promoted by @sugahgal

A full list of blogs can be found here

@love_belfast is a listings site for all things Belfast and worth a follow.

NORTHERN IRELAND PR/ADVERTISING/MARKETING

PR/Advertising/Marketing in Northern Ireland is well represented. A list of organisations on Twitter include :

@aikenpr @avbgroup @mcenewsfeed @morrowcomms @goodandbadpr @freshwaterniroi @katiewaddell1 @asitisconsult @ljkcomms @levymccallum @lighthouseni @ambitiondigital @nlbothwell @duffyrafferty @jprnewswire @chambrepa @seriouspr @stakeholderlive @shamelesspr @cathy_martin

New to this category is @sineaddoyle having been listed under ‘Journalism’ last year

MUSIC

Northern Ireland’s two big summer gigs @tennentsvital and @belsonicbelfast have a Twitter presence but are currently dormant, but will be active once headliners are announced.

@ticketmasterire and @mcd_productions will have gig news in Belfast and beyond, while @odysseyarena @limelightni and @ohyeahcentre all promote their own events.

In media terms, @acrosstheline and @aumagazine are worth following

POLITICS

I don’t actually follow many politicians on Twitter, but in journalism terms, @alexkane221b and @afneil are worth a follow.

For interactivity, @bbcquestiontime is worth following. Just a pity it’s never on in Northern Ireland at the same time as the rest of the UK.

JOBS

We all need one unfortunately, and they often get in the way of Tweeting. Agencies and websites on Twitter worth following include :

@nijobfinder @diamond jobs @graftonrec @nijobs @abacusjobs @lynnrecruitment @nijobscom

IRISH LEAGUE

The top flight clubs :

@Ballinamallard @BallymenaUnited @cliftonvillefc @ColeraineFC @CrusadersFC @donegalcelticfc @DgnSwifts @Glenavon_FC @Glentoran @OfficialBlues @distilleryworld @Portadownfc

You may have noticed that Linfield now have an official Twitter presence, after I had complained about there not being one last year (I don’t think they set one up because I complained though)

Thankfully, this hasn’t meant the end of the excellent (unofficial) @linfield_fc account, which is worth following

Clubs outside the top flight worth a follow include :

@larnefc @bangorfc @ardsfc1900 @carrickrangers

News outlets worth following include :

@bbcsportni @danskebankprem @newslettersport @talkinballs @officialirishfa @thesocialclubni

Journalists worth following include :

@markmcintosh @egrantcameron @nikkigregg27 @nialfoster @andrewgillan @keithjbailie @holtchris @laurejames @taggartjoel @liam_beckett @grahamluneybt @garethfullerton @ourlogie

FOOTBALL

For photography the following are worth a follow :

@homesoffootball @goingtothematch

Journalists/Commentators/Pundits worth following include :

@gnev2 @benhibbs @willdowningcomm @andymitten @henrywinter @nickcoppack @talkdants @talksportgeoff @patmurphybbc @jasonmbbc @johncrossmirror @janaagefjortoft @sammatterface

Official competition accounts to follow include :

@premierleague @europaleague @championsleague

Two good accounts for Manchester United related stats are @mufcinfodotcom and @rednewsstats

For Welsh football (club and national team) follow @ffwtbol and @blogdroed

Looking at the fun side of football are @stick_football @oldschoolpanini @footballattic @howalanseesit @mufc_facebook @rawk_meltdown @footballcliches @beardedgenius

League Of Ireland stats and trivia are covered by @seidodge while @mirkobolesan covers general stats, trivia and randomness, whilst also writing about African football.

@beautifullyred is for lovers of Gifs and Man United

@bbcmotd gives goal updates and running orders of Match Of The Day

If you’re looking for information on stadiums, then @stadiumguide is worth a follow.

TV

Blogging and writing about TV, and well worth following :

@brokentv @nowtro @unrealitytv @nornironyorkie @tvlive

@tv_am is an online archive of clips from the TV show of the same name

@tvratingsuk produces updates on viewing figures of UK TV shows

@bbcaudiencetix is worth following for news on BBC recordings and how to apply for tickets

@putthetellyon is a fantastic online archive of TV from the good ole days, while @totp1978 posts facts and trivia during the current series of Top Of The Pops on BBC Four, from 1978

MAINLAND UK MEDIA

@suttonnick is worth a follow as he posts the front pages of the following day’s newspapers in the evenings, while @skynewsbreak posts breaking news, as the name suggests

Danny Baker (@prodnose) is worth joining Twitter for, he’s that funny.

Other journalists/writers worth following include :

@paolohewitt1 @rocking_bob @davidhepworth @danwootton @chrisskudder @timcaple @simon_price01

@heatworld is worth following for showbiz news.

JUST FOR FUN

@lamebook – The funniest Facebook status updates and replies

@rocknrolltedium – Boring stories about Rock stars

@sleepycommuters – People sleeping on public transport

@paintissogood – Bad drawings that are so brilliant

So, that’s it. I hope you enjoyed that and have discovered some new Twitter accounts worth following.

To end, he’s some self-publicity, don’t forget to follow me @andrewastewart

THE FIFTEEN SINS OF TWITTER

I love Twitter, but there is one thing that gets on my wick about it. Two little letters …… R and T, and more, the abuse of this function.

What is an RT? It’s hard to explain to someone who isn’t on Twitter, as it is pure Twitter jargon.

It stands for Retweet, basically, it’s like forwarding on an e-mail or passing on information. If something is informative or funny, people can RT it, basically to say “This is something i’ll share with you, but I didn’t say it. It was said by ……”

It’s worth pointing out that people may RT something to highlight it, rather than endorsing it.

Don’t get me wrong, the RT function when used rightly, can be such a good thing, as recently seen during the recent Belfast Floods, where MLAs and Councillors posted advice on how to claim assistance and who to contact, and people forwarded it on.

Politicians and members of the public were regularly posting bulletins on where to avoid. This was Twitter at it’s best. I have benefitted from RTs and forwarding of information, as I have found out about events happening in Belfast from people I don’t follow, and even discovered accounts worth following via this way.

Over the past 18 months, a new trend has emerged where people ask celebs/journalists/organisations for RTs, often spamming peoples timelines with drivel.

So here, are the 15 types of offender. I’m not wanting to come across as the Twitter Police, but it would be bloody great if we could deport these people to Menschn.

1. GRIEF TWEETS

The biggest offenders on Twitter. The term is Dianafication, though it must be stated, somebody can be Dianafied if they’re still alive.

2012 has given Grief Junkies many opportunities to infest Twitter, such as the on pitch heart attack of Fabrice Muamba, Tweeters flocked to their computers to ask celebs for RTs.

Pls RT so that #prayformuamba can trend

Please explain to me how a hashtag is going to make someone better?

Or am I a Luddite living in the best for believing in stuff such as Doctors, Medicine and the NHS?

People tried to outdo each other in a rather grotesque manner to ask celebs to endorse their grief.

Seemingly, posting that they wish for him to make a recovery isn’t enough.

When Stilyan Petrov was diagnosed with Lukemia, the Grief Junkies were out in force to ask for RTs to get #prayforpetrov trending.

The captain of a Premier League club from a major city being seriously ill is hardly going to struggle to trend. But again, how is a trending topic going to make someone better?

There was even a Twitter account set up in his name, it’s only posts being RT requests to Aston Villa players, and hasn’t been updated for three months. Whoever set it up obviously found a new bandwagon to jump on.

Claire Squires tragic death during the London Marathon is one other such example, as Twitter was full of people asking for RTs to link her JustGiving page.

That wasn’t in any way morbid.

2. I HAVE A BLOG

A scourge amongst football journalists, who seem to believe in some unwritten rule about helping others on the way up.

It seems that every 17 year old boy in Britain is busy asking football journalists for RTs for their blog about wether ABC or RPM is the better manager? Should England adopt Spains Tricky Tapas style of play? Is Spain’s False Eyeliner formation the future of football?

I really couldn’t care. If I did, I would be following you. Go out and discover girls and Blue WKd. It’s a lot more fun than asking football journalists for RTs.

3. CHARITY REQUESTS

I’M DOING A CHARITY FUNRUN OR SOMETHING, PLEASE RT!!!!!!!!

Worst thing is, celebs RT this sort of thing because some PR advisor is telling them to do so.

Sob stories are optional.

4. MY MATE’S SHOP

A spin-off of Point 3, as people ask celebs for RTs to give publicity for some new business venture.

The hilarious thing is, celebs advertise crap for free on Twitter they wouldn’t do in person if they were paid.

5. EVERYONE’S A POIROT

A spin-off of Point 1, Missing Person stories seem to bring out the worst in Twitter Grief Junkies.

Despite being highlighted in the media and being handled by trained professionals, people on Twitter feel as if it is their duty to find them.

Do they go out and help with the search? Erm, no, they fire off RT requests to celebs. And this helps how?

6. GOOD LUCK TWEETS

Got an exam coming up? Don’t bother revising, just ask a celeb for a Good Luck RT and you’ll definately pass.

If Point 1 s the Dianafication of Twitter, then this is the HugoDuncanification of Twitter.

7. SATURDAY MORNING FOOTBALL TWEETS

Quiet at the moment, but just wait until August, as every Saturday morning, footballers will be RTing RT requests from people who are on a bus en route to a football match.

I’m going to the game today, pls RT

Now, I go and watch Linfield most weeks, but do I need to get Michael Gault to share this with Twitter? Erm, no.

So footballers, please stop RTing this drivel and just concentrate on the game.

8. COMIC RELIEF

A seasonal one this, only arising when one of the BBC’s charity galas are on TV.

Instead of lying in a bath of baked beans, people now ask celebs for RTs, using Comic Relief as a front.

For every RT I get, i’ll give £1 to charity. Pls RT.

Just give £20 to charity and get the fuck off my timeline.

9. AWARENESS

Please RT to raise awareness of something.

Yeah, cheers for that, what am I supposed to do with this new found awareness?

10. SICK KIDS

Another spin-off of Point 1, where people adopt sick kids as a cause celebre, come up with a catchy hashtag and ask celebs for RTs.

Worst ones are the “Bucket list” ones, where seemingly every sick kid dreams of trending on Twitter before they die. I trended on Twitter once (In London, after doing a joke about Delia Smith which got RTed so many times) and it was OK, nothing special.

11. BIRTHDAY RTs

Please RT it’s my birthday.

Congratulations, you’ve managed to wake up and not die on 365 successive occasions. Well done, you truly are a giant amongst humanity.

Worst ones are “An RT would make my day”

If getting an RT off a celeb is “The highlight of my day” I think you need a pretty serious life re-evaluation.

12. BIG FAN

I’m a big fan, please RT.

Erm, yeah. Thanks for sharing that with us.

13. CAUSES

Pls RT to get signatures for this petition, or some hashtag urging us to boycott products, brands or countries, or even Alan Davies (Especially stuff I don’t buy or countries I don’t visit)

Now, I follow politicians on Twitter, and if people want to tweet about politics, that’s no problem, but I don’t want people ramming their political ideas down my throat if I don’t follow them.

If a message needs an RT from a celeb, it’s clearly not a strong message.

14. STAN TWEETS

You know the song ‘Stan‘ by Eminem, about an obsessed fan wanting to be friends with a celebrity? Yeah, that.

People who begin RT requests with “How come you never RT me?”

That is in no way sinister or threatening.

15. MORE FOLLOWERS

Pls RT so I can get more followers.

You know, you would probably get more followers if you didn’t spam Twitter with RT requests to get more followers. Just saying.

On the other side of the fence, celebs who do “I’ll follow someone at random of everyone who RTs this” tweets.

If Gary Barlow wants to follow me on Twitter, he’s more than welcome. I sure ain’t going to beg for it Gary.