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A FIANNA FÁIL councillor has refused to comment after remarks he made last year, where he described lesbian couples having babies as “gross”, were published this morning.
A recording of Roscommon county councillor Paddy Kilduff making the remarks in February of last year has been published by The Irish Sun, which leads with the story on its front page today.
In comments regarding the same-sex marriage referendum, Kilduff is heard to say: ”Personally I won’t be voting for it and the reason I am not voting for it – no problem with gays and lesbians – but the problem I have is with the children.
“We have enough problems with children being adopted and they’re going back looking for their parents, they’re going to have some job when two men adopt a child.”
To laughter from the audience, Kilduff said:
They won’t know who’s who and when you have two women having babies and artificially inseminated… It’s gross, it’s gross. So I won’t be supporting it anyway, so you can take that back to Dublin.
Contacted by TheJournal.ie this morning, Kilduff repeatedly refused to comment on what he said nearly a year ago, insisting several times: “I won’t be making any comment whatsoever.”
Asked specifically if he still believed lesbians having babies is “gross”, Kilduff said: ”I am very, very sorry, I won’t be making any comment.”
Asked why he is not commenting, he said: “I just won’t be. That might change in time, but I’m not making any comment.”
Fianna Fáil said the councillor was speaking in a “personal capacity”.
Kilduff had prefaced his recorded remarks last February by saying he believed Fianna Fáil was cooperating too much with Fine Gael and Labour on issues such as abortion and gay marriage.
He said that he had no problem with gay and lesbian couples living together, but said he had a problem with Fianna Fáil agreeing to same-sex marriage.
Roscommon-South Leitrim was the only constituency in the country that did not pass the referendum in May 2015, voting 51.42% to 48.58% against same-sex marriage.
Fianna Fáil was beset by problems during the campaign.
While the party leadership gave strong backing to a Yes vote there was considerable disquiet over the failure of some members to canvass for the referendum’s passage.
Senator Averil Power quit the party days after the referendum passed, saying Fianna Fáil’s campaign had been cowardly and cynical, and symbolised “everything that is wrong with the party”.
A Fianna Fáil spokesperson told TheJournal.ie this morning that Kilduff’s remarks are not new, but added:
Fianna Fáil supported the Marriage Referendum and we were the first party to pass a motion that was debated at the 2012 Ard Fheis. This person was speaking in a personal capacity.
The spokesperson added that Kilduff remains a member of the party.
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One of the truly great songwriters, one of lifes mystery’s is how he made 60, a true testament to the resilience of the human body.
Congrats Shane, deserves it
Legend !
@Gavin O’Brien: absolute legend,
Such a pity Dolores o Riordan didn’t get one also.
He looks in a bad way.
@@Kevinro1980:
What happened to him?
@@Kevinro1980: Dubliners song seven drunken nights comes to mind
@John Byrne: 40+ years of alcohol and drug abuse will do that to you. Unless you’re Keith Richards, in which case you walk away unscathed. I think Shane also broke his hip recently.
Would love to have been at this,absolutely love Shane McGowan, and to top it all off,Nick Cave was there too,would literally have fainted on the spot,Anyway congratulations Shane,legend.
Well deserved but, something tells me 2018 may claim him soon too
The greatest poet of my lifetime.
One of Ireland’s most talented artists
Immensely talented, no doubt about that, but he’s from England not Ireland.
@O Swetenham: born in England to irish parents, spent the first 6 and a half years of his life in Tipperary, considers himself Irish and has spent more of his life living in Ireland than England. That makes him irish in my opinion.
@Dermot Lane: Yeah you’re right. I’m being a wee bit pedantic I suppose.
The picture reminds me of one of those creepy Victorian post mortem photos where family members would pose for one last family photo with the dressed up corpse.
@TechProducts: he looks like a waxwork statue
Does anybody know if this was recorded and if so will it be made available for viewing?
@Brian Brogan: There was a some professional camera men there last night along with notices saying it was being recorded so hopefully it will become available.
Incredible night but I was annoyed to see some empty seats in front of us from no shows when there was a few hundred people queuing up outside hoping to get a ticket.
@Brian Brogan: Yes it was recorded.
Everyone loves him now.
Very well deserved. What a great night that must have been!
what a poet. Well deserved
who’s the guy dressed up as Johnny Depp?
@Johnhunky Dory: Oh… it IS Johnny Depp!!
@Johnhunky Dory: Bah humbug, I like Johnny Depp…
@Johnhunky Dory: don’t think he will offering to blast Shane out of a canon when he goes .
Thompson cost him a packet
When he was good he was very good, the music industry,it’s not for the faint hearted
have your say