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No refunds "at the moment" after Lance Armstrong pulls out of Irish conference

The organisers of the sport and tech conference say that they are looking at “legal things” in relation to refunds.

THE ORGANISERS OF the One Zero Conference have “a number of legal things” they want to look it in relation to possible refunds after Lance Armstrong pulled out of an appearance at the event.

However, the event’s organiser confirmed this morning that they are not currently offering refunds to the sports and tech event, though they could not say if they definitely won’t be offering money back.

Armstrong, who was one of 30 speakers booked in for the conference at the RDS this weekend, pulled out of One Zero last night. 

Tickets for One Zero cost from €175 for a general admission day ticket to €775 for a VIP ticket which offers priority seating and VIP events.

One Zero Conference organiser Rob Hartnett told Morning Ireland on Radio One this morning that the organisers “didn’t have any inkling that there was going to be a problem” with Armstrong.

There have been “very small numbers” wanting their money back, he said.

On Newstalk’s Off the Ball show last night, One Zero co-founder Richie Barrett said:

“We sold tickets on the basis that this was One Zero sports and tech conference – there are 37 speakers, 20 international… Glastonbury is about more than Beyoncé, One Zero is about more than Lance.”

Of the athlete’s decision to pull out, Hartnett told Morning Ireland:

He cited legal reasons, the advice of his legal team, the forthcoming court case which we all knew about, he knew about, we knew about on 2 November… [he said] he would be better advised not to be speaking in public in that environment.

Hartnett said that One Zero Conference was not going to do a soft interview with former cyclist Armstrong, who was stripped of all seven of his Tour de France titles after being found guilty of doping.

“[We] never had any intention of this being anything other than a tough interview. There was no point in bringing him over here and just sort of dealing him soft balls that he could bat to the sidelines,” said Hartnett. “It was always going to be you know a tough interview, we wanted to talk to him about his past and about the future of his sport.”

He said that the team was “completely transparent” with Armstrong about this.

Hartnett said One Zero Conference is “disappointed for people”, but added:

We probably got an awful lot more supportive messages overnight about the fact that he’s not going to be here, that it actually makes it a better conference.

He said they had had “serious doubts” initially about interviewing Armstrong due to his past behaviour, but then realised “that the only way we are going to get to the bottom of cheating in sport is to actually talk to the people who have been there”.

He said that refunds are not being given at the moment.

A number of attendees have been tweeting the organisers asking about the possibility of refunds.

The conference had come under fire earlier this month over the amount of female speakers taking part in the event.

One Zero Con apologised for having “fallen short in our first year” and pledged to do better.

At that point, there was just one woman due to speak at the event.

The conference now has a total of five female speakers, out of 34 billed speakers (not including Armstrong).

Read: ’He has let us down’ – organisers react to Armstrong’s withdrawal from Dublin conference>

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44 Comments
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    Mute Larry Whack
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:26 PM

    A dose of thumps would do that lad no harm.

    186
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    Mute Shane McGettrick
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    Feb 12th 2016, 11:27 PM

    Douchebaggery. God be with the times when this stuff would see you labelled a bol*x, not an internet sensation.

    123
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Feb 13th 2016, 1:41 AM

    haha you guys.

    5
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    Mute Uncle Denise
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:26 PM

    How is this news? I want interesting news not crap like this!!!

    129
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    Mute Tomás O'Loughlin
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:28 PM

    It’s the Daily Edge. Want news, read a newspaper. DE is for entertainment/switching off from too much news.

    48
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    Mute Johnneary
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:24 PM

    I find the title of this article is a tad bit disingenuous.
    Real men don’t do these things.

    25
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    Mute Byyys
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:26 PM

    A whooping 82,742 Views… I guess from a journalist point of view this has gone “viral”?

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    Mute Your Defence
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:58 PM

    1.2 million on YouTube, only been up a day.

    35
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    Mute Eoin Milner
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:29 PM

    Shared….

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    Mute Eoin Milner
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:29 PM

    Like it matters anyway….

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    Mute Notthatguy
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    Feb 13th 2016, 12:42 AM

    Ya make money from hits….. This guy had a plan, and it seems to be working, so fair play, ignore what many Irish are famous for, begrudgers……

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    Mute bacoxy
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:26 PM

    She has set a good eggsample to other mothers

    53
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    Mute Jonny Irish
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    Feb 12th 2016, 11:51 PM

    You’re some yolk!

    24
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    Mute Noel Tate
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    Feb 13th 2016, 11:33 AM

    That pun doesn’t egg-wash with me.

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:56 PM

    I wouldn’t dare throw an egg at my mammy , it’s so disrespectful .. Plus the fact that l would be more afraid of what gets thrown back at me !

    41
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    Mute john truman
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:18 PM

    I would throw him out of the house

    26
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    Mute Luke Sarpish
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:28 PM

    Jackass was doing this stuff 15 years ago.Have no idea why there is an article on this. Is he going to become a drug addict and kill himself in a car crash too?.

    25
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    Mute family guy
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:15 PM

    Luke the kids of today don’t recall jackass. It’s all new to them.

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    Mute Dave Meagher
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    Feb 13th 2016, 12:14 AM

    Right that’s it, I want to leave this planet.

    18
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    Mute baz newham
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    Feb 12th 2016, 11:16 PM

    Like throwing eggs at your mother !…..like who gives a f&&k!

    15
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    Mute Cill Dará Abú
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    Feb 12th 2016, 11:22 PM

    Oh big man, throwing eggs and his mum. Has he no mates to this sort of idiotic prank on

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    Mute zebedee
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    Feb 12th 2016, 9:31 PM

    I do eggsactly the same to my mam each day….but my mam’s better. If she lets the egg fall its scrambled for breakfast….if she catches, it’s boiled or fried sunny side up.

    12
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    Mute John Fergus
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    Feb 12th 2016, 11:18 PM

    well presumably the video is monetized and some people will subscribe to his channel after seeing this video. this could be a very good money spinner for him, hopefully he will deal in his long suffering mother………….otherwise he’s a c##t.

    8
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    Mute fitzz30
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    Feb 13th 2016, 12:06 AM

    Wow that guy is amazing. He should get his own tv show with a prime time slot.

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    Mute Zandranalily
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    Feb 13th 2016, 3:10 AM

    She should try throwing a few back.

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    Mute John Doe
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    Feb 12th 2016, 10:56 PM

    Mad yoke..

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    Mute Malcolm Lackey
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    Feb 13th 2016, 12:40 PM

    I like the way no one is taking responsibility for putting this tripe up!! No one wants to see a poor oul one getting egged, why yas even giving this sap publicity?

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    Mute ginger tomcat
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    Feb 13th 2016, 11:34 AM

    What would be nice is if a few people return favour to him at unexpected points throughout next year

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    Mute Lilly Ella
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    Feb 13th 2016, 8:07 AM

    I think it’s great craic…….as long as he does the cleaning up after an egg breaks.

    1
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