EVERY SATURDAY MORNING we take a look at all the best comments left on the site by our readers over the past seven days.

This week there was a lot of talk about Alan Shatter (again), the Irish in Australia, racism in Ireland and Wozilroy.

So here are the standout comments from the week that was.

The 5 most popular comments this week

David Goldman / PA Wire David Goldman / PA Wire / PA Wire

1. Trevor W got the most amount of thumbs up – 1,842 – for this comment on a piece about an alleged assault in Australia. 

….and there’s the people that Ireland does not miss.

2. Puns were a-flying on Wednesday when news of Rory McIlroy and Caroline Wozniacki’s split emerged. Aasif made the Top Five with this after getting 1,766 thumbs up. 

She’ll be OK! Love means nothing to tennis players anyway! #newballsplease

3. Commenting on a story about a man deliberately crashing a car into a street light, The Hungry Boards got 1,757 green thumbs.

Why?? Just why??
Some fools that walk this planet would just have you baffled. What a complete tool of a yoke, waster.

4. Donal Costello kept it short and simple on David Moyes this week. He got 1,330 thumbs for his efforts. 

Looks like he’s finally learned how to attack

5. On the same article, BPA Free Paper Rolls got 1,296 thumbs of the right colour.  

After locking them up they should have any wages or dole docked untill full payment and interest is paid in full

The top 5 articles which received the most comments this week

1. ‘Shocking’ racist messages to be removed immediately from N7 (386 comments)

2. Almost 50 per cent of voters think Gerry Adams was involved in Jean McConville’s killing (317 comments)

3. Alan Shatter will donate severance payments to Jack & Jill Foundation (273 comments)

4. European candidates asked about abortion legislation… here’s what they said (259 comments)

5. Cork Bishop backs same-sex civil marriage (252 comments)

Some of the best comments left on the site this week

We’ve heard much about the Irish health system this week but Laura Cleary has been living it for the past five years after a freak incident when she was 21. She explains her story:

This is a much much more serious disease than people realise, I’m from Tipperary got bitten when I was 21 in my back field, I’m now 26 and still housebound due to this horrendous disease. Misdiagnosed for 2 years due to unreliable blood testing in Ireland, I never had a bullseye rash, most people don’t, a tick will numb you before it bites you so you won’t feel it. Couldn’t get access to treatment due to my negative blood test although the testing is wrong, had to go abroad for accurate testing which showed I had stage 3 chronic Lyme disease and a cocktail of co infections, too little too late unfortunately, I have had 16 months of IV antibiotics in total, some through A Hickman line into my heart, daily! All paid for privately thanks to fundraising done on my behalf in Thurles, I have had to learn how to make my own IV bags, administer meds through my line by myself, stuff no sick person should have to do, and only for the fundraising and money to get a line put in, saline, flushes, given sets, needle bins, needles, ampules of vitimans, IV antibiotics, I would totally disabled now, I’ve come a long way but still a huge way to go and only for people helping me to raise funds I was left to rot by the “health system” shame shame shame on the Irish health system who continue to cover the truth of what irish patients are going through with this disease!!

Millions of babies across the world every year do not receive birth certificates and/or their births aren’t registered. Bernadette Dunne shared her family’s experience from 57 years ago:

I’m a twin who was born 57 years ago,My twin sister passed away on day 2 of life and she was never registered until 8 years ago….. By late registering her.i personally needed to have a birth Cerys for her. You see I am a twin and we as twins there is a strong connection between us which most people will never understand.i was given a name and telephone no., of a gentleman (whom I call my angel) who told me what was needed and how to go about it all. His advise was so clear and as I knew where My twin is buried which I visit regularly I was able to get photos of records of the cemetery entry of her burial. During all this time I was able to contact my angel to ask advise. My Twin sisters registration took me about six weeks. I found that it was very upsetting…1 at long last I was making her count both with family and the world…. (A teacher told me in 4 th class that she did not count) … 2 I found it emotional as if I brought her to life for a few short weeks to have let her die again.When I tell folk that I am a twin but unfortunately she passed away their reply is. ” Oh you were a twin” and I just answer “No I am a twin. Born a twin die a twin” But all babies matter and all babies Born alive or dead should be registered and parents should be able to have a birth and death cert after all that is all they will have to treasure…….All Babies Matter

Emer Brannigan was able to empathise:

My son Thomas is a twin, we lost his brother Declan when I was 20 wks pregnant. I know exactly what you mean about being able to register your sister. Although my son was born sleeping I registered him because even though we never got to meet him or hear him cry or see him smile he did exist and being able to register him meant the world knew he existed even for a short while. I’m so glad for you that you could do that for your sister. She counted because she was there, she grew inside your mam with you x x x

Golfer Rory McIlroy put out a statement on Wednesday morning, confirming that he had a change of heart about his imminent nuptials to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki. The situation the young twenty-somethings found themselves in reminded Pickart Solny of this AE Housman poem.

When I was one-and-twenty
I heard a wise man say,
“Give crowns and pounds and guineas
But not your heart away;
Give pearls away and rubies
But keep your fancy free.”
But I was one-and-twenty,
No use to talk to me.When I was one-and-twenty
I heard him say again,
“The heart out of the bosom
Was never given in vain;
’Tis paid with sighs a plenty
And sold for endless rue.”
And I am two-and-twenty,
And oh, ’tis true, ’tis true.

The Consumer Show examined the cost of fizzy drinks in public houses across Ireland during the week. This was Symbolism‘s assessment.

Enjoy soft drinks sensibly. Don’t buy them in pubs.

Ex-Shelbourne boss Dermot Keely called the 42,000 people who watched Liverpool play at the Aviva Stadium last week ‘morons’. He kicked off quite a debate in the comments section. We feel ruairí did a better job at defending LOI football.

Ted Carroll got deep when we asked readers if they’d ever been untruthful to a politicians.

Emer McLysaght explored the pain of those who have no middle name last weekend – and it brought out the MOST IRISH stories you all have. Here’s a selection but we recommend reading the entire thread if you fancy a giggle.

From Jason Stenson:

My middle name is Michael and in my stupidity and the fact my parents didnt pick up on it either i picked Michael as my conformation name so im now affectionately known as “mick mick”

And another from Zoe Kelly:

I don’t have one and I am the only one of my siblings (there is 8 of us!) Without one. Unloved……Or my folks ran outta names by the time they got to me…..*sigh*

The final word to Ada Uí Shúilleabháin:

I’ve always been called by my middle name. (My mother said the local priest didn’t approve of fancy, non-Christian names! )Any legal documents, passports, driver’s licence etc all use my first name. This can be confusing in the bank when I’m filling out slips and have to ask for another because I’ve used the wrong name! It’s probably not a good place to joke about having too many aliases to keep track of!

Non-Christian names! NOTIONS!

Spot any good comments? Send them through to us by email at sinead@thejournal.ie.