EVERY SATURDAY MORNING we take a look at all the best comments left on the site by our readers over the past seven days.
Jack Charlton, a shocking video from Texas and Ireland’s abortion laws had you all talking this week.
So here are our top comments from the week that was…
The 5 most popular comments this week
1. We all got a bit nostalgic when former Ireland manager Jack Charlton made an appearance at the Aviva Stadium last Sunday.
The most popular comment on that story – and the site – went to Damien Butler after 3,089 of you gave him the thumbs up for this:
We’re all part of Jackies Army……
2. Many of you were angered following the death of 13-year-old Izabel Lazamana, who took her own life after her father posted a ‘public shaming’ video of her online.
2,680 of you agreed with Catherine‘s view:
What a disgusting thing for anyone to do, especially a father, to a 13 year old girl!Holding her down and cutting off her hair, recording it and posting it online to publicly shame and humiliate her??He may not have committed a crime (questionable in my eyes) but I hope he lives with her death, that is a disgusting thing to do to anyone.RIP Izabel
3. Cian O Donoghue clearly tapped into a deep-rooted fear held by many people – well, 2,168 of you at least.
Imagine the fear of rear ending a car and seeing Roy Keane step out….
4. Catherine got another top comment this week, after 1,581 of you agreed with her views on Ibrahim Halawa:
Oh yeah, he is moaning about his Human Rights. What about him attending a pro Muslim Brotherhood rally in Egypt… They would take away integral human rights from everyone had they gained power, especially against women and gay people. But that would be ok for him, he only cares about human rights when it suits him and affects him??Also stop trying to make the Irish Government appear incompetent to the media, this hunger strike and claiming the Irish government doesn’t care for him because he is not ‘white’ is not really endearing him to his ”fellow country men and women”.
5. Another comment on the story about Izabel Lazamana made it into our top five this week, as 1,504 of you approved of what luke frankus had to say:
It has to be some form of child abuse? Definitely mental abuse! You cant do that to your daughter, no matter what she’s done! Rip
The top 5 articles which received the most comments this week
1. 177,000 women have left Ireland for abortions since 1971 (264 comments)
2. “A thumping majority” – High Court rejects two legal challenges to the marriage referendum (236 comments)
3. Have you paid your water charges bill? Paul Murphy thinks most people haven’t… (232 comments)
4. Public sector workers shouldn’t get disproportionate pay increases over everyone else (221 comments)
5. WATCH: Texas cop throws black girl in a bikini to the ground, threatens teens with gun (215 comments)
Standout comments of the week
There was an interesting discussion in the comments section under an article about palliative care for cancer patients.
molly coddled shared her own, positive, experience:
My experience of the palliative care system here has been excellent. My mam was diagnosed with inoperable terminal pancreatic cancer in May 2014, she was immediately assigned a palliative care team, and the service from the nurses, doctors, public health nurse, pharmacists and complimentary therapists etc., was second to none. They constantly monitored and adjusted her medicine, ensuring she suffered no pain whatsoever. She came and lived with us for her final months with very little hospitalisation, she was happy and we got to spend time with a very special person, and that was magical. So please, unless you have had experience of this service do not knock it, it is one area that the HSE have got right.
Meanwhile, Geraldine Renton got a really good reaction for her honest portrayal of life as a full-time carer.
Here’s what some of you had to say…
Having not long ago become a parent to a child with some minor issues I for one have nothing but respect for you. generally after a long shift I try to take over when I get home because let’s face it, parenting is tougher than any outside job most of us have ever done and my partner needs a break more than I need to sit in front of the TV
Geraldine you are a great woman and i understand how you feel i have a son who is 14 with adhd and dyspraxia .i dont have the same problems as you but i have a toddler as well as a 9 year old who is dyslexic and has a rough year in school but unless anyone has a child/children with any issues they dont know what its like they cant be looking down their noses and judgemental
In a discussion about Rachel Dolezal, a white activist who disguised herself as black for several years, Mrs Shalakalananaka wrote:
It’s a bit different from Caitlyn Jenner though, because she didn’t completely make up her whole backstory in order to get famous of sexism that never happened and join a women’s rights group, she just came out as transgender.And let’s be honest, Jenner has way more to hide. She’s the one who married a Kardashian and has fecking Kanye West as a step son-in-law. Like I thought my family was bad.
On an entirely different note, O Swetenham was bang on the money with this comment about the Simpsons:
Watching new episodes of the Simpsons is like hanging out with a childhood friend who’s become addicted to crystal meth. It’s absolutely heart breaking.
Oh, 1996 – how we miss you.
On the same article there was a truly wonderful moment when this happened:
All together now:
Speaking of getting nostalgic, an Italia ’90 story got Ciara thinking about the past:
I was born the night of the Ire V Italy match and my mam couldn’t get to Holles street hospital with the crowds on the streets! Thanks for reminding me I’ll be 25 soon!!
Recalling another era, there’s one thing from the Celtic Tiger that Denise McGowan really misses:
There was better toilet roll during those tiger years too. #WhoseArseMissesTheSoftness
And finally, Aaron Kavanagh had this to say about 32 homegrown rides that will make you proud to be Irish:
You know, I don’t think this article was objectifying.I think sometimes it’s OK to sit back and say “That person’s a ride.” That’s human, you know? It only becomes a problem when you can only view people as rides, and not as full people. It’s alright to acknowledge that people are rides, but once you start viewing others worth by how much you want to ride them, then it becomes a problem. Then it becomes objectification.I think now we’re living in a society that’s a little bit afraid to acknowledge to each other that they’re rides, for fear of objectifying them. But I don’t think that’s healthy. I think it’s pretty regressive, and denies natural urges we have to want to ride people. Sometimes it might even brighten up a person’s day if you acknowledge they’re a ride. If I was one of the people on this list, I’d probably be over the moon. As long as you can be respectful about it and understand that just because you think someone’s a ride, and because you acknowledge that, doesn’t mean that person is under any obligation to ride you, then it’s fine.Keep it up, Nicola. You’re doing a service to society, you ride.
On the same article, Arthur Pewty kindly shared his concern for the author:
poor Nicola must be hot under the collar at work after this. stay strong Nic
You’ll be glad to know Nicola’s doing okay, now she’s had a couple of days to recover.
See any good comments? Send them on to orla@thejournal.ie
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