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 Michaella McCollum, Gaza and the teenage disco.
So here are the standout comments from the week that was.
The 5 most popular comments this week
1. Dee4 had this to say about Michaella McCollum Connolly. It’s not the first time we heard that one, but 2,574 readers gave her a green thumb anyway.
that bun of hers could easily hold a kilo
2. Ah now, Shane Hickey, no need to be so cynical about Jamie and Katie’s #loveatfirstflight fun. But 2,202 of you seemed to agree with him.
Good on ya Jamie. That’s the Canadian visa sorted….
3. And another comment on Michaella McCollum Connolly that received 2,001 thumbs up. This one by Rob Cahill.
Why is the media trying to make her a Celebrity?? I can already see her in Big Brother or the Jungle after her stretch..
4. Fourth slot goes to Tom Toms who taught us all a lesson after a DailyEdge.ie post about the things you learn when you turn 29. He received 1,838 green thumbs.
I liked this article Emer. I’m 29. And have slight freak outs every now and again where I say to myself JESUS U ARE 29!. I’m loosing hair I’m convinced of it. I’m getting wrinkles on my forehead too….which annoys me. Then I think about my brother who passed away last year and all the people who never made it to 29 and will never have the chance to worry about getting old and wrinkles, who will never worry about having kids or settling down or worry about their kids when they have them. It’s so sad. Ageing and death are the only real certainties in life. Instead of worrying about aging, be grateful that you are. Make it to your 80s if you can. You’ll get there by Doing everything in moderation…including moderation! ;). And what ever age you are reading this..just remember; There are a hell of a lot of people who would have loved to have made it to your age.
(Thanks Tom, I’m 29 too)
5. And sneaking into the Top 5 is another comment about McCollum Connolly. Paul Radford got 1,750 green ones.
The top 5 articles which received the most comments this week
1. Here’s how Russia’s ban on most EU food imports affects Ireland… (408 comments)
2. Eight-year-old Palestinian girl killed six minutes into Israeli-declared ceasefire (403 comments)
3. Gaza truce in tatters as 27 are killed by intensive Israeli shelling (386 comments)
4. UN chief says today’s strike on a UN school is “a criminal act” (366 comments)
5. Protesters hold Israel boycott ‘die-ins’ at several Dublin stores (348 comments)
The big issue this week
With the new Health Minister delaying plans for Universal Health Insurance earlier in the week and Ireland’s nurses flagging severe overcrowding problems again on Friday, it looks like a tough first few weeks on the job for Leo Varadkar. We asked you yesterday about your experiences at Irish hospitals. Daniel Jay Kay kicked things off.
My Dad went from getting his last rights in the intensive care unit, where they did pull off miracles, straight into the general ward. He got little or no care there with 16 beds to one nurse. It wasn’t long before he was back in ICU, where luckily there was space. They have a fully rigged multimillion high dependency ward in Beaumont but have no staff for it. In the end we were blessed we had vhi and got him into the matter private, otherwise i don’t think he would have made it.
Read the rest of the Open Thread here.
Pun(s) of the week
This little lad was born in Dublin Zoo this year and has just made his debut to visitors. You were all delighted, as was our resident pun-ilist Paul Hosford.
Some of our favourite comments
Alex, the 10-year-old filmed above, talks about the death of her father by suicide. Below is a comment from her mother following some comments from people who have been angered by suicide.
Hi guys… I’m Alex’s mother and thanks guys for your support… I can see where you’re coming from fawzi with your comment. I know lots of people just don’t get it and their reaction is anger towards the poor soul that took their own life.I have met many people who are filled with hurt, anger and pain because they lost a loved one to suicide and they can not forgive. I’m one of the lucky ones…I never felt anger or hatred towards the kids’ dad for leaving us the way he did… instead I have accepted it from the get go… I have no room for hatred in my heart nor would I like my children to grow up with nothing but resentment towards their dad….because at the end of the day the only one they are hurting is themselves.I want my kids to grow up and be proud of who they are…to not carry shame or attach the pain of suicide to them like a life sentence….to hide a secret from every new person they meet throughout their lives….I want the kids to live a beautiful, happy life…as we all know we are only here for a short time and we need to make most out of life…even through the tough times…life is for living…love and light to you all.
We were fondly reliving memories of teenage discos with DailyEdge.ie and Eileen McKenna floored us with this sweet story.
Back in the 70s the disco was in the De La Salle School Hall in Wicklow. Met a guy. Slow danced to Sad Sweet Dreamer. Snogged in the science lab. Fell in love. Broke up. Met up again 30 yrs later. He’s here on the sofa beside me now and still my teenage heartthrob
Finally, TJ Voices asked you during the week for your earliest memories. Here’s a short selection. From Gavin Bailey:
I remember climbing into a sleeping bag with my dad while camping when I was two and a half, summer 1975. He died January 1976 so it’s the most important memory I have from childhood. :)
Another from Jed I. Knight, the little pup:
I can remember falling out of my pram and busting my nose, I’m told I was about a year old when it happened. When I told my mother about this I was in my 30′s, she had difficulty believing I could remember it, and acknowledged that it did happen, she only believed me when I was able to describe the details, from my perspective.
I have a few other memories, from childhood but I think you only remember periods that were very emotive to you, great pain, great sadness, great happiness etc. I’m not even going to try explaining why I remember this one, but I remember standing on the kitchen table as my younger brother crawled on the floor, I couldn’t have been any more than two at the time. As he crawled on the floor beneath me… I pis*ed down on top of him. Ah, happy memories.
And, you have our nodding approval here, Donnsie:
I can remember sitting in the high chair, being fed by my mother and hearing her say “here comes the choo choo” and thinking….that’s not a train, that’s a spoon…this woman is clearly mad…
Spot any good comments? Send them through to us by email at sinead@thejournal.ie.
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