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IT’S A DAY of celebration across Ireland, as Ryan O’Shaughnessy made it to the Eurovision song contest final. But there is some sourness tainting the result, as online commentary focuses on Russia’s attitude to the Irish entry.
In March, the Irish Independent reported that the song, Together, would not be broadcast by Russian TV stations due to the presence of a portrayal of a gay couple in the video and, ultimately, during the performance in Lisbon last night.
As the claim is picking up steam, we will examine whether the claim is true.
The claim
Last night during the show, Twitter user @TheJackSullivan tweeted:
Russia have just refused to broadcast Ireland’s semi final #Eurovision performance, because it depicted same-sex love. Isn’t it time Russia was booted out of the contest?
The tweet is one of many making the assertion, but is the most widely retweeted, having over 350 this morning.
The facts
We asked Russia-based Irish journalist Bryan MacDonald to ask his Russian followers if they had seen Ireland’s performance and many said they had.
Some suggest that the Russian feed runs on a delay to allow swear words be cut if necessary and others direct MacDonald to the 1TV website.
In response to Sullivan’s tweet, a number of Twitter users posted screengrabs of the performance on Russia’s Channel One (the country’s equivalent of RTÉ).
Even more obviously, the performance as seen in Russia can be seen here on a Russian TV streaming site at the 1hr 38m mark – complete with male dancers.
Indeed, the Russia broadcast features no warning, no censorship and no attempt to stifle the broadcast whatsoever.
Conclusion
There is no evidence that Ryan O’Shaughnessy’s performance was cut from Russian TV whatsoever.
We rate this claim as FALSE.
TheJournal.ie’s FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles. You can read it here. For information on how FactCheck works, what the verdicts mean, and how you can take part, check out our Reader’s Guide here. You can read about the team of editors and reporters who work on the factchecks here.
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Reminds me of the Simpsons episode where the school are shredding mats to be used as meat in the cafeteria
Sorry for going off-topic but I have to ask you- how do you pronounce your name Ste? Is it ‘stuh’, or ‘stee’, or ‘stay’? Puzzled me for years.
Pronounced like “Stee”.
‘Ste’, I believe that is German for ‘a whales vagina’, is it not?
There’s no way that’s true.
Sorry Emmet think you’re confusing that with “San Deigo”.
*Diego
No its horse vagina with no horse
There’s more to life than being grealy grealy grealy ridiculously good looking.
Ste classy San Diego!
Ste is Latin for “darkness of an open ringpiece”
I think your pulling our legs Justin
It feels a lot better bein an unemployed musician than an unemployed pipe fitter..
Depends on where your fitting the ‘pipe’
This comment thread is turning into an acid trip.
I have discovered that my wife has no brain or heart, should I be entitled to a refund or exchange in this circumstance as I feel that I have been mislead and feel that these items should have been included
That’s kind of worse.
Horseradish
But it’s only radish!
not if your a vegetarian. :-)
But if you are not, and you want to eat meat, and youre paying for meat, your rights are being infringed upon
@ MK, if your’e a veggie, why buy meat pie?
@ Tony Duff. I am a veggie and would of course buy this meat pie with no meat, hence being a veggie QED ;0)
When are they going to discover vegetarian pies with just meat in them?
Some kind of vegetable matter ….. Feck that sounds worse
That’s why vegetarians go to Iceland
There has never been any ham in hamburgers
I couldn’t figure this one out for years – about there being no ham in a hamburger.
…until a friend was kind enough to tell me that burgers were invented in Hamburg.
Nope… They were invented in america by a man from hamburg
Is that not the same thing?
I didn’t read the america bit properly – Saturday night, a few pints on!
They were invented in Hamburg, New York
It’s the vegetarian beef pie they tested.
Alan’s fact of the day: “Crabsticks” do not actually contain any crab and from 1993 manufacturers have been legally obliged to label them “Crab flavoured sticks”.
You mean Surimi?
I have to say that brought a chuckle………
Iceland gets their first bite of a minced pie and it leaves them stumped. I remember my first minced pie I had at Christmas many years ago, I think they’ll soon discover its mostly raisins ;)
The history of the minced pie is interesting – In the 16th century, the royalty ate mince pies with minced beef – the proper stuff!
The kitchen staff would make pies with leftover fruit and spices and gave these “mince pies” to the peasants at Christmas as a good will gesture.
Now we’re in the 21st century and the rich [i.e. supermarkets] are at it again, except this time we, the peasants, are paying for the the deception.
The horse left Iceland for France.
But who took them?
The bloke on that radio ad., obviously!
;-)
The head of Iceland will probably say “that’s the Irish for you….”
Maybe Gerry and SF did it?
Im boycotting eating
One thing that does stand out for me almost as a footnote to the article is that it has been handed over to authorities, no doubt whoever is responsible will be held accountable and be brought before the courts. Any chance of that here, well probably not because no doubt it would upset the wrong people.
That’s Iceland for ya, they locked up the bankers, toppled their government and regulator. Kicked the FBI out of their country for interrogating a wiki leaks informant.
A bit of a mix up with their food that will be sorted, person who is responsible found out and suffering the consequence by the end of the week.
In ireland we have bankers without banks whats the problem
Ill have one of those please and an alcohol free beer to wash it down!!
We have digressed to groundshit day
I’d imagine a lot of the vegetable matter would be soy, just like in a lot of dog foods the “meaty” chunks are actually soy not meat!
That’s a relief!
not surprised – with all the 1€ crap their always selling.
This is Iceland the country, not the frozen food chain.
That would be a vegetarian matter, Ted.
Where’s the beef?
At the end of the dole queue. They got there ahead of the horses
I dont get it
what next? chicken in chicken nuggets?
Where can I buy one?….seems to be the only safe thing to eat at present….
in iceland they sell horse meat labelled as horse meat in the market
“Vegetable matter”. That’s a great name for we don’t have a clue what it is
Ah sure I got mince pies at Christmas and all they had in them was fruit.
You are all stone mad, thanks for the giggles reading this thread
LOL
Maybe there are no horses left in Iceland, they were all sent to the rest of Europe for our pies…
For years in Ireland, we have pork-free Bacon Fries,and fish-free Scampi Fries, not to mention Tayto & Walkers “cheese & onion” crisps with Paprica & Garlic – only King don’t have these
E119 flavour please
Yes – E119 is a standard in the Building Industry for Fire Resistance!
You eating too much horse!
Could be worse it could be a Puffin pie they eat them there too as well as Icelandic foal steaks there a delicacy
have your say