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 an RTÉ sting involving politicians, minimum alcohol pricing and Mick Wallace’s arrest.
The 5 most popular comments this week
1. Cosmo Kramer didn’t buy Hugh McElvaney’s explanation for him being secretly recorded asking for a £10,000 bribe from a fictitious company. The Monaghan councillor said he was “taking the piss out of RTÉ” by playing along with the sting.
Kramer got 2,118 likes for this comment:
That’s a worse excuse than Father Ted’s “The money was only resting in my account”
2. A lot of people were unhappy with the government’s plans to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol.
James Xenophon wrote:
Nanny statism at its worst. I’m a grown man and I don’t need morally dubious politicians telling me when and where I can drink.
His comment got 2,076 green thumbs.
3. On the subject of the RTÉ Investigates documentary, Joachin Peiper noted:
Great work RTE.let this be an example to every other journo out there.its not as if the average Irish politician is hard to seduce/fool…
Some 1,984 people agreed.
4. During the week a Fine Gael councillor was called a ‘racist c***’ over previous comments she made about Traveller accommodation not being the best use of land in her area due to its value.
Pt pat got 1,625 likes for this comment:
Why can’t travellers buy their own land like everyone else, they have plenty of money to buy cars, horses and to spend on ridiculous weddings and communions.
5. After a stabbing at a London underground station, Peter Gavin wrote:
The brave warriors of Islam stabbing unarmed elderly commuters. Allah must be so proud.
Gavin’s comment got 1,363 green thumbs.
A bystander heard in a video of the incident shouts “You ain’t no Muslim, bruv” – a phrase picked up by many on social media to condemn the stabbing.
The top 5 articles which received the most comments this week
1. The draft banking inquiry report is finally ready – but with no executive summary (454 comments)
2. Sinn Féin candidate says she ‘unreservedly condemns’ killing of Garda Jerry McCabe after criticisms (364 comments)
3. Alcohol pricing: Here’s how the planned changes will affect your pocket (324 comments)
4. Mick Wallace released from prison after arrest (291 comments)
5. “What’s in it for me?” – Explosive RTÉ documentary shows politicians seeking cash (281 comments)
Standout comments
John O’Brien, and many others, were not impressed with a US politician’s Christmas card that showed her family posing with guns. Here’s his two cents on the matter:
Americans are a bigger threat to themselves than ISIS will ever be.
During the week a young British serviceman who lost a leg in an explosion in Iraq called out those who propagate Islamophobia in a powerful social media post.
Chris Herbert (27) wrote:
“Yes. A Muslim man blew me up, and I lost my leg.
“A Muslim man also lost his arm that day wearing a British uniform. A Muslim medic was in the helicopter that took me from the field. A Muslim surgeon performed the surgery that saved my life …
“Blaming all Muslims for the actions of groups like Daesh and the Taliban is like blaming all Christians for the actions of the KKK or the Westboro Baptist Church.”
His Facebook post sparked a lot of discussion.
Ron Koeman noted:
Interesting opinion from someone who has every reason to hate Muslims but doesn’t because he has actually met and spoken to them.
While Brendan McGill added:
Now there’s some perspective.. Couldn’t agree more!
Brendan and Terry Ring set up Cliona’s Foundation in 2007 following the death of their daughter from a brain tumour. The charity helps families of seriously ill children with non-medical costs. Their appeal for Christmas donations got a big reaction, with Ian Phillip Creaner noting:
Amazing people the Rings. Gives you hope in a hard world.
john mehigan added:
This charity helped us when our son was diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately Shane passed away not long after. We will never forget the help given which was one less worry.
More information about the charity can be found here. You can make a donation online or by texting CLIONA to 50300 (€2 will go to the charity’s Christmas appeal. VAT may apply on some mobile networks, in which case a minimum of €1.63 goes to Cliona’s Foundation).
Under a story about Anam Cara providing services for children and young people who are grieving, Róisín wrote:
This is so badly needed. I lost one of my best friends to suicide at the age of 20, a few days before her 21st birthday. I had no idea how to deal with it. I ended up binge drinking to cope. That went on for six months or so before I faced up to it. My family and boyfriend at the time didn’t know how to deal with it either. I’m not sure my family even knew there was a problem as I was living away from home.
This was Ireland ten years ago.
Something like this would have certainly helped me and other friends. Even now, we don’t speak about it much. No one dealt with it. I hope people get the support they need now. I hope they don’t go through what we did alone.
Thanks for sharing.
A story about a campaign to send ‘Britain’s loneliest schoolboy’- who lives on a remote island in Scotland and has no classmates – Christmas cards also got a big reaction.
KK commented:
Wow!!! – bitter sweet story – Card on its way ;-))
And Shane Freeney added:
Well I will send a card and will print this off and give it into our local school I’m sure they will make cards also
Finally, selfsustainable summed up how a lot of people felt after seeing a photo of a police officer comforting his dying horse, who was hit by a truck while on duty in Texas:
Oh, hits right in the feels. :(
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