Totally agree Sean..storm in a teacup by small time reporter looking for their 15 mins of fame or perhaps An axe to grind re this judge

absolutely spot on. as bad as it is a judge sayin somethin stupid and offensive its not the end of the world. what really needs to be addressed is the fact that sexual predator got away with 6 months cause he is paying 75000 compo!! saw pictures of the da outside his house…. think its pretty ovbious what he thinks should be done with the money… sun and dont shine spring to mind

“…offended for the sake of it…”

A by-now standard catchphrase of the unthinker (like your idiotic response to Reg above). And placing this case alongside the completely unrelated 6-months-for-rape business is as laughable as comparing it to the behaviour of the Inquisition or the Boer War.

Go back to sleep.

spot on

part of the brigade that would think that the abolition of slavery was ‘pc gone mad’

totally agree Sean. She made a mistake and apologised. case close, but obviously not for some.

David Kelly… So you think SORRY is the end word for having offended someone or a whole community? Right…you must be joking. That judge should be dragged before a court of law and punished. Doesn’t mean when you are a judge, you can say or do whatever you want! Will be a very good example for other judges.

@FotoCrat….OF Course it is! People say stupid things in the heat of the moment. If she refused to take it back then I would agree with you. Im glad your not a Judge!

She’s a judge, and she made this comment in her professional work role. Would you hope for “good judgement”? Clueless.

@ Er Censored…is that your real name?
Anyway it was poor judgement on her part for making the comments in the first place.
The PC mob are out and want her scalp, and perhaps they may just get it.
Ridiculous!

@david an seanbeag – just supposing you were accused of a crime in a foreign country. Now supposing that the judge you’re up in front of had recently said something to the effect of “all Irish people are no good. They just come here and cause trouble.” you would have no problem that judge presiding over your fate? Come off of it.

@David .. is that your real name? Did you show your passport before putting that comment in? .. do we live in a Police state?

@Scarr, what are you talking about? I dont agree with what the Judge said. I have stated this and thinks she spoke poorly.
Do I think she should be sacked? No! Thats just my opinion.
@ censored…yes it is my real name . As to your other questions…well they are pathetic so I will not answer them. Now Ill let you ramble on and have the last word!

You realize that you’re in the wrong to question my identity, and have to resort to a lame response. Let’s see if you can keep your promise.

2 separate issues Seanbeg – they’re both problems but one is the behaviour of a judge and the other is the penalty imposed. Cause for concern from both I think.

“is her remark not echoing the view point of a silent majority in this country”

If they’re silent how do you know what their view point is?

The last bastion of the troll – take an example of few and apply it to the many. Unless you seriously think a couple of hundred thousand Poles fly in each week.

So if next week, she or another judge makes a disparaging remark about, oh I don’t know, let’s say the blacks or the Jews, sure it’s just a flippant remark. Maybe they could instate some kind of prejudice database in the courts, ‘ judge Nevin? Nah he can’t do that case. It’s got a one legged, black, Muslim. He hates them!’ judges are supposed to be impartial, she has demonstrated a prejudice and should resign.

Sounds like they are really stand up comedians, right?

She is the dregs of society!

Poppy if you were up before a judge in Australia and they assumed that you were a drunken degenerate just because some Irish people in Australia are drunken degenerates would you think that was particularly fair? (Assuming you aren’t a drunken degenerate and you were just in for parking fines or something).

Precisely. Imagine standing before a judge in Australia, being accused of a crime having to do with drink or welfare abuse, and knowing that the judge not only thinks the Irish all drink or abuse their host country, but also he got away with saying it in public; no one will mind if he convicts you based on his prejudice.

It’s not how a legal system is supposed to work.

Of course it is, to individuals like yourself who sadly don’t know any better or who could care less.

If you think backlash against racist comments made by a judge, in court, is “PC bullshit” then you really don’t have a clue.

I agree Paul. Stereotyping is absolutely fantastic. Tarring all the members of a certain community with the same brush has never caused any society any problems, nor will it ever in the future.

Paul, the white, Irish male, who’s never been discriminated against thinks it’s PC bullshit. Must be tough living your life Paul :)

Paul Fagan. Another Irishman who completely ignores the lessons of the history of ill treatment and prejudice towards his own race.

PC to expect a judge to be impartial? No, that’s the foundation of our justice system and hence our democracy.

Well spotted Wesley, there is a pattern here from Judge Devins! She appears to be groveling now she might be forced to resign her big salary ivory tower! They actually think they’re above the rest of us.

Hey judge Devins, if you are so worried about your country well being, maybe drop a bit from your 200K salary, 36 days paid holidays and another couple grand in expenses think 2K alone for a wig…

Did you read the article? She had a point, the accused was in the country for the last 7 years and could speak English. Not too sure about you, but that is the last thing I want to see my taxes used for. They are wasted on enough things already.

Paul, how many Irish people have been in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Dubai etc. for years and can’t speak the language. Would you be happy for Irish citizens to be tried in Arabic and no translator provided under those circumstances? That’d be prefectly fair, right?

The people responsible for you being so far from home are Irish people who tolerated those in positions of power being completely unsuitable for their jobs and then defending them when they get caught out. A bit like this case…

If you can’t figure it out for yourself from the reports, then there is no hope in anyone trying to explain it to you.

What exactly happened in that case?

I found her comment insulting.

Well, should I make a small demonstration on how a remark followed by an apology might not be necessarily helpful? It will be carefully crafted to deliver an important personal message, but you’d have to agree to the experiment first.

Ready?

Just because somebody apologised for a remark doesn’t mean the offended party should just take it on the chin and say “ah fair enough”. Xenophobic remarks about Irish people coming from a member of the judiciary from another country would upset me, even if they apologised I would still be pee’d off.

And this (Irish) guy should have done the same right? Gotten over it rather than suing? http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/7393891/Man-bullied-for-being-Irish-wins-13k – Funny the difference between the comment of the Irish judge and the NZ judge.

Mary your forgetting one thing, these immigrants now on the dole paid tax and prsi just like you and i.

Was/Is it alright for furriners to come here, work and pay taxes?

So, extending that logic, you’re happy to have Irish citizens forcefully deported from the like of Britain and repatriated here? Do you think that’s going to make us more broke or less broke?

One more thing; if she’s so right, why has she apologised? (And apologised twice at that).

I myself am quite happy to pay taxes in Ireland, and the company that’s paying my salary is a subsidiary of an U.S. company. Am I taking your money, Ms. Heenan? (Oh, and I’m quite happy with my tax money going to someone else’s social welfare.)

Listen I can give up my job and give it to u…but… but…do u speak other european languages?? Do u have any degree or MA?? If you can answer yes to any of these then contact me!!! Silly you!!

Bart, if you can’t behave, go and vent your anger somewhere else.

For being a bigot??

Sure the Poles made Sean Quinn steal €500m, did you not know Neil? In cahoots with the Nigerians they are :)

Well said Martin lol. It dumbfounds me how so many people act as if immigrants are the source of Ireland’s problems as if Ireland was a perfect utopia before people from other nations came here.

so, Mr. Newell, whom exactly are you trying to fight to get your country back?

Firstly its a stupid opinion without any basis in reality so people have a right to ridicule it, secondly she is not just anybody, she is a judge mandated by the Irish Constitution to act with impartiality. By implying, or at the very least encouraging people to infer that Polish people are “on the take” brings into doubt her credibility to act in line with the Constitution.

…so, are the thumbs down because of something I’ve said or because I have a Polish name? Honestly?

Mirek i m not angry i just have to laugh at all of you here. This judge is winning great publicity without PR!!!

They could try not committing a crime in the first place. They wouldnt have to worry about it then.

Seanbag, and if you haven’t committed a crime you’re accused of do you still waive your right for an impartial judge?

Firstly, no Polish person was on trial when the remarks were made. Secondly a judge is supposed to be impartial until they hear the evidence presented. Race, nationality, sexual orientation etc should not be a factor. A judge who holds such obvious prejudices should not be a judge.

Absolutely agree. The nasty old racist doesn’t feel remotely sorry and judging by her earlier ‘apology’ she doesnt give a damn who she offends.

So let’s see. If a judge in the UK/Australia/US makes a nasty and malicious remark about Irish people in a trial that doesn’t actually involve any Irish people …. the solution is to tell Irish people to “try not committing crimes”.

Class act Seanbeag.

Racist?? I didn’t realize the Poles were a different race to us?! Try learning the meaning of the word before using it, and that advise/request goes to a LOT of people out there…

“I didn’t realize the Poles were a different race to us”

From a legal standpoint race is defined as:

a group of persons by reason of the group’s colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins.

I did, of course, write a blog about this months ago. Here it is: http://damoclesbda.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/ere-what-about-my-freedom-of-speech/

It’s actually about “freedom of speech” on private interweb sites and it relates more to the UK than Ireland and I’ve already copied the salient part here, so you needn’t read it.

“Racist?? I didn’t realize the Poles were a different race to us?! Try learning the meaning of the word before using it, and that advise/request goes to a LOT of people out there…”

Good idea, why don’t you check into it. Start by reading the comment above. Another tip: if you want to be pedantic about something, it’s a good idea to run the spell checker first and maybe tone things down a little bit in the punctuation/capitalization department.

Polish people simply can’t expect fairness from this judge – she must resign.

Agree with you Fergus, if i was Polish and had to stand infront of her in a court, i would frightened.

Damocles, thanks for the legal term, and well done on your blog, thanks for posting the link and advising me not to read… however for all intents and purposes race goes down to asian, caucasian, black etc. You can’t say if I’ve a problem with an English person “it’s racist”! Xenophobic, bigoted, but not racist!

Censored, thanks for your post, apologies for the bad spelling or punctuation or whatever you’re on about, I was writing on the fly and have no spell check, but maybe you could tell me what I spelt wrong…? Or maybe it really doesn’t matter.

@ mark, if I was polish and had to stand in front of her I’d be happy enough knowing that any decision that went against me could be appealed on the grounds of prejudice.

You can’t say if I’ve a problem with an English person “it’s racist”!

An English person, no.

But this wasn’t about A person, it was a generalisation directed towards A group of people. There’s a difference. I think you know that.

@ GoGo99: you should learn the definition of these terms before spouting off. Xenophobia has nothing to do with someone’s origins other than by proxy. Xenophobia is the fear or exaltation of another culture. For example, an Irish person who regards French culture as superior to Irish culture is Xenophobic. An Irish person who regards Polish culture as inferior to Irish culture is Xenophobic. The concept of race as you defined (i.e. breaking down the human species according to colour) is an antiquated definition. Racism is a term which has evolved since those days and now includes all forms of discrimination, prejudice, etc. towards someone, not only based on skin colour, but also on ethnicity, nationality, etc. A bigot is someone who is simply obstinate when it comes to his or her own opinions and beliefs, especially when it comes to religion, ethnicity, nationality, etc.

Brian, you may want the definitions you supplied to be the beginning and end, but unfortunately they’re not. Xenophobia doesn’t have to mean thinking one superior, it can mean an intense dislike, or irrational hatred of another country. I don’t need your narrow explanations thank you.

That’s strange gogo. I just looked back over my post and I dont see where I limited xenophobia to thinking one culture is superior to another. I did mention fear which generally manifests itself as an irrational hatred (such as homophobia). I also gave two oft overlooked central points of xenophobia which racism apologists typically ignore in their attempt to either hide their racism or simply because they do not understand the difference. I’ll put it to you this way, if you believe racism exists but is solely based on skin colour, and that someone of a different colour is a different race, then you are by default a racist whether you like it or not as you see a fundamental difference between people based solely on skin tone. I suppose you’ll be telling me next that the German extermination of Jews was xenophobic and not racist.

People say that the welfare system and justice system are a joke. Why would it be a fault of Polish people?

Not relevant to this story….you’re obviously biased towards this particular judge…it’s kinda ironic that you’ve a problem with her been biased towards the Polish !!

Well said Poppy!

Poppy she regularly shows in court her biases which have nothing to do with justice. She refused to adjourn a court case when the defendant was in hospital with serious injuries as a result of an injury received in her court room and when a letter from the hospital pointing out that he could not leave the hospital. Higher courts have been extremely critical of her in many instances when she exceeded her powers as a result of her own biases. Amongst these was a decision to refuse legal aid and bail to a number of individuals charged with very minor public order offences. She thinks SHE is the law

a corrupt and unequal system with 1 rule for the people and 1 for the elite.

How is Ireland disappearing? I hate when people make out as if immigration somehow damages Irish identity. I personally think an increase in cultural diversity is a good thing, if anything its enhancing Ireland as a country. We are an island nation, if immigrants hadn’t come here in the first place no one would be here.

Its already gone Antoine but it is the best thing ever.Hopefully we will get as many of our romanian and bulgarian brothers and sisters to join the party thats going on in ireland at the moment.All this immigration only badly affected mostly construction work anyway so I assume you werent affected and thats brill.I worked with a lot of polish and they are the most honest,decent folks you could meet but even they would say some of the vilest humans on the planet came with them and i hope you remain unaffected by these.

Eh, the comment was clearly off the cuff. An apology has been issued. What’s the problem?

Sack her.
If the shoe was on the other foot?

Very intelligent point Gary, well done. I love the way people fell it necessary to give out about an public figure. It was an off the cuff comment, the apology has been given, the issue is dead.

It’s amazing that you can’t get away with racism and bigotry in the work place except if you’re a ”Judge”

If anyone want to read any further, just be aware that there are lots of anti polish comments. It’s unimaginable the number of red thumbs for negative comments relating to the judge.

When we are paying her wages, do we not have the right to an opinion?

I really hope the Polish media gets a hold of this, I would love to see the opinion from the outside.

Another instance of overpaid under worked senior civil servants pontificating in their cocoons of grandeur.

The Irish people are badly served by these overpaid ”courts”

Off the cuff Dean??
Is not a comedy show that’s she’s running.

Harry, she has apologised. Get over it.

I wonder how many she’ll let off in her court if they just apologise to her…. Well besides rich rapists and bankers

Ohh Micheal, she ”apologised”.

How noble of her.

So now everyone can make racist remarks and then just apologise to get away with it.

Banana Republic Courts.

If her first apology was the unreserved apology she could have survived. As it is it is clear that the reaction to her initial apology is what has prompted this apology rather than any apologetic feeling she has.

Mary immigrants have to work so long in the country before they can claim social welfare, contributions paid while in employment in Ireland (PRSI), only then they will receive state help.

Get the facts right lady, you don’t get anything for coming here, you need to work and pay in the region of 50 prsi weeks first before getting anything. And don’t take too much right to Irish jobs. The biggest employers in Ireland are not Irish but Usa and other European / UK companies who anchored down their hq’s in Ireland. If it wasn’t down to EU grants decades ago and foreign investment you would probably still farm sheep and cows as the main country business…

Eh Mary, I think you’ll find Irish people have been going abroad to work since the foundation of this state, long before we had any immigration (into the country). Also, not too many Irish people were lining up for the service jobs Polish people were willing to do in the past. Even with our unemployment rate, still not enough unemployed Irish people willing to work in service jobs.

“Good on her for speaking her mind” – and then totally capitulating, twice. Yup, she’s a brave and inspiring person. Our heroes of ’16 would be proud. Apart from James Connolly maybe, since he was an immigrant to Ireland (from Scotland). (And de Valera. And Markievicz.)

Fizi, while I strongly condemn the judges’ racist remark, the remark you made there about the Irish was not too far behind.

Dave: why? honest question?

Fizi water, the anti Irish racist, once again making anti Irish remarks, I see.

Post them up using your real name.

Kevin and Dave: racist remark towards Irish? Are you kidding me? Where?
About sheep and cow? Yeah, maybe slightly ironic but that’s all and mainly, this is simply economical truth.
Ireland does not have 1 big own made company and simply relies on other countries investment.
My comment if anything, was a response to very silly (in my opinion) Mary Mazzer comment.
I agree, maybe I was a little bit too ironic about sheep and cow thing, but why I suppose to be perfectly fine all the time if I hear racist slur towards polish daily, what about 10 more racist comments in this thread about Poles (scammers, spongers, etc.)? Any man has his breaking point I think.
I did not say anything racist I merely said the truth in bit cynical or ironic fashion, which I don’t consider bad form. Oh and by the way – I’m not judge. That’s it.

Fizi, dont level that crap at me. I’ve been defending the Polish, and criticising this judge, throughout these articles. I comdemn her remarks, but now you are being just as bad. Sheep and cows? Not one big Irish company? (Europe’s largest airline spring to mind??)

You have form when it comes to making anti Irish remarks, all the while rushing to defend your compatriots. I just find it funny that somebody who constantly displays anti Irish views, continues to live here.

Anyway, some clown of a judge made a stupid off the cuff remark and apologised. Witch hunt over.

Penneys/Primark another big Irish company expanding all over Europe.

Kevin and David and others touched ok guys I am sorry for my comment I still can’t see it being racist, certainly would not feel it, if it was about my own country I am serious now. But maybe I crossed good taste line a bit ok, sorry. Was bit carried on by some other comments here perhaps need a walk outside. I honestly did not mean to hurt your feelings. good night.

Apology accepted Fizi, thanks and fair to play to you.

Mark – I think you’ll find that Pennys/Primark is own by Associated British Foods PLC (an English company).

Penneys/Primark The company’s main headquarters are in Ireland, and it is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods (ABF). Primark first opened in 1969 in Mary Street, Dublin. It started out as an Irish company. HQ still in Dublin .

Yeah, like I said it’s owned by an English company :) I don’t dispute that it has Irish roots and offices, but I don’t think we can claim it as an Irish success when it’s wholly owned by a foreign corporation.

“And Wesley maybe if our jobs wern’t taken by foreigners here our own Irish might not have to go abroad and work.”

Mary, this is actually hilarious. So you think that it’s wrong for foreigners to come here “stealing” Irish jobs, but Irish people going abroad “stealing” Australian/British/Canadian jobs is grand??? Don’t happen to see a problem in your logic, do you??

By the way, what do you think all the Irish people in the UK should do when there are over 1 million British people unemployed? Should they do the honourable thing and come home and let a native take their job?

Without the mix of nationalities that we have in this country, we would be rightly f***ed. I worked for a large US company which now employs 500 people here in Ireland that moved from the UK because they couldn’t get enough speakers of other European languages over there. They came here because of our immigrant population. More French people than Irish people work there. There are many other companies (Apple, Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Amazon, PayPal, Siemens to name a few) who come here for exactly the same reason. A company can open their European HQ here and find a speaker of every major European language with relative ease. Most of us could count the number of Irish people we know who are fluent in more than one language on one hand, or more likely, we don’t know an Irish person fluent in another language.

Quick correction:
2.5 million British people unemployed (Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10604117)
869,000 Irish-born people living in the UK (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_British)

So by your logic, Mary, they sould all come home and give their jobs to the natives?

And 26 million more have some Irish in them. That is 37% of the population. 2.5 million unemployed but a further 4 million ontop of that are claiming other benefits not classed as Jobseekers.

One months ego in euro2012 …lovely Poland .we love Poland ,thanks Poland ., great people .great country … never forget….. next months f…k of .back to Poland ,polish charity ,polish emigrants ….Irish citizens are two faces thank you Ireland

Alicja you may as well speak chinese. Im lost with your comment a bit like Bart Kaluzny ……………….English please!!! Maybe polish is better for you, i can use google translate, or to make it easier for you………………………………………………….

Może polska jest dla was lepsze, mogę użyć google translate…….

You should reply in polish and i can use google translate……

It was irish people who were on here criticising the irish in Australia not criticising the Australians for tarring us all with the one brush.

There were also Irish ppl going nuts over racism towards Irish people. Face up to the hypocracy.

In English now, please

That is money borrowed Bart from the ECB paid back with interest, by the Irish tax payer.

No no Mark…you are mistaken…this ‘Polish charity’ is a part of German reparations for WW II…that’s the reason why it’s called ‘polish charity’ and we are fully entitled to it!! ;-)

You lost me on that one Bart.

“No no Mark…you are mistaken…this ‘Polish charity’ is a part of German reparations for WW II…that’s the reason why it’s called ‘polish charity’ and we are fully entitled to it!! ;-)” Hahaha I had the same thought…WWII stolen all from Poland including forced labor, gold, industrial goods etc…Intresting …

Irish and Polish taxpayer!

Mark I’m still with u…the ECB is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany…and German, Dutch and Finish are largely shouldered the direct cost of irish banking system collapse!! The truth hurts!
And one more thing: the free movement of persons is a FUNDAMENTAL right guaranteed to EU citizens by the Treaties!
You have had my dear Irish friends to vote against EU, Euro and EU citizens living in your country in the last fiscal treaty referendum. Why did you vote in favor?? You are all full of contradictions !
And I think that Irish Government should also ask Amnesty International for help run this country!

Bart, i don’t live in Ireland and im not Irish. You lost me when you start going on about WW2. The ECB / IMF the UK & Sweden loaned money to the irish government to bailout the banks in ireland. It is a loan paid back by the irish tax payer with interest.