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PRESIDENT MICHAEL D Higgins has paid tribute following the death of his dog Bród.
The President of Ireland’s official Twitter account tweeted this morning that Higgins and his wife Sabina were “sad to confirm that Bród, one of their two Bernese Mountain Dogs, has passed away at just past the age of 11″.
“Bród was 11 years and two months at Áras an Uachtaráin, having come to the Áras as a 8 week old puppy,” the statement reads.
“Bród was a very much loved dog by all that met him and he enjoyed meeting with the thousands of members of the public who came to Áras an Uachtaráin over the years and he was probably one of the most photographed dogs in Ireland.
“He will be missed by the President, Sabina and all at the Áras, particularly Misneach, the President’s remaining two and a half year old dog, who has shared his space with Bród over recent months and was his constant companion, aware of Bród’s situation and very attentive to him.”
The 11-year-old had been part of a much-loved double act with two-year-old Misneach, winning the hearts of the nation as they welcomed dignitaries and members of the public to Áras an Uachtaráin.
Prior to Misneach’s arrival in March 2021, Bród had been kept company by Síoda, another Bernese Mountain Dog who died following a short illness in September 2020.
The president’s dogs have become celebrities in their own right during his tenure, with unofficial social media accounts set up in their names attracting thousands of followers.
They were the focus of global attention as recently as last week, when videos of them “snubbing” US President Joe Biden during his visit to the Áras went viral and were reported on around the world.
President Higgins is known to be a dog lover and previously had another Bernese mountain dog called Shadow during his early years in the Phoenix Park.
Speaking about his dogs previously, he said they “are not merely ice-breakers, they’re also a great source of wisdom, and they must be protected from the stresses of the Anthropocene.”
The Bernese mountain dog is a giant breed that was originally bred in Switzerland as farm dogs or draft dogs, and were used to pull carts.
With reporting from Darragh McDonagh
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I’m a big fan of top gear but the BBC had no choice really. You can’t punch the people you work with and expect not to get sacked.
People saying the BBC made a stupid decision are wrong, Clarkson made a stupid decision.
It’s a stupid decision to let one scuffle end one of the most popular shows on television. Very small minded.
20 minutes of verbal abuse followed by a physical attack? If you did that in an office you would be sacked. No excuse for it.
He’s more than just a replaceable office worker.
Still not as bad as what Savile did.
There’s some excellent production on top gear, it’s not just about the big motormouth.
No he’s not
He’s a man rooted in 1980s bigotry
Good riddance
This hatred is mostly coming from the shinners after he made a few harmless Irish jokes. That’s what this is really all about.
Look. He assaulted a coworker that’s gross misconduct. It’s simple.
Give us peace for feck sake. He’s no more important than you or I. The punishment fits the crime. He should see a day in court aswel. Everyone is accountable for their actions
So Mr Fantastic at what level if importance do you consider it acceptable to physically verbally and racially abuse somebody? Never acceptable in my opinion.
Danny, if you did that in an office you would be arrested.
Howya baz…..on form today
I love Top Gear, but I’d really love to punch Clarkson in the face.
No. It’s common assault. And just like premier league soccer players, there’s no reason why the CPC couldn’t charge him even in the absence of a complaint by Oisín or the BBC. I love the programme, but there’s no excuse for thuggery.
The point? Do you like being punched?
The point?
Well Mr Fantastic, much as I like to blame the Shinners for as much as possible , I fear that unless you are a brainless english national front supporting yob, with you head buried up your rectum, as most of his fans are, you would see him for what he is, and it’s not pretty. I’m delighted the police are looking for the file, let’s see how Mr Clarkson likes the British justice system, after all it must be the best, they invented it.
That’s the whole point are you saying just because he’s a presenter he can be allowed to get away with shouting and roaring at someone and then physically attacking him all because he could get steak and chips.
I’m not a “shinner” and I am glad he’s being punished for attacking another person
I’m not sure how but this could be our governments fault
Mr fanatic are you a replaceable worker? Office or other.
I worked in Aberdeen Scotland for a while and the only way they sort out office politics is with a good dust up after work outside the pub :-)
Mr Fantastic, it’s ALWAYS the right decision to deal with a bully…ALWAYS! Good riddance to Clarkson and glad the BBC had the balls to show that being a bully is unacceptable and has consequences!
Correct. It is.
why not take into consideration all the years of service plus he’s having a tough time in his personal life….anyone can have a bad day
I haven’t heard one comment from the rest of the crew showing any support for the producer. It’s as if it’s all his fault. He had to drive himself to the A&E no one else could help??? Glad justice was done.
Clarkson epitomises the brash, arrogant, do-you-know-who-I-am brigade. Nobody has the right to subject a work colleague to a tirade of foul mouthed abuse and a physical assault. I’ve worked with some real bullies over the years and it’s not a nice place to be. Fair play to the BBC for standing up to this overpaid lout. Bullies hate it when you fight back
Shame that it has come to this. Great show with a great trio. Not sure it will work without them…
Get Chris Evans to do it. Glad to see May go.
He got what he shoulda got but the show will never be the success it was, especially if the other 2 go as well. And if they do go sky or someone will try get the three of them back on a new show together which if done right will get the same dynamic as TG and that will spell the end for TG. The bbc s loss will be some other networks gain
“As much as I think he’s a knob… I quite like working with Jeremy” haha May you boss!!
Abuse in the workplace is never acceptable.
So James is standing by his, drunken, abusive, toff of a mate. Nice to see James has ethics, at least. *~*
He’s idolised by young teenagers – Well done the BBC putting principle before profit. When is it ever right to defend sustained verbal and then physical abuse. Bye bye Clarkson…was good until you got drunk on your own ego
Would be interesting to see a version of Top Gear free of the pc brigade and the BBC.
Clarkson unleashed!
Except the bbc own top gear now , Clarkson sold his stake 2 years ago , i still expect to see him on channel 4 or 5 within 6 months thou even its only for a short run his name would spin massive publicity and cash for anyone that hires him
A high name-to-post content ratio, here.
I would be very surprised if any station would have the clout of the BBC to get them into the locations they get to and the vehicles they obtain. And finance the actual episodes. BBC makes a lot of money from it. But they have the finance and backing to make it.
I would not imaging Channel 4 or Dave would be willing to spend that sort of money destroying new cars and sending the lads off on a worldwide jaunt with supercars.
Colm all they would have to do is call the show “Shift Gear” or something like that, and they can work away. BBC has only the rights to the Top Gear brandname.
I know that jim but its going to be a farce if he did that, even if james may left hammond wont , i dont even think it has to be a car based show that he would be on but i would expect to see him back on tv in some shape or form by the end of the year. it will be interesting to see if the proposed guest host on have i got news for you happens as he can be hired as a independent contractor for the day. i bet in one way he neved sold up as he would have the bbc over a barrel , its quite easily one of the most popular shows in the world as its sold to most markets and changing the format will not help as all the spin offs world wide would not be best pleased as it could see a decline in there shows too
Why would Hammond not leave? Has he implied this?
By the way I just realized my “Shift Gear” idea is actually a very good name for their new show. I reserve all copyright on this.
Apparently netflix are interested. They would have the money to continue the show. And as an Internet based show, they would free reign to do what they wanted.
No surprise there
I didn’t hear anything that the headline article suggests.
Very misleading!
Bye now, don’t let the door hit Ye on the way out.
Supporting a bully makes you no better than the bully himself.
I hate top gear and I hate Clarkson even more. I’m glad the ignorant muppet got sacked. How many times can you talk about cars before it starts to get boring and repetitive anyway?
Or Man Utd….?
* waits for sound of penny dropping.
Brilliant Buffalo just Brilliant. It’s just my opinion and I don’t think I’ve ever commented about utd on here. Keyboard warrior
If you hate top gear so much why would you comment on this story
You’re not getting my point…
Why didn’t the guy slap him back?
Because he’s not a mindless thug.
Since when does defending yourself mean you’re a thug? What happened to real men? I’m sick of all the political correctness bullsh*t.
Because real men are thing of the past…whining b itches that’s what left from men… If somebody punches you,you punch them back and then both should go to the pub and have a good few drinks,laugh about it and forget it ever happened.
If Oisin Tymon had punched back, Tymon would have been summarily dismissed.
Oisin Tymon was injured in a sudden attack, took a few hard belts and sensibly went to A & E.
Clarkson was guilty of “gross misconduct” and the BBC has not alternative but to fire a meal ticket for the BBC.
Clarkson is a thug and eventually thugs let loose. It’s their nature.
With a million signatories, Clarkson will be taken on elsewhere but will have to undertake not to beat up co-workers.
Top Gear appeals because it is testosterone fuelled mysogonistic nonsense it’s very appeal is that the hosts are complete knuckle draggers therefore I don’t see why anyone working on the show should be surprised if they end up in the odd spat with the likes of Clarkson . Any guy playing five a side or. 7s rugby knows a box in the face ain’t worth getting worked up about . Clarkson needs to grow up and the Irish producers needs a bit more bottle if he wants to work with primadonnas
How on earth is it misogynistic?
Clarkson will bounce back on an other channel and be as boorish and entertaining as he always was , the BBC will wreck the top gear show with some pc dickh.ads and it’s viewers will migrate to his new show , if sky or itv don’t snap him and the lads up they are mad .
Are we to take it that being sanctioned for a tirade of abuse and assault on a co-worker is yet another example of ‘PC gone mad’?
Yet a child abuser can carry on for 40 years in plain sight and die a free man , well done BBC , at least we see where your priorities lie.
Sack the pxxxk. No sympathy.
If the producer punched him we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
He would be sacked immediately.
Correct decision and if the other two want to join him off with them,
He shudda been allowed stay on the basis yer man could give him a full force punch to the mush back! That be the top gear way. Problem solved.
Ha ha ‘much as I think he’s a knob, I quite like working with Jeremy’ .. well said captain slow!
Hmmmmm he’s a knob but I’ll keep my options open and say I like him….lol
Netflix lads, Netflix. Would be a massive coup to see them end up with a new show on there!
Nope. Can’t go hitting or abusing anyone. He may be up before the courts. He’s really entertaining to watch but not beyond the law.
Best news ever.
Fifth Gear and Wheeler Dealers are far better programmes than the self-indulgent rubbish that TG had degenerated into in recent years.
Mark, I take it you don’t much like motoring programmes, then.
Should replace them with 3 people clarkson hates – long list – maybe Steve Coogan, Piers Morgan and John 2 Jags Prescott for the first show
I said it before here that I always found him to be inherently racist. Hiding behind double speak and innuendo. Simply didn’t have the courage to openly admit it. Got the feeling he tolerated people who weren’t English and White. Anger always makes the mask slip and it’s what he allegedly said rather than what he did that left the BBC with no option.
The show has gone to s**t over the last few seasons, nothing more than a plaything for its presenters. It won’t be missed.
Emachine, it won’t be missed by you. But you only speak for yourself.
Probably all staged by jc to get away from top gear by dumping on his co-presenters then blaming the BBC….beware false loyalties lads
A little unnecessary since his contract was due to end at the end of the current series, surely?
expect to see the three presenters on Sky and Top Gear to be discontinued on the BBC.
They are hoping to continue the series. Not sure I could watch it.
There not renewing his contract, is that being sacked. He will be working on other projects for BBC
No one is irreplaceable and it’s a mistake to think they are.
James May and Richard Hammond should leave Top Gear in solidarity with Jeremy Clarkson, for it was a serious blunder by the BBC to sack the man who is Top Gear. The reason they wanted to get rid of Clarkson was because he was not the sort of politically-correct poodle that is de rigeur in the BBC. The little punch Clarkson landed on a lazy producer was just the pretext for firing him, it was not the motivation.
The loyalty capt slow showed in that clip is exactly the reason it worked, they were good friends, and it showed on screen, I’m guessing conversations with itv or sky have already started, guaranteed ratings winner, just change the name job done, plus sky would give them a bit more lee way on what they want to do/say rather than the bbc, a source in rte told me true were in contact with clarkson but they demanded both Ryan tuberty & Kathryn Thomas had to co present
Clarkson is an arse but the show was entertaining
Jameriquai should get Clarkson job , car mad and quiet funny smart and loves cars #can drive fast
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