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Top comments of the week
Did you make the cut?
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 Gerry Adams, water charges and Danny Healy-Rae.
The 5 most popular comments this week
1. The top comment of the week was from Seán Domhnall O’Sullivan who noted that he was able to post a comment.
Is this a Denis story with the comments on? Sh€t should just got real!
That comment got 1,684 likes
2. Danny Healy-Rae’s comments about climate change got a lot of people talking this week, but it was another issue to do with the Kerry TD that Daniel Parnell was interested in.
“Don’t fill out and return your Irish Water registration packs” Danny Healy-Rae 2014. Healy Rea company receives €430,000 from Irish Water for fixing leaks 2015. Sums up all you need to know about that family.
3. Water charges was also the subject for LITTLEONE who thinks that people should be repaid if they paid the charges, 962 people agreed with him.
Yes, because a lot of elderly and the vulnerable paid because they were threatened, bullied and were downright scared.. They also should receive an apology from enda Kenny , Joan Burton , fg and labour…..
4. Also reacting to Denis O’Brien’s take on the suspension of water charges, Richard Doherty said:
Big mouth dennis afraid he lose money on not getting government contracts for our water systems.
That comment received 924 green thumbs.
5. In TheJournal.ie‘s Voices section, Sinéad Harrington spoke about losing her husband while pregnant at age 30 and how she came to cope. I Am A Horse had a simple message:
Well done Sinead :-)
The top 5 articles which received the most comments this week
1. Abortion campaigners need to stop pushing abortion pills as an option for women. (346 comments)
2. “I haven’t got a racist bone in my body” – Adams apologises for n-word tweet (335 comments)
3. Poll: If water charges are scrapped, should those who paid be refunded? (309 comments)
4. We almost have a government: Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have agreed a deal (303 comments)
5. “The Irish were sold as slaves” – Gerry Adams has spoken once again about THAT tweet (257 comments)
Standout comments
As 12,000 jobs are set to go globally at Intel, there are worries for positions in Leixlip. Matt Connolly said people must look long-term:
Here’s a quick re-cap for those who didn’t bother reading beyond the headline.“The firm is seeking voluntary redundancies initially and all meetings are happening individually [..] and there will be enticements for older staff and redundancy packages above statutory entitlements.”Intel periodically sheds staff as it adapts but always ends up employing more in the years following – it also goes above and beyond the minimum standard for treating employees. It’s a sad day but, it’s a pity more corporations do not conduct themselves the way Intel do.
Jenny Niaodh has a theory about why the National Transport Authority is worried about commuters being charged by shops to top-up their Leap Cards.
I really think the only reason that the National Transport Authority raised this as an issue was so that they could promote their App and their top up service directly from your bank account. Since when has the transport authority given a rats about the general public being over charged from a service?
Tuigim thinks that Gerry Adams showed this week that he’s not equipped to be a party leader in 2016:
He is very ill-informed here and offends without understanding the offence and that’s a problem.We all have a lot to learn but at this stage in history Sinn Féin needs a leader who understands global issues much better. The centenary of 1916, the world watching, Brexit in the news: it’s time for clarity, boldness, and credibility.Ní leor bheith ag caint ‘clumsily and inappropriately.’ Níos mó damáiste sa fhreagra aige thuas. Déan an rud ceart. Tabhair seans anois do dhuine nua, Gerry. Seo an t-am.
There was a lot of support for Robert Troy TD after he spoke passionately about mental health and his struggle with anxiety. Including this from Robespierre:
I’ve actually always thought him to be one of the good FFers & certainly not the stereotypical sleeveen associated with FF in particular.You have to be able to lead yourself to hope to be fit to lead others. Depression is something that people learn to cope with and in my experience, it often makes them more reflective and empathic. Two of the best salespeople I’ve worked with suffered from the black hound.If you lost a leg people would just nod in admiration at getting on with life. Mental health for many of us, like physical fitness is a transient state that waxes & wanes. For some the highs & lows are not that far apart. For others peak to trough is a totally gruelling experience.
Hats off to Mr Troy – no more horses filled with Greeks baring unrequested gifts. Wish that more had his courage.
Finally, Brian McLoughlin wanted people to stay on topic and not quote The Simpsons in an article about airport buses. Ciaran Harford had this message for him:
Who invited Buzz Killington? He’s from a different show entirely.
See any good comments? Send them to orla@thejournal.ie
