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The 10 most read stories on TheJournal.ie this year

Berkeley, Paris, Karen Buckley and Carrickmines – these are the stories you read this year.

THE LIST OF the most-read stories on TheJournal.ie throws up some interesting nuggets every year.

In 2015, the focus of the top 10 stories is almost entirely on breaking news: Berkeley, Carrickmines, the Paris attacks, the shooting of Garda Tony Golden, the death of Karen Buckley, and the Charlie Hebdo attackers are all there.

The only two stories that aren’t breaking news stories act as book-ends for the list: the most read story was, rather bizarrely, a photo of two dogs hugging in a pet rescue centre, while the tenth-most read story was a column about a woman’s battle for social welfare payments.

Here’s the list in full:

1. Hugging photo saves dogs from being put down 

Views: 539,344

What was it about? Two dogs in a pet rescue centre in America were saved from being put down after a photo of them appearing to hug each other went viral.

download (1) Facebook Facebook

2. Loophole means ecstasy and loads of other drugs are now legal (but only until Thursday)

Views: 455,566

What was it about? For two strange days, ecstasy, magic mushrooms, ketamine and a host of other drugs were temporarily made legal in Ireland following a court ruling which highlighted a problem with the government legislation which was supposed to have banned them.

Drugs Illustration EMPICS Sports Photo Agency EMPICS Sports Photo Agency

3. As it happened: At least 120 people dead as Paris is hit by terrorist attack

Views: 431,232

What was it about? On Friday 13 November, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks hit Paris, leaving 130 people dead.

France Paris Attacks Associated Press Associated Press

4. As it happened: Investigation launched after six Irish students die in balcony collapse in California 

Views: 382,823

What was it about? Six Irish students died, and another seven were injured, when a balcony collapsed at a 21st birthday party in the city of Berkeley in California.

Berkeley Balcony Collapse Associated Press Associated Press

5. Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for downing Russian passenger plane 

Views: 366,637

What was it about? 224 people died when a Russian passenger plane was brought down in the Sinai peninsula in Egypt. A group affiliated to the so-called Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Mideast Egypt Russian Plane Associated Press Associated Press

6. Body found in Glasgow confirmed as Karen Buckley 

Views: 307,776

What was it about? Four days after she went missing on a night out in Glasgow, the body of 24-year-old Cork student Karen Buckley was found by police. Alexander Pacteau, the man found guilty of her murder, was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years in jail.

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7. As it happened: Charlie Hebdo suspects dead and four hostages killed in Jewish shop 

Views: 305,754

What was it about? Two of the perpetrators of the Charlie Hebdo attacks were killed and four hostages died in two separate hostage situations in Paris and Dammartin on 9 January.

France Market Attack Associated Press Associated Press

8. Two infants among ten dead in blaze at Dublin halting site 

Views: 259,347

What was it about? Ten people, including a six-month-old baby, were killed in a blaze at a halting site in Carrickmines in Dublin in October. The dead were all members of two families. Taoiseach Enda Kenny described it as an ‘unspeakable tragedy’.

10/10/2015. Fires at Halting Sites Tragedies RollingNews RollingNews

9. Two people, including on-duty garda, killed in Louth shooting

Views: 257,689

What was it about? On-duty garda Tony Golden was shot dead at a house in Louth as he accompanied a woman there to collect her belongings. The perpetrator, 24-year-old Adrian Crevan Mackin, seriously injured the woman before turning the gun on himself.

Garda Tony Golden funeral Niall Carson / PA Wire Niall Carson / PA Wire / PA Wire

10. Dear Joan Burton: Today, I sat in a dole office and cried to a complete stranger through a glass partition’ 

Views: 257,310

What was it about? An anonymous reader wrote a column about the anger and embarrassment she went through at a Dublin dole office when she found out she was not entitled to any payments as she had been self-employed.

4/11/2009 Social Welfare Queues RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

All figures correct at the time of being compiled

And just for comparison: The 10 most read stories on TheJournal.ie in 2014> 

And for more comparison: The top 10 most read articles on TheJournal.ie in 2013 > 

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