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# Moments
These were the news stories that dominated Irish Twitter feeds this year
Repeal the Eighth, Brexit and Storm Ophelia were the most tweeted about news stories by Irish Twitter users.
‘REPEAL THE EIGHTH’, Donald Trump, and Conor McGregor were among the most tweeted topics on Irish users’ Twitter feeds.
This morning, the social media site released the most tweeted about topics of 2017. Repeal the Eighth was the most-discussed news topic, and Trump was the most popular international news, unsurprisingly. The ‘vinb’ hashtag topped the television programmes list.
Twitter also revealed the most used Twitter accounts: Conor McGregor’s @TheNotoriousMMA was the most popular sports star handle in Ireland, while #WRWC2017, or the hashtag for the Women’s Rugby World Cup, was the most popular sporting event hashtags in Ireland this year.
News tweets
The Repeal the Eighth hashtag dominated Irish Twitter feeds, and was the most popular news topic of 2017. In a year that featured protests for and against the liberalisation of Ireland’s abortion laws, an ongoing committee on the medical and social implications of keeping or removing the Eighth Amendment, and a promise from the Taoiseach that a referendum on the subject will be held next year all contributed to the discussion on Twitter.
After yesterday’s political rollercoaster, it’s unsurprising that Brexit was the second most popular topic of the year. The ex-hurricane Storm Ophelia, in which three people died, was the third most discussed topic.
Fourth on the list was Irish Water – a topic close to voters hearts that sprung to the fore again this year with the announcement of water refunds, and the Jobstown court case, which gathered a notable amount of attention on Twitter.
The Tuam babies story was the fifth most popular, which made international headlines in March this year after it was revealed that 796 children died at the mother and baby home.
International News
In the first year of Donald Trump’s presidency, he was the most tweeted international topic on Ireland’s Twitter feeds. Syria was the second most frequent, and the UK general election was the third.
The Manchester Arena bombing, in which 22 people died and hundreds were injured, was the fourth most talked about international news topic. Resist, a hashtag used in relation to the Trump presidency and tax changes, was the fifth most popular.
On television programmes, Vincent Browne’s retirement and the Eurovision Song contest topped the list.
The most tweeted about sports teams were Real Madrid and Manchester United, and the hashtag COYBIG.
The Women’s Rugby World Cup and the Mayweather McGregor fight gathered the most tweets on the list of this year’s sporting events.
Conor McGregor’s @TheNotoriousMMA account was the most tweeted sports star handle in Ireland.
Cork GAA, the Football Association of Ireland and Irish Rugby made the top five most used sports team handles.
And on the entertainment side of things, former One Direction members Harry Styles and Niall Horan were the two most used musician handles of 2017.
Twitter also took note of tweets that didn’t top the list of the most popular tweets, but were unique in their portrayal of emotion, their wit, or, in the case of the last tweet, its quaint absurdity.
Kate McLoughney / Twitter
Kate McLoughney / Twitter / Twitter
Tadhg Fleming / Twitter
Tadhg Fleming / Twitter / Twitter
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