We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
EVERY WEEK, TheJournal.ie offers a selection of statistics and numerical nuggets to help you digest the week that has just passed.
122: The number of seats won by the DUP in the Northern Ireland local elections, receiving the biggest vote of all parties.
460 meters: The extra distance that participants of the Belfast City Marathon ran after a car leading the runners diverted from the official route.
6: The number of food businesses that were ordered to partially or fully close after being found in breach of food safety legislation in April.
30: The number of people who were treated for hypothermia at an outdoor techno music festival in France after unexpected snowfall left many ravers sheltering under survival blankets distributed by the Red Cross.
$1.17 billion: The amount of money Donald Trump’s businesses lost from 1985 to 1994, based on tax information acquired by the New York Times.
84: The percentage of Irish adults who drink alcohol, a percentage which is expected to increase by 2030 according to a new study published in The Lancet.
€3 billion: The projected cost of the National Broadband Plan, which aims to bring high-speed internet across rural Ireland, approved by Cabinet this week.
12: The prison sentence handed down to a German-Russian fraudster who tricked New York high society into believing she was a wealthy heiress and stole more than €178,000.
60: The number of years of searching that an 81-year-old Irish woman carried out before finding her birth mother this week, now 103-years-old.
€5: The penalty that customers of the MyTaxi app will face if they cancel their booking.
46 million: The number of Australian $50 notes that have been printed with a typo.
Not the funniest joke ever but do people really need to apologize for every remark that is not passed by the PC Brigade, like I think Ireland’s homeless crisis is not that big but rather inflated by those who want to jump the housing list or yes the two presenters for RTÉ’s news programme were chosen because they were female and it was a pr stunt for the broadcaster………
@Sean Higgins: this particular guy is a creep.
@iohanx: Always thought Gove was weird but come on a joke is as it suggests, a bloody joke.
@Daniel Donovan: I laughed. Their Queen made Harvey a CBE, I think he can afford to take a few jokes at his expense.
@iohanx: indeed he is but the joke was pretty tame
@Dermot Lane: Rueful, even. And, as it turned out, truthful. In my view it would be a poorer system had he been complacent about live interviews on national television. Hmm?
@Fiona Fitzgerald … radio, even.
Is that a wine stain? No its a weinstein.
@Robert Jones Smith: bad attempt of a joke… not because of the controversy just a really unfunny joke. It doesn’t make any sense as a pun.
@WinSomeLoseSome: Oh I do apologise. I’ll try harder next time. Please forgive me.
@WinSomeLoseSome: He’ll have his other profiles give it likes to show you!
@Robert Jones Smith: I will submit your apology to the council of internet outrage. Hopefully it will be accepted. If not, you will be exiled.
@WinSomeLoseSome: Please put in a good word. I’m a changed man. I’m with her. Diversity is our strength. Islam is a religion of peace. There are 63 genders. They pay gap is real! The EU f-ing rocks! I wish Merkel was my mother. Free speech is outdated etc etc..
@Salvatore Mazzani: Phil’s got issues.
@Robert Jones Smith: When are you and your other identities coming to Crumlin to punch me in the teeth? LOL!
@Philip Gerard: Crumlin? Ugh no thanks. Bit rough around there, I’m sure someone will punch you eventually. Or rob your car or whatever it is they do for fun around there. Ye bleedin howiya.
@Philip Gerard: Oh will you make one of those call out videos that you guys like to make? They’re always fun to watch. “Here dis is big Phil! I’m callin you out for a baytin Rob! I’ll meet ya in me mammy’s gear-dan after home and away! The baytins will be fierce so dey will”
@Robert Jones Smith: Lol
@Robert Jones Smith: Chicken. I’ll be jogging around Sundrive the odd morning, if you and your split personalities ever grow a pair of balls and venture out of your Camelot.
@Philip Gerard: zzzzzzzzzz
@Philip Gerard: How will I know which person in a tracksuit is you Phil? Needle agus haystack.
@Robert Jones Smith: You can even bring your ma if you’re afraid, little boy. I’ll look for the 12 year old with the rugby jersey. LOL!
@Robert Jones Smith: Excellent lol. Seriously, give up the day job. You’ve a new calling.
@Philip Gerard: Like beating up kids do you? I’m not surprised. Just give it up Phil, you’re only embarrassing yourself….. Here, ill translate that for you: Baytin jung fellas is it wha? I’m not bleedin surpri-ized. Gerrowa dat geardan will ya? Scarlet for your ma for havin ya.
@Ciaran Fairley: Thanks mate. It’s too easy with the likes of Phil :-)
To all the good people of Crumlin, I mean no disrespect. I’m sure many parts of Crumlin are perfectly nice and many wonderful people live there. Phil is not one of them, obviously. Please don’t take what I say to heart, just having a laugh at your man’s expense x x x x
When did we get so sensitive that people have to apologise for jokes? Everyones humour is different, if you don’t find it funny, don’t laugh.
Humour is how some/lots of people deal with trauma,stress,nerves etc
Lighten up!!
@Simon Carroll: ah so the jokes about Dr Shine and his sexual assault of men are going to be hilarious.
@Deborah Behan: has the case concluded?
@Deborah Behan: I always thought that it was funny that he’d bring me out to dinner and a movie before checking my prostate.
@Deborah Behan: If I fond them funny I’ll laugh, why are you trying to insinuate that I only laugh at jokes about women? Weird
Shocking stuff. An apology isn’t good enough he should walk through the streets naked while carrying an ‘I’m sorry’ sign and being pelted with rotten fruits and vegetables.
@O Swetenham: SHAME!
@O Swetenham: He’s an MP, he’d hire a horse and claim it back on travel expenses.
I am so actually outraged by this I am in the corner of a darkened room rocking back and forth in between bouts of projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhoea.
Too soon I guess
@Keith Healy: how soon before we have cameras installed in schoolyards nipping all the childish, inappropriate jokes at source? Michael Gove is a donkey, but he didn’t insinuate he was going to be raped or that the presenter was a predator, or belittle any victims of sexual abuse. So yeah, too soon.
@Gulliver Foyle: would you make that joke to one of his victims if there’s nothing wrong with it?
How is that offensive? He even gave the context in the joke. OK, it wasn’t funny but that’s not something to apologise for.
@Dave O Keeffe: rape apologist now Dave? Never thought I would see the day.
@Nigel Healy: go on, for a laugh, show me where I defended a rapist
@Dave O Keeffe: defending a rapist is no laughing matter Dave, I am appalled, although not surprised that you find it funny.
@Nigel Healy: I find you funny. You’re a joke. You and your phony outrage.
I suppose this isn’t a good time to tell my ice cream and spa joke?
@William Grogan: Please do
Better order another truck load of cotton wool, enough for every poor little thing who gets offended
People are too quick to apologise for this kind of thing. If they stuck to their guns and told people to cop on, they’d get more respect. By agreeing with their detractors, they only feed the flames of the criticism and make it impossible for anyone to defend them.
He should just apologise for being Michael Gove.
@Ted Murray: unfortunately he seems pretty ptoud of that.
Suitably offended to advance an existing agenda.
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
These cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
Non-TCF/GVL Vendors
have your say