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Child in rollers Shutterstock

Child beauty pageant goes ahead in Monaghan

The organisers managed to keep the new venue of for the competition secret until today.

THE CONTROVERSIAL CHILD beauty pageant has gone ahead today in County Monaghan, despite the original venue where the contest was to be held cancelling yesterday.

The ‘Toddlers and Tiaras’-style pageant was to take place today at the Bracken Court Hotel in Balbriggan in north county Dublin, with babies, toddlers and teens taking part in the beauty contest.

Politicians slam contest

Senator Jillian Van Turnhout and the Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald spoke out against the contest, stating that it was exploitative and encouraged the early sexualisation of girls.

However, the hotel cancelled the booking stating that the pageant “was not in keeping with the family ethos of the business”.

The hotel also stated that the organisers “went to great lengths to keep the venue secret” and had “taken the precaution of booking two reserve venues” for their event.

The Late Late Show

Last night, the contest organiser Annette Hill from Texas appeared on RTE’s The Late Late Show, defending her business.

Today, the Universal Royalty Beauty Pageant’s Facebook page asked parents of children who were registered for the event to call Ms Hill so they could be told where the new top secret location was.

Tweeting about the news that the competition had gone ahead, Senator Van Turnout said “Well done hotels for saying NO. Thank you…”. She said she was sorry to see the beauty pageant go ahead today.

Dublin hotel pulls out of hosting child beauty pageant>

Senator calls for child beauty pageant to be cancelled>

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268 Comments
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    Mute will
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    Jan 27th 2016, 10:18 AM

    Fair play to her

    143
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    Mute john nolan
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    Jan 27th 2016, 10:16 AM

    Must have heard Donald trump is popular candidate for the presidency and had a heart attack at the thought of him being a neighbour

    115
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    Mute John Judd
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    Jan 27th 2016, 10:24 AM

    RIP

    95
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    Mute Neil Holland
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    Jan 27th 2016, 10:23 AM

    What a sad existence.

    85
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    Mute Owen McDermott
    Favourite Owen McDermott
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    Jan 27th 2016, 10:28 AM

    Have a look at your own life before you make assumptions about others. I’m sure it’s not all rosy in the garden!

    90
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    Mute Neil Holland
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    Jan 27th 2016, 10:33 AM

    My life is fine. What’s your point exactly? 35 years protesting is a waste of time – what did she accomplish?
    Like that moron in India who has held his hand in the air for the last 30 years – it’s stupid.

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    See 13 more replies ▾
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    Mute Allen McConnell
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    Jan 27th 2016, 10:44 AM

    Maybe you just don’t know what it is like to stand for something. It may have been futile but I’m sure everyone who has stood for something has been told by cynics like you that it was a waste of time or futile. Ma

    81
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    Mute Mark Ryan
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    Jan 27th 2016, 11:01 AM

    The lady had mental health issues

    34
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    Mute Charles Williams
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    Jan 27th 2016, 11:05 AM

    And what a sad end for those in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

    36
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    Mute Neil Holland
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    Jan 27th 2016, 11:07 AM

    You’re confused Allen. You seem to be implying I said something I didn’t.

    I never said you shouldn’t stand up for what you believe.
    I never said people shouldn’t protest.
    I never said protests don’t work.
    I never questioned her integrity.

    You get 1 life – hers is over now, and she spent 35 years of it doing this. And for what? It’s a sad existence – she wasted almost half her life IMO.

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    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
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    Jan 27th 2016, 11:16 AM

    Neil Holland, it was however her life, and you have no way of knowing whether she considered her life wasted or not, so don;t make any presumptions

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    Mute Neil Holland
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    Jan 27th 2016, 11:31 AM

    I don;’t disagree with you, Larissa – but it’s possible you’re confused too, like Allen.

    I never claimed to know whether she considered her life wasted or not. It’s possible that you don’t know what “IMO” means, which was at the end of my last post. It means’ in MY opinion’ – I never claimed to know her opinion.

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    Mute Eric Foley
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    Jan 27th 2016, 12:48 PM

    Neil, she may well have done exactly what she wanted with her life. You don’t have the monopoly on the metrics on how people should spend their lives.

    20
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    Mute Neil Holland
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    Jan 27th 2016, 12:49 PM

    Eh, Eric – see my post directly above yours.

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    Mute Neil Holland
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    Jan 27th 2016, 1:19 PM

    Not the smartest people around here, are there? Going around in circles repeating myself.

    Owen: “It’s her life – you don’t know what she wanted from it!”
    Me: “Yes, I know. I just said that in my opinion, it’s a waste.”

    Allen: “It’s her life – you don’t know what she wanted from it!”
    Me: “Yes, I know. I just said that in my opinion, it’s a waste.”

    Larissa: “It’s her life – you don’t know what she wanted from it!”
    Me: “Yes, I know. I just said that in my opinion, it’s a waste.”

    Eric: “It’s her life – you don’t know what she wanted from it!”
    Me: “Yes, I know. I just said that in my opinion, it’s a waste.”

    16
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    Mute James Coyne
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    Jan 27th 2016, 3:51 PM

    Neil thats pretty narrow minded. Is life based entirely on accomplisments? Maybe she met a lot of people, saw a lot of interesting things, felt very fulfilled and at peace with herself for doing something she thought was right. Saying that, what she did is stupid is a pretty stupid thing to say and it may be a waste of time for you cause you hold different values. She died and the fact you read an article about her over 3000 miles away and a lot of people seem to care that she died is an accomplishment in itself. That may be more that will be said about u when you die. RIP

    12
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    Mute Rashers Tierney
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    Jan 27th 2016, 3:56 PM

    Hear, hear James. As you so rightly point out this lady will be remembered – how many internet smart arses will be?

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    Mute Neil Holland
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    Jan 27th 2016, 3:57 PM

    “how many internet smart arses will be?”

    I just got talked down to for “presuming” stuff about people, and then you go and presume you know what internet smartarses do in the real world. Weird. I guess you know them all in real life and their accomplishments.

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    Mute Eddie Nugent
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    Jan 28th 2016, 2:06 PM

    here we go again so dont make presumptions, dont have an opinion, Neil did not refer to her as considering her life was wasted or not, but it is his option that it was, and he is entitled to ,express it, it not another judging or hate phobia crime for you to police, For what its worth i think it was wasted, i assume you have the same option on priests and other practitioners of organised religion, you express them freely enough, without others lecturing you on your presumptions

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    Mute The Girl
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    Jan 27th 2016, 10:34 AM

    At least she stood for something…How can anyone build a weapon that can take out millions of people at a go? Human Wickedness

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    Mute Mark Ryan
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    Jan 27th 2016, 11:01 AM

    What do you stand for

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    Mute Santa Claus
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    Jan 27th 2016, 10:19 AM

    Must check out how much a nuclear shelter costs now that the one person who single handedly saved us all from a nuclear apocalypse is gone.

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    Mute Owen McDermott
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    Jan 27th 2016, 10:26 AM

    You’re a dumb fvck.

    56
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    Mute Eddie Nugent
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    Jan 28th 2016, 2:12 PM

    Owen your a bit of a potty mouth, whats wrong have you got a limited vocabulary, can you not express yourself without resorting to expletives

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    Mute Allister
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    Jan 27th 2016, 10:15 AM

    We can stop hiding now lads, she’s gone…..

    21
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    Mute Frank Mac
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    Jan 27th 2016, 10:54 AM

    From the first US Atomic Bombing Hiroshima “Little Boy” on 6 August 1945

    to the broadcast of US TV film “The Day After” on 20 November 1983 is 1998 weeks.

    1998 weeks = 666 weeks + 666 weeks + 666 Weeks.

    17
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    Mute Chris Linehan
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    Jan 27th 2016, 11:04 AM

    Ah Frank and his numbers!!!

    Where have you been man? It’s been depressingly number free around here of late.

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    Mute O Swetenham
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    Jan 27th 2016, 11:06 AM

    Sure everyone knows about the whole atomic bomb/”The Day After” 666 sum. It’s one of the first things we all learn in school.

    6
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    Mute Con Creedon
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    Jan 27th 2016, 12:55 PM

    Huge Respect, The hypocrisy of US Foreign Policy is A Nuclear weapon in the hands of an Ally is a “deterrent” yet in the hands of an advisory is reason enough to invade. If only more had the same courage as this Lady, the world would be a far less hostile place. Similarly Middle Eastern States which are resourceful and have dictatorships are deemed inhumane and in need of Democratic overthrows, whilst other stronger and perhaps even more inhumane Middle Eastern States whom ally with US policy are deemed progressive and an ally. Donald Trump’s ascension in my opinion is the best thing to happen to this world, because he has brought to the masses the lunacy of continuing to abide to US Foreign Policy. I Love America and its people, just not its batshit foreign policy. Hope for humanity’s sake Bernie Sanders wins the next election and restores some form of sense to this ever changing fragile world of ours.

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    Mute Eric Foley
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    Jan 27th 2016, 12:50 PM

    Having mental health issue does not null & void a protest or the strong moral code behind it. People who say this as if it does are actually madder than she was.

    11
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    Mute paddy
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    Jan 27th 2016, 1:55 PM

    Yeah were all mad. Im getting out of the rat race going to live on the streets and when i die of alcoholism and hypothermia at least ill have an obituary in the journal with people who never knew me saying rip for green thumbs

    4
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    Mute paddy
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    Jan 27th 2016, 11:42 AM

    Mad old crone who gives a rats.would she not have been better getting a job or somerhing

    9
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    Mute Tadgh Smith
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    Jan 27th 2016, 1:09 PM

    She’d have been better off doing almost anything else. There are very very few 80 year olds in the U.S in winter that have to spend their days without the benefit of central heating.

    7
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    Mute Tadgh Smith
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    Jan 27th 2016, 1:05 PM

    “In a statement, the Peace House organisation said:

    “She manned the White House antinuclear peace vigil the longest. She stayed there through thick and thin and was dedicated to a cause that sometimes seemed to be like an unhealthy relationship.””

    So even according to her own best advocates she was basically nuts. This is the story of a mentally ill woman who should have gotten help but didn’t, because she was an immigrant and instead of a family to look out for her all she had was a bunch of anti-nuclear fantasists. Very sad. RIP.

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    Mute Eddie Nugent
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    Jan 28th 2016, 2:14 PM

    What,s the story on the guy outside Balldonnell aerodrome banging the drum, anyone got any background on what his agenda is ??

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    Mute Matthew O' Reilly
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    Jan 27th 2016, 12:16 PM

    Rest in peace, Connie. OM AH HUNG BENZA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUM

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    Mute Paul Radburn
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    Jan 27th 2016, 2:11 PM

    Love her hair, who really owns it?

    1
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