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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 Carrauntoohil, the Bord Gáis Energy Book Awards and, of course, last night’s Toy Show.
So here are the standout comments from the week that was.
The 5 most popular comments this week
1. Deborah Behan was shocked and annoyed at the theft of a cross from the top of Carrauntoohil. So were 2,509 of our readers.
What the hell? I am an atheist but I don’t know what this type of destruction serves! There is no need for this. Shame.
2. Senator Lorraine Higgins said this week that Ireland is fast becoming a lawless utopia and Mrs Shalakalananaka pointed out some problems with her claim. She got 2,438 thumbs up.
Utopia? Does she know what that word means? A lawless utopia would be a perfect society where there happens to be no laws, which is the opposite of her point.She’s’s confusing it with dystopia.
3. Tony had a simple reason for why Fine Gael’s popularity is dropping. He got 1,986 green thumbs.
Their arrogance is costing them dearly !
4. Joe got 1,856 thumbs up for ths comment about this unemployed Balbriggan man.
Good man. That’s the kinda guy who deserves a break. I don’t mind my tax €s going to a person like that as it’s bound to be short term not a life choice like some.
5. It was almost an Irish Water-free zone in the Top 5. Almost. This one from New Day Rising got 1,844 green thumbs.
Sure it’s only tax payers money so that’s grand. Abolish this monster now
The top 5 articles which received the most comments this week
1. Enda Kenny: Sinn Féin expenses north of the border ‘off the richter scale’ (416 comments)
2. A Labour senator thinks Ireland has become a lawless utopia in the past week (344 comments)
3. The 5-metre tall steel cross on Carrauntoohil has been cut down (300 comments)
4. Poll: Should a general election be held before April 2016? (295 comments)
5. Is Fine Gael facing an election bloodbath? (278 comments)
The big issues
The government’s plans to tackle the housing crisis were announced this week and Jayo Breathnach had some thoughts.
To meet the 75,000 properties they need to have some very good incentive for landlords of private rented properties to sign up to a local authority schemes. As it stands at the moment the local authority can’t compete with private rent rates the landlords are currently getting. An additional tax write off amount has been thrown around but nothing has been set in stone yet.Aiming to accommodate the 90,000 households on the Housing Waiting Lists is a poor direction to take, they need to focus on what needs to done so that we don’t have 90’000 households that require social housing and reduce that number down.
The decision in Ferguson not to indict the policeman who shot teenager Michael Brown coincided with another fatal shooting by a cop – the victim, Tamir Rice, was a 12-year-old boy who was carrying a pellet gun. Trea Lynch said:
Thank God I live in a country where if a kid is pointing a gun around in a park everybody automatically assumes its a toy and acts accordingly.
Laugh of the week
Rock Frocks came up with this one after the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards (or the BGEIBAs). We salute you.
They were going to have a horror section but felt it would scare the BGEIBAs outta people!
Standout comments of the week
Aoife Kelleher’s One Million Dubliners film has introduced Glasnevin Cemetery to a host of new visitors who flocked there last weekend. They had been touched by the story of one historian, Shane MacThomais, and An Ciarraioch‘s suggestion here got a lot of support.
Surely, the naming of a walk or building there, in Shane MacThomais’s honour, must be a priority ? Shane was a superstar of Glasnevin Cemetery and is dearly missed by all who were lucky enough to get to know him in his short, but hugely significant life there!
On another great Irish attraction, Kevin O Brien has an idea for the top of Carrauntoohil, which lost its cross last weekend.
Maybe they should replace it with a Celtic cross or a similar symbol which would maintain the Christian ethos of the cross but it would also act as a symbol of our Irish culture that us non Christians could also relate to.
FAI boss John Delaney was in the news this week for singing a Republican song in a pub. But that wasn’t a problem for Jack Murphy.
who cares about the song, John Delaney needs to apologise for his salary
In the lead-up to last night’s Late Late Toy Show, RTÉ asked for help locating the two people from the above 1988 shot. Of course, we (through George Boyle) obliged.
Hey there Thejournal.ie sure they’re only MY SISTERS!!!!
DailyEdge.ie then got to chat with Bronwyn and Carolyn.
We’ll leave you with some Jurassic Park sentiments from Tricia Golden.
Who amongst us doesn’t judge a building by it’s ability to thwart a raptor incursion?
See any good comments? Send them on to sinead@thejournal.ie
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Thats me fecked then… its well known shift work reduces lifespan!
Lack of sleep would drive you queer in the head ,never mind what it would do to the heart !
Couldn’t sleep last night and keep thinking today is Sunday so agree with you Tom.
You mustn’t sleep very much then.
Nor do your neighbours,Farty!
Thoughts and prayers for all those affected with lack of sleep. Must be a hard way to start the year with insomnia. I can’t imagine what they are going through, especially when it harms your heart.
Lol!
Why does the pic come with the
tag line – don’t be that guy ?
He’s asleep – won’t that prevent sleep deprivation?
It probably means “Don’t be the guy who sleeps on the couch for an hour”. Sleep on a bed for 8 hours unless kicked out buy your partner of course..
Great I am fecked so. My whole life is sleep deprivation. Shouldn’t have bothered with the pension plan it seems.
Have they accounted for confounding factors such as stress causing sleep deprivation and a subsequent rise in blood pressure?
I’d love to sleep more unfortunately for me my 8 month old thinks sleep is a waste of time
Hey Monica… Any idea how lucky you are to have that as a problem??? Count your blessings?.
^^ Oh dear!! Monika ,I’m sure a lot of parents can Relate to what you’re saying!
Enda Kenny and his merry band of muppets and what they are doing are my biggest cause of no sleep . I aint messing either.
Enda bashing in unrelated article.
That’s not been done before.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Get your tongue out
New study : lack of sleep makes you tired !!
Who knew -
thejournal.ie is partly to blame for my lack of sleep
Is that Dave Grohl in the photo?
I’ve suffered insomnia for years,my ticker is grand,can’t say the same for my mind!. :)
I feel your pain for far too long. A lifetime of shift work has fecked up my body clock.
There are some great non prescribed sleeping tabs you can get now in health food shops that work. I’ve tried a lot and most are rubbish but I’ve found a brand in blue packaging with a picture of the moon on it that works brilliant and keep you asleep throughout the night……unlike the controlled tabs the just make you drowsy. They’re called Noctura and are completely homeopathic so a child could buy them over the counter. They work a treat.
in another survey it was found that tiredness is not linked to the amount of sleep you get & that it is related to your genetic make up. I think these scientific tests are not valuable when taken in isolation.
I had under 3 hrs sleep last night and im so tired now that I can’t sleep. Looks like my body doesn’t like my heart much!
No he was boozing with me
to get lucky
Probably not the best article to read while I’m wide awake at 5am trying to get back to sleep…
I become a total B with a ITCH if I don’t get my sleep. Grumpy in the seven dwarves would have nothing on me.
I’d say you’re like that anyway
I LOVE SLEEPING I DOOOO, NITE NITE EVERYONE Zzzz xx
Off to bed
I have to get LOADS of sleep, and food at regular intervals!
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzx
Tell that to an employer…
Yaaaaawn
Industrial Wind Turbines emit Infrasound.
As these industrial wind turbines are sited too close to people’s homes which are receptors, the Infrasound is trapped inside the home which causes sleep deprivation.
As Professor James states, there are various illnesses associated with sleep deprivation, with the young and the elderly being most vulnerable, that is why it would be safer to sleep with your curtains open and your windows open so that the Infrasound can escape.
Our Environmental Health Department DO NOT MEASURE INFRASOUND, WHY?
The wind industry deny that wind turbines cause any health effects.
Many peer reviewed studies from around the world suggest otherwise and this article from Professor James stresses the importance of sleep which is a basic human right.
Unfortunately there are many people in this country that are being denied their basic human right.
Who will pay the compensation when the claims are made?
The landowner for causing the noise pollution?
The energy company for putting up the wind turbines?
The planning department or county council for granting planning permission without taking into account the noise concerns of people living nearby?
The Energy Minister or Minister of the Environment for driving this policy / madness on in a wreck less manner?
Take your pick.
It’s called children :(
Obviously the Dr hasn’t heard of sleep apnea
have your say