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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 football and the Irish supporters.
1. Footage emerged online during the week showing Russian football fans attacking English supporters in Marseille. Beachmaster contributed this wry remark, referencing Russian nesting dolls:
The trouble with fighting a big Russian hooligan is, if you knock him down then a slightly smaller one appears, you knock him down and then another slightly smaller one appears, and so on.
That comment got 1,475 likes.
2. Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people and injured many more in a gay nightclub in Florida last Saturday night. Barry Kelly commented on the article to share his thoughts:
An act of pure evil. May those who were murdered rest in peace
His comment got 1,318 likes.
3. A 2-year-old child was dragged underwater and killed by an alligator in Walt Disney World in Florida during the week. Several “No swimming” signs were posted but no signs mentioned alligators in the area. John Appleseed shared his thoughts on the signage:
No swimming signs should be replaced with man eating alligators signs. Paddling is not swimming. Very sad. Poor family.
His comment got 1,217 green thumbs.
4. A poll during the week asked readers whether they think some football teams should be banned over the behaviour of fans at competitions. Peter Hilliard suggested an alternative for the fans with good behaviour:
And the teams with the best supporters automatically qualify for the quarter finals. Just a suggestion.
1,147 others agreed with his idea.
5. A Dutch woman was convicted of adultery in Qatar after she reported being raped while on holiday in the country. Mccumhail said people should boycott the 2022 World Cup, which is to be held in the country:
The 2022 World Cup should be boycotted.
Their comment got 1,137 green thumbs.
1. Off to France without a ticket? We’ve ELEVEN of (probably) the very last pairs for Ireland-Belgium (This article got 628 comments)
2. Florida gay nightclub worst mass shooting in US history: 50 dead and 53 injured (This article got 491 comments)
3. British Labour MP Jo Cox has died after being shot and stabbed on the street (This article got 232 comments)
4. Poll: Would you like to see Britain leave the EU? (This comments got 209 comments)
5. Orlando shooter was a homophobic killer, deliberately using the ‘Isis’ name (This article got 199 comments)
When Ireland faced Sweden in their first game of Euro 2016, we conducted a poll asking if people would take time off work to watch the match. Phil Quinlan said he’d just sustained an injury that will put him out of action for the summer:
Fractured my hip last weekend at the beach – recovery 3-12 weeks!
Get well soon Phil.
The weekend weather report isn’t exactly what people heading to Body and Soul festival want to hear – but it could be worse. Luca Costa commented on the image for the article:
That’s a handy extra arm that girl in the photo has attached to her bag. Genius invention.
This story about a woman dropped out of school aged 16 and went back later in life to graduate from Medicine in Trinity generated plenty of reaction. OU812 commented to share her mother’s experience:
It’s great program. My mother who left school at age 13, graduated with distinctions in English and history at age 58 a couple of years ago & immediately started volunteer teaching at an adult education school to give back.She’s retired now but has halted over 130 adults achieve their leaving certificate and nearly 14 to go on to third level.
During the week former Slipknot drummer, Joey Jordison, said the reason he quit the band was due to multiple sclerosis (MS). He is now motivating others to fight the disease. Sandra Sinnott commented to applaud the musician:
I have MS and am not remotely disappointed in his comments. MS has many different forms, some more severe than others. I have friends with MS and none of us have the very same symptoms so its impossible to compare. Losing the use of your legs for any period of time is hardly something you can call minor. For me exercise, the gym and physio keeps it manageable, which is as close to beating it as I am going to get . As far as I am concerned its good to see someone with any form of MS doing well and putting in the work to get there if they need to and are able to.
See any good comments? Send them to orla@thejournal.ie
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Fair play Vladimir and congrats on the real top comment of the week. I wonder how long this will stay up!
Oh bejaysus I’m in there too. Gone in 60 seconds
The real props is that he didn’t like his own comment. Sound man Vladimir.
Haha, we’ll spotted Mr Hurley
STOP PISSING ON MY PARADE!
They’ve used you as the patsy Beach
Beachmaster
No offence man…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO3Gb5mkwTc
Well done Vlad
Would you consider reporting them to the press council of Ireland http://www.presscouncil.ie The Journal is a member and are obviously in breach of the guidelines Also you can report the journalist himself for breach of ethics.
Maybe we should get a “fact check” on how these results are tabulated ;-)
There were five or six comments with over 1500 likes on the travellers story.
Travellers are the journals love child. Those comments were never going to get in.
I came to say that. I’ve been trying to find them for the last few minutes. Censorship of their readers is the only explanation and it’s not the first time.
At least one of those comments had over 2000 likes and very few dislikes. It seems TheJournal have contempt for their readers and, considering the opinion poll the story was on, the majority of the Irish people. One week they even skipped Top Comments of the Week because they disagreed with the top comment. But this is a new low. I had one of my own comments and associated thread deleted this week because I disagreed with the author of an opinion piece. I hope they realise that their readers make or break them. If they keep going like this they leave their business wide open for the competition to eat into their market share
I can only guess that they were horrible comments and I certainly don’t want to see that. It’s great how we can Lord it over some people isn’t it? A great bunch of lads altogether.
Headline each week should read “top comments not including anything about travellers, lgbt, Muslims, dissidents, certain politicians, very wealthy irish business men who shall remain nameless. In fact, top comments featured on the most watery, benign and boring stories we can find” section.
This is disgraceful. None of the comments were derogatory. One was (paraphrasing from memory) they expect all from society but give nothing back, the rest were variants on that theme. Very disappointed. Didn’t expect this level of censorship. I’d love if you (the journal) would explain your decision not to publish the actual top comments?
Disgraceful, the comments basically said that Travellers expect more from society than they ever expect to put in and they’re always complaining about not being given houses/land while the rest of us either buy a house or join a longer queue for social housing. Disappointed in the journal.ie
Yes you can only guess because they were deleted, I saw those comments and even though I disagreed with them they weren’t horrible, they challenged the piece yes but horrible no. Free speech is becoming a rare thing on the Journal, it has a comments section so readers can discuss topics and challenge each others point of view but now anyone who doesn’t tow the pc line has their comments deleted. I’ve noticed stories that have the comments section open for hours suddenly shut down and wipe all comments, is this really the type of world we want to live in? It’s the equivalent of sticking your fingers on your ears and screaming LALALALA at a person because you don’t like what they have to say. Why don’t you want to see other people’s comments that challenge the status quo Deborah? Why are comments that make you think dangerous? Is it because we now live in an age where debate must be shut down at all costs and everyone has to sing from the same pc hymn sheet? Freedom of speech indeed, it’s your right until you disagree then your automatically branded a sexist, racist or homophobe, terms used to silence anyone who doesn’t agree with the precious snowflake brigade. I’m off now before I trigger someone and they start screaming for my blood. Have a great day all.
Test test
My phone’s working again, made me look like a plank!!
icles icles
Anna Bee – now I have that stupid La La La La song stuck in my head. Thanks for ruining my Saturday
I think the suppression of opinion has backfired, boss.
I took a screenshot because someone put up a comment that The Journal wouldn’t show the comment about Travellers. How right you were. When I took the screenshot it had 2,531 likes. The comment of the week by a mile but The Journal didn’t show it. Either you’re going to do it fairly or don’t do it at all.
Mick Kavanagh
Thanks,- I don’t care how many ‘likes’ the comment had, – all that really mattered was that I spoke the truth, (according to the vast majority of Irish people.) – and the Journal.ie decided to kill it.
And here was I, – thinking that the internet was the last bastion of freedom of expression…
I’ve been looking at this “comments of the week” crap from the journal all day, why is the ‘likes’ for Val and other comments not getting any higher???. Shame on you Journal for pussying out in the first place and now with the cancellation of Green thumb’s…. explain your actions… you’ve enough people asking you
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