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Storm Ophelia surfer: 'The picture makes the ocean look rough... but it wasn't really that significant'

Luke Donnelly from Stillorgan is a trained lifeguard, surfing teacher and is studying oceanography as part of his degree.

ON MONDAY AFTERNOON, the same time that ex-Hurricane Ophelia was crashing through Ireland’s southern counties, a man from Stillorgan was heading out for a surf off the Dublin coast.

Photographer Gerry Andrews, who was out collecting cancer medicine in a Dún Laoghaire pharmacy, spotted the surfer swimming out to sea. He grabbed his camera and took the photo from his car – with one foot on the path and the other in the car.

“I was out of the car for all of 10 seconds,” Gerry told TheJournal.ie, who was anxious to get home before the storm hit.

22528323_1657179037635847_2716063371528578341_n Gerry Andrews Gerry Andrews

That same day, five windsurfers were brought to shore by Coast Guard members, despite red weather warnings urging people to stay indoors (and away from the sea, for that matter).

In the aftermath of the storm that killed three people on Irish roads, Fianna Fáil proposed that it should be made an offence to recklessly endanger the lives of emergency personnel during a red weather warning.

A lot of those who saw the photo agreed.

“Should be charged for endangering lives,” said one person in response to the photo shared on Facebook, referring to the lives of emergency service personnel.

On the same post, another person said:

Anyone stupid enough to enter the water or even to go onto the piers or cliffs around the country should be left to natural selection!

But the surfer who was snapped at White Rock beach in Killiney says that those who got outraged don’t have the full picture.

“What I was doing was calculated,” Luke Donnelly told TheJournal.ie.

“I’ve been surfing down there for 8 or 9 years, and using online models to check the weather, like the M5 weather buoy, the M2 Irish weather buoy in the Irish Sea. So I have a pretty in-depth knowledge of the local area, and about how winds and swell will affect it.”

The 27-year-old Trinity student, who’s been surfing for 15 years, had seen two or three days in advance that there would be “a small bit of swell” heading in.

He kept checking the Dublin buoy all that morning and thought he’d head down to check the tide at around 1pm, when there was an hour window where he could head out.

“It wasn’t a major swell event compared to smaller winter swells. When I saw it wasn’t really that significant – almost to the point that I wouldn’t have bothered going out.”

A friend of his, who’s a trained lifeguard, joined him at the coast, but decided not to head out as the 4-5ft waves weren’t large enough to bother, Luke says.

He caught one or two waves, and then got out before “they got too big”.

“The picture makes the ocean look rough, but it was relatively small.

I’m a qualified lifeguard, had another mate of mine on the beach who was another qualified lifeguard, I’m a trained surf instructor, I’m currently doing a degree in oceanography [as part of an Earth Sciences degree]. I would have a little bit more knowledge.
Going down there, I would know the weather conditions back to front before heading out there. For me it wasn’t even significant.

When Gerry saw Luke in the water, he said he was “taken aback” but added that it was obvious after a few seconds that the man “knew what he was doing”.

Panama.Surf Luke has taught people to surf in the Caribbean, the US, Australia and Southeast Asia. Luke Donnelly Luke Donnelly

“People who are into adventure sports go out into hazardous conditions,” he said, adding that the photo does open up a discussion on what emergency services should do.

So what does Luke think of Fianna Fáil’s proposal to make it an offence to ignore red weather warnings to stay indoors?

“I can definitely see the point in it,” he says, “but what I was doing was more calculated. If someone brings out a small craft in gale force winds, or winds exceeding 150 mph, they’re going to [have to] get rescued.”

I don’t recommend it to anyone to go into the water without the adequate experience. There’s plenty of surf schools on both the east and west coast of the country if anyone wants to give surfing a go under the guidance of a qualified ISA instructor.

But he admits that there are many people out there who think that it will never be them who get caught out in a storm. “There’s always a chance you can get hurt,” he says.

“It’s kind of gotten to the point where I have to think now, do I call ahead and tell the Coast Guard that I’m going out and I don’t want to be rescued.

“But then if someone else gets into difficulty in the same area and the Coast Guard don’t come out to the actual call, that’s more or less my fault, so it’s kind of like an ethical decision of whether to call the Coast Guard.”

On the day Storm Ophelia hit, the Irish Coast Guard said that the decision to head out to sea made by those who were later rescued were “innocent errors”, but said that it wasn’t the day for Coast Guard services to be unnecessarily held up.

It’s because of this, on the day of an unprecedented tropical storm slamming into Ireland that people became outraged at the idea that someone would head out to take that risk. Does he understand that outrage?

“I mean, I can and I can’t,” Luke says.

I can see if swimmers were out in that. I wouldn’t think it would be a good idea for kids to be out or people out on piers, as an example.

“I think the reaction to it was definitely because there were so many people sitting at home because they had the day off work and then a picture popped up, so there would be a lot more people commenting on it than normally would.

“People were saying that ‘He has no respect for his family, he’s going to die out there’. My family knew I was there and were laughing at that kind of reaction.”

So what did he think when he saw the photo itself? Is he happy with the shot?

“I kind of try to stay under the radar, it’s a cool photo the angle that it was taken at, but I didn’t really want to associate my name with it. There was just a huge backlash especially some of the more harsh comments.”

And Gerry?

“Not particularly so, to me it’s just a photograph! I travel the world taking photographs and have been in tricky situations myself - a few weeks ago I was in a tropical storm in Vietnam.”

Read: Coast Guard warns public to stay away from the sea after people spotted in stormy waters

Read: ‘People need to take responsibility’: Laws could punish those who put emergency services at risk

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140 Comments
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    Mute Jaci Black
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    Oct 21st 2018, 8:35 PM

    100% – Get involved, integrate and enjoy us!

    How many Muslim girls and women are actively involved in the GAA, soccer, rugby, swimming, hurley, badminton, camogie, athletics, mixed martial arts, community games, and cycling? When was the last time you saw a Muslim girl/woman out walking a dog or even out walking by themselves on a bright summer’s night, alone?

    I support integration, but I don’t see it. Many non nationals support the large supermarkets, charity shops and the libraries. They don’t and won’t integrate or support our local businesses.
    When Irish people live, work and vacation abroad ,they integrate, not because of coercion, simply because they want to and embrace new cultures. A natural transition. It should go both ways.

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    Mute Mark Waldron
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    Oct 21st 2018, 8:55 PM

    @Jaci Black: Why should anybody do what you would like them to do? As long as they’re not breaking any laws they can do as they please, surely?

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    Mute Ger Murphy
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    Oct 21st 2018, 10:03 PM

    @Mark Waldron: Problem Mark is we don’t know who we are letting in, no way of finding their true identity.
    http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/man-whose-deportation-stopped-outraged-13414585.amp

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    Mute Mark Waldron
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    Oct 21st 2018, 10:18 PM

    @Ger Murphy: That’s a British report about a deportation. What has it got to do with the vast majority of people who aren’t criminals?

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    Mute Ger Murphy
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    Oct 21st 2018, 10:35 PM

    @Mark Waldron: It could easily be an Irish report, our borders are open for all sorts, Sinn Fein says there is 120k of illegals in Ireland who were never vetted, we need stricter borders here. We are been used here as welfare migrants flood in. We had only last week in a school in Balbriggan where a son of a Nigerian migrant threatens to gun down every one that attends school, school had to be shut down for the day, what is this country coming to? We got to wake up.

    101
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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 21st 2018, 10:49 PM

    @Mark Waldron: No, they’re economic migrants, while IRL Exports it’s Youth.

    74
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    Mute Ashish Uday Lal
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    Oct 21st 2018, 10:49 PM

    @Jaci Black: Do you cut & paste this for every article mentioning immigrants?

    12
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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 21st 2018, 10:58 PM

    @Mark Waldron: Because people with Vastly different Cultures and mindsets BRING Their Culture TO Ireland. They then want to Enforce THEIR Culture on the Native Irish Population. They segregate themselves from the Irish, who fought off Plantation for nearly 700 years ! & a ‘contrived’ Famine 170 years ago, Rebellion after Rebellion, & a Civil War. FG/FF are Pawns, & clearly part of the problem.

    88
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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 21st 2018, 11:01 PM

    @Jaci Black: Respect Majority NO to Anchor Babies
    https://www.change.org/p/respect-majority-no-to-anchor-babies-79-in-2004

    60
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 7:17 AM

    @Fionn_Oisín: I have absolutely no idea what our borders have to do with Britain. Seems like you just threw in the patriotic cheerleading for effect. Who is enforcing their culture on us? What have we been forced to do? What’s even funnier than that is that we as a nation holiday in Spain a lot and have actually forced cultural changed their but sure that’s not the same at all I suppose.

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    Mute Mark Waldron
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 8:55 AM

    @Fionn_Oisín: Racist, xenophobic nonsense based on nothing but ignorance and hate. Stop spreading these lies you moron.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 9:03 AM

    @Jaci Black: I’ve seen Muslim girls play GAA with and without the head scarf, I’ve seen Muslim women walking alone. Most Irish people shop in the large supermarkets. If a Muslim opens and shop and they shop there that’s supporting local business

    9
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    Mute Trish Loughman
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 10:17 AM

    @Dave O Keeffe: People like Jaci see what they want to see.

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    Mute Darrell O'Donnell
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 12:02 PM

    @Jaci Black: quite an anecdotal position there, Jaci.. odd how you single out Muslims.. different nationalities mix/engage/integrate in different ways ..there are no fixed rules..hows this for some integrated GAA though? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex78dBceVV8 ‘They dont/wont” Also.. thats quite an assertion but the stats on Irish opinion dont support that.. http://www.thejournal.ie/80-of-irish-people-believe-immigrants-integrate-successfully-3967095-Apr2018/.. there are communities of foreigners in Ireland just as there are Irish communities abroad..its really no big deal.. but your post strikes me as a tad disingenuous..

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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 4:28 PM

    @Dave O Keeffe: What’s the difference between British Plantation or Global Plantation ? It’s Soros Plantation to Overthrow the native population, via huge Tax payer funded NGOs, all over White ‘Christian’ Europe, 2 create a Low wage, Mixed race Federation, 4 ‘Globalist Socialism’. What have holidays got to do with it ? There are 30,000+ illegal NON-EU immigrants in IRL, causing a rise in rents & adding to the housing crisis, (SF estimates 100,000). If IRL has access to a Labour Market of 500 MILLION, why does it need NON-EU migrants? As for forced cultural changes, what about the Mega Mosque that NONE of the native Irish want in Dublin 15 ? People do not magically drop their Ethnic Identity & Ancestry, & become Irish. They want the best of both worlds…., to BRING their identity…, & Enforce it onto the Host Nation, but in a higher wage Country. simple.

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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 4:31 PM

    @Mark Waldron: Yr suffering from Globalist Brainwash, it’s common sense. ‘Racism’ goes both ways. Whites Are a Race, like any other, like Asians, Africans, etc. What would u say to this so ?
    https://redice.tv/news/norway-is-too-white-according-to-the-president-of-the-jewish-community-in-oslo

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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 4:36 PM

    @Dave O Keeffe: It’s supports Halal & animal cruelty. In Dublin 15, the Mega Mosque to be, will enable muslims to segregrate themselves from the community, with primary & secondary schools (Sharia), sports grounds, shopping, restaurants, in fact they will not have to mix with the native population, which will create an enclave, /a community Within a community.

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    Mute Darrell O'Donnell
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    Oct 24th 2018, 3:37 PM

    @Fionn_Oisín: Brett

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    Mute Darrell O'Donnell
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    Oct 24th 2018, 3:37 PM

    @Fionn_Oisín: Breitbart much??!!

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    Mute Tweed Cap
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    Oct 21st 2018, 7:19 PM

    I was hoping that migrants would help change Ireland’s political landscape for the better finally. Help break the cycle of our corrupt civil war party cartel and essentially assist in saving us from ourselves. But then I see this Pakistani lad is running for Fianna Fáil. That’s the end of that theory so..

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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 21st 2018, 10:43 PM

    @Tweed Cap: yes they will work very hard at bringing All Migrants to Ireland, in fact they couldn’t give a damn about the Irish People. They would be fine with their Ethnocide.

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    Mute Jaci Black
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    Oct 21st 2018, 8:53 PM

    We have, allegedly a slow but significant relationship with ‘sharia law’ introduced in to some ‘Educate Together’ schools that mandate and dictate how a girl is dressed to attend school.

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    Mute Mark Waldron
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    Oct 21st 2018, 9:02 PM

    @Jaci Black: What evidence do you have for this claim?

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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 21st 2018, 10:45 PM

    @Mark Waldron: Kalergi’s plan to ‘breed out’ White ‘Christian’ Europe.
    https://sovereignwales.com/2016/09/20/the-genocidal-kalergi-plan-to-destroy-the-indigenous-nations-and-peoples-of-europe/

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 21st 2018, 11:04 PM

    @Jaci Black: there is an educate together school in my area and everyone wears the same uniform, a traditional school uniform. You’re taking absolute nonsense. Dangerous nonsense.

    13
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    Mute Ger Murphy
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    Oct 21st 2018, 11:20 PM

    @Dermot Lane: We really don’t know who we are importing that is the big problem here.
    http://www.thesun.ie/news/3229508/school-balbriggan-dublin-shut-teen-arrested-chilling-school-shooting-threat/amp/

    49
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    Mute Canny Jem
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    Oct 21st 2018, 11:42 PM

    @Jaci Black: Yes, it is the ultimate objective to introduce and spread Islamic laws wherever Muslims live. Some years ago, there was a proposal to introduce Sharia Law in a Canadian city – Toronto or Ottowa, I forget which and sorry I don’t have links to offer. The city concerned had a very substantial population of Muslims who got representatives elected to public office and became a very influential lobby group.
    When it came to a vote, the proposal was narrowly voted down. Who is to say it won’t be successful in the future there – or in Ireland? The Muslim religion is now the second largest in Ireland, after the RCC.

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    Mute Canny Jem
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    Oct 21st 2018, 11:59 PM

    @Jaci Black: You may be right….
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysBJ5G4m67s

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    Mute Mark Waldron
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 8:56 AM

    @Canny Jem: Racist, xenophobic nonsense based on nothing but ignorance and hate. Stop spreading these lies you moron.

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    Mute Trish Loughman
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 10:18 AM

    @Mark Waldron: None of course, the loon is strong in the air today.

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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 6:02 PM

    @neilo: You’re so behind the curve, it’s Frightening… Richard Kalergi, 1924, …EU Founding Father, look it up… Merkel received a Kalergi Prize, is it any surprise..? do yr research.

    7
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    Mute ciaran111
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    Oct 21st 2018, 9:00 PM

    So 5000 illegal hildren imigrants here .And the chinese woman found with illegal passports for herself and child in Wicklow.Also had given false information ,saying the childs father was Irish.

    199
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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 21st 2018, 10:51 PM

    @ciaran111: Hidden illegals, the middle class are funding their Education for a decade !, while they Repeal after Repeal, again at the taxpayers Expense.

    96
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    Mute Paulo Quicoli
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 6:36 AM

    I’m a migrant from Brazil and I’m loving Ireland. As a migrant I really don’t see any problems regarding our community. I really get afraid of some communities saying government should do this or that for them. See, if you move to other country you have to embrace this new country culture and not impose yours! That’s what I and my family have done, we have lots of Irish friends, we share dinners, so children play together and we learn a lot about Irish history. So, government, you are ok with us, we don’t need a representative for ‘fight’ for us, what we need are good politicians to keep our improve this country we love because this is our home.

    98
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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 4:42 PM

    @Paulo Quicoli: Ireland may be yr home, but how many Brazilians should Ireland take ? Ireland already has access to an EU Labour Market of 500 Million.. Irish people have to apply for a Work Permit OUTSIDE the EU, & many have to return to Ireland, when their Permit expires, e.g Australia.

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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 5:52 PM

    @Paulo Quicoli: yes, there are migrants living peacefully among us, & others of Vastly different cultures who Segregate themselves by choice. However, this is a deliberate Soros initiative, throughout the EU, to undermine the Nation State. When the Irish move abroad, they don’t get placed in Governments of other Countries (because they’re ‘a minority’ in that Country), or as FG/FF are suggesting, unelected, & via a quota system ! Also, the question remains, how many Brazilians should Ireland take in ? Ireland already has access to an EU Labour Market of 500 Million. Irish people have to apply for a Work Permit Outside the EU, & many have to leave when their permit expires.

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    Mute Johnny Mason
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    Oct 21st 2018, 7:17 PM

    Just hope they don’t get the brush off like Gemma O’Doherty did !

    49
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 21st 2018, 7:29 PM

    @Johnny Mason: maybe she should run in the local elections or the Dail elections, where she might be able to influence things, instead of aiming for the presidency, the most powerless political position in the state.

    49
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    Mute Mark Waldron
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    Oct 21st 2018, 7:30 PM

    @Johnny Mason: The anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorist Gemma O’Doherty? Yeah, it’s hard to see why she has no supporters.

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    Mute Johnny Mason
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    Oct 21st 2018, 7:53 PM

    @Dermot Lane: Is it possible that she also wanted to exposing even the most powerless political position in this State is a process that resembles a most undemocratic farse that is still in operation

    28
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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 21st 2018, 10:48 PM

    @Mark Waldron: conspiracy ? did u do any research ? ….or u believe the media ?!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JINYzaqtHw

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 21st 2018, 10:51 PM

    @Johnny Mason: 4 non political no-hopers managed to get on the ticket and 3 of them are running at 3 or 4 %. The fact is she would be less popular than any of them if pre campaign polls are to be believed. So the fact she wasn’t nominated actually mirrors public opinion. There was no conspiracy to keep her off the ticket, that’s just nonsense.

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    Mute Mark Waldron
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 8:57 AM

    @Fionn_Oisín: I’ve done plenty of research on anti-vaxxers. They are delusional morons, just like you.

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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 5:54 PM

    @Mark Waldron: That lovely boy Colton is dead, take a look at the video, he was VAXXED by HPV.

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    Mute Frank Dubogovik
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    Oct 21st 2018, 7:06 PM

    Best of luck to em….
    Can’t do any worse than our own home grown beauties

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    Mute Headtheball
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 8:49 AM

    Why are the journal deleting comments and perfectly good debates?

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    Mute Mark Waldron
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 8:58 AM

    @Headtheball: Because of your overt racism you fool.

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    Mute Headtheball
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 9:31 AM

    @Mark Waldron: Please tell me what I said that was ‘overtly’ racist, you fool?

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    Mute Mark Waldron
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 11:01 AM

    @Headtheball: I read your deleted comments last night. All your nonsense about immigrants being required to integrate into Irish society. What right do you have to tell anyone what they should and should not do?

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    Mute Liam O’Conchubhair
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 3:16 PM

    @Mark Waldron: I haven’t seen his comments but how is wanting people to integrate into Irish society racist?

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    Mute Mark Waldron
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 3:29 PM

    @Liam O’Conchubhair: Wanting something is different from requiring people to integrate. Why should they turn their back on their cultural heritage to fit in with what others find acceptable? Requiring them to conform to our society is inherently racist. People who are not breaking any laws should be allowed live their lives in whatever way they see fit.

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    Mute Headtheball
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 3:42 PM

    @Mark Waldron: First of all none of my comments had anything to do with integration so that’s a load of contrived nonsense, secondly what is wrong with that view? Surely there should be integration? Thirdly, how is that view racist?

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    Mute Headtheball
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 3:43 PM

    @Mark Waldron: You surely are a troll

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    Mute Mark Waldron
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 3:52 PM

    @Headtheball: Your memory is failing. You spoke about not minding a certain number of immigrants coming here as long as they integrate. Why should they be required to do what you want them to do? Who put you in charge of what people wear, or who, what, where or when they worship, where they shop, what they eat and who they associate with? It all sounds quite like the ‘sharia law’ you lot or all so terrified is going to be implemented here. What’s wrong with people retaining their cultural heritage?

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    Mute Headtheball
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 4:26 PM

    @Mark Waldron: Again you are opening lying my argument had nothing to with integration it was based on the fact that the blonde haired lady said that we should ‘welcome and home all of us’ – I argued that we already have 17% of the population being migrants and posed the question of what percentage we stop and think is too much. I also said I am tolerant to other views, religions and ways of life. I have no problem with people maintaining the cultural heritage. Now to your point about integration, please give me a modern example of a country that has not integrated migrants but in return has a perfectly functioning society?

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    Mute Headtheball
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 4:35 PM

    @Mark Waldron: The only one I can think of is Sweden, those leftist loonies have ruined their own country with that train of thought

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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 5:58 PM

    @Mark Waldron: Why should Europe be obliged to ‘integrate’ into their culture ? Why can’t Europeans build Churches in the Middle East & the Gulf? Tolerance goes Both ways. Or should tolerance only be Enforced in White ‘Christian’ Countries..?

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    Mute Liam O’Conchubhair
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    Oct 23rd 2018, 12:14 PM

    @Mark Waldron: should Christians be allowed to build churches in Saudi Arabia then? After all, why should they be expected to turn their backs on their beliefs?

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    Mute Fionnuala Hendrick
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 11:32 AM

    I would be concerned about whether or not deep background checks were carried on on migrants running for office. Just look at Luton and ask do we really want this situation for Dublin.

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    Mute Mark Waldron
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 4:03 PM

    @Fionnuala Hendrick: What happened in Luton?

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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 4:45 PM

    @Mark Waldron: Luton has high levels of immigration & threatened with Sharia Law, & Bradford has 99 Mosques. Some towns in the UK are intimidating the local White British businesses in the area, to get them to leave the area, so they can colonize it with Sharia Law.

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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 7:31 AM

    Last paragraph says it all

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    Mute Fionn_Oisín
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 4:46 PM

    @Shawn O’Ceallaghan: It’s called Free Speech.

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    Mute hurrytowait
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    Oct 22nd 2018, 11:35 AM

    From the Comments Policy:

    “No hate speech

    Do not make comments which are racist, sexist, homophobic, offensive on the grounds of religion, nationality or demographic group. Do not make comments which are threatening or harassing or which could be perceived as such.

    Do not post defamatory content

    Users who are found to have posted defamatory content on any Journal Media comments section will have their commenting privileges withdrawn.”

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