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Katie Collins/PA

New figures show outcome of pregnancies as a result of rape

More than half of women who became pregnant after rape went on to parent the child.

FIGURES RELEASED BY the Rape Crisis Network have detailed the outcome of pregnancies which occured as a result of rape in Ireland.

A total of 1,545 survivors of sexual violence attended rape crisis centres around the country in 2010. Of these, 75 became pregnant as a result of rape.

Forty-three of the women (57 per cent) went on to parent their child. Ten (13 per cent) chose to terminate their pregnancies while ten chose to place their child up for adoption or fostering.

Nine of the women (12 per cent) miscarried or had stillbirths. Three (4 per cent) became pregnant more than once as a result of rape and chose different options in each pregnancy.

“RCNI would have concerns that any rape survivor would be subject to restrictions and would have to travel oversees to another jurisdiction in order to access a termination,” said Fiona Neary, the director of the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland.

The figures were released to coincide with an event organised by the Irish Family Planning Association and the National Women’s Council of Ireland to mark the lack of action on reproductive rights in Ireland in the 20 years since the X case.

Government unlikely to vote for independent TDs’ abortion bill >

Government urged to legislate for X case, 20 years after court decision >

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48 Comments
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    Mute Pete Lee
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:33 AM

    More than welcome…

    347
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    Mute Cynical
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 12:08 PM

    @Pete Lee: Why would we protest, the Trump administration has been nothing but kind to Ireland.

    People might not like Trump, but he hasn’t done anything other than sour relations.

    Not very political, but hardly dictator-ish.

    156
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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 12:23 PM

    @Pete Lee: yes our simpering government can’t wait to kiss his bum.

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    Mute seamus mcdermott
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    Sep 3rd 2019, 4:44 AM

    @Cynical: Other than locking thousands of children up in concentration camps without charge in appalling conditions, he’s a great guy. Crimes against humanity notwithstanding.

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    Mute Cynical
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    Sep 3rd 2019, 2:46 PM

    @seamus mcdermott: If you read this, it seems to have been a serious issue in the US long before he got a chance to try and stick his fingers in it. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/magazine/the-shame-of-americas-family-detention-camps.html

    Honestly, other than threatening people he’s going to do something, please tell me what has he actually done?

    I’m not a Trump supporter, I just think people waste way too much energy following updates on whether he picked his left nostril or right one.

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    Mute Henry Gaynor
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 10:25 AM

    So tolerant liberals who celebrate diversity can’t tolerate someone with diverse views. Instead of demonstrating against Mike Pence’s visit, shouldn’t they be demonstrating how tolerant they are by welcoming him?

    247
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    Mute jamesdecay
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 11:17 AM

    @Henry Gaynor: they are. They’re breaking out their glitter balls. Shiny, happy people. I bet Mike even has a pair of flares in his closet.

    47
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    Mute Henry Gaynor
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 11:54 AM

    @jamesdecay: He could bring a plane load of Mexican migrants with him and they could get a right old salsa going. The demonstrators could bring them home for the night afterwards. Isn’t that what often happens at discos?

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    Mute jamesdecay
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 12:03 PM

    @Henry Gaynor: in fairness, I haven’t been to a disco in a long, long time. But that sounds the makings of a plan. Or at least a good hooley anyway

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    Mute Jose Luis
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    Sep 3rd 2019, 8:25 PM

    @Henry Gaynor: what the hell are you talking about? …

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    Mute Mick paisley
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 7:53 AM

    Fantastic news, we need more progressive politicians like Mike.

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    Mute bopter
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:03 AM
    58
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    Mute Greg Ward
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:22 AM
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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:27 AM

    @Greg Ward: that’s the trouble with social media. It’s impossible to tell from a post, the difference between the angry, funny and the gobshide.

    55
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    Mute Ananya Sharma
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:35 AM

    @Paul Furey: Jasus Paul calm down will ya!

    34
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    Mute Michael Burke
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:44 AM

    @Ananya Sharma: And there you go, you perceived he wasn’t calm, I perceived nothing like that!

    41
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    Mute Lily Martin
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 9:33 AM

    @Greg Ward: it can be hard to tell sometimes. Maybe we should adopt the /s used on reddit.

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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 10:57 AM

    @Paul Furey: Mick’s comment was very obviously sarcasm.

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    Mute Francis Sally
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 5:37 PM

    @Mick paisley: why would we need progressives, they are a pack of nut jobs. They are the new fascists.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:05 PM

    @Burn_the_Witch: Blatant. Certain users should need an ‘N’ badge until such subtitles are recognised.

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    Mute Ismise Máire
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 9:02 AM

    Where were this lot when our parliament was (incredibly) shut down to accommodate Nancy Pelosi…who had just legalised abortion UP TO BIRTH in New York??

    But I guess that this shower are the ones who allowed the same up to birth abortion to belegalisedhere last year.
    Yes you did…or did you not bother to find out what your yes vote would mean.

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    Mute Ian Phillip Creaner
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 9:23 AM

    @Ismise Máire: I don’t know really. I guess they were at home happy that the dáil was celebrated someone who fights for women’s rights over the perceived “rights” of religious nutbags. That’s my guess.

    136
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    Mute Mairead1990
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 10:18 AM

    @Ismise Máire: I’m so happy that I voted Yes to Repeal the 8th and fully informed myself, watched and listened to all of the debates, heard the falsehoods of the ‘Pro-Life’ campaign which were easily dismissed, it was such an historic day and Ireland can be proud that the vast majority of her citizens voted in solidarity with our women.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 11:12 AM

    @Ismise Máire: wow, the falsehoods are strong in this one.

    50
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    Mute Oliver Jumelle
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 1:54 PM

    @Ismise Máire: look. We had a referendum. You lost. The writing is on the wall for you.

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    Mute Seamus Mac
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 2:23 PM

    @Mairead1990: what falsehoods Liam?

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    Mute Henry Gaynor
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 2:55 PM

    @Mairead1990: Where do you stand on a woman’s right to be born?

    37
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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 5:26 PM

    @Henry Gaynor: Hey, don’t be sexist, men too!!! And @Mairead1990 where do you stand on a man’s right to not pay maintenance? Would that be a fair comparison, or does the right to choose only affect women? I know it’s a crazy comparison, but it’s a crazy world, right?

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    Mute aidan mccormack
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 9:33 AM

    It’s a Monday and Tuesday, do protesters not have jobs to go to.

    152
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    Mute jamesdecay
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 9:51 AM

    @aidan mccormack: break out those disco pants, man. Sounds like you need a bop

    53
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    Mute Seamus Mac
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 10:17 AM

    @aidan mccormack: the only people who have this kind of time to protest are the unemployed perma protesters & employees of state funded advocacy/charity groups. Chinese diplomats do not receive the same animosity for some reason.

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    Mute GrahamMManning
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 4:59 PM

    @Seamus Mac: think the same about protestors in Hong Kong?

    11
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    Mute Kieran Woods
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 5:21 PM

    @GrahamMManning: Protesters around the world face the same treatment as those in Hong Kong. Yellow vests were tear gassed in France, protesting war veterans were shot with live ammo in the US.

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    Mute Andrew Dillon
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 5:28 PM

    @GrahamMManning: I think the people in Hong Kong feel that what they are protesting against would have a negative impact on their lives and once implemented would be unchangeable. The Pence protesters are doing so because they don’t like the man’s views.

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    Mute Seamus Mac
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:15 PM

    @GrahamMManning: no disco in hong kong

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    Mute peter finnegan
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 10:38 AM

    I don’t agree with Pence views but I do believe he is entitled to hold them. His principles and mine are radically different but my belief in tolerance and diversity means I cannot deny him his right to be different . Respect is a two way street …Pence is a guest of Ireland ., so any protest must be respectful , express a position but not insult a visitor. Leo handled this balance well in Washington ; we must all handle it equally well in a balanced respectful way here .

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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 11:14 AM

    @peter finnegan: A tolerant liberal. Well done to you. Because it is right-thinking liberals who get to decide what speech is intolerant, the result, in practical terms, is that the ethic of tolerance provides no restraint on liberals at all. It is only a restraint on the actions, speech and, ultimately, thought of their political opponents.
    For those on the other side, Catholics or conservatives or anyone who does not subscribe to the new liberal orthodoxy, they are no longer expected merely to tolerate those views with which they disagree, but to affirm and celebrate them – anything less is seen as bigotry etc. Meanwhile, secular liberals can be as intolerant as they like, verbally attacking people and their characters while almost never engaging with and debating their ideas.

    91
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    Mute jamesdecay
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 11:24 AM

    @Burn_the_Witch: so you’re annoyed because you think he sounds patronizing? He sounds reasonable to me. But maybe I’m just another one of those god-awful liberals and I’m just demonstrating confirmation bias.

    Good name though. Funny how the intolerant burned ‘witches’ in the Middle Ages because of fear, ignorance and a general intolerance of something different.

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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 11:52 AM

    @jamesdecay: I wasn’t criticizing him at all. Just making a point about how unique he is. And ‘Burn the Witch’ is a song title that I used, nothing to do with politics or anything else except I like said song.

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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 12:44 PM

    @jamesdecay: And far from being annoyed, I totally agree with everything the OP said. Sorry if my original comment confused you, I should have been clearer.

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    Mute jamesdecay
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 1:47 PM

    @Burn_the_Witch: all good

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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 2:31 PM

    @jamesdecay: Thanks.

    10
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    Mute Miller
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 4:49 PM

    I dont want the taoiseachs partner/boyfriend representing me.

    77
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    Mute GrahamMManning
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 5:01 PM

    @Miller: then don’t vote for Leo and his mates next time. Surprisingly you don’t get to pick their partner

    37
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    Mute Kieran Woods
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 5:22 PM

    @Miller: You must know Leo’s partner.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:07 PM

    @Miller: aw why?

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    Mute Green Lentils
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    Sep 3rd 2019, 9:09 AM

    @Miller: do you feel the same about Sabina Higgins? What’s the difference that one couple is gay and the other isn’t? Ridiculous comment but why am I surprised.

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    Mute Briscoe Sundara
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:37 AM

    A disco?

    31
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    Mute Henri Poincaré
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:45 AM

    @Briscoe Sundara: well when you’re protesting every week it gets kind of repetitive. Good to have a theme night to change it up a little!

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    Mute Leo Lalor
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 7:13 PM

    I thought it couldn’t get any worse than Mr varadkar and all his buddies getting their photo op with Kylie minogue. How many leaders bring their partner and mammy and daddy to meet a world leader. It’s beyond cringeworthy.

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    Mute Paddy J
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 7:29 PM

    @Leo Lalor: most leaders bring their partner to meet with fellow world leaders. I’m sure they would bring their parents too if they were still alive, remember many leaders are elderly and their parents may be sadly deceased. I can’t see the issue and I seriously doubt Mike Pence will see it either.

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    Mute Deirdre Fahey
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:44 PM

    @Leo Lalor: mike pence bringing his family so what’s the issue

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 10:25 PM

    @Deirdre Fahey: we are paying millions towards his security

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    Mute Maurice
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 9:19 AM

    Mike Pence is part of an administration that is using its influence and soft power to end the criminalisation of homosexuality throughout the world.
    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-administration-launches-global-effort-end-criminalization-homosexuality-n973081

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    Mute Diogenes
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 5:31 PM

    Why don’t you start paying for your meals Leo.

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 5:43 PM

    @Diogenes: I wonder will beef be on the menu.

    21
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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:08 PM

    @Dave Doyle: Only if it’s Brazilian!

    11
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    Mute Bass demon
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 6:59 PM

    Bríd Smith and her cronies will no doubt be protesting against his visit she and her leftie lunnies represent everything I despise about this country.

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    Mute Jim O Brien - TechBuzz Ireland
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 11:40 PM

    @Bass demon: Colm o Gorman and his crew is

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    Mute GrahamMManning
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 4:57 PM

    A “real of Ireland”, really? Pense is loadsa things, v few good, but ye went with he’s not imaginary? Not sure what that fact has to with us but ok.

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    Mute jamesdecay
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 6:41 PM

    @GrahamMManning: guess the word ‘friend’ is missing. Surprising. Not much escapes the razor-sharp spellcheckers at The Journal

    9
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    Mute John Hartigan
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 11:35 PM

    Hospitals homeless poverty do I need to go on

    8
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    Mute Niall MacSweeney
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 1:40 PM

    …and ONE word about Palestine.

    8
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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 8:09 PM

    @Niall MacSweeney: please could you pass the Palestine! *cough I mean peas!.. I’ll get my coat

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    Mute jackbello
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 4:52 PM

    How things have changed in 20 years….

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    Mute MickN
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 11:04 AM

    Hams…

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    Mute Jane Waters
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    Sep 3rd 2019, 12:59 AM

    Seeing its a “family lunch” I hope Leo is footing the bill

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    Mute Green Lentils
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    Sep 3rd 2019, 9:11 AM

    Side show. Government get the health system in order and enjoy your lunch but for Christ sake get to work.

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    Mute Frank Brennan
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    Sep 2nd 2019, 7:23 PM

    So are the Irish taxpayers paying for his parents lunch?

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