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Dublin City Council directs 'The Question of the Eighth' event be cancelled at literature festival

The event in question was due to be held on Monday 21 May – four days before the Eighth Amendment referendum.

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has been criticised after it directed that an event involving writers who contributed to a book about repealing the Eighth Amendment be cancelled.

The event was a panel discussion featuring prominent artists and advocates who had contributed to a recent anthology entitled Repeal the 8th. Participants had been invited to discuss the concept of protest art and their approach to writing about the body and autonomy.

It was being held as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin, which is due to take place between 19 and 27 May.

The event in question was due to be held on Monday 21 May – four days before the Eighth Amendment referendum.

The event – titled The Question of the Eighth – was being held on the back of the publication of the anthology, which was published in April.

The anthology is a collection of writing and works set around the topic of female reproductive rights and the Eighth Amendment. It is edited by Irish Times writer and columnist Una Mullally.

In a statement, Mullally criticised Dublin City Council over the cancelling of the event.

“Today I was informed that Dublin City Council requested that the International Literature Festival Dublin cancel my event at the festival – The Question of the Eighth,” Mullally said.

“The festival had to comply as DCC funds the festival. I am obviously extremely disappointed personally, but this is bigger than just disappointment.

Why is art and culture reflecting discourse around women’s rights being shut down?

Mullally said that it was a “ridiculous situation that writers cannon speak about a book and their writing at a literature festival”.

She also clarified that she has “absolutely no issue with this excellent festival, and all the great people working on it”.

I am asking Dublin City Council to reverse their decision, and also whether the Council has instructed speakers at the festival not to talk about the referendum, which would obviously amount to censorship.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Dublin City Council said:

“Unfortunately, this event has had to be cancelled at the request of Dublin City Council, who fund and manage the Festival,” the spokesperson said.

“As with other Public Bodies, Dublin City Council cannot use public funding to support any side or appear to support any side of a referendum campaign.

“Council officials are also bound by the Code of Conduct for Local Authority Employees to remain politically impartial.

Scheduling this event as part of a council-funded festival was considered to be inconsistent with the obligations on the council and its officials.

The spokesperson apologised to the event organisers and to those who bought tickets – saying that they will be refunded.

On the festival page for the event, a statement says that it is cancelled, but that it may be rescheduled at a later date.

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    Mute Shane McGettrick
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    Sep 9th 2013, 3:19 PM

    I’d there any bigger motivator for the people to abolish an institution that should be retained and reformed than watching these self interested clowns strut around the midlands, with only their own enrichment in mind?

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:09 PM

    How exactly did these Senators vote when they were given a chance to save the Seanad ?
    Article 27 is at your disposal at all times Dail Eireann; your failure to use it tells its own story.
    WHIP !

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:15 PM

    A life time of political service to the state is hardly an act of self interest. Mary o’Rourke, like all in her family put the people of Ireland first when it would have been easier to go in to a business or the civil service etc. Seriously it is not as if she has a yacht.

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    Mute Shane McGettrick
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:38 PM

    Ah Seanie, pull the other one. Either you’re being disingenuous or you’re just delusion.

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    Mute Shane McGettrick
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:43 PM

    @Dermot Sitting party senators were between a rock and a hard place. Vote in favour, lose their place in the chamber, retain the useful party backing, vote against and lose the whip knowing that you’ll never get a Seanad nomination again. The party boys covered their arse of course, you can’t beat real politik after all.

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:54 PM

    “vote against and lose the whip knowing that you’ll never get a Seanad nomination again.” …that assessment suggests self-interest to me shane ;I understand realpolitiik , but realpolitik in austerity should be about the nation first , the person and party last !
    I understand I have quoted back only a section of your point but that to me is one of the core problems with Ireland ……
    If they defeated the vote when they had the chance then this waste of money of a campaign would not be even happening ;and it just a whim of a former merchant banker called Faughan who never stood for election ; a guy who, when a president visited his local National school, decided that a great present for said president would be a painting of the castle he lived in; that incident smacked of ego-mania and the whole thing points to a Taoiseach who isn’t in control and who wouldn’t have a clue what he should be doing even if he was !

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    Mute Shane McGettrick
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    Sep 9th 2013, 5:05 PM

    @Dermot I’m not defending any of these clowns, in fact the Seanad as it stands is wide open to manipulation by the party whip, in what other case would a chamber vote up abolish itself? I believe the chamber should be retained and reformed, that some current senators (interestingly not political appointees) stabs head and shoulders above sitting TDs.
    A functioning upper house should serve as a check against the Dail rather than a rubber stamping exercise, how it operates in its current form.

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Sep 9th 2013, 5:15 PM

    With you on that shane ; reform !
    What is getting me is that we are being asked to abolish something that will be replaced with what ?
    It’s like being asked to buy a pig in a poke and being asked to pay up front and given the poke and told come back sometime for a pig that should be in it in the first place !
    very suspicious !

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    Mute Shane McGettrick
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    Sep 9th 2013, 6:33 PM

    As far as I know the current proposal is the establishment of a myriad of committees (obviously appointed and controlled by the government of the time) which would oversee relevant legislation. That’s right, attempting to abolish a house that is “antidemocratic” and replacing it with whomever the government sees fit to.

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    Mute Malachy Quinn
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    Sep 9th 2013, 9:20 PM

    Seanie your beloved FF is not the FF of my grandfather or my mothers generation- both of whom if still alive would be saddened by how they morphed into the Irish mafia. Mary O Rourke, Pat Carey & the Andrews family were all decent people but unfortunately they were few & far between. Even the late Brian Lenihan’s
    Son could even bring himself to support them!
    FF are the Party of the big business instead of the small farmer as it was!

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    Mute gumbridge
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    Sep 9th 2013, 3:18 PM

    To be honest, I’m only gonna vote to keep it cos Edna wants rid of it.

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    Mute Reg
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    Sep 9th 2013, 3:26 PM

    It’s no wonder so many eejits get elected in this country. By all means vote no if you want to keep the Seanad, not because of who’s proposing the referendum. Pathetic.

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    Mute Rob Hunt
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:00 PM

    Gumbridge, posts like that make me think there should be an IQ test to register as a voter…

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    Mute Ryan Ash
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:06 PM

    @ gumbridge:

    As I have pointed out several times already, the effects of this referendum will most likely be felt for much longer than Enda Kenny will be Taoiseach for.

    Why not try thinking in the long term rather than the short term?

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    Mute John Kelly
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:26 PM

    @Gumbridge – If this level of reasoning and thought that goes in to deciding who or what to vote for is prevalent throughout the country (which I fear it is), then what’s the point even hoping for things to improve? I mean seriously. We really are our own worst enemy, and quite frankly the piss-poor politicians we have accurately reflect the piss-poor electorate.

    We’re a very immature nation. Any chance we’ll grow up sometime soon?

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    Mute Nigel O Keeffe
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    Sep 9th 2013, 7:20 PM

    @gumbridge
    spot on..Anyone need a reason to vote to abolish it..ivor callely..fidelma healy..

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    Mute Pádraig McCarrick
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    Sep 10th 2013, 9:08 AM

    Classic Irish begrudgery there.

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    Mute Paul Mc
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    Sep 9th 2013, 3:52 PM

    Clowns every one of them

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    Mute Reg
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    Sep 9th 2013, 10:06 PM
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    Mute Salvage Guy
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    Sep 9th 2013, 6:50 PM

    I Really wish Mary O’ Rourke would go away.

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    Mute Rose
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    Sep 9th 2013, 10:49 PM

    Retire Mary

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    Mute Denise Friary
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    Sep 9th 2013, 3:52 PM

    The freeloading senators are in a panic because the gravy train is crashing…Let’s give the money to the needy not the greedy.

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    Mute Whelan
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    Sep 9th 2013, 3:58 PM

    The money won’t be going to the needy. It will be going into committees, aka yes men, that Enda will select himself. Better to reform it then get extra FG zealots in the political atmosphere.

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:12 PM

    The needy are often there because they expect others to lift them out of the hole that they fell in to or that life tripped them in to. The attitude is what they need help with, teach them to be a self starter.

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    Mute Little Jim
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    Sep 9th 2013, 3:51 PM

    Two pigs and a wannabe propping up the trough.
    That’s too funny.

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    Mute Richard Keogh
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    Sep 9th 2013, 5:27 PM

    In fairness to Mary O’Rourke she chaired a Committee into Seanad reform in 2004 and has been an advocate for it for years. That successive governments have refused to implement it shows their fear of a strong second chamber. She is no longer a member of either house so has nothing to gain personally from campaigning unlike Bruton et al on the government side.

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    Mute Connaughtabu
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:43 PM

    I agree that the Seanad isn’t perfect and requires a major overhaul, but feel it should be retained in a new form.

    Here are some suggestions:
    i) The position of senator is should not seen as a career it should be seen as a public service
    ii) A senator should only be allowed to sit for 2 terms each of 4 years
    ii) It should attract no salary and no pension. Senators instead should receive expenses for attending sitting of the Seanad
    iii) Senators should be elected as individuals not as members of political parties, which would remove the scourge of Irish politics, the party whip. When the “3 line whip” is applied on every issue in the Oireachtas, no politician is ever allowed to express her/his opinion which makes a mokery of democracy in Ireland
    iv) No senator may stand for the Dail, to do so she/he must firstly resign from the Seanad

    :-))

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    Mute Aine Griffin
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:55 PM

    How much are the referendum documents costing? how much are the stupid posters costing? How much are the radio ads costing?

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    Mute the lost lenore
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:06 PM

    Democracy Matters? Another campaigning or lobby group? We must have one per head of population by now.

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    Mute Denis Moynihan
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:12 PM

    As opposed to sit back and do nothing but complain.

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    Mute Reg
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:28 PM

    It’s ironic that a campaign group to save the Seanad is called Democracy Matters. The Seanad is not a very democratic institution!

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Sep 9th 2013, 5:14 PM

    Could be and should be Reg. That is what most of us want.

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Sep 9th 2013, 5:16 PM

    Saw the lectrurer involved in democracy matters on V.B. ; What I saw impressed me I must say !

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    Mute the lost lenore
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    Sep 9th 2013, 5:41 PM

    No Reg. almost all these lobby groups are funded and ran by people pushing an agenda of some sort. It’s rarely democratic and usually seeks to create as much noise around whatever agenda it is they’re pushing that politicians give them whatever they’re looking for.

    And of course everyone involved usually gets a nice few quid for their involvement in whatever worthy cause is on the menu today. These are not grassroots movements and shouldn’t be confused with them.

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    Mute linda o neill
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:06 PM

    They should scrap the Dail while there at it..and sell the house that the president lives in because that has to be the biggest waste of All

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:11 PM

    Mary is an absolute legend and great to see her still making an impact.

    I’d like to think that John’s work with Democracy matters campaign will see him eventually leaving the dead ducks of the Labour party and joining FF given the party hopping at the moment. FG have 2 TD’s at the moment in a traditionally hostile const. that will not last. John can take one of them between his personal vote and the renewal of the FF vote and org.

    His choice is does he want his political career to end or continue.

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    Mute John Kelly
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:35 PM

    LOL

    Here’s the latest FF sock puppet! Fresh from the Fianna Fail Academy of BS with a certificate in delusion. Is your mate Oliver on holidays at the moment?

    Tell us more about this “renewal of the FF vote and org” – I’m intrigued.

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    Mute Reg
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:39 PM

    Maybe it’s Chris Andrews’ new nom de plume, in a new attempt to further discredit Fianna Fail ;-)

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    Mute Rommel Burke
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:46 PM

    Your last sentence sums FF’s attitude to politics perfectly. Career trough feeders without a hint of conviction. I wouldn’t limit it to FF either to be fair.

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:47 PM

    29% in the polls and on the path back to power. If other parties want to be in power then they have to act for the people, organize in communities and be constructive. FF is up 12% on the election disaster because it listened to people, apologized for the mistakes it made, pointed out the difficulties that hammered Ireland and got on with presenting a credible opposition platform. That is what renewal is about.

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    Mute Rob Hunt
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    Sep 9th 2013, 5:19 PM

    SeanieRyan: your shower is on the up and up because people have memories like goldfish and it’s easy to blame the people loading budget after budget onto them in the heat of the moment. There are still plenty of us who watched your party drag this country into the pit on a landslide of greed and incompetence. If you had ANY integrity you’d distance yourself from FF, but I’d hazard a guess that your folks did very well out of the celtic tiger era and as such you’ll always have fond memories of their cronies.

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    Mute the lost lenore
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    Sep 9th 2013, 5:45 PM

    All that proves, Seanie, is that we have a healthily sized of complete and utter idiots with the collective memory of a goldfish. If the Irish put FF back into power they will deserve everything they get as a consequence.

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    Mute the lost lenore
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    Sep 9th 2013, 5:46 PM

    *healthily sized minority

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    Mute Martin Grehan
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    Sep 9th 2013, 7:11 PM

    “Back on the path to power”, says it all really.

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    Mute Malachy Quinn
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    Sep 9th 2013, 9:24 PM

    Seanie SF is the only Party in the state to increase it % in the polls since the last election by 100%- now that’s a Party on the move!

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    Mute Malachy Quinn
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    Sep 9th 2013, 9:29 PM

    Seanie your % increase has plateau at the late 20s- it will not go any further because it is a middle class vote which is shared by FG & to a lesser extent Labour.

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    Mute Bill
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    Sep 9th 2013, 5:00 PM

    Democracy Matters !! rather odd name for a group posing as defenders of an institution in which only about five percent of the population are permitted to vote all others are excluded .

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    Mute Shane Mullally
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:05 PM

    Whilst we are on the gravy train subject-I would like a breakdown of the money collected by our national lottery draws as well-maybe the journal.ie could have a peep under an freedom of information request?. ..

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    Mute Denito
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    Sep 9th 2013, 4:40 PM

    “Turkeys in opposition to Christmas shocker!”

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    Mute Sandra Webster
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    Sep 9th 2013, 7:29 PM

    To be honest… I don’t know what way to vote so would really appreciate some advice on the matter.

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    Mute Sheik Yahbouti
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    Sep 10th 2013, 2:12 AM

    And in other news bears were observed defecating in the woods. Self preservation above party loyalty, eh chaps?

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    Mute Brianog2
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    Sep 9th 2013, 11:24 PM

    I had enough of Mary and her Eircom shares that she also spouted about and robbed us

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