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Minister of State Niall Collins and Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien at the opening of the Fianna Fail Parliamentary Party Think-in. Sasko Lazarov

Housing Minister says change in how landlords are taxed is 'urgent' and 'crucial'

O’Brien has also restated his desire to expand the renters tax credit in the Budget.

A CHANGE IN the way landlords are taxed is vitally needed as part of the Budget in order to keep existing landlords in the market and attract new ones, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien has said.

The Minister said he pushed for tax treatment changes for landlords in last year’s Budget but that he was unsuccessful in his bid. 

He hopes to get changes over the line as part of this year’s Budget while also pushing for further supports for renters through the rent tax credit.

“You don’t get everything you want in every Budget and that’s what coalitions are about.

“The difference this year is that the Government have already made a decision – and Minister McGrath is at the forefront of this – that we will bring forward meaningful and effective measures to retain and attract landlords in the market,” O’Brien said.

He said it is “crucial” that the change is made in Goverment and added: “the Budget will affirm the Government decision that has already been made.”

However, he refused to give further details of the specific changes proposed. 

When asked by The Journal if landlords who stand to benefit from tax breaks will need to commit to keeping their property in the rental sector to ensure security of tenure for renters, O’Brien said:

“They are matters that are being looked at actively and we want to secure tenancies for people, that’s why we pushed Cost Rental so hard. So the area of conditionality will be looked at as well as part of whatever tax changes we will be making.”

O’Brien spoke to reporters today in Tipperary after giving Fianna Fáil parliamentary party members a private update on Housing for All. 

O’Brien was joined by Senator Pat Casey, Senator Mary Fitzpatrick and financial adviser Paul Merriman from AskPaul.ie who gave TDs and Senators an overview of what he is seeing with mortgage clients.

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    Mute Fred Jensen
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    Apr 20th 2017, 11:58 AM

    Jacinta from Fatima Mansions will be happy about this.

    551
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    Mute Just Me
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:27 PM

    @Fred Jensen: So will Fatima Halawa of the Clonskeah mosque.

    223
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    Mute Jon Mackey
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:28 PM

    @Fred Jensen: I saw Santy when I was 5 and no one gave a sh1ite. Some people have all the luck.

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    Mute beans not peas
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:32 PM

    @Just Me: haha. Well played sir

    29
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    Mute Paddy Byrne
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:44 PM

    So much evil in this world. I dont like this so called god

    28
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    Mute CeannairBlue
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:51 PM

    @Paddy Byrne: I think you’ll find “Allah” is the problem.

    39
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    Mute Tom Molloy
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:56 PM

    @Fred Jensen: Mocking is such a pathetic characteristic in some humans.

    36
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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:12 PM

    @Tom Molloy: I thought it was quite funny to be honest.

    35
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    Mute Marie Gunbay
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:21 PM

    @Jon Mackey: Very witty ha ha

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    Mute Daithí Uí Ciarmhic
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:45 PM

    @CeannairBlue: which is the Arab word for God, the same God worshipped by he’s, xians and muslims. A right anti-social fecker by all accounts

    17
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    Mute Daithí Uí Ciarmhic
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:48 PM

    @Tom Molloy: but not as bad as protecting paedophile priests and silencing their victims. the theft of children sold for a profit, the use of some as test subjects for medical science and the enslavement of women for decades. perspective

    28
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    Mute Rave Bennett
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    Apr 20th 2017, 2:05 PM

    @Tom Molloy: youre a pathetic characteristic in some humans

    10
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    Mute Jimmyjoe Wallace
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    Apr 20th 2017, 4:01 PM

    @CeannairBlue: i think you will find muslims and christians both worship the same god

    10
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    Mute James Doyle
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    Apr 20th 2017, 10:30 PM

    @Jon Mackey: Will all the Irish people who witnessed the moving statues be canonised sometime in the future?

    4
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    Mute Ger
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    Apr 21st 2017, 4:49 AM

    @CeannairBlue: Allah and God are the same deity.

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    Mute Jamie
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    Apr 20th 2017, 11:59 AM

    Why do these supposed apparitions not happen anymore especially when it’s needed for people to restore their faith in religion

    211
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    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:01 PM

    @Jamie: You’ll just need to drink enough, or not enough, and you’ll have visions of your own

    131
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    Mute jane
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:01 PM

    @Jamie: cause people ain’t so gullible anymore

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:02 PM

    @Jamie: Did You never hear of the moving statues in Ireland. Video footage at the time shows them not moving while people claimed they did. UFO sightings are also becoming a thing of the past as you are expected to have footage and can’t just make it up.

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    Mute Soccer T's
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:04 PM

    @Jamie: Jamie you need to trust your faith!!!

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    Mute Jamie
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:15 PM

    I know the answer I’m just wondering what the churches explanation is

    29
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    Mute Government Sachs
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:15 PM

    @Jamie: why don’t they just go on live tv or Facebook live and tell the world that they are here

    18
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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:17 PM

    @Jamie:
    It looks like God is fed up with this world even the Statues don’t move any more.

    36
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    Mute canuckandgo
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:22 PM

    The churches explanation to anything they can’t logically explain is that god moves in mysterious ways. Their god that is, not sure what they say about the hundreds of other gods though.

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    Mute Gareth Cooney
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:38 PM

    @Jamie: back then people ate magic mushrooms in ignorance of their effect, some are more than others……

    26
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    Mute Paddy Ryan
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:47 PM

    @Gareth Cooney: Not to mention ergot infected wheat being used to make the bread.

    21
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    Mute David Conroy
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    Apr 20th 2017, 3:16 PM

    @Jamie: I suppose you can’t get kids off their iPads and their arses to get out and eat magic mushrooms !

    12
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    Mute Margaret Lane
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    Apr 20th 2017, 3:31 PM

    Well, you still have Medjugorie, although there are some very suspicious aspects to that. I think it’s partly that we compare whole centuries in the past to quite short periods of time now. I really don’t think this was the norm a hundred years ago either.

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    Mute Barry Somers
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    Apr 20th 2017, 4:39 PM

    @Jamie: because everyone has a camera and people aren’t as gullible anymore.

    It’s amazing that things things don’t happen so somebody can take a photo :)

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Apr 21st 2017, 4:29 AM

    @Jamie: Next Garabandal?

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Apr 21st 2017, 4:32 AM

    @jane: What about St. Michael curing the black plague in Rome, the miracle of the sun, cures at knock and Lourdes, stigmatas etc?

    1
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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Apr 20th 2017, 11:59 AM

    The miraculous sun movements were not observed by many people there at the time. Many of those who did see the sun moving ended up with burnt retinas. That is what happens to people who stare at the sun and they see ‘movement’ when their eyes are being damaged.

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    Mute Pat Mustard
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:35 PM

    @Kal Ipers: blind faith eh?

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    Mute Glen Quagmire
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    Apr 20th 2017, 3:06 PM

    Anyone ever see or her from the three women in I think Sligo who claim to have seen the Virgin Mary? They were on a TV interview 6 1/2 years ago. Why would these lie & continue to lie nearly 25 years after claiming to have seen the Virgin Mary when they were teenagers in the 1980? I am as skeptical as anyone else but what would you say or do if this happened to you? I don’t think they were selling any book etc at the time more just saying what happened 25 years before.

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Apr 20th 2017, 3:28 PM

    @Glen Quagmire: People will keep lying for a number of reasons. They don’t want to hurt all the people they already lied to or it would be difficult to live with criticism. Padre Pio lied for decades and never admited he used acid to burn his hands. The chemist records show this. People lie and people follow lies. Do do you think Ron Hubert or Joseph Smith were telling the truth?

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    Mute An Chuain
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    Apr 20th 2017, 7:54 PM

    @Glen, you are not as skeptical as anyone!

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Apr 21st 2017, 4:33 AM

    @Kal Ipers: And their dry clothes and the dry ground that they stood on?

    1
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    Mute Keith Wizzy
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:02 PM

    I saw her again down the chipper last night.

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    Mute Ben McArthur
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:13 PM

    Apparitions have become a lot less common since the introduction of the camera phone.

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    Mute DeFonz
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:39 PM

    @Ben McArthur: Dont you have photoshop?

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    Mute Rob Cahill
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    Apr 20th 2017, 2:00 PM

    @Ben McArthur: Yeah since photoshop came out they have increased again.. Also in a similar vein, Psychics have gotten much more accurate since Facebook arrived.

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    Mute Lily
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:06 PM

    Kids will say anything for attention (I don’t mean that in a bad sense more of a cute sense) swearing they saw Santa, or heard the reindeer on the roof.

    I’ve seen it myself, kids will start to agree with another kid just so they can be ‘in on it’ even though it’s a complete lie. Mostly it’s innocent stuff, sometimes it’s bullying other times they are away with the fairies literally or not as the case may be! Remember those two girls who said the played with fairies at the bottom of the garden and took pictures?

    Kids having nothing but fluff in their heads and don’t realise the escalation of trivial things.

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    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:16 PM

    @Lily: At least the girls who played with the fairies used their imagination to fake those photographs, and even managed to fool Arthur Conan Doyle with them, they provided some ‘proof’ to their made up story, unlike these shepherds

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    Mute Richard Sweeney
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:18 PM

    @Lily:

    http://philipcoppens.com/cottingley.html

    Kids say all kinds of crap.

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    Mute Government Sachs
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:22 PM

    @Lily: it seems the church only believe kids when the kids see holy Mary but they totally rubbish any claim a kid makes when he or she claims that a priest sexually abused them. Not a nice comment but it happens to be pretty accurate.

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    Mute Lily
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:37 PM

    @Government Sachs:

    Unfortunately that is heartbreakingly true. Even if their claims of abuse were believed or witnessed it was brushed under the carpet.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Apr 20th 2017, 5:20 PM

    @Richard Sweeney: The kids have nothing on the the crap the men wearing dresses and silly hats say

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    Mute Bill Walsh
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:05 PM

    What about the likeness in the skirting board?

    91
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    Mute Matty kinevan
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:08 PM

    @Bill Walsh: You have used 3 inches of sticky tape. God bless you

    38
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    Mute Peadar Ó Gréacháin
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:04 PM

    You will see how funny your comments are, when you’re breathing you’re last….

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    Mute Paul O Mahony
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:07 PM

    @Peadar Ó Gréacháin: what about after yours and nothing happens ?

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    Mute canuckandgo
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:11 PM

    The essence of religion right there Peadar, blind faith and hope.

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    Mute Peadar Ó Gréacháin
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:14 PM

    @Paul O Mahony: I won’t know much about it will I, but if I’m right what are you going to do about it,

    17
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    Mute beans not peas
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:34 PM

    @Peadar Ó Gréacháin: keep licking the frogs

    40
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    Mute James Lawlor
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:52 PM

    @Peadar Ó Gréacháin: There are an infinite number of things you could choose to say you believe in. You live in hope that you’ve chosen the right one but the odds are not with you. Best not think about it too much and just enjoy the life you have.

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    Mute RJ.Fallon
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:19 PM

    @Peadar Ó Gréacháin: Someone said to me once that it’s better to believe and be wrong than not to believe and be wrong. Don’t know if I believe him or not.

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    Mute Peadar Ó Gréacháin
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:20 PM

    @James Lawlor: I don’t pray for myself, that’s not what fate is about, I already believe, if I can find the courage to pray for those that don’t that’s ok with me.

    11
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    Mute Paul O Mahony
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:37 PM

    @Peadar Ó Gréacháin: im not going to do anything about it. I dont care what people believe its up to them. I dont and thats my decision.

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    Mute Paul O Mahony
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:39 PM

    @Peadar Ó Gréacháin: save your prayers on me Peadar. I live a good life and dont do wrong to anyone. If there is a God and he is as described in the bible Im sure he will give me a pass.

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    Mute Graham Quinn
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:50 PM

    @Peadar Ó Gréacháin: may I ask , do you believe that there is truth to this story? Genuine question.

    8
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    Mute John Weldon
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    Apr 20th 2017, 2:08 PM

    @Peadar Ó Gréacháin: What’ll you do when you die and Buddah, Vishnu, Zeus, Ra, or one of the other sky fairies not of the catholic faith are sticking pitchforks up your arse asking why you didn’t live to their beliefs and teachings???

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    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
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    Apr 20th 2017, 2:30 PM

    @John Weldon: Zeus wouldn’t use a pitchfork, he’s more the lightning bolt type

    9
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    Mute Les Behan
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    Apr 20th 2017, 2:36 PM

    @Graham Quinn: “may I ask , do you believe that there is truth to this story?”

    Absolutely not. The god of the bible doesn’t exist. How do I know? by reading the bible.

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    Mute James Lawlor
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    Apr 20th 2017, 3:50 PM

    @Peadar Ó Gréacháin: you talk in riddles. Find courage to think thoughts in your head???? You were indoctrinated and you just repeat stuff. Try thinking for yourself and looking at things afresh. Ask questions. Question everything. Seek evidence. Free up your head.

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    Mute Barry Somers
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    Apr 20th 2017, 4:44 PM

    @Peadar Ó Gréacháin: indeed, you’ll be awful upset when you find Thor is waiting for you, after all you have as much chance of meeting any one of 3,000 other gods :)

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    Mute Rand Al Thor
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    Apr 20th 2017, 7:05 PM

    @Paul O Mahony: He won’t know anything about It whereas if you are wrong you will.

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Apr 21st 2017, 4:37 AM

    @Peadar Ó Gréacháin: http://padrepioandchiesaviva.com/uploads/Third_Secret_Dossier_en.pdf Next, the third secret of Fatima?

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    Mute Barry Walsh
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    Apr 20th 2017, 11:59 AM

    Their spirits will also run the local maternity hospital!.

    75
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    Mute John O'Driscoll
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:13 PM

    I seen moving statues in Breifne Park once but turned out to be the Cavan forward row..

    55
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    Mute Niall O Neill
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    Apr 20th 2017, 6:04 PM

    @John O’Driscoll: why do so many commentators on the Journal not know the past tense of the verb “to see”? Try “saw” next time.

    12
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    Mute John O'Driscoll
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    Apr 20th 2017, 10:36 PM

    @Niall O Neill: I don’t need English lessons son. It’s called poetic licence. Have you nothing else to occupy your time lad?

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    Mute Niall O Neill
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    Apr 21st 2017, 3:07 PM

    @John O’Driscoll: l seen. I done. I should have went. All examples of poetic licence, pop?

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    Mute Fergal Barry
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:01 PM

    What utter b0ll0ks

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    Mute Government Sachs
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:01 PM

    Well if mother Teresa can have one and pope John Paul III then I suppose anyone can have one.

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    Mute Lord Lucan
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:08 PM

    Well if anymore proof was required that Catholicism is pure bunk -

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    Mute canuckandgo
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:11 PM

    I’d widen that scope to religion in general sir…

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    Mute lavbeer
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    Apr 20th 2017, 3:41 PM

    @Lord Lucan: I heard one of them seen you

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    Mute Niall O Neill
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    Apr 20th 2017, 6:02 PM

    @lavbeer: saw you, even?

    3
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    Mute William Clay
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:06 PM

    “….depiction of a man robed in white to have been a prophecy of the assassination of John Paul II”.

    Or John Lennon the year before

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    Mute Type17
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:28 PM

    @William Clay: or indeed any relatively well-known human who had ever worn white clothing at any point in their life.

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    Mute Keelan O'neill
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:14 PM

    @William Clay: or someone from KKK.

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    Mute Pounamustone
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    Apr 20th 2017, 11:55 AM

    Motherofgod!

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    Mute John003
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:04 PM

    God does not have a mother always existed

    29
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    Mute Keelan O'neill
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:12 PM

    @John003: I wouldn’t to Mary

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    Mute Keelan O'neill
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:12 PM

    @Keelan O’neill: *say that*

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:16 PM

    He’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy!
    Childish prank that went too far?

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    Mute lavbeer
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    Apr 20th 2017, 3:43 PM

    @Avina Laaf: the rest of their lives? I suppose people eventually will convince themselves and it no longer a lie to them. Lots of people like that in Ireland

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Apr 20th 2017, 8:04 PM

    @lavbeer:
    The lie became so big that they couldn’t possibly own up. The Cottingley Fairies happened in a similar way, albeit that the children involved finally came clean and admitted everything in old age, decades later.

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    Mute Boganity
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    Apr 20th 2017, 11:09 PM

    The comments sections of the journal has the greatest concentration of gobsh*tes than anywhere on planet earth: if you don’t believe in belief then don’t, but don’t try and push your beliefs on others.

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Apr 21st 2017, 2:43 PM

    @Boganity:
    Not sure if that was directed at me Boganity?
    Some people may believe the children saw the virgin mary – that’s up to them. I believe they didn’t.
    What makes you think I shouldn’t be allowed to state my beliefs in a public forum??

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    Mute Ben Coughlan
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:09 PM

    Education really is the great equaliser…

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    Mute Tim Joseph
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:05 PM

    100,000 people saw the miracle of the sun in fatima, something Dawkins himself wasn’t able to explain. http://newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.ie/2014/10/what-really-happened-during-fatima.html

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    Mute Lord Lucan
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:10 PM

    @Tim Joseph: people staring at the sun for too long thought it moved- no your retinas are burnt

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    Mute Ian Walsh
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:21 PM

    @Tim Joseph: What’s that link supposed to prove? It doesn’t prove anything at all! Pure and utter fiction.

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    Mute Paraic McDonagh
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:32 PM

    @Tim Joseph: I don’t know why Dawkins is held up as being such a mega authority. He wrote a book countering arguments he imagined up himself and also picked the utterances of the most extreme loons as being representative of everyone who is religious. A lot of his ‘logic’ is based on fallacies of logic. For example, the much quoted ‘flying spaghetti monster’ is the slippery slope fallacy. You can make anything sound ridiculous but that isn’t the same as proof. Calling radiation ‘magic fairy beams’ doesn’t make it untrue. Having said that, believing in moving statues and apparitions of Mary is stupidity. This event was clearly caused by hysteria.

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    Mute John O'Driscoll
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:34 PM

    @Tim Joseph: seatrout fishing the Dargle one night in Wicklow came up from the river to change flies and have a smoke and me and another guy saw this bright bright object hovering over the Sugar Load a-glisten silvery in the moonlight and this thing whatever it was was pulling Gs no air-frame I ever heard of could sustain. It was doing the hokey-cokey above and behind and beside the mountain and then finally after quite a few minutes it zoomed off and disappeared. Had two witnesses one who didn’t want to know and the other guy just came in at the end of it when I rang him. he was the riparian owner we rented the fishing off. UFO? Certainly. Heavenly body? Most likely, seeming to dance thanks to perturbations in the frigid upper atmosphere. Least that’s my take on it.

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    Mute John O'Driscoll
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:35 PM

    @John O’Driscoll: Sugarloaf as in the mountain

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    Mute Paul Delahunty
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:54 PM

    @Tim Joseph: You don’t need an evolutionary biologist to recognize that type of BS…

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Apr 20th 2017, 3:48 PM

    @Tim Joseph: Dawkins didn’t have any problem explaining it. He gave a number of possibilities and said pick one or it is a combination of the theories he gave. 100,000 witnesses is also an exaggeration as it was 10,000 at the highest claim before. The thing is why are you lying?

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    Mute James Lawlor
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:01 PM

    Can you imagine the thought process on this one?

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    Mute George Orwell
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:03 PM

    Followers of Religion A are almost as dumb as Religion B. Can’t say the names, or I’ll be banned again. Not for saying anything about religion A, mind you. Just religion B

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    Mute Dick Durkin
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:15 PM

    They were probably on some sort of psychedelic or DMT….same goes for most incidents of this nature. The burning bush story from the Bible where Moses was told the ten commandments happens to be a bush native to that region that is extremely high in DMT.

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    Mute John003
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:20 PM

    Ten commandments was mount Sinai nothing to do with burning bush…..I think you imagined that…..

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    Mute Donnchadh Cassin
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:00 PM

    Christ on a bike!

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    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:18 PM

    @Donnchadh Cassin: nope, his mom without bike

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    Mute Dave Hogan
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:20 PM

    Robed in white? might have been joe Dolan.

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    Mute Colm Vambeck
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:22 PM

    Cookoo or whakjobs, Im not sure which describes this store the best. The sun dancing in the sky. Dont look directly at the sun! It can cause blindness.

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    Mute jerry king lawler
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:45 PM

    I saw an apparition of enda kenny getting pegged by merkel

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    Mute dick dastardly
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:13 PM

    The church is all built on telling porkies

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    Mute Bill Walsh
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:05 PM

    Is there an X-File on this?

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    Mute Stouts O Shea
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:35 PM

    Everyone talks to god , it’s called prayer. Walk into church and tell everyone god spoke to me ,? Off to the loony hospital with you,

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    Mute DeFonz
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:36 PM

    I saw a pink elephant with yellow spots sitting halfway up an chestnut tree in Lucan last week.
    Some people did not see it, these people have no faith.
    I have faith and I saw it.
    The pink elephant will save the world.
    I am a saint ok

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    Mute Lily
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    Apr 20th 2017, 3:59 PM

    @DeFonz:

    Pink elephants think madonna got there before you :

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p8kzj88R22M

    Happy days x

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    Mute Kevin Slater
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    Apr 20th 2017, 2:33 PM

    No apparitions where people are educated

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    Mute winston smith
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:16 PM

    After a vision of hell and prediction of WW2 and then such a long wait to be just told a pope would be assassinated!…indication maybe of the importance of the Pope in young poverty stricken Portugal back in those days…the Kim Yong-un of their world.

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    Mute John O'Driscoll
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:31 PM

    Suppose 1917 is long enough ago for the candidates for sainthood not to have turned out to be SS camp guards or sheepshaggers or for any relatives who were to be eliminate as a risk now. Sad as it is we must be glad of small mercies.

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    Mute Terry Cahill
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:32 PM

    I was in tears at the movie as a child ! I went to 8 o’clock mass every morning before school for weeks after ! Me Ma was deliha with me !!

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    Mute Eddie Byrne
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:56 PM

    Saint Enda next for giving a homeless man a cup of coffee loads witnessed this miracle.

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    Mute Stouts O Shea
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:26 PM

    Nothing we wanted as bad, more fu£king saints

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    Mute SuzukaYuiMoa
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:45 PM

    …and the dish ran away with the spoon.

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    Mute Anthony Byrne
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:27 PM

    Jaysus! That’s all.

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    Mute iMoan Brutal
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    Apr 20th 2017, 1:12 PM

    The virgin mary appeared to me, she said the word “c*t*, burn down all the catholic churches” when will my sainthood be arriving in the post? This stuff would be comedy gold if it wasnt true

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    Mute Joe O'riordan
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    Apr 20th 2017, 8:54 PM

    If you don’t believe, that’s your choice but don’t mock something other people believe in fervently. Nobody likes a smart arse ….

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    Mute Mary McDermott
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    Apr 20th 2017, 9:49 PM

    It’s a good way of bringing tourism to your locality lol

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    Mute June Rose-Sommer
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    Apr 20th 2017, 5:26 PM

    That old chesnut!! Such a huge lie told by the Catholic Church who foolishly think they represent God on earth!! Amongst the other huge lies: Garden of Eden, Virgin Birth, Original Sin, Hell, Heaven, Purgatory, Sainthood!!! If I claimed I saw the the ‘Virgin ‘Mary’ at Huston Station last night, they’d think I was on crack!!

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    Mute Alan Flood
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    Apr 20th 2017, 4:13 PM

    Supposedly being the key word

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    Mute Kev Creed
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    Apr 20th 2017, 8:28 PM

    How come no sightings now…always happeaned in days well gone by…don’t mention the moving statue malarkey

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    Mute Yap McGregor
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    Apr 20th 2017, 12:49 PM

    Jesus Christ!

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    Mute Condorcanqui
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    Apr 20th 2017, 6:51 PM

    Why ‘supposed’ rather than say, alleged?

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Apr 21st 2017, 4:40 AM

    People debunk anything they don’t want to be true or agree with and then do this because they think they are right, when they havent a clue at the same time?

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    Mute Finn Mc Cool
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    Apr 21st 2017, 3:14 PM

    It’s amazing all the comments here…most of them negative. If these commentators were truly enlightened and free they would not bother at all.

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Apr 21st 2017, 4:28 AM

    Two children who supposedly saw the Virgin Mary are to be made Saints by the Pope, what a belittling headline.
    What about the thousands who experienced the miracle of the Sun then?

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    Mute Garry
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    Apr 21st 2017, 2:36 AM

    What a load of old bollox!

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    Mute Gzeit
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    Apr 20th 2017, 10:53 PM

    Haha this is news?? Fake news. What a joke

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    Mute
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    Apr 23rd 2017, 2:40 PM

    Pope Francis is such an honest man who deeply cares if the apparitions were really from Heaven and that the sun really did spin! The Church just cares about what it wants to believe more like! Super-Miracle Fatima Debunked here -
    http://www.miraclesceptic.com/solarmiracle.html
    http://www.miraclesceptic.com/fatimafraud.html

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    Mute Ger
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    Apr 21st 2017, 4:53 AM

    Back when moving statues were all the rage a guy in my class came to school saying he saw one move. He told the Nun that “our Lady threw a kick at me” and got a slap from the nun for his troubles.

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