184 thoughts on “Meanwhile, Under The Tree”

  1. Seriously, you’re leaving in people’s names but not the location of the offending shop?

    What?

  5. As a straight person I’m offended at the stereotype that I’d be interested in going to Coppers .

  7. I’d love to know what shop it was! Scumback Security Guard, The Spar really need to tale actin on this!

  10. Nothing surprising here except for the dude posting this, will your friend just report this for assault?

  13. I didnt know Emmett was gay either – saw him kissing a guy in spar last night, and i was so shocked that i tackled him to the ground!!!

    • I bet you thought it was a fake Emmet, a la Scooby Doo, tried to pull the mask off his face, and boom, we’ve solved a mystery here folks!!

      Move along, nothing more to see here.

  15. Bring me the CCTV evidence.
    And medical reports.
    And bring back coffee and doughnuts.

    • And if needs be, scrap the CCTV and Medical reports.

      Ah feck, just bring Coffee and Donuts.

  16. So the guy dragged his buddy to the deli, his buddy then pushed the security guard. There was drink taken and possibly poppers. Everything the security guard might have said is here say and on cctv Emmet pushed the security guard first, on a Sat night???? Zero case for assault I would say unfortunately

    • That was kind of offensive? “Poppers”, “G” and more importantly referring to his BOYFRIEND as “buddy”. The sheer notion that you referred to him as his buddy demonstrates your sheer lack of acknowledgement and validity in people of same sex relationships. It is comments and notions like this which contributed to such an incident. By the way I am gay and don’t know what “G” is, neither do several gay friends when I just asked them too.

      • G is not a gay drug. It’s a drug. It is like Ecstasy – also called liquid x? In the real world it is used to treat narcolepsy. Shouldn’t be mixed with alcohol, which is how it gets associated with Rohypnol / date rape drug (*disclaimer – I am not suggesting this is a gay thing either).

      • Get off your high horse. The original post reads like they were friends and not partners to me and anyone else I’ve shown it to.

        JEEZE! It goes on and on and on…

  20. The reaction towards SPAR is ridiculous on Facebook etc…..SPAR didnt train the guy to attack homosexuals, this is simply a complete nutcase and the store in question shouldnt come into it, the 2 lads should just press charges!

  23. So many vague details so many variables I hope the whole incident was captured on CCTV and we can get to the bottom of it, if it is a hate crime it should be punished. If the post on FB is incorrect or inaccurate in any way the poster should be posting an apology.

    I am sick of seeing people complaining on FB about every little detail contact the shop/ relevant authority / Gardaí directly first.

    • Why not put it on FB? Bad press is the easiest cheapest way of making this relevant to the business at hand. Going down the criminal courts route, by contrast, is quite long and costly.

      • Why start there rather than contacting the shop straight outside of the Public realm first? Then if you get no reaction go down the FB route. I am sure Spar are looking at this with their serious hat on!

  24. That’s just shocking!
    Why would anyone get a roll after a night out?
    Surely a dirty, warm Burger King, Maccy Ds’, Abra etc… would be better??

  26. The security guard was totally out of line.

    But lobbin’ the gob in SPAR?? Classy… Can we be sure Emmet’s cuts weren’t self inflected as a way of dealing with the shame of being caught kissing in a SPAR?

    It doesn’t even have flattering lighting :(

  28. the F word for me means “those who prefer to air grievances on facebook” It stopped meaning gay years ago

  29. Glitter, a Paul Walsh CaLEANdar, and lube. We meet in Spar on the corner of George’s Street, tonight at 8pm.

  31. Here Robbie, after you and yer fella got called faggots by the Shop’s security guard why would you even consider giving the premises your custom.

    I can only imagine what they would have put into your roll. …..

    And called it Mayo…..

    Ye should have walked away and made a complaint to the Franchise Head Office.

  32. SPAR commented back:

    “Hi Robbie, we’re very sorry to hear that. We’d like to speak with your directly about this. Would be be able to send us a direct message with your mobile number?”

    And there you have it.

  34. I’ve always dreamt about attacking people who become overly amorous in public. Such public displays of affection I find nauseating. Door man does sound like a twat though!

  35. Why not do a Chick a Fil on it? Every night now for the next few weeks after the George lets out go down and dry ride at the deli counter!?

  36. OH… Yes… Every night from NOW on. And not the last few weeks.

    Hmmm.

    Can one use credits?

    *rubs the lotion in the friction burns*

  37. clear case of the guy attacking Mr security guard according to the above post. It looks like as someone said above that drink had been taken and things got confused. I would leave well alone as maybe there could be an assault charge against Emmet.

  38. This type of behavioral is unacceptable.
    The security guard needs to cop on. It’s 2013.

    Unfortunately initiating violence against him will not help the young guys case. Even after being verbally abused in a place you come to spend money.

    I’m sorry this happened and hope that guy’s injuries are not too serious!

  39. Spar have posted on the thread to say: “Hi Everyone, we’re still trying to get Robbie to get in touch with his contact details so we can investigate this further with him. If you know him and could pass on the message, that would be great.” Hmmm…

    • Robbie’s gone on the run because Emmet’s boyfriend found out about what went on in SPAR*

      *possibly.

  41. If Robbie Lawlor gets the Guards involved there is the risk Spar will call the fashion police. I would hate to be managing the Spar facebook page today.

  42. Also if there is no proof of any homophobic language and it appears the security was victim on assault can Spar sue Robbie? It could severely damage their brand for about half a day. The pink dollar is big in this country. Whats to stop me or anyone else posting on a brands facebook page and make an accusation without proof? I could say that I was refused from Bar 37 last night, the bouncer said “sorry mate no handsome cunts allowed” I could give him a shove, next thing I’m on my back and told to f**k off back to all the other good looking bastards in the Duke! Although support for the handsome community in Dublin is very rare.

  43. Oh I really shouldn’t have read the comments on facebook. Going to go and punch my face in with despair now.

    You know, shifting in Spar isn’t particularly classy, but I think gay men have the right to be shitfaced and mauling the face off each other in public at night-time just like straight people do without people calling them names and being pricks.

  46. Just saying: the manger in the Centra across the road has no problem with gay men judging by the amount of gay porn they sell.

    So – Centra lads! Chicken Fillet Roles €1.99 !

  50. That is a weird way of spelling Tadhg.

    Are there any other words in Irish with DHG in them?

    • A) I agree with ‘parp’ stop dragging your knuckles and call a person by his name not by his sexuality.

      B) If the events occurred as described, I would actually think that the “pushing” is pretty much irrelevant. Considering the abuse, the guard following the couple and the clear intimidation that was occurring during this, one can easily argue the push was a reasonable act of self defense, and please spare me any reply of how you can’t push someone 1st in self defense, as any 1st year law student well knows, you can.

      The fact of the matter is the event occurred only due to the bigotry of one person. 2 men kissed in a shop (which also get a huge amount of revenue from the George clientele I would suspect). You can debate the merits of kissing in a shop all you want, but is pointless. No law was being broken. Had I been kissing my boyfriend and this particular security guard had come up to me, I probably would have reacted differently, however I can guarantee that I would have felt anger, embarrassment and definitely some fear. The couple in question decided to ignore the comment and continue on. The repeated harassment of the security guard can but increase in magnitude any one of those 3 emotions, especially fear, to the point where prior to any physical contact was made, an assault had already very likely occurred, where there was a fear of an immediate impact on the person was created. So the injured party reacted physically 1st, I don’t care much as to that fact. The situation was, at the least (and if the events are described accurately) completely justifiable and acceptable. The following reaction by the security person, was again not justifiable, further compounding the assault to assault causing harm. Restraining a person after a push, post a person harassing them and intimidating them, and then pinning him to the ground with the aid of 2 others, I for one would expect charges to be pressed, and a nice civil suit to follow to boot.

      Spar do only employ the security firm no doubt, however there is a question of vicarious liability to be played out here too.

      Just my thoughts on the matter.

  53. You know those security guards aren’t actually Spar employees; their company is under contract to Spar, and the second anyone takes a motion towards them in that manner they’re trained to act in the manner outlined above.
    I find it reprehensible that the security guard acted in such a manner, although I don’t see why anyone no matter of sexual orientation feels the need to kiss in the middle of a shop.
    If there is evidence that this security guard’s actions were not a proportional response, then yes both he and his company should have legal proceedings leveled against them.

  54. The Centra across the road isn’t known as Gay Centra for nothing like. Far better option…

  55. It started with a shift and ended up on top of the Brennans playing hide the sausage.

  58. Chances of this article being sent off to the land of “removed” BS articles?

    Medium to high.

  59. What insufferable behaviour… please go see a solicitor. They shouldn’t be able to get away with that.

  60. If the security guard called them “You faggots”, then the Equal Status Act was breached.

    Section 11:

    “11.—[...]

    “(2) A person (“the responsible person”) who is responsible for the operation of any place that is an educational establishment or at which goods, services or accommodation facilities are offered to the public shall not permit another person who has a right to be present in or to avail himself or herself of any facilities, goods or services provided at that place, to suffer sexual harassment or harassment at that place.”

    If the shop has not taken all the steps it should have taken to prevent the security guard from doing that, then it could be liable to pay the two men involved €6,350 each.

    (The question of the shop’s liability for the actions of a security guard was deal with in a case against the appallingly named Turk’s Head Chop House.)

    • What if you ran a small tinder fuel business and got angry with some your stock?

  61. Out of respect for Robbie and Emmett, I’m gona continue to walk out of spar without paying for chicken fillet roll. Solidarity guys!!

  62. A couple of years ago in London, a couple were kicked out of a pub in Soho for kissing. The landlord didn’t like it. Feeling terrible about how they were treated, they tweeted their pals and spread the word to arrange a kissing protest at the Jon Snow. Here is what the Daily Mail reported (it was in all the respectable broadsheets but this has more photos): http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1377152/John-Snow-pub-kiss-protest-gay-couple-thrown-snogging.html
    If Emmet wants to really make his point peacefully – this is one way of doing it!