Meanwhile, In A Parallel Universe

at

Tough on satire.

Tough on the causes of satire.

A cease and desist letter to FAKE news website Waterford Whispers from himself.

Colm Whispers tweetz:

You know you’re doing something right when a multi-billionaire megalomaniac sends you a cease and desist letter

FIGHT!

CLwFHZ8UAAAqoh7

Seriously.

Take it away Babs.

Waterford Whispers

Thanks Horsey Matilda

UPDATE: No One Is Beyond Satire

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80 thoughts on “Meanwhile, In A Parallel Universe

  1. Mysterybeat

    Are solicitors allowed to write ‘anonymous’ letters? Signed by “Meagher Solicitors”.

    1. cluster

      Well, to me it sounds as if the solicitor has his/her tongue partially in cheek, ‘the clear meaning…of this article is that our client is a criminal who has managed to evade prosecution to date.’

    2. Caroline

      It’s not anonymous, it’s a firm, so all those names at the end are jointly liable partners unless stated otherwise.

      1. Fergus the magic postman

        I’ve seen this done before, but can never understand the point of a supposed signature in hand writing, when it’s not that of an actual person.

        1. The Old Boy

          The letters are usually signed by the typist, rather than the solicitor that dictated it. It’s a formality that is widely used and universally accepted in the legal profession.

          1. Dave Meagher

            You can not sign anything with a company name that is actually fraud and illegal under Irish law, this is not America.

          2. Billy the Magic Postman's Neighbour

            … so are wigs and gowns. Good to see the legal profession keeping up with the realities of the 21st century.

        2. The Old Boy

          I’ve also seen people refuse letters on the grounds that they were accidentally unsigned, even if the signature was that of an 18 year old summer work girl scrawling the name of the firm.

    1. Declan Madsen

      I suspect that may be what they’re going for. Solidarity and the Streisand effect.

  2. bobsyerauntie

    It’s a satirical website, and it satirizes everything and everyone in the meda. I thought that satire was protected under the law?…

      1. Delacaravanio

        It’s not specifically protected, but satire would be covered by freedom of speech protections, particularly political speech.

        The article is not wrong that the DPP’s office is sitting on a tribunal report which states O’Brien made payments. What is a more legitimate question as to why he has not even been interviewed by the Gardai, never mind being charged.

  3. jonotti

    Colm Whispers tweets:

    These guys never miss an opportunity to completely overstate their importance.

    1. Hank

      Yeah, look at him there with a Twitter account. Who does he think he is?

      I suspect Jonotti, on the other hand, has a Twatter account..

  4. Eric

    I’m surprised he’s never sent a cease and desist letter about people constantly using that picture of him!

  5. Fergus the magic postman

    I love how, even though WWN have removed the article, the main points are included in the letter, & they are hilarious.

    1. Continuity Jay-Z

      This! I can’t help but feel the solicitors are in on the gag somehow. the letter in itself explains the WWN piece.

      Ridiculous.

      Fupp it; O’Brien isn’t trying to sue us, it is just his way, Denisplaining, to the plebians how much their satire hurts him.

  6. Clampers Outside!

    I liked the bit at the end where they said “vindicate our client’s good name and reputation”.

    They obviously set the bar below the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal with the use of ‘good’.

  7. Caroline

    Who was it who referred to him as “Ireland’s tapeworm?”

    A description unlikely to be bettered.

    1. Brytothey

      For good sense. Only a fool would take on an evil billionaire in the courts. DO’B knows he doesn’t have to win. He just has to appeal and delay until WWN bleeds dry through lawyer’s fees. He knows their money will run out long before his does. The result: no more WWN and more defiant DO’B. I bet he was hoping for a court case.

      The irony of course is that sending the letter and bullying them into taking down the article has sullied his reputation far more than the original article ever could.

      1. Frankenstein's lazy brother

        Exactly. Removing the article doesn’t make the point it was hitting any less valid.

    1. ahjayzis

      Parallel Universe Srehgaem Solicitors were raided by the Fraud Squad YEEEAAAARS ago when the State swooped in to punish all responsible for Sinned A’Neirb and his pet minister fleecing the country.

      Their managing partner is now turning tricks in the Phoenix Park after getting out of the Joy. In a parallel universe.

      1. Joe the Lion

        Best comment here for a while

        Thunder and lightning is no lark
        When Dublin City is in the dark
        So if you’ve any money go up to the Park
        And view the Zoological Gardens

      1. Delacaravanio

        Gas, really: telecoms, media, tribunals and property. They’re a full service Denis O’Brien firm.

  8. scottser

    Im starting scottser’s whispers. The first article is about how denis o brien, not content with taking the oireactas and the media to court, but ends up charging the entire nation to boot.

    1. sǝɯǝɯ ʇɐ pɐq

      Please employ me as your premier implier..
      I know how to say lots of stuff without actually saying it.

      I once made this joke about Susan Boyle.
      It’s too sexy for here, but you get my drift.

      You’re totally safe with me, until I leg it at the first sign of you know what.

    1. classter

      Which is funny, ’cause it makes it seem even worse.

      The alleged insinuation of the WWN article (defamatory or otherwise) are already in the public domain.

  9. Lilly

    Oh dear, Denis is getting boring. Are there no new frontiers that an ordinary dacent criminal could bugger off to?

  10. mauriac

    “our clients good name”!!!

    ” a sham” how dare meagher et al pour cold water on the multiverse .

  11. Just sayin'

    What on earth is his strategy here? You usually sue people because you want to protect your reputation but he’s ruining what’s left of his reputation by suing TDs and threatening satirical websites. It doesn’t make much sense. He must be incredibly thin-skinned.

    1. kellma

      He is thee ultimate control freak. I mean this is satire. I would have thought it obvious that pursuing something like this only makes you look worse, but it seems the man’s need to control is greater than his need to avail of common sense….

  12. nellyb

    To me it looks like his solicitors voluntarily and regularly survey irish media, pluck anything dob-unfriendly, send a hasty letter to “offenders” and equally hasty bill to DOB. Steady revenue, no bother to DOB either, the machine maintains itself.

  13. Clampers Outside!

    Can someone write back to the lawyers and ask them what their definition of “good name and reputation” is?

    because as far as I know, and everyone in this country with half a brain knows, the man does NOT have a “good name and reputation” to speak of.

    So, how can he sue…… seriously…..?

      1. TheDude

        Its a catch 22 Mikeyfex, in that universe they have an actual working hoverboard but they have not got the tech to make a track for it.

  14. fluffybiscuits

    O Brien is using bullyboy tactics to shut down any debate surrounding his business deals. That is not conjecture that is opinion as the letter from Meghar solicitor asks that the article be removed as soon as is possible from the site. In the case of an author on the book on Barak Obama in America and his birth cert, a satirical article was published by Esquire and the author of the book subsequently sued Esquire magazine but failed and in the judgement it was deemed that people would get satire but not all would understand such is the nature of satire. In Ireland anyone with any degree of cleverness and an IQ higher than that of a pineapple would clearly see that the article is tongue in cheek. References to a paralell universe clearly mark out what the article is, an imagined scenario that is poking fun (and in a funny way I might add) at O Brien and demonstrates an element of Irish culture that is well known, satire. Satire has been used through history from Punch magazine to Phoenix. From watching the ongoing debate over various figures in Irish political ciricles issuing threats against others for potentially libellous material, when does satire cross the line and become libellous? Satire is the ridiculing of some sort of ridiculous behaviour by others through the use of humour and has been over the years been seen in the public eye from Punch magazine in the 19th Century to such recent programmes as Scratch Saturday or Bull Island to name but a few. Where is the line drawn though with regards to satire and libel laws? The current laws on libel (or defamation as it has now become) are so open ended that technically a lot of satire could be classed as injuring a persons reputation. Defamation law as was posted on another forum takes in satire when it becomes a threat to the ruling classes of society. The UK has concluded that satire is not defamation when Elton John tried to sue the Guardian over a piece they had entitled the diary fo Elton John which was so whimsical and outrageous even an idiot could see it was made up. The UK does not even have the freedom of speech laws that the US has. And finally to sue someone here in Ireland, it requires the victim to have money. High court costs are huge and I am not sure if WWN could lodge that amount of money into the High Court

    1. Maireben

      Well said Fluffybiscuits. Redacted thinks that he owns Ireland. Thats what money does …. corrupts! If he had been stopped first time round he would not be in a position to bully us now. Hope that life gives him what he deserves!

  15. Formerly known as @ireland.com

    How about Waterford Whispers hosting itself offshore? How about a non-resident being the owner of a website that exposes [Redacted]. I don’t think the Aussie or US courts would give him much time.

    1. Gabby Logan Outside

      You would be better hosting in Russia or a place where there are no laws at all.

  16. Joe the Lion

    The gas thing is that by drawing attention to the picture of Gilligan that was doctored there in fact is the verification that it is a crude parody – they even noticed it themselves ;)

  17. mulder

    In a parallel universe far, far, very far away, Denis O` BRien has been elected Taoiseach or prime minister of Ireland.
    Mr O` Brien, has stated that his priority is to control the media and ot introduce more stricter libel laws, ohh and to concentrate on the economy of course.

  18. Peter Kennedy

    The internet’s mourning poor Cecil the Lion,
    A creature more cherished than Denis O’Brien.
    Waterford Whispers are the first big game hunters,
    To earn the support and respect of the punters.
    Palmer the dentist should have picked on O’Brien
    For few would dispute that he’s always been a-lyin’.

  19. Davina Belmont

    Colm Keena wrote a brilliant piece in the Irish Times which followed the money trial between Redacted and Lowry and I’m amazed more people didn’t pick up on it: http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/secret-crisis-developed-over-possible-o-brien-lowry-payments-1.2265940

    One paragraph which describes how Redacted sent £150,000 to David Austin, of which £147,000 was sent by Austin to Lowry. On the DAY the McCracken Tribunal was established in 1997 Lowry sent the money back to Austin! Hmmm.

    Move along now please. Nothing to see here. We don’t want to damage a man’s good name and reputation, do we?

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