Last night.
Claire Byrne’s interview with Colin Farrell about same sex marriage on the debut of Claire Byrne Live.
And how was it for you?
Full show here
Previously: Staying In Tonight
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Everything. As It Happens.
This just in: Gay is the new black!
*fashion reference, not trying to start a race debate
That’s some ronnie on him :)
Next week – Bono.
…on bicycle safety.
Ooooh. Too soon.
Or on why he wears 8-inch platform boots (fallen arches apparently)
On behalf of progressive straight people everywhere, I’d like to make an apology to the LGBT community who will have to suffer over four months more of the bile that was on display on Claire Byrne Live last night. I hope RTE are ashamed that they had the honour of providing a platform for the opening salvo in the No campaign’s small minded attack on equality.
Wouldn’t have considered myself to be Farrell’s biggest fan, but he was passionate and articulate last night. Look forward to seeing more of him in this campaign.
I suspect RTE are not ashamed to be providing balanced debate on an important topic, the subject of an upcoming referendum. That’s part of their remit.
How balanced? As in asking the obvious like “What right have you to decide what other adults do with their lives?
I’m not eager to watch this back on RTE player if it’s the usual horsecrap.
Like it or not, there is a referendum to be had. It has to be debated.
Indeed, and that’s one of the more pertinent questions as far as I’m concerned. I was wondering if it came up in this debate.
Yeah but what about the incest?
There’s one for everyone in the family.
Only managed to watch bits of it. Hard to stomach.It appears Irish gay people must always explain themselves, justify their very existence.
Is it always about Breda O’Brien? Debates like this, where she features, amongst many, seem in some weird way to gravitate back to her. She often seems to become the focus of the show. What does Breda think/want/need? Is she happy. upset, does she approve? Is she going to cry? Ultimately she’s just someone with an opinion. Like me and you. That’s all. She’s not an ‘expert’. She just want’s what she wants and that’s it. But in these tv situations she assumes (or is given) some kind of authority, importance. Maybe it’s her fabulous charisma! (No, it isn’t.)
Sure yer one from the I*na was called a homophope. Bet her solicitor is onto rte already looking for 50g’s
For me, it was John Lyons in absolute bewilderment, Una Mullaly in being calm and reasonable shocker, Breda O’Brien self-pitying and talking out of her ar*e as per usual and another blogger fella getting wildly over-excited and instantly dismissing Colin Farrell no matter what he said. Also, the crackpot audience members using several straw-man arguments about de childer. Not to mention a gay couple getting condescendingly told how “lovely” they both were, all the while telling them they shouldn’t be allowed marry.
This. The audience seemed to me very much stacked towards the no side. Also, were RTE aware before they contacted that woman to do the London link-up (to give the facts about legislation there – surely at least one spot in which a commentator should have been neutral) that she was virulently anti-equality and would bang on about “chilling consequences” before once again giving her terrifying smile/grimace to the camera? I suspect not.
That woman Dr Sharon James was a key instigator in the no campaign to marriage equality, she is the british Iona.
Two total and utter nobodies talking nonsense on a taxpayer funded gravy train full of idle worthless trollops.
I see you’re in good humour
LOL – Frilly – I do my very level best to avoid government-sanctioned alleged broadcasting content at all times (except under prescription) and then have to come on to Broadsheet to read some third-hand account of all the usual talking head suspects slobbering dribble? I think not.
I was watching Dance Moms meself
I’m the better for it
Give it a go
thanks I will
meow! well put
His tash is gay.
Is he doing an Irish remake of Smokey and the Bandit where he races round the country in a Pontiac trying to find a Garda who will enforce penalty points against a VIP?
Pontiac…? …you mean Ford Cortina surely.
Claire Byrne was excellent. Mullally was infantile with her ‘it’s all about the lurve’ bullcrap. She seemed smugly shocked that anyone else might have an opposing opinion. Donal og is a much better ambassador for the cause.
“claire Byrne was excellent”. Claire Byrne is a shallow presenter/interviewer who toes the rte/opus dei party line at all times. she’s as far from “excellent” as you can get.
she is vacuous
Obsolete?? There’s a thriving market for vacuous presenters…
Gawd, when you so incensed, you forget to tie your sentence off with a noun, it must be bad.
She’s technically well-trained as an interviewer, easy on the eye but not intrusively so. She doesn’t have a voice though, so she asks whatever her average mind or average researchers tell her.
They edited me!
I was at least 82% more incensed in my original draft.
I agree – she’s well trained as an interviewer. My dog is also well trained. As in he doesn’t shit or piss in the sitting room when I go out and leave him on his own.
Claire Byrne is the most boring presenter on earth. I suspect she is incapable of having a single interesting thought.
The Cause
Ha. There’ll be Boston Paddies singing songs about Panti yet….
Is Brendan Fraser (The Mummy, Bedazzled remake) actually Colin Farrell’s brother?
Farreller absolutely nailed it last night. So articulate and concise. He’s one of the good ones.
The first two thirds of it were fairly impressive alright, personal experience and all that, well articulated. The last one third was Hollywood generalisations hoping if you throw enough keywords at the wall, some will stick.
They had a good selection of whack-jobs in the audience with about 3 quarters of the contributors being anti same sex marriage.
Sure let’s go to video interview to see how the UK has changed since the introduction of same sex marriage.
Oh what a surprise. The person they’re chatting to on the video link is opposed as well.
Nice and balanced so..
Colin Farrell came across very well.
As did Una Mullaly and John Lyons.
Comedy moment of the show was the guy in the audience trying to make “But if we allow same sex marriage, in a few months we’ll be legislating for incestuous marriage” seem like a logical train of thought.
Lots of hysterical “Won’t somebody think of the children types”..
Don’t forget the sixty-something culchie bachelor type who was worried about “unborn childer”
“The people I agree with came across very well.”
Did you agree with Culchie Bachelor?
I did agree with his basic point that all children have a right to know their mother and father – but then, most people agree with that.
I wouldn’t say he “came across” particularly well though.
Dont ‘care, next?
Then why bother commenting?
Gers just wants the human contact, even if it is only online
prefer racing pigeons myself
Do you ever win?
I predict that “Speaking as a gay man / woman” will be the new “I’m not racist but” by 2016.
I’ll be takin’ bets *spits in hand* on faith.
Arrrrgh, dag gammit that wasn’t meant to go there!
We are faster than lions so, yeah I get that
…didn’t see it but a great headline…Claire Byrne must have the most boring voice in RTE.
And makes up for it by being extremely attractive, welcome to telly land
you’re not attractive except to the bewildered if every single word that comes out of your rotten slobbering mouth is fatuous nonsense
Speaking as a gay man, I can’t wait for the referendum to be over. Sick of hearing people debating about what I am and what I’m not entitled. On the other side I’m also sick of been criticized for making ‘That’s so gay jokes’. I have a sense of humor, can’t help it.
look bud I am ashamed and embarrassed there even has to be a vote about whether you want to get married or not. Let alone a ‘debate’ featuring a crowd of all knowing has-been, trollops and Neanderthals funded by my and your taxes I hope it works out for you all.
That’s pretty much where I am
But if I can piss a few off on the way
Just for my own entertainment
I will
I am, however, determined to kick this Government up the hole as often as I can
Anything that brings on a General
I’m on it
Anyone hear from Dana lately
Serious question, is there a lack of people who are against gay marriage and are not whack jobs out there? I just find it quite hard to believe that, for the most part, the only people they can find for any of these tend to be from the Iona.
it’s not how it works
the media are lazy
some intern on a jobbridge is told -hey can you get a voice for such and such
looks up outlook contacts
oh I know I will see if that breda one will do it etc
All that is true, and is also then underpinned by the fact that the media luuurve people who always say yes to interview requests. That intern was given about an hour to find someone who’d agree to be in studio, so they don’t have time to piss about finding the right person, they’ll take anyone who’ll do it. There is an entire class of commentariat in the Irish media (everyone at the Iona Institute, Constantin Gurdgiev, etc) who have built their reputation and constant appearances not on expertise, but on availability.
correct
it’s a shallow pool – oxygen very depleted – barely able to support any form of life, let alone intelligent life
…I like ‘ol Constantly Givinoff…the academic economists have proved more insightful and reliable than the paid stooges working for banks, stockbrokers and unions. Also, his analysis of whats happening in Russia and Ukraine is fascinating.
If by whack jobs you mean religious then yes.
It’ll be a very very tight vote in the end, the old and the religious will vote in numbers and the young might if their wifi goes down.
Gaz, your prescription has arrived: “No Irish news for you for at least 12 months, it’ll cause unnecessary stress”
Even my Ma (and Da) at 75 and 76 and whom most would describe as the church going traditionalist types will be voting for equality. I think there’s a lot more of them around than people think.
Any news on the date of the referendum yet?
Yes, it has a date now.
Would you happen to know when that is?
Yes, I googled it after your question.
You did a better job than I did then. All I found out was that it’s sometime in May – and I’ll be abroad for most of May, but might be home for part of it.
So, if a particular day has been announced, would you be so kind as to post it as a reply here?
With whom, Repeal The 8th?
Colin Farrell has a gay brother and a 70s porn star moustache. Yawn.
Did no one watch Catastrophe on Channel 4 with an actually vastly talented Irish Woman not the limited Clair Byrne.
You know you dont have to watch RTE all the time !!
It was great , watch it on 4OD and give yourself a rest from the Irish bigots !
On a related point, why does a tiny country need 3 current affairs shows a week on the national broadcaster at peak viewing times ? Is this not navel gazing beyond the call of duty ??!!
thank you well observed
we don’t need rte at all in my opinion except for some of the trad music stuff and the sport and I suppose the one about the lads around the country making butter and whatnot
imagine all the homeless people you could stack up on the streets of fair city
I tried to watch it but for some reason UPC decided to black out channel 4 for a while so missed it. Was it good? Loved pulling but her other one was awful.
I thought it was brilliant, will have to watch it again due to laughing so much I missed other jokes.
Sharon Horgan is some comedian & writer. The yank had a few LoLs in him too.
I concur, it was surprisingly refreshingly good, very honestly and hilariously funny!!
He is very good on the ole Twitter
I predict that “Speaking as a gay man / woman” will be the new “I’m not racist but” by 2016.
I’ll be takin’ bets *spits in hand* on faith.
Explain?
With all the debate around ‘Family’ that’ll go on over the next X months before the referendum, it’ll all be…
“Speaking as a gay man….”
“Speaking as a father / mother….”
“Speaking as an adopted person….”
Nothing mean meant :) Just preparing myself for the ad nauseam
turn it into a drinking game makes it much more bearable.
make it a double for the slippery slope argument
But you equate it with something negative there, no?
Directed at Pampers
I am in favour of gay marriage, but only if BOTH chicks are hot.
Have you not got a funeral t’go ta
Just choked on my sandwich :-D
The argument re children and their right to a mother and father is a potent one by the no side. Strange that no one from the yes side here is engaging with it. Ignore it at your peril.
Don’t see how this is relevant to the marriage debate. And there is nothing in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights about the right to a father and mother. There is, however, article 16 ‘(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.’
The Universal declaration on human rights? Does that supersede our constitution?
It is relevant because the no side are making it relevant. Its a fairly seismic shift. And one that needs to be engaged with. that adopted woman spoke very well about her identity crisis when she found out that her dad was an anonymous sperm donor with hundreds of kids. If the yes side don’t engage, it means they are afraid of something?
It’s actually irrelevant.
It is legal in Ireland for a single person to adopt – regardless of sexuality.
The ‘right’ to a mother and a father is not a right that currently exists.
Also the Children and Family Relationships Bill that the Government plan on enacting will make this even more irrelevant. And to enact it, they don’t need to hold a referendum.
Do you think a child should have a right to his/her natural father and mother?
I understand that the world does not work in black and white, but in a grey area, Bluebeard.
Your question has nothing to do with allowing same-sex couples access the civil institution of marriage.
If you wish to debate ‘if a child should have a right to his/her natural father and mother’ – lobby a TD, because within the lifetime of this government, and before May, the Children and Family Relationships Bill will be enacted and come into operation.
You, unless you’re a TD or a Senator, will not get to vote on it.
I think a child (and the parent(s) that are raising that child) has a right to know the medical background of their biological parents.
I think that child and their biological parents also have a right to be placed on a contact list should either wish to make contact once that child turns 18.
These are both rights that need to be afforded to all adopted and children of surrogacy.
That is not what this debate is about.
I think that child and their parents should be treated equally by the state and that equality should extend to marriage rights.
When people say ‘think of the children’ do they ever think of the children who are growing up around this debate, knowing that they are LGBT and do they think of what impact this legislation will have for those children? I know that my generation is more accepting than any that went before it because we didn’t have a law on the books telling us that homosexuality is a crime. I think that kids today, and even the unborn childer, will grow up better adjusted and more tolerant if they have a state that tells them that they can marry whomever they choose.
These debates always leave me feeling frustrated that people didn’t ask Breda the right questions.
This shite about “every child has a right to their natural mother and father, or to a mother and father”
is so easy to debunk.and expose as having zero to do with the marriage equality debate.
The adopted woman in the audience who called Breda a homophobe did the best job I’ve seen in a long time of saying the right thing at the right time.
Breda was there for the taking if the other two Yes people sitting on the stage could have just backed her up and stuck to the point and kept coming back to it.
But, no.
Cause it’s a very tenuous argument. I think Colin Farrell did nail it there by pointing out that same-sex marriage will provide stability for a significant group of actual real-live children, rather than the unborn future generations that Iona et al are thinking of.
And the horribly mysogonistic comments about Claire Byrne are surprisingly nasty for a bunch of caring liberals. Do you always judge women so harshly?
sure everyone knows them all on broadsheet are wife swapping sodomites up there in dublin
and now we have someone from the iona institute
‘im not from the iona institute
‘but they got you here’
yes they nomintated me but i have nothing to do with them though all my friends are in it
I think there should be a complete ban on all media discussions and/or media coverage pertaining to same sex marriage until then because it is just the same privately funded Iona clowns and a few journalists trotting out the same old $h1te again and again.
In fact I hope it doesn’t pass because there is a perception that once it does, everything will be grand. Well it won’t. People will still be discriminated against, beaten up and still forced out of their homes and jobs. Let the world see what parts of Ireland are really still like because right now in 2014/5, the amount of gay people who only return home for Christmas break is shocking. I am gay btw.
So because not everything will be fixed we shouldnt make any improvement at all ? why not just recrimilase ibeing gay then the iona people will be over the moon and we wont have to listen to anything but breda gloating and finding somthing else to wine about
What I am saying is that the Irish People will make their own minds up. This vote will not fail because it will damage Ireland reputation abroad. With the exception of Colin Farrell who spoke in a very human way, the rest was the same old. Iona were yet again given an opportunity to deliberately mix up children’s rights with same sex couples rights and it there is to be a real debate, it is about time someone stopped trying to be ‘nice’ and just called them out on it.
I genuinely believe that every non careerist LGBT person in the country should just sit back, put their feet up and let srt8 people dance this one out. Let’s see how it goes eh? Nobody should have to plead for equality in a Republic.
Awful set, as you’d expect at RTE. The debate on marriage equality was farcically confusing also but Byrne handled it reasonably well. I won’t be tuning in again.
The so called ‘right of a child to a mother and father’ is a red herring argument. It’s nonsense, and complete fantasy however- it is a very emotive idea which stirs primal feelings in us all (gay, bi, straight or whatever in between) and that’s why the anti-gay marriage side keep using it. Marriage equality for gay men and lesbians has nothing whatsoever to do with the so called imaginary ‘right of a child to a mother and father’ but every-time they bring the debate to towards this attention-grabbing curve-ball it distracts people, and in particular it re- triggers irrational homophobia which is already out there. We all have this imaginary archetype of a mother and father in our heads, but none of us can ever know whether we would have been better off growing up adopted, fostered, orphaned, with a gay couple or our own parents. I am a gay man, and I have 4 straight siblings, we had shit parents, they were completely dysfunctional, my father had a drink problem, and my they eventually separated. They were a man and a woman, but I don’t see what that has to do with their potential parenting skills!
I have lesbian friends who are raising a child who is the natural child of one half of this female couple (one of them had a sperm donor, and he is involved – albeit in a less demanding capacity). They are amazing parents, and I wish they were my mum’s (and with the part-time dad too- how spoiled would you be?). The ‘right to a mother and father’ red herring is total fantasy, even if we enshrined it in international law, it would still only be an idea because people are human, people are flawed too. Anyone can have children, but it takes a certain type of individual to be a good parent, and sexuality has nothing to do with that, it boils down to character, personality, ability and potential. There are many studies which point to the success of gay parenting, and how well adjusted children of gay parents are. The anti-gay marriage folk are hung up on fear, misinformation, scare-mongering and prejudice, and I hope the electorate see through it…
beautifully said