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Portmarnock, north county Dublin
Poet and podcaster David Farrell writes:
Here I sat peacefully drinking a cup of tea and looking out into the sea. I come to this beach for sea swimming, a run and basically for my mental health and well being.
I was asked my name and address the week before by these guards and gave it. They asked me: “what are you doing here?”
I said: “sea swimming for my mental health”
They said: “We all have issues with our mental health, we just get on with it”
They asked if we were leaving, I replied yes, and left.
The next weekend they singled me out when they saw me. Approached me with familiarity “ah it’s you again”. I didn’t reply, I sat in silence and they surrounded me, and kept asking me my name and address (which they already had from the week previous) I didn’t reply, I sat in silence, four minutes passed and then I was arrested.
I have sought legal representation and am currently going through it with them. I will be very public and open about how this is going and how it goes.
Wanted me off the beach so they could make tik tok videos of them dancing on it?
Anyone?
There’s a key piece of information he forgot to give
Travelling more than 5km for exercise repeatedly by the looks of his instagram.
He has no regard for covid-19 rules:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CI_FOssAlKv/
If you refuse to give your name to Gardaí, you might end up arrested – this is not a new development, and has nothing to do with covid, swimming in the sea, mental health, or whatever you are having yourself.
Yeah, lobbing the old ”mental health” at it to see if it will stick, embarrassing stuff that dilutes a real issue for some (unless he genuinely feels his mental health is suffering, seems a tad unlikely).
Garda harassment
Btw, nice headline, Bodge.
Surprised there wasn’t a third policeman?
…headline by Nick, in fairness…still good…implies he was myles from home…
Fun Fact: Brother Barnabas was another nom de plume used by Brian O’Nolan aka Flann O’Brien.
His legacy lives on around these parts.
The absolute state of the knuckle-dragger recording it, ”he has the right to remain silent” morto for him.
Was this innocent ”poet” more than 5km from home perhaps?
Wondering the same myself, tbh.
They are always “poets”. Only thing this one is missing is a crutch.
They have signs up asking people to ‘swim and go’. I doubt the issue is the swim, more likely the hanging around drinking tea afterwards.
If somebody needs a feck’n bit of time sitting on the beach they are welcome to it in my view.Garda are idiots.
I can’t speak about his location, but it’s busy where I swim and if people hang around afterwards drinking tea etc., there’s no room for new arrivals to change. This puts older people who are terrified of getting Covid off and they go home without having their swim.
portmarnock, and there’s loads of room.
Fair enough. Overzealous or bored guards so.
+1
I don’t think it was the drikning of tea that was the issue in fairness. A hot drink after a dip in that weather is a must. It’s the refusing to give your name and address when asked by a member of the Garda that got him taken away. Refusing to give your name is an offense
Drinking tea deserves 6 months in prison or a €500 fine (coffee €600)
If what he is saying is correct, it is a bit concerning, he was happy to give details the last time and he’s claiming he was singled out this time and they recognized him from the last time, if he’s within the 5km so what if hes having a cup of tea
I suppose he should be considerate of other people who want to use the covered area and not be spending all day there.
But it doesn’t look like that’s really the problem- not as if he’s there for the day drinking cans or anything.
Seems like there must be something else going on here?
I’d sincerely hope there is because based on the vid and what’s been written, hes doing no harm yet a fair few on here seem to have no problem with it.
He posted a map of a half marathon that suggests he was not within his 5km (certainly wasn’t on that run) and he posts plenty of not-socially distanced group photos. Safe to say this guy is a pillock.
The people’s poet and podcaster is a bit rude by completely ignoring someone who is trying to talk to them.
A reasonable Garda would have said, “when you’re done, go on home, we’re in a pandemic and you know the rules” But I’ve noticed a lot of ‘next-gen’ gardaí have an awful appetite for the oul power over pride from their role in society. It’s sad that our once fair police force has been moulded into a mindless group of monochrome visioned drones. Lost a few Garda mates over the years. :-(
+1
What a willy head comment. In my experience the guards have been doing a difficult job, sometimes dealing with absolute a wholes. But no, according to a wholes they are only on a power trip.
Woah…what is up with the insults!!
I should have also said “in my experience” and “in my opinion” to the above. Yes it’s a difficult job I agree, and yes they are dealing with absolute toot toots….but actually why am I even engaging after those insults….g’luck
So difficult they say,thay there is zero time for dancing.
..straight outta the RUC handbook.
Ag obair le Pobail chun iad a chosaint agus chun freastal orthu.
indeed.
Another star pupil from the Gemma O’Doherty school of being a complete tool.
And it’s so cringe when they try to use legal jargon and end up stumbling through half-remembered phrases they heard on the telly.
“You’re on the wrong side of history guard”
Scarlah for ya..
Some flock of sheep (le) around this morning. Hope ewes are all socially distancing.
In the meantime, yesterday there were upwards of 100 people congregating at a Wexford graveyard for the 9 days after a recent funeral. Gardai informed but no arrests. Last evening, similar crowds at the home of a deceased person in Bunclody. Today, the funeral will be held and you don’t have to guess whether there will be a large crowd or not.
Ah Giggs. Sheeple? Really?
Sure it’s a term that resounds. A lot of people have gotten very laissez faire with these laws. These are laws that can be called upon in the future at will, in other circumstances, to control.
There’s a difference there though. Dealing with a group of people mourning a departed friend is somewhat different from dealing with the G’OD hangers on who see themselves as tireless defenders of our freedom. Spending their busy days willfully antagonising the guards while their mate is always on hand to record and simultaneously be outraged by yet another travesty of justice.
What you’ve missed though is that this fellow has been arrested for attending a beach, socially distanced, and no one has been arrested for attending a funeral with 300+ and a 9 day prayer attended by 100+. Same laws, different application. In fact the funeral that was attended by the 300+ had their own garda vehicle to lead the way, and then some Gardai on site to show attendees to their parking.
He wasn’t arrested for going to the beach, brains trust, he was arrested for refusing to give his name to a Garda when asked.
They’ve dealt with him before and I’d say he was acting the maggot. I’ll bet they know he is their regularly outside of his 5km radius. The map on his instagram suggest he was.
ROFL!
“Gardai informed”
I’d say you’ve the local guards on speed dial, giggz
Don’t need to.
No need indeed. Something tells me the Giggidybot crew are likely on a Gardaí watch-list! Ha!
Just trying to ram home the message…
Would it be a RA head. Shurely its ok so. Much like your leaders in Belfast for the convicted criminal.
Your Ma?
tee hee hee
Exactly how far away from the beach was his address?
This is load of fuss about nothing. I like the way he casually pours another cup of tea from his flask, the bold pup! Ha ha! :)
Picture on his Instagram of him and his mates cheek by jowl in the sea for a group photo at Christmas/height of the surge, just your typical selfish Covidiot so.
Christmas, when the lockdown was lifted and the government allowed some social gatherings to take place outdoors?
you’re a bit quick with the judgements there, broadbag.
2 days after we were warned by Houlihan that things were in a ”precarious position” and headed in the wrong direction, 20 of them crowd on top of each other for a photo (ill advised no matter what level we’re at), the exact sort of gombeens who have us locked down for months with their ‘sure it will be grand’ philosophy.
It will be grand though….
but level 5 hadn’t been reintroduced when he went for a swim, is that correct?
if so, then your judgements are just petty.
Did you look at the picture, (his insta is linked in the article), that picture isn’t a group of people who give two hoots about anyone but themselves and their “craic”, I stand by my judgement.
Did they relax social distancing rules? No they did not. His instagram is full of evidence of him flouting the covid-19 public health measures. He’s a twit.
Hangings too good for em!
Round em up all up I say
Did ya just check his Instagram or did you go through all of the social media on him….is that a normal thing to do now? Jaysus…what a world eh!
Yup.
No need for the Stasi anymore. Everyone shares everything themselves.
We ended up in a dystopian Sci-Fi future without even trying very hard. Everyone volunteers their private life and information for free. It’s a Stasi wet dream!
His public instagram page is linked in the post above on broadsheet. He’s also using his public instagram page to make claims about what happened so I think its fair enough.
Give a tool a phone…………..
the guards don’t have to remember him a week later. The fact they asked him again shows they didn’t remember him and he wasn’t targeted. Maybe they meet more than one person in a week….
I’ve no doubt they remember warning him about travelling more than 5km and have found him back at it again.
Bloody mean hanging around and endangering other people. Over 1,000 people were sick with Covid19 yesterday and many died. Feck off home with yourself and your another-martyr-for-old-Ireland attitude and your flask.