Anthony Sheridan: Turning To A Safer Topic

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From top: Sunday Independent columnist Eoghan Harris had his contract terminated as a result of being involved in a fake Twitter account; Anthony Sheridan

Any rational person listening to Sarah McInerney’s interview of Eoghan Harris [on RTÉ Radio 1’s Drivetime] could be forgiven for thinking that he suffers from an illness known as Delusional Disorder. People suffering from this mental illness are incapable of telling what’s real from what’s imagined.

In this context it is pointless responding directly to his ramblings with any seriousness. However, the failure of the establishment media to unequivocally condemn the behaviour of Harris and his collaborators is another story altogether.

Take communications guru Terry Prone for example. Writing in the Irish Examiner she was in no doubt where the blame lay.

In 50 years, nobody stopped Eoghan Harris. That’s our shame, not his.

This bizarre attempt to exonerate a favoured son of the establishment by blaming everybody, except him, suggests that Prone may also be experiencing a touch of Delusional Disorder.

But for the record and for Ms. Prone’s information somebody did notice the moment when Harris went off the rails as a journalist.

Here’s an article I wrote six years ago in response to Harris’ refusal to criticise Denis O’Brien, the then owner of Independent Newspapers, during the Siteserv scandal.

Eoghan Harris: A ‘journalist’ with little integrity

16 June 2015

In response to the ongoing Siteserv scandal Sunday Independent columnist Eoghan Harris has effectively admitted that he’s a coward and a man/journalist of little integrity.

On prudent reflection, I decided to take the advice of the Kerry sage, Tommy the “Kaiser” Fitzgerald: Don’t say anything, and don’t write anything, because when you put the black on the white, you are fucked boy.

What a sad end for a man who, wielding a razor sharp brain, used to tear strips from the hypocritical, arrogant and corrupt gangsters who misrule our country.

Now he’s a fully signed up toady of the rotten culture he once so brilliantly challenged. Whatever dulled his rapier like pen over the years has also dulled his mind to a state of stupidity where he effectively admits that he’s an intellectual slave to Denis O’Brien.

At least his many colleagues at ‘Independent’ Newspapers, also toadies to the master, make some effort, no matter how pathetic, at journalistic integrity.

The rest of Harris’ article accurately reflects the only ‘talent’ he still possesses – chief cheerleader for the establishment’s anti-Sinn Féin propaganda campaign. He begins this section of his article with the words:

‘Let me turn to a safer topic.’

Propaganda is, of course, always a safe topic for a journalist because there’s no need for truth or honesty but how sad to witness any journalist actually write, in black and white, the words

‘Let me turn to a safer topic’.

Anthony Sheridan is a freelance journalist and blogs at  Public Enquiry.

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14 thoughts on “Anthony Sheridan: Turning To A Safer Topic

  1. Barbara J Pym

    I have never in my life read such nonsense. Eoghan Harris is one of the countries most esteemed pensmiths and a damned handsome chap at that! He should have a statue of himself erected on Dollymount Strand, Sandymount Strand, Killiney Hill, Herbert park, Lansdowne Road, Stephens Green, the INM offices, and Anglesea road. And we would be currently enjoying such glowing gold tributes to the great man, if it weren’t for Sinn Fein who probably blocked them.

      1. Barbara J Pym

        ha. that was me. the person commenter you might possibly hate the most, made you laugh. interesting.

        1. Cú Chulainn

          Yes.. we can guess you know.. isn’t amazing how, when you’re not being an insufferable willy wad, and have something interesting to say, that people actually might like you.. fancy that..

          1. One username per user please (either this or the other one)

            @cu chullain who the fupp are you?

        2. Rob_G

          I don’t hate anyone, just sometimes think that their posts are a bit daft.

          A funny joke is a funny joke.

  2. curmudgeon

    Aside from himself, this business of expecting journalists to write honest, impartial critical articles on their boss is always something that bothered me when people complain about them.

    Like c’mon, either govt writes laws that say journos cant be fired for doing it, or the status quo will remain. Either the journo says nothing & keeps their job, or they do the honorable thing, publish it and be lauded by the public (maybe) only to be promptly sacked and make themselves un-hireable.

    Said public plaudits won’t pay their bills. Watching great journalists like Ken Foxe, and top interviewing William Cambell hold out the online begging bowl proves as much

      1. Django O'Reilly

        A coward who spouts toxic propaganda from behind a pseudonym … imagine that, Bodger!

    1. :-Joe

      Sure, but ultimately that’s just a tired excuse for selling out journalism for payment in kind….

      Maybe just stop voting for and supporting bad journalism or unethical publications and media by not paying for it with your unit of disposable currency, hard earned or otherwise.. in the first place.

      Just look at Glen Greenwald’s career so far for inspiration and get a bunch of like-minded maverick’s together and do your own thing..Real journalists more often get paid less but still do most of the best work.

      As bad as it is lately, they are still alive and well but it’s just hard to find them getting recoginition if you’re only looking at corporate billboards and listening to state controlled media.

      Sure, Ken Fox and William Cambell were left to freeze, rot and die out in the open but the fact that you still remember and are writing about it here makes their efforts, integrity and sacrifice worthwhile… No?..

      FREE JULIAN ASSANGE(plastic toy, with every happy meal!)..

      :-J

  3. Lilly

    ‘However, the failure of the establishment media to unequivocally condemn the behaviour of Harris and his collaborators is another story altogether.’

    Go way outta that, they were falling over each other in the rush to pile on. Pretty sure I saw condemnation from Fintan O’Toole, Kathy Sheridan, Justine McCarthy… to name but a few off the top of my head. And the crone herself was none too complimentary either.

    1. curmudgeon

      Yeah that line struck me as odd. There was plenty of criticism from al quarters. The reason many held back a bit is because he is a pensioner with terminal cancer.

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