LovinDublin.com/Niall Harbison in a spot of bother

Dave!

Hey,

Anyone seeing the brouhaha emerging from Niall Harbison's review of some restaurant in Dublin? In the preamble kind of thing before the review, Harbison had this to say...

As a country we tend to do the most obvious thing when the sun shines and that is head to the local pub. Unlike other nationalities who do things like go fishing, hit the beach or go for a nice stroll we all feel the need to play up to our national stereotypes and head to the local boozer. When the sun shines there are certain places that you just know will be packed. The Barge is probably the most obvious place to head but for years it was Ocean Bar. 100s of people would sit outside happily supping pints and watching knackers play their favourite sport of bridge jumping wearing wet suits. It really is amazing how long the little bastards can keep themselves entertained jumping into water and how the local crime rates plunge when they are all busy having their annual wash.

"The Twittersphere is going wild" in response to this, and Harbison is getting dogs' abuse as people interpret it as a slur against inner city folk in general. He subsequently issued an apology, but it isn't enough for some people, who are talking about boycotting restaurants associated with the site, etc. Colm Tobin asked to have his name removed as a contributor to the site.

What do ye make of it? Should we roll out the guillotine?

Tabnabs

Man speaks truth shocker...

Merkin

Storm in a teacup and good publicity for his blog tbh

MagicIRL

Bet they stole them wetsuits too!

CountingCrows

You'll catch nothing fishing in the sunshine.

Ash.J.Williams

can't disagree

JohnnyChimpo

Story checks out

Ush1

Most "critics" are knobends.

R P McMurphy

Ahh the gravediggers on a sunny day. Is tradition

Conmaicne Mara

Damn first world problems, surprised I didn't read about it on CNN.

syklops

CountingCrows wrote: »

You'll catch nothing fishing in the sunshine.

Went fishing on Sunday. Caught nothing. You seem to know what you speak. Do you have a newsletter of some-sort I can subscribe to?

fleet_admiral

The barge is a stone's throw from the notorious south city flats on Charlemont street so he isnt far off the truth tbh

quadrifoglio verde

All he did was say the ****ing truth. People need to realise that ireland has a drink problem. Having a drink is fine, getting drunk isn't, except in ireland

SEPT 23 1989

Inner City kids swimming in the canals as they have done since they were built:eek:

CountingCrows

syklops wrote: »

Went fishing on Sunday. Caught nothing. You seem to know what you speak. Do you have a newsletter of some-sort I can subscribe to?

I do have a fishing blog but it's mainly about inner city scumbags.

Beano

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

All he did was say the ****ing truth. People need to realise that ireland has a drink problem. Having a drink is fine, getting drunk isn't, except in ireland

what is feckin wrong with getting drunk? Or is it the stupid things that SOME people do when drunk that cause you a problem?

Alf. A. Male

I think he deserves whatever abuse he gets for it. Who the **** is he to decide whether you me or anyone else should or shouldn't go to the pub or anywhere else when the weather or mood take us? And who does he think he is to decide that kids playing in the water are bastards, criminals and only wash once a year? If he doesn't like the response to his witterings, he can learn a lesson and change his tune.

Robbo

Tis an interesting battle; one one side you have this Nathan Barley character poncing about as some kind of "self facilitating media node" and on the other you have those who toil long and hard in the Twitter outrage factories.

I propose it's solved with a jousting tournament on fixies, somewhere in the greater Ringsend/Silicon Dicks area. Pulled pork sandwiches and craft beers for all. Minimum beard density of 40 foliciles per square centimeter. Instagram have bought the sepia-drenched broadcasting rights.

c_man

MagicIRL wrote: »

Bet they stole them wetsuits too!

They steal my sunshine.

maximoose

c_man wrote: »

They steal my sunshine.

KAREN, I LOVE YOU!

blackwhite

It says a lot about the profile of AH that most of the replies on this thread are taking offence that Harbison did some giving out about Ireland's drinking culture, and not at his other "offence" that twitter has been up in arms about.

drumswan

Another blowin moaning about people who live in Dublin, heres an idea for you all - if you dont like it **** OFF

VinLieger

Ironic considering the scenes in Grand canal yesterday

http://cf.broadsheet.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/BqQfllkIEAABT9l1.jpg

Like someone posted in the journal article on this I would ask anyone making excuses for this behaviour to go out to Howth or Portmarnock or Sandycove this friday, saturday or sunday when the sun is shining and then lets see how their tune changes after witnessing the behaviour that we all know is going to happen. If they are only accosted 5 times id be surprised

justsomebloke

Merkin wrote: »

Storm in a teacup and good publicity for his blog tbh

Apparently the little feckers tried jumping into the teacup too!!!!

Drakares

He's dead right.

nxbyveromdwjpg

Lies. They don't wear wetsuits.

jimgoose

He has a point. I can do without the sight of a hundred lobster-red, tattooed undesirables running around half-naked and jumping into whichever waterway is to hand when I'm out and about. But which restaurant was he reviewing? Typical of this to get lost in another twenty-two-verse dildo-and-didle about pavies - this almost never happens to A.A. Gill! :pac::pac::pac:

nxbyveromdwjpg

VinLieger wrote: »

Ironic considering the scenes in Grand canal yesterday

http://cf.broadsheet.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/BqQfllkIEAABT9l1.jpg

Like someone posted in the journal article on this I would ask anyone making excuses for this behaviour to go out to Howth or Portmarnock or Sandycove this friday, saturday or sunday when the sun is shining and then lets see how their tune changes after witnessing the behaviour that we all know is going to happen. If they are only accosted 5 times id be surprised

What behaviour? The OP mentioned some kids jumping in water. The reviewer sounds like a prick.

Plek Trum

I have NEVER... EVER... seen a knacker in a wetsuit.. (!?)

Just saying.....

Richard Hillman

He is a disgrace for apologising.

jimgoose

jimgoose wrote: »

...which restaurant was he reviewing?...:

Oh, Mourne Seafood. Risotto with peas and bacon, mind you. :pac::pac::pac:

RoboRat

Nothing wrong with people having a few drinks in the sunshine, its a rarity around these parts so I can see why its enjoyed. Personally, I am not a big drinker and I don't like seeing people scuttered but if they are behaving themselves, then its their choice. I do have an issue with people on the scratch spending it on drink but that's another issue altogether.

I do take issue with his complaining about the locals swimming. So what, they are having some harmless fun, where is the issue? If you don't like it, turn away. I would rather they are swimming than out causing trouble.

Collie D

Richard Hillman wrote: »

He is a disgrace for apologising.

Why? He comes across as a prick

Leslie91

blackwhite wrote: »

It says a lot about the profile of AH that most of the replies on this thread are taking offence that Harbison did some giving out about Ireland's drinking culture, and not at his other "offence" that twitter has been up in arms about.

What other 'offense'??

Sugar Free

Plek Trum wrote: »

I have NEVER... EVER... seen a knacker in a wetsuit.. (!?)

Just saying.....

Canal by the Samuel Beckett bridge anytime there's a small bit of sun.
Loads of them.

Kermit.de.frog

Heads up for people in Portmarnock.

Currently I am on one of the bus routes from Coolock/Artane to Portmarnock (or Howth as well) and I have just seen about 20 bare chested scumbags all skulling back cans (yes, it's 12:15 pm!) at the bus stop with not a care in the world for the unfortunate passers by that have to endure it. Not a guard to be seen of course.

They are on their way out to you. Just sayin.

Richard Hillman

Collie D wrote: »

Why? He comes across as a prick

Because he probably only regrets writing it because of the faux outrage he recieved. He probably still feels the way he did when he wrote the piece.

I am sick of seeing people being bullied into apologising. The media and the left wing leave the likes of Jeremy Clarkson alone when he says something controversal because they know he wont apologise. When they sense they have found somebody they can bully, they will hound them.

blackwhite

Leslie91 wrote: »

What other 'offense'??

He referred to some people as kn*ckers, and has since issued an apology for it.

Most posters on this thread so far seem more offended by him giving out about Ireland's drinking culture.

nxbyveromdwjpg

blackwhite wrote: »

He referred to some people as kn*ckers, and has since issued an apology for it.

Most posters on this thread so far seem more offended by him giving out about Ireland's drinking culture.

He said nothing about Irelands drinking culture

Ush1

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Heads up for people in Portmarnock.

Currently I am on one of the bus routes from Coolock/Artane to Portmarnock (or Howth as well) and I have just seen about 20 bare chested scumbags all skulling back cans (yes, it's 12:15 pm!) at the bus stop with not a care in the world for the unfortunate passers by that have to endure it. Not a guard to be seen of course.

They are on their way out to you. Just sayin.

Endure what?

CountingCrows

Richard Hillman wrote: »

The media and the left wing leave the likes of Jeremy Clarkson alone when he says something controversal

:eek:

Cienciano

Alf. A. Male wrote: »

I think he deserves whatever abuse he gets for it. Who the **** is he to decide whether you me or anyone else should or shouldn't go to the pub or anywhere else when the weather or mood take us? And who does he think he is to decide that kids playing in the water are bastards, criminals and only wash once a year? If he doesn't like the response to his witterings, he can learn a lesson and change his tune.

He's not "deciding" anything. He's just writing a webpage. Who are you to decide a person should be thought a lesson and change his tune if you disagree with his opinion?

SEPT 23 1989

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Heads up for people in Portmarnock.

Currently I am on one of the bus routes from Coolock/Artane to Portmarnock (or Howth as well) and I have just seen about 20 bare chested scumbags all skulling back cans (yes, it's 12:15 pm!) at the bus stop with not a care in the world for the unfortunate passers by that have to endure it. Not a guard to be seen of course.

They are on their way out to you. Just sayin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX3bN5YeiQs

blackwhite

nm wrote: »

He said nothing about Irelands drinking culture

Oh really?? Try reading the piece.

As a country we tend to do the most obvious thing when the sun shines and that is head to the local pub. Unlike other nationalities who do things like go fishing, hit the beach or go for a nice stroll we all feel the need to play up to our national stereotypes and head to the local boozer.

http://lovindublin.com/reviews/posh/sunny-seafood/

Davarus Walrus

He throwaway remark wasn't half as vitrolic as some of the knuckle-dragging opinions spouted out around here. Castrating criminals, bringing back the death sentence, mob justice etc.

It's just the online outrage brigade moving onto a new target. They'll be back calling the Government traitors on the journal.ie later this afternoon.

gandalf

Plek Trum wrote: »

I have NEVER... EVER... seen a knacker in a wetsuit.. (!?)

Just saying.....

Neither had I until I left a conference at the convention centre last week and there were multitudes of them around the canal at the Beckett Bridge. It was like a halting site had spliced itself with a Jacques Cousteau documentary.

If there was ever an argument to populate the Liffey and Canals with Piranha's then that was it!!

Kermit.de.frog

Ush1 wrote: »

Endure what?

More than normal for this early in the day. Drunken shouting, being a nusiance, intimidating passers by, having little fist fights among themselves, one of them pissed in to a beer can.... The usual.

I'd hate to be the bus driver that just collected them though. He should have just drove past. I don't get that.

But that is a scene I have no doubt repeated around Dublin. And it will all end up with some drunken macho stand off on a beach this evening. The usual.

Collie D

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Because he probably only regrets writing it because of the faux outrage he recieved. He probably still feels the way he did when he wrote the piece.

I am sick of seeing people being bullied into apologising. The media and the left wing leave the likes of Jeremy Clarkson alone when he says something controversal because they know he wont apologise. When they sense they have found somebody they can bully, they will hound them.

Fair enough.

But you don't have to be a member of the "left wing media (trademark of After Hours)" to object to terms like "knackers" and "little bastards"

FTA69

Good enough for the stupid tramp. Nothing winds my b*llocks up more than legions of dopey f*cking hipsters invading a given place and then looking down on the people who have made that community for decades. I'd have much more time for the average inner-city Dub than I would some mocha-drinking ponce warbling on about pretentious sh*te.

Uriel.

I think he was spot on and he shouldn't have apologised, but can see he likely did so to try deflect negative press from the website.

Our softly softly approach to our social problems will continue to prevail I am afraid... here's another pram, oh and an increase in your social welfare... now run along and don't break anymore bus windows you little scamps. :rolleyes:

Uriel.

FTA69 wrote: »

Good enough for the stupid tramp. Nothing winds my b*llocks up more than legions of dopey f*cking hipsters invading a given place and then looking down on the people who have made that community for decades. I'd have much more time for the average inner-city Dub than I would some mocha-drinking ponce warbling on about pretentious sh*te.

I'd rather have "dopey ** hipsters", playing on their ipads drinking mochas sitting outside in the sun than the feckin' people who have "made" the community the sh1thole that it can so often be.

Why?

Well, I can sit and drink my coffee or eat my lunch in the sun in peace without hipsters bothering me, unlike scumbag children throwing eggs at diners, buckets of water, plastic bottles or shouting abuse ... all because they're "hard men"... all of these i have seen in that part of the city in the last 12 months.