What’s your most controversial opinion? **Read OP** **Mod Warning in Post #8023**

castletownman

Having watched the documentary on the murdered equestrian girl Katie Simpson up north (and the whole mismanagament of it by the PSNI) I cannot say I was surprised that something like that could happen in those circles.

A lot of horsey lads I know have an air of superiority about them. Going around like Johnny Big Balls because they have a tip for a horse in a random race. With their Land Rovers and equestrian jackets. Very often sleazy. You'd swear they are handling nuclear grade weapons the way they go on about how precious the horses are. So I'm not surprised that a young one cleaning out stables or grooming the horses and the likes could caught up in Harvey Weinstein-esque shite.

spacetweek

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123835980#Comment_123835980

That made me laugh out loud. Thank you!

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123833650#Comment_123833650

Yeah, just another run of the mill pundit: as mentioned already being involved with January 6th automatically is a sign they’re not worth listening to. Also the whole importance of faith while dedicating his life to re-electing a serial adulterer and pathological liar.
And his death helped Trump move the conversation from Epstein.

slachthausfunf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119793981#Comment_119793981

Like what exactly? As long as you move to that country LEGALLY, pay your taxes and abide by the law then what else are you obliged to do? What changes do you see being made to accomodate the culture and societal norms of immigrants? I lived in the US for a few years but I didn't all of a sudden start hanging the stars and stripes outside my house or celebrate Thanksgiving or watching US sports or eating fcuking doughnuts for breakfast with black coffee. I still put milk in my tea and butter on my sandwiches instead of mayonaise. I still pronounced aluminium the correct way. I also lived in the Netherlands but didn't eat a slice of bread with a knife and fork or consume buttermilk and raw herrings with onions (vomit).

If Joshua from Ghana or Mustafa from Algeria come to Ireland and obey the law then what's the issue? If they listen to their own music and eat their traditional foods and wear clothes that are comfortable and which they like wearing, who cares? Are they obliged to don a Celtic top, get sloshed drunk and subsist on breakfast rolls and spice bags?

What "culture" and/or societal "norms" should they follow?

Are there any indigenous people who also do not follow these cultures/norms?

Spaniards in groups clog the footpath/doorways having a conversation. Americans wear their stupid baseball caps while they're sitting down indoors in a restaurant. It's irritating but it's not going to cause demonstrations. I have never heard of a muslim calling for alcohol to be banned in Ireland or an Indian calling for all farmers to release their cows because they are sacred or a Singaporean calling for a ban on chewing gum.

What changes have you ever seen a country having to make to make life easier for immigrants? And if those changes are made have they adversely affected you? Only changes I've noticed is that there are more international foods available in shops because there's a demand for it. Stuff like rice, noodles, spices, etc. In the 80's you would never have seen, turmeric, tortilla wraps, mango, avocados etc in a shop. And regarding changes to the law…..only law I've ever seen changed/adjusted is laws surrounding discrimination. Assault on someone because of their skin colour or ethnicity is no longer just an assault, it's a hate crime. I see this change as a good thing.

castletownman

Data and anaysis and Xg and all that shite are the worst thing that ever happened to soccer.

It's like you can't trust your eyes anymore.

You never see an ex-pro going into that line of work, which sums it up.

PTH2009

People who are slow walkers are selfish

Some people who may have 'mobility issues' need to think to themselves 'ok i can get to x & y this route and not have to walk busy streets'

People in that unfortunate situation who can't help themselves i can tolerate to an extent its the able bodies who do it because 'there too busy on the phone or having the bants on the date' etc and its somehow you're fault

cj maxx

Yeah but with mobility issues is normally A to B in the shortest distance possible . Screw you if you're behind me .

PTH2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123859213#Comment_123859213

Suppose

Not like the **** on the phones who say 'it's your fault'

Rocket_GD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123859517#Comment_123859517

Can you not just walk around them? Hardly climbing Mt Everest to do and if they're that slow they're very easy to overtake.

This is coming from someone who walks everywhere as if I'm in the Olympics.

daithi7

That just three candidates standing for a presidential election in Ireland is just too few. It will help lead to a weak candidate getting the presidency out of default, instead of after having to win the hearts & minds of Irish voters through a better election contest.

Something needs to be done about the presidential election process & format imho, as it's leading to poor choices for Ireland that are non representative of what the people would choose in a better format.

randd1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123856656#Comment_123856656

XG is most definitely horsesh!t.

The one thing it doesn't take into account, is who's taking the shot. Now, I'm a fan of soccer but in no way involved in the game any more, and I'm definitely not involved in any coaching or background team. I'm a simple fan who watches the sport on the telly.

But as simple a follower of the sport that I am, I know for a fact that if you put Mo Salah outside the box with two defenders around him with a half chance to bend it into the far corner on his left foot is still probably a better chance of a goal happening than Matt Doherty taking a penalty.

Proof? Man United have the highest XG in the premier league, but they're joint 9th in goals scored.

It's a waste of time.

Cordell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123860983#Comment_123860983

I think the current system is BS. Either have the President elected by the Dail (like Germany and Italy among others) or by popular vote with no interference from sitting representatives.

randomcorkman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123861334#Comment_123861334

And I'm sure you've always thought that and it's not because your favoured nutcase was not nominated.

daithi7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123861391#Comment_123861391

Just curious, but who is his 'favoured nutcase'?

Cordell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123861428#Comment_123861428

Just as curious

Iscreamkone

Whoever put forward Catherine Connolly as Ireland’s Jeremy Corbyn was spot on.

purifol0

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123861391#Comment_123861391

People didn't always think that because in the past it wasn't so obvious it was all sewn up!

MickeyD has been in the big house since 2011 and despite his popularity ratings the rules are that he cannot run again.

That means this should have been a very competitive race with lots of candidates so where's the "Diversity" that the govt. has been banging on for the last ten years?

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123860983#Comment_123860983

How would adding more weak candidates make the election better?

Steen and Sheridan were weak candidates which is the main reason they didn't get enough support.

The outcome would be the same with more candidates on the ballot, it'd just make the debates unworkable (with seven candidates it was ridiculous) and make the result take longer

PsychoPete

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123861055#Comment_123861055

The likes of xG,xA etc are complete bollox as far as I'm concerned. Man United with a 12.26 xG, without penalties it's 9.94 but it's completely meaningless looking at the state of the football they serve up every week

daithi7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123861601#Comment_123861601

I think there should be ideally 5 final candidates, with a minimum of 4. That would give a better chance of reflecting a wider cross spectrum of Irish Society, & also of voting in a strong, well vetted candidate as President. Imho.

I'm not sure what the best process would be to procure the highest calibre candidates tbh, I just know the current system sadly doesn't.

jacool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123835980#Comment_123835980

Sad to report that the lads have "broken up", due do what seemed an innocuous conversation regarding gas installers, and their registration or not. Crazy stuff!

Rocket_GD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123861644#Comment_123861644

It's always the way people say they don't like the process but can't give any solutions on how it should be done. Should anyone be allowed run for president?

People saying "she was only a couple of votes off," it's irrelevant. I'm only a couple of 00's off on my bank account to buy a Ferrari, still don't get to buy one.

My not so controversial opinion is that Steen had the last 7 years to try get a nomination and left it to the last minute and is somehow annoyed that she failed.

Hotblack Desiato

I don't think she wanted to be president at all. Either she got on the ballot and could spend weeks spouting drivel on the airwaves, or she didn't and then complains about how 'unfair' everything is, either way she gets her face in the media saying the things Iona's US backers want to hear

daithi7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123861711#Comment_123861711

Tbh, I wasn't referring to Steen failing to get nominated at all. I hate her kind of politics. However, I just think Ireland would be served better by 4-5 candidates as I think it would promote more diversity in the candidates for election, which would then encourage all the candidates to address more issues which should serve the Irish people better e.g. by challenging all the potentiate candidates with a wider range of issues & to address more demographics during the campaign.

randd1

Maybe lower the threshold to 15 Oireachtas members and 3 county councils.

An easier task to achieve, but still enough to weed out the crazies and the incompetent for what is (for the most part) a ceremonial representative role of the Irish people (and no-one wants a McGregor to represent us).

I think the official time frame should be limited to a candidate being officially nominated on the 30th day before the election, providing they have the requisite backing. Two official debates should be had, one at 21 days from the election, and one at 14 days from the election. 30 days is long enough to have the whole campaign thing in order, if this election is anything to go by, it's too drawn out.

I also think the Irish people lack a bit of humour for the presidency to drum up interest. Where are the joke candidates (beside the unintentionally funny) offering madness? It's been a borefest, and none of the candidates seem to have any personality. You'd swear there wasn't a presidential election on the horizon at all.

It all just feels stale and boring, which is probably a good thing for the role itself, but a knife to the balloon of enthusiasm for the election for it. You want public engagement for the election, then engage with the public to get them interested.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123863611#Comment_123863611

It sounds like you want the presidential election process to be more entertaining. I can't agree.

Some things are pretty serious and a bit boring. If people don't have the attention or discipline to learn about them without them being entertaining, then that's their problem.

The US and UK elected the most entertaining characters in recent years and it turns out being entertaining to get elected is no indication of how well they can do the job.

randd1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123863676#Comment_123863676

Oh, I don't want anything like the UK/US carry on at all.

I just feel like this presidential candidates have all the life of a fossil, they don't inspire me to want to vote for any of them.

I'm not looking for bells and whistles or mental debates that make good TV, just a bit of personality from the candidates, or something to identify with them at least. I've seen nothing so far from any of them that would encourage me to vote for any of them.

As for the joke candidate thing, I'm thinking more along the lines of the joke candidates in the UK elections, but they'd obviously be weeded out before the presidential campaign proper. It's just a personal viewpoint, just to have it for the craic of it more than anything serious.

Hotblack Desiato

We did have joke candidates, it's just that the candidates didn't realise they were a joke.

https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/dublin-city-council-live-hear-32481212

Sarah Louise Mulligan for instance

That Cora Stack who is now trying to get the entire election declared invalid (!) is a bit special too

daithi7

I don't think one of the current 3 x Presidential candidates are even nearly in the same class as Patrick Hillery, Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese or Michael D tbh...

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123864626#Comment_123864626

If there was a different president other than any of those during their presidencies, what difference would it have made?