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Claire Byrne and Farage

[Deleted User]

Pretty disappointing stuff. Of course Farage is a chancer, but Byrne's approach was to sneer at him and play that Up the RA clip.

It'd be quite welcome if she exposed him with questions, but sneering and quite literally saying to him that he hasn't got a clue, is not journalism and is not improving anyone's understanding.

Even bringing on an English nationalist to talk about Ireland's relationship and the EU is a bit stupid, given that there is no popular support for leaving here. RTE's current affairs coverage is going backwards.

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[Deleted User]

Just for reference, here's the clip the thread is about

https://twitter.com/ClaireByrneLive/status/1450227109130014723?s=20

Here's a previous run-in between them where she keeps pulling him up on his makey-upey nonsense

https://youtu.be/UlKX70oRLws

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042227#Comment_118042227

Well Corbyn got dubbed a traitor and a terrorist for a remark he made about the IRA so why does Farage get off the hook.

If a lad got Starmer to say "Fk the Queen" for a birthday joke the UK media would go into absolute meltdown and he would end up on top a Guy Fawkes bonfire

iffandonlyif

Pleasantly surprised to see so much criticism here of Byrne. It’s undignified that a serious journalist representing the national broadcaster would allow herself become offended (almost as though on behalf of Ireland) by a clown such as Farage, who was inevitably going to say something provocative.

If nothing else, her implied argument is lousy: that because he wasn’t aware of the meaning of ‘Up the Ra’, his opinion on Irish affairs is automatically invalidated.

I despair at Remainer Brits lauding that clip and the likes of Fintan O’Toole.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042614#Comment_118042614

But, of course, you have the usual crowd coming straight in with the ad hominem. If you criticise Byrne you must be pro-Farage. The person I quote above bemoans the tone of the thread and pro-Farage and Trump sentiment, before then, themselves, criticising Byrne! I don’t think one person here has expressed sympathy for Farage.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042897#Comment_118042897

I would agree it was rather basic. if she had handled it appropriately she would have presented him with points that countered his argument, but left the focus on him rather than herself. Plus sneering the he hasn't a clue, even if most viewers would deem that to be true, undermines herself rather than Farage, it's the type of journalism you get quite a bit of in the US, where coverage of politics tends to be ideologically driven.

Faugheen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042768#Comment_118042768

How is her 'journalism' very poor?

He started pontificating about why the Irish fought the British, and she took him to task about his knowledge of the history of this island by showing him a clip of him saying 'up the RA' without any clue whatsoever to what it means to back up her point.

Do you even know what journalism is? Because what Claire Byrne demonstrated is journalism in its most basic form.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042645#Comment_118042645

Would I be too cynical in suggesting the reason for having someone so peripheral to Irish life on the show was to try and embarrass him and get some approval on Twitter? I'd like to think that's a cynical view, but I'd say it's probably accurate unfortunately.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042486#Comment_118042486

It's not about him though, most people know what Farage is. But Claire Byrne's journalism was very poor, it's tabloid stuff, telling him he hasn't got a clue instead of questioning him to establish that.

On a broader scale it is worrying that this passes for decent journalism these days, it's a Fox news tactic to dismiss people rather than to allow their answers to expose the poverty of their arguments.

dudley72

I would have preferred if they had an interview in the middle with the guy in the dolphin outfit who beat Farage in an election. Might give people a better view of how popular the guy is

Faugheen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042673#Comment_118042673

You haven't seen her hold any of our politicians to account?

You either don't watch the show or you're a liar. Nobody gets an easy time on her show.

Of course it's easy for people to say whatever they want on a message board without having to provide any substance whatsoever just to have a go at others, namely politicians and journalists.

Butson

Sneering, childish from Byrne. I've never seen her like that with any of our absolute chancers, which is 90% of public life in Ireland.

That show is pure tabloid drivel.

elperello

It's hard to embarrass such a shameless person as Farage but she came close last night.

He wears his brand of confidence and self promotion almost like a suit of armour.

I think most people in Ireland have seen through him by now.

Will_I_Amnt

Just watched the interview on RTE player. Anything Farage had to say was utterly predictable. There's HGV shortages in the US, Poland and Germany. There's loads of EU workers being let into the UK. A bit of speil about how Ireland are not ruled by the Irish government, a bit of pretending that the changes to our corporation tax was because of EU membership. Throw in a few lines about inflation

Mostly the same soundbites Farage has been spouting for decades, getting them in whether or not they have anything to do with the question asked.

Having him on is really kinda pointless.

mickdw

She should have kept at him though. He said how dare you and she backed off.

She put it to him that he knew nothing of Irish history if he could be caught out with the RA comment.

So she is correct or else he said it in full knowledge of what he was saying. I don't see how you escape from that but she let him off.

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058213802/claire-byrne-and-farage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118041402#Comment_118041402

Not at all surprised to see the tone of the thread is focused on feeling sorry for the Agitator in Chief Mr Farage.

The Up the RA clip was cheap, but a perfect illustration of the BS that man pontificates about and how it is largely disconnected from reality.

I do think Claire should have done better and when he started with the rhetoric about being governed by Europe after fighting the English for 500 years (it was actually 800 Nigel) she should have told him that every 5 years we have elections, using PR voting practices, to send people to be part of the governing process in Europe and that that is A- more reflective of true democracy than the FPTP method they use in the UK and B - that is very different to having a colonial occupier subjugating the country.

I'm not surprised at the Farage support on here, many on Boards are comfortable with the idea of someone fighting for the traditional form of society they wish still existed. You can see it in their support of Farage, Trump, and against anything with even a whiff of progressiveness about it.

quokula

I think she did well, I've seen a bunch of UK media and bloggers picking this up and saying how they wish their own media would hold him to account in the same way.

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042530#Comment_118042530

i doubt there's a fanclub but it's pretty low brow to ring up a feckin eegit just to show him a stupid video and then let him grandstand to the irish feckin eegits that love him

Faugheen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042530#Comment_118042530

Don't think it's a Farage fan club but more the issue of a woman getting above her station, in my opinion.

Westernyelp

Surprised at the Farage fan club on here. He is an odious Prick and should be treated as such at every opportunity. Fair play Claire

Faugheen

Hahahaha people actually having a go at Claire Byrne here.

She's absolutely right. He hasn't got a clue about Ireland yet he gets a massive platform in the UK to chat sh*te about Ireland on a regular basis.

The 'up the RA' clip taken out of context? How? It was a prank and he went and said it with no idea whatsoever of what he was saying. How can he talk about Ireland and not have any idea what 'up the RA' means?

'Out of context' my hole. He was caught out as the clueless fool that he is.

The excuses people will make to defend this chancer are mind-boggling.

McMurphy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118041545#Comment_118041545

How was the "up the Ra" clip taken out of context? The point she was making was he didn't have a bull's notion of Irish history and the events surrounding it*.

Farage went on to release a statement that he had fallen victim to a prank, a prank that saw him shout "up the Ra" (for a fee) as part of a birthday greeting.

*There's the proof he didn't have a bull's notion.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042227#Comment_118042227

He did a birthday greeting which included him proclaiming "up the RA".... What context am I missing that makes that suddenly okay? He hasn't demonstrated any particular knowledge of Irish history or culture tbh.

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118041786#Comment_118041786

You mean the Birthday greeting ....

I am sure one can read into the Birthday greeting his entire history and knowledge of Anglo - Irish relations...... FFS!

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118041731#Comment_118041731

You totally missed the point.

Ireland fought a war of independence to leave one Union, but joined another Union.

There is a very very Very obvious reason as to why Sinn Fein has advocated a 'No' vote in very EU/EEC referendum since the 1970's.

[Deleted User]

If I recall, she's had other run-ins with him in the past and he's spouted the same nonsense then too and she's pulled him on it then also.

So the pattern goes, he comes on, spouts nonsense, she holds him to account, he gets embarrassed/flustered

Pity the UK outlets didn't do the same in the lead up to Brexit, the world might be a different place if they had

archfi

She got what she wanted.

A viral clip rewteeted by her radio boyfriend James O'Brien who creams himself saying - 'She's so good at this'

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118041402#Comment_118041402

She's a low brow tabloid hack posing as a serious journalist

knucklehead6

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118041792#Comment_118041792

i know the site is hard to navigate and all that, but at least the typing and text display wasn't affected....... until now

Field east

Farage could have been torn a

country have been torn apart

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118041545#Comment_118041545

His up the RA comment wasn't taken out of context though... I don't actually think he should have been invited on cause he is very much so clueless about the nation. But he very much so showed what type of person he is in terms of that video.

Penn

It was pretty obvious Farage didn't have a clue, considering he was comparing membership of the EU to 500+ years of British rule over Ireland.

If anything she was pretty kind to him by just pointing out he's a knob rather than outright calling him one.