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Denis O'Brien gags Waterford Whispers

24567…28

Comments

  • #32
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    myshirt wrote: »
    After Vincent Browne goes, who truly will be left to ask the hard questions of the most powerful in society? Who truly has the balls even?


    Who has the balls and the money, more importantly. Defamation case = high court, which is serious cash. In certain circumstances they can sue the individual rather than media (paper, radio station etc).


  • #33
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    cml387 wrote: »
    ,............

    You can believe that Dennis is the pantomime demon king capitalist and make fun of him that way.


    At this stage, its not that much of a stretch.


  • #34
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,377 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    cml387 wrote: »
    Had they said that DOB was serving time in jail for bribing all the record shops in England to make Joe Dolce's "Shuddupya face" a hit, thereby depriving Ultravox's Vienna a number one, that would be satire.

    You can believe that Dennis is the pantomime demon king capitalist and make fun of him that way.

    No that wouldn't be satire at all. Satire is talking something real, putting a slight twist on it and making a joke about it. That article was exactly what satire is.

    WWN is probably the only news source in the country that's got the balls to say anything about this criminal. I hope it doesn't neuter him.


  • #35
    castletownman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,262 ✭✭✭✭castletownman


    Am I the only one who finds it incredible that he is reported as being richer than Richard Branson, Bernie Ecclestone, Donald Trump and Oprah?

    With that in mind, you'd wonder why he'd bother with his propensity for spurious lawsuits.


  • #36
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,377 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    castletownman wrote: »
    Am I the only one who finds it incredible that he is reported as being richer than Richard Branson, Bernie Ecclestone, Donald Trump and Oprah?

    With that in mind, you'd wonder why he'd bother with his propensity for spurious lawsuits.

    Why don't they love me?

    Don't cry for me Ireland.


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  • #37
    BlaasForRafa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,020 ✭✭✭BlaasForRafa


    cml387 wrote: »
    You can believe that Dennis is the pantomime demon king capitalist and make fun of him that way.

    Looks like Fathead has a couple of fanboys on this thread.


    I wonder does a senators facebook page count as Dail utterances :pac: You can see a copy of the alleged letter from the solicitor there.


  • #38
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,377 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    I think the next referendum we have should be to chuck O'Brien out of the country for good. Surely there's room for an amendment in the constitution for that.


  • #39
    GreatDefector
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 540 ✭✭✭GreatDefector


    Dr Turk Turkelton wrote: »
    I would just love to be Denis O'Briens solicitor. I mean think about it, every day you get to bill him for at least one spurious law suit. They must be having money fights in the office at this stage.

    In this universe at least


  • #40
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    castletownman wrote: »
    Am I the only one who finds it incredible that he is reported as being richer than Richard Branson, Bernie Ecclestone, Donald Trump and Oprah?

    With that in mind, you'd wonder why he'd bother with his propensity for spurious lawsuits.

    Because he can. Because it acts as a deterrent to investigative journalism. Possibly because he fears that the findings of the tribunal, widely discussed, would mean losing his political allies. There is also the possibility he resents being one of the few caught, when many more have sinned (even though he has suffered no consequences from the tribunal).


  • #41
    efb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 35,514 ✭✭✭✭efb


    In fairness to WW, some of their articles have been on the money!

    DOB ugh... Is this the price we pay for FG in power???


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  • #42
    Zascar
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 12,615 Mod ✭✭✭✭Zascar


    Waterford Whispers is brilliant - one of the best Irish websites around. The titles he comes up with are very clever and he's very quick with topical stories. Many people don't like it as they lack this thing called a sense of humour.


  • #43
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,377 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    Can anyone tell me in simple terms why he's not been charged with anything?
    The Moriarty Tribunal's second and final report found that Michael Lowry, Ireland's then energy and communications minister, assisted O'Brien in his bid to secure a mobile phone contract for Esat Digifone, a key foundation of O'Brien's personal wealth. The tribunal found that this happened after Lowry received a $50,000 payment from O'Brien via a circuitous route involving a complex arrangement of third parties and offshore accounts. It said that it was "beyond doubt" that Lowry gave "substantive information to Denis O'Brien, of significant value and assistance to him in securing the [mobile] licence" during at least two meetings between the two.[25][26] The Tribunal was not a court of law; its findings were "legally sterile".


  • #44
    BlaasForRafa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,020 ✭✭✭BlaasForRafa


    efb wrote: »
    In fairness to WW, some of their articles have been on the money!

    DOB ugh... Is this the price we pay for FG in power???

    Pretty much. FF had the developers and builders, FG have fathead, Labour have the unions and Sinn Fein have wealthy american donors and proceeds from the Northern Bank (allegedly). Every party has it's unsavoury side.


  • #45
    Sky King
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭Sky King


    Zascar wrote: »
    Waterford Whispers is brilliant - one of the best Irish websites around. The titles he comes up with are very clever and he's very quick with topical stories. Many people don't like it as they lack this thing called a sense of humour.

    I find it quite hit and miss but some of their headlines are hilarious. http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2015/05/01/denis-obrien-to-sue-everyone/


  • #46
    wendell borton
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,335 ✭✭✭wendell borton


    Jayop wrote: »
    I think the next referendum we have should be to chuck O'Brien out of the country for good. Surely there's room for an amendment in the constitution for that.

    It would be a good thing to re-evaluate some of those wacky old laws of the first democracy.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostracism


  • #47
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    Jayop wrote: »
    Can anyone tell me in simple terms why he's not been charged with anything?


    The Gardaí have been investigating the tribunal findings since 2011. As can be imagined, they won't comment.


  • #48
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,377 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    wendell borton wrote: »
    It would be a good thing to re-evaluate some of those wacky old laws of the first democracy.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostracism

    I read the URL and thought it was Ostrichism. I suppose that's the term to use for the mainstream media's reporting on the tax exile.


  • #49
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,377 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    Nodin wrote: »
    The Gardaí have been investigating the tribunal findings since 2011. As can be imagined, they won't comment.

    Ah OK. So in the mean time we just carry on handing out massive state contracts to him. T'is a great wee country.


  • #50
    tomwaterford
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,768 ✭✭✭✭tomwaterford


    Jayop wrote: »
    Can anyone tell me in simple terms why he's not been charged with anything?

    Because he's rich??

    Govt rightly or wrongly don't want to see wealth leave the country?


  • #51
    Kermit.de.frog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,382 ✭✭✭✭Kermit.de.frog


    Jayop wrote: »
    Can anyone tell me in simple terms why he's not been charged with anything?

    Let's not pretend the hatred for DOB stems from that. It comes from Irish begrudgery mostly. That is just incidental.


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  • #52
    michael999999
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 7,771 ✭✭✭michael999999


    castletownman wrote: »
    Am I the only one who finds it incredible that he is reported as being richer than Richard Branson, Bernie Ecclestone, Donald Trump and Oprah?

    With that in mind, you'd wonder why he'd bother with his propensity for spurious lawsuits.

    And you know where he made them billions?

    From a dodgy deal he done with fine Gaels Michael Lowry!

    The Moriarty tribunal is critical reading for everyone before the next election!


  • #53
    One More Toy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,056 ✭✭✭One More Toy


    Kermit.de.frog wrote: »
    Let's not pretend the hatred for DOB stems from that. It comes from Irish begrudgery mostly. That is just incidental.

    No its mostly because he is an (alleged) criminal w******


  • #54
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,377 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    tomwaterford wrote: »
    Because he's rich??

    Govt rightly or wrongly don't want to see wealth leave the country?

    Wrongly. He's a tax exile anyway so the only money the government don't want to lose is of a brown envelope variety.
    Kermit.de.frog wrote: »
    Let's not pretend the hatred for DOB stems from that. It comes from Irish begrudgery mostly. That is just incidental.

    Absolute nonsense.


  • #55
    tomwaterford
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,768 ✭✭✭✭tomwaterford


    Kermit.de.frog wrote: »
    Let's not pretend the hatred for DOB stems from that. It comes from Irish begrudgery mostly. That is just incidental.

    Or let's just pretend Irish people have grown sick of an acceptance of corruption and Denis Obrien is a huge running sore of an example of what can be achieved through corruption ???


  • #56
    donegaLroad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭donegaLroad


    tomwaterford wrote: »
    Because he's rich??

    Govt rightly or wrongly don't want to see wealth leave the country?

    but a certain person lives as a tax exile in Malta..


  • #57
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,377 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    tomwaterford wrote: »
    Or let's just pretend Irish people have grown sick of an acceptance of corruption and Denis Obrien is a huge running sore of an example of what can be achieved through corruption ???

    Yep


  • #58
    michael999999
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 7,771 ✭✭✭michael999999


    Jayop wrote: »
    Can anyone tell me in simple terms why he's not been charged with anything?

    Because he has a great "relationship" with Fine Gael!


  • #59
    BlaasForRafa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,020 ✭✭✭BlaasForRafa


    Kermit.de.frog wrote: »
    Let's not pretend the hatred for DOB stems from that. It comes from Irish begrudgery mostly. That is just incidental.

    There's always a few people on this forum who don't have a problem with rich people riding roughshod all over the law isn't there.


  • #60
    tomwaterford
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,768 ✭✭✭✭tomwaterford


    Jayop wrote: »
    Wrongly. He's a tax exile anyway so the only money the government don't want to lose is of a brown envelope variety.
    .

    :eek:
    I didn't say that ;)


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  • #61
    PolaroidPizza
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 130 ✭✭PolaroidPizza


    I get the impression DOB is slowly turning into Donald Trump...spurious lawsuits, gag orders, an increasingly comical appearance, tied at the hip to the conservative party of their respective countries....only difference is that in the US, people aren't afraid of making fun of Donald Trump.


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