Reckless journalism in the Connaught Tribune

Tinder

Did anyone read the trashy article in the Connaught Tribune by Declan last week. It was about what is said on this forum, so Declan you can reply if you dare. It basically took all the bad and negative comments said on one of the discussions on Tuam and re-printed them, he even wrote the word Tuam Kip in the headline.

In my opinion this type of lazy gutter journalism is an unwelcome sight in the Conaught Tribune and Declan should be ashamed of himself, especially as he lives in Tuam.

I wonder what the reaction of the local traders and business people will be the next time the sales staff ring looking for an advertisements to be placed in the paper. I would imagine the sales staff could would like to hang him.

I wonder when the tribune will become tabloid. If the type of headline and writing that we say last week and regurgitated forum banter continues it should not be too long.

Shame shame shame…..

JupiterKid

I am aware that I made some negative comments about Tuam (and I stand by those, based on my experience of the town) but that does not give a lazy and inept journalist any right to use them in a lazy article about the town.:mad: Shame on him!:mad:

I'm a member of another web based message boards where journos have used posts and comments by members as fodder for their rubbishy articles. It's an intrusion of privacy IMO.

biko

Unfortunately it's not the first, nor last, time reporters use stuff from boards to feed into their papers.

Tribesman29

JupiterKid wrote: »

It's an intrusion of privacy IMO.

Whatever about the standards of journalism, how you think posting an opinion on something, under an alias, on a forum that can be viewed by x million people around the world is an invasion of privacy is really beyond me.
If you want privacy keep your thoughts to yourself IMO.

not bakunin

i vehemently oppose hacks ripping material straight from boards, but.......



tuam is such a shithole.

greengreen

I saw this article and thought what a shame. there have been loads of positive posts about Tuam on boards but were they used not likely. Tuam is a decent town but its downfall is the locals bad mouthing it.
It has the best pubs in co. Galway and the cathederals are world class. It is far too easy to be negative and in fairness it has as much if not more than other towns its size
eg Ballinasloe
Longford
Castlerea
Ballyshannon
to name a few

Euro_Kraut

Declan is a poor journalist. He is jaded and unoriginal.

Hope he prints some of the comments here about his work.

Jamey

Didn't see the article, but sounds desperate enough. It's not much far from printing the words of strangers perhaps ranting on the street about a town. I wonder if we start starting ridiculous threads would he print them, eg. 'Michael Jackson found hiding out in Galway'. I'd rather see him do a bit on the 'Strange characters of Galway' thread tbh.


PS. Tuam is not a kip, anyone saying so here is probably either a 'blow in' or a commuter who passes through there once a week. Try being born and bred there first before you make an informed comment.

greengreen

Jamey wrote: »

Didn't see the article, but sounds desperate enough. It's not much far from printing the words of strangers perhaps ranting on the street about a town. I wonder if we start starting ridiculous threads would he print them, eg. 'Michael Jackson found hiding out in Galway'. I'd rather see him do a bit on the 'Strange characters of Galway' thread tbh.


PS. Tuam is not a kip, anyone saying so here is probably either a 'blow in' or a commuter who passes through there once a week. Try being born and bred there first before you make an informed comment.

Agree big time Declan needs to build the town up not knock it. If he wrote this about Castlebar or Ballina in one of the Mayo papers he would be fired.

lightening

Does anyone have a link to the article.

Jamey wrote: »

anyone saying so here is probably either a 'blow in' or a commuter who passes through there once a week. Try being born and bred there first before you make an informed comment.

Nice attitude, anyone who isn't from Tuam is a "blow in"... Small town welcome there! I have visited Tuam enough times to make an informed decision, I was treated like a blow in... rudely.

lightening

Just saw the thread on your heavyweight boxer, saw the photo... I take it all back....!

rco2000

Nice attitude, anyone who isn't from Tuam is a "blow in"... Small town welcome there! I have visited Tuam enough times to make an informed decision, I was treated like a blow in... rudely.[/quote]

Have to agree with Jamey's comments.
Lightening - anyone not from a particular area is always known as a "blow in" no different to someone from Dublin being known as a "Jackeen" etc. It is not said to insult anyone.

"Blow ins" have done very well in Tuam - I believe that the Chamber President and many of the successful business in that town are run by "Blow ins".

Businesses in that town should boycott advertising in the Connacht Tribune & also townspeople should stop buying it.

Jamey

Exactly, the President of the chamber of commerce is indeed a 'blow in', one who obviously came to the town with an open mind and saw the many great sides to it. It's blow in's that come to the town with a premeditated opinion of Tuam being 'full of knackers', and a kip, that leave the town with the same view.

Sea Devils

For some reason or another I always thought that the Tribune had the highest Journalistic standard of Galway papers ( in other words the newspaper least likely to copy and paste from Forums). I guess I was wrong

Just shows you how bad local Journalism has gotten

galwayrush

So, will he copy this threads contents for his next article?

lightening

rco2000 wrote: »

Lightening - anyone not from a particular area is always known as a "blow in" no different to someone from Dublin being known as a "Jackeen" etc. It is not said to insult anyone

Fair enough, but I wouldn't take insult to someone calling people not from the locality blow ins, I just think its a bit rude. I am a city bloke and used to more welcoming and acceptance of people that may not have the same background as me.

Also, doesn't take away that fact that I found it unfriendly! Maybe it was just a one off, but went to a pub in the outskirts of Tuam... people were basically rude, blocked our way to the bar, openly sneered at us, wouldn't move out of our way... Then they all got in their cars and started doing wheelspins before they tore off down the road full of drink!

greengreen

Not nice to be treated this way lightening but it sounds unlike any pub I know in Tuam area which was it? even a clue would satisfy my curiosity. How far out was it?

lightening

I can't think of the name... its West of Tuam, towards Clare Galway. Maybe it was a one off, a bad night, I am not used to that, I find Dublin pubs friendlier, maybe they are more used to strangers wandering in.

Tinder

Lightening. I think you summed the fundamental difference between Dublin pubs and country pubs, with a population of over 1.6 million in Dublin almost everyone is a stranger in all pups, therefore the reaction you get walking into a small country pup with a tiny catchment is always going to different to the reaction you get walking into a Dublin pub. You just can't compare like with like.

lightening

I know! I just always had this romantic notion that country pubs would be friendlier than Dublin pubs! Some are quiet friendly though! After canoeing the inland waterways every year for three years in the early nineties we usually were treated really really well. On one occasion in Fermanagh we were driven back to our tent by the bar owner, along with the locals to our tent where everyone proceeded to examine our tent, dog, canoes, equipment... and cracked open a few cans! I am sure I hit the place on a bad night or there was just a bad gang there and I would get a kings welcome in Tuam. I will keep you posted.

greengreen

I think I know the place. It is not in Tuam and is a locals only place even people from Tuam would get funny looks in it. A friend lives nearby and went in once and never again. Please dont judge the west of Ireland on that place.
Think of the nice pubs in Tuam centre.

lightening

greengreen wrote: »

Please dont judge the west of Ireland on that place.

Ah no, been to hundreds of great places in the West of Ireland.

blogga

greengreen wrote: »

I saw this article and thought what a shame. there have been loads of positive posts about Tuam on boards but were they used not likely. Tuam is a decent town but its downfall is the locals bad mouthing it.
It has the best pubs in co. Galway and the cathederals are world class. It is far too easy to be negative and in fairness it has as much if not more than other towns its size
eg Ballinasloe
Longford
Castlerea
Ballyshannon
to name a few

One line here caught my eye: the world class cathedrals. Have I said enough?

greengreen

I don't get it. The 2 cathedrals are quite famous. St Marys has the oldest complete chancel arch in Ireland from the 12th cent. and the catholic one is famous for being the only one built during the famine. They may not be well known but have huge historic interest which has never been exploited.

blogga

greengreen wrote: »

I don't get it. The 2 cathedrals are quite famous. St Marys has the oldest complete chancel arch in Ireland from the 12th cent. and the catholic one is famous for being the only one built during the famine. They may not be well known but have huge historic interest which has never been exploited.

Wow. A complete chancel arch? That will get them flocking in; look out Florence! The only Cathedral built in the famine? A curiosity. Not world class I'm afraid. The local being elevated by locals.

greengreen

OK maybe you have a point but Not strictly being a local I was surprised to see such gems in Tuam and also how they are not exploited. Maybe I am wrong but I really think that they are fantastic , pity that they are not in Florence then everybody would be flocking too see them. Some times we can overlook what is right in front of us.

mink_man

what thread on boards was he taking it from and have you got a link to his piece in the tribune?

blogga

greengreen wrote: »

OK maybe you have a point but Not strictly being a local I was surprised to see such gems in Tuam and also how they are not exploited. Maybe I am wrong but I really think that they are fantastic , pity that they are not in Florence then everybody would be flocking too see them. Some times we can overlook what is right in front of us.

No it doesn't matter WHERE the things are. It matters WHAT they are. "World class cathedrals" sounds entirely like a craggy island competition.

Sea Devils

mink_man wrote: »

what thread on boards was he taking it from and have you got a link to his piece in the tribune?

I've not read the article but I'm assuming without going through it that it's been taking from this thread. I'm more then likely wrong though

greengreen

having seen the cathedrals in Florence, Siena, Chartes, Bruges St Pats in Dublin and New York St Marys Tuam is no craggy island. It is truely a beautiful building that anybody would be impressed by except the locals of course. The 2nd one is admittedly not in the same league. However I have taken your point that I may have over played them in my starter comment.
On a seperate point I dont actually ever recall seeing a church in Fr Ted-strange.

Mars Bar

What about the episode where Fr. Buzz is over and they treat the sermon like a boxing match?

And when Fr. Ted is outside the church and an oul' fella says Teds sermon was ****e?