Ian O’Doherty

Television

O’Doherty has appeared on high-profile topical shows such as The Late Late Show and The Frontline . He holds „strong opinions about Ireland’s growing Muslim population“ and in 2011, he presented the RTÉ documentary Now It’s Personal , in which he spent a week living with Muslims , and volunteered to sleep on the floor of a Mosque. ^[1] [3]

Personal life

O’Doherty is a self-proclaimed atheist , and libertarian . ^[4] He has been a speaker during at least one Atheist Ireland meeting. Ian O’Doherty has angrily denied that he has a drinking problem. ^[5]

O’Doherty is a married man. ^[4] He is a fan of the British soap opera Coronation Street . ^[6] O’Doherty has a loathing for Irish Republican music and claims to be beaten up at a Wolfetones concert. ^[7] He Describes himself as „a huge fan“ of the internet, calling it „the MOST significant communication tool since the telephone“ goal HAS criticised social networking . Ian O’Doherty has strongly argued for the sale of Good Friday. ^[8] He also says he likes „blokey“ things such as „drinking, football, gigs, hanging out with the lads and being a bit of a man-child“. ^[9]

Controversies

O’Doherty’s columns to the Irish Independent . ^{[10] [11] [12]}

He has supported the presence of US troops in the Middle East, equating opposition with this cowardice. ^[13]

In October 2007, he mocked Steve Staunton ’s physical and mental appearance, referring to „the ways his eyes dart shiftily all over the place and he adopts that rictus grin“ before insulting those with a disability by concluding with the taunt, „The Irish Special Olympics football team are looking for a player / manager – if they’ll have you „. ^[14]

O’Doherty wrote a critical column of Sharia law – „I have no respect or tolerance for Sharia“, published in December 2007. ^[15]

In 2010, a column written by O’Doherty was criticized by the editor of Gay Community News for referring to gays as „sexual deviants“. ^[16]

In a February 2011 column he called for so-called “ junkies “ to be sterilized as he believes it would be better if such people did not reproduce. ^[17] This article also stated that O’Doherty also described drug users as „vermin“, “ feralworthless scumbags “ and claimed he would „cheer if every junkie died.“ ^[17] The press ombudsman ordered the article to be removed from the Independent.ie website on the grounds that it was deliberately stirring up hatred against a group of people. ^[18] Rick Lines, Executive Director of Harm Reduction International, said the group was „extremely gratified“ by the decision to remove the offensive article. ^[18] „The decision showed that drug users are entitled to protection against hate-type speech in the press“. ^[18]

In January 2014 the Press Ombudsman upheld a complaint against O’Doherty for a column in which he described members of the Roma community as „parasitic, ethnic underclass“. The Ombudsman said that the article contained „a number of emphatic generalizations about beggars of Roma origin, which, in his opinion, were clearly capable of or intended to cause grave offense“. ^[19]

In October 2015 the Press Ombudsman upheld a complaint against O’Doherty for a column in which he described the PalestinianBoycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement as being „loud and shrill in their calls for a complete boycott of individual Israelis, regardless of their own political affiliation“ and advocating „blanket boycotts of anything involving Jews.“ The Ombudsman stated that „the article was factually inaccurate in relation to the two statements „and that“ BDS campaigns for a widespread boycott of Israeli institutions and organizations. It does not campaign for a boycott of all Israeli citizens. Neither does BDS campaign for a boycott of ‚anything involving Jews‘. Its campaign, but widespread in its targets, is limited to a boycott of Israeli State institutions as well as economic, cultural, sporting and academic organizations. It does not extend, as the author claimed, to ‚

O’Doherty believes anti-discrimination laws should be removed. Commenting on newstalk he said „the equality laws should be scrapped“. ^[21]

In November 2015 he upset the supporters of Liverpool FC by claiming they should have a black armband as part of their regulation kit. ^[22]

References