Stephen McDermott
@Ste_McDermott
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Editor @TJ_factcheck . Also reporting and assistant news editor for @thejournal_ie . Any opinions are mine.
Dublin, Ireland
Joined March 2010
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ANILPIN LOVE ON THE BEACH
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O'Connell Street now completely blocked off to traffic, shouts of "We stand with her"
#IBelieveHer
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1/ The woman who appeared at this evening's NPHET briefing and aggressively questioned
@CMOIreland
over the death of Sally Maaz identified herself as Jemima Burke from Western News.
...but there is no outlet called Western News.
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Scale of turnout a bit more evident here - entirety of Custom House Quay is filled with people (and more arriving to the rear of the march)
@thejournal_ie
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Crazy idea, but maybe people are buying cans in bulk because public health guidelines mean there's literally nothing else for them to do and being at home all the time is a pain in the fucking hole
'When you see slabs of cans being taken home you know that they are not being taken home for an after-dinner aperitif' - minister calls for review of off-licence opening hours
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Crowds gathering in St Stephen's Green in Dublin, where a vigil for Lyra McKee is taking place
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Facebook confirms it has permanently removed Aisling O'Loughlin's Instagram page over the sharing of 'harmful' misinformation
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Thousands marching in Dublin for George Floyd. Absolutely massive turnout
#BlackLivesMatter
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Court of Appeal upholds a ruling that Ben Gilroy can't perform citizen's arrests on people he accuses of fraud, without actually having any proof that they committed fraud.
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Anti-trans talking points have begun to feature more frequently in Irish politics and media.
New longread from me in
@thejournal_ie
looks at how Ireland has imported culture wars & misinformation tropes from abroad, and fed the wider anti-trans movement
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Attaching a health warning to misinformation is not "censorship".
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A small but incredibly vocal number of anonymous accounts on X are having a disproportionate impact on political discussions about Ireland.
Piece below looks at how they operate and why some 'Irish' accounts may not be what they seem.
Over 150 anonymous accounts on X are actively targeting politicians, journalists and news outlets with negative responses in a potential 'influence operation' ahead of the June elections, an analysis by
@thejournal_ie
has found.
Read more:
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Sizeable enough crowd arriving to Palestine solidarity march in Dublin city centre this afternoon - not getting into crowd estimates, but probably the biggest of the week so far
@thejournal_ie
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@ipsc48
@thejournal_ie
PBP TD
@RBoydBarrett
leads chants outside the Israeli embassy. He also called for Israeli ambassador to be expelled from Ireland, to loud cheers
@thejournal_ie
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A human chain of gardaí is blocking the southern part of the street. Protesters singing "gardaí we love you, we're doing this for your children too".
#ExtinctionRebelion
@ExtinctRebelsIE
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Streets around Leinster House closed as
#ExtinctionRebelion
activists make their way to encampment on Dublin's Merrion Square.
#RebellionWeek
@ExtinctRebelsIE
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South William Street pedestrianised this afternoon. Interesting to see how much space is actually opened up when cars are removed.
#StreetsAreForPeople
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Pro-Palestine chants on O'Connell Street in Dublin.
"From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."
@thejournal_ie
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When you're so busy repealing the 8th that you forgot to put money in the parking machine...
@AodhanORiordain
#8thRef
#repealThe8th
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A small but sizeable number of Irish Instagram accounts are using the platform to push anti-vaxx and Covid misinformation to younger women. Facebook is doing surprisingly little about it.
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2/ There is a woman called Jemima Burke though, who may be related to the family who were banned for life from all student societies at NUI Galway.
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5/ It's still just speculation, and the surname may just be a coincidence.
Either way, it looks like the alt-right made it to tonight's NPHET briefing. The aggressive nature of this woman's questioning definitely makes it seem that way anyway.
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There's a widely-shared claim circulating today that Gardaí escorted children along the Grand Canal because they were concerned about asylum seekers and tents nearby.
The escort was actually carried out by local Gardaí to help a school tour navigate busy junctions in Dublin 2.
Gardaí have "categorically rejected" a claim that members of the force escorted school pupils near the Grand Canal in Dublin because of the presence of tents belonging to asylum seekers nearby.
Read more:
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Spent much of the evening scouring 8 minutes of footage from Leaders' Questions yesterday, and it's fair to say Eamon Ryan did *not* fall asleep in the Dáil (again)
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Three garda cars reportedly called to the home of a local newspaper editor to seize his mobile phone, then threatened to arrest him and raid his and his grandparents' houses when he cited journalistic privilege and refused to hand it over. Chilling.
Legal battle after newspaper editor's phone seized by gardaí investigating Strokestown eviction
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Eoghan Murphy has just said FG are trying to build a stable rental sector where rents don't go "up and down" all the time. Last quarter's Daft report was the sixth in a row that rents reached a record high across the country...
@MurphyEoghan
#CBLive
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Whole thing can be viewed back from around 41 minutes here:
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Two huge Supreme Court judgements in relation to Freedom of Information in Ireland have been delivered today, which pretty much overturn previous findings that threatened to neuter the Act last year.
A big win for transparency.
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Fact checked the quoted tweet, which claims to show how Ireland's 'ethnic' population will decline from 2040.
It currently has over 600 retweets and 1,000 likes, despite being fake.
Here's how it was debunked:
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Woulfe told Denham that the media's coverage of
#Golfgate
was "appalling". and claimed a social event was treated like the Ku Klux Klan
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Outside courthouse in Mitilini, Greece for hearing of case of Kerry man Seán Binder and 23 others on charges of espionage-related offences, illegal access to state communications and assisting criminal activity. Case to be heard shortly
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FactCheck: Will a vote of no confidence in Eoghan Murphy tonight spark a Christmas general election?
Verdict: NO
The Taoiseach *can* seek the dissolution of the Dáil if tonight's vote passes, but he is not obliged to do so if Murphy is forced to resign.
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Martin O'Quigley of
@ipsc48
says that what is happening now in Gaza is a "second Nakba" - the Palestinian word for 'catastrophe' to describe the destruction of the Palestinian society and homeland in 1948
@thejournal_ie
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Not to say it doesn't happen or to question the reporting here, but in 5yrs monitoring misinformation and the far-right I've yet to see a single piece of Irish-language content - let alone anything within the last week.
NEW: Ireland used new EU alert on illegal social media content as riots broke out in Dublin.
Also, did the lack of Irish-speaking content moderators on tech platforms prompt far-right activists to push hate speech in Irish?
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Gardaí leaving the area now. The garda who appeared to be heading the operation praised protesters, saying they showed exactly how peaceful protests were carried out. More chants of "gardaí we love you".
#ExtinctionRebellion
@ExtinctRebelsIE
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1/ I've done a bit of research in the last couple of days ahead of tonight's
#RTEInvestigates
documentary, and not only does it leave obvious question marks about the regulation of childcare in Ireland, but also about how ordinary people can access information about it.
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Pro-Palestine chants in full chorus on O'Connell Street...
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3/ One member of the same family has been tweeting about the Sally Maaz case, and was subsequently RT'd by Gemma O'Doherty.
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A TD didn't do what he's paid €96,000 to do and maybe got another TD to mislead people about it SIX times. Another TD voted twice in one vote.
2/3 of those 'forgot' this happened when asked about it.
This isn't media nonsense: these people want to lead the country.
#VoteGate
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Government departments are now refusing
#FOI
requests on the assumption that the Act is being used by journalists to the detriment of Irish citizens. "Public interest" indeed.
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Important to note, figures are already over 10,000 when you account for:
-Hundreds removed from stats who Govt says are in 'stable' housing (paid with homeless funding)
-Rough sleepers
-Women & kids in domestic violence refuges
-People in institutions with nowhere to go outside
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4/ And a Jemima Burke on Twitter (who describes herself as a journalist) has also RT'd Josiah Burke's about the same.
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Hundreds of anti-Trump protesters (and THAT balloon) have gathered for a demonstration in Dublin.
#trumpinireland
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The government’s failure to deal with various social problems has given Ireland's far right opportunity to grow in recent years.
Wrote for
@guardianopinion
on how last Thursday's riots show why politicians and media can no longer be complacent about that
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@FrankieLavelle
@StefanMolyneux
Hi Frankie - I'm fact checking your tweet for . I'm wondering if you could provide sources for your claim about Project Ireland 2040 and the attached image? My DMs are open if so, and if you'd like to provide any other comment to include in the piece.
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Your now weekly reminder that the Defence Forces isn't about to put the country on lockdown
#Coronavirus
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🚨🚨 Break: judge in Lesbos annuls all charges against Seán Binder and 23 co-defendants, except for charge of forgery which is going to a higher court.
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Claim doing the rounds based on erroneous
@EU_Eurostat
figures that Ireland in 2023 had the highest number of illegal non-EU citizens per capita, and 10x the EU average.
In reality it was 10x lower, with the error due to a misplaced decimal point. Report below by
@Diarmuid_9
Debunked: The number of illegal immigrants in Ireland last year was not 10 times the EU average. Read more:
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DPER is currently holding an event on the future of FOI in Ireland.
One of the speakers just described news stories which use FOI to cover people's expenses as "trivial" and said they're "not really what accountability is really about".
Little wonder why FOI is in such a state.
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🧵Local election counts are coming in thick and fast,so here is a thread on how far-right and anti-immigrant candidates are performing around the country.
(This comes with a big caveat a it's a live situation and there will likely be developments by the time you read this...)
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Demonstration thousands-strong now. March is moving down O'Connell Street, to chants of "Donald Trump's not welcome here" and "Donald Trump go away".
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Strong turnout at the Spire for the
#IBelieveHer
march. Upwards of 500 so far. Lots of messages of support written on the ground.
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Wes Hoolahan, a 33 year-old who's spent half his career playing for Shels and Blackpool, just won MOTM against the world champions.
#IREvGER
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Of course, buying cans in bulk is a Covid thing. Not a single person in Ireland ever bought a slab of cans before 12 March.
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1/ Efforts to discredit NGOs in Ireland have notably increase recently - not so much specific NGOs, but NGOs in general. And esp. on issues like gender & the Hate Speech bill.
The narratives seek to undermine trust by suggesting NGOs are covertly funded and influencing the govt
All of this stems directly from a so-called 'news' website that has actively targeted NGOs, and wildly exaggerates their funding by deliberate conflation of a small number of human rights organisations & the health/care orgs that get most of the money they speak of.
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Protesters now taking aim at proposed Shannon LNG terminal, which was also the subject of demonstrations outside the Dáil last week.
#ExtintionRebellion
@ExtinctRebelsIE
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The High Court has found against the Information Commissioner in a decision that could have huge implications for the application of the Freedom of Information Act. More here:
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Seamus Woulfe's first full interview with Susan Denham has landed (contains bonus material not published yesterday):
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Protesters now chanting at politicians as they leave Leinster House; calls for "system change, not climate change".
#ExtinctionRebellion
@ExtinctRebelsIE
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Update: Not that it's needed, but it's been verified that Jemima Burke is a member of the Burke family mentioned above.
Her byline is on the front page of this week's Connaught Telegraph, for a story about Sally Maaz (H/T
@killawallachris
)
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Leo Varadkar: "Verona Murphy's comments about migrants are a learning experience for everyone involved in politics."
Anonymous Fine Gael source:
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The "Does This Sound Like Bollocks?" test by
@philipoconnor
: a guide to media stories about Paris/refugees/Islam
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ICYMI...
“Did I corroborate it? No. Was I sure it was the truth? I wasn't positive.”
A longread on *that* rumour from March which claimed 4 Irish nurses had died from Covid-19, and a look at the real-life consequences of sharing misinformation online
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An update on the state of Ireland's four far-right parties this morning:
- Irish Freedom Party (30 candidates): 1 elected; 29 eliminated
- National Party (12): 0 elected; 11 eliminated
- Ireland First (7): 0 elected; 7 eliminated
- Irish People (57): 0 elected; 54 eliminated.
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Also notable is that Sally's parents have told the Burke family that they won't be taking further action.
Not that this means questions can't be asked of
@CMOIreland
by Jemima, as a journalist. But I'm not really sure what outcome was desired by aggressive questions tonight.
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RTB tribunal and Take Back the City protesters involved in heated discussions. Protesters determined to ensure the hearing doesn't happen.
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For anyone wondering why the Soc Dems, Labour and Green Party voted alongside Fianna Fáil btw, a pact between them was agreed when the council formed last year:
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Ireland is among the top 10 EU countries for Covid-19 deaths; we're also one of a few countries trying to count as many deaths as possible.
Why international 'rankings' and per capita comparisons don't really say much about a country's approach
👇
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#ExtinctionRebellion
activists staging a sit in on Dublin's Kildare Street have been told to leave the area or they'll be arrested. They're not leaving. Large garda presence in the area.
@ExtinctRebelsIE
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Seamus Woulfe: "So I'm explaining really how I came about to play in the Oireachtas Golf Society. I don't know, Judge, are you a golfer, do you play golf?"
Susan Denham: "Unfortunately not."
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Minister for Housing
@MurphyEoghan
accused of "massaging" homeless figures as April statistics released
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Dr Tony Holohan re-iterates need for people to observe social distancing guidelines following improvement in weather.
"When people are sweating, there is a greater risk of transmission. If you go out jogging, do it alone and not with people who you don't share a house with."
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Speakers in Dublin paying tribute to Lyra McKee: "She was a campaigner, she was a journalist. She's never going to know the people who are going to read her work now."
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Chants now being led by Ireland's foremost trolley-based musical outfit
@AcidGranny
. Protest wrapping up now, but the party continues.
#ExtinctionRebelion
@ExtinctRebelsIE
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Speaking outside court, Binder says "this isn't justice".
"It means we don't get to go to trial, it means we don't get to have us found not guilty. It is simply a procedural mistake that means this cannot proceed."
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Sex ed & SPHE classes have been an ongoing target of anti-LGBTQ misinformation in recent years.
Piece below on how a fresh effort is being made to veil such misinfo in religion, and laying out some of the reasons behind plans to change sex ed in Ireland
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Around 30 housing activists involved in the recent Summerhill occupation are outside a property on North Fredrick Street in Dublin. They're about to march towards Leinster House to deliver a letter to
@MurphyEoghan
about the housing crisis.
@thejournal_ie
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Untreated wastewater has overflowed into Dublin Bay from the Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant more than 100 times since the beginning of 2015. A thread on how this is happening, and why it's a problem:
Today,
@thejournal_ie
reports that billions of litres of untreated wastewater have overflowed into Dublin Bay from the Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant since 2015. This is the first time that the number of overflows that have occurred at the plant has been made public.
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A group of about a dozen protesters have occupied a KBC bank on Sandwith Street in Dublin 2. They're seeking an end to so-called "economic evictions" by the bank. Gardai at the scene.
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#ExtinctionRebellion
Dublin protest arrives at Merrion Square to Bob Dylan's 'The Times They Are A Changing'
#RebellionWeek
@ExtinctRebelsIE
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Taoiseach: "To unionists: our goal is not a threat to you. We recognise that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom."
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@AnMailleach
Because people like knowing things? Gatekeeping what constitutes 'public benefit' completely misses the point of FOI.
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"Mine was the first job Trump created after he got elected," this man from California told me. He went into business selling anti-Trump merchandise before the 2016 election. He's done so well out of it, it's now his full-time job.
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The 'Just Transition' protest, which began at the Garden of Remembrance an hour ago, has joined the party.
#ExctinctionRebellion
@ExtinctRebelsIE
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I've inadvertently found Ireland's equivalent to Brexit
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Tánaiste Micheál Martin has held what he says was a "frank" discussion with Benjamin Netanyahu about Ireland's position on Israel's "illegal settlements and irregular expansion" into the West Bank. He also said he re-iterated Ireland's support for a two-state solution.
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#ExtinctionRebellion
spokesman reading out the group's list of demands, and calls for protesters to make some noise when politicians leave Leinster House (which is expected to happen in next few minutes).
@ExtinctRebelsIE
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One of the more bizarre disinformation stories I've worked on...
A Russian propaganda network has set up an Irish-language news website which features a mix of Irish news and pro-Kremlin pieces
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Days before the eviction ban lapsed, Fine Gael's Paul Kehoe said he'd gotten more emails about 'trans issues' than about the ban itself.
While Kehoe's claim can't be verified, FOI allowed an insight into emails sent to 11 other FG TDs.
The results ->
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Tony Holohan says he saw people along the Grand Canal last night "wedged in together as if there was nothing going on".
He said people may not realise the ongoing risk of Covid-19, and asks young people to listen to public health advice.
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1/ Thread about Covid-19 WhatsApp rumours and how to stop them spreading.
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