Before last week the most controversial opinion comedian Garron Noone expressed was which biscuit was best for dunking into tea (a sturdy custard cream).
But then he posted a video to his three and a half million followers on TikTok and Instagram in response to Conor McGregor’s appearance in the White House on St Patrick’s Day. He said “there is an immigration issue is Ireland” adding that “the systems we have in place are being taken advantage of” noting that “our towns and cities are becoming much less safe”. He said the Government doesn’t allow people to express their concerns.
For anyone who has followed anti-immigration agitators on social media his words seemed to come straight from their playbook. For others he was saying what most people think, not racist, simply questioning issues around immigration.
As controversy built around his comments he pulled his social media accounts with a binary view emerging as his two minute seven second video was dissected over the weekend: For fans he was being misunderstood; his comments were awkward not hateful. For those who oppose immigration – and who may never even have heard of Noone before – here was a high profile person who supported their views.
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Early this week he reactivated his online accounts and posted a nine-minute video explaining how he had been misunderstood and taking responsibility for the way he communicated his views which he understood left space for misinterpretation.
So what was it all about and why does it matter. Irish Times media columnist Hugh Linehan explains.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.
