Save Castlebar.ie
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Author:
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Send To:
Mr Tony Geraghty - The Mayo Echo, Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland
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Sponsored By:
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Save Castlebar.ie (www.savecastlebarie.org) has been sent up in response to the closure of Castlebar.ie on the 31st May 2008.
It is stated on Castlebar.ie that moderators received a threat of legal action from Mr Tony Geraghty, Editor of The Mayo Echo after offensive posts were made in response to an article published in that paper. The moderators removed not just the specific posts requested by Mr Geraghty, but also all posts relating to the Mayo Echo, and published an apology however the threat of legal action still remains.
THE IMPACT
Castlebar.ie has been running for over ten years and has become an important part of many peoples lives in Castlebar and further afield. Castlebar.ie had over 3.8 million hits last month, a testimony to its popularity. The bulletin board has been described as the heart of the site and moderators feel that if it is no longer possible to have robust discussions on a matter of public interest then it is no longer possible to run a voluntary website where freedom of information is an integral component.
It is understood by Save Castlebar.ie that the Irish legal system can leave moderators of websites such as Castlebar.ie personally responsible for contentious comments of other posters.
The volunteer moderators at Castlebar.ie have very strict policies and are very quick to remove offending posts on request regardless of the merit of the complaint. However the moderators at Castlebar.ie state that they simply feel that it is no longer viable to continue with this site as a result of exposing themselves and their families to threats of legal action and harassment.
THE RESPONSE
Save Castlebar.ie feel strongly it is a shame to lose such a valued community resource and their objectives are to have the threat of legal action removed and for Castlebar.ie to return to normal service with immediate effect.
On resumption of normal service Save Castlebar.ie would like to find ways to support the volunteer moderators in their roles by investigating how we can reduce their personal exposure to threats of legal action.
I respectfully request that The Mayo Echo accept the apology of castlebar.ie and remove any threat of legal action against castlebar.ie.
It is stated on Castlebar.ie that moderators received a threat of legal action from Mr Tony Geraghty, Editor of The Mayo Echo after offensive posts were made in response to an article published in that paper. The moderators removed not just the specific posts requested by Mr Geraghty, but also all posts relating to the Mayo Echo, and published an apology however the threat of legal action still remains.
THE IMPACT
Castlebar.ie has been running for over ten years and has become an important part of many peoples lives in Castlebar and further afield. Castlebar.ie had over 3.8 million hits last month, a testimony to its popularity. The bulletin board has been described as the heart of the site and moderators feel that if it is no longer possible to have robust discussions on a matter of public interest then it is no longer possible to run a voluntary website where freedom of information is an integral component.
It is understood by Save Castlebar.ie that the Irish legal system can leave moderators of websites such as Castlebar.ie personally responsible for contentious comments of other posters.
The volunteer moderators at Castlebar.ie have very strict policies and are very quick to remove offending posts on request regardless of the merit of the complaint. However the moderators at Castlebar.ie state that they simply feel that it is no longer viable to continue with this site as a result of exposing themselves and their families to threats of legal action and harassment.
THE RESPONSE
Save Castlebar.ie feel strongly it is a shame to lose such a valued community resource and their objectives are to have the threat of legal action removed and for Castlebar.ie to return to normal service with immediate effect.
On resumption of normal service Save Castlebar.ie would like to find ways to support the volunteer moderators in their roles by investigating how we can reduce their personal exposure to threats of legal action.
I respectfully request that The Mayo Echo accept the apology of castlebar.ie and remove any threat of legal action against castlebar.ie.
192 Signatures
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Isabel Kendrick
- From
- West Sussex, UK
- Comments
- В
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John Flanagan
- From
- Castlebar
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Sue Hawkshaw
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Rachel McGreal
- From
- Castlebar
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Marc Shandro
- From
- Calgary, Canada
- Comments
- Fight bullies around the globe.
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Carmel Donnelly
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sinead
- From
- perth,australia
- Comments
- В
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Valerie Walsh
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Bridie Coleman
- From
- Belcarra, Castlebar
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Aisling O'Hagan Gamble
- From
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Bernard Cantillon
- From
- Rathmines, Dublin
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Rowan Maher
- From
- Breaffy
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Keith McGreal
- From
- Castlebar
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Michael Fergus
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Steve Gamble
- From
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Mary McGreal Blackshire
- From
- McKinney,TX.USA.
- Comments
- Castlebar.ie...a precious link to the town of my birth.
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Lori M Olson
- From
- Calgary, AB, Canada
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Thomas McNicholas
- From
- В
- Comments
- В
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Alison Laredo
- From
- Castlebar
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Desmond Goldrick,
- From
- Swinford,
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Aileen O'Dowd
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Corina Galvin
- From
- Woodside, NY, USA
- Comments
- Castlebar.ie is "home away from home"
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damien oconnor
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Dora Murphy
- From
- Breaffy, Castlebar
- Comments
- The closure of Castlebar.ie simply cannot be allowed to happen.
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Ronan Tighe
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John Mee
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Linda Coward
- From
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Tricia
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Shaun Rowan
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Alan Mee
- From
- Castlebar, Co.Mayo
- Comments
- Tony, as an immigrant of 21 years please let this site come back.
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Colm
- Comments
- I am disappointed to the extreme and hope this can be resolved. So much for free speech. Will NOT be reading the echo again
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Stephen Evans
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Paul Bradshaw
- From
- Above
- Comments
- Sick attempt at journalism. I knew Mayo was backward, but this....
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Ciara Lyons
- From
- Canada
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Alan Birrell
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Christina Flynn
- From
- Castlebar
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Beverley Cummins
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Deirdre Stoddart
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Celia Anderson
- From
- Mayo
- Comments
- Dear Tony, although we all have to protect our name and reputation, whatever happened to freedom of speech. How do you intend to fight every 'Joe' & 'Jane' public for giving their opinion? The castlebar forum is not a newspaper or a magazine for everyone. It's a close knit community, where good and bad is discussed. If you object so strongly to the remarks and fight castlebar.ie with the same slander rules as a newspaper, you might as well take guard at every pup in the West and lock up people who air their opinions to loudly. In all fairness, regarding one of your previous articles about 'Lough Lana'... might you not have stepped over the line with your wording?
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Sean Mulroy
- From
- Longford
- Comments
- Do the decent thing.... Oh.. and you shouldnt base your business manner on Michael O'Learys
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fiona lynch
- Comments
- Mr Geraghty, are you the only person that is allowed to express your opinion publically ? as you do every week in your paper, how dare you deny that right to the rest of us.
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Keith Bourke
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Harry Barrett
- From
- Labour Party; Castlebar Branch
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Bob Banks
- From
- Calgary, AB, Canada
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Tadhg McFadden
- From
- Mayo
- Comments
- В
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Mrs Mary Henry
- From
- Castlebar
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Marc Jennings
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Ciara Moneley
- From
- Castlebar/ UK
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Colm Finn
- Comments
- Gets my full support, shame to loose something like this
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Breege Kelly
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192
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