Homophobia controversy left RTÉ sidelined as Abbey stepped in

RELAXING into the ritual of a soft-boiled egg on Sunday morning I was astonished, actually envious, to read in several newspapers that RTÉ paid out €85,000 to named people ostensibly libelled when called homophobic by Rory O’Neill aka the drag-artist Panti Bliss on the Saturday Night Show.

Sharing these damages are John Waters and members of the Iona Institute, including David Quinn, Dr Patricia Casey, Dr John Murray, Maria Steen and Breda O’Brien. O’Brien was quoted as saying the total figure of €85,000 was “fairly accurate”. She, Quinn and Waters are prominent newspaper columnists. Casey frequently engages in public debate.

My soft-boiled egg curdled and became cold.