Writing in the Irish Times last week, columnist Justine McCarthy says she will be protesting the visit of US President Donald Trump to the Irish Open in Doonbeg because, eh, the dastardly locals said those coming to their village to object weren’t welcome. Fair enough, I suppose: small towns in the West of Ireland are used to high-handed journos telling them what to think.

At least she knows she has lots of support amongst her colleagues when she turns up with her placard. Assistant Editor at the paper, Fintan O’Toole, wrote a rather bizarre piece where he claimed that “the jihadists who inspired 9/11 have something in common with Donald Trump” – and then gave a long-winded explanation which involved the manosphere and hatred of women, and “the founder of modern jihadism, Sayyid Qutb” being disgusted at American overt sexuality or something.

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