Tom Humphries thread

[Fagan_ODowd]

@gilgamboa

@Bandage

No, he said it was a previously recorded interview from 2012 which was never broadcast before.

All very fucking bizarre. Walsh must be after having some kind of a mental breakdown

He didn’t have his usual column in the ST this week.

[balbec]

There usually is

[Raylan]

@Watch_The_Break

@dodgy_keeper

Also Walsh said that he knew more about this case than anyone and that he was confident “the truth will all come out in due course.”

Jesus. That is absolutely not the right thing to say in that situation.

Didn’t Thrawneen come back from his meeting with Kimmage with the same story?

[Mac]

@Raylan

@Watch_The_Break

@dodgy_keeper

Also Walsh said that he knew more about this case than anyone and that he was confident “the truth will all come out in due course.”

Jesus. That is absolutely not the right thing to say in that situation.

Didn’t Thrawneen come back from his meeting with Kimmage with the same story?

Journalist Investigated over Teenage Girl

Yeah, but what I want to know is how a man finds himself thinking it’s ok to start a relationship with a 14 year old. As far as we know, Tom was fairly much a model citizen up until a couple of years ago. Good friends with Paul Kimmage, a man who seems to me to be credibility incarnate. I see it as a breakdown, some kind of mental illness. Maybe that’s way off the mark. But maybe it’s not.

[Mac]

Celeb Spotting

In a Fingal eatery today I spottted two journalists deep in conversation. Journalist A - a very very large bearded man who I never expected to see outside the confines of a home for the bewildered. Journalist B a smaller silver haired man, who has described Jourrnalist A as a “great man”. They appeared to discuss a journalistic piece which may have been about horse racing. Baldoyle racecourse was mentioned many times. B handed A papers for his perusal.

[Mac]

Here we go @Raylan

Celeb Spotting

[Watch_The_Break]

@Mac

spottted two journalists deep in conversation. Journalist A - a very very large bearded man who I never expected to see outside the confines of a home for the bewildered. Journalist B a smaller silver haired man, who has described Jourrnalist A as a “great man”. They appeared to discuss a journalistic piece which may have been about horse racing. Baldoyle racecourse was mentioned many times. B handed A papers

Thrawneen always wanted to believe there was an innocent explanation.

[myboyblue]

He was a bit of a Walter Mitty type mind you.

[Esso_Oil]

@alf_stewart

Anyone know if it’s a requirement for gaa mentors to be garda vetted and undergo any training?

Yes it is.
It is a legal responsibility for all coaches in ALL sports and rugby

[Tim_Riggins]

To be fair to Walsh, I think it’s quite possible that the story he heard from TH differed to what we heard in court last week. And given the mental health issues that TH faced, for Walsh he might have bought into what TH said even more. He wouldn’t have had a book of evidence or anything to verify what he was being told.

That said, he was at the very least naive. Going to bat so publically is career suicide and extremely insensitive. Obviously the context is different 5 years later, but what I found so remarkable about Walsh’s words in that 2012 interview was that he seemed to value TH’s journalist pedigree so highly that it was almost on the same level as his friendship with him as to why he was defending him.

[Matty_Hislop]

Anyone got a link to the Cooper interview earlier on?

[Tim_Riggins]

Never Heard Before Interview: David Walsh On Tom Humphries

[Watch_The_Break]

I think the ‘truth will come out’ line is much worse than the character reference.

[Tim_Riggins]

Well the “truth” is what TH told Walsh. We don’t know what was said, to be fair.

[Matty_Hislop]

Thanks for that Tim. Walsh really is a vile cunt.

[Ashman]

Don’t we have courts to enable the "truth coming out " ??

[braz83]

The only way I can view that in any kind of decent light is a line that was in RTE’s court report last week. Is it possible it’s what he was referring to?

"Mr Hartnett said it was possible to see from the reports that Mr Humphries may have suffered from impaired judgment at the time due to neurological issues outlined by medical reports.

He said while the medical evidence would not be enough to prove a defence of insanity or lack of intent, it may have been a factor in his judgment and he asked the judge to take it into account."

[braz83]

If TH was telling him it was a pack of lies or whatever, DW still shouldn’t be saying something like that in public, even if he did believe him.

[Tim_Riggins]

I agree with you. I just think that when we look at his comments now or even the reference, you have to account for him being spun a yarn. Ridiculously stupid and insensitive thing to do. I can understand defending a friend but my biggest issue with his 2012 comments were that he seemed to take into account TH’s journalistic pedigree as one reason why he should be defended before we heard the evidence.

[Bandage]

But he still delivered the character reference after Humphries pleaded guilty. He had ample chance to seek clarification.