Even fictional characters are not exempt from the Communicorp ban of Irish Times journalists.
On Thursday, Communicorp - the umbrella company for, among others, Newstalk, Today FM and Spin 1038 - announced its decision to no longer allow journalists from the newspaper on the radio stations.
Come Friday morning, Ross O'Carroll Kelly found out that he was among those banned.
Paul Howard, under the guise of Ireland's greatest uncapped out-half, writes regularly for the Irish Times.
When he turned up at Marconi House on Friday morning for a pre-booked interview to promote his stage show 'Postcards From the Ledge', he discovered the ledge was not allowed in the building.
Fock! I've turned up at Morconi House for my interview on @spin1038 and they won't let me in! pic.twitter.com/WH2l2Ha2fl
— Ross O'Carroll-Kelly (@RossOCK) October 6, 2017
They're saying I'm banned because I work for the Irish Times. I'm like, "No, i don't. I only go in there to collect my expenses."
— Ross O'Carroll-Kelly (@RossOCK) October 6, 2017
Communicorp's ban of Irish Times journalists stems from an article which Fintan O'Toole wrote for the paper last month following George Hook's controversial comments about a rape victim on his Newstalk show.
Them: "Ask Fintan O'Toole why you're banned."
Me: "Who the fock is Fintan O'Toole?"#PostcardsFromTheLedge— Ross O'Carroll-Kelly (@RossOCK) October 6, 2017
A request for intervention from Communicorp owner Denis O'Brien did not prove fruitful.
Me: "Send Denis down. I want to talk to him."
Them: "He doesn't work from this building."
Me: "Where's he based?"
Them: "Somewhere else."— Ross O'Carroll-Kelly (@RossOCK) October 6, 2017
