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Broadcasting body rejects complaint that Rathkeale tree stump remarks were 'blasphemy'
THE Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has rejected a complaint in relation to comments made on the Late Late Show about a tree stump in Rathkeale that made global headlines last year.
The stump, which is in the grounds of St Mary's Church, attracted thousands of worshippers last summer after a number of parishioners claimed they saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in the wood.
In his complaint to the BAI, James Clark maintained that comments made by comedian Dara O'Briain on the Late Late Show last November were "blasphemous, insulting and showed his clear lack of knowledge".
Mr O'Briain was on the programme to discuss the BBC television series, Three men in a Boat, during which he and two other comedians navigated around the waterways or Ireland. Part of that programme was recorded in Limerick, but Mr O'Briain explained the trio did not travel to Rathkeale.
"I kept trying to steer us away from things, like they kept on wanting to go to Rathkeale. Do you know what's in Rathkeale? The Holy Stump, the bit of a tree. I can say this now. It's a tree. It could look like anything, a bun in a tree. It looks like isobars. I had to keep steering them away from this," he told Ryan Tubridy.
In his complaint, Mr Clarke stated: "Without truly knowing what this tree stump is all about, this funny man thought he would get a laugh by mocking it and telling people on live television that it was utter nonsense, thus RT and Mr Tubridy were leading people astray
"He states if the faithful of Ireland want to pray at a tree stump and it helps them prepare for the much prophesied and talked about Second Coming, then so be it. The comments made about this stump without them knowing its importance to Ireland and world history was similar to someone saying the Mount of Olives is just a silly hill or the Garden of Gethsemane is just a silly old park."
Responding to Mr Clarke's complaint, RT stated: "Most people in Ireland today would be highly sceptical of claims of apparition and would find nothing wrong in such claims being satirised or treated as suitable subject matter for jokes."
The State broadcaster also said it had not received any other complaints in relation to the comments.
"If upsetting one viewer was sufficient to uphold a complaint, many programmes would regularly find themselves in breach. No one was harmed by this gentle and unmalicious joke," they said.
Rejecting Mr Clarke's complaint the BAI stated: "The (Compliance) Committee found that the humorous content of the programme was reasonable and within acceptable standards. As religion is a facet of Irish society, one could expect that associated issues could be targeted and subjected to humour."
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