SKY PRESENTER Adam Boulton riled up numerous Irish people when he referred to Irish negotiations on the Brexit border between Ireland and Northern Ireland as "kerfuffle".
The anchor for Sky News who took the Irish government to task in why they took so long to make a decision on the issue.
Anchorman Adam Boulton asked Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney if he thought all the hassle was necessary in reaching a conclusion: “Do think that this week’s kerfuffle has been necessary? Do you feel slightly guilty that perhaps the Irish government over-briefed what had been achieved as a victory over the British for the European Union?
"That [then] provoked the DUP and if you had been a bit more straightforward about a practical agreement at the beginning we wouldn’t have had these four days of turmoil."
Coveney smartly replied:
"Clearly that’s a briefing you’ve been getting from the British side, we never looked for or claimed any victory over anybody.
"We have been saying for many months now that we want to work with the British government to try to find a way forward that can reassure people in Ireland as well as within the UK that we can manage Brexit and we can limit damage in the way that’s now in this agreement.
"That has always been our position and, yes of course, there has been some friction because many people have been saying, ‘look we don’t need and don’t want to give those assurances right now, we’ll deal with these issues in phase two’."
"We don’t know where we’re going to land, we don’t know whether we’re going to have unintended consequences and we need basic reassurance that actually certain things will not happen under any circumstances when we move onto phase two."
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney answers Adam Boulton's "do you think this week's kerfuffle has been necessary?" pic.twitter.com/PkoJ0VgZ9y
— Robert ☃️ (@RobDunsmore) December 8, 2017
Since the footage surfaced, Boulton has not acknowledged his ignorance at the reductive attitude he showed towards Ireland nor apologised for using the word 'kerfuffle' to describe political negotiations.
Clearly, the presenter has no intention to admit his mistake as late last night, the anchorman tweeted a response to all the criticism he was receiving.
Boulton took to Twitter to say: "Bored now. Some of you Irish need to get over yourselves. Interviewing is about challenging the interviewee not respecting."
Bored now. Some of you Irish need to get over yourselves. Interviewing is about challenging the interviewee not respecting.
— Adam Boulton (@adamboultonSKY) December 9, 2017
His tweet caused many to question his motives and his dismissive attitude when reporting the news. The inclusion of "you Irish" did him no favours either...
The greatest interviewers always show respect to their interviewees @adamboultonSKY Even when challenging them. That’s the difference I suppose.
— Finn (@finnoconnell) December 10, 2017
Are questions that are so irrelevant and non pertinent that they're almost a non sequitur in relation to the matter at hand considered challenging? Cos it seemed like jingoistic hack journalism to me.
— Seamus Stackpoole (@MrStackpoole) December 9, 2017
Sounds as though you should get over yourself Adam. Challenging and respecting are not a contradiction in terms.
— Rosemary Cortes (@rosecortes30) December 10, 2017
Adam, as unofficial spokesperson for "you Irish" I'd like to apologise for the behaviour of my countrymen. From now on we'll applaud imperious, small-minded hectoring of us Irish by heavyweight analysts such as yourself.
— Ricky (@rickybutcher_) December 10, 2017
“You Irish....” charming. I think we Irish have exercised a great deal of restraint in the past couple of weeks in the face of old-colonial style comment about Ireland (as well as incredibly stupid ill-informed comment) thought Coveney acquitted himself v well in that interview
— Mary G McG (@MaryGMcG) December 10, 2017
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