Two publications removed by newsagent over Berkeley ‘insensitivity’

A city centre newsagent has removed all copies of a tabloid and a broadsheet  newspaper today which feature a photograph on their front pages of body bags at the scene of the Berkeley tragedy.

Paul O’Brien of O’Brien Newsagents on William Street said he was “absolutely disgusted” by the front page of the Irish Star. He went on to remove copies of the Irish Examiner, which features a similar photograph on Page 1.

It was the first time a publication was taken off the shelves of the family-run shop, which has been trading since 1980.

He took to Twitter to blast the front page of the Star – “Shame on The Star. It’s been removed from shelf in this shop”. He also accompanied his tweet with a picture of an empty shelf which ordinarily would stock the tabloid.

“As a parent myself I was just absolutely disgusted, I just thought it was so insensitive,” he later said.

“We’ve been trading here since 1980 and we’ve never, ever before removed a publication – a magazine or a newspaper.

“This isn’t a breakdown in customer relations with The Star, it’s my little protest.”

The six Irish students – who were on J1 – were killed after the fourth storey balcony they were standing on collapsed during 21^st birthday celebrations.

Five of the students killed were Irish while the other had dual American and Irish citizenship.