By Carmel Hayes
A FURORE erupted on Twitter after some media moved a Covid-19 Kildare meat factory to Laois.
Twitter users in Laois were not impressed this morning, after headlines claimed that a food factory in Timahoe, Co Kildare, where 86 employees tested positive for the virus, is in “Timahoe, Co Laois.”
Among the erroneous media is the Irish Examiner, who posted an online article and a tweet this morning with the headline and legend: “New: one of the meat factories that experienced a primary outbreak of Covid-19 has delayed its planned reopening to nearly 86 O’Brien Fine Foods workers in Timahoe, Co Laois, tested positive.
There was a quick reaction on social media platforms, asking the newspaper to solve the challenge immediately.
Twitter commentator Brett Igoe posted a helpful map, with the comment: “The Timahoe where O’Briens Fine Food is located is on KILDARE. 80 km from Timahoe to Laois. It’s not hard.”
Journalist and former healer John Whelan were among those who asked for an early correction, as he said: Will anyone tell the media that the meat factory is in Timahoe, Co Kildare @CharlieFlanagan @pippa_hackett @SeanFlemingTD @ciaranmullooly @LaoisToday @LaoisNews LSNationalist – HSELive #LOKdown – COVID19 #nixon @hpscireland @fionnansheahan @oconnellhugh @VivAcumen @FergalBowers
Laois Tourism also on the ball, with a sharp tweet: Can you write your title well, O Brien Fine Foods in Timahoe is not in Laois County. Our beautiful Timahoe Circular Tower is a valuable national heritage site, without a meat factory.