The AI Times
Anglosphere
Read another desk
All Geopolitics & international affairsEconomyUnited StatesAnglosphereEuropeRussia & EurasiaLevant & Iran Gulf & Türkiye North Africa Africa South Asia East Asia Latin America Energy Technology Media Watch
Sections
News Panel Outlets Headlines Analysis & editorial coming soon
Registers
All news Outlets Journalists
Who we are Alerts Pricing Sign in / up
Desks
All Geopolitics & international affairsEconomyUnited StatesAnglosphereEuropeRussia & EurasiaLevant & Iran Gulf & Türkiye North Africa Africa South Asia East Asia Latin America Energy Technology Media Watch
The AI Times
every claim sourced| every source shown| always on watch

TheJournal.ie says the Idah racism claim 'cannot be investigated'; RTÉ says the FAI is assessing it

Ireland beat Israel 3-0 in Hungary on Sunday. By Monday morning, two Irish outlets had given three accounts of whether alleged racist abuse of the scorer Adam Idah would be looked into. The FAI president said the week was 'handled quite well'. A comment piece in TheJournal.ie asked why Ireland played at all.

Israel captain stokes feud by saying ‘our country is 10 times better than Ireland’
Israel captain stokes feud by saying ‘our country is 10 times better than Ireland’ as published by The Guardian · seen at The Guardian
Anglosphere Ireland Israel Palestine

The allegation. Adam Idah scored in Ireland's 3-0 win over Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, on Sunday. TheJournal.ie reports there "appeared to be offensive noises" aimed at him. No report we hold names who made them, and none quotes Idah.

Three accounts in two hours. Monday morning's reports do not agree on what happens next.

Time (UTC) Outlet What it says
07:43 TheJournal.ie, morning digest allegation "cannot be investigated"
08:00 RTÉ News incident "is being assessed by the FAI"
09:59 TheJournal.ie "FAI to review video evidence"

None of the three gives a reason. The digest does not say why an investigation is impossible. The later reports do not say what changed.

The week. FAI president Paul Cooke told The Independent: "I think we've handled the week quite well." Frank O'Connor, a fan who went to the game, told TheJournal.ie the FAI and the government "have let them down greatly". In a signed comment piece in TheJournal.ie, the former agent Fintan Drury calls it a "betrayal" by Irish football.

The players. They voted on Saturday to play, after goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew. FAI chief executive David Courell is the only source for the words "significant majority".

Not settled. Whether the FAI will investigate. Who made the noises. How the squad vote split. Only The Independent reports July's 75-32 vote by the FAI's general assembly.

What this is about. The Republic of Ireland's men's football team had to play Israel twice in UEFA's Nations League. Many in Ireland, politicians among them, wanted the games called off over the war in Gaza.

How it got here. The war began after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel of 7 October 2023. Israel's campaign in Gaza since then has drawn wide international criticism. South Africa brought a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in December 2023. Israel rejects the charge. Ireland has been among Europe's sharpest critics of Israel. It recognised the State of Palestine in May 2024, alongside Spain and Norway.

A comment piece in TheJournal.ie says the FAI asked UEFA last November to ban Israel from its competitions, and UEFA refused. The draw then put Ireland and Israel in the same Nations League group. The Independent reports that the FAI's general assembly voted in July to play the games. It cites FAI warnings of relegation and a cost of at least €5.5 million if Ireland forfeited.

Who is involved. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) runs the game in the Republic, and it chose to play. UEFA runs European football and sets the penalties for refusing a fixture. The same comment piece reports that the government, led by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, said the games should go ahead. The players voted to play. One of them, Gavin Bazunu, refused.

What is at stake. For the FAI: sanctions and money. For the government: whether its stance on Palestine matches what Irish institutions actually do. For the players: their standing with a divided public.

Where it stands. Sunday's game was Israel's home fixture, played in Hungary. Ireland won 3-0. The Independent reports that the return game will be played behind closed doors in Serbia. Ireland host Austria in Dublin on Thursday.

What is being argued about

  • Whether the alleged racist abuse of Adam Idah will be investigated, and why one report said it could not be
  • Whether the FAI handled the week well or left its players exposed
  • Why a country that recognises Palestine played Israel at all
  • How reports describe Gaza: one news report gives a death toll in its own voice, and the word genocide appears only in a signed comment piece
Is the Idah allegation being looked into?Side by side
OutletPublished (UTC)What it saysReason given?
TheJournal.ie (morning digest)07:43"cannot be investigated"No
RTÉ News08:00"being assessed by the FAI"No
TheJournal.ie09:59"FAI to review video evidence"No
No report we hold names who made the noises or quotes Adam Idah.
Sources T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · The 9 at 9: Monday Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → R RTÉ News
Centre estimate · not a score
RTÉ News 🇮🇪IE · digital · PUBLIC FAI investigating alleged racial abuse of Idah Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at RTÉ News → What we have measured Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1 from 2361 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · FAI to review video evidence on alleged racism in Ireland-Israel game Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
From the FAI vote to Monday's reportsTimeline
  1. 2026-07-08— no time published FAI general assembly Votes to play Israel 75-32, 3 abstentionsThe Independent
  2. 2026-09-26— no time published Ireland squad Votes to play after Gavin Bazunu withdraws "significant majority", per David CourellThe Independent
  3. 2026-09-27— no time published Ireland Beat Israel in Debrecen, Hungary 3-0The Independent
  4. 2026-09-2807:43 published time, UTC TheJournal.ie Racism allegation "cannot be investigated"morning digest
  5. 2026-09-2808:00 published time, UTC RTÉ News Incident "being assessed by the FAI"
  6. 2026-09-2809:59 published time, UTC TheJournal.ie "FAI to review video evidence"
Only The Independent reports the July vote count.
Sources The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Irish football chief defends controversial decision to play against Israel: ‘We’ve handled the week quite well’ Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · The 9 at 9: Monday Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → R RTÉ News
Centre estimate · not a score
RTÉ News 🇮🇪IE · digital · PUBLIC FAI investigating alleged racial abuse of Idah Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at RTÉ News → What we have measured Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1 from 2361 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · FAI to review video evidence on alleged racism in Ireland-Israel game Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The bias in this coverageBias

Is the Idah allegation being investigated? Reports say both

Two reports say the FAI is assessing or reviewing video of the alleged abuse. A third says the allegation cannot be investigated. None of the reports we hold gives the reason for that gap.

2 reports saying the FAI is looking at it 1 reports saying it cannot be investigated 0 reports quoting Adam Idah
Scored without the mastheads. Where the two passes differ, both are kept.
Sources The Guardian
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Guardian 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent Israel captain stokes feud by saying ‘our country is 10 times better than Ireland’ Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Guardian → What we have measured Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1 from 10552 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → R RTÉ News
Centre estimate · not a score
RTÉ News 🇮🇪IE · digital · PUBLIC Israel captain: 'They hate us, we don't like them' Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at RTÉ News → What we have measured Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1 from 2361 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → R RTÉ News
Centre estimate · not a score
RTÉ News 🇮🇪IE · digital · PUBLIC FAI investigating alleged racial abuse of Idah Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at RTÉ News → What we have measured Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1 from 2361 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · FAI to review video evidence on alleged racism in Ireland-Israel game Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · The 9 at 9: Monday Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · FAI president defends handling of Ireland's Nations League fixture against Israel Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Irish football chief defends controversial decision to play against Israel: ‘We’ve handled the week quite well’ Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · 'They called us Irish bastards, but then Parrott scored': One fan's experience at the Israel game Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · Ireland says it stands with Palestine. So why did we play Israel? Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · Over 470,000 average viewers for Ireland-Israel match, says RTÉ Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →

Claims and verdicts

disputed The alleged racist abuse of Adam Idah during the Israel match cannot be investigated.
A TheJournal.ie morning briefing says the allegation cannot be investigated. RTÉ News says the FAI is assessing the incident, and a separate TheJournal.ie report says the FAI will review video evidence.
Checked against 3 sources:
T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · The 9 at 9: Monday Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → R RTÉ News
Centre estimate · not a score
RTÉ News 🇮🇪IE · digital · PUBLIC FAI investigating alleged racial abuse of Idah Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at RTÉ News → What we have measured Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1 from 2361 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · FAI to review video evidence on alleged racism in Ireland-Israel game Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
true Ireland's players voted on Saturday to go ahead with the match against Israel.
The Independent and TheJournal.ie both report the Saturday squad vote to proceed. The Independent's figure of a "significant majority" comes only from FAI chief executive David Courell.
Checked against 2 sources:
The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Irish football chief defends controversial decision to play against Israel: ‘We’ve handled the week quite well’ Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · 'They called us Irish bastards, but then Parrott scored': One fan's experience at the Israel game Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
unverified In July the FAI general assembly voted 75-32, with three abstentions, to fulfil the fixtures against Israel.
Only The Independent gives the vote count. No other report we hold confirms or contradicts it.
Checked against 1 source:
The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Irish football chief defends controversial decision to play against Israel: ‘We’ve handled the week quite well’ Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →

Who wrote it

F Fintan Drury TheJournal.ie
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Assertion vs attribution opinion piece states genocide as fact in the writer's own voice×1
Opinion stated flat A signed comment piece calls Israel genocidal in the writer's own voice. It is labelled as reflection, not news×1
From 1 report we hold under this byline, at TheJournal.ie. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
G Guardian sport The Guardian
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source×1
Club's position stated plainly The club's denial and its appeal are stated in the report's own voice, not framed as a claim.×1
Headline framing headline makes the Israel captain the one who 'stokes' the feud×1
Omission Reports the co-operation finding as a flat guilty finding. It does not say that only part of it was upheld.×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 misleading1 unverified1 true
From 98 reports we hold under this byline, at The Guardian. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
M Mairead Maguire TheJournal.ie
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Attributed wording The armbands' purpose is given in quotation marks as 'the conflict', with no party named×1
Cost barrier named Only this report says households must pay up front before the grant is paid back. The explainer leaves this out.×1
Cost measure A range, whose top is twice its bottom. This is not the same bill as the point figure given elsewhere.×1
Figure unattributed household cost figures stated flat, with no source×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
5 unverified4 true
From 91 reports we hold under this byline, at TheJournal.ie. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
R Rachel Steinberg The Independent
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes×1
No actor named protesters not named, counted or quoted×1
Player named as acting names the goalkeeper and says others wavered, on its own sourcing×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
2 unverified3 true
From 31 reports we hold under this byline, at The Independent. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
E Emma Hickey TheJournal.ie
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Actor named The government is named as the actor that accepted the recommendation. The parents are not mentioned×1
Actor named names the government as the one that chose×1
Asserted flat Calls the chair unpopular without attributing it×1
Figure attributed Gives the crowd size and attributes it to the protesting group×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 unverified4 true
From 84 reports we hold under this byline, at TheJournal.ie. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
R RTÉ Sport RTÉ News · 2 reports on this story
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Attribution body attributes the complaint as a feeling×1
Claim conflict says the Idah allegation is being assessed×1
Headline paraphrase headline says 'inaction'; in the body the phrase is 'lack of action' and 'difficult position', not tied hands×1
Hedged 'Alleged' is used, and the incident is described as 'involving' Idah, not as aimed at him×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 false1 misleading1 disputed2 unverified1 true
From 107 reports we hold under this byline, at RTÉ News. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
S Sophie Finn TheJournal.ie · 2 reports on this story
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister×1
Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive×1
Asserted or attributed the next step is attributed to a named police force×1
Assertion vs attribution threat to Stormont tied to the DUP's accusation×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 misleading4 disputed6 unverified8 true
From 125 reports we hold under this byline, at TheJournal.ie. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
The bylines on the reports this story is built from. Hover one for what our passes have measured on their reporting. · 1 report we hold carries no byline — we do not invent one.

Coverage, outlet by outlet

T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · Ireland says it stands with Palestine. So why did we play Israel? Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
In a signed comment piece in TheJournal.ie, Fintan Drury says the FAI and the government were 'bluffing' when they asked UEFA to ban Israel.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. Fintan Drury has worked in professional football as a licensed agent and an adviser for over 30 years. He is also known as an advocate and writer on migration and Palestine. Here he reflects on events around Ireland’s matches against Israel. LAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON I spoke at the Clifden Arts Festival. The talk was entitled ‘Indifference – A Genocide and Our Part in It’. We consider ourselves fiercely pro-Palestine. The truth is more nuanced. When it comes to the cíulpability of the West for the horror in Gaza, most attentio
Assertion vs attribution: opinion piece states genocide as fact in the writer's own voice — “It is an abominably cruel genocidal state determined to erase Palestine from the map.”
Opinion stated flat: A signed comment piece calls Israel genocidal in the writer's own voice. It is labelled as reflection, not news — “It is an abominably cruel genocidal state determined to erase Palestine from the map.”
Read it at TheJournal.ie → https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/ireland-v-israel-football-7175796-Sep2…
The Guardian
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Guardian 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent Israel captain stokes feud by saying ‘our country is 10 times better than Ireland’ Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Guardian → What we have measured Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1 from 10552 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
The Guardian quotes Israel captain Manor Solomon: 'They hate us and we don't like them'. In its own voice, it says Israeli military actions in Gaza have killed 'tens of thousands of people'.
Manor Solomon claimed Israel was “10 times better” than Ireland as fallout intensified from their Nations League match and stated bluntly: “They hate us and we don’t like them.” Players in the Republic of Ireland side stared at the ground during Israel’s anthem and their staff faced away from the pitch. Ireland’s players also chose not to shake hands or exchange pennants with their opponents in protest at Israeli military actions in Gaza which have killed tens of thousands of people.
Actor named: names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source — “in protest at Israeli military actions in Gaza which have killed tens of thousands of people”
Headline framing: headline makes the Israel captain the one who 'stokes' the feud — “Israel captain stokes feud by saying ‘our country is 10 times better than Ireland’”
Stated flat with figure: A news report names Israeli military action as the actor and gives a death toll in its own voice, with no source for the figure — “in protest at Israeli military actions in Gaza which have killed tens of thousands of people”
Read it at The Guardian → https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/28/israel-captain-manor-s…
T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · 'They called us Irish bastards, but then Parrott scored': One fan's experience at the Israel game Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
TheJournal.ie interviews one of a couple of dozen Irish fans at the game. He says Israeli supporters called them 'Irish bastards' early in the match.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. ONE OF THE few Irish fans who attended Ireland’s match against Israel on Sunday says he wanted to support the players after a turbulent week. Frank O’Connor, who is originally from Clondalkin but now lives in California, has been going to Ireland matches since 1987. The FAI had previously said no tickets would be sold to Irish supporters for Sunday’s game in Debrecen. But O’Connor used his American passport to buy a ticket. His seat was in the section designated for Hungarian fans. Three of his friends used Irish passports
Attributed wording: The armbands' purpose is given in quotation marks as 'the conflict', with no party named — “wore black armbands “in recognition of all the lives lost in the conflict””
Read it at TheJournal.ie → https://www.thejournal.ie/ireland-vs-israel-fan-experience-7175830-Sep2…
The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Irish football chief defends controversial decision to play against Israel: ‘We’ve handled the week quite well’ Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
The Independent quotes FAI president Paul Cooke defending the week. It is the only report with July's 75-32 vote and the €5.5 million cost the FAI warned of.
Sport Football Irish football chief defends controversial decision to play against Israel: ‘We’ve handled the week quite well’ Ireland opted to go ahead with their match against Israel on Sunday following a player vote Rachel Steinberg Monday 28 September 2026 15:37 BST Bookmark Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks Close popover open image in gallery Sunday's match went ahead after a player vote (AP) Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Alread
Read it at The Independent → https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/ireland-israel-nations-lea…
T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · Over 470,000 average viewers for Ireland-Israel match, says RTÉ Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
TheJournal.ie carries RTÉ's figure of 478,000 average viewers for the match.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. Ireland beat Israel 3-0 in the controversial Nations League fixture in Debrecen, Hungary. The match was streamed live on RTÉ 2, although its coverage was majorly stripped back. There was no advertising, studio presentation or studio punditry offered by the broadcaster. It relied instead on the commentary from Uefa’s global coverage. RTÉ said an average of 478,000 people watched the game. It was a 40% share of the available audience. At its peak, 9.34pm – just coming into full-time – there were 573,000 viewers. The RTÉ Play
Read it at TheJournal.ie → https://www.thejournal.ie/ireland-israel-viewing-figures-7175696-Sep202…
R RTÉ News
Centre estimate · not a score
RTÉ News 🇮🇪IE · digital · PUBLIC Israel captain: 'They hate us, we don't like them' Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at RTÉ News → What we have measured Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1 from 2361 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — PUBLIC
RTÉ News reports Solomon promising a 'completely different game' when the sides meet again.
Israel captain Manor Solomon: 'They hate us, we don't like them' Updated / Monday, 28 Sep 2026 14:53 Ireland Dara O'Shea didn't shake Israel captain Manor Solomon's hand before the game Israel captain Manor Solomon declared that his country was "ten times better" than Ireland following their Nations League tie in Debrecen, promising a "completely different game" when the sides meet again. The Boys in Green's early dominance decided the game in Nagyerdei Stadion with Troy Parrott, Adam Idah and Jack Moylan scoring goals in that period. The sides are due to meet again in Serbia on Sunday next, w
Read it at RTÉ News → https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2026/0928/1593184-israel-captain-they-h…
T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · FAI to review video evidence on alleged racism in Ireland-Israel game Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
TheJournal.ie says the FAI will review video evidence, and that there 'appeared to be offensive noises' aimed at Idah.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. THE FAI ARE set to review video evidence before deciding whether to seek an investigation from Uefa into the alleged racism against Adam Idah in Sunday night’s Nations League game against Israel. There appeared to be offensive noises during the game in Debrecen directed at Ireland striker Idah. Ireland player Jayson Molumby asked the officials to “listen” and pointed to his ears. Referee Harm Osmers and fourth official Florian Exner determined there was no racism. As Molumby did not say “racism,” he said “listen,” the Uefa
How hard the claim is stated: hedges whether the abuse happened at all — “There appeared to be offensive noises during the game in Debrecen directed at Adam Idah.”
No actor named: 'There appeared to be' noises, and the report names no one as making them — “There appeared to be offensive noises during the game in Debrecen directed at Adam Idah.”
Read it at TheJournal.ie → https://www.thejournal.ie/adam-idah-ireland-racism-israel-2-7175533-Sep…
R RTÉ News
Centre estimate · not a score
RTÉ News 🇮🇪IE · digital · PUBLIC FAI investigating alleged racial abuse of Idah Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at RTÉ News → What we have measured Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1 from 2361 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — PUBLIC
RTÉ News says the FAI is assessing an alleged racist incident 'involving' Idah.
FAI investigating alleged racial abuse of Adam Idah by Israel supporters Updated / Monday, 28 Sep 2026 15:04 Adam Idah with team-mate Liam Kitching during last night's game in Debrecen An alleged racist incident involving Ireland goalscorer Adam Idah during the Israel Nations League game is being assessed by the FAI. The Boys in Green delivered a 3-0 victory in their controversial Nations League fixture against Israel in Debrecen. During the first half, Jayson Molumby asked match referee Harms Osmers and the fourth official Florian Exner to listen to alleged monkey chants from the tiny number
Claim conflict: says the Idah allegation is being assessed — “An alleged racist incident involving Ireland goalscorer Adam Idah during the Israel Nations League game is being assessed by the FAI.”
Hedged: 'Alleged' is used, and the incident is described as 'involving' Idah, not as aimed at him — “An alleged racist incident involving Ireland goalscorer Adam Idah”
Read it at RTÉ News → https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2026/0928/1593158-alleged-racism-agains…
T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · FAI president defends handling of Ireland's Nations League fixture against Israel Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
TheJournal.ie quotes manager Heimir Hallgrimsson saying public opinion and protest go 'a little too far' when they affect players and their families.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. FAI PRESIDENT PAUL Cooke has defended the football association’s handling of the Irish team’s controversial fixture against Israel Sunday night. Cooke was speaking to RTÉ Sport’s Tony O’Donoghue following the game between Ireland and Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, which Ireland won 3-0. When asked about criticism of the FAI’s handling of the fixture, Cooke accepted that some people felt the situation wasn’t dealt with well, while others felt it was. “Some people think it was quite well handled,” Cooke said. Sinn Féin, the So
Read it at TheJournal.ie → https://www.thejournal.ie/ireland-vs-israel-nations-league-3-7175376-Se…
T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · The 9 at 9: Monday Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
TheJournal.ie's morning digest is the only report that says the racism allegation cannot be investigated. It gives no reason.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. Here’s all the news you need to know to start the day. 1. Protesters who blockaded the Garvaghy Road in Portadown to stop a contentious Orange Order parade have mostly dispersed after being told by a community leader that a fresh process to address the dispute was being initiated. 2. Football Association of Ireland President Paul Cooke has defended the football association’s handling of the Irish team’s controversial fixture against Israel Sunday night. 3. The FAI has been informed that an allegation of racist chanting fro
Claim conflict: says the same allegation cannot be investigated — “racism allegation during Israel-Ireland game cannot be investigated”
Contradiction: This summary says the racism allegation 'cannot be investigated', while two other reports say the FAI is assessing or reviewing it — “racism allegation during Israel-Ireland game cannot be investigated”
Read it at TheJournal.ie → https://www.thejournal.ie/morning-headlines-nine-at-nine-7175423-Sep202…
Checked, didn’t cover
T The Irish Times
Centre estimate · not a score
The Irish Times 🇮🇪IE · digital · No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1 from 1358 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → R RNZ
Centre estimate · not a score
RNZ 🇳🇿NZ · digital · PUBLIC No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Headline against body headline claims a 20-year decline reversed; the first line of the body reports a new low in reading ×1Headline against body headline claims a turnaround; the text carries a record low and puts it on boys ×1 from 2328 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → ABC News (Australia)
Centre estimate · not a score
ABC News (Australia) 🇦🇺AU · public broadcaster · public-service No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1 from 4667 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → C CBC News
Centre-left estimate · not a score
CBC News 🇨🇦CA · public broadcaster · public-service No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Asserted vs attributed the measure is attributed to the three governments; the territory is called occupied in the outlet's own voice ×1Attribution kept in the headline the sourcing travels with the claim into the headline ×1Figure rounded in the headline more than 600 in the headline; the body sources it to a flight-tracking site ×1How the sourcing is hedged the claim is hedged to an unnamed newspaper in both headline and body; the reporting is not held by this report ×1 from 2730 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Silence is recorded, not inferred — each of these was read when we built this story and carried nothing on this event.
We could not read these
BBC News
Centre estimate · not a score
BBC News 🇬🇧UK · public broadcaster · public-service No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Dating and attribution 'It was not until Tuesday' is a judgement about delay, not a date. No other report we hold comments on how long the German finding took. ×1How hard the claim is stated Headline says the UN voted to adopt and replace; the last sentence of the report says the vote is non-binding ×1How hard the claim is stated The qualification arrives in the last sentence and is immediately overridden by an effect the report gives no source for. ×1Which figure is used States the replacement as done — the Assembly voted to replace the map — where the resolution urges states to use a different projection. ×1 from 473 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Daily Telegraph
Right estimate · not a score
The Daily Telegraph 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Nothing scored yet. We do not carry a rating for any outlet — only what we have measured from published text. Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Times
Centre-right estimate · not a score
The Times 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Nothing scored yet. We do not carry a rating for any outlet — only what we have measured from published text. Outlet profile in The AI Times →
These are must-cite outlets for this desk that we did not manage to read when we built this story. That is a gap in our reach, not a silence on their part, and it is not evidence of anything about this story.

Sign in to The AI Times

Everything is free while we are building it. Signing in is how comments, likes and your reading stay yours.

Continue with Google

Sign-in is coming soon.

By continuing you agree to be a reader of a paper that shows its working.
×