RTE's Joe Duffy baffled by 'gurriers' claim as Liveline callers suggest tattoos cause lung disease

Liveline has been a hidden highlight of the lockdown as thousands of listeners tune in to hear Joe Duffy and his musings every day.

We've had some Normal People shenanigans, a major focus on the menopause and only last week, outrage at a picture of a basking shark being caught off the coast of Cork.

But on Tuesday, we got another classic call in to Joe.

Tom Corr was watching the Munster football final at the weekend where Kerry hammered Cork, and noticed something peculiar.

Was it the lack of social distancing or mask wearing? Was it the excellent football on display from the Kingdom? Was it the sheer amount of seagulls?

No.

It was the art on some of the players skin.

Tom explained to Joe: "I'm talking about the ugly tattoos on a few of the Kerry players. They're disgusting, as far as I'm concerned. Any right minded person wouldn't agree with anybody wearing tattoos. Eventually, emphysema kicks in and the bloodstream gets poisoned. That's according to medical reports, it kicks in after two years, I read about it.

Kerry’s Sean O’Shea and Kevin Flahive of Cork (©INPHO/Ryan Byrne)

"I wouldn't let any of my children, if I had any, get tattoos. I'd be having words with them if they did. I cannot get rid of it. I think they're disgusting. I think it's bringing the GAA into disrepute. It's giving the Kerry team a bad image, they don't look like footballers, they look like gurriers.

"I think the president of the GAA, the Kerry manager and the Kerry county board should step in here. Jockeys have them as well and a few of them have ruined their bodies. They should put on a long sleeve and I'd be happy with that. The day you lose your standards, you lose everything."

Viewers were not sure if Tom was real, taking to social media in anger at his comments

"Tom is not a fan of tattoos or a fan of Paul Galvin. My god who is this guy?"

"What an absolute dumb-dumb!" added a second.

Tom ringing in from a village in 1950s catholic Ireland." said a third.

A fourth laughed: "Some lad ringing up #liveline to complain of the “disgusting tattoos” he saw on Kerry players playing on the telly. Any right minded person would agree!"