Blogorrah.com
Encyclopedia
bloggorah.com, also known as blogorrah, was a cult award-winning New York City
-based Irish
website owned by the publishing "empire" of John Ryan
. The site was edited by Derek O'Connor
in New York. It was known for scathingly satirising well-known social figures in Irish life such as politicians, models, actors and the media. Blogorrah regularly featured in Irish national newspapers and received radio coverage, with the Sunday Independent
referring to it as "frankly disgusting", and it was described by the Irish Independent
as "a sort of Phoenix
without portfolio". Its end came when Ryan's publishing empire collapsed in 2007, with its sudden disappearance in July of that year providing Irish bloggers with much to speculate upon. A new blog The Chancer was launched in its place after Jim Carroll
of The Irish Times
questioned what Irish bloggers had written about before blogorrah.
which folded with losses. He then set up the New York Dog
magazine, which he promoted on The Late Late Show
, and blogorrah.com. The site was edited by Derek O'Connor but mysteriously stopped filing new posts in July 2007. Ryan was also known for his business partnership with Michael O'Doherty
, the owner of VIP
magazine. After the collapse of his business empire in early 2007, Ryan was declared missing after he claimed a pet-food scare led to the closure of New York Dog. Staff at Manhattan's Cinema Café, a regular haunt said: ‘He would come in here with his dog pretty regularly, but we haven’t seen him for months. The last time [we] saw him, he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders’, whilst his partner O'Connor declared that he had not spoken to Ryan since he had left New York City a few months previously and said his email address was ‘out of commission’. O'Doherty said he had not heard from Ryan for over a month. Before his disappearance Ryan had attended the Electric Picnic
music festival in the company of fellow publisher Trevor White and soon after appeared as a guest on The Tubridy Show
. However, a rival website then accused him of mistreating his workers and he left the country until his 2009 television return
.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
website owned by the publishing "empire" of John Ryan
John Ryan (publisher)
John Ryan is an Irish former publishing tycoon-turned comic actor/writer. He is best known for his publishing empire which included the magazine New York Dog and the website blogorrah.com, he did achieve success with magazines such as VIP with former business partner, Michael O'Doherty...
. The site was edited by Derek O'Connor
Derek O'Connor (journalist)
Derek O'Connor is an Irish journalist, blogger, playwright and theatre and television director, perhaps best known by bloggers for his time editing the now-defunct satirical award-winning website blogorrah.com. He is a regular contributor to a variety of publications, including the Sunday Tribune...
in New York. It was known for scathingly satirising well-known social figures in Irish life such as politicians, models, actors and the media. Blogorrah regularly featured in Irish national newspapers and received radio coverage, with the Sunday Independent
Sunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
referring to it as "frankly disgusting", and it was described by the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
as "a sort of Phoenix
The Phoenix (magazine)
The Phoenix is Ireland's best selling political and current affairs magazine. Inspired by the British magazine Private Eye, and a source of investigative journalism in Ireland...
without portfolio". Its end came when Ryan's publishing empire collapsed in 2007, with its sudden disappearance in July of that year providing Irish bloggers with much to speculate upon. A new blog The Chancer was launched in its place after Jim Carroll
Jim Carroll (journalist)
Jim Carroll is an Irish music journalist, blogger and editor who is currently employed by The Irish Times. He runs a blog titled "On the Record" for the newspaper....
of The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
questioned what Irish bloggers had written about before blogorrah.
Background
Ryan's publishing company inititally owned the publishing venture Stars on SundayStars on Sunday
Stars on Sunday was an unsuccessful Sunday tabloid newspaper in Ireland which famously went bankrupt in May 2003 just two months after its launch the previous March. A total of approximately €500,000 was invested in the title...
which folded with losses. He then set up the New York Dog
New York Dog
New York Dog was an unsuccessful lifestyle magazine for animal lovers based upon women's fashion and lifestyle magazines but instead featuring dogs. It was owned by the publishing empire of John Ryan, now known for his 2009 RTÉ Two comedy television show This is Nightlive, which mimics the antics...
magazine, which he promoted on The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
, and blogorrah.com. The site was edited by Derek O'Connor but mysteriously stopped filing new posts in July 2007. Ryan was also known for his business partnership with Michael O'Doherty
Michael O'Doherty (publisher)
Michael O'Doherty is a television talent judge, newspaper writer and the publisher of the VIP magazine group in Ireland. He is originally from Killiney in County Dublin, and was educated at Sandford Park School in Dublin and studied English and French at Trinity College, Dublin to undergraduate...
, the owner of VIP
VIP (magazine)
VIP is both the title of a magazine and a publishing group owned by the Irish publisher Michael O'Doherty. It was launched in 1999, the second of O'Doherty's business ventures with his friend and business partner John Ryan, following Magill and before TV Now...
magazine. After the collapse of his business empire in early 2007, Ryan was declared missing after he claimed a pet-food scare led to the closure of New York Dog. Staff at Manhattan's Cinema Café, a regular haunt said: ‘He would come in here with his dog pretty regularly, but we haven’t seen him for months. The last time [we] saw him, he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders’, whilst his partner O'Connor declared that he had not spoken to Ryan since he had left New York City a few months previously and said his email address was ‘out of commission’. O'Doherty said he had not heard from Ryan for over a month. Before his disappearance Ryan had attended the Electric Picnic
Electric Picnic
The 2005 festival took place on Saturday 3 September and Sunday 4 September. It is best remembered for Arcade Fire's performance which came before their subsequent mainstream success...
music festival in the company of fellow publisher Trevor White and soon after appeared as a guest on The Tubridy Show
The Tubridy Show
The Tubridy Show was an Irish talk-based entertainment radio programme presented by Ryan Tubridy. It was broadcast on Mondays to Fridays at 09:00 on RTÉ Radio 1....
. However, a rival website then accused him of mistreating his workers and he left the country until his 2009 television return
This is Nightlive
This is Nightlive was an Irish satire television series broadcast on RTÉ Two. It was created by John Ryan who also starred in the series .-Story and Plot:...
.