Donkey Trashes Hotel Room, Crashes Web Site

Photo from the Disney movie 'Shrek.' You'll see why this is important.

So, in case you missed it, a news story popped up this week from the Emerald Isle. The headline reads, "Lonely man brought donkey to hotel room, court told." Here's the first paragraph:

"A man who was found dressed in latex and handcuffs brought a donkey to his room in a Galway city centre hotel, because he was advised 'to get out and meet people,' the local court heard last week."

Things only get weirder from there.

The fellow's name is Thomas Aloysius McCarney, and he's been charged with cruelty to animals, lewd and obscene behavior, and with being a danger to himself.

(There had been some charges due to a damaged mini-bar, but they were dropped because the donkey did it. This is possibly the first, and only, successful use of the "Donkey Defense.")

Also:

* His lawyer says he's fixated on the movie 'Shrek' (McCarney "...could constantly be heard at work talking to himself saying things like 'Isn't that right, Donkey?'")

* He told the receptionist that the donkey was a "breed of 'super rabbit.'"

* After the donkey went wild in the halls, McCarney was found in his room, wearing the latex suit and handcuffs. (The donkey swallowed the handcuff key.)

* He apparently was fined €2,000 for violating the "Unlawful Accommodation of Donkeys Act 1837"

Now, the story seems to have hit the Internets in a big way -- for example, it was on the main pages of social link sites Boingboing, Metafilter, and Fark.

All the attention seems to have blown up the newspaper's Web site. Here's what you see:

To read "Lonely man brought donkey to hotel room, court told" click here.

So they split off the story to its own permanent page.

Now, of course, the big question is: Is this for real? It's too early for April Fool's Day, and before it melted, the newspaper's Web site looked real.

However, the only references to the "Unlawful Accomodation of Donkeys Act" online are only found in the article.

And, as a Fark commenter noted, they also had an article written in the voice of a three-foot tall, plastic security guard [the article, like the rest of their site, is toast at the moment], so who knows?

Perhaps it's a bizarre promotion for 'Shrek the Third'?

Anyway, read the article, then leave a comment and tell us if you think it's real or not.

Now, get out and meet people!

Thanks -- Joe

Tags: shrek, donkey defense, weird news, ireland, galway