The Limerick Leader ran a online poll on Monday on the matter of Donal Murray, the Bishop of Limerick who is under pressure to resign in light of the findings of the Murphy Report.

However there was a lot of voting on the poll and the results changed wildly. So the Editor of the Limerick Leader has decided to take it down.

As a result of a huge upsurge in voting on Monday night, the indicative result of the poll was dramatically altered. The poll had asked readers if Bishop Murray should remain in office and earlier on Monday it was running at 75% No and 25%. Following an unusually high level of votes recorded in a three-hour period on Monday night, the result changed to 18% No and 82% Yes.

Limerick Leader Editor Alan English said “This is a very serious matter and it is important that an accurate picture of the views of Limerick people is represented.

“The Limerick Leader was not satisfied about the accuracy of this poll and for this reason we have decided to discontinue it.

“We regret that our readers have been denied the opportunity to make their views known through the poll, but it is vital that such polls are reliable and we had strong reasons to doubt that this one was. Readers are invited to submit their views on the matter to our Letters to the Editor page, by emailing letters@limerickleader.ie.”

Eh online polls are a bit like that – not very scientific.  But surely if you decide to run one you just publish the results and get on with it? No letters from the bishops palace to the Editor asking him to take it down I trust?