Ireland–New York portal takes 'dark' turn: 'This is why we can never have nice things'

The portal connecting New York and Ireland has been taking over social media, with many wholesome gestures and phone number swapping.

Both installations have been running a 24/7 livestream, allowing "real-time interaction between Dubliners, New Yorkers, and visitors to these two global destinations".

However, there's always one or two people that ruin it for everybody, with one grim example showing why "we can never have nice things."

In a viral clip shared online, one person based in Ireland showed a photo of the 9/11 devastation. In the footage, New Yorkers could be heard yelling: "No!"

"That’s so unnecessary," one X/Twitter user hit back, while another sarcastically wrote: "Ah Yes, the day America got attacked multiple innocent people lost their lives & first responders lost their lives as well; Very very funny totally…"

A third added: "This is why we as humans can't spread love and have good things."

The organisation behind the installations, Portals.org, already has portals in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Lublin, Poland, in May 2021.

"Portals are more than physical sculptures," they explained on the website. "They are a movement that exists in the collective consciousness and receive millions of views every month. For many of our partners, Portals bring more awareness to their city than anything else. By joining the Portals Network, you are on the same table together with all our partners, creating opportunities for new relationships and initiatives."

Despite the one negative interaction, the portal has been proving incredibly popular and has already had some wholesome moments which have been shared online.

One of which includes a woman connecting with her long-distance boyfriend based in New York.

The viral TikTok shows Cate holding up a sign greeting her boyfriend on the other side.

"The way I’d be at the portal every day," a fellow TikTok quipped.

"Just wait for a marriage proposal through the portal," another added.

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