From Halls Pictorial Weekly  to the days of The Panel, our television screens have been graced with many the sideways look at Irish news. However, less heralded are the plethora of great Irish satirical news websites, which have grown in huge numbers over the last couple of years.

We're featured five of our favourites below:

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1. Pure Derry

Pure Derry has been on the internet longer than I have, but since 2006 it's run purely as a Facebook page. You can still visit the PureDerry.com website to browse through their archive, and their Facebook page is thriving. 

The page is a haven for local craic, and runs plenty of competitions for its witty followers. Most recently you can find some great photoshops of movie billboards, with a Derry twist:

Image: PureDerry 

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2. The Codologist

Its tagline 'A hurley of truth in a gear bag of uncertainty' makes them a winner in my eyes already. The Codologist is a site that pokes fun at some of Ireland's most pressing topics by reporting completely over-the-top news. 

None more so than their recent article reporting on how the Dáil passed a €112,000,000 expenses bill without any debate as they were trying to get out early for their Halloween holidays.

Following a brief power outage, the Ceann Comhairle’s gavel went missing and a number of pigeons somehow got trapped in the building. While they were being shooed out, Joan Burton entertained the house with her always well-received & rousing rendition of the hit song “Hero” by Chad Kroeger.

Image: The Codologist 

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3. College Times

CollegeTimes.ie is a new website aimed at third level students across Ireland, and for those of us who like to think we still are one. It's a mixture of satire, news, and useful articles for students and young adults alike.

They have funny posts such as what not to do after a break-up, and those that cover more serious topics like 3rd level funding etc. that affect its readers. 'The Daily Dump ' provides you with a round-up of the day's news, but with a slightly different twist – e.g. their reporting in the build-up to Hurricane Sandy:

Image: CollegeTimes.ie 

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5. The Mire

The Mire has duped many the person surfing the net for Irish news. It's satire at its finest, covering Irish current affairs in a way that its ridiculousness is only matched by the scariness of how believable the stories actually sound.

Written by Donal Conaty, the website has also spawned a book which takes a skewed look at Ireland's IMF-ECB bailout. The site covers mostly national news stories, and it's sincerity draws hilarity:

via: The Mire 

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5. Waterford Whispers News

One of the most popular satirical sites in Ireland, Waterford Whispers News has some laugh-out-loud articles. 

The posts on site seem to capture the cultural and social mood of Ireland – taking apart some of the most pressing news stories every week.

Whether it be GIovanni Trapattoni announcing that he would play his translator Manuela in midfield against Germany, or Enda Kenny defending Minister for Health James Reilly's decision to construct an €562 billion Death Star for his North Dublin constituency, WWNews certainly shows it's on the pulse. 

Image: WWNEWS