liaconn, i know you didn't mention the shaven headed thugs, that's why i used a separate paragraph to differentiate, apologies if you thought I was referring to you there. There are staff at all (bar Broombridge) stations, they may not have been at the counter at the exact moment the OP needed one but as someone else pointed out they probably were not gone for long.
OP apologies for using the word idiot, however the machines are easy to use and what you should have stated to the inspector was that you were not able to get the machine to work not that it was broken, when the machine gives you the ticket options you must agree to that ticket otherwise you can't pay and that was what the Inspector was trying to explain.
I still can't see why you wouldn't have given your name to someone wearing an Irish Rail uniform, the fact is that you were travelling without a valid ticket and I don't have a problem understanding what you've said.