Former All-Ireland-winning hurler pleads not guilty to assaulting boy (12) with stick
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Disabled children suffered higher rates of sexual abuse, Dáil hears during debate on historical abuse
Children with disabilities experienced sexual abuse at a much higher rate than children without a disability, the Dáil heard as it debated historical child sexual abuse in day and boarding schools. Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion Michael Moynihan said the scoping inquiry leading to the newly established Commission of Investigation revealed the records of religious orders showed 'some 528 allegations of historical child sexual abuse across 17 special schools in respect of 190 alleged abusers'. The initial scoping inquiry was told of some 2,395 allegations of historical sexual abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders. It was told it involved 884 alleged abusers in 308 schools countrywide between 1927 to 2013. The Minister of State said 'many families entrusted the care of their children into these communities' and 'this is unlikely to be the full extent of the historical abuse in special schools'. READ MORE It was 'truly appalling that the additional vulnerabilities of children in special schools could be so exploited and there has to be accountability', Mr Moynihan said. He was speaking during a debate on the motion to approve the draft order on the Commission of Investigation on the handling of historical child sexual abuse in day and boarding schools. [ Government will 'pursue all levers' to make religious orders pay redress to victims of school sex abuse Opens in new window ] Sinn Féin TD Pat Buckley said he had lost many friends who had been abused and it took more than 20 years to find out what happened. 'I lost two friends in primary school where the abuse started and I wasn't aware of it.' He said 'people ran away from school, came back, qualified as solicitors and everything, and unfortunately ended their lives'. He said some of the people who are responsible 'are still alive, some of the principals and vice-principals, Christian Brothers and lay teachers'. Labour's Ciarán Ahern said the Government and other institutions of power 'have excelled in the past at covering up the reality of child sexual abuse'. 'We need only look at the Carrigan report in 1931 to see the DNA of denial that blighted child protection in Ireland from the State's foundation'. The Dublin South-West TD said the Carrigan committee was appointed in 1930 and held 17 sessions. One witness, the police commissioner of the time, 'highlighted an alarming amount of sexual crime, increasing yearly, a feature of which was the large number of cases of criminal interference with girls and children from 16 years and downwards, many children under 10 years of age'. He said the police commissioner believed that less than 15 per cent of sexual crime was being prosecuted but government chose not to publish the report. Minister for Education Helen McEntee thanked 'every single survivor for their bravery, whether they were in a position to come forward or not'. She also thanked the late Mark Ryan and his brother David who came forward for the RTÉ documentary Blackrock Boys, after which the Government established a scoping inquiry. In an address to survivors she said: 'I am truly sorry for what was done to you and the devastating impacts it had on your lives, but I want to thank each and every person for their bravery.'
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Magnier's Coolmore group branded ‘professional bullies' by rival in bitter Barne Estate row
A woman whose husband is being sued by John Magnier over the purported sale of a prized Co Tipperary estate said she felt €50,000 in cash delivered in two brown envelopes on behalf of the bloodstock billionaire was 'incredibly tainted and dirty', the High Court has heard. Anna Thomson-Moore told the court that on September 7th, 2023 – two weeks after an alleged €15 million handshake allegedly sealed the sale of Barne Estate – Mr Magnier called to Barne with his son, JP, and met the Thomson-Moores. She said they told Mr Magnier they had to work through tax issues and involve the trustees of the estate to complete any deal. Ms Thomson-Moore said that at the end of that conversation their estate agent, John Stokes, who had walked out with the Magniers, returned to the house with two brown envelopes given to him by JP containing €50,000 cash. She said she felt 'incredibly uncomfortable' about the envelopes and had the money returned days later. The Magnier side has told the court the money was a token of 'appreciation' to the Thomson-Moores for letting the Magnier side on to the land before any sale was finalised. READ MORE The Magnier side was ultimately dislodged by Irish-born, US-based construction magnate Maurice Regan, who offered €22.25 million and became the preferred bidder for the estate. Mr Regan is not a party to the case. Mr Magnier wants the court to enforce the deal he claims he sealed with Mr Thomson-Moore in an alleged handshake agreement for the 751 acres on August 22nd, 2023. The Magnier side has sued the Barne Estate, Mr Thomson-Moore and three companies of IQEQ (Jersey) Ltd group, seeking to enforce the purported deal, which they say was 'unequivocally' agreed. The Barne defendants say there was never any such agreement as they needed the consent of the trustees to finalise any deal. They say they preferred to sell the estate to Mr Regan. Mr Magnier claims there had been no mention of the sale being subject to trustee approval. At the High Court on Tuesday Ms Thomson-Moore – wife of defendant Richard Thomson-Moore – told Paul Gallagher, senior counsel for the Magniers, that the family was not deliberately 'stalling' on a deal with Mr Magnier because Mr Regan had outbid Mr Magnier. Barne and the Magniers entered into an exclusivity agreement stipulating that the estate would not permit itself or its representatives to solicit or encourage any expression of interest, inquiry or offer on the property from anyone other than Mr Magnier between August 31st and September 30th, 2023. However, during September 2023, Ms Thomson-Moore said, Mr Regan offered about €20 million for the estate. She said the trustees recommended honouring the exclusivity agreement with Mr Magnier, making Ms Thomson-Moore increasingly frustrated with the trustees who refused to consider the new bid. Mr Gallagher asked why the Thomson-Moores did not tell the trustees of the brown envelopes until a month after the incident. An emotional Ms Thomson-Moore said she was 'incredibly uncomfortable' about the money and that it gave her a 'tainted and dirty' feeling. A portion of a text message from Mr Regan to Mr Thomson-Moore was read to the court by Mr Gallagher in which Mr Regan described the Magnier-led Coolmore side as 'professional bullies'. In the text, Mr Regan said the Thomson-Moores had not been through a fair process in dealing with Coolmore which, Mr Regan says, should not be the new owner of Barne Estate and if they were to take ownership that they should 'pay dearly for it'. 'You are dealing with professional bullies,' wrote Mr Regan to Mr Thomson-Moore, adding that the Coolmore side was engaged in 'intimidating' Mr Thomson-Moore. Ms Thomson-Moore said her husband did not reply to the message. The case continues.
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Kildare referee Brendan Cawley to take charge of All-Ireland senior football final
It will be the Sarsfields club man's first time taking charge of an All-Ireland senior football final, having made his senior inter-county debut as a referee six years ago. He officiated Kerry's All-Ireland quarter-final victory over Armagh last month as well as the Ulster final between Donegal and Armagh, which Jim McGuinness' side won after extra-time. He was also the man-in-the-middle for their provincial first-round victory over Derry. Monaghan's Martin McNally is his stand-by referee on the day, which will be Cawley's 30th championship game as referee. Kildare GAA lauded Cawley's 'dedication, consistency and composure' in a statement on X saying it was a matter of when rather than if he'd get the top job, having previously taken charge of the All-Ireland club football final in 2024 when Derry's Glen defeated Roscommon's St Brigid's. 'His dedication, consistency, and composure have long marked him out as one of the very best in the game, and it is fitting that he now takes charge of this prestigious fixture,' wrote Kildare GAA. Cawley follows in the footsteps of Sean Hurson who threw the ball-in for last year's decider between Armagh and Galway. He'll be the first Kildare man to referee the final since 2005 when Michael Monaghan took charge of Kerry's victory over Tyrone.
