Trish Kearney: 'I had pitied teenage me, but she was tough, strong and brave'

Over 30 years have passed since Trish Kearney was last assaulted by George Gibney. Here, she writes about her decision to go public, and the new book that tells her story  

Trish Kearney has written a book about George Gibney's predatory ways as a swimming coach. Pictures: Larry Cummins

If people were to meet me today, there is little which would alert them to what lies in my past. Abused and stalked as a young teenager by the paedophile George Gibney, I have lived, along with my fellow survivors, in a world where justice was denied and our story the subject of intense media coverage for twenty-six years. For twenty-five of those years I remained anonymous, comfortable to speak of my past among family and friends only. Yet, here I am today, having published my memoir Above Water and proud to have shared my story on the podcast, Where is George Gibney? What has brought about this change you may ask?

I don’t believe I can narrow it down to one thing, rather it is a combination of factors which has brought me to this point. Firstly, time has indeed healed. Over thirty-five years have passed since I was last assaulted by George Gibney. During that time, I have learned to come to terms with my past and accommodate it, and its often-unwelcome memories, into my life.