Leave the Allens alone, Ballymaloe staff plead

STAFF at Ballymaloe have come out in public support of the troubled Allen family and made an impassioned plea for them to be left alone.

In a letter to the Irish Examiner, employees of Ballymaloe House and cookery school said they believed the family should now be allowed to get on with their lives.

"The Allens have been good employers and friends to us in times of need...We believe that the Allen family should now be allowed to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and we should be allowed to get on with our jobs."

The letter was prompted by the huge media coverage generated by the conviction last Thursday of celebrity chef Tim Allen for child porn offences. In light of the coverage, staff said they felt it "would be wrong for us to stay silent any longer".

Emphasising that they in no way condoned Tim Allen's behaviour, staff said they had given gardaí full support and co-operation during Operation Amythyst, a major investigation last May into Internet viewing and downloading of child porn.

"During the months that followed, we each have had to try to come to terms with the consequences," they said.

However, the 11 who signed the letter said they also wanted to put on the record that "the Tim Allen we know and have worked with for many years is a good, kind, generous, loving, considerate and patient man.

"We have and we are going through a range of emotions disbelief, anger, hurt and sorrow," they said.

The signatories said Ballymaloe was built up through the hard work and dedication of family and staff over 40 years and they were proud of the business they helped create. It employed 200 people, they said, and was highly beneficial to the economy of east Cork.

The staff said they had seen the pain and agony the Allen family had to endure since last May and they extended their continuing support.

"We also thank our customers and friends for their words of encouragement which we deeply appreciate," the letter concluded.