Father to resume hunger strike over son

AN Assistant Garda Commissioner has been dispatched to Cork to try to prevent an anguished father from resuming a hunger strike outside the Dáil next Tuesday over the death of his son at a local nightclub.

Andrew Moynihan, whose son, Adrian, died more than two years ago after an altercation at Sidetrax Nightclub for which the DPP is not going to prosecute, is, however, not hopeful that his meeting today will achieve anything.

Last month he went on hunger strike outside the Dáil where the case was being debated - and the Minister for Justice Michael McDowell was infamously in the Dáil bar.

Subsequently, Mr Moynihan got an apology from the minister and a promise that the Garda Commissioner would review the file.

He had heard nothing, until yesterday when it became public that he intended to resume the hunger strike.

An official from the Department of Justice rang him at home to arrange a meeting with the Assistant Commissioner at Anglesea Street garda headquarters at 10am today.

“He is going to say nothing,” said Mr Moynihan last evening.

“We want a public inquiry that the gardaí have nothing to do with the handling of. We have no confidence in the gardaí,” he said.

“Tomorrow’s meeting is only to try and soft-soap us and that’s not going to happen.

“I believe that the gardaí are hiding something, but I do not know what or why,” he said .

“Our son Adrian did not take his own life. Somebody is responsible for that and we intend to pursue this case until justice is done, and seen to be done.”