Swimming pool linked to child sex abuse allegations

IRISH swimming is facing a fresh crisis following allegations of child sex abuse at a pool used by one of the country’s most successful local clubs.

A number of people have made formal complaints to the gardaí about an individual associated with New Ross Swimming Pool going back over two decades.

The disclosure has rocked the Co Wexford town which is still dealing with the fallout from the scandal of paedophile priest Sean Fortune, who committed suicide there six years ago while awaiting trial on 29 charges of sexually abusing young boys from the area.

Chairperson of the local council, Ingrid O’Brien, said the community could hardly believe new allegations had surfaced involving a facility which was used by virtually every child in the town.

“It’s such a very important resource in the town and has been for at last two generations. People are very, very disturbed that such accusations might be made,” she said.

The garda investigation began several weeks ago but only became public knowledge after a six-strong team of officers visited the swimming pool this week to speak to staff.

New Ross Town Council, which owns and runs the facility, closed it temporarily after the garda visit but reopened it afterwards and said yesterday that full normal services had been resumed.

Ms O’Brien said the decision to close was taken to “protect the users of the pool and the staff”.

“We have had serious sexual abuse cases in the past and we are being extra careful,” she said, referring to the Sean Fortune case.

Town Clerk Gerard Mackey said he could not speak about the allegations or the garda investigation at this time and would not comment on the suggestion that one individual had volunteered to absent themselves from the pool until the inquiries were complete.

New Ross Swimming Pool was built to honour the visit of US President John F Kennedy to the town, his ancestral home, in 1963 and is officially called the Kennedy Memorial Pool.

It gained prominence as one of the most popular community facilities in the region and as a home for New Ross Swimming Club which has produced numerous international competitors over the years.

The facility is used by all the local schools and by all ages for competitive coaching, swim classes, fun swims, lifesaving lessons, water fitness sessions and sub-aqua training.

Superintendent Tom Saunderson, who is in charge of the investigation, would confirm only that gardaí were “investigating a number of allegations of incidents associated with the swimming pool”. He said their inquiries were still at an early stage.

New Ross Swimming Club did not make a spokesperson available yesterday but it is understood the club’s activities are to continue as normal at the pool during the investigation.

Irish swimming struggled to get back on form after national swim coach Derry O’Rourke was jailed for 12 years in 1998 on multiple charges of child sex abuse.

As a result of the inquiry that followed, a new national governing body, Swim Ireland, was set up and strict new child welfare guidelines were to be implemented countrywide.

Swim Ireland chief executive Sarah Keane said last night the organisation was aware of the garda probe but said it would be inappropriate to comment while the investigation was taking place.